Toni Ha

what size and what item? dresses pants? I am on the other side of the us.. washington state..

Amen to that Sista's too true.. Give all the Glory to God" it is his grace that keeps us going..
rock your day Ladies & Gentlemen

Just hit 101lbs at 9months post op and feeling darn good about it. Doctors say i'll only lose 30% from surgery and that will be 105lbs so I have gone back to weight watchers to lose another 50lbs to bring me down to onederland. Has anyone else have to go back to old diets to make it work?? Also, im scared im stretching my stomach. I can eat quite a bit now.
Looking for people feeling and experiencing the same thing
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ok a note to all you Big Winners.. lbs that fly off.. Not.. it is hard work. How do you combat the sagging skin problem. I have lost & gained it back for the last time. I was sleeved on the 4th of January. The worst part is eating my meds or liquid meds. Ide rather lick the bottom of your stilettos. lol Still sore. Getting better with each day.
You all are very inspirational. The only thing to fear is fear it self. & always remember " if,God be on your side Who be against you? No one.
We are all stronger and winners here.

ok a note to all you Big Winners.. lbs that fly off.. Not.. it is hard work. How do you combat the sagging skin problem. I have lost & gained it back for the last time. I was sleeved on the 4th of January. The worst part is eating my meds or liquid meds. Ide rather lick the bottom of your stilettos. lol Still sore. Getting better with each day.
You all are very inspirational. The only thing to fear is fear it self. & always remember " if,God be on your side Who be against you? No one.
We are all stronger and winners here.

Yep I totally get you. I pretty much did the same. This is about me and my choices. To live happier, healthier and longer by eating and doing the right things for me first, by me taking care of me I can take care of those I love. My Twin 15 years old boys have been there with me a few times but because I think they wanted to understand. I will be making healthier choices for me and them. I hate this because I am not a selfish person. It takes some getting used to.
Your doing the right thing. I am 1 week post op. and am already feelin it. Better, smarter for my choices & a ton happier.
toniHa

Nothing like it in the world. Riding horses is like being free. Just you & your horse.
Freedom yaaaa

Im in Tennessee. I ride totally western pleasure and lots of trail riding..we have some really beutiful places to ride down here
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Totally gal pal. spring is coming soon enough I just need to love on him on the ground. waiting for it t be spring lol silli me.. where are you? I am in Spokane WA state
What kind of riding do you do? West/, Pleasure, Jumping, show? Back yard horse lover enthusiast.? :-D)
toni
toni99009@gmail.com

Hi Toni, Im still pre-op but your post about your walker caught my eye..I have quarter horses and they are one of the reasons why I decided to have surgery ..Its nice to see someone that shares a motivation like my own
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Your surgeon should give you instruction on when you are cleared for lifting any weights, doing any core exercises, and increasing cardio intensity. For me I wasn't allowed to do anything more intense than a "brisk walk" until 2 months post-op. Up to that point I was supposed to try to do a total of 60 minutes of "brisk walking" throughout the day.

I complain about my skin all the time but as I am losing more and more time has passed it is actually getting better.
I can hide it with Shapewear or pantyhose. I won't ever look great naked without plastic surgery but I look great in clothes. 99.9% of people are going to see me fully clothed.

just got home last evening.. still in a bit of a bubble,, can't sleep at all. i roll and walk,lay and roll.. and walk did I say walk. is this normal.?
ToniHa

Good morning Emk,
I am pre op doing shakes for 2 more than Clear liquids for pre-op. The other member's have it pointed down. If it were me ide go back to basic's and shake for a week or two.. remember your exercise regimen. even if it it walking your house 20-30x I know for some of us there is a lot of snow out side.. I am the queen of yo yo diets and weigh on weight off.. Focus on why you had the surgery done.. it is my guiding life affirmation.. these days. This is a new You.. not just a new year. All things are possible with Christ in your heart. He gives me strength.
Best wishes
Toni

I posted this earlier, repeating with some edits and updates and plan to keep this updated for my own accountability!
I was banded in 2007 at 333lb; it worked lovely for me, I lost almost everything I wanted in 1 year (220lb) -- then I got pregnant & it broke, gained it all back, had a baby, revised band -- lost it all again (211!), got pregnant again & it broke again -- gained it all back again, had a baby, revised band. Worked again, but slower... broke again.. gained it back... this has continued on and on.. I have had a total of 2 replacements & 6 revisions.
Before my last, last revision I was back to 220lb. Took over a year of testing (with a new doctor - previous doctor disappeared in the middle of the night - that's a whole other story) and got back up to 300. Started personal trainer 3x week at a gym. Down to 270 - then The last revision didn't take, I don't feel the same as I use to, and that revision was early 2015. Ruptured a disc in my back and exercise went to nill. Took a year or so of tests and appointments before my doc fixed my back. I've been plugging along for over a year at 300-330lb. Back to my original 2007 pre-op weight. Band has been bothering me like it never did before. Waking up choking on acid. Sort of vegetarian by force - no meats are soft enough. Can't eat many veggies or fruits, but hey ice cream goes down! Insurance is terrible (I have never even been offered a plan that has Bariatric coverage, ever. Through different companies. Wonder where this stuff exists.)
So the waking up choking really scares me and I finally made a $700 appt to try an unfill(don't have much if any anyway) and check the band. And it slipped.
In my various revisions They had to move my port from belly, chest, belly... port has flipped 4 times... port disconnected once... tubing broke once... and now slipped.
Keep in mind, since day 1 I am self-pay, so I could have bought a house by now with all I have paid.
I'm not kidding!! Doctor said we either revise the band again, remove it, or convert it.
I refuse to revise the band again, I hate the booger at this point. Not one more penny!!
It will be $9k to remove it -- $22k to revise it to a sleeve. I am too afraid of GP, even after all this time as a bariatric patient. In 2012 I wanted to convert to the sleeve, but the price difference was too much to justify everytime I had to go under the knife (if I only knew how many more surgeries I'd be paying for since then because of the band!!).
This time, I decided -- remove it, and be done. When I can eat 'normal' again for the first time in years, I'll work on eating things like fruit, veggies & salads -- which I can't eat now. I thought a little more & talked with family, and we've all decided I should just take out a 2nd mortgage and bite the bullet, because I'm not healthy anymore and would very much like to be, and if I decided later on I want the sleeve, it's going to be another 20k+ the 9k I pay now. I was born overweight and it has been my lifelong struggle.
So, I have it all scheduled now. Surgery January 4,2017 (for tax purposes, I asked to wait until the new year).
I've been absent from the forum for years, feeling that I have nothing to contribute as a lap-band failure, and the great friendships I made through this forum, I talk to all the time.
But I am back, now that I am going to be a 'newbie' in the sleeve world. I am very excited now that I've gotten over the initial shock of how much money I'm going to be shelling out..... again.
Here's to my new success, and good riddance to the band!!!!
---------
1/1 update; took out several loans to pay doctor and hospital last week. Don't know how we will manage but I guess we will. In the midst of this someone asked about paying the anesthesiologist. This wasn't brought up in conversations previous, so it was another slap in the face . Left anesthesiologist 4 messages last week so I know cost and where to pay, no one is calling me back. I guess with holidays. I tried googling an estimate for self pay anesthesiologist and got no results I can use to sleep at night.
Went on 12/29 for preop. With my 5 and 7 year old (who helped me run around paying everyone, ever so graciously). Started the endless paperwork. I showed them my current insurance (2016) and new insurance for January 1. 30m later, he starts showing me payment plan for the preop! $2k!! They are killing me. Another cost not brought up before. I didn't take out enough loans to pay thousands upon thousands more. Then he says it's because my 2016 insurance is out of network for their hospital. I don't even, what?!.... I said well, can I come back January 2 then?? And he said yes. Why wouldn't they lead with that? Anyway, so we left to find Pokémon cards rewards for being such patient little kids.
My doc asked me to do Protein shakes a week pre-op to shrink my liver. He didn't sound stern about it, and it is the holidays.... but I really am nervous about a conversion surgery. Seems more invasive, I feel unhealthy, and I have a lingering cough from a bad cold I got a week before Christmas- so I want to do the best I can. I have done a modified liquid diet based on reading others' diets.
On December 26th I started a liquid diet, broth (chicken bouillon cube in water) mostly. I hate taste of sf products so I'd rather not have them. Also New whey Protein Shots, carnation high Protein essential powder mixed in with coffee. Two nights this week I have also had a low carb small dinner at night. Grilled fish and asparagus/cottage cheese with ragu. First couple of days I had intense headaches by evening. Headaches Stopped December 31. Tried sf Jello on December 31 also, and glad to see it tasted great. I've moved past that sugar hang up. Wahoo. I forgot it can be done. Every time it feels so hard, I get through it by remembering it's only temporary.
I was 322lb at the preop appointment with doctor on December 25. Today January 1 I am down to 309lb. I feel much less bloated than I have been feeling for a while.
Kids don't start school until January 5, husband and I are both busy business owners. This is going to be a rough week. I also have been wanting to get the house good and cleaned before I have surgery so I don't fret about cleaning while I recover, but I can't find the time! Plus, did I mention the kids are out of school?
I am anxious about surgery. I watched two YouTube videos of the conversion. I've had a band for almost 10 years and they make me nervous. What if the band is embedded in my stomach?! Wah! I should not have watched them admittedly. I also have been reading around the forums. Sad to see the interaction is barely a fraction of what it was back when I was doing the band thang.
That anxiety is why I am up at 2:30am posting here. Hopefully I am not messing up my preop tests by showing up on little sleep.
I'll keep posting updates! Hopefully It just gets better and better......

Love it.. You look fab. Nice to hear you feel fab and are enjoying the trip/ride. Life I mean.. :-D)
I have about that much to loose too.
Cant wait to start my journey.. getting sleeved on the 4th
Toni Ha

Love it.. You look fab. Nice to hear you feel fab and are enjoying the trip/ride. Life I mean.. :-D)
I have about that much to loose too.
Cant wait to start my journey.. getting sleeved on the 4th
Toni Ha

Happy New Years all. Mine is jan 4th/ Surgery date. Are you getting the sleeve too? Talk about excited. I can't wait. I hate the scale. Can't tell you how many I have thrown out.. lol Where are you getting sleeved? I am getting mine done in Spokane. I am getting pretty tired of shakes is all I can tell you. Two more days of shakes then one day Clear liquids and yaaa early on the 4th. looking for a buddy here in spokane but I live north of sooooo...??
Happy trails..
Toni Ha

Totally that would be great..
Originally from S.D. Cali miss it but I love life in the country

Thanks for the reply, yes VSG, I live in Fresno, CA and I am having my surgery at kaiser here. I could eat 800cal a day so I do 2 180 cal shakes and a low carb meal like chicken, steak and nothing else. Sorry I am not in your area but we can still keep in touch.
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I started my weight loss journey with the gastric sleeve on August 3, 2016. I have hit several stalls along the way, but I have embraced them for what they are. Never let anyone tell you that you are taking the easy way out!! It is by no means EASY! It is painful because you have a major operation, you mourn the loss of your best friend, food, and you experience different side effects like malnutrition (in the beginning), Constipation, and being cold all the time. But I would do it all over again to feel as amazing as I do now!!!!
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Anyone else have a 5 January 2017 date and is a low BMI, my weight is 184 today, I hope to be 180 on surgery day. I am so excited for this journey.
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Congrats on your weight and your sweet little one. I have been there. not the grand baby.. my sons are too young 28 and twins 15 they keep me on my toes. I ride horses too.. I am excited to know how long till I can get back in the saddle after surgery though.. I will ask my doc. I have a tenn walker.. no posting we glide.. lol love it. my start weight was 268 and I am hoping for max goal at 125.. whoo hoo.. Cant wait.. I am sure my walker can't either.. Tell hubby it is just a step every day is fab and will be good. Keep your chin up and you look totally fab sugar. You encourage me like you will never know. my surgery date is the 4th in medicare dont mess it up.. they said jump I said how high..right? lol It is scheduled any way.. on my liquid diet .. only 5 days to go hope like all get out they dont screw me again.
God bless I will pray for you & your family.
ToniHa
toni99009@gmail.com

I had my surgery on June 15, 2015, before surgery I weighed in at 265, I would tell myself it was all good until I had a grand child and I was raising him because my daughter was 17. I started not to be able to keep up with him and it was hard to get off the floor. That is when I decided it was time to do something. So I went to seminar and first doctors appt was in January of 2015, the six month waiting period was very fast and smooth, got a call after my classes were finished saying insurance approved my surgery and was scheduled for surgery less than two weeks later. Surgery went well, after surgery I found out I was allergic to morphine and got sick from the time I woke up from surgery until the next day. Then after that recovery went well. I lost more weight at my one year check up than my doctor thought I would loss, he said that I was in the overweight category and didn't need to see me except for blood work once a year and just to keep the weight off.
Well the last few months has been crazy with my daughter signing over rights to us for our grandchild and all of the sudden the dad, after two and half years, came to court and wanted to see grandson. I say all this because I have been stressed and it is the holidays and I have not been watching what I have been eating and started only working out twice a week. My husband had the sleeve surgery in October, so I was taking care of him, talking to attorney about grandson and running my daycare and taking care of grandson.
While my weight pretty much stayed between 160-165, this month while waiting for grandson's court date, I was not eating a lot. I have actually lost another 5 pounds and am still losing. I have hit my long term goal which is to be in the 150's. I am so excited and I now have a winter wardrobe to fit and look nice in!!! I am happier, healthier, and finally am not letting people walk all over me because I have some of my confidence back also!!!
2016 was not such a good year for our family but we are going to rock 2017. Hopefully this next year my hubby will reach his goal, we will be the best grandparents we can be to our little man and God will bless us with many adventures and memories with family!!!!
I am also going horse back riding now that hubby is under the weight limit to go!!!! Here is a before and this month picture-I am still on my journey!!!

I haven't taken any before picts I know I should I hate the camera. I have one Gordita pict from when I was omg heavy.. I don't need picts to remind me of that. I have 80 lbs to loose till goal weight.. Surgery is on the 4th.. so excited.
You and your testimony encourages me and gives me the strength to keep going forward.
thank you.
toniHa