MicheleK

Ohhh post pics of your new hair!!! :smile2:

This is totally my issue...I am so uncomfortable having sex that the drive is completely gone. My DH is wonderful and never fails to tell me how great I am...it's my issue that's making me nutty. It's amazing how hard we are on ourselves and how it can effect every aspect of our life.

I have three friends that have bad bypass and one that has had Lap Band. The one with the Lap Band lost her weight SLOWLY (she's 4 years post-op) she still has like 30lbs to go (she's lost about 120lbs). The three that have had bypass: Friend #1 - has gained all but 40lbs of her weight back (surgery was in 2002, she weighed 425lbs) Friend #2 - has gained back 25lbs but has issues because she "dumps" after almost every meal (surgery was in 2004 or 2005) Friend #3 - Has done well so far, she's only 6 months post-op All my friends that have had bypass throw up regularly, and slime at least occasionally. They all had LONG recovery times, and two of them wished they had opted for the Lap Band instead. It was a no-brainer for me, there was no way I was letting someone staple my stomach closed...no way in hell. I've never had surgery and I'm scared as death as it is....I couldn't imagine going through all that for faster weightloss. The surgeon I'll be using ONLY does Lap Bands, he is in an office with 3 other surgeons only one of them does RNY's. **I'm not saying RNY's don't work, because I've read many stories where they do work for a lot of people. However, for me the risk of RNY is not worth it when I know I have a safer method available.

WOW!!! Grats!!!

Great post! Thanks for sharing your successes with all of us, you're such an inspiration.

Well, at least not under this username, right? I haven't had surgery yet, but I have read and re-read information regarding the risks from Lapband surgery. I'm willing to take the small risk of surgery in order to save my life from morbid obesity. I know people have complications from surgery, and I'm sure people have died for various reasons that have had the Lapband procedure...however, MOST issues with the Lapband can be handled by watching for trigger symptoms and following doctor's orders. Horror stories with no statistics to back them up make me mad. If you're going to try and scare people at least tell us where you got your information so the rest of us can get the "whole" story on our own. Oh, and in case you missed it, my post is full of "snark". *Uhh, I realized I bumped an old-ish post, sorry....it came up in my recent posts for some reason ><

Ehhh, I hate pain....LOL

You sound just like me.....I don't eat all day then make up for it (BIG TIME) in the evening. I lost weight 4 years ago by starving myself (100lbs in 5 months). I actually felt pretty good, but was starving all the time...of course I realize I can't do this and effectively keep the weight off. I think that once you get your band you will do just fine, there are MANY folks on these boards that have done the same thing as us...(starvation dieting, binge eating....). The band is a wonderful tool that will keep us from fighting our bodies. I can't wait to get my lapband, I know it's going to work for both of us...it will keep us from binge eating. We will do this Missljj :drool:

I would like to achieve the following: Shopping for "normal" clothes Getting my insecurities in check Not having people think I'm older then I am Not worrying every time my DH takes me out to eat that I won't fit into a booth or chair Wanting to get out more and have fun Oh, and the two major ones.... I want to go scuba diving AND I want to get a tattoo in memory of my father on my lower back

Ok, I'm sick of being fat...but even sicker of being thought of as older then I actually am. Just little comments, but I can tell that people assume that I'm about 10 years older then my 34 years (soon to be 35 in about a week). It's BULLSHIT!! I hate the fact that my weight really adds the years to my face...I went to pick up some scrips for my mother the other day (granted I used to drive-thru) but, I could tell that the chick at the window thought I was my mom.....UGH. Anyone else have issues with people thinking you are older then you actually are??? I'm sorry but this just really pisses me off. I don't have a ton of wrinkles or anything, heck I don't even have gray hairs yet, SO WTF?!?!?! When I lost weight in the past I realize I looked MUCH younger, looking back at those pics now I can see why people would think I was a little older...but my God, my mother's age??? Seriously....wtf.:drool:

I don't have much to offer either as I haven't been banded yet (getting ready to submit for approval....3 month diet stuff). Anyway, I just wanted to stop in and lend my support and compliment you on your intro post. It's nice to read so much honesty mixed with humor. :confused_smile: I don't sing either (believe me, you don't want me to) but I will offer some hand-holding and a shoulder to cry on. I'll be thinking of you in the coming days, and I hope you feel better. Take care! :drool:

