Selenium

((Appology in advance if this is rambled and full of misspellings. I'm going on an hour of sleep in the last couple of days. Exams = pain :cool:)) Hey all! Just have a question I’ve been trying to get an answer to for awhile now. I’m one of these people who like to know a bit about everything before delving into something – even if the subject is so far down the road. I haven’t been banded yet but have my first consultation on the 1st of august (yay!). My mom and I got to talking about cosmetic surgery afterwards if it is needed, and I mentioned an Abdominoplasty if constant exercising didn’t help me reduce some of the left over skin. The moment I mentioned it she went pale and started talking about how a co-worker said you couldn’t have children if you had the procedure. I didn’t want to take it at face value, so I looked it up and did some research… Which didn’t do much good at all. I was assaulted by mixed results of people saying yes- and people saying no, and even more people saying yes but with complications. So I decided to give up weeding through the trash, and just ask you guys since you are probably a much better resource than ProQuest which gave me 80k results to sort through, and PubMed that gave me none. Haha. So what I am getting to is: If push comes to shove and I do end up needing a tummy tuck, would it affect a future pregnancy? I’m 20 years old, and I’m in no hurry to have children – I want to get into and finish med school first and that’s going to take a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time. So that’s a long way off. Long way off or not though – I won’t risk a future child. I love kids too much, that I’d rather have some skin blowing in the wind. Had to ask. Not only for a learning experience for myself – it’ll also insure that my mom stops walking around the house as if she will never have grandkids (though she has three already).

Congrats! I can't wait to be able to participate in one as well. <3

sorry for my typing and spelling in this i only have one decent hand and fixing typo's take too long right now and hard to hit shift. on the way back from class yesterday i was involved in a head on collision with somebody who ran a red light as i was turning. just got out of the hospital and really sore. this message has taken me almost 30 minuets to type so far. really sore and i only have one 'decent' hand thats sprained, fractured my other arm and pulled ligaments in my left knee. collar bone and chest hurts like bitch too. tried to avoid the crash and upon impact my airbag didn't go out so i got introduce to the dashboard and steering wheel. officer said that if i didn't turn to avoid most of the impact i'd probably be dead right now. fast thinking ftw. on top of that the guy had his license taken away months ago and wasn't supposed to be driving anyways. just wanted to letyou guys know whats up since i wont be signing on fir awhile. agaahahah. i still have my research paper to write. and i csn barely type thats the intersection not even two minuets from my house. toule lk rd s and spanaway loop rd. the green line was where i was coming from in the turn lane. i had two cars in front of my and one behind (my witness). the light turned green for us to go and we were turning left (the light hadn't even gone yellow yet for us) when this car, the red line, came speeding around at full speed and tried to make a right turn in the direction we were going. the blue line is where you are supposed to turn right (behind the isle) not around it like dumb fuck. not only did he run an obvious red light, since traffic was stopped in all lanes but his (he was only one there), he made n illegal u turnish thing snd cut off the other traffic, we hit so hard that my car ended up being pushed over the curb and up a hill. ignore the cross points of the lines, not sure where on hhe road we hit just happened fast. i tried turning so that he hit on my passenger side not where i was, didn't work to well but was enough to keep me from taking all of the hit and being killed shit scared out of me. funny though... out of all the things i could have broken... like my neck..... it was my bra. seatbelt caught me so hard the wires popped out. my favorite bra too!

sorry for my typing and spelling in this i only have one decent hand and fixing typo's take too long right now and hard to hit shift. on the way back from class yesterday i was involved in a head on collision with somebody who ran a red light as i was turning. just got out of the hospital and really sore. this message has taken me almost 30 minuets to type so far. really sore and i only have one 'decent' hand thats sprained, fractured my other arm and pulled ligaments in my left knee. collar bone and chest hurts like bitch too. tried to avoid the crash and upon impact my airbag didn't go out so i got introduce to the dashboard and steering wheel. officer said that if i didn't turn to avoid most of the impact i'd probably be dead right now. fast thinking ftw. on top of that the guy had his license taken away months ago and wasn't supposed to be driving anyways. just wanted to letyou guys know whats up since i wont be signing on fir awhile. agaahahah. i still have my research paper to write. and i csn barely type thats the intersection not even two minuets from my house. toule lk rd s and spanaway loop rd. the green line was where i was coming from in the turn lane. i had two cars in front of my and one behind (my witness). the light turned green for us to go and we were turning left (the light hadn't even gone yellow yet for us) when this car, the red line, came speeding around at full speed and tried to make a right turn in the direction we were going. the blue line is where you are supposed to turn right (behind the isle) not around it like dumb fuck. not only did he run an obvious red light, since traffic was stopped in all lanes but his (he was only one there), he made n illegal u turnish thing snd cut off the other traffic, we hit so hard that my car ended up being pushed over the curb and up a hill. ignore the cross points of the lines, not sure where on hhe road we hit just happened fast. i tried turning so that he hit on my passenger side not where i was, didn't work to well but was enough to keep me from taking all of the hit and being killed shit scared out of me. funny though... out of all the things i could have broken... like my neck..... it was my bra. seatbelt caught me so hard the wires popped out. my favorite bra too!

"Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a bank sheet of paper untill drops of blood form on your forehead." --Gene Fowler I in no way claim this idea as my own, since I’m sure I’m not the only person to think of it. It’s something I’ve hosted and enjoyed on previous forums, and after bringing it up in chat – decided to post here. <3. We’ve all been in the situation where emotions are boiling over and all we want to do is throw our head back and let a rip on whatever unfortunate undeserving (or deserving) soul crosses our path. Have you been in a position where all you want to do is explode and let loose everything that’s been bottling up, but can’t for one reason or another? Well, don’t hold back anymore. Let it go! This is a place to vent off, confess, apologize, criticize, or whatever you wish by writing letters. None of the letters have to be properly addressed and of course they won’t be mailed. In the past I have found that venting out my frustrations in written form helps me get through tough situations and releases pent up stress. So if something is just jabbing you the wrong way and you can’t refrain from speaking up – Here is a place to do it! Example Dear insane truck driver on route 27, <insert random rant here> No I don't like your driving, Selenium

Thanks guys! Sorry for such a slow response - got really busy with school. I appreciate all the answers, and they helped. *Sends love and hugs to all.* I'll talk more about it when I see my doctor on the 1st. :tongue_smilie:

Sitting around and waiting for a stroke of divine intervention isn’t going to get you very far. Mans biggest fault is in waiting for change to come hurtling towards them like a starved dog, opposed to meeting the animal halfway with a bowl of food. If you don’t like something -- change it. When it comes down to it, we are the masters of our fate. The only thing one can be sure of changing is oneself - nobody else can do it for us. We simply have to want to. For the longest time I was one of those people who waited for life to come my way. When in reality I should have been standing up and charging it head on. I faded into the background and it was almost like I didn’t exist. I was always too shy or too embarrassed to speak out and for the most part I didn’t want people to notice I was there. It was easier that way. If I wasn’t being picked on for one thing, then it was another. I’ve always been the Chubby, non-talker out of my group of friends. The one everybody likes to rant to, but the moment I try to say something – they’re too busy. After my dad was diagnosed with cancer, a switch flipped in me. It was as if I had been awakened from a long sleep. I found out about how serious my dad’s condition was on my 19th birthday. Since then everything has been spiraling out of control. I still remember the night before he died. He flicked my nose, smiled, and told me he loved me and that I could do anything as long as I tried – and to stay in school. In that very moment, I grew up. I know now that there are no such things as Knights soaring to the rescue on white horses. I am my own savior. I need to take hold of my own life and take care of what is important to me. My family, future, and well being. The first step in the process has been my education. I’m a Nursing student along with pre-med, since my main goal is surgeon. I have made sure to maintain my grades so that I don’t lose my funding or scholarships. It’s been a struggle mentally since I am going to school year round with no breaks and it’s a killer. I know the material, but am so exhausted at times, that I can’t muster up the energy to do a lab report. Probably the largest step I have taken so far in the process of paving my future – is my decision to finally get Banded. Weight loss surgery has been something that has bounced around in my head for quite awhile, and has even reached the point where I tried to get gastric bypass but was refused. I’m not big due to lack of trying - I’ve worked out and done sports for a long time, but nothing seems to work. I’ve been told by friends that I and others who have already had the surgery are taking the easy way out. I have to disagree. The easy way out would be sitting around and doing nothing. Those who have made the decision have taken their life in their hands and done something about it. There is NOTHING easy about it - it is a life altering decision. I send a load of respect and love towards everybody who has chosen to go through with it. I know people who have been banded and they still work just as hard to put the weight off. So where the misconception of a free-ride to skinny-land came from, I don’t know. I have an appointment with my Doctor on the first of August to discuss it. I’m nervous yet excited at the same time. Being able to get this surgery would mean so much to me. I’m a borderline diabetic, with really high cholesterol and blood pressure in the danger zone. It scares me to think that something may happen to me and that my mom would be left here alone. Family is very, very important to me. I’d never be able to forgive myself if I left her prematurely. I want to be able to live a healthier life, and to make that a reality I need to act now. No more procrastinating, no more coming up with excuses. The time for action is now, and I’m not going to wait for it pass me by. I'm going to grasp it and hold on tight! I am my intentions. I will change. --- Selenium

Sitting around and waiting for a stroke of divine intervention isn’t going to get you very far. Mans biggest fault is in waiting for change to come hurtling towards them like a starved dog, opposed to meeting the animal halfway with a bowl of food. If you don’t like something -- change it. When it comes down to it, we are the masters of our fate. The only thing one can be sure of changing is oneself - nobody else can do it for us. We simply have to want to. For the longest time I was one of those people who waited for life to come my way. When in reality I should have been standing up and charging it head on. I faded into the background and it was almost like I didn’t exist. I was always too shy or too embarrassed to speak out and for the most part I didn’t want people to notice I was there. It was easier that way. If I wasn’t being picked on for one thing, then it was another. I’ve always been the Chubby, non-talker out of my group of friends. The one everybody likes to rant to, but the moment I try to say something – they’re too busy. After my dad was diagnosed with cancer, a switch flipped in me. It was as if I had been awakened from a long sleep. I found out about how serious my dad’s condition was on my 19th birthday. Since then everything has been spiraling out of control. I still remember the night before he died. He flicked my nose, smiled, and told me he loved me and that I could do anything as long as I tried – and to stay in school. In that very moment, I grew up. I know now that there are no such things as Knights soaring to the rescue on white horses. I am my own savior. I need to take hold of my own life and take care of what is important to me. My family, future, and well being. The first step in the process has been my education. I’m a Nursing student along with pre-med, since my main goal is surgeon. I have made sure to maintain my grades so that I don’t lose my funding or scholarships. It’s been a struggle mentally since I am going to school year round with no breaks and it’s a killer. I know the material, but am so exhausted at times, that I can’t muster up the energy to do a lab report. Probably the largest step I have taken so far in the process of paving my future – is my decision to finally get Banded. Weight loss surgery has been something that has bounced around in my head for quite awhile, and has even reached the point where I tried to get gastric bypass but was refused. I’m not big due to lack of trying - I’ve worked out and done sports for a long time, but nothing seems to work. I’ve been told by friends that I and others who have already had the surgery are taking the easy way out. I have to disagree. The easy way out would be sitting around and doing nothing. Those who have made the decision have taken their life in their hands and done something about it. There is NOTHING easy about it - it is a life altering decision. I send a load of respect and love towards everybody who has chosen to go through with it. I know people who have been banded and they still work just as hard to put the weight off. So where the misconception of a free-ride to skinny-land came from, I don’t know. I have an appointment with my Doctor on the first of August to discuss it. I’m nervous yet excited at the same time. Being able to get this surgery would mean so much to me. I’m a borderline diabetic, with really high cholesterol and blood pressure in the danger zone. It scares me to think that something may happen to me and that my mom would be left here alone. Family is very, very important to me. I’d never be able to forgive myself if I left her prematurely. I want to be able to live a healthier life, and to make that a reality I need to act now. No more procrastinating, no more coming up with excuses. The time for action is now, and I’m not going to wait for it pass me by. I'm going to grasp it and hold on tight! I am my intentions. I will change. --- Selenium

All these goals sound so wonderful! I'm with drew05 and the amusement parks! I went to my first big amusement park (Busch Gardens) about two years ago and the one ride I really wanted to go on, I couldn't. I seriously thought I was going to cry. Made a vow to go back and ride it 300 times. Other than that, my main goal is to buy a brand new lab coat. Dorky, ya - but I hate having so much trouble finding a perfect fit.

((I’m not good at introducing myself, sorry. )) Hola! I’m 20 years old and have been considering the lap band for a couple of years now. I have struggled with my weight all my life and it has gotten to the point where I just can’t take it anymore. I probably have done every diet on the planet. I’ve even been through the high school phase where I wouldn’t eat or make myself sick afterwards. Two years ago I went to my doctor and talked about getting Gastric Bypass, and was quickly talked out of it since I was so young – and told to wait till Madigan got the lap band. They finally have it now! I made an appointment with my doctor on the first of august to talk about it (it’s so hard to get into the hospital here). So I’m crossing my fingers and hoping. I’m in the middle of getting ready to take my MCAT’s in the winter, and would be ecstatic if I could get banded before then. I recently lost my dad due to cancer in March, and it really forced me to look at life in a different way. The best way to say it is that I grew up overnight. I know now that if I don’t make a move towards a healthier life that I am most likely going to die young – and I’d never be able to forgive myself if I were to leave my mom here alone. I came across this site a couple of night ago and decided to finally join up. I think hearing others stories would really open my eyes to things. I don’t want to go into something like this blindly. I'm pretty sure I'll have 32489720348723409823 questions during my forum stay. Wooo. Hope I didn’t put you guys to sleep. So I’ll end this abruptly with a: Nice to meet ya, and pleasure to be here!

Sorry for such a short reply. Been working on essays all day and my brain is officially dead. Thank you all for the wonderful welcome! I look forward to joining the community, and from what I can see so far - it is a nice place to be. Sarah.R - I love to mingle with all age groups, but I'll definetly go and take a look at those two sections. I really thought weight watchers would be the one, since it's worked for so many friends. I think I'm broken :thumbup:! Thank you for the message offer, I'd like to extend the same to you <3.