Llyra

I filled out forty-eleven questionnaires and had an hour interview with the doctor, with a followup to discuss the findings. I thought it was interesting and pretty plain to see what the "correct" v. "suspect" answers were. More than once I said, "I know the expected answer is A but I chose C because..." Figured I might as well get the insurance company's money's worth. :laugh:

"Up in the air" sums up recent events around my house. My son is going through a period of distress which affects all of us. We have hopes for a quick and satisfactory conclusion, but it has been disconcerting and upsetting to watch events unfold. My daughter is working her way through her last year of high school and her first semester of college simultaneously. Coming to terms with having her go away to college in a very few months is proving more difficult than I thought it would be. I'm not such a hoovering bird mom that I fear an empty nest, but she is good company and my husband and I will miss her. In May I retired from being a legal assistant specializing in civil litigation. I have not missed it for a single minute, though not having the regular extra paycheck each pay period has made a difference in our household budget. I now write for a local newspaper as well as continuing to teach dance and needlework design. These are far more congenial occupations for me than the law, but I am still learning to balance my life between work and the demands of a family that doesn't seem to grasp that I do work even though I don't go to an office each day. To complicate matters just a little more, I am dealing with personal health issues, some of which must be dealt with ASAP and others that can be put off for a few years if I'm lucky. The biggest one and the one that affects my weight loss program the most is a problem with my thyroid. A biopsy came back negative, but the nodules are still suspicious enough that my doctor says the left lobe of my thyroid needs to come out. I see the surgeon who did my lapband surgery on Thursday and will ask when he can do this latest surgry. If solving my thyroid problems means I will quit being cold, constantly sleepy, dried out, hoarse, etc., I will be glad to do it. I also can't help but wonder if it will kick up the speed of weight loss. As of last week, I was down to 196 pounds. I have lost weight much more slowly than many people who have lap bands, but have been mostly content with my progress. I go through periods when I eat the wrong things or between meals, none of which does me any good, but which hasn't totally derailed me, either. The last couple of weeks have been more off track than usual because of an almost unconscious return to stress eating. Well, I'm conscious of it now, so can start to do something about it. Dang. Don't you hate it when you become fully cognicent of a bad habit and can no longer indulge in it with impunity? :thumbup: On the up side of life, I've had the pleasure of packing up my size 22s for the consignment shop and shopping for interim clothes in the misses section instead of in the plus sizes. I don't want to buy a lot because I intend to shrink out of it by this time next year. On the other hand, wearing clothes that hang off my shoulders is inconvenient, unflattering, and not much fun. My favorite purchase was a pair of size 15-16 Wrangler Jet jens. I feel positively (dare I say it??) normal again. I am still about forty pounds from where I'd like to be, but I am over halfway to my somewhat vague goal. If I can level out between 155 and 165, I'll be content. When I started this lapband venture, the dietician at the hospital told me that on average people lost about half of what they wished to lose. I have to aim at not being average, then, because I am not ready to give up yet, getting side-tracked occasionally not withstanding. That being said, I am very happy with my new jeans and my newly recovered ability to get on my horse without a mounting block. I intend to enjoy each weight milestone along the way, without obsessing over how fast I'm losing or where exactly I'm going. I spent a lot of years trying to stay at or reach some magic number on the scale, and it just didn't work for me. I do have concerns that I've perhaps stretched my mini-stomach out in recent weeks. Just happened to come across an old but now ressurrected thread on the forum about this subject that gave me some information I need for my next step. Don't see any reason to have a barium test to find out if my mini-stomach is stretched or not. If its true, then a week or so of liquids will help; if it's not true, a few days of full liquids won't hurt me. Either way, it'll be a chance to revamp my committment to this way of life.

What an interesting, informative, helpful thread this is! Thanks to everyone who contributed.

I kept it pretty quiet at first, but this is a small town- the day of my surgery, a friend was in the next room and a third friend came to visit her, saw my name on the next door, and the secret was blown. Turned out to not be such a big deal- some people know, some people don't, most people are pleasantly pleased for me, those that aren't are either too polite or too scared of me to say so. :thumbup: I've had a slow down in weight loss recently thanks to thyroid problems: real honest to gosh ones; I have to have the left lobe removed. I hope this will take care of things like being constantly cold and sleepy, not to mention bump up the rate of weight loss. Anyone got experience along these lines?

