minpinmom

Hi Suzie! I cant believe you read the entire thing! I am doing great - still have my struggles - I can (sometimes) wear clothes in regular sizes - which is my REAL goal - so I feel pretty good about myself - I don't think I will EVER be skinny, but Im happier now than I have ever been - and healthier. Would do it again in a heart beat. Please keep me updated as to your surgery - would love to follow your success!

I am doing great! I finally started losing again after the whole unfill for gallbladder surgery thing - I ended up gaining almost 25lbs back through that time. I now have 3 more lbs to lose to be back where I was! I am so excited. I can't believe you have ANY more weight to lose. You LOOK fantastic! I follow you on FB and your pictures are unbelievable. I am not trying to make you feel good either - you seriously look incredible! So proud for you!

How awesome that you are about to get banded! Thanks for reading my blog - I need to update it - it has been a REALLY long time. :-)

Keep me updated as to your progress - the beginning is the coolest part!

lol, no you are not imposing, that would be a lot of fun! We should meet for coffee or something :-) Normally - I have no schedule to deal with (I always tell people I have no life). I work from home and have no kids - so I can usually do anything at the drop of a hat - but I have a dog show this weekend at Reliant - so I am in and out. Next week should be less hectic Here is my email address - Wendy@BeldwinKennels.com and I will send you my phone number and such.

lol, right. I am actually really good friends with a couple gals I met at my Dr.s office - we walk together and the support helps. Just having someone understand exactly what you are dealing with.

HI there, Tricare was easy for me - I was one of the first approved when they decided it was a covered procedure (so things may have changed since then). My Dr. said I had Sleep Apnea (I did - and had surgery to fix it years before), so I don't know if that may have played a part in it - but they approved me right away - no additional documentation needed or anything! Good Luck and I HOPE you get approved fast! Keep me updated as to your progress.

There is one at St. Luke's in The Woodlands, Dr. Spiegel's office in the Woodlands has one, but the one I like best is at University General in the Medical Center - it is huge - and they have awesome speakers come.

So cool, we are both in Conroe - do you go to any support groups or anything? I have in the past, but kind of slacked off a few months ago.

Wow, that is phenomenal! You are doing fantastic! I have always been a slow loser - even when the band is working well - so it is about a lb a week for me - but I will take it! Your pictures on FB are awesome - you are truly beautiful.

Girl - you look so good! Things are going well for me - I am finally starting to lose again after the unfill for galbalder surgery and then the months of trying to get a fill that would work - so I am thankful. I need to lose 13 more lbs to get back to my lowest. But I am finally optimistic on it happening! How are things going in your world?

I didn't have any problems getting approved - but I was one of the first that went through the system when Tricare started covering the procedure - so things may have changed now. When I went through - as long as you met the weight requirement - you were approved.

Good Luck and let me know how it goes!!!

Congrats on being banded! I don't remember how many CCs I got - but I know it is in my BLOG somewhere - I documented everything. Here is a link to it, What do you mean I am getting a fill today - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum

I am ALWAYS on FACEBOOK - I live on there! find me and add me Wendy Baldwin, Conroe, TX

OMG! I am so excited for you!!!! That is my one true goal is to be under 200 lbs! I am doing pretty good - I have a little restriction - losing not quite 1 lb a week. I need to start working out - but I was having migraines and my Dr. said it is because I have injured my neck - so for a few more weeks I am supposed to take it easy and hopefully the headaches will go away completely.

Once I start going to the gym again - I will probably go back to get another fill - so I can get to where I was. I still have 20lbs to lose to get BACK to where I was before the surgery. It is a LOT harder this time.

You are my inspiration! Thanks you for doing so GREAT!!!

We just got a new good will store in our neighborhood - I have been browsing - I am refusing to buy anything until my clothes now are too big! I would think you could contact your high school to get a copy of an old yearbook - but I don't really know. W

OMG! You are doing awesome! I am working on losing the weight that I gained when I was unfilled for surgery. It is slow going - about a lb a week. But that is what I average. It just sucks - it litterally only took a couple weeks to gain it and will take MONTHS to lose it! UGH!

