ALuv82

I forgot to post yesterday. I was 261. First week since banding that I gained. I'm trying not to get down about it since I know it's water weight and not fat, but it's still sad not to see those smaller numbers. I gained a couple pounds because of my period, then I had to go to the ER for a kidney stone and gained over 6lbs from the IV fluids. I hoped it'd be coming off faster than this, but I just have to be patient. Those smaller numbers are coming soon. I can't wiat to be below 250. Then I'll be over half way to onderland.

I don't and even if they offered it to me I wouldn't take it. Lidocaine burns like a beotch. The fill isn't bad at all.

Ooh--scale whore, that's me. I think I weighed myself 4 or 5 times yesterday alone. Of course I weighed myself when I woke up, but then I went to the hospital (wicked, wicked kidney stone) and got 2 liters fo fluids wo when I got home I re-weighed myself and found I'd gained *gulp* 6 1/2 POUNDS. I wanted to cry. So I think I re-weighed every time I peed but it's hardly gone back down at all. It's very depressing. I'm going to be on the scale 16 times a day until that water weight has evaporated :sneaky:

Last night around 4:30 in the morning, I woke up to go to the bathroom and noticed my lower back hurt a little. I have a history of having back spasms there so at first I thought nothing of it. Then I lay back down and tried to get into my usual comforting positions when by back hurts but it kept getting worse and worse. I also noticed that even though it was the same spot as my back spasms, it didn't feel the same at all...I could stand up straight move around, etc, etc. which I can’t do when I have musculo-skeletal pain there. Regardless of what was causing the pain, it was excrutiating, so much so that I started getting nauseous. I was hoping at this point it was just severe gas pain. I went to the bathroom a couple of times, tried curling up in the fetal position which I find is usually the most comfortable position with gas pain, even took a Vicodin and…nothing. Then I went for a walk around the block (0.7 miles) because moving around is good for getting rid of gas pain. While walking I noticed that that sensation of someone stabbing me repeatedly in the kidney was a tad bit better but my nausea kept getting worse. And then, as soon as I can back, the stabbing feeling returned just as bad—if not worse than—before. Finally I gave in about 2 hours after it started and realized that it probably wasn't gas pain and given the location I was highly suspicious of a kidney stone so it was off to the ER for me. Turns out I was right. Kidney stone was the Dr.’s first suspicion as well when I got there. They hooked me up to fluids, got some blood and urine, and sent me for a CT. They had me drink some contrast (which tasted exactly like Crystal Light) so that in addition to checking for a stone, they could use the contrast to evaluate my stomach and make sure there was no leak or anything else band related that could be the cause. Well, no surprise here, the CT showed a big, honking (5mm) kidney stone. They said under 7mm you can usually pass it on your own, but 5 mm is still very large; and let me tell you—very painful. Although thank the lord (and the Dr.) for the morphine and Toradol because it took my pain from a 9-10 on the pain scale down to almost non-existent. Best