I can fold up on the floor in a fallen leaf position and put my forehead on the floor. I can shop in the "normal person" part of the stores. I CAN GET ON MY HORSE WITHOUT A MOUNTING BLOCK!!!!!!!!!! :thumbup::thumbup:

I've found wonderful things at the second hand stores in town. Got to search a bit for larger sizes, but they can be found. Or can you or are you willing to learn to sew? Pants are the easiest things in the world to make. Good luck!

I think it is sweet that he noticed your fingers, but more people in a boat? I might've smacked him one for that!:wink2:

I started out with approximately 85 pounds to lose, was banded in March. I am definitely NOT a poster child for lapbands, but I am slowly losing weight, about a pound a week which contents me perfectly as long as it keeps up. I am down 44 pounds in seven and a half months.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that three is indeed a charm for you, Laura. My news of the week: I got on my horse without using a mounting block. Yes, indeed, my weight is now low enough that I can pull myself into a saddle under my own power. God bless Star, my quarter horse mare- she braces herself and stands like a statue until I'm aboard.

Yesterday I mounted my quarter horse mare without needing a mounting block!!!! Yes! I am finally light enough to pull my own weight off the ground and onto the horse without assistance. I am delighted and so is BR Star Baby, who (bless her heart) pulls both her weight and mine.

Most sincere wishes for a speedy recovery!

fourteen years clean.

I had reduction surgery 15 years ago. Sensitivity actually increased, but I was willing to risk complete numbness in order to decrease my backaches and other related problems.

I am 55, had surgery March 3, 2010 and have lost 43 pounds as of last Monday, which puts me approximately halfway to where I'd like to be. Congratulations on being approved for surgery!

I live in central Wyoming. My work life is divided between journalism, fiber art, and teaching belly dance.

Oh, good for you! :thumbup:

I'm thinking troll, sower of fear and trembling, recreational forecaster of doom.

No one could hypnotize me into believing I'd had lap band surgery when I knew darn well I hadn't. Does this lady in the ad simply continue to believe she had the surgery even in the face of all the evidence that she did not, including this article itself? I am skeptical, to say the least.

I absolutely relate to mental hesitation about meeting a goal, and was expecting it as I approached the 200 mark a few weeks back. What I did was give myself permission to stay at 203-204 for as long as it took me to be ready for the next phase of my life as a thinner person. I kept on with my program just as I had been doing, and one day I stepped on the scale and - Onederland was mine. It's a process, not a race. Be good to yourself, acknowledge your feelings and reservations, but don't be undone by them. You'll be just fine. And congratulations! Isn't it perfectly elegant to have this problem instead of the weight problems you use to have?

Excuse me if I come off sounding a bit unfriendly, but: since you have not had the surgery done, would not have it done even if you could afford it, and have no first hand information to share- just what in the hell are you doing here? If you can't add something positive to the discussion, how about just sitting quietly at your computer? Dire predictions based on a single secondhand source are not helpful.

I've been married 29 years; we were together for an additional two years before marriage. One of the reasons we've been able to maintain a good relationship is that we respect each other's right to make the final decision on anything that affects personal health, occupation, or peace of mind. All this "both parties must agree" stuff does is allow him to have the final say re: your surgery. If he tries now to prevent you from doing something so important to your health and happiness, what else might he try to prevent you from doing in the future? Frankly, your fiance sounds like he has some serious control issues. Perhaps next time the subject comes up, you should suggest some sessions with a marriage counselor to work out why he is so opposed to something you've spent nine years planning for and that will improve your health and the chances for a longer life with him.

Congratulations from one horse person to another! That is a phenomenal loss in a very short period of time; may the last 22 pounds go quickly as well!

I'm slow, too, about a pound a week, and that's fine with me. Congratulations on your milestone, Fern!!!!

I was fine eight days post-surgery. Good luck with the battle to keep your kids. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

:smile: You're kidding, right? :yesnod: I'll take your word for it that you're a pig. Don't you think any woman worth knowing is gonna notice you have the depth and compassion of a sidewalk and bounce you right back into the sty? Oh, my aching tummy. Thanks for the best laugh I've had all day. :sneaky: