U_go_gurl68

Pat, Glad to hear you are doing well. Yes you have been missed, as well as all the others. Glad you guys are coming back. Since I haven't been banded yet, it is always nice to hear the experiences and wisdom from all of you experienced banders. My surgery is Monday and the excitement and nervous feelings are starting to get worse. I am kind of glad to be at work right now, because my stomach is in knots. Thanks to everyone for all the support I have received here. It is so hard when you don't have the support you need, and I am just not getting it at home. Sincerely, Stephanie

Time to get this party started. I will be banded on Monday as well. Hope everything goes well for everyone on the 27th and 30th. Can't wait to hear about your experiences and share mine with you. Thanks for all the support I have received here.

Welcome Erin, I read your post earlier, but didn't have a chance to reply. I am at work right now, and thought I would pop in a say hello. I am very excited, but starting to get a little nervous. And I am definitely hungry. We have been so busy at work, that I am using up all my calories from the liquid diet. Not really losing much though. I tend to retain Water when I am on a diet, so I guess this is what is happening right now. After a couple of weeks it should drop. Anyway, I am glad you are part of our little group. Stephanie

Hi everyone, Had my pre-op appt yesterday and all went great. I am still on for Monday; yippie!!!!! I am so excited. I hope everyone is doing well and ready to get this party started.

flowers, Hi my new friend. What happened to make you change your mind so quickly? when we were exchanging messages earlier, you were so excited. I don't want you to jump into anything you are not ready for, but don't let other people's opinion stand in the way of something you really want. I will be around to encourage you, no matter what you decide. No one in my family wants me getting the surgery either, but I have also tried just about everything and had great results too, but like you, it didn't stay off. Not only that, but the older I get, the harder it is to get it off. Everytime I have tried to get back on a program I tried before, it just won't work again, no matter how hard I try. I have made up my mind that yo-yo dieting is not for me. Plus, it is better to be fat than to yo-yo diet. That is very hard on the heart. I have so many issues related to food, but I am not going to let them kill me. I am an emotional eater. I have binged and purged. I have exercised to death only to end up eating again, because I think I am hungry, when I was probably just needing some Water. I have tried so many different things and nothing provides me with lasting results. You are worth doing anything it takes to be happy and healthy. Don't listen to those that tell you otherwise. I am so sorry your parents aren't being supportive. As I mentioned to you before, my fiance is not either. But he will come around, when he sees how happy I am and so will your family. No matter what you decide, I am here for you. Give me a call sometime. I will still let you know how my appt goes.

Same here; we are getting banded on same day. Good luck to you.:biggrin2:

You are oh so right!! We got into an argument today over my upcoming surgery and he knows I will do it with or without him. I am so ready to get on that dance floor and tear it up, LOL!!!!! Thanks again for being there. I will let you know how my pre-op appt goes tomorrow afternoon. I am working now, but took a break to check in and see how everyone is doing. Have a great night.

Hi my name is Stephanie and I am from Waco, Tx. I am 39; will be 40 July 9th. I am currently engaged and I have three kids ages 15, 17, and 22. I am a Registered Nurse working on a Pediatric unit. I am currently working 7p-7a three nights a week, but should be switching to the opposite shift( 7a-7p) by early August. I have been struggling with my weight issues since I was a teenager. I have yo-yo dieted all my life and finally want that madness to end, which brings me to my decision to be banded. I understand it still takes work, but I believe it will be easier for me using this tool. I am in need of a buddy/mentor because I don't know anyone that has personally gone through banding. I have some friends that have had gastric bypass and have done well, but some just look tired and sick. My fiance doesn't really understand why I need to get banded. Part of him understands, but the jealous part thinks I am just trying to look good to attract the opposite sex. I have explained the health benefits and he says he wants me to be healthy, but thinks I can do something other than surgery. He has seen me go up and down in weight and also been by my side when I am crying from frustration of being overweight. I hate it when we go shopping and he says he would like to see me wearing something skimpy from Victoria's Secret or Frederick's of Hollywood and I think to myself, "I couldn't even fit my leg in anything from those stores". He says he doesn't think of me as being fat and he loves me no matter what. But I say, if he loves me then why not want me healthy? Am I wrong for saying or thinking that? I don't think so. I am getting banded for me and me alone. Sometimes I feel I have no control over much of anything, but this I do. It would be nice to have someone to talk to and help me through this exciting journey I am about to begin. Everytime I bring it up with my fiance, Michael, he doesn't really want to talk about it. He says he supports me, but I don't think he truly does. I guess this is all I will say for now. I look forward to meeting someone to share this experience with.:rolleyes2:

Thanks so much. I do a lot of venting on here and it sure helps to have the support of people that understand.