meds ever! I really hope they don’t wear off too soon. Finally I was on my way with a couple of prescriptions—Percocet, Motrin and Phenergen. The Phenergen in an anti-emetic (stops vomiting) since I vomited 3 times in the hospital because the pain had gotten so bad. The Percocet and Motrin are for pain. I asked about the Mortin and the Doc said that the bariatric surgeon at their hospital said it was okay, but I decided to call up my Doc’s office to confirm. The PA got on the phone with me and advised me that for a legitimate need like this, it is okay to take Motrin despite the fact that it is an NSAID and NSAIDs increase your chances of developing ulcers, especially in a banded patient when the medicine will be trapped in that small pouch for an extended period of time. She advised that I should follow the medicine with 2 glasses of water to push the pill out of the pouch and into my big stomach. She also said I shouldn’t eat when I take the meds because that would keep the pill trapped longer. Lastly she recommended taking some Mylanta to coat the stomach for protection. I think for today I’ll be sticking with the Percocet, but tomorrow I have to work and sadly I can’t do my job under the influence of narcotics, so the Motrin will have to do. I was also instructed that I should pee into a jug and run it through a strainer every time I pee (fun :eyeroll:) so that I can catch the stone when it finally passes and bring it to the urologist to have it analyzed since there are many different kinds of stones which develop under different kinds of conditions in the body. My urologist appointment in next Tuesday and hopefully this will be over and done with by then and he will tell me that I am healthy and this was just a fluke. And I would just like to mention the bad part about going to the ER (yes besides the long waits, ugly non-closing gowns, bad smell, uncomfortable beds, etc.). The bad part is the 2 liters of fluids they bloused into my veins which made me gain 6.5 pounds between this morning at 6:30 AM and noon when I got home from the hospital. As if I wasn’t already retaining another 2 ½ pounds of water thanks to my monthly visitor. Oh well, I’m sure that weight will be gone in a few days and on the bright side it will be nice to see the scale moving quickly again. Another interesting note about this whole mess…My sister knows an acupuncturist who does some work on helping people quit smoking, etc, and he said he’d be willing to try some stuff with me to help me with weight management issues. Anyhow, I went to my second appointment with him Tuesday and he explained that evaluation of the tongue and the pulse are the main methods of eastern diagnosis. Well, apparently the kidney portion of my pulse (I didn't know pulses had portions but apparently they do) was weak. He wasn’t able to tell me specifically what was wrong with it but he could tell that it was not right. How strange is that? He totally knew something was up with my kidney just from checking my pulse and now, here I am 3 days later with a kidney stone. If that doesn't make me a believer in this stuff, nothing will. Hopefully he’ll be just as good at helping me on my weight-loss journey. And now it’s time for me to give in to the Vicodin, morphine, Clonapin (similar to Valium) and Percocet in my body and go take a nap. Till next time, toodles.

