tonyahebert

I am excited, and nervous, and scared, all rolled into one. I am so glad that we have each other on this journey...I don't know if I would have been brave enough to do this on my own. :thumbup: Thanks everyone, tonya.

Just curious...Y'all are coming up on two months now...Are people beginning to notice that you are shrinking? I am scheduled for May 31st (I am a Shrinko de Mayo) and reading the previous months banders to see what I can expect with each month going by...I can't wait till people start throwing the curious looks. I have not shared my plans with many people at all...

Kristey...how is your friends weight loss going? Always looking for inspiring stories, lol.

Hippie...i haven't had my surgery yet, but I have been under anesthesia before...I think it is normal to have a little tightness in your lungs afterwards. I have had 2 c-sections, and was sedated for a broken/dislocated elbow. I can clearly remember having to do deep breathing exercises after the c-sections and it was painful for about a week after the surgery. And I lived in fear of coughing, lol. btw...I didn't read your reply as being sarcastic. Have a good day!:wink2:

And it was just as great as always...BUT, did anyone notice Callie??? She looks like she has lost some weight. I love this show!

Its funny that I read this thread...I am a huge Biggest Loser fan, and the season finale was on Tuesday night. They had their first female winner (you go, girl) and I made the comment to my mom that she (the winner)was 'way too skinny'. I think it was the drastic weight loss she had and the constant before and after pictures they were showing. She went from 234 to 122 pounds in 6 months.

Hemphill, Texas. On the border with Louisiana, on a big lake called Toledo Bend. If any of your husbands are fishermen, then they have heard of it, I promise!

was featured on ER about 6-7 years ago...when Dr. Mark Green died? I don't even watch the show now, but I will never forget that episode when he passed away...makes me teary eyed to think about it to this day...

You can find these on eBay for a pretty good price...

Being so close...are you being banded in the US or Mexico?

Lmao...gives me a whole new reason to OBEY THE RULES!

Just wondering if your goal weight was decided on by your doctor, or is it a number that "you" would be happy with...I am 5'4" and I would be happy to be a size 10...so if I am 150 lbs and a size 10, that would be great...but if I were to use the charts that docs use, I probably should set my goal to about 125. I figure if I get below 150...hate to use a food analogy...that would be gravy, lol.

I am having my surgery on May 31st...I have been reading everything I can about what to expect, and the consensus seems to be that the gas pain is going to be the worst part of recovery. I have read that I need to take GAS-X with me, but does it really help since the "gas" isn't really in your stomach, but more in your chest cavity...I thought that the GAS-X reacts with stomach content to give you relief...your stomach isn't actually penetrated in the surgery, correct? Just a little confused...

May 31st...and it is a Saturday...just goes to emphasize the difference between Mexico and the US. Can you imagine a doctor doing an elective surgery over the weekend in the US? Flying to Monterrey on the 30th...Dr. Arturo Rodriguez.

Hi, everyone! My name is Tonya. I live in East Texas, on the Louisiana line. I am the mother to two beautiful daughters, and one granddaughter. My story is a little different than most here...I didn't have any problems with my weight until after the birth of my second daughter, almost 16 years ago. About two months after her birth, I stepped on one of those scales that you drop a quarter in, and weighing 155. That was the last time I saw that number. Within a year, I had gained 30 pounds...over the next ten years, my weight climbed to 240. My husband also struggled with his weight, but we were a happy couple and had each other. In 2000, he became extremely ill. He almost died due to a clotting episode that they were never able to explain. He had been perfectly healthy to this point, and one day began developing blood clots. This led to the need for open heart surgery to correct a birth defect that had previously been unknown. We were 30 years old when this happened. Over the next years, our household revolved around him and his health because he never seemed to recover his good health. In 2004, he was hospitalized for chest pain, and had to have a stent placed due to a blockage in his heart. He was 35. He also weighed 330 pounds. He had another clotting episode six months later and we almost lost him then. In February of 2006, he had a heart attack while driving and was killed in a wreck. In the months following his death, I lost down to 220. I worked at losing that weight, and any little setback would see the scale shooting up. I have come to terms with his death...probably faster than most people can understand, because they did not live through what we had lived through...The constant trips to the doctor, his remorse over the fact we couldn't live a "normal" life, we weren't living, we were just surviving. Well, last summer, I became involved with someone...he was actually a friend of my husbands...and I fell hard. I loved him. Love him. When he walked out of my life and my girls lives, we were devestated. The fact that he walked out of our lives with a 24 year old cute little blonde thing has been the worst part...I have had a pity party for the last six months. My weight is up to 240. There are a multitude of reasons why I have decided to take this step. I want to live. I want to make my husband proud. I have a six month old grandaughter who's face lights up everytime she see her MiMi. I want to learn how to scuba dive. I am going on a cruise in February 09 and want to be HOT. and lastly REVENGE. Am I being shallow...maybe...but this "break-up" has been harder to accept than losing my husband. Anyway...May 31st is my date. I wish everyone well..I am so ready for this change.