It's been a hell of a few months...(huge post starting...) April 20th, my starts vomiting violently, luckily it was a Sunday and my DH was home. He called an ambulance just as she passed out. (she lives with us, she is disabled) The EMT's can't get a blood pressure and her pulse is weak (her BP normally runs very high - she's on two BP meds). They get her to the hospital...her BP is 20/40 and she is septic. The ER doc informs me and DH she could likely die. At this point I'm freaking out...I lost my dad 10 yrs ago to cancer, the thought of losing my mom just boggles my mind. They admit her to ICU and she's put on a breathing machine. I spend the next three days praying at her bedside that she'll live (she's 64 yrs old). Due to her being in ICU she can only have visitors about half the day. So, in the evenings I come home and I'm unable to sleep...I keep waking up with panic attacks, so scared the phone will ring and someone will tell me she's gone. They originally told me she would be in ICU for 2wks (or more), three days later she's off the breathing machine and not septic at all. She's moved the progressive care unit and is almost 100%. She was released within 10 days of being admitted. She really recovered well, she has severe arthritis, other then that she's a pretty healthy lady (thank God). I guess all those years of taking a bowl full of supplements has paid off, lol. Well after she came home, her back started hurting...BAD. She gets injections for back pain (she has MANY bad disks, so many that surgery would be a last resort). She has to get them every 3 years to keep the pain level down...well it was time for new ones! Due to her being septic (btw, it was a severe case of colitus that caused her to be septic) they couldn't give her a "full" dose in her back at once so they had to space it out over like a 1.5 months. She finally got relief with this last injection (5 days ago). So, I've basically been playing caregiver and trying to make my dietician appointments. I finally made it to my last one last Thursday and FINALLY have my appointment with my surgeon on June 25th. I haven't been paying ANY attention to my eating habits...I've been to busy taking FULL TIME care of my mother. Thank goodness I've been out of work...or this could've really been bad. I also was diagnosed with horrible sleep apnea, and I have a "loaner" machine to use in order to get used to the mask so I can go in for ANOTHER sleep study to determine what my pressure needs to be set at. That took forever to get to because I couldn't seem to ever keep an appointment (due to my mother's condition). So, the guy at the CPAP place informs me he has NEVER seen sleep apnea like mine. I stop breathing 288 times per hour...which is unheard of (bad is 110 and the worst he's seen is 177). I was totally freaked out when he told me this.... The good news is, that most people that stop breathing while sleeping lose lots of oxygen their levels can drop as low as 70%. Mine never went below 96% which is considered normal...explain that! So, I finally pick up my CPAP machine and I fall asleep last night, forgetting to put it on....good job Michele! So, we try again tonight...

It's been a hell of a few months...(huge post starting...) April 20th, my starts vomiting violently, luckily it was a Sunday and my DH was home. He called an ambulance just as she passed out. (she lives with us, she is disabled) The EMT's can't get a blood pressure and her pulse is weak (her BP normally runs very high - she's on two BP meds). They get her to the hospital...her BP is 20/40 and she is septic. The ER doc informs me and DH she could likely die. At this point I'm freaking out...I lost my dad 10 yrs ago to cancer, the thought of losing my mom just boggles my mind. They admit her to ICU and she's put on a breathing machine. I spend the next three days praying at her bedside that she'll live (she's 64 yrs old). Due to her being in ICU she can only have visitors about half the day. So, in the evenings I come home and I'm unable to sleep...I keep waking up with panic attacks, so scared the phone will ring and someone will tell me she's gone. They originally told me she would be in ICU for 2wks (or more), three days later she's off the breathing machine and not septic at all. She's moved the progressive care unit and is almost 100%. She was released within 10 days of being admitted. She really recovered well, she has severe arthritis, other then that she's a pretty healthy lady (thank God). I guess all those years of taking a bowl full of supplements has paid off, lol. Well after she came home, her back started hurting...BAD. She gets injections for back pain (she has MANY bad disks, so many that surgery would be a last resort). She has to get them every 3 years to keep the pain level down...well it was time for new ones! Due to her being septic (btw, it was a severe case of colitus that caused her to be septic) they couldn't give her a "full" dose in her back at once so they had to space it out over like a 1.5 months. She finally got relief with this last injection (5 days ago). So, I've basically been playing caregiver and trying to make my dietician appointments. I finally made it to my last one last Thursday and FINALLY have my appointment with my surgeon on June 25th. I haven't been paying ANY attention to my eating habits...I've been to busy taking FULL TIME care of my mother. Thank goodness I've been out of work...or this could've really been bad. I also was diagnosed with horrible sleep apnea, and I have a "loaner" machine to use in order to get used to the mask so I can go in for ANOTHER sleep study to determine what my pressure needs to be set at. That took forever to get to because I couldn't seem to ever keep an appointment (due to my mother's condition). So, the guy at the CPAP place informs me he has NEVER seen sleep apnea like mine. I stop breathing 288 times per hour...which is unheard of (bad is 110 and the worst he's seen is 177). I was totally freaked out when he told me this.... The good news is, that most people that stop breathing while sleeping lose lots of oxygen their levels can drop as low as 70%. Mine never went below 96% which is considered normal...explain that! So, I finally pick up my CPAP machine and I fall asleep last night, forgetting to put it on....good job Michele! So, we try again tonight...

