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Goodbye Ole Friend- My Goodbye Letter to My Band



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Goodbye Ole Friend (Band),

I can't say that it has not been fun. We were started out being the best of friends. It was because of you that I went from 368 lbs to 250 lbs, you gave me a new look on life. I just knew that we had built a life long friendship and I could always count on you to get me through the tough time. You did for awhile then things started to change between us. It was as if our friendship had a time restrait on it that only lasted 4 years. Why Oh Why must you cause me so much heartache and pain. I spent a many sleepless night to afraid to fall asleep because my dinner was taking forever to digest. Let's not talk about the embarassing moments where I had to leave the dinner table several times to throw up because YOU decided that I couldn't have dinner that night. The concerned look on my husband and friends face when I returned tore me up inside because I could not imagine why this was happening to me. The more I threw up the more I found comfort in sugary sweet foods that stayed down when I really wished I could digested the grilled chicken salad with feta cheese. The only way I avoided being sick was eating sweets because they were easy to digest and that is where the numbers on the scale began to climb. I decided I refuse to let you get the best of me and decided to do Weight Watchers, the #1 diet. Not once but 3 times and could not get over the 20 lbs hump because you would not allow me to eat all my points. Money wasted! Then there was the wonder pill, Phentermine! Oh it worked at first but then I felt like I was beginning to be dependent, besides my doctor would only prescribe me 3 months. Not enough time to lose the 65lbs I had gained. After 2 years of trying to decide what is the best option for me I finally found it. Vertical Sleeve revision surgery! Even though I was quite hesitate I knew I had to do something because I could not continue to live life this way. It wasn't healthy for me and I didn't want to be sick for the rest of my life. So today I just wanted to let you know that it's time to say goodbye it's been real but I am taking a new route. I won't be needing you to restrict my food intake. Thanks for the life long lessons of what not to do. I promise you I was a good student and took good notes. See ya tomorrow, good bye forever ole friend! :D

Count down! Let's get ready to rumble! :rolleyes:

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Oh my goodness. That could have been words out of my mouth. Well said and so very true.

Good luck on your journey.

I too am revising from band to sleeve on May 10th. I am SO ready.

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Good luck today and check in when you are sleeved!

Thank you for sharing that, It is people like you, willing to share your journey that helps those that come after.

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I understand completely. I have a revision on May 23. I really thought I was alone and didn't talk about my problems with the band to anyone. My kids know when I cant eat and I often have to leave the table and I have done it for so long that I am so looking forward to the sleeve. I know I have to get this thing out one way or the other.

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This is also my life story with the band! Congrats on deciding to revise to the sleeve. I feel confident that this will be the tool that we were all looking for with the band but it didn't live up to those promises. I too will be revising on May 22nd and I can't wait! I hope you have a speedy recovery and keep us posted if you can!

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    • LeighaTR

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      · 0 replies
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    • Doughgurl

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      1. Selina333

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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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