And I haven't told my mom...I am 38 years old and I was widowed 2 years ago...when my husband died, my mom moved down here (from Illinois to Texas) to help me with my kids and such...She is quite a bulldog when it comes to me--extremely protective and tends to forget that I am a grown woman. This summer she is going to work in Wyoming on a dude ranch, which is a good thing cause I need to be on my own for a while. I was married for 14 years...have never really been by myself. I am afraid that if I tell her, she will find a reason not to go...is that bad of me??? I SO want to surprise her when she comes home in September.

My date is May 31st, and I have been eating like there is no tomorrow. I was at 238, but I am afraid I will be over 250 by the time my day gets here. And the worst part about this is I am miserable. My feet are swollen from drinking cokes, and my size 20s are getting tight. I wish I could have my surgery sooner--I am going to Mexico--but I won't have the money until mid-May...I have even thought about getting a credit card to pay for the surgery now, and pay it off when my money gets here. I am completely debt free (anyone hear of Dave Ramsey) and can't believe I am even considering this, lol.

I did the same thing you did...looked for a good forum that I could come to for advice...I found a couple on myspace that I joined, and they referred me to this one...This one (imo) is the best...I have yet to see any of the bickering that goes on in other forums, and there is more "traffic" than my myspace spots...I am going to Mexico, too...May 31st is my date...I can't wait to become a loser.

I am paying $7500 for my surgery...it is a special rate that Dr. Rodriguez is offering for April and May. Usually is $7900. My airfare from Houston is going to be $450.

I do have a doctor lined up to do my fills...She charges $130 for fills...which is better than most that I have read, but not as good as yours...thanks for the advice...any and all advice is welcome!

Just curious, because I am going by myself to Mexico. (My flight from Houston to Monterrey is going to be almost $450.) How was your experience and do you have any tips for me?

is in Marshall, and she charges $130 for fills. Which is pretty good compared to what I have read on here...She does have a $225 first visit, but that includes the $130 for the fill....And, since I live in deep East Texas, I am happy with only having to drive a couple of hours to see her. Houston is a little over 3 hours...Dallas is over 4. There is a doctor in College Station who, if I remember correctly, is fairly priced.

there are a lot of people here who were banded in Mexico and are very happy. I am actually going to Monterrey in May to be banded by Dr. Arturo Rodriguez...I have done my research and am very comfortable with my choice. The few people I have told are very incredulous, but I am not the type of person to take a chance with something this life changing because the price is better in Mexico. (I am paying $7500 by the way, which includes everything but airfare there) Good luck with whatever decision you come up with!

Hi all! I just set my date yesterday. I decided to go to Dr. Rodriguez in Monterrey, Mexico. I have been lurking around here for the last couple of weeks...I would like some input from people who went to Mexico on their feelings of.....not sure how to word it....how EASY it was to get my surgery scheduled. I have been reading everyone's stories from their experiences in the states...from attending a seminar, to battling insurance, getting psych evaluations, etc. Yesterday, was the first time that I had talked to the patient co-ordinator (we had exchanged one email) and when she called I told her I was ready, and she asked "How about the end of May?" (I won't have the funds to do this until mid-May, or I believe she would have asked how next week sounded) I guess, if I were asking a question, it would be...do you think it is too easy to go to Mexico, or too complicated in the States?

My Ah-ha moment... last month I went with some friends to a club. I am normally the picture taker. Well, this trip, I wasn't and there were pictures of me taken that when I first saw them, I did not realize was me. That was three weeks ago. I will be banded on May 31st, in Mexico. One of my best friends has been trying to convince me to that we needed to have this done for about a year now, and I have scoffed at her, told her I was not having surgery, no way in hell. With one picture, I completely changed my mind and I cannot wait. It is not that I have not realized how big I had gotten, but I was widowed 2 years ago and have just now begun considering that I do not want to be alone for the rest of my life, nor do I believe my husband would have wanted me to be alone. We were married 14 years, and in those 14 years, we had grown fat together, but we had each other. Now, if I don't do something about my weight, I feel like I will be alone for the rest of my life.