debbieperez55

Well, it is my Band Anniversary and things have changed. #1 I left my husband, a cruel and abusive man. I grew a spine and walked out the door with nothing. He told me I had changed. He was angry that I lost weight. He lost his control over me. It is now a very bitter divorce, but I am free. #2 I am dating again. It has been a year and I love my freedom. I have grown so much. I love myself for the first time in my life. I have excess skin, you don't like it, tough!!! My tummy hangs, you don't like it tough!!! My arms are big, TOUGH!!! #3 I live with my Daughter. I am 57 years old and I live with my Daughter. I have nothing. But I am no longer isolated and alone. I would rather be broke than abused. My life has changed, but I am enjoying life for the first time in a very long time. I love this stage. YES there are men out there who enjoy a more mature figure. Yes there are men out there that will take advantage of you. You just have to be cautious and never go back to the type of man in #1 My weight is stable. I am not thin, but I am happy. So, did I change, DAMN RIGHT I DID. Did I leave a cruel and abusive marriage, damn right I did. I started living for me. I don't care if I never have a possession again. I have my dignity. No one should live their life in fear as a door mat. Take a stand, protect yourself. TELL SOMEONE, you are not alone

No, I didn't have a support group or support system. That is a recipe for failure. I now have my Nutritionist, Daughter and Son in Law. I left my husband and left an abusive situation. I feel 100% better and the weight is falling off. My Daughter encourages healthy meals. I remain a vegetarian, but I sneak in fish now and then and maybe some cottage cheese. You have to have support - it is a must!!! There are thinks that happen with a band that no one else understands. Gurgling noises, hiccups, productive burping or even vomiting. I found if I was stressed I ate too fast and it just came back up. Also, I was told by the Nutritionist that stress causes irritation in your stomach. For me, the band is tighter and I am nausea Now instead of eating something soft like cereal and milk, I ride it out. Try to eat a few bites fruit. You have to be good to yourself FIRST. I feel amazing. I am happy again with my band. We are friends again

I am so glad you are all hanging in there. If I had to give anyone advice it would be that this is NOT the easy way. You have to work, hard, to keep everything under control. Stress can undermine all your hard work. My husband HATED me thinner. Just found out he thought I was having an affair because I wore make up. He liked me at 300 pounds! Well, I just dropped another 135 pounds, my husband. Discovered he was the cause of my stress and stress eating. Have not been happy for a very long time but I didn't want to be a failure. Well I am not a failure, I have one success at a time. My weight is falling off again and my Daughter supports my efforts. What a difference. If your partner does not support your efforts you will not succeed. Let me know how you are doing

Well, I did the unthinkable. I gained. I went from 180 to 245. YES, all that hard work down the toilet. Battling depression, migraine headaches and cereal addiction. Yes, you can be addicted to the carbs in cereal. Went back to my surgeon, he did not beat me up as I had imagined. Everyone was so nice. The do fills in the office so it is so much more convenient. I thought I needed to be filled tight, but after she put 1 cc in she had me drink. YIKES - PAIN!!!, so 1/2 cc out and I have that wonderful feeling of restriction. Actually after speaking to the nutritionist I lost 10 pounds before the fill. How is that for an attitude change. Now back down to 227. The weight is coming off fast, but I know I am thick. My port use to bulge and I just noticed it doesn't anymore. It is tucked away under a layer of fat. But the important thing is I am back. I had headaches after stopping the cereal. What a mess. But I feel better and I am satisfied with that 1/2 cup. How amazing is that??? So if you too have lost your way, let me know. The support I received from the nutritionist made me realize that I was wrong. I CANNOT DO THIS ON MY OWN.

Anyone out there??? I gained and fell off the wagon. My drug of choice, CEREAL. I was embarrassed to go back to my surgeon because the insurance fought for two years to pay for my last fill, after the approved it. My regular GP talked me into going back. Well, things changed, they do fills in the office now and have a nutritionist. I talked to her forever. I walked in crying and depressed and left a new person. No judging. I just got a fill and have the restriction again. What a wonderful feeling. I have lost almost 20 pounds -- again! I am taking it 10 pounds at a time. So if anyone is out there, how are you doing?

Teri, I am SO HAPPY for you. You have been through hell and finally you found your "sweet spot". I am just sorry that you had to go through so much. It should have been easier for you in the beginning. Everything that could go wrong did. It was just a bad thing. This is a whole lot harder than I had expected. When I see the billboards for 1800getthin, I want to wipe the smile off the skinny girl's face. This is hard work. I am now a Vegan, and still I have problems. I do not eat a lot of things because they still trigger, Cereal is a big one. And to boot I have worse reflex than before. I just have to be careful, nothing and I mean nothing 2 hours before bed and no chocolate after 5. I drink a Vegan protien drink, chocolate, to make sure I get enough protien, but I don't mind. But on the good side, no problems with the band, only the Insurance Co, they still have not paid for the fill last year and I am getting bills (I have an HMO and got a referral) Anyway, I am just so happy for you. This was right for you and it is working. Even your post is happy. Let me know how you are doing. Take Care Debbie

Get back on the horse??? I think I shot mine dead!!! Maybe they have CPR :smile: Reincarnation .....

