findingme2

I've been gone for a whole after being told in December that "this surgery doesn't work for everyone and you are probably one of those". Hmmm.....have been in shock/anger/depression/more shock/more anger and just resolve that it was a waste of time. At least the surgeon was honest. What I believe needs tweaking is after care for those patients who do not do well and to assist them while their window is still open. Ooops...did you guys shelve the unhappy patient link??? Disgruntled I think it was called??? It's a reality. If anyone reads this please know I did things by the book except go to support groups because they meet at night and I have an ill spouse I cannot leave (his caregiver goes home at 5:00 PM). I have my one year anniversary coming up this week. What a tremendous and devastating experience this has been. Good luck to the others of you.

Hi Everyone.....after not logging on since early February I decided to come on and see how everyone is doing. YOU GUYS look amazing!!!!! Two special shout outs but love to all: Kari...you STILL have those great cheerleader legs!!! You are gorgeous!! Stephanie....OMG on your surgery!!! Good luck!!! On the positive think how much easier recovery will be minus 100+ pounds!! to you!!!!!! OK and to me......I knew my experience was different and by September something was not clicking.....my surgeon finally said in December that banding doesn't work for everyone and I am obviously one of those. Sad face. :speechles Hung in there through the holidays then by February I was discouraged, had some sad events happen, have had some odd upper respiratory since April 13th (yeah 4-13 and it's June) that has thrown me for a loop and well, 20+ (if not more) of my pitiful 39 pound loss is back on. :faint:NP told me there was no sense in coming back to the surgeon because he was not a weight-loss doctor and there was nothing he could do. She said to drink more water, walk more and see a shrink. LOL. Okay. Anyway....I am NOT throwing in the towel.....so this is not totally a depressing post! I am exploring some options and am ready to move forward!!! Wish me luck.....I miss my July friends!!! Love to all! Ruthie

Man, oh man, oh man.......I am with you on this. I studied so long, and pondered doing this surgery for so long and lost so fast at first and then a ten ton brick dropped. I have found no motivation in my soul to do what I call my four corners (portions/choices, Proteins, liquids and exercise). Proteins and liquids- easy. Exercise- yech. Portions/choices- I feel like I am crazy sometimes...eating junk that makes me feel miserable but I eat it anyway. I made it back on the right path today so hurray for one day....right???? This stuff is hard but I will NOT give up!!!!! Thanks for the post...I shall return!!!

:hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :hungry: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: :faint: HELLLLLLLLOOOO everyone: I'm back too. First, it's so nice to read your posts. I have been eating junk and feeling thud-ie so I knew the place to go to get going again was here. Stephanie (my personal l-b hero- 90 lbs...wowowowowowow) Janu-weary brings on the funks I do believe. Be strong!!!! Look at you and what you have done!!!! Amazing!!!! Port pain- my surgeon says it's the sutters(stitches) pulling and is normal. I have the pain too and it can even hurt so much that it wakes me up when I am sleeping on that side. Just rub it and sleep on other side for a bit. He said sutters would take a while to be flexible. Carb drinks supposedly stretch the pouch. Makes sense but is it true??? Who knows. I have had sips here and there of diet coke and have been fine but will NOT return to my old habit of a 6-can a day habit!!! Soda can dehyrdate. Love you guys and have a personal challenge to lose 11 pounds by the 27th of February. So VD challenge is kinda sorta in there too!!! Ruthie:bandit (somewhere in here is a svelte woman waiting to spring out!)