You are so lucky. It is nice that you will have someone to share your experiences that understands. The people on this website are so awesome, but having someone to share everything with first hand is great. As mentioned previously my fiance doesn't want me to have the surgery. I met him for lunch just now, and the sore subject came up again. Somehow this topic always starts many more. The fact is that he is insecure. He is also a stick man and doesn't understand how I feel. When I told him I needed his support, he said he does support me even if he doesn't agree. He said he couldn't help the way he feels, but if I felt this is something I have to do because I am not "disciplined" enough to lose weight any other way then he would be here for me. Talk about slap in the face. Like this procedure doesn't require discipline in order to have desirable results. For some reason, he is not listening to me. He thinks this surgery is a sure thing to instant weight loss and I have explained it isn't and it still takes hard work. I guess he will see how hard it will be after I have it done. He did say though that maybe he will be ok with it once it is done and he sees how it is affected me. He thinks of this as my "last ditch effort to lose weight". Whatever!!!!!! With that attitude, I am so happy to have all of you here for support.

Wow, you do sound like a busy woman. Good luck with everything. I am excited for you. Im actually not dreading turning 40 this year. The only thing that bothered me is, I was supposed to have my surgery May 30th originally and had hoped to be totally healed by my bday. My mother is planning a party and I won't be able to eat much or drink at the same time for that matter. I guess I will have to share a margarita with her, since she can't have a whole one anyway without getting wasted, LOL. Then sit around and chat until I can have something small to eat. Since my bday is 9 days after my surgery I won't have too many choices. Oh well, the good thing is I will be able to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas without overdoing it this year, LOL!!!!!!

Well congrats on going to Grad school. You will have a lot to keep you busy over the next few years. I am in need of a good vacation myself. Haven't had the time lately. The last one I went on was in 2005 to Cancun. I love it there. I would move if it weren't for the hurricanes, LOL!!!!

I can't stand the way the Optifast shakes taste, so there is no point in even trying to change them. Slimfast is not too bad, but they have always made me hungrier, that is why I never could stick to them long term. If you have chocolate flavored ones, maybe you can try adding some artificial flavorings, such as vanilla, coconut, mint, etc...depending on your tastes. It doesn't add any more calories, but could really help in getting those things down. That is what I plan on doing with Protein powders when I get done with these awful shakes. I did the Body for Life program at one time and had some really good results, but because of a knee injury, I couldn't keep up with alot of the exercises so I gained all my weight back and then some. After that losing weight has been very difficult for me. Anyway, while doing the program, I found lots of recipes for making those protein powders/shakes taste much better making them easier to go down. You should look up their website if you want some recipe ideas. Maybe when we are all at our goal weight, we will have to get together for a nice beach vacation somewhere fun and show off our new bodies, LOL!!!!!

Hi all, I also work 12 hour night shifts. My surgery is scheduled for June 30th and I will be taking off of work for 2 weeks. I am also a nurse, but work on a pediatric unit, so the parents help out a great deal with lifting if necessary. I plan on buying a canister of Protein powder, such as EAS or designer whey and keeping my magic bullet in my locker to make shakes at work. I also use the Designer Whey protein packets with a bottle of Water when I am working. They have 10grams of protein. I was put on Optifast by my doc, but I just can't drink those at work. They make me so sick to my stomach, but I have too many left to go through and they weren't cheap. With the protein powders you can mix in fruit or artificial flavorings to make dozens of diffent shakes. I have found many yummy recipes for Protein Shakes on the Body for Life website. Good luck to all.

Little Debbie and yesindeed, Glad to hear you are both doing well. Good luck to all those having surgery today.

I am so sick of these pre-op shakes. My doc put me on Optifast and they make me so sick to my stomach. I would use something else but I have too many left and they weren't cheap. To my new MYSPACE friends, I look forward to sharing our experiences together. I will be adding new pics as I lose the weight. When I reach my goal, I will have to Celebrate with a nice vacation in the tropics. Imagine...me on a beach, in a bathing suit without being self conscious, LOL!!!! I can't wait.

flowers, You are so sweet to offer your assistance. Thank you so much. My fiance will be there with me, even though he doesn't agree with the surgery. To be honest with you, he will do whatever I want when he has this fear I may just tell him to go his way. I don't like being that way with him, not by any means, but with all this man has put me through this past year, I don't think he has any right to tell me anything. He just ought to thank his lucky stars I am still with him. This surgery I am doing for me and for me alone. I am tired of worrying about what he thinks or anyone else for that matter. This is about me. I promised myself when I turned 40, I would make my life more about making me happy and that is what I intend to do. My bday is July 9th and this is my present to me. Let me know if you need anything as well. Your area is only 2 hours from me. Not too far. Or if you just need a friendly, understanding person to talk to, I will be here for you. I will send you my cell number. I keep that on me at all times. QueenJane, Thanks for all your support and encouragement. It means more to me than you know.

flowers, Just realized your band date is the day before my 40th bday. Will be thinking of you. Stephanie

There are quite a few people from Texas on the boards. Not too many from around my area, so I just group myself with the DFW people since my surgery is in Plano. I really have enjoyed this website. Everyone is so supportive even if the views aren't always the same. We still all share something in common.

I am sorry your husband is going through his own ordeal. I appreciate the sacrifices of soldiers and their families, even if I don't always agree with what the government does with our troops. Anyway, sometimes you have to do what you have to do in order to be happy. I am sorry you can't share this experience with your husband, but sounds like you have other family for support and you have all the people here as well. I know what you mean about caring for others; I am a Pediatric nurse. I am constantly taking care of others as well. Not only the kids, but their entire family. Time to put my own life in check. How can I effectively convice others to live a healthy lifestyle if I don't? Good luck to you!!!!

Good for you!!!!! My fiance is very slender and doesn't understand the need for surgery either. People that don't have the issues we have don't truly understand the emotional and physical pain we go through. I have tried and tried and cried and cried in my attempts to explain it all to the man I love, but I think if you don't know what I am going through, then don't be so quick to criticize and judge my efforts to lose weight, no matter what method I use. You see all the infomercials for many weight loss products, but you don't see many follow-ups with those people several years down the road. Did they stay slim and fit or did they gain it back and then some? Plus the other thing, when you see some of those infomercials for those popular pre-packaged meal plans, it makes me so sick to see those people that say, " I went from a size 10 to a size 2". Please!!! For a guy that would be like saying "I went from a big size 34 to a 28 waist pant." This place is not a substitution for the support you need from your loved ones, but we definitely get each through the tough times. I probably would have already given up if it weren't for the support I have gained here on LBT. Good luck to you!!!!!!

Good luck to you too Jane. I told my fiance, today, that he didn't have to go with me for my pre-op appt Wednesday if he didn't want to. He told me that he still doesn't like the idea of me having the surgery, but he still wanted to be there for support. He thinks of this as my "last ditch effort" to lose weight, which makes me a little upset, bc he likes to think of wls as a quick fix and this type of surgery is not. It does take a great deal of work. I guess what is more important is what I think and what I want. I love my fiance, but this is mostly for me. And you're right, guys like the idea of an improved sex life, lol!!!!

Good luck to you!!!!!! That is my oldest sons bday. My surgery is on the 30th. Will keep you in my prayers. Good luck.

Hi, I know exactly how you are feeling. My fiance is acting the same way as your boyfriend, probably worse. He went with me to all my appointments, now he doesn't want to talk about any of it. When I mention things for the future, it is almost like he doesn't expect us to be together. He thinks I am going to feel so good about myself that I am going to want to move on with my life without him. He tries his best to make me feel ashamed of wanting to have surgery, though he is not saying it. I know all the things he says with regards to my surgery, are saying those unspoken words that tell me how much he is against this and how he thinks if I work hard, I can accomplish the same goals. He knows I will have the surgery no matter what he says and he wants to be there for me even if he doesn't agree. I hope your boyfriend will change his mind. I am having this surgery for me. I have tried just about every diet, every pill, and have too many pieces of exercise equipment sitting around collecting dust. This isn't the quick fix, those who don't understand, try to make it seem, this is just a tool; the one I needed and you do as well. Don't look down on yourself for wanting this. This is about your health; the physical one, as well as your mental health. Be proud of yourself for finally taking a stand and doing what is right for you. My fiance will either be here for me or he won't, but the one sure thing is, I will be healthy and around for years to come and so will you.

Hi Peggy D., I am 5'2" and weigh 206. If you are self-pay, you should be able to get it done with a lower BMI. Most of the strict requirements to have surgery are with those relying on insurance. I am also self-pay bc my insurance won't cover surgery for out of network physicians with this type of surgery. The surgeons here aren't as experienced with wls. BTW I live in Waco, Tx. I am having my surgery in Plano, which is in the DFW area. The cost is around $12,000. Good luck with your weight loss journey. My surgery is June 30th.