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Happy Towel Day! Greetings from Boston, MA



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Hello! Happy Towel Day!

For those who have not read the Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy, or any of the great works of the late Douglas Adams, May 25th is the day people are trying to make an official holiday in remembering the author's inspiring work. So, Happy Towel Day. Read the book. Always know where your towel is.

Greetings! I'm Jerome, call me JJ if you like. I had lap band surgery back in November 22, 2010 at Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston, MA. Six months out, I've lost 60lbs, with about 110 to go... I still have lots to learn. For me, the lap band is there to help me create new eating habits, and prevent overeating. It's doing it's job. But, I have a bunch of questions that maybe you guys can help me with.

Personal specs:

7'0" tall

Starting weight 425lbs

Current weight 360lbs

Goal weight 250lbs

I've always been well into the world of Big & Tall since I was a little kid. I entered high school at 6'9" tall. When I graduated, I was voted "Most likely to break IKEA furniture."

Though, I was not overly obese, a number of post college injuries and medical problems threw my body into a heavy tailspin of bad health. The lap band was my step towards fixing, not just treating symptoms.

I am very physically active even with my big size, and when I was heavy. I am a competitive open Water swimmer, and I am a weight room nut that is experimenting with Strongman strength training. I also perform standup comedy at night, while being an IT guy during the day. Clearly, I have no focus. :)

Greetings! Happy Towel Day!

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Hey, welcome! :)

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Hey JJ,

I just got my surgery at Beth Israel on May 16th by Dr. Jones. Which surgeon did you have? What did you think of your experience there?

-Mary

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Also, are you single? lol :)

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Hello! Thanks! But, no, I am not single. Sorry. My wife is reading this right now... :)

I had mine at Beth Israel with Dr. Jones as well! I had a good experience overall, and have no real complaints. None with anyone bariatric related.

I was definitely in the hospital a day longer than I needed to be. I had surgery Monday morning, and really felt ready to go home Tuesday afternoon. They had me stay until Wednesday morning.

Other then making sure all the anaesthesia was out of me, I don't think there was any real medical reason. I was cruising through the initial food stages, and walking like crazy. I took very little pain meds. So small an amount, the nurses were worried. I hate pain meds, anyway... Fogs my head instead of taking care the of the pain... And the pain was bearable...

Mostly, I was held by something that cannot be controlled, namely the speed of the hospital workings... Staff rotations, slow order placement, and a lot of little inefficiencies added up to a lot of me sitting around bored, or walking around the hallways trying to prove I was ready to move forward. I worked my butt off pre surgery to be able to bounce back quick. But, that's sort of my normal operation mode. I drove the nurses nuts....

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Hey JJ, I was banded May 4th of this year. I was banded at Falkner Hospital by Dr. Vernon. I started at 229 and so far I have lost 20 lbs. Nice to have a fellow bander in the area. Just wanted to say hi.

Hello! Happy Towel Day!

For those who have not read the Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy, or any of the great works of the late Douglas Adams, May 25th is the day people are trying to make an official holiday in remembering the author's inspiring work. So, Happy Towel Day. Read the book. Always know where your towel is.

Greetings! I'm Jerome, call me JJ if you like. I had lap band surgery back in November 22, 2010 at Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston, MA. Six months out, I've lost 60lbs, with about 110 to go... I still have lots to learn. For me, the lap band is there to help me create new eating habits, and prevent overeating. It's doing it's job. But, I have a bunch of questions that maybe you guys can help me with.

Personal specs:

7'0" tall

Starting weight 425lbs

Current weight 360lbs

Goal weight 250lbs

I've always been well into the world of Big & Tall since I was a little kid. I entered high school at 6'9" tall. When I graduated, I was voted "Most likely to break IKEA furniture."

Though, I was not overly obese, a number of post college injuries and medical problems threw my body into a heavy tailspin of bad health. The lap band was my step towards fixing, not just treating symptoms.

I am very physically active even with my big size, and when I was heavy. I am a competitive open Water swimmer, and I am a weight room nut that is experimenting with Strongman strength training. I also perform standup comedy at night, while being an IT guy during the day. Clearly, I have no focus. :)

Greetings! Happy Towel Day!

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Hey JJ, I was banded May 4th of this year. I was banded at Falkner Hospital by Dr. Vernon. I started at 229 and so far I have lost 20 lbs. Nice to have a fellow bander in the area. Just wanted to say hi.

Hello! Congrats on the progress!

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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