HI ALL!!! First, longggggggggggg time no check in. December has been mad crazy. Stephanie...you know your reply to me really helped so much. I started following along with your way of eating and yep...it worked. I am a slowwwwww loser but the key word is loser! I am down a little bit more. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. You are such an inspiration with your incredible weight loss. I guess you and Beth are our Julyster's angels because you are so constant with your posts and advice and support. ;) :bananajump: :bananajump: :Banane10: :Banane34: My DH and I traveled to my family in Georgia and I really did well with the eating. Cute story: my Mom is almost blind and when I tucked her in bed the first night she said you know when I hugged you today you feel smaller. I told her I had lost weight and she was so happy for me. I had not told her about my surgery because she unfortunately has stroke induced dementia/sundowners so she would worry obsessively about me. Anyway....that touched my heart that she could feel the dif!! Oh and one more NSV- I haven't bought clothes since surgery because I wanted to wait for smaller sizes. I saw a precious Christmas sweater and could not resist. BUTTTTTTTTT...the 5x was too large. Wow. I was so happy to "re-visit" a 4x!! Happy New Years dear fellow bandsters and God Bless!!! May our year be filled with great days and smaller bodies!!!!! Ruthie (and please say hi someone!!!! I know I have been away but would love a hug!)

Stephanie....I posted a few days ago with a question and I guess you missed it. How do you eat so little??? Are you taking something to kill your appetite??? You had posted what you eat and I was amazed you (even with the ole band) could eat so little and not go crazy with hunger. Thanks for responding....keep up the good work. Ruthie

Here's to you Lisa and God bless!!!!! Be well!!! Stephanie...wow...no wonder you have lost so much so quickly...you eat so little. That is nothing short of amazing you are not starving!!! How do you do it??? Wish I could do that!!! The band helps but still...that's not a lot of food!!!! :faint: Here's to all my fellow July-sters who fall down, brush themselves off and try again. This ain't easy girlfriends!!!!! :help: :help: :help: :help: s and :kiss2: es!! Ruthie

:phanvan Hi Muggle and I am so with you....disheartened. I knew I needed more restriction and it took six weeks to get an appointment. I was so depressed throughout the six weeks and ate. Put some weight back on. Got a huge fill (I am now at 9cc out of a 11cc band) and I am doing okay...not great. As my surgeon is about to go into the port he says "you know the lap-band doesn't work for some people". Great. I didn't need to hear that. Why don't we discourage me. :cry Bypass is not an option for me b/c of other life circumstances. So my heart is with you!!!! Motivation?? Ha!! Hang in there!!! :help: :help: :help: :help: Ruthie

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!! May we all be blessed with a sense of "fullness" that has nothing to do with food!!! Leonia...so good to hear you are hangin' in....also good to hear you are busy with the music!! That will keep your mind off of NYC delis!!! And to those who care.....thanks so much for the personal expressions of support!!!! I so appreciate your show of kindness!! I had been desperate for someone to say "you can make it" but didn't have the spirit to ask for it!!!!! Ruthie

Hi All....it's been a while. Had some tough times with the band, couldn't get an appointment for SIX weeks with my surgeon and well, just have not been up to checking in. Sooooooooooooo mentally down about the set-back, gained some weight and finally got things straightened out this week. Hopefully I am on the road to success again. So glad to see everyone is moving along and moving down the old tickers!!!! Love to all, Ruthie

Hi Marcy....I grew up in Georgia and now live in Morris county..lol. Guess we switched southern/northern places. Hi everyone in NJ...hope all are doing well. My life has settled a little bit. I saw cute Dr. Bertha this week and will get another fill. First opening though was last day of the month- yikes!!!! I have zero restriction so I feel like I am flying solo. Have a great October!! Ruthie

Hey all you Georgians!!! I am a true blue Georgian :clap2: (born and raised) but was love-jacked (as opposed to hi-jacked) by my precious Yankee DH to New Jersey:kiss2: . My family is in the Stone Mountain/Snellville area with family ties in Milledgeville as well as beginning my teaching career in the Vidalia area. I also went to college in the Rome area AND additional work at UGA! So I have been all over our great state (anddddd a piece of my heart will always be in Savannah and the Golden Isles). I LOVE my Georgia and miss it terribly. It feels like home reading this thread though so hope you guys don't mind me lurking!!! I was banded up here in Jersey 7-11-06 and have been a slow loser but would do it all again in a heartbeat. Peace to all of my fellow Georgians!!! Ruthie