JeweI

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Happy new year everyone. It is great to feel the fresh start that comes with a new year. Not only is this a new year but a new me. I have had a tough year dealing with my pshyc issues but everything is looking great right now. We finally got the right med combo. I am getting back to being the real me instead of being clouded out by illness. I have battled this for 3 years and am finally feeling like I have made huge progress. On top of that my hubby is working again and we are making financial progress. Getting ahold of our spending. Even saving for this expensive surgery. We are making progress to moving out on our own. Setting boundaries with the folks. i'm exceding expectations in school. Even taking on Goliath (my weight). I already feel like my energy is coming back. I have been taking on huge task and succeding at them. That is why I know I can do this lapband life. I have proved to myself that I can do things that are hard. It is like the last three years have been leading me here, to this decision, to have the surgery and finally get control over my eatting. I have told several people in the past that my fat is my "Scarlet Letter" the outward sign of this problem I have tried to hide. I feel more and more free with every pound I lose. Thank you guys for all your reassurance, support and honesty. I find as my surgery approaches I am getting more reflective of my life. I can feel that this new year I am going to accomplish alot.

I have told 2 people. My MIL and my DAD. My MIL blabbed it all over that I am having weightloss surgery. I didn't want to tell her but I live with her so I couldn't really hide it. My Dad was really supportive and proud of me. I do feel it is a personal issue and no ones business. If you have people you feel will support you it would be nice to have them to confide in. I talk to my hubby about it quite a bit.

Thanks for the pics Linda and Janet you both look so awesome. One thing this band has already done is given me hope. I had totally given up on ever losing the weight. Assummed I would be fat my whole but short life. Looking at your pics I can see there will be a day when I can be healthy and vibrant. I plan to work hard and be down a hundred pounds by next year. Always set a goal. I am down 14 pounds this morning. My goal was 15 pounds by New years. If I hadn't had a goal I know I wouldn't have lost this much. Maybe I'll reach 15 by Monday, my surgery date. Probably will because I will be on liquids Saturday and Sunday. My next goal is 47 pounds by April. I am flying to see my brother in Boston. His wife will be having a baby in a month or so. I want to be in onederland by then. So I am not crowding people on the plane and to surprise my brother. I know it's a stretch but I want to challenge myself. I think It will be a little bit easier once school starts. I will have something to keep my mind off eating. My son will be back in school too. So it will be easier to find time for excercising.

Hey, My surgery is on the 4th too. I only lost half a pound at my last visit. I am proud not to gain. Since then I have stuck to my diet to a tee. I have lost 6 pounds since then. If I gain my surgeon may cancel. I am soo excited too. I can't wait. My nervousness is fading and I am preparing my family for the first week post op. I could be at goal by next year. I am prepared to work hard for it. I am glad you are excited too.

I am glad your family has decided to support you. Don't stress about the seatbelt thing. It is just giving you more momentum to make this change in your life. I plan to fly in april and have a goal set. I will be visiting my brother. I am aiming at being in onederland by then.

The Doc put me on a low carb diet at our first meeting a month and a half ago. Then a week ago he put me on an even stricter diet and in 2 days I will be on clear liquids. I have lost 13 pounds so far. I don't believe it is water weight. I do fluctuate about 1-2 pounds a day and that is the water. My Doc told me if my weight keeps going down my liver is shrinking. If it goes up he will postpone the surgery because that means my liver is storing fat. The first couple weeks I didn't lose because I was struggling with cravings. Now I really don't have them and the weight is coming off. Every Doc is differnt in their pre op requirements. This is just what mine has been teaching me.

Happy Birthday Cheri. I am on my preop diet now and doing well with it. Trying to shrink my liver you know. Down 13 pounds. Hoping to be down 15 by new years but I am cutting it close.I will start liquids on Saturday. My surgery is getting so close. I am less nervous though. I am really sure this is what I need/want to do. I got all the bills straighten out today so hubby doesn't have to fuss with it and I am trying to keep the laundry done because I know I can't reach into the washer machine tub after surgery. I have clean all our rooms in the house down to shampooing the carpet. ( I am also trying to keep busy while school is out). I will have to get to school next week after my surgery and get my books. I don't know how that will pan out. When will I be ready to leave the house? When will I be comfortable enough to get out of pj's and into my jeans? I know I can't drive while on pain meds so my husband will have to take me. Plus I will need help carrying the books. That really is the only task I will have to take care of the first week post op. School starts a week after surgery so I plan on taking my rolling suitcase to carry my books and of course my liquid lunch. I hope the pain will have subsided by then. I always recover quickly from surgery hopefully I will this time too. I hope I haven't forgotten anything.