Teri -- I wish you the best. You have gone through so much. You know, this isn't exactly like they said it would be. It is much MUCH more difficult. I know that the RNY will work for you and I pray that this will fix everything. Keep your Chin up. We all love you!! You have always been our cheerleader..... Take Care and continue to let us know how you are doing. Deb

Hi everyone. I have been fighting with my insurance and IPA since September. I finally won and have an appointment to see my surgeon on the 10th. I have NO restriction and have gained some weight, I was up to 192 and I was 190 today at my Dr. I have a mental block against meat so I have been eating only whole grain cereal and vegetables. I drink vegitarian protien drinks to make sure I get enough protien. My biggest problem is nuts and whole grain crackers. I still do not eat rice, potatoes, bread, sugar, fried anything and of course fats. I know that the nuts are a downfall and have cut them out. I was doing good only drinking shakes, but stress caused some eating and damn if those crackers don't add up. So it is still a stuggle. My Dr is still proud of my progress, but we are all afraid of any weight gain. We both just want me to stay at 180. I have had chest pains which only make me more "meat" phobic. I now have nitro pills and heart meds. Funny, loose all this weight and now this popps up. But I know that the damage I did to my body will last the rest of my life..... Hang in there everyone. I hope you are all having more success than me. :smile2:

Ankpta, so glad you got your fill and you are back on the road. Terri, looks like you are on the right road. I am thrilled that things are finally going your way. You deserve this, you have worked hard and not given up. Me, I am close to tears. I am starving all the time. I have become Vegetarian, mostly, and now drink a Vegetarian Protien drink. I still get gas, but not like I get when I eat animal protien. I don't know what is up with my body. It would be nice to see my surgeon, but I am still fighting. I have begun getting pressure in my chest and at least this time I told my Dr. I am now on an asprin a day, low dose. I don't know what the pressure is but I know I am stressed over my weight staying the same for a very long time and now it is going in the wrong direction. I am discourage, extremely, all this and now a fight. I knew it was too good to be true. I always waited for the other shoe to fall and I guess it did

I am in hell. My company changed insurance companies. Had to change IPA's. They denied my referral to see my surgeon. Appealed to the insurance company. The new insurance company, Aetna, denied my appeal. They will not allow me to see my Surgeon. "It is not a medical necessity" and the appeal actually said that I did the band for cosmetic reasons and my own personal comfort. Give me a friggin break. I have gained - I am up to 186. I need a fill. I am upset and find myself stress eating. I feel like telling them that since they will not allow me to maintain the band I want it removed. Then I will gain back 100 pounds or more, much more. Then I will become a diabetic again. And in a year or so they can pay for my tripple bypass and my care after my stroke. What is wrong with them. AND - I cannot find a place to get my fills. The Drs I have called tell me that they will not fill bands they didn't put in. I am screwed......:cursing:

There have been ups and downs. Loss of motivation and triumps. The scale has dropped to new lows. Clothes purchased just a 6 months ago are loo large. Pictures from last Christmas look foreign. And in the end, it is all me. I have grown emotionally and shrunk physically. It has been over a year now and what a difference. I am not, under any circumstances THIN, but that was NEVER my goal. I glanced at my reflection in the window while shopping today and one word came to my mind. NORMAL. I do not think that anyone without a weight problem would understand how that word can lift your spirit. NORMAL. I can now shop in the NORMAL sizes. I can now sit comfortable in NORMAL chairs. I can run up the stairs like a NORMAL person. I am not constantly sick, I just feel NORMAL. A size 28 to a size 14 - NORMAL A size 14 undie to a size 7 - NORMAL A size 48, we won't say cup size, to a 36 bra band - NORMAL I went to breakfast with family and I ordered my NORMAL breakfast. My Mother how is very overweight had the whole enchilada and ate the ENTIRE thing, eggs, ham, potatoes and toast. I have in the past felt funny ordering out. But this time, I felt confident. A small bowl of oatmeal, 1 scrambled egg white. I had brought my own applesause. The waitress didn't even blink her eyes. She wrote my order as if I was NORMAL. And when I only ate 1/4 of what she brought (okay, that was not a small bowl), she just asked are you done and took my plate. Normal - Maybe it was me. Maybe in the past I felt I had to explain. But now - I just want a scoop of tuna and avocado, salmon on the side, and no one questions no bread. That I can thank Atkins for. But NORMAL, the unabtainable dream of just fitting in, just being part of the life I was missing. Not being that huge fat lady who brought stares on her own. Reaching my dream of Normal, Normal - blood sugar Normal - blood pressure Normal - cholestrol Normal - heart Normal Life I thank God for my band everyday I know that without it I would NEVER have acheived Normal.