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jOANNE, I have had two fills with Dr. Valin. The first was at 6 weeks and the second 8 weeks after that. Supposedly I am supposed to get another fill after another 8 weeks. However, I think I am a little too full and have a call into their office about taking some out. Dr. Valin is very careful and doesn't want people to be too full. I have also lost alot of weight and I know he takes everything into consideration when determining when to do fills and how much to do. By the way, most CT docs have huge waiting lists now (for Lapband or Gastric Bypass) so be patient.

Hi all! I am new to this website, i have managed to finally book my lap band surgery for november 2011 after fighting with myself for so many years! I am 176 cms tall and weigh almost 139kgs.. sigh... i never thought it would be that hard letting that out..... i have a high high cholesterol of almost 9.0, and although i am getting this done because i want a healthier and longer life in the future, i am looking forward to being able to feel like a normal "young" person like i should be feeling at my age! i turn 21 in a couple of weeks and do wish all my weight loss methods would have worked till now, because i have literally tried everything under the face of the sun, terry white, weight watchers, jenny craig, personal trainers, xenical, naturopathy... this was my last and final option! im so scared of the operation because i have been researching all the bad things that could come out of it but i am concentrating on the positive for now and cannot wait to have it done! the one thing i am scared of is failure.. so far all the weight loss methods i have tried have failed and ended up with me gaining triple of what i lost... i started dieting at 12 and have not been able to buy normal clothes for many years now.... i just hope it all works out well! anyone else getting it done anytime soon?

I just turned 56 and I am having a gastric sleeve in November. There is even a group of over 60 in this forum! She needs to get a referral to a bariatric center and they will do a thorough work up and often a 6 month program to help her be successful. Good luck!

Hi everyone, My surgery is scheduled for Sept. 24th with Dr. Kirschenbaum. I am really excited about it but I am starting to scare myself with worries. I realize there are risks with any surgery but I can't stop thinking "what if I die?". I have read there is a 1 in 50 chance of dying during gastric bypass. Is there a death percentage for lap band procedures? Is it rude to ask your doctor if anyone has died while he was operating on them? Did any of you have this worry? Thanks, Michelle

I get a new doctor and he does not treats me fair. He agrees to give me ultram for back pain, I dont have to lose weight. And pretty much I dont. He checks me for diabeties and I have it. HUMMM I wonder why that witch never checked it.??? With this doctor, I have a new phobia called NEVEr tell the doctor your in pain. Hide it at all costs. There would be days at the doctors where I would get this pain in my back and sit and hold it forever and if the nurse asked if I was ok I would say "oh my back is hurting alittle" no big deal" and when alone I would go crazy and then i would walk as normally to my car as possible and then collapse and cry my head off and go home and be bedridden for two days.. I said enough to keep the untram, but no more. I was scared to death of being dismissed and ridiculed and NOT cared for again. This was very stupid. I fell alot and I got hurt alot and I hid it all. I become more and more crippled and gained weight. I end up unable to work and sent to the jobs program in the welfare system. I am scared. I am trying to hide the fact that I am in excrusiating pain. It was like the most important thing to be.. to hide my pain and problems. I couldnt stand anyone seeing me as a loser, a fat cripple, a broken women. I rather suffer than show it. (now I show it, I dont care) Well they noticed. They sent me to the voc doctor again and she told them I was disabled and not to make me do anything. They made me apply for SSI This day was the worst day of my life. I didnt want to apply for disabilty. I didny know what it was and I didnt want to. All I knew is that I SURE AND THE HELL WASNT to be one to get disabilty. I was completely bent, couldnt think of a single job i could do. At this point even sitting in chairs wasnt possible for very long. I was disabled. I was. But to apply for disability is admitting your the ultimate failer... My fat brought me to this point and it was too hard to admit that. This was the most depressed I have ever been. No one made me do anything..I was 'awainting disabilty" I became 400 pounds in this meaningless existance THEN.. ANOTHER Lesson.. The DISABILY thing became My chance at life and weight loss again.. I had to get the dissability, to get the back pay, to pay for the gastric bypass.. TO GET OFF OF disabilty. It was a plan.. BUT it took a long long time. About 5 years. In the meantime my doctor left and I got assigned Dr. MOORE and he was so cruel to me that his nurse turned him in, people called me, I testified on the phone and then i was notified that he had been reprimanded. Becasue of this I got a special doctor at a fancy clinic. He checked my back right away and I was herniated and had sciatica and he said it was like that a long time. YEAH, ever since I QUIT school and began to complain to my doctors. WHY DID NO ONE EVER CHECK MY BACK?? Sheesh So yeah.. 5 years, cuz I had shabby doctors.. I rememebr times when I wished the SSi would NOT go through, so I would get MORE money when it went through the next time... I needed at leaste 15,000 Well i found out that medicare would cover my gastric bypass and all I had to do was wait. Find doctors and go to all the pre stuff.. so I did

