Hi!

I'm Julie and looking to change my life on April 2nd. Yep, that would be my surgery date.

I'm a single mother of sometimes adult children. Own a very small salon in central Phoenix and have never worked so hard to make so little Just kidding, life is what I make it and it's awesome! This growing up has been a process and I feel like I have control over everything in my life but my weight. I've struggled my whole life with eating and bouncing up and down on the scale. More often it's UP! I feel like I've done it all... weight watchers, HCG, calorie counting, Atkins, and even the cabbage diet. Ya I lose, but when I get back to normal eating (No, one cannot live on Cabbage Soup), the weight slowly comes back on and adds a few extra pounds for good measure.

So here I am! This is me, getting real with myself and sharing my journey.

Hope to connect with you soon,

j~

Yayyyy We have a home...

I am Deb a 47 yr old mother of 4.. Oldest is 26 youngest is 18. I also have 3 grandbabies ( i tell my kids if i knew grandbabies was so fun i would have had them first...) I am an ER Nurse which i LOVE being and I do photography as a hobby. The pics i use for my profile are almost always pics i have taken. I was very active in high school and average built. WHen i was 18 i started having stomach issues and started vomiting everything i eat and thus didnt eat much and got way skinny. Then i got married pregnant and became a stay at home mom in a place I had never lived before and had no family or friends thus food became my best friend. I gained with that pregnancy and with each additional pregnancy. I to have tried every diet and lost then gained back. I am so ready for this. I dont have my date yet but I am pretty sure it will be in May and I am wayyyy excited.

Hi Fellow Springers!

My name is Summer, and I am having surgery on April 5th, which I am both terrified and excited about.

A little about me...

I am 31 years old, a NICU RN, wife and a mother to wonderful children ages 10 and almost 2. I used to be thin. Athletic. Healthy. Then I wasn't. My fault. I take full responsibility for my weight. After the bedrest and weight gain of my first child I never lost the weight. I tried... sort of. I had never had to diet before, and wasn't prepared to do it. Then the weight kept on adding on. Eventually I got serious about it and lost 60 lbs. To which I celebrated by gaining 80. Ooops. I have been contemplating lap band for a few years now and done ample research and waited until I was mentally and physically ready to do so. Mainly mentally. It helps to have a supportive husband. He has been great. Attending meetings, classes, and doing his own research.

I can't wait to have surgery. I can't wait to buy cute clothes. I can't wait to put up a full size mirror in my house. I can't wait to sit in a booth at a restaurant and not squeeze in. I can't wait to cross my legs at the knees. I can't wait to not be embarrassed by my weight when I catch sight of myself in a picture. I am also terrified I will fail the band. More pressing right now is the morbidity rate of the surgery. THAT scares me. Being a NICU RN I see how things go wrong, which does not help my anxiety.

I have found such helpful information out on this site, and am so glad this group was made to support each other through it. Yay for us!

Summer

Hi Springsters! my name is Glenda and my surgery is April 2. I retired from The UC system (Universityof California) last July. I have been married for 36 yrs and have 2 grown kids. So I have lots of time to devote to making this LB journey a success! I started this 12 months ago, and have had a lot of time to think and research. I have changed my mind a dozen times. To be honest, I still have some reluctancy about it, but I feel I must do it for my health. I have no major health issues at this time, but It's just a matter of time. I love exercising! So I have that part down. I also eat fairly well. I gave up fried food, salt, white bread, red meat and junk many years ago. So what's my problem? Portion control. So Im thinking me and lapband can make a perfect team. Although my surgery is about 36 days away, my doctor has asked me to go on a high protein/no starch diet. No grains, bread, tortillas, corn, potatoes, crackers, popcorn,chips, nada! I think it's to shrink the liver for surgery. Are any of you on this ?

Summer, So what is the morbidity rate? i thought is was very low, like less than 1%...

It is. The national statistic is 0.1%. Which comes out to 1 out of every 1000 people. I know that is less than 1%, but I just can't help but be worried about it. Not worried enough to back out mind you.

I'm not on any pre-op diet yet. I'm sure when I see my surgeon on 3/9 I'll be put on one. I just hope it's one where I get to have some real food. Good luck with your diet! You can do it!

I am not worried bout the surgery itself. I know that I would have more of a chance of getting involved in an accident then a bad outcome from the surgery. I am more worried that I will become non complaint and this to will fail... I so hope not cause i so need this to improve my life and move forward for me.

Hi,

I am Sue, turning 37 on the 29th, mother of three with youngest in K and oldest in 7th grade. I was happy to find a group who are at the lap band stage I am. I have everything turned in, just trying to still lose my before surgery required weight. I have 8 pounds to go...so I am hoping for a first part of April surgery date. I attended two different surgeon seminars and am still back on forth on it some days. I am just scared it will, hurt, I will have complications, or I don't even know! Sounds silly but not silly at the same time! I am a self payor and hate the thought of spending 13k and having thrown it away! Or having complications and having to dig my way out of THAT!

My mother had a Mexican lap band that slipped, but after doing my research I can tell you exactly why!!! My sister had banding done and did great but eventually gained a lot of it back. So scared there too.

My husband is supportive as he knows how much losing the weight means to me and how much pain I am in. I have a bad disc but not a surgical candidate for that...so I guess the idea is maybe getting the weight off will also be a great way to help with that pain too! Tired of not being able to do daily tasks without pain. Tired of walking into a store and having people look at my belly!!!

My other fear is that I love food. I love eating out and I love to cook. So if I can't eat...will life stink? But that is why I am here right?! I have those issues to deal with internally...which I think I can overcome, if I know the medical side of the lapband will be without problems....

I am rambling, meant to just introduce myself, but I guess with myself comes a lot of questions and fears and things that would be great to chat about if anyone else is feeling similar or have figured out any of these answers!!!

Hoping for the best, for all of us,

S

Hello Idaho and welcome!

I have much of the same fears as you do. I'm sure we will all learn how to cope with our specific fears. I think the fact that you are paying so much money is a good incentive to stick with the program.

I cook and bake all of the time and have had some concerns too. Will the pleasure be gone? No, I don't think it will. About a year ago when I got serious about the lap band this was one of my biggest concerns. I baked and cooked every day. I decided to test myself. I started baking and not eating any, or just having one bite. It really wasn't as difficult as I thought. Now I bake all the time, it's still enjoyable, and I don't eat it. You can do it!

Summer

Hi Idaho

I am Deb and while i cant promise you it will all go fantastic for you i can promise if you dont do it you will always wonder what if you had. As for your sister gaining back sounds ilke it wasnt the lapband that failed but taht your sister failed to work the lapband. My surgeon has told me if you gain any we will have to decide if we need to fix the band (do a fill) or fix my own head. As for the pleasure of cooking. I know for myself i miss alot of other pleasures cause i feel i cant go out and do things and enjoy them. I use to love dancing but i dont go out now cause i think how ppl will snicker at my weight point at the fat lady tryign to dance etc... Yea Everytime i have lost weight even the little i felt so much more like going out and actually living life.

Hey Id!

Welcome to the group! I hope you stick around in the months that follow. I think we're (Springer's) are going to have a GREAT time.

So I hate to cook, love to eat and make myself too busy to think about my fears. How's that for dysfunctional?

I'm just comfortable insane and I'm good with that.

Can you tell I'm in the middle of my work week?

busy busy

welcome welcome

Hope you make yourself at home here!

hugs,

j~

I made it! Thanks broke wings!! I'm in Syracuse, month (almost) 4 of a 6 month for insurance- there is SO much info on this site to prepare for this journey -I am so grateful!! My next appt 3/21 my doctor will discuss the procedure further -so I am even more excited!!! I have done all the required tests and one thing bad that came up was slight sleep apnea- I need to wear NC @ 2l @ night but I am hoping to get further testing done and the ok not to have to wear it- it's not very sexy- but neither is being dead!!! LOL

( spell check is changing my thread)

I am married with 2 small kids as for right now I am a stay at home mom but looking for a job - I haven' t worked in 6 years to be able to be home with kids until they are in school all day -my son goes to kindergarten and it's still half days - but was approached and it's close to home so we'll see. I am an LPN (14 years!!) my hubby is very supportive and excited for me, has switched with the foods the nutritionist wanted me to so maybe he'll lose some too.

Anyways, thanks for letting me ramble!

Hey Mrs. D!

Welcome to the group and PLEASE ramble away! Pull up a chair and make yourself at home.

We love having new friends.

j~

Does anyone know how to "lock" a thread that the top of a forum?

I thought it would be a good to keep this thread near the top so our new friends have a place to start.

Keep inviting them over!

j~

FOUND IT!

hi fellow springers!

I am in month 3 of a 5 month holding pattern for insurance. Haven't been doing so well losing since I began this process back in December so I am looking for a little support. I am home with my toddler all day every day recovering from ACL surgery so I cannot exercise and end up grazing from boredom. It is a wicked cycle. I am looking forward to getting up and out and having other things to do with my day then sitting at home staring at the kitchen!