Last night around 4:30 in the morning, I woke up to go to the bathroom and noticed my lower back hurt a little. I have a history of having back spasms there so at first I thought nothing of it. Then I lay back down and tried to get into my usual comforting positions when by back hurts but it kept getting worse and worse. I also noticed that even though it was the same spot as my back spasms, it didn't feel the same at all...I could stand up straight move around, etc, etc. which I can’t do when I have musculo-skeletal pain there. Regardless of what was causing the pain, it was excrutiating, so much so that I started getting nauseous. I was hoping at this point it was just severe gas pain. I went to the bathroom a couple of times, tried curling up in the fetal position which I find is usually the most comfortable position with gas pain, even took a Vicodin and…nothing. Then I went for a walk around the block (0.7 miles) because moving around is good for getting rid of gas pain. While walking I noticed that that sensation of someone stabbing me repeatedly in the kidney was a tad bit better but my nausea kept getting worse. And then, as soon as I can back, the stabbing feeling returned just as bad—if not worse than—before. Finally I gave in about 2 hours after it started and realized that it probably wasn't gas pain and given the location I was highly suspicious of a kidney stone so it was off to the ER for me. Turns out I was right. Kidney stone was the Dr.’s first suspicion as well when I got there. They hooked me up to fluids, got some blood and urine, and sent me for a CT. They had me drink some contrast (which tasted exactly like Crystal Light) so that in addition to checking for a stone, they could use the contrast to evaluate my stomach and make sure there was no leak or anything else band related that could be the cause. Well, no surprise here, the CT showed a big, honking (5mm) kidney stone. They said under 7mm you can usually pass it on your own, but 5 mm is still very large; and let me tell you—very painful. Although thank the lord (and the Dr.) for the morphine and Toradol because it took my pain from a 9-10 on the pain scale down to almost non-existent. Best meds ever! I really hope they don’t wear off too soon. Finally I was on my way with a couple of prescriptions—Percocet, Motrin and Phenergen. The Phenergen in an anti-emetic (stops vomiting) since I vomited 3 times in the hospital because the pain had gotten so bad. The Percocet and Motrin are for pain. I asked about the Mortin and the Doc said that the bariatric surgeon at their hospital said it was okay, but I decided to call up my Doc’s office to confirm. The PA got on the phone with me and advised me that for a legitimate need like this, it is okay to take Motrin despite the fact that it is an NSAID and NSAIDs increase your chances of developing ulcers, especially in a banded patient when the medicine will be trapped in that small pouch for an extended period of time. She advised that I should follow the medicine with 2 glasses of water to push the pill out of the pouch and into my big stomach. She also said I shouldn’t eat when I take the meds because that would keep the pill trapped longer. Lastly she recommended taking some Mylanta to coat the stomach for protection. I think for today I’ll be sticking with the Percocet, but tomorrow I have to work and sadly I can’t do my job under the influence of narcotics, so the Motrin will have to do. I was also instructed that I should pee into a jug and run it through a strainer every time I pee (fun :eyeroll:) so that I can catch the stone when it finally passes and bring it to the urologist to have it analyzed since there are many different kinds of stones which develop under different kinds of conditions in the body. My urologist appointment in next Tuesday and hopefully this will be over and done with by then and he will tell me that I am healthy and this was just a fluke. And I would just like to mention the bad part about going to the ER (yes besides the long waits, ugly non-closing gowns, bad smell, uncomfortable beds, etc.). The bad part is the 2 liters of fluids they bloused into my veins which made me gain 6.5 pounds between this morning at 6:30 AM and noon when I got home from the hospital. As if I wasn’t already retaining another 2 ½ pounds of water thanks to my monthly visitor. Oh well, I’m sure that weight will be gone in a few days and on the bright side it will be nice to see the scale moving quickly again. Another interesting note about this whole mess…My sister knows an acupuncturist who does some work on helping people quit smoking, etc, and he said he’d be willing to try some stuff with me to help me with weight management issues. Anyhow, I went to my second appointment with him Tuesday and he explained that evaluation of the tongue and the pulse are the main methods of eastern diagnosis. Well, apparently the kidney portion of my pulse (I didn't know pulses had portions but apparently they do) was weak. He wasn’t able to tell me specifically what was wrong with it but he could tell that it was not right. How strange is that? He totally knew something was up with my kidney just from checking my pulse and now, here I am 3 days later with a kidney stone. If that doesn't make me a believer in this stuff, nothing will. Hopefully he’ll be just as good at helping me on my weight-loss journey. And now it’s time for me to give in to the Vicodin, morphine, Clonapin (similar to Valium) and Percocet in my body and go take a nap. Till next time, toodles.