I have lost 13. Two more pounds and I will have reached my goal. Cutting it close. Gives me something to focus on while schools out and I await my surgery.

I get banded in a week. Welcome to the forums.

Don't be embarrassed to call your surgeon up if you need to. You have paid alot of money and put in a ton of effort to make sure this thing works. If you need to talk to him do it. If your still nervous about talking to him just call and talk to his staff and get their opinion. Remember they work for you. Don't beat yourself up. Focus on what you have accomplished. Also, Don't expect to do this perfectly. We are all gonna slip up but that doesn't mean we are outta the fight. Get back in there champ!

it is a Non scale Victory I believe. A goal you have acheived due to the weightloss that doesn't have to do with the scale. Losing a dress size, crossing your legs, fitting into a seat at the movie theatre. Congrats again.

I had my preop appt on wed. It went really well. I don't have diabetes. I am so ready for this surgery. I am ready to get on to my new life. I can't wait till March when I take my son to disney. My goal is to ride the rides with him. (actually fit in the seats). School starts Jan 11. Hopefully I will be down enough that I don't have to worry about fitting in the seats at school. A good 20-30 pounds by then. I am already down 8-12 depending on which scale. I want to lose a total of 15 by New year. Thats 3-7 more pounds this week. I know it can happen on low carb diets. On spring break I want to go visit my brother. It would be nice to fly and not feel like I am crowding the person sitting next to me. Plus to see his reaction at all the weight I've lost would be priceless. My MIL has already told the family about my surgery. I really wasn't wanting to tell them. I hate people to think I am so fat I have to have surgery. I asked her not to say anything. Plus where does she get off telling people my personal business. I feel it is a private matter. Like your period. You don't announce it to everyone everytime it comes. There are just somethings people don't need to know about me. I hardly know these people. Why should they know something so personal about me? I did tell my Dad though. I knew he would be understanding and supportive and he was. I don't have a mom. So I talk to him about stuff.

Yes I did good too. I am not yet banded but have lost 10 pounds since thanksgiving. I also managed to get through christmas without breaking my diet. My goal is a total of 15 pounds by new years.

I am on a preop diet now. Christmas eve was the hardest day for me. My Dad invited us oner for our traditional pizza dinner and cookies and hot chocolate. Yes I wanted them but I want this surgery more. That wasn't the hard part. The hard part was feeling like my Dad tried so hard to restore our tradition and I felt like I let him down. We haven't had a normal christmas in years because he has been in the mist of a divorce. He was very supportive though, said he was proud of me for turning down hot chocolate and marshmallows. We had a great time though and hopefully this will be the begining of our new family without his ex. So I am choosing to focus on the positive and be proud of myself for sticking to my diet through the holidays. We haven't choosen an easy road but it is a road we must continue to travel.

I had my preop appt on wed. It went really well. I don't have diabetes. I am so ready for this surgery. I am ready to get on to my new life. I can't wait till March when I take my son to disney. My goal is to ride the rides with him. (actually fit in the seats). School starts Jan 11. Hopefully I will be down enough that I don't have to worry about fitting in the seats at school. A good 20-30 pounds by then. I am already down 8-12 depending on which scale. I want to lose a total of 15 by New year. Thats 3-7 more pounds this week. I know it can happen on low carb diets. On spring break I want to go visit my brother. It would be nice to fly and not feel like I am crowding the person sitting next to me. Plus to see his reaction at all the weight I've lost would be priceless. My MIL has already told the family about my surgery. I really wasn't wanting to tell them. I hate people to think I am so fat I have to have surgery. I asked her not to say anything. Plus where does she get off telling people my personal business. I feel it is a private matter. Like your period. You don't announce it to everyone everytime it comes. There are just somethings people don't need to know about me. I hardly know these people. Why should they know something so personal about me? I did tell my Dad though. I knew he would be understanding and supportive and he was. I don't have a mom. So I talk to him about stuff.

I made it through christmas sticking to my diet. I even got in a little workout with Wii fit. The diet is hard for me but it is geting easier each day. Hopefully I am past the headaches.My son and I are both home form school this week. I will be preparing for my surgery, getting the house and husband ready. I wish they had given me my prescriptions already so I didn't have to go to the pharmacy after surgery. We live 30 min from the nearest pharmacy so we have to do it when we are "in town". Sounds like everyone had a good christmas except for the car accident. Glad you are doing ok.

Thats Awesome! I can't wait til the day I will reach the same. Congrats. Thanks for the encouragement.

I was asked to join a 3 year study. I signed up for it. It doen't change my treatment at all. I just have to fill out questionaires periodically.

Just wanted to stop in and say Merry Christmas to all my new friends. My visit with my Dad last night went really well. I actually got to see my sister too which was a surprise. She lives with my Dad's ex wife so we don't get to hang out much. I told him about the surgery and he was pretty excited about it. There was alot of junk food there but I didn't eat any of it. It was hard to turn down. I think It was the hardest day of my diet so far. Today we are having ribs so I just gotta avoid the sauce. Merry Christmas

Dawnlee, I was feeling the same way for awhile. I realize though that what I am doing is going to kill me and that I need a new way to live. Doc says once the weight starts falling off and you can start to do things again (cross your legs, turn heads, fit in the seat at the movie theatre) these are things you will hold tight too and refuse to surrender to that bowl of mac and cheese or double fudge cake. Just think of all the things you have sacrificed to be big. I have given up time with my family because I was too tired or embarassed to go out. Great sex again because I am too tired and my horomones are out of whack. I am hardly in any family pics. I can't ride the roller coasters with my son. He almost was hit by a car because he ran from me and I couldn't keep up, TWICE. Start thinking about the good this will do for your life and your family. Also be really sure this is what you want before you go through with it. I hope this helps this is just how I moved from being unsure to total confidence. My Doc has just really laid things out for me. He says the first 50 will be hard but once I taste success I won't want to give it back up. Good luck on your journey.

Hey back at ya. Glad you have decided to join in.

Indio, I am doing well. I went shopping for my pre & post op diet. Got some protein shakes, broth, sugar free popsicles and Jello. I had an appt yesterday with the surgeon and my nerves about the surgery are easing up. I am feeling more confident everytime I meet with him. He explained about the Hiatle hernia. I am working out everyday, losing weight just about everyday. Now I am just trying to make a list of everything I need to do before the surgery (laundry, grocery shopping). Yesterday at my appt my Doc gave me the opportunity to be in a group study. I signed up for it and they gave me 50 bucks. If I complete the study over the next 3 years they will give me $450. It doesn't change my treatment at all. I just have to feel out questionaires at each visit. I am visiting my Dad tonite. I haven't seen him in a year. He is getting divorced and keeps telling me he doesn't want to get me involved. That is his reason for keeping his distance. It makes me sad though because I feel like he is missing out on seeing my son grow up. My son doesn't even know who he is. I keep having to explain it to him trying to prepare him for the visit. My inlaws are out of town so we are enjoying some privacy. We will be by ourselves on Christmas. I think I will just lay around in my pj's all day, watch the parade and play with my son. I do plan on cooking some bbq ribs. I am ready to play santa tonite too. Got all the gifts wrapped except for the bb hoop. Once hubby puts it together I will put a giant gift bag over it. Then stuff the stockings. Mostly with some dollar toys. My husband has also been working on our motorcycle. He got these exhaust pipes as his christmas gift and is so excited he already received them and installed them. I love riding the bike but I really don't care for these new exhaust pipes but I fiqure I'd just let him have it he wants it so bad. I know I haven't posted in awhile but I just can't keep up with everyone. I feel like It is kinda rude of me to type only about myself all the time. I do read most of the post though.

I do have to lose weight for my surgery. My Doc says it is proof that your liver is shrinking. They have to move it around for the surgery and if it is full of fat it will be really fragile. That is my Doc prospective on it. Any advice I can give? Well I am just trying to get everything done before surgery so there won't be as much for my family afterward. It seems like every Doc has a differnt gameplan so I would follow you own Docs instruction to a t. Your paying him alot of money for his direction. Good luck and congrats!

Well my MIL brought up the topic of my surgery this afternoon. I explained alot of things to her and I feel she is more understanding now. Now that she understands I am not having a bypass or something as drastic. I guess the 3 days she has been gone have given her time to clear her head. I am down 7 pounds today. Following dr's orders of low carb diet. It is very hard to skip a whole food group but it is encouraging to see the weight go down. I don't ever want to go back to eatting them like I was. I am addicted to them. They consume alot of my thoughts, too many. Also had my preop today. I was pretty nervous talking to the staff and being in the hospital. I have another preop on wed. This one is with my surgeon. He always makes me feel good about my decision to do this. I really feel like he understands what it is to be fat. He use to be fat himself. I am ready to get this over with. Also my Dad actually contacted me and invited us over christmas eve. He hasn't called or talked to me in prbly a year. He and my stepmom just got divorced and he has been "celebrating" I guess you could say. Hanging out and drinking, meeting women. Just been to busy for us. It will be weird to see him again. Don't think I am gonna tell him about the surgery. I don't really want everyone to know. Although those who know me will probably fiqure it out.