I agree with everyone. Find a doc that will support your decision. I'm lucky, my PCP of 10 yrs was the one that recommended the lapband procedure. There are docs out there that will be supportive.

Yeah, it's pretty disgusting. My father was "only" 63 when he died, which to me is young but I realize it's considered older to a lot of people. Funny thing is, his doctor was probably only 10 years younger then him at the time he was ill. I did feel he was ignored because he was older, and a 3x cancer patient. I think they pretty much "gave up" when he got sick again. I'm in Oklahoma and I agree, our medical community needs to start treating some of us with a lot more respect. There are many providers that are wonderful....but the ones that treat people like crap because of their weight or age (or any reason!) need a kick in the pants.

Woohoo! WTG!

Thank God you found another doctor!! I'm so glad you're doing better. These kind of stories terrify me. It's so insane that a human being can be treated like this and the people that do it are allowed to continue without any kind of action being taken against them. I've tried to sue a doctor before and was turned down by every lawyer in town...my father (a 3 times cancer patient at the time) was running high fevers and his tongue was swelling, he couldn't eat and was pale (he looked very sick). His primary care doctor kept telling him he was having a reaction to shellfish (my father hadn't eaten shellfish in years). Finally we took him to the hospital, he had advanced liver cancer (died 2 wks later). I had literally BEGGED his PCP to give him a CT scan, he said and I quote, "it's not needed, you get in there and start seeing things you don't need to know about." Uhh, wtf? I sent him a "Thank You" card the day of my father's funeral...I'm still very angry about it (and it was 10 years ago). I can't imagine how you felt being in that hospital room in that much pain only to be ignored...not only ignored but laughed at. I just don't know what to say...that experience must of been like a nightmare.

You look amazing!! Grats (Love the hair!)

I have my surgeon's appointment on June 25th. I just finished my 3 month supervised diet. I spoke to the insurance lady at my surgeon's office and she said after I meet with him I can expect to only have one more appointment for my psych exam then I'm good to go (as far as sending my info to Aetna for approval). I'm hoping I have my appointment shortly after meeting with my surgeon...I'm SO ready to get this done, lol. As luck would have it, I've had several folks at different doc's offices comment on how good my insurance is, it covers A LOT (even fertility treatment), so I'm hoping the process for approval is painless. My husband (who's insurance I'm using) has 4 girls that work for him that have all had Lapband done this year! Good luck to everyone that's rounding the final corner, we're all so close to our new life!

Holy crap!! You are an inspiration to me. I can only HOPE to do near as well as you have. Wow...just wow. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I have a horrible issue with facial hair, I'm a strawberry blonde and some of the hairs grow in blackish, lol. I have them on my chin and neck and even a few by my ears (side burn area). I pluck, shave (if in a hurry) and occasionally wax...but it's mostly plucking. One of the "rewards" I'm giving myself after I get my band and lose my first 50lbs is having laser treatment...I've only had this issue since I've been obese.

About 4 years ago I lost a lot of weight (starvation dieting...I know, I know). I noticed an immediate change in my periods. All my adult life I've had HORRIBLE periods...bleeding, cramping, clotting...they last 5 days and the first 2-3 I'm almost bedridden. After losing about a 100lbs, I was actually able to be active, wear only a tampon (without worrying if I would bleed all over myself) and I was able to comfortably leave the house!! I hope this happens again with the Lapband...it was very nice. :biggrin:

Same here, my DH is very supportive of me having this procedure...and as sweet and kind as he is...he...will...never...understand...my...food...addiction. He can sympathize with it, but he wont ever understand it like another obese person would. When we fight it's usually my rotten mood swings that cause it. I feel sorry for him, I can tell he's getting frustrated with all my insecurities (especially in the bedroom) but I think he's hoping for the best from this surgery just like I am. :biggrin:

I would totally have mine done. Mine is droopy and fat as it is, I can't imagine the condition after I lose all this weight, lol.

I'm glad I'm not the only one with these issues. It's amazing how insecurity with our bodies effects every single aspect of our life. I hope to hear Monday about my psych appointment...that's the final hurdle before submitting to Aetna for approval. My BMI is over 50 and I have 2 co-morbities (I prolly spelled that wrong). I don't think I'll have a problem getting approved.... I just want my damn surgery so I can start living again. People don't realize how much stress being obese causes. The emotional aspect is really tough to deal with. I'm dedicated to this, and I will make my band work for me....I'm so ready to start my journey. :frown: