JoannMarie

Lisa, I wish you successful surgery and speedy recovery. You are on your way!

Your anniversary celebration sounds like fun, Phyl. I would love to visit Seattle - it sounds like a beautiful city. Maybe someday I can be asking you for advice on what attractions to visit! Glad you had such a good day...

Stacey, my prayers are for your little kitty and for you. I hope he will be okay. I hope you will be okay, too - I hate to think of you so worried about kitty and feeling so bad. Your heart was in the right place, wanting him to enjoy some time outdoors with his buddies. I pray your surgery will go well and you will have a speedy recovery - and many more years with Kitty. God Bless...

Phyl, how did the anniversary celebration go? Congratulations on 44 years together! It will be 48 for DH and I this October and I almost can't believe that. Time sure flies when you are having fun, doesn't it? (and most of the time it HAS been fun!) I wish you many more celebrations!

HA! Another household where the doggie never sees the inside of the doggie bag. My shelties have been trying to tell me they are the only dogs in the world who are so deprived. Lying little furballs... I think my days of pizza for breakfast are over. Too bad. I can live with that!

Phyl, you are doing so well. You are halfway to your goal! You are definitely my role model... You must be feeling so great. Congratulations!

Soulsister, thank you for all your prayers. You are definitely God's prayer warrior! I think your idea for a get-together in the future is great! It looks like Phyl and I are the lucky ones that don't need a card for the senior menu! WooHoo! I've been checking out menus at all our favorite restaurants. I don't feel too concerned about choosing the right foods. DH and I can share some, but he doesn't always like what I like (go figure). The appetizer menu and doggie bags are a good option. (The poor dogs have never seen the inside of a doggie bag!) I think the card is a good idea, but maybe the best thing is for the medic-alert aspect. My surgery hospital is not local, and it will give me a measure of comfort to have that information for the local folks. God bless you all tonight.

Sounds like good advice, Jeanette. I took a look at your ticker - WOW. I'm going to be happy to take advice from you. You've lost 115 pounds! You are doing great. Glad you're back from NJ and in a more comfortable place for you. I'm looking forward to meeting you next week. I guess Lisa will be otherwise occupied that evening, but we will be thinking about her and wishing her a speedy recovery. :biggrin2:

Soulsister, thank you for that beautiful prayer. We are all blessed to have your company on this thread. God bless you.

Hang in there, Jeanette! I am really looking forward to meeting you, Lisa, and everyone else at the meeting later this month. At this point I don't have a date set (not even for my surgeon consultation), and waiting is a bummer. I want to come and meet everyone now so I have that requirement taken care of - and will have that extra support of local people as I go along. Congratulations on your new swimsuit! The thought of shopping for a swimsuit right now sends shivers of dread up and down my spine. I hope to have more courage about that issue as I approach the kind of weight loss you have. You are giving me something to look forward to and that makes my wait easier. See you soon!

Thank you, Lisa. I don't know about wise... I have a few years on you and Jeanette -- maybe that has "wised me up" a little (but just a little...). I am just amazed at the accomplishments of so many people on LBTalk. You are all inspiring to me. I am looking forward to meeting all of you at the next meeting.

Jeanette, I am in process for surgery at SMMC this fall (I hope!), and will be attending the support group in August. I've been lurking for week or so on this thread - I hope that is okay with all of you - but I figured that would be a good way to start getting acquainted. (kinda one-sided though) I took the liberty of looking at your profile - and the picture of you and your handsome fiance. I hope while you are with your family you will keep one thing in mind. You have lost 110 pounds. You are only 40 pounds from your goal. You are a beautiful young woman AND YOU HAVE LOST 110 POUNDS! That is an amazing accomplishment and you can be very proud of yourself. I am sure no one at your cousin's wedding (incl your cousin!) can hold a candle to that. Go to the wedding, look beautiful, feel great, smile, and have fun. That is the choice you can make that you will not regret, and it won't cost you so much as a calorie!

Hi Young, I am mid-process and have not had to do a 6 month medically supervised diet. However, I do have history of a 5 month liquid diet 2 years ago that was medically supervised. I think one of their guidelines includes documentation that you have tried dieting with no long-term success. Have you been to a seminar yet? In this area prospective patients are required by the bariatric practices to attend a seminar to get basic information about WLS. You would have a chance to ask your questions there, and get the real scoop. Just be sure you are going to a Center of Excellence, or Medicare will not cover it. In my note above I included a web address for the Medicare site that lists the Centers of Excellence in each state. Also check to make sure your surgeon accepts Medicare assignment as Sharon160 said.

