btrieger

I've been there on so many fronts.

My mom was a little more conniving though, she'd get us fighting between ourselves because she was afraid we'd gang up on her if we got along.

You're on the right path. You need to look out for yourself and your kids first.

If you have time to read, I suggest checking out a couple of books by Harriet Braiker:

Who's Pulling Your Strings?

The Disease to Please:

You can get a brief synopsis of these books at: Welcome to Dr. Braiker's Website

Good luck and take comfort in knowing there are others out there that know every mom and dad aren't June and Ward Cleaver!!!

Good luck!! I hope it is as smooth and painless as mine was.

What time do you have to be at the hospital?

Bring a pillow to prop against your abdomen on the ride home and don't worry about what you wear to the hospital, you won't be wearing them long.

Congrats!! and there is no need to thank me. Just pay it forward as I do.

You are yet another victim of the epiphany I posted about 5 minutes ago.

It just dawned on me in the past few days that I experienced an epiphany either with the heart attack in September or somewhere along my journey here.

e·piph·a·ny

–noun,plural-nies.

1. (initial capital letter) a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.

2. an appearance or manifestation, esp. of a deity.

3. a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

4. a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight.

All the while I was thinking, "Boy do I have them fooled. If they only knew the real me."

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that they were seeing the real me and the only one I was fooling was myself.

I went back and reread my last 100 or so posts. Almost all were either positive reinforcement or congratulating somebody for reaching a milestone. The surprising thing is that I meant every bit of it.

Six months ago I was a selfish, miserable, negative, argumentative, pessimistic jerk with a huge chip on my shoulder feeding on others' misery. Today, I feel like I get stronger with every positive experience I have or read about. I am trying to forget the past and look forward to each new day.

Attitudes are contagious!!!!

I'm actually feeling pity for those that are letting their negative feelings take over. I try not to empathize with their feelings because I don't need any regression in my attitude now that I may have finally seen the light.

I've still got quite a bit of anger and repressed feelings inside me but they are dwindling with every minute passing.

Are you journaling everything you eat and drink? Doing this may point out that you are eating more calories than you thought. It will also aid a dietitian in helping you.

This can be done with pen and paper but most use an online site like The Daily Plate.

Also, are you drinking at least 64 ounces of clear water a day? This matters more than most people are aware.

Congrats!!!!!

Congrats!!

Congrats!!

The main reason I hate flying is the hassle of airport security. The next is the fact that the seats were all made for anorexics. I choose to pay double and fly business class on Air Trains. The seats are comfortable and I can actually remember the first time I had to ask for a seatbelt extender. But I cannot remember the last time that the tray table actually came all the way down.

You're making me want to take a trip somewhere just to see if it does now.

This is exactly why some animals eat their young. :biggrin:

Keep your head up and look forward to a better future.

Pretty soon this will all be behind you. You just have to tough it out a couple of more weeks.

Sorry to hear it has been that rough on you. A lot of the experiences I've read about sound just like yours. So, I wouldn't worry at all. That is what I was expecting to feel like.

I had surgery yesterday as well and have a little gas but nothing nearly as bad as you.

I drank a protein shake as soon as I got home and felt no worse than I did the day before. I chugged 2 more down before bed time.

I guess for once in my life I am one of the lucky ones.

I hope you get over it soon. I am feeling guilty for not hurting.

I'm almost disappointed that my surgery was uneventful and boring.

It was kind of like my C-section only this time the doctor didn't pick me up by my legs and slap me in the ass to get me breathing.

11:10 AM - Checked in the hospital

11:20 AM - Got brought a room to strip and put on a johnny

11:40 AM - Nurse inserted IV as prep

1:10 PM - Rolled to OR

2:20 PM - Woke up in recovery room feeling bloated

2:40 PM - Walked to x-ray and drank barium

3:20 PM - Was sent home

I did not feel any pain yesterday and this morning I am a little cramped maybe sore but the gas is irritating. When I went to bed the gas is subsiding. Well, the night shift came on while I was sleeping and I have a whole batch of renewed gas this morning.

I take 8 pills a day and the doctor said I may have to take them 1 at a time now. I took the whole fistful at once and chugged some water. No biggie.

All in all, I've felt much worse after a night out drinking. I could actually go to work today if I wanted but that ain't gonna happen.

I did however gain 5 pounds yesterday. How much do these damn bands weight?

Well, I'm banded and home.

It was rather uneventful. I have a little discomfort which I think/ope is gas but other than that, absolutely no pain.

Thanks for all of the kind words folks!!

Well, I'm either in shock or this is really no big deal to me.

I'm having surgery that will change my life forever about 6 hours from now and I had absolutely no problem sleeping last night.

I made it through 22 days of shakes without being hungry, moody or cheating. I have another 14 days of shakes starting this afternoon. I wonder if that will be just as easy.

Not drinking water for the next 6 hours is going to hurt. I should be nice and parched by the time I get to the hospital.

Today is not only notable for my surgery but it also marks the day that:

• 95 pounds weight loss
  
• 100 pounds left to lose
  
• NO longer morbidly obese!
  

I want to thank everyone on this site (except of course the idiots that told me I know nothing and shouldn't give advice because I'm not banded). I don't wear my feelings on my arm and may come across as I think I know everything but I wouldn't know a thing without reading about your experiences, questions and answers. I don't ask a lot of questions because for the most part, you've all done that for me.

Pre-Surgery ticker!

Post-Surgery ticker!

Congrats and it's great to hear that everything went so smoothly.

Hopefully I can just cut and paste this to my blog tomorrow at this time. :biggrin:

By the time you read this you will have already had surgery. Congrats and I hope all went well.

I'm going tomorrow.

Congrats!!

I am not banded yet but one of the rules of weight loss is to stop eating when you are no longer hungry. You don't necessarily have to be "full"

Good luck with the surgery.

You can take advantage of the physical therapy afterward to get your exercise in. The pounds are going to be melting away.

Hi Pam,

I realize I am a month late with this but there are hundreds of batriatric surgeons 30 miles south of Denton in the DFW metroplex.

Click this link: LapBandTalk.com - LapBand Surgeon Search and plug in your zip code.

Congrats!!

To be honest I have no clue what all those size numbers are all about because we (men) measure our clothing by how many Xs come before the L.

But it sounds like a really good thing and I'm happy for you!!

Don't go too crazy buying clothes that will be too big for you in a week or two.

Congrats on the weight loss.

I asked my surgeon's office which weight they send to insurance company at least a half dozen times. Each time I got the same answer; the starting weight.

I am having surgery on Tuesday and will be down about 95 pounds from the time I started this journey.

Check with your surgeon's office to make sure it is the starting weight that counts and then lose what you can.

Don't sit around stuffing your face until it is pre-op time and then complain that it is so hard because you didn't practice for it.

Isn't it amazing how a simple compliment can make or break your entire day?

Howsabout posting some pics so the rest of the world can see your progress?

Had my pre-op appointment at my surgeon's office yesterday. It was just another lecture on what to expect. I didn't get much out of it because you people already told me everything.

Then went to the hospital today where I will have surgery next Tuesday for a pre-op there. Once again, pretty uneventful. Gave blood and peed in a cup.

I should be excited and/or nervous but I am not. I just want to get it over with.

I haven't eaten real food in over 2 weeks and it is going to be at least another 5 weeks. I am not hungry but I miss food.

Thanks!

Don't be jealous until the lapband is in place and we are sure it will keep me from regaining the weight at record speed...again.

I don't over think the shakes. I open the the packet; pour it into 10 oz cold water; shake well and drink. I am also just thinking about how much fat I will burn this week and not my next shake or what I will eat after surgery.

I have an appointment tomorrow with my surgeon's office to get my post-op instruction; sign my life away and most importantly, get my prescription for pain killers.

I hope the pain killers don't run out before I have surgery. :crying:

Only 8 days and 38 more shakes until surgery. Time is flying by now. It's been 2 weeks and I still love the shakes and they are satisfying my hunger.

I was hoping I would be down triple digits before surgery but I guess I am going to have to settle for about a 95 pound loss. Boy, that sucks.

I don't remember if I mentioned in my last entry or not but I have been watching the Food Network as if it were porn. I don't want the food. I want to be cooking and making a mess. I can't bring myself to cooking for my roommate if I can't sample it though. I know if I dared take one spoonful, I immediately take many more.