A tough day for a weigh-in for me. This morning I was 260 again, so no change. I had lost 2.5# between last Fri and Tues. morning. Then Tuesday afternoon I got my period and gained all 2.5 back. I'm not too worried about that though, it's all bloat and water retention and it should go away when my period's over. Of course right now I'm no where near 260. In the 7 hours since I first weight myself, I went from 260 to 266.5 and I ahven't eatten a morsel unless you count pills and a sip of OJ to get them sown, as food. What I did have was 2 liters of IV fluids and .5 liters of contrast material for a CT. Man, those fluids weight a ton. I'm going to post in my blog about my trip to the ER this morning but for now, long story short--I have a honking, massive, painful kidney stone. Ouch :crying:

So I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and noticed my lower back hurt a little. I have a history of having back spasms there so atf first I thought nothing of it. Then I lay back down and tried to get into my usual comfortable positions when by back hurts but it kept getting worse and worse. I also noticed that even though it was the same spot as my back spasms, it didn't feel the same at all...I could stand up straight move around, etc, etc. But the pain was excrutiating, so much so I started getting nauseous. I was hoping at this point it was just gas pain. I went to the bathroom a couple fo times, tried curling up i the fetal position which usually helps with that kind of pain-- nothing. Then I went for a walk around the block because moving is good for gas pain. While walking it was a tad bit better but my nausea kept getting worse. Finally I gave in, about 2 hours after it started and realized that it probably wasn't gas pain and given the loction I was highly suspicious of a kidney stone. Turns out I was right. That was their first suspision when I went into the hospital. They hooked me up to fluids, got some blood and urine, and sent me for a CT. They had me drink some contrast which taksed like Crystal Light so that in addition to check for a stone,they could evaluate my stomach and make sure there was no leak or anything else band related that could be the cause. Well, no surprise here, the CT showed a honking (5mm) kidney stone. They said under 7mm you can usually pass it on your own, but 5 mm is still very large. And man was it painful. Altough thank the lord (and the Dr.) for the morphine and Toradol because it took my pain from a 9-10 on the pain scale down to almost non-existant. I really hope it doesn't wear off too soon. Anyhow, the whole point of this very long story is that I was wondering if anyone else has had issues with kidney stones post-op. I haven't heard of it, but I was curious if they could be related due to change in diet or something. I called my Surgeon's office but their out to lunch right now but I'll try 'em again later. Anyone else have any problems with this? PS- I went to an acupunturist who is going to try to help me with weight management. I had my second appointment last Tues and he said that the tongue and the pulse are the main methods of eastern diagnosis. Well, apparently the kidney portion of my pulse (I didn't know pulses had portions but apparently they do) was weak. How strange is that? He totally knew something was up with my kidney just from checking my pulse and now, here I am 3 days later with a kidney stone. If that doesn't make me a believer in this stuff, nothing will.

I used him and I have nothing but good things to say. I've heard good things about other Dr.'s as well, but Dr. Geiss has done about 3000 of these surgeries which is more than anyone else in the north east. The bariatric department is a huge part of the hospital there so everyone knows what they're doing in regards to this procedure when you go in for your surgery. I would highly reccomend him.

I comlpetely disagree. Yes, the mother controls what money she gives the child and what food she buys and brings into the house, but there are plenty of other ways a 14 year old can get food. Saying that the aprent can control what her child eats 100% is a ludicrous as saying that a parent can control if her teen smokes or does drugs or drinks. There are very few parents who supply their children with those addictive substances, and yet there are children all over who use and become addicted to tthem. While a parent can influence the choices their child makes, and severly limit the availability of such substance, if the child winds up becoming an addict, they will find a way to satisfy that addiction. Food is no different. The kid coujld easily get food from friends at school. He could steal money out of his mother or someone elses purse. He could take things at home and sell them for money. These ideas may seem ludicrous, but it happens. If the kid is 55# there is clearly an addiction at play. I don't think the mother is completely blameless, but that does not mean she has not made efforts to control her son's weight.

Tomorrow's my 3 month bandaversary...yay! I've lost 55.4# since my pre-op diet a week before surgery. I started at 313.4 and now I'm 258. I can't wait until I et down below 250, then I'm be closer to onderland than to the 300's. I'm down from a size 28 to a 22. I've had 2 fills so far, but 3 adjustments. I was having trouble with mushies so before going to solids I had an unfill. They removed 3.2ccs which was everything they could get out. They said that left me with 0.5ccs. 2 1/2 weeks later everything was going well so I went back in for my first fill--2.5ccs. I felt good after this, still not to my sweet spot but I definitely had restriction. Then 1 1/2 weeks ago I went back for fill #2 and they put another 1 cc in. I now have 4 ccs total in my 10 cc band. I feel like I'm a hairs bredth away fromt he sweet spot. Great restriction, the only problem is that the fullness only last 3 1/2-4 hours instead of 5. Exercise is going well, although that's never been a huge issue for me. I work out 2 times a week with my trainer for an hour. I alos do 30 minutes cardio on those days. I also try to do an additional day of cardio for 1 hour. I did intervals on the treadmill today walking for 5 minutes at a 3.5 then running for 5 minutes at a 5.0 for a full hour. A couple of other things I've noticed...I think I'm starting to lose some of my hair, although I have a lot of very fine hair so a few less strands should not be that noticable. I've also noticed my teeth are whiter, no doubt thanks to my Diet Coke abstinece. I have updated photos on my blog if anyone is interested.