I have never been skinny! I can remember being SMALLER, but never skinny. Over the years, I have contemplated weight loss surgery (WLS), but it wasn't until this year that I decided it was time. Once I decided to have WLS, I made a vow that I would not keep it a secret! I know so many people who have had WLS who simply refuse to share or to make it even worse, they flat out lie. The exchange goes something like this: Me: Oh my God Sherry! You look great! You've lost so much weight. What are you doing? Sherry: I just stopped eating so much and started walking. Me: Really. I have tried that, but I didn't lose as much as you. Sherry: Just keep trying. You can do it! I walked away from that conversation feeling like a fat failure!!! Why can't I lose weight when I stop eating so much? I have walked many a days and my weight did not drop that fast! What's wrong with me? I wanted the success Sherry had, but little did I know only t Sherry actually had Gastric Bypass! Why wouldn't she just tell the truth? Why would she not encourage me with her journey? Plus, if you lose 100 pounds in 6 months, I am going to know something is up! Instead I was left feeling inadequate. From that day on, I vowed I would always be honest having WLS. Why does it have to be a secret? I am scheduled for VSG on November 30, 2010. I will hold true to my vow of disclosure. I have one friend who threatened to stop talking to me if I had WLS. I basically gave her a piece of mind and that was that. I realized that many people don't tell for fear of being judged or having to explain themselves. This, I understand. But if you meet another struggling, obese brother or sister who knows how difficult weight loss is, don't let them walk away defeated. Don't allow them to believe you are a "super weight losing machine." Share your WLS story. Encourage them to do what is best for them and their health. So, the countdown is on. I pray I can be an inspiration to many as I end the reign of WLS secrecy! Bottom line is: I am telling! NewNatalie Houston, Texas Current Weight: 280 pounds Scheduled for VSG: November 30, 2010 ~ Dr. Dexter Turnquest

I have decided to go from a hand written journal/food diary to one that EVERYONE can read....and relate to. I will also post new recipes as they come to me... I can be quite creative... so check back!! My name is Melissa, I'm 31. I have a 12 year old daughter who is the best kid ever!!...well..depending on the day! HAHA... I'm also engaged to an amazing man who I love with all my heart. Our wedding is on 11/10/07. I have been overweight since I was around 8 years old. I was never big on sports and I loved to eat.. bad combo. I never really went on a diet until after I had my daughter. Of course I did the Phen/Fen thing... lost about 65lbs.. and looked great! When the reports came out about the dangers of the drugs I stopped taking them and up went the weight. I've been allergic to scales for the most part of my life, I rely on my pants to tell me if I have gained or lost weight. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes bad. Saying that.. my lowest size was a 10, highest 20/22. I'm currently hovering around 18/20... REALLY hoping to hit the size 18 soon.. I have some really cute spring clothes from last year to wear!! My last attempt at losing weight went very well. I began working out for about 45 min a day/5 days a week. I also had a strict diet of no sugar, low fat, low cal meals.. a typical day for me would be a breakfast of fruit smoothie made with low fat yogurt, a lunch of salad with fat free dressing and cottage cheese and grilled chicken, and dinner would be some type of grilled or roasted meat (normally chicken, turkey or fish)....I'd also have a piece of fruit and maybe a hand full of pretzels to snack on.. Seeing how I was allergic to scales I do not know the exact weight loss... but I did go from a 22 to a 16. Thats when I met my fiance, got comfortable in our relationship..and out went the diet and exercising. I gained it ALL back. This time I've had it. I thought about bypass surgery, but I really did not like the idea of my insides being "cut and paste". When I heard about the lapband surgery I took my time and really researched it..and found it to be much more appealing than the bypass. I attended my first lecture at the end of Feburary and that started my journey. So, today I got my rear out of bed and went to the gym.:clap2: I did 20 min. of cardio on the treadmill and 25 min of resistance training. It felt good. When I came home I had a home made smoothie..made with fresh pineapple, orange juice and a half of a banana..I also added a half scoop of vanilla unjury protein powder... yum!! For lunch I had a small "taco salad" using about 2 tbs of ground turkey, a sprinkle of cheese, lettuce and tomato....no shell. Not bad. ...I'm off to do housework... a never ending task. 3/5 1st Consult 3/19 Cardiologist 3/20 Life skills class (1 of 3) 3/26 Cardio stress test (PASSED!) 3/27 Life skills class (2 of 3) 3/28 Program Psych and Nurse appointment 4/2 Psych clearance 4/3 Pulmonologist 4/3 Life skills class (3 of 3) 4/23 Final Dr appointment for surgical clearance 4/25 GI Endoscopy 5/14 SURGERY!!!!

