Hello and good morning my friends. Welcome to Banders #7. So, I guess I'll start it off by saying how grateful I am today and every day for the new lease on life that I have. I walked to the office today from the train station. That was something I couldn't do before the surgery. I always say how light I feel and I realized it's not a state of mind, but a physical reality. We are weighed down by the excess weight and all that goes with it. When we don't rumble and jumble as we walk, our steps are lighter. I was listening to my ipod and started to dance a little as I was walking. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, but who cares? When one is thin, even looking ridiculous seems OK.

I am grateful for my for my beautiful grandson who I was able to tuck into my lap last Saturday morning so we could play while Mommy and Daddy got to sleep in a bit. I'm grateful that I fit anywhere and everywhere. No more worrying if I will break a chair, or be able to navigate a booth at the restaurant, or walk down a narrow aisle without having to suck it all in just to get past someone/something.

I'm grateful for my health. I take alot of pills, but many of them are supplements and not prescription for chronic ailments. I'm grateful that I can walk again...that I can swim, bike, climb, and yes....enjoy sex. I am surprised at how flexible I can be now that I'm thin.

I'm grateful that I earn enough money that I can indulge my new found love of shopping. I really think I'm one of the best dressed ladies in the office these days...and I know I've upped the game for others. I am definitely seeing more dresses than I did a year ago.

I'm grateful to Alex for having this site available...and I'm grateful to all the folks on it who are part of my success. I know I would not have been as successful as I have been if not for all of you. I talk about things here that I don't talk to anyone else about. You all know the struggles of being fat, and immobile, and feeling like a failure regardless of what we've accomplished..and I know now how much we 'hidden' people have accomplished. It's helping me to not turn that self hatred towards others still struggling with obesity. It also reminds me that I will always struggle with obesity. Under this thin person still lurks the fat girl. She is the one who whispers in my ear all the time that I'm not worthy of the good things out there and I should just order a pizza and eat the whole thing. She and I clash daily and it's why I still go every Tuesday to the therapist who listens and helps me to navigate this new world I inhabit.

Well...I think I've posted enough for today. Feel free to comment on the above, or share your stories, or say hi, or just lurk. Enjoy your day today...enjoy the upcoming holiday, and looking forward to a wonderfully robust Banders #7 thread.

Liz

Sorry to hear that lisacaron.

It is very difficult yet honorable to help parents.

And the difficulties with your band probably just add to the stress!

I've given some thought to what my fall back would be if my band fails.....

The newest endoscopic sleeve(done through the mouth/ throat/). Looks promising.... a bit less money and down time than laparoscopically...

it is still new so of course I don't have any long term results to look at.

But at one point the band was fairly new too. I guess we do the best we can with what we got.

Best to you. Please keep posting. I miss your banter !

37 minutes ago, Julie norton said:

Sorry to hear that lisacaron.

It is very difficult yet honorable to help parents.

And the difficulties with your band probably just add to the stress!

I've given some thought to what my fall back would be if my band fails.....

The newest endoscopic sleeve(done through the mouth/ throat/). Looks promising.... a bit less money and down time than laparoscopically...

it is still new so of course I don't have any long term results to look at.

But at one point the band was fairly new too. I guess we do the best we can with what we got.

Best to you. Please keep posting. I miss your banter !

Thanks Julie!!

It feels so much like a thankless task taking care of the parents but I can also say being one as the mother of 5 can also be one. Hubby and I are that JAM generation stuck in the middle between the aging parents and the Peter Pan kids we have. You know 30 acting like 10 and never want to grow up

Sadly having surgery might be a bit of a holiday for me...cause I really need the down time to refresh my mind. Physically I know it's more stress but I hope to be able to take it easy at least for a few weeks.

While I'm at home I'm going to do some research, I really would like to be able to lose the weight I haven't been able to...I just am afraid to fall into that "failure" percentage again. I know that's negative thinking so I will stop that and focus on doing some research to see what happens after this heals up and insurance clears me again.

They are not touching my plication so at least I will still have that advantage to work with.

Damn. I see your posts on FB and I presumed you were having a tough time. Wish I could do something for ya kiddo. We'll be at the ballgame tomorrow night if you feel like heading to Queens.

Listen...I've been having a tough time as well. Corey and I are great but work is super stressful and I've gained 20 lbs. over the last 18 months or so. I keep saying today is a new day but I find myself dicking around and not losing those ten pounds, oops no...15 lbs. Oh wait....now it's 20 lbs. I had to get new clothes...many of my old clothes are too tight. I swore I'd never let that happen again and yet it has.

So for what it's worth, here's what I think you should do. Investigate other WLS options and give yourself a year to decide if you want to move forward with any of them or not. That will give you the time to see if you can do this without surgery or if you need another intervention.

Let me know about tomorrow night...

So happy to see veterans here. Up. Down. Confused.

All of us at one point I think

I am thankful for the comoderie I find here. Thank you ladies!

And since I posted a happy , 10 years post op pic, I thought I would share a glimpse of my old self. Who I do not want to revisit , I remind myself .

I was kinda happy. But very unhealthy and that was 15 years ago.

Life is better in many ways. Widowhood is not what I wanted. Such is life

Lisa I'm so sorry. What an ordeal.

If it were me I'd revise. Not sure whether sleeve or rny but like Liz said, take time to decide.

Thank you Liz. Some weeks and months are better than others.
I get asked out occasionally. All kinds... from an ex mayor/ Atty. To the bag boy at Safeway who I think cuts his own hair and was trying to give me 1/2 off on a sandwich
Sigh... no one compares to my wonderful late husband ... maybe someday

[emoji23]. I am dying laughing about the guy who looks like he cuts his own hair...lol.

Julie...wow. I don't even recognize you. My pictures are the same. I'm not recognizable to the obese woman I was before the WLS. So...I went to my lapband doctor on Friday and she gave me a fill as I've gained 20 lbs. in the last 12 months. I will go back in six weeks to see if I need an additional fill. As we all know, the honeymoon period is long over and now it's just slogging through each and every day. But now we all can see for sure that whatever surgery we have, it's no guarantee we will keep the weight off permanently. Vigilance always.

I'm in Punta Cana with my daughters for five days. Bare legs, bare arms, and so happy. I haven't felt this "normal" in decades. These pics really represent a milestone in how I see myself