Another month has passed and it’s time for another weigh-in. Things have slowed down a bit scale-wise but as long as they’re not stopping or going in the wrong direction, I’m happy. Besides, I had another fill 1 ½ weeks ago and I think that will help pick things up again. Not to mention that I’m looking damn hot in my new photos :confused: The inches are coming off too, although I’m getting kind of depressed by my upper arms—or the “double good-byes” as my trainer calls them (because they keep waving good-bye even after you’ve stopped). I just don’t feel like I’m making any progress there no matter how much my trainer tries to whip them into shape. I am resigned to the fact that I will probably need plastic surgery although I was hoping it would only be my stomach and breasts. Now I’m starting to think my arms will need it as well. I guess empty, saggy skin is better than fat-filled, saggy skin though. I’ve upped my usage of Palmer’s Coco Butter to twice daily in hopes that the elastin, collagen and Vitamin E will help my skin maintain some elasticity. Mostly I think I better save my bucks for Dr. 90210. I’ve also noted a few other non-size related things lately. One, I think my hair is starting to fall out. It could just be that I know this is the time it usually happen and it’s all in my head (as opposed to all falling off of my head :thumbup:) but I think it’s real. Luckily I have a lot of very fine hair so losing some extra strands won’t be that noticeable. Otherwise I guess I’ll just have to wait another 3 months for it to grow back even thicker and more luxurious than before. I’ve also noticed that my teeth seem much whiter, no doubt thanks to my Diet Coke abstinence. I guess I can skip that professional whitening now. I’ll put that extra cash in my “bye-bye double good-bye” fund. Pictures are here… http://www.lapbandtalk.com/members/54524-albums3687.html And here are this months stats… Before Weight: 313.4# Chest: 52.5” Waist: 51.5” Hips: 59.5” Thigh: 29.5” Calf: 20” Arm: 21.5” Last Month Weight: 269# Chest: 50" Waist: 45” Hips: 58” Thigh: 28” Calf: 18.25” Arm: 19” Now Weight: 258# Chest: 49" Waist: 43.5” Hips: 57” Thigh: 27.5” Calf: 18.25” Arm: 19.25”

Another month has passed and it’s time for another weigh-in. Things have slowed down a bit scale-wise but as long as they’re not stopping or going in the wrong direction, I’m happy. Besides, I had another fill 1 ½ weeks ago and I think that will help pick things up again. Not to mention that I’m looking damn hot in my new photos The inches are coming off too, although I’m getting kind of depressed by my upper arms—or the “double good-byes” as my trainer calls them (because they keep waving good-bye even after you’ve stopped). I just don’t feel like I’m making any progress there no matter how much my trainer tries to whip them into shape. I am resigned to the fact that I will probably need plastic surgery although I was hoping it would only be my stomach and breasts. Now I’m starting to think my arms will need it as well. I guess empty, saggy skin is better than fat-filled, saggy skin though. I’ve upped my usage of Palmer’s Coco Butter to twice daily in hopes that the elastin, collagen and Vitamin E will help my skin maintain some elasticity. Mostly I think I better save my bucks for Dr. 90210. I’ve also noted a few other non-size related things lately. One, I think my hair is starting to fall out. It could just be that I know this is the time it usually happen and it’s all in my head (as opposed to all falling off of my head :thumbup:) but I think it’s real. Luckily I have a lot of very fine hair so losing some extra strands won’t be that noticeable. Otherwise I guess I’ll just have to wait another 3 months for it to grow back even thicker and more luxurious than before. I’ve also noticed that my teeth seem much whiter, no doubt thanks to my Diet Coke abstinence. I guess I can skip that professional whitening now. I’ll put that extra cash in my “bye-bye double good-bye” fund. Pictures are here… http://www.lapbandtalk.com/members/54524-albums3687.html And here are this months stats… Before Weight: 313.4# Chest: 52.5” Waist: 51.5” Hips: 59.5” Thigh: 29.5” Calf: 20” Arm: 21.5” Last Month Weight: 269# Chest: 50" Waist: 45” Hips: 58” Thigh: 28” Calf: 18.25” Arm: 19” Now Weight: 258# Chest: 49" Waist: 43.5” Hips: 57” Thigh: 27.5” Calf: 18.25” Arm: 19.25”

Anything that increases intra-abdominal pressure can theoretically cause a slip. Coughing and sneezing both do this. That being said--if it were a significant risk it would make the entrie procedure impractical and no one would do it because the complication rate would be too high. I wouldn't be worried about it.

It's funny that you should mention the eggs. When I was on post-op liquids I swear I dreamt of a nice fluffy, scrambled egg. I also gave in and made myself and egg a few days before I was supposed to. I was so nervous it took me 45 minutes to eat 1 egg and I had to reheat in the microwave multiple times. In the end I had no problems with it but it was totally not that good because of how I ate it.

I'm glad you're happy with your choice. The RNY is a great procedure as is the lap-band. The reason I chose the band was because I am 27 and single and still have a lot of life ahead of me. I felt the lap band gave me more options in the long term if something went wrrong or during those times in my life where I may need more nutrition like when I am pregnant. If I were a little older and already had a family the RNY would have been something I considered. One procedure is not better than another, but 1 procedure may be better for YOU. It's not a competition, it's about making the chioce that's best for you and will help you lead the healthiest life possible. Congrats on the amazing progress you've made.

Name********Starting weight*****Current*******Goal******To go 1RockinMom.........254............220.........145.......75 Alleycia...........255............220.........152.......68 ALuv82.............280.5..........259.........200......59 AmethystJade.......231.8..........212.........150.......62.0 Babe...............308............272.........199.......73 Bellaperdente......196............177.........150.......27 Bklyn1984..........317............227.........165.......62 Bostongurl.........190............186.........133.......53 Brandy.............198............181.........166.......15 Cappy..............240............223.5.......130.......93.5 Chocolate_Snaps....244............219.........175.......44 CubsGirl17.........147............135.........130.......5 Clarebear08........192............166.........160.......6 Donna113...........183............172.5.......126.......46.5 dublingirl.........224............209.........145.......64 Ebonie.............307............298.8.......200.......98.8 EmmaWang...........241............195.........140.......55 FalloutGirl........282............278.........165.......112 FeliciaLevy75......200............194.........140.......54 FlordiaPete........413............364.........300.......64 GratefulHeart......226............187.........135.......52 GuyMontag..........325............276.........200.......76 health4life........279............239.........150.......89 inri09.............287............254.........185.......69 janesays...........225............183.6.......160.......23.6 kaninag............210............203.........170.......33 kimaly.............194............180.........160.......20 Lindar172..........246............218.6.......150.......68.4 Linksmom...........234............234.........145.......89 LocomotiveEngineer.311............311.........220.......91 Long2BThin.........216............178.........169........9 lotzasunshine......270............240.........199.......41 Loveislovely.......216............170.........165.......5 ltgordon...........284.8..........229.4.......185.......44.4 lucyavery..........205............205.........140.......65 Mair...............231............222.........140.......83 Mamanmidwife.......264............260.........200.......60 mdgarcia31665......220............220.........165.......55 MissNilsa..........180............180.........132.......48 nicolerose.........365............288.........258.......30 Pink...............230............152.........145........7 Rhea2d.............283............233.........185.......58 Sandra267..........220............220.........165.......55 Sistergrl25........359............246.5.......170.......76.5 Snow...............227............167.........141.......26 stacy73............285............214.........160.......54 Tabithan...........240............240.........200.......40 Tuger..............217............178.........130.......48 Under200...........242............199.........155.......44 vzghj3.............202............202.........150.......52 Wendy_Wo...........242............218.........142.......76 WOWOX7.............173............147.........125.......22

Hey, don't get discouraged. It's definitely hard to stay focused pre-band. If it wasn't we wouldn't have gotten to the point where we needed the band. I myself gained 4# in the 4 months between the consult and starting my pre-op diet. As for the money for the consults, I know it's hard to save but you've made this decision for youself and you need to make it a priority. Hopefully your family understands that and supports you. Perhaps you can open a seperate account and automatically transfer a few bucks into it every paycheck. This way it can't be used for anything else. Just keep strong and you will get to your goal.