Sunday will be the 6-month (semi) anniversary of my surgery. As of this morning, I am 70 lbs down from my consultation weight. And, amazingly enough, I've even started a Personal Fitness Program and am now looking forward to getting to the YMCA every other day instead of dreading it. I am still dreading the elliptical which has nearly killed me several times! I got another fill on April 20th and I think that was the one that really did the trick. I'm finally at the sweet spot with 7ccs in my 12cc band. I am not hungry (most of the time), I can eat about 3-4 ounces at the most and if I do have one bite too many, I can feel it immediately. This last fill also gave me limitations I hadn't had previously: Bread, cake, greasy food - nope! And, if I have a soda or chew gum, I get terrible chest gas that requires Gas-X strips immediately. Can't do them anymore without severe discomfort. So, I've learned in the last two weeks what to avoid and how the band actually works. Yesterday I felt practically slim - I was wearing jeans a size too big, platform sandals and a nicely cut (cleavage revealing) shirt. Two friends said I looked "skinny." I know they meant skinny for me and not actually skinny but boy did I feel good. The only problem -- my underpants kept falling down! Guess it's time for new drawers. I have a few questions for fellow banders today: 1) How do you feel about your body? After years of being obese and of a certain age, my skin is not retracting at all. I've gotten super jiggly and wiggly and I really don't like how it looks or feels. I know I have a lot farther to go (another 60 lbs) but I'm already appalled by what I see. I suppose I should start saving for cosmetic surgery now. 2) Who do you tell about your band? I have told my very good friends, family and a few work colleagues but there is one guy I can't stand at work who keeps asking me what my secret is. He's not asking because he needs to lose weight, he's just being nosy. This same guy and his partner had a baby last November and the mother has got to be at least 48 years old. Last time he started trying to get info about my weight loss I nearly blurted out, "Hey, I don't ask how you got a baby out of 50-year old woman, do I?" 3) How long do I have to wait to get my neck/chin sucked out and tightened? I didn't have that big of a double chin to start but in the last 15 lbs or so, it's gotten sort of jiggly without the fat to fill it out. I will definitely need a neck lift and was thinking about going for a consultation now to find out what the surgeon thinks. Has anyone else had this surgery before they got to goal weight? Please open your books and begin your essays now. Put your books face down on the desk when you have completed answering the questions. Thank you and good luck. Barbara

About 10 years ago my husband saw in article in the news about the LAP Band. He knew how depressed I was about my weight and encouraged me to go to a seminar. I guess I wasn't ready for that yet at only a meager 245 lbs on my 5-2 frame. I think they were performing clinical trials here in San Diego at that time. Now, here I am at 280. After multiple attempts with Optifast, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Fen/Phen, Meridia, Circuit Clubs, SouthBeach, Scarsdale, Zone, etc. But you all know this story for yourselves. I'm currently enrolled in a nutritional class at Kaiser as their prerequisite for gastric bypass. But this surgery scares the holy crap out of me. I don't like the idea of rearranging my insides and the possibilities of nutritional complications - if I survive all the other potential risks. Of course all surgery has risks. And the biggest one for me on this (LAP Band) one is that I won't lose enough weight. But I'm jumping ahead. I recently discovered that an old friend was having this surgery. So I'm pouring over the statistics and find the LAP Band a much more desirable surgery. So we'll see. Good luck to all of you. I'll certainly continue to journal my journey.

RNYTalk Newsletter By Hey, RNYTalk members!Happy New Year! It’s time to leap into 2013. You might have slipped a little during the holidays, but January is a great time for a fresh start! Of course, RNYTalk.com is here for you as you work to lose weight and get healthy. Allow the January Newsletter to motivate you to get back on board if you lost your focus in December, or to inspire you to keep up the good work if you were able to stay on track during the holidays. Here’s what we have in this newsletter. Looking Ahead to 2013! Member Spotlight: Meet Jenneliza! New Year’s Resolutions that Work! RNYTalk Member Challenge: Make Your New Year’s Resolutions! Casting Call: Looking for RNYTalk.com Members to be in a Book! As you get back into the swing of everyday life and your commitment to your health, we hope you continue to make Alex Brecher Founder RNYTalk.com Looking Ahead to 2013! 2012 was a phenomenal year for Water skiing. Then, as she says, “it was a no-brainer” when her daughter told her “she was being teased for having a fat mom.” She got her bypass surgery in July and is already down 104 pounds, from a high of 286, less than six months later! Since getting the surgery, she feels more motivation to exercise because it feels like it’s helping. This time, she’s confident that she will lose the weight! Her son already has more room on her lap, her children can wrap their arms around her and she loves seeing herself in the mirror – without the double chin! Jen’s biggest challenge is staying hydrated every day. Another challenge is going to the grocery store and seeing all the tempting and forbidden foods! Jen uses RNYTalk.com to get information and find support from members. As she says, the “forum is full of great people who offer all kinds of viewpoints and discussions.” She loves using the app for iPhone because it is so convenient. Jen’s advice for members who may be struggling with their weight is not to give up – the journey is tough but worthwhile! Thanks, Jen, for sharing your story and offering your advice. Congratulations on your own weight loss! The Protein per day so you feel more full. Make them doable. Keep your resolutions realistic so you’re not setting yourself up for failure. Nobody’s perfect, and your resolutions’ success shouldn’t depend on you to be perfect. Instead of resolving to drink more water, resolve to drink an extra 8 ounces of water in the morning at least 5 days per week. This resolution gives you some room for error just in case you forget your water a couple of times in the week. Plus, the resolution is specific, so it fits with the first tip! Make them controllable. You can’t control whether you lose a certain amount of weight within a certain amount of time. What you can control are resolutions such as sticking to your diet or exercising to burn off an extra 300 calories per day, 3 days per week. Keep these tips in mind when you’re making your own New Year’s resolutions. Solid resolutions together with your best intentions can help you make 2013 a great year for your health, weight and happiness! RNYTalk Member Challenge: Make Your New Year’s Resolutions! This is the part of the newsletter where we challenge RNYTalk.com members to take a step forward by doing something new. The experience can help you grow and gain confidence when you do something you hadn’t even thought about before, or you find out that you can do something you hadn’t even realized that you could do. This month, we’re sticking to the theme of New Year’s resolutions. The challenge for this newsletter is to make one or more resolutions based on the advice in this newsletter. We challenge you to make your resolutions specific, doable and controllable – and we’re eager to see what you decide to do in 2013! Tell us about your resolutions in the recipes to share, let us know! All you have to do is contact Alex Brecher (username Alex Brecher) via RNYTalk.com’s private messaging system. We’d love to hear from you no matter where you are in your bypass journey, even if you’re just thinking about the surgery. Thanks! That’s it for this month’s newsletter. We invite you to head on over to the forums and get a head start on a healthy 2013. Again, Happy New Year to you and your loved ones! May 2013 be the best year so far. Take care of yourself and each other. Sincerely, Alex ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: {unsubscribe}

Oooh! Sorry that you had to have th eband removed, be careful of weight gain! Just my personal waring. I only had a revision in November of k]last eyar. I am just now starting to lose again since my intial weight gain while empty and it has been a battle of my own wits, not surgeon's. He is satisfied, but I am not. I am back to being overweight! Anyway, glad to hear that you are on the mend. It can happen to anyone, but it is not as common as people on this board seem to think. Mine was my 2nd slip, the 1st one was approxiamtely a year and half before, and it was easily fixed by an unfill for a month. I think the 2nd was because I sick and then let myself get dehydrated. People, take care, call your surgeon even if its Sunday, and don't do what I did, i didn't want to disturb him and flet it coudl wait for Monday! Good luck.Karen

I have done a lot of research, talked to lots of people...and when I found out that it's just as easy to gain back on either one...I chose the sleeve because it was less involved than the bypass and less risk. Any of them you will have to work at it! And your doc can't possibly say he's seen better long term results on the sleeve bcuz it's so new! All I know is you will have to make up your mind to work it cuz either way you go it's not going to work itself! I'm only 4 days post op but work in a hosp and know that the sleeve is the newest phenomenon!

Hi Kiki, I decided to go with the lapband instead of the bypass or sleeve because the band is the only one that is reversible and can be adjusted to restrict eating where the other two are permanent removal of parts of the GI tract and reorganization of other parts. I am a nurse and have seen many patients who are suffering from all kinds of vitamin deficiencies due to the bypass and sleeve. The band can be adjusted to allow you to be able to eat more when you are pregnant, since I see you are looking down that road. Considering the risk factors and the route you are looking at, I would seriously consider the band- Good Luck and I hope your insurance will approve the band- Lighterload

Hello. My name is Rebecca and I am 35 years old. I am currently going through the process of eventually having gastric bypass. I am curious to hear other people's stories. Doesn't matter if they are good or bad. I'm also curious if people freaked out a bit before the surgery meaning yes I'm going to have it, no I'm not. Thanks!!!????

Dr. Phil Friday 9/7/12 3:00 pm eastern set your DVR woman lost 220lb w/gastric bypass surgery discussion w/DH concerning how it effects her marriage

My husband and I had the RNY Gastric Bypass on October 18th. Feeling pretty good on postop day 3. Trying to stuff in our Water, Protein and the tablespoons of puréed food we can start. We never thought it would be this hard to eat! Lol! We'll keep plugging along! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Monday night on Fox news at 9:00 PM there will be a special segment called..."Dying to be thin". It is about the gastric bypass surgery. I think I will watch this....to reassure myself that I did the right thing getting banded.

Hey guys. I met a lady through a support site who gained back half of the weight she lost. Lost 100-gained back 50 now. She said she was too ashamed to go places or do things because people will "know she failed at weight loss surgery". I feel so awful for her. She admitted to eating the wrong things. I feel awful for her. It's a painful reminder that this surgery can be outsmarted, just like those who have gained back weight after gastric bypass or other surgeries. The sleeve is not foolproof. Eating chips, sliders, and carby foods too often and too much can really sabotage everything. It really is important to eat protein first. I firmly believe a treat now and then it perfectly fine but man, I see clearly how things can get out of control if you let yourself. She mentioned that she had a hard time coping with a new "thinner" version of herself and kind of sabotaged it without even realizing it. Be careful, folks.

Hello all of my fellow sleevers!! Hope this post is finding you all feeling fantastic or at least better. I have had an amazing week personally although I have to say I'm feeling punky today. I started back to work on Monday and everyone at work was so happy to see me back and feeling so good. I'm very blessed to have a lot of supportive people in my life. Several people in my office have had some type of bypass or sleeve done and most of them were shocked I was back so soon and that I felt so good. I just tell them I have Frequent Surgery Miles and am tougher than a $2.00 steak!! lol I think I am just one of those lucky few who heal fairly easily and can handle the stress on my body. So anyway, Tuesday was officially my two week mark and Wednesday my first check up. I was shocked, amazed, and ecstatic that not only was I feeling super great but I lost a whopping 32 lbs!!!! Oh yeah baby!!! I knew this was going to work but I guess I just really didnt expect such great results right away. Needless to say, I'm one happy camper!! The eating thing has been hard because until yesterday, I didn't experience any hunger pains. I have been making myself "eat" drink and be merry! lol I am up to soft baby food consistency things (even baby food). Add a little seasoning and they aren't half bad. We did buy one of those individual cup mixer machines (dont know if brand names are allowed) so I'm going to try pureeing my own stuff probably next week. I'm looking forward to watching my progress along with people on here. You all are amazing and courageous!! Its not for the weak of mind thats for sure!! Carry on with your journey and hold a song in your heart. The journey is only as worthwhile as you make it!! Hugs!!

Oh, my goodness, this is hard. I had my surgery on October 29th, and it has been slow-going ever since. Not slow in the fact that I have been losing weight, just slow in the fact that it's taking me a long time t recover. I don't know why I didn't expect this to be hard and painful. It is major surgery, after all. It's November 4th now, and I'm finally starting to get around and moving, but I get tired so easily and get nauseous pretty fast. My doctor put me on Phenergan for nausea, but that just knocks me out and takes away whatever little bit of energy I had! The pain is finally subsiding and it's mostly just a nagging pinch now, but my back muscles ache something terrible. Initially, I did not want to eat anything. Now, my waves of hunger are so strong, I can't tell if I'm hungry or nauseous or both. I'm still on a liquid diet for 2 more days. So far, all I have eaten since my surgery is a cup of soup, a popsicle, a small frosty from Wendy's, and a small side of mashed potatoes from KFC (I cheated, but I was so hungry!). I think about what I am going to eat when my stomach goes back to normal. I can't seem to stop thinking about food. I hope once I can eat some more normal foods, and am not so hungry, my focus will be elsewhere and not on tempting things I should not be eating. I have lost 22 lbs since October 16th. That's 19 days. I feel good about this and want the weight loss to continue. I figure if I can lose 2 lbs a week until next year, I will be down 100 lbs. Even if I only lose 1 lb a week, I'll be 50 lbs lighter than right now. But there are so many foods out there that look delicious that I can no longer have! What I really crave is Chino Bandidos, my favorite restaurant. I figure once, before my band fill, I will go there. Just once. I know this may be a recipe for disaster, but it is what I have been craving. I willnot eat a whole plate of food. Just half, maybe not even that. If I plan it, and work my dieting and exercise around it, I think I could splurge just once. We'll see...I know it's not the best decision, but if I don't give in once in a great while, I feel I may be setting myself up for failure. I may just reach a point where I eat everything I want whenever I want and will lose all self control. That's exactly what I don't want to happen. Oh well....this is also coming from someone who has not eaten a real meal in a week's time and is food crazy. I can see the weight coming off in my face and in my arms. So far, so good. I want to be at 230 lbs by Christmas. I am at 253 right now. I have seven weeks, so that seems about right. All I know is that the airplane seats better feel more roomy this time when I go home. Last time, I could barely get them to buckle. I was so embarrassed. I don't ever want that to happen again. Anyways, that's all I have for now. Have a great night, everyone!

Hopefully in 5 weeks my gastric bypass will have been performed and working fine. Want to lose 35 kg.

Really struggling today, this bronchitus of the airways is terrible, you dont coff, you splutter and gasp to breath and my throat is so soar too. Anyway, health report over, i will recover and i need to because today out of the blue i received a letter from my heamatologist with my blood test reults. Hubby has hotfooted it to the hospital to hand the letter in to my surgeon, who will be ringing me next week, well my nurse will, and as she doesn't work mondays it will be tuesday. The blood tests show that i have got the lupus coagulant in my blood, and rather than my blood not clotting quick enough, this messes with the test and my blood actually is more likely to clot too much. I can have my op but will need to be on anti clotting meds for 2-3 weeks after surgery. I need to now see a rhumatologist about the lupus but have to be referred by my gp, passing the book yet again. My 80 year old mom has decided to go into a nursing home after another infection where she ended up in hospital. This is going to keep me busy mentally over the next month or so and a lot of physical work by my husband, our two sons and hubbies brother to empty moms bungalow. It is very difficult when this has to be faced in life, it is something that she never wanted or me, but she needs 24 hour nursing care and i cant give it to her, so a nhs funded nursinf home is the only answer. I think i am too ill and emotionally drained to be excited or otherwise about my op at the moment. I had it in my head to have it in march, no later, but seeing as they only do 2 ops per week on one day a week am hoping they havnt scheduled march yet and i have time to get better and start my 2 week pre op diet before march begins, ready for the first date in march. I went to my support group last night and they are a brilliant bunch of people who are cheering me on, and i know i am very blessed to have them, and i have a group of christian friends who are praying for me and supporting me too. I think i will only believe it is happening when im actually wheeled into the operating room, lol. Did i say, i had my hair cut 2 weeks ago, really short with a short fringe and spiky and everyone says it makes me look younger, and i love how easy it is to do. I have had a pic taken of me with a white furry hat that looks like a dalmation head and everyone says i looked nice in it so for the first time in years i have my face on my facebook account. Not ready dor the body yet though. I always said when my face was thinner that i would have my hair cut and have surprised myself by having it cut now. I have even begun to wear make up when i go out and its made me realise how much i had given up on myself, so i feel younger as well as looking younger. I have told hubby to smarten himself up too and have bought him some younger looking clothes so we match more, dont want my man wearing bobbly flecees-jacket and jumper when he takes me out, he has spruced up well, i have a well dressed handsome silver fox on my arm now, just wait while i loose my weight, i think his little belly will have to go, lol. I am determined to do all i should to loose the weight healthly and to maintain it, i dont want to be putting any weight lost back on, i know it can happen and am aware that the sleeve is a tool that only works when you use it correctly, and i will need to deal with comfort eating and weak will and eating chocolate or puddings to comfort me. I have seen how the sucsessful people work at it, and i want to be one of those people, i want the new me and the new life it will bring. I was talking to a lady last night who has had the bypass and she told me that what she eats now is the same that a thin woman would have always eaten instead of the huge portions she used to eat that made her 27 stone = 27 x 14 lbs. That made sense, the smaller stomach helps us to eat what our bodies need instead of what our stomachs demand, cant wait to get rid of the greedy part of my stomach and work with my new smaller stomach. I will update next week and really hope it will all be good news now, bye for now, keep up the good work, because You are worth it, xxxx

So, about this decision I've made to pursue VSG. It wasn't an easy one, and in fact, I went down this road almost 1 year ago. A year ago I was at my highest weight. At 5'3" I weighed 259 lbs. I was so disgusted with myself and was at the end of my rope. I looked into bariatric surgery and was really interested. I exchanged lots of emails with an old friend that was working for one of the best bariatric surgeons in the Atlanta area. I was excited at the prospect of doing this - I knew the benefits greatly outweighed the risks. It seemed I was in pain all the time, I had failed at so many diets, and hunger always won. After talking it over with my husband, we agreed that we should go forward with the process. Well, unfortunately my excitement came to a screeching halt when I found out that my insurance wouldn't cover ANY bariatric procedure. Since the company I work for was a privately owned small business, bariatric surgery was completely excluded from the policy. BAM. Plans Over. So, I joined a gym, and hired a personal trainer. 3 days a week I gave that little fella my blood, sweat and tears. And a little pee, but that's another story entirely lol. I followed a strict Paleo diet and lost about 32 lbs in a matter of 5 months. Then, out of nowhere I had wrenching back pain that made it very difficult to even walk. This went on for weeks, and finally my husband insisted that I see a doctor. Well, guess what? One torn disc, one bulging disk, very bad facet arthropathy (a crap ton of arthritis in my lower back), and spondylosis. Yeah, to put it in a nutshell, I was screwed. Fast forward to July of this year and I began to see a specialist who periodically injected me with steroids in my back which helped tremendously with the pain. Because I did so well with them, he recommended that I have a nerve ablation procedure (now when I say my nerves are fried - they really are!). About a week after that procedure an entirely new pain began. Head to toe agony. More doctors, more specialists. Diagnosis - Fibromyalgia. Often the onset of this ridiculous disease occurs after an invasive procedure. The most unfortunate part about this diagnosis and the one before it is that I'll never again be able to train like I once did. I sank into a deep depression; I honestly felt like life as I knew it was over. I rapidly gained weight back, up to 240.6 now. I tried to stay positive about it, but I literally went from an energetic, do-everything possible in a day kind of person, to an aching, sad, shell of a woman. Fearing that my fate was to forever be fat, my husband, my partner in life had an idea. How did this not occur to me? It's amazing how depression clouds your thinking. His realization about a critical fact was like a ray of light. In January, the small business I worked for was purchased by a huge corporation, and in March... you guessed it... new insurance. One phone call to the number on the back of my card and my hope is renewed. They cover bariatric surgery. My consultation with the surgeon is tomorrow! Wednesday, Oct. 15th. They are saying that I qualify for the "Fast Track" to surgery and I could be sleeved as soon as November or December!!! Send me prayers, love and light. Stay tuned...

I am going to my first lap band support group meeting tonight. I am glad that the office is seperating out band from bypass. Looking forward to meeting some people in person and hearing how they are doing. The office requires 2 meetings prior to scheduling the surgery. they offer 1 band only group, and there are 2 combined group meetings a month as well.

Got my surgery is scheduled for December 9th 2010 :thumbup:YAY!!! O so Nervous:eek: I meet with the Sergeon Todd s Burry ,MD and the exercise specialist & Dietitian in a group setting talked about Lap-Band issues & Complications it's like sign your life way.:thumbup: Oh talked about vitamins & Nutrition..yes ! i had lots of questions about lap-band surery..LOL I have a 2nd visit on November 18th for pre testing...only:smile:35 days until surgery....