Barb, I'm so glad to hear you are feeling better this morning. You are going to be fine! From what I have gleaned from all the experienced people I have read about on this site, there are a lot of ups and downs associated with this particular lifestyle change -- but then what can I expect from a lifestyle change?? Be tough! I am moving along in this Quest. All the paperwork is in, met w/psych, nutrition classes complete, scheduling a sleep study, and have an apptmnt set with the surgeon for Sept. 3. The surgeon's coordinator told me I should have my band "in the fall". I'm pushing for early fall. DH and I have a trip to South Korea coming up around Christmas to visit our daughter and her family who are there with the USArmy. I would really like to be settled in to this program well before we go. Long flights and different food choices concern me - I would like to have a routine established by then. (not to mention lose a few pounds to make the whole trip easier!) Thank you for your kind words. Let's do keep in touch with each other. I will be anxious to hear how you are doing.

Barb, Please read back through this thread and listen to the messages from the people who have responded to Cindy. I have not yet been banded, and can only imagine how hard it is for you right now. My heart goes out to you and I pray you will be able to get past these fears of failure. You have many years before you and you have plenty of time to accomplish your goals. Everyone is different - different metabolism, different life experiences, different strengths and weaknesses. Try not to compare yourself with others - your experiences will be your own, and you will be successful. There are threads available that offer mentoring by other bandsters - go to the main page and find the main thread. Then look for one titled "Available LapBand Buddy/I'm here to help..." That has been a very active thread for new bandsters (and those in-waiting like me) as well as those who are struggling with different issues. IndioGirl is the mentor on that thread, and it would be good if you read back through the postings so she does not have to repeat those suggestions she has made several times. Also --- YOU have lost 33 pounds in under a month. THAT is something to celebrate! Good for you... Good luck to you.

I agree with you, Lauralee, and I also think we have to be persistent in our Quest for healing from morbid obesity. The normal "roadblocks" of getting approval from surgeon and/or insurance are difficulties all of us face in this quest. I have to be able to discern what is the normal roadblock and what is my Father saying "no, this is not the right way for you." That's the tough part. I believe He continues to guide me down this road - unexpected problems have cropped up along the way, and within a short time, the phone rings and the way has been cleared to the next step. I have seen this process over and over in my 66 years, and I have finally learned to trust it! To those of you who struggle with this issue - please don't let the details of the process get you down. Be encouraged, be proactive and claim your good health. Praise God!

It is so GREAT to hear from you, Plevy. Glad to hear you are doing so well and only 6 days out. I have been wondering how you were getting along. Congratulations on the first day of your healthy life!!:biggrin2:

Mary T and Summer08, Reading your posts I immediately reacted with the thought that I am absolutely a disciplined person. But then ... I have to admit there are areas in my life that prove the opposite. Since retirement from the real work world several years ago I still struggle with structuring my time in order to accomplish those things I wanted to do once I had all this time! That has definitely been a self discipline issue with me. Does this run into other areas? I'll have to think on that one... For me, the main reason I am choosing banding over bypass is because it is less invasive, no rerouting of anything, and reversible if it becomes a serious medical issue. I'm going into this with the commitment to the long haul, but it is reassuring to me to know it can be reversed if absolutely necessary. Thanks for the "food for thought" for Breakfast this morning...

God bless you, Marilyn. I am so glad you are here with us - you are going to be a blessing to all of us. I pray we can give you the support you need and deserve. God is in control of your life and He has opened this door for you. I'm sure all your new friends on this site will be praying for you.

Welcome Penny, You have come a long way, lady! I pray that God opens this door for you this week and you get approval for your surgery. I know you will find a lot of support on this thread and others on LBT. Let us know how everything goes for you.

Okay, Long. Can I come to you in a few months with the same issue??? It's always easier to advise than it is to know what to do when it's MY problem! tee-hee. Go for it Girl! You are so on the road.

Hi Long! Good to see you here! It has been so much fun for me to visit with so many great people on LBT, and discover how our lives overlap from one thread to another. The situation you describe with the women in your small group sounds familiar. I have those people in my life, too, and absolutely do not feel comfortable sharing this experience with them. At this point I feel like I really don't have to say anything and once I am banded and losing I have success speaking for me. You are losing so successfully - how can there be a question? The final key will be reaching your goal and keeping the pounds off. Weight Watchers have the same issues all other obese people have - the trick is not so much losing the weight, it's losing it forever! WW eating plan is very healthy and works for many people. An awful lot of them return year after year to take it off again, though, or they give up -- OR THEY GET BANDED!! Whatever you decide to do now - don't be afraid of their judgement. Judgement is between you and Our Father and they don't have anything to do with it. At some point, that's how it is for all of us. God bless you.

Welcome Waremock, When were you banded? Have things gone okay for you? I'm in the application process right now. Paperwork completed and being reviewed - hope to have a surgeon consultation soon. Waiting is a bummer, but LBTalk has been a great resource for support and information for me. Most everyone has had to wait patiently for this procedure so their new lifestyle can begin. Guess it's my turn... We're glad you are here!

Great information Doddie63. This is a good picture of how everything works over the long-haul. Tells me we have to be a patient patient and not try to push too hard. It will happen.

My prayers are with you - both for your baptism and for your banding. It's a big week for you, that's for certain! Good luck and God Bless You.