Three months ago this coming Monday I made what I believe to be the best and most important step in my life so far second only to becoming a veterinarian—I got my lap-band. Life since then has been a series of ups and downs and relearning the habits I’ve developed over the last twenty-seven years. It hasn’t all been easy, but it hasn’t been hard either. My life did not change as drastically as I had hoped for and feared in equal measure. I’m still early in my journey and believe that those good changes are still to come but I am far enough out to feel that my fears have been properly assuaged. I can still eat the foods I love—this week alone I’ve indulged in pizza, ice cream and chocolate cake (insert horrified gasp here, for I am a naughty bandster). That’s right people, I’ve eaten all of that…and enjoyed every minute of it. I don’t have time to feel guilty over enjoying the foods I love because let’s face it—food is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Would most of us struggling with our weight have gotten there if it weren’t? The difference is that now I can eat just a few bites of the cake and put the rest away or order the smallest sized ice cream and still be unable to finish it. And when I’m done with my teeny, tiny portions, I do not feel deprived or as though I need to keep eating—I feel satisfied. Can you believe it? Being satisfied with only a few spoonfuls of ice cream? I know a few months ago I never would have thought it possible. And now that I am firmly on the new path that this amazing tool has led me down, it is time for me to make another big change in my life. This past Thursday I bought my first home. Although if you ask my sister, the lawyer, she will disagree—she will tell you that I am not a home owner, but rather a “stock holder in a cooperative corproration with a proprietary lease to a unit in the corporation's asset.” What the heck does that mean? Well, I didn’t buy a house, but rather a co-op. I think these may be a New York phenomenon, so for those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s similar to a condo only instead of buying a specific unit in the condo complex, you buy a share of the entire complex and get to live in one of the units. Either way, to me it’s a home—my first home. I’ve been living at home with my parents for the last year and a half since I graduated vet school. I appreciate the opportunity to live rent free and enjoy a comfortable roof over my head but I am more than ready to move out and move on. Being at home and having support post operatively has been great but living with my parents has also added some extra hurdles in my way. For example my mother usually seems to be under the impression that kitchens should not be used for cooking food since it’s too messy. I relish the thought of having my own kitchen to stock with my own foods which I can use to experiment with healthy, band-fiendly recipies. In addition, my mother is overly critical of everything I eat. She means well but often makes comments that are hurtful and make me want to eat even more. In one instance I remember talking to her about the plastic surgery I might need after I hit goal to which she replied “all this because you ate too much.” Or a couple of times I’ve snacked on a Weight Watchers’ ice cream bars in the evening and everytime she asked me if I was supposed to be eating that. She constantly asks me if that food I’m eating is “dietetic” no matter how many times I remind her I’m not on a diet. She is not trying to make things harder for me, but despite her best intentions, she often does. It will be a few more weeks before I am fully moved into my new place but I am thouroughly looking forward to the opportunity to live as an independent adult. It is only one more step, like the lap-band to gaining control over my own life. I can’t wait.

