Mrs.Doxie

You are a true inspiration...keep up the awesome work!!!

My husband didn't really talk a lot about it either in the beginning.

Actually, the first time I brought it up, he made some sort of comment about wasting money and how I would lose the weight if I would just eat right, work out, etc etc etc, so I cried, said "nevermind, forget I ever brought it up", and dropped it.

Almost a month later HE brought it up saying "well, if you're gonna do this lap band thing, you need to get it done over the Christmas holidays so you don't miss any work." HUH?!?! That is the VERY next thing he ever said about it!!! I didn't ask questions, just scheduled the next available appointment and went for it. Fortunately, I had jumped through all the hoops four years ago when I first decided to do it (before I chickened out), so I had all the test results from the asthma, sleep apnea, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. I knew my insurance would not cover it (plan exclusion and I had already gone through the extensive appeals process the first time), so the rest was easy. I had my initial consult on November 24th and took care of the breathing and EKG stuff that day, went for my blood work on the 26th, had my EGD on December 9th, and was banded on December 16th. Talk about a whirlwind!!!

After that, he has not really brought it up much, but...

I get LOTS more hugs. He holds my hand more. He does not push me to eat certain things and takes my diet into consideration when he does his weekly Sunday night dinner. He jokes to others that I am a cheap date because I only eat two bites and I'm done (gross exaggeration, but whatever). He does not complain that I get up early 3 days each week to go to the gym and leave him to yell at our teenagers to get ready to go to school. I think all of this is his way of being supportive and I am very grateful.

One time I asked him if he was more attracted to me now that I have lost weight, he responded that he loves me the same as he always has, so nothing changed there, but that he definitely thought I was getting sexier.

Another time I asked him if I was living up to his expectations after getting the band. He said no, that I had far exceeded them. He had watched me try so many things over the years that he expected me just to give up on this one also. I thought THAT summed up everything. THAT is why he didn't want me to do it and THAT is why he didn't talk about it beforehand. Your husband may very well be the same.

Good luck!

That happened to me when I went back to work...2 weeks after surgery. I got scared and contacted my patient advocate, who told me it was completely normal. The port is sewn into the muscle, so it would make sense that it gets sore when you use that muscle the first time after surgery.

Yep! I was banded by Dr. Ken Hollis on March 4th! Hi!

Dr. Reilly's patient here. Banded in December. Still haven't had a fill.

What you are looking for is a magic bullet. You want to find the easy way to lose weight without having to take any responsibility or do any of the work yourself. It doesn't exist. If it did, don't you think ALL of us would have used it by now? Those who are successful have accepted that the band is NOT "the easy way out" and that WE have to do the work. WE have to make good choices. WE have to work WITH the band. WE have to pick ourselves up after a lapse and keep going. WE can't give up and accept failure. None of us is perfect. We ALL have lapses. The difference between you and those of us who are continuing to be successful is that we recognize that we have never in the past been able to completely follow the rules (I have lost and found the same 50 pounds for years) and start over, sometimes daily. I have bad days. I have bad weeks. However, I do not accept this as failure. I want it bad enough to say to myself "ok, you've screwed up, but that does not make YOU a screw up. Fix it!" and I do. Does that mean I won't screw up again? Definitely not. BUT, I will not accept that as a lifestyle. I accept it for what it is...a JOURNEY with bumps in the road.

By saying you WILL NOT follow the rules, you have accepted failure and acknowledged that you have given up trying to improve yourself. Nobody can fix you except you. Take responsibility for yourself, talk with your doctor, decide what needs to happen to work with what you ALREADY have in place and worked so hard to get, and move forward. If you can't do those things, nothing else will work for you. There is no magic bullet.

Now, if you would like to discuss what I do to handle my sweets craving or how I deal with getting enough Protein or how I get my exercise in, etc. I will be happy to answer any of those questions for you. Is my way the RIGHT way? Maybe not, but it is the right way for ME and I am doing it within my surgeon's guidelines.

I teach high school. This is the spring. I teach high school. We've had a full moon. I teach high school. We have TAKS (state mandated standardized testing) next week. I teach high school. OK, so now that we've gotten the basics out of the way...

After school today a very well-meaning co-worker asked me what size I have gotten down to. I tell her a 12 and she responds with "Back when I was chubbier, I got this dress that I only wore once that is a size 12. It is just sitting in my closet and I'll never wear it again. I just wanted to offer it to you if you'd like it." GEEZ!!! I've lost 65 pounds and dropped from a size 20 to a 12 and you want to start off with "back when I was chubbier" in reference to a size 12?!?!?! Come on people, THINK before you speak!!!

Not 10 minutes later, a senior boy (who I've never taught) stops me as I am walking by his table and says "Mrs. Huebotter, I just wanted to tell you, you look amazing!". At this point, I am shocked and just stop and look at him. As I realized he is starting to get embarrassed, I have to check myself to say "thank you, I've been working really hard at it." He responds with "I can tell."

Sometimes God knows what we need right when we need it. I sure needed an "amazing!"

Yes, yes, yes, and YES! It is completely normal!!!

I originally was going to be banded 4 years ago. I managed to 2nd guess myself out of surgery with the idea that I really CAN do this myself, I was gonna give it one more honest attempt, etc etc etc.

Well, there I was four years later and 25 pounds heavier. Yes, I did manage to lose some, but found it all and they brought friends for a party and never left.

This time around, everything just seemed to fall into place. I had a money scare with my medical reimbursement account right before surgey and thought I might have to cancel at the last minute, so that helped to keep me focused on somthing other than the actual surgery. I was nothing other than excited all the way up until right after they started the IV for surgery. At that point I had a panicked moment of...

"what the heck are you doing? Do you realize what the long-term implications are? Exactly why is it that you are VOLUNTEERING to go under the knife? Do you really understand that you will never be able to have the same relationship with food again?"

About that time they let my daughter come back to keep me company until they took me in. What a Godsend! She is a joker and has a wonderful sense of humor. We laughed about my new attire of hospital gown, hat, and support socks. She took pictures for her Facebook. She grossed out about the IV. She teased that she was going to have to hide her clothes from me (she is a size 6). She basically took my mind off of everything serious.

Now, I have to wonder what the heck I was thinking by waiting so long. I am 56 pounds down from the day I started my pre-op diet and have gone from a size 20W to a size 12. I can purchase clothing anywhere and not just at the "Big Girl Store". I can walk two 15 minute miles on the treadmill without huffing and puffing and can survive a 55 minute Water aerobic class. The weight is not "falling off of me" like others like to comment, but I am averaging 1-2 pounds each week once I got past the liquid diet.

I have to be honest and admit that I have been one of the lucky ones who has not needed a fill and not had any complications, but I sometimes wonder what my life would be like now if I had done it when I had originally planned. Then I remind myself that everything happens for a reason and God has His own plan.

Good luck with your surgery and everything that goes along with it!!!

Wendy from NY. 51 years young. Married 25 years and have 2 kids 23 and 19. I was banded 2/11/10. I lost 68lbs. Exercise a lot, work a lot and try to use my band best I can. I am glad I have the band most days. i have rediscovered jeans and color in clothes.

Isn't color just the coolest thing? I did not realize how much black and brown I owned until I started replacing clothes! Guess I was trying to blend in.

I love how people from Texas are like I'm from TEXAS!! It really must be the coolest state, ever! <3

I think us March Bandsters have this!! Don't you? WE're so gonna rock it!

Yes, it is and BTW, I'm from TEXAS!!!

Mine too!!!

I really liked her. A couple of days before surgery she called to make sure everything had been finalized and if I had any last minute questions and we ended up talking for probably half an hour about her personal experiences, etc. It really helped to keep me focused on the goal.

They are the best, ever, aren't they!? I love my dachshunds. The one I was closest to passed away last October and I just haven't been the same since. It was like losing a child and yes, I have children! They are just so sweet and baby-like! <3

It's very nice to meet you!

LOVE LOVE LOVE my babies!!! They have such personalities and we love watching them play tricks on each other. We have had to learn NOT to give them bones, though. Even if they each have their own, they start fighting over them. Two of them are in time-out right now as a result. Just like children.

Nice to meet you, too!

Was your Patient advocate Rachel?

Yep!

Mine does say "No Blind NG" and has my surgeon's name and contact number. I've heard of others that state "No NSAIDS", but I didn't get that put on mine. It concerns me to hear that they do not check ankles because the site I purchased it from specifically sold it for the ankle. You would think it would either be common practice for paramedics to check there, or NOT common practice to sell medical alert jewelry specifically designed to be worn there.

Dr. Reilly did my surgery on 12/16. I have seen him only once since then and that was at my 2 week follow-up appointment. Since then, I have only seen the nurse practitioner.

With that being said, I have been very pleased with my experience. Dr. Reilly did an awesome job with the surgery and I haven't needed a fill. I know this is unusual and I can't say that it is because of him, but I can't help but feel like he must have gotten the band in exactly the perfect place for me. I haven't been concerned about not seeing him since then because I used him for his SURGICAL experience and he did his part.

There has been a long wait each time I go in, but it has been that way at every doctor's office I have been to in the last several years, so I can't say that is specific to True Results. They have looked at the band each time while I drink "the stuff" (barium, maybe?) to make sure there are no problems and that makes me feel confident that there are no issues. The last time I felt I needed further confirmation that I truly had restriction and it wasn't just all in my head, so the NP walked over to the monitor to point out the band, the liquid, the pouch, etc. and answered all my questions.

I really depended on my patient advocate a lot before surgery and e-mailed her almost daily. I typically received a response within a couple of hours. However, when I attempted to contact the office by phone for something else, I became very frustrated and felt that I was getting nowhere fast. Again, I relied on my patient advocate for help and we got it settled. Since my surgery, I have only contacted her a couple of times with questions and she still replied pretty quickly.

Beyond that, I haunt these boards for information. Good luck with your surgery and everything that goes with it!

I'll go next...

My name is Renee. I am a 41 year old mother of three teenaged daughters and have been married to my best friend for close to 21 years.

My oldest daughter is 18, will be graduating this year and will be moving on to college. My other two will be a freshman and a senior in high school. My hobbies seem to revolve around them. I watch a lot of softball right now, but have done my fair share of cheering on volleyball, the junior high cheerleaders, and our high school musical over the last school year. I also teach math at our high school and my husband teaches science there as well.

When I am NOT totally centered on school, kids, and hubby, I like to camp, hike, and letterbox. I enjoy reading trashy romance (Nora Roberts, Jude Devereaux, Iris Johanson, Sandra Brown), but haven't done much of it recently. Recently, I have begun working out and try to hit the gym 3-4 times a week. I am also a Facebook/Farmville (the Facebook game for old people per my 17yo dd) junkie.

I, too, was a skinny mini kid who could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Unfortunately, my body changed, but my habits didn't. My weight became a pretty constant battle for the last 15 years. I was working toward getting banded about 4 years ago and ran into too many roadblocks, so it didn't happen and I gave up. This time around things just seemed to fall into place and I was banded in December. I am down a total of 65 pounds since August and 56 since starting my pre-op diet in November. I have about 25 left to go to reach a "healthy" BMI.

I am extremely pleased with my decision to get banded. I think I was mentally ready for it and the fact that everything went so fast this time really helped me fly past the 2nd thoughts. My initial consult was the day before Thanksgiving and my surgery was 12/16. Fortunately, I didn't have to jump through all the hoops because I had done it previously and was already being treated for sleep apnea, cholesterol, plantar fasciitis, asthma, etc. My insurance did not pay for the band, but they did pay for the hiatal hernia repair, so I was only partially self-pay and was able to do it in the states (chickened out of going to Mexico the first time around).

Well, that's me in a nutshell. Happy to meet all of you!

**oops, can't believe I forgot to mention our SEVEN dachshunds! Yes, I love the breed, but only one of them is mine. Each member of the family has at least one and my husband and one daughter each have two. They are definitely our spoiled babies**

I honestly never thought to ask my surgeon, but I do wear one around my ankle. However, if I am honest with myself, I probably got it for me mentally more than for the medical ID part. It is somewhat of a security blanket, or maybe a reminder of my goals. Whatever it is, it makes me feel better to wear it.

It is difficult to say whether or not what you are experiencing is hunger because it seems like everyone experiences it differently, just as everyone experiences full/satisfied differently. I hear of people hiccuping or burping when "full", but I just stop eating when I start feeling pressure under my sternum. I often have what I think is hunger, but is more often a craving. I have discovered that if I drink a cup of hot cocoa made with skim milk and sweetener, I am no longer "hungry".

When I am truly hungry, my stomach growls. If it is not time to eat, I drink more Water to put it off eating until the next meal.

I know this is more of a non-answer, but it's the best one I have.

Everyone loses differently, so there is no sure-fire prediction of what your body will do. However, I was what I would consider "pear-shaped" and I lost from my bottom half first. I had a very large bottom, hips, and thighs and could only fit into W sized clothing. Before I was able to change the size of my tops, I was able to get out of the Ws and into regular sizes. I am now wearing size 12 or 14 pants and Large (12/14) tops, so it seems I evened out.

I teach high school where teenagers often speak before thinking and are brutally honest most of the time. I had a student return to our school after an extended absence and the first thing out of her mouth when she saw me was..."Miss, what happened to your butt? It's gone!"

One last thing. I was not ALWAYS pear-shaped, but when I gained weight, it landed from my waist down, so this may be why that is where I lost it first. BTW, I am also 5' 4 1/2" and my goal is 148.

Good luck on your journey!

I can TOTALLY relate! Most of the time I don't mind because of HOW it is woven into the conversation, but there is one woman at work that asks me almost weekly. She always starts with a positive comment like "It's the incredible shrinking woman...how much weight have you lost?" or "The weight just seems to be falling off of you...how much weight have you lost?" or "You look really great...how much weight have you lost?"

First off, there is nothing "incredible" to it. I took the steps necessary to make it happen and am busting my butt and doing everything I am supposed to be doing. Second, I promise you the weight is NOT falling off of me. I am losing an average of 1-2 pounds each week. This week was Spring Break and I was just happy the scale didn't move in either direction. I am ok with 1-2 pounds per week, but that definitely is not falling anywhere (unless you count "the girls"...they've fallen and I'm not sure they will EVER get up). Finally, if I look great, just stop there. That way I can say "thank you" and we can both move on.

I have finally started replying with "I don't really know, I've been avoiding the scale and just focusing on getting healthy."

Thanks for bringing up this sore subject!

I was banded Dec 16th and have lost 48lbs since before surgery, 38lbs since surgery. Since my 2nd fill I have hit the crap stage I am calling it!

I am hungry again I have only lost 2 lbs in 3 weeks and I am waiting for my 3rd fill next week.

I was not really expecting such an emotional roller coaster afterwards. I am happy about the weight I have lost but I feel like it sucks that it has slowed.

I went jeans shopping and I have gone from a 22 to an 18 so thats something to be happy about but it still hard cause I just want to walk in and whatever I want to fit fit again. Ha ha. The expectations we as women have.

Oh well I am done venting for now I hope everyone else is doing good!

We share a bandiversary!!!

I have lost a total of 57 pounds, but 9 of that was from August-November before my first consult, so only 48 of it has been surgery related. I hate to admit in writing (for fear of jinxing it) that I have been one of the lucky ones who have not needed a fill and everything has gone super simple for me. Sometimes I feel like I am cheating the system. I can pretty much eat what I want and have not had any stuck episodes or PBing. I THINK I recognize when I am satisfied and of course "what I want" is not the same as it was before being banded. For example, I chose a grilled chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A for lunch today, ate about 1/4-1/3 of it, then gave the rest to my husband. The (wheat) bread didn't bother me, but after that little bit, I was satisfied and done. I feel like I SHOULD need a fill, but I am afraid I would end up too tight and start having issues.

I know what you mean about wanting to walk in and fit into whatever I choose. I carried the majority of my weight below the waist, so my pant sizes have dropped considerably (from a tight 20W to a loose 14), but I read about these people fitting into 4's and even into 0's and I just can't fathom it.

People comment all the time about the weight having just "fallen off" and I am not sure how to take that. There were a couple of weeks that it dropped quickly, during my pre-op liquids phase and for a week or so after surgery, but it has been 1-2 pounds each week other than that. Sometimes I actually make it to 3, but this week it was only .6, so it averages out. Pretty much everybody at work knows about it (I teach) and have been extremely supportive, so I am very fortunate in that aspect. As a matter of fact, another teacher had it done a little over a month later (but had been trying to get insurance approval long before my consult...I was self-pay), and I have had 3 others get the name of my doctor.

So far the best compliment I have received has been from my 18 yo daughter. Her graduation present is a mother-daughter cruise and she was perusing the various excursion options. She was getting excited about all the cool things available and said...

"...and you know what the best part is, mom? A lot of these have a weight limit and you meet ALL of them now, so we can do whatever we want!"

Isn't it funny how we think our weight only affects us and not those of us we care about?

Well, VERY long rambling to your check-in. Sorry about that! It just seems like there are very few people out there that might actually UNDERSTAND my rant. Take care and keep in touch!

Renee

Not on the list, but I think I'm gonna go with...DOOHICKEY!!!

And yes, my DOOHICKEY was installed.

So, last night my neighbor, who I haven't seen since the day before sugery, comes by to visit with my husband. I saw this and decided to go out to say hello. He made a big deal about my weight loss by saying "who is THIS?!?!" Following along with the joke, I responded by saying I was his (my husband's) girlfriend. Without skipping a beat, my husband grabbed me in a hug and said "yeah, I got rid of the fat one."

To others this may seem like he was being negative, but if you knew him you would know this DEFINITELY was not. He NEVER commented on my weight when I was well over 200 pounds. When I asked him if he was more attracted to me now that I have lost weight (in a separate conversation, of course), he had the perfect response. He said, "you know I love you the same no matter what you weigh, so nothing there has changed, but... I do think you are getting sexier".

I love my husband...20 years and counting!!!

Just to let you know. I added my name to the Challenge, but changed my percentage to the percent of the goal that I have reached. This just makes it easier for me to stay motivated when I can say I have reached 20% of my current goal (aiming for 100% obviously), etc. If this is a problem or makes it confusing for anyone else, feel free to change it back.

I can't say that I can totally relate, but I do know that different people react in very different ways. My husband and I had a HUGE fight about whether or not to get the surgery several months beforehand.

I had already been down that road once before, but insurance would not cover it. At that time, I scheduled an appointment to have it done in Mexico, but chickened out before surgery date.

Fast forward 4 years...we had money left over in our Medical Spending Account that we would lose if we didn't use it by the end of the year and we over-allocated for the new year, so the money was there. I priced getting it done in Mexico and told my husband I wanted it done. I then had to listen to him tell me how "if I would just exercise more and eat less I wouldn't have a problem"...etc etc etc. I lost it with him and then did not mention it again.

About a month later, he commented that if I was gonna get this done, I needed to get started so I could get it done before the end of the year. I don't know why he had a change of heart, but I didn't hesitate to take him up on it. Fortunately, I found a surgeon here in the states that would do it for the same price and was able to move quickly and I was banded on 12/16.

Since then, he has been perfect. I think he just needed time to wrap his brain around it. He hasn't pushed one way or the other and comments about how I am "a cheap dinner date". I think he has been frustrated that I don't get excited about going out to eat anymore (too much to think about), but he has become more affectionate than he has been in years.

I have been wanting to look into the meetings there. I was just banded on the 27th by Dr. Riley =)

I considered attending this last week, but my fill was scheduled earlier the same day and I just couldn't fathom making the drive twice in the same day. I live in Richmond.