SunnyRachel

Wow! It looks like you are making your reality happen already! 100 pounds! That's fantastic. Thanks for the inspiration!

I wish you the best. I'm glad you were able to work out your thoughts and feelings here a little bit. Every day is a chance to make a healthy choice, and I wish you tons of success at reaching your health goals!! Take care! :huh2:

Keep up the winning attitude! You can conquer the emotional roller coaster and meet your goal. I wish you all the best. Happy holidays!

Hi! I didn't choose the band at first. I was a little over 300 lbs. and had a terrible pinched sciatic nerve from a disk herniation in the lower back. I was miserable and it was seriously hindering my ability to work, enjoy my life, even get from the bed to the bathroom... at times I was crawling around on the floor. One day I could not even drive all the way home -- I was in such a spasm that I had to pull off the road and call 911 to take me to the ER. My orthopedic surgeon told me he would not operate on me because I was too heavy and would just herniate the disk again. He recommended the surgeon I went to see about the band. I felt like such a failure. Inside of me, my heart still believed I could lose the weight myself without surgical help... but my brain knew that once I dropped some pounds I would just overeat again and put it all back on. So I was reluctant. I started the process. It took a year to jump through the hoops and ask insurance for approval, but the hard work I did during that year made me realize I could benefit from some help, and I was not a failure, and I definitely did not want to be in that kind of pain again. So 20 pounds lighter and getting ready to write my letter to the insurance asking for this surgery and why I needed it is when I finally made peace with my choice. So after all that babbling, what I meant to say is that taking your time to listen to both your heart and brain about whether this is right for you is nothing to feel rushed about. This is a MAJOR LIFE DECISION, and it's good for you to have some doubts -- that way you can investigate it fully before making the final decision. My surgeon reassured me in the beginning, when I told him I had my reservations, that it was okay even up to the morning of surgery to change my mind. With that, I felt less pressure and guilt to make a true decision for myself. Take your time, and I hope you find your answers! I wish you the best!

That's fantastic!! You are doing great!

For me it was always about the bubbles! I crave it most of the time, but I have somehow been strong enough too. A little sneaky pacifier of mine is this...Japanese soda candy. You get that fizzy sensation, but not real fizz. Hang in there! You are doing so great!

I was banded on 11/4 too, and I just want to see how you were doing now since you posted this originally. So how is it going?

I found that Designer whey in Natural Flavor works well to mix into so many things and you won't know it's there. I mixed it with mashed potatoes, instant pudding, cream of potato soup, et cetera. I'm 30 days post-op now and back to regular diet. Did anyone else feel some confusion when transitioning from soft diet to regular diet? I kept thinking how I should eat things a little more solid and less liquid, but yet I was scared to try the broccoli thinking it might be too rough (even though it was really well cooked.) I stood there in the store thinking, "Well, I'm not sure what I can eat then!" I guess the grocery bill will be lighter now too! ha ha ha:laugh:

I wish there was a card that said, "LAP Band patient, please give children's discount at all buffets." :smile2:

Is it too late to be included?? If not, thanks!! Here are my answers: Surgery date: 11/4/08 Highest weight: 316 Preop diet starting weight: 303 Surgery weight: 272 Current weight: 262 Goal Weight: 200 (to start with) :smile2:

Hi! I know it's December now already, but am I too late to join the Notorious Novembers? I just found you guys this past week or so. My name is Rachel. I was banded on 11/4. I'm 33, mom of two, court reporter, glass bead maker, procrastinator, and a jokester. I'm excited to meet so many people who had surgery in the same month as I did. I feel a little less lonely now, and I'm excited for all of us. :smile2:

It really is a shame that anyone feels they have to keep this secret, but unfortunately not everybody is easy to deal with daily. My difficult person is my mother-in-law. She is so negative that I call her Eyore. What's worse, she tells everybody's business to everybody she meets -- whether they know you or not. So for some people, it was easy enough to say I was just having a surgical procedure, and they left it at that. Some people don't know I had surgery at all. But For her, if I had a mystery surgery and then began losing weight, she'd probably tell everyone in town she suspects I have cancer. So I told her that my ibuprofen use last year due to a herniated disk caused an ulcer, and I needed to get it fixed. This also helped me explain why I was on a restricted diet of liquids and mushies for a while. I also needed her to watch the kids for the surgery, so I couldn't just not tell her about surgery at all. I hate that I had to do that... I wish I could just share it with her, but life would be unbearable if I did tell her. She would bring it up at every family gathering where food was involved, pointing out how I can't eat this or that... et cetera. Luckily though, my husband, mom, and two best friends that do know are sooooo loving and supportive of me. It makes up for it, I think. However you handle it, do what's best for YOU! I wish you lots of success!:cursing:

That's great! I hope the rest of your recovery goes smoothly and you have lots of continued success!!

Hi, Kevin! My name is Rachel. I'm down here in York. Kind of near you, I guess. I was just banded on 11-4. How was your final nutrition meeting? I hope all is going well for you!

Pattikay! I just joined because I wanted to respond to your post. Would you like a buddy? I was just banded on 11/4, the day before you!! It would be nice to go through this with someone at the same stage. I've been hiding my Protein. I purchased a tub of the Designer whey, natural flavor. It still has that taste, but if you mix it well with the right thing, you won't even know it's there. Right now I'm having a scoop of it in my bowl of cream of potato Soup, and I can't taste it at all. Just get creative, but don't mix it in scrambled eggs... Blech!!! ha ha ha