Three months ago this coming Monday I made what I believe to be the best and most important step in my life so far second only to becoming a veterinarian—I got my lap-band. Life since then has been a series of ups and downs and relearning the habits I’ve developed over the last twenty-seven years. It hasn’t all been easy, but it hasn’t been hard either. My life did not change as drastically as I had hoped for and feared in equal measure. I’m still early in my journey and believe that those good changes are still to come but I am far enough out to feel that my fears have been properly assuaged. I can still eat the foods I love—this week alone I’ve indulged in pizza, ice cream and chocolate cake (insert horrified gasp here, for I am a naughty bandster). That’s right people, I’ve eaten all of that…and enjoyed every minute of it. I don’t have time to feel guilty over enjoying the foods I love because let’s face it—food is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Would most of us struggling with our weight have gotten there if it weren’t? The difference is that now I can eat just a few bites of the cake and put the rest away or order the smallest sized ice cream and still be unable to finish it. And when I’m done with my teeny, tiny portions, I do not feel deprived or as though I need to keep eating—I feel satisfied. Can you believe it? Being satisfied with only a few spoonfuls of ice cream? I know a few months ago I never would have thought it possible. And now that I am firmly on the new path that this amazing tool has led me down, it is time for me to make another big change in my life. This past Thursday I bought my first home. Although if you ask my sister, the lawyer, she will disagree—she will tell you that I am not a home owner, but rather a “stock holder in a cooperative corproration with a proprietary lease to a unit in the corporation's asset.” What the heck does that mean? Well, I didn’t buy a house, but rather a co-op. I think these may be a New York phenomenon, so for those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s similar to a condo only instead of buying a specific unit in the condo complex, you buy a share of the entire complex and get to live in one of the units. Either way, to me it’s a home—my first home. I’ve been living at home with my parents for the last year and a half since I graduated vet school. I appreciate the opportunity to live rent free and enjoy a comfortable roof over my head but I am more than ready to move out and move on. Being at home and having support post operatively has been great but living with my parents has also added some extra hurdles in my way. For example my mother usually seems to be under the impression that kitchens should not be used for cooking food since it’s too messy. I relish the thought of having my own kitchen to stock with my own foods which I can use to experiment with healthy, band-fiendly recipies. In addition, my mother is overly critical of everything I eat. She means well but often makes comments that are hurtful and make me want to eat even more. In one instance I remember talking to her about the plastic surgery I might need after I hit goal to which she replied “all this because you ate too much.” Or a couple of times I’ve snacked on a Weight Watchers’ ice cream bars in the evening and everytime she asked me if I was supposed to be eating that. She constantly asks me if that food I’m eating is “dietetic” no matter how many times I remind her I’m not on a diet. She is not trying to make things harder for me, but despite her best intentions, she often does. It will be a few more weeks before I am fully moved into my new place but I am thouroughly looking forward to the opportunity to live as an independent adult. It is only one more step, like the lap-band to gaining control over my own life. I can’t wait.

oops, double post :thumbup:

oops, double post

I love, love, love, love, love my band. Have I mentioned that I love it? Best thing I've every done for myself. I haven't regretted it for a moment.

Sounds like you're doing great already. It's great that you are avoiding that "last meal" mentality. I struggled a lot with that before my surgery. If you can be so motivated now, even before your band, you will do wonderfully once you have it. I know it can be very scary before you get your band. I know that as much as I wanted to make this change, there was a big part of me that was scared of it. I was scared of not being able to eat any more. Eating has always been my coping mechanism and I loved it. I was afraid that my band would make me no longer able to enjoy food. Well, I'm only 3 months out but so far I can honestly say that having the band was the best decision of my life. I still enjoy food on a daily basis and do not feel deprived or unsatisfied at all. I eat 1/8 of the portion I used to but feel just as satisfied by that as a huge binge would make me feel before. It's as though I ahve gotten all of the positive changes I have hoped for with out any of the changes I was scared of. Everything has changed and yet nothing is different. Fear is a normal thing and nothing I can tell you will absolve you of all of it. Just keep going and once it's over you will be so happy you did not let your fear get the best of you.

I completely agree with you. I always loved food and was chubby as a kid, but when my parents sent me to weight loss camp at 12 it turned it into an obsession for me. I think focusing on a child's weight issues as opposed to just concentrating on making healthy life choices, can make things worse for that child. It's not always a matter of neglect. Sometimes the attempts to fix the prollem actually exacerbate it.