Other than that - doing pretty good - I don't have a lot of restriction, but do have some.

I can't believe how much you have lost - that is awesome!!!

Hey girly - my Dr. says gas is because you aren't swallowing right. His nurse made me practice in front of her - you take a drink of water - or whatever - let it go to the back of your throat - exhale all the air - then swallow. It seems like a lot - but once you do it a few times it becomes second nature. It really does help too.

W

Hey there! Things are finally getting back to normal over here. I have been without restriction for almost 3 months! Ugh, I gained 20lbs during that time. Last week I had a fill (I was unfilled for Surgery the first of December). I feel some restriction again - not where I need to be, but I will take it. Anything is better than nothing! Hopefully next week or the week after I can get another fill and start losing the weight I have gained. Sucks so bad. Other than that - we are doing good - I have to break off my love affair with food again. Hopefully he won't take it too hard this time. :-)

How are you doing? How is life treating you?

Got back from the cruise a couple hours ago - had a blast! Didn't step on the scale yet - but with all the stairs I did - I am hoping to break even!

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! The waiting is the hardest part. Thanks for the compliments - it helps keep you focused when someone notices. I do love Juice Plus - slowly I have gotten my parents and friends to start taking it and they love it to!

Let me give you a website (I don't have a website for it), you can look at all the information on it and I can answer any questions for you. If you decide to order - I can do it over the phone for you. This is the main website for Juice Plus https://www.juiceplus.com/nsa/pages/Welcome.soa

Thanks for reading my blog - I haven't had a chance to update it lately - I am working a lot more and had to have gallbladder surgery the first of December so I have been crazy busy.

Keep me updated on your progress - your surgery is just around the corner!

OMG that is awesome!!! I had gallbladder surgery the first of December and had to have a complete unfill- and stop exercising. I GAINED 15 lbs. I got a partial fill on January 7th, but I don't have any restriction yet. I go on a cruise at the end of the month and my Dr. won't give me another fill till afterwards. He is afraid if I get restriction there won't be enough liquid nutition incase I get too restricted. So I imagine I will gain even more on the cruise. He did release me to the gym and I have been going daily - but eating like I have no band - so I am not making much progress. Hopefully I will get a fill soon after my cruise!

Pictures girl, you need new pictures!!!

Man I hope so. I have lost quite a bit in the couple of days since being banded - but its because I am on liquids - I started thicker liquids today and they went down fine. I am so hoping that I have SOME restriction - I have a cruise at the end of the month and I can only imagine if I go without some restriction! BTW, when I went to the Dr. I had gained 15 lbs!

I wanted to crawl under the scale. He said it was typical, that our bodies react like this when the band is removed or unfilled.

I can def say it has given me a newfound respect for my band. I have 1.8 fill in a 4.cc band. I was at 3.2 before the surgery, but he couldn't take me right back up - said it has to be gradual.

Ugh.

Hope things are going well for you I need to start reading your blog!

Hey girly! Glad you had a nice Holiday. Mine was too nice. Being completely unfilled through Christmas and New Years sucked. I ate everything in sight and just kept eating. I go in on Wednesday for my fill. Finally. I imagine I have gained over 10 lbs. I checked over a week ago and I had gained 6 lbs, I know it is worse. My clothes are all tight. Sucks. Hopefully when I get my fill, he will release me to go back to the gym. I need to move my ass!

Surgery went well - I blogged about it yesterday - I have my first follow-up tomorrow to see how I am doing. It hurt a lot more than the LB did. WOW, I am still sore. I guess since they actually cut something out of me it hurt worse - I don't know. Man, it wasn't fun.

Other than that - I am doing well, feeling better every day. Scared to step on the scale - I was so tight the morning of surgery I couldn't swallow my own spit (nerves) so he un-filled me, I can't remember how much he said he took out - I was waking up when he was talking to us and the hubby can't remember. It feels like I don't even have a band at all. I can eat anything. (scary)

How are you doing? Christmas is right around the corner - can you believe it?

I have to have gallbladder surgery - probably tomorrow (if the referral goes through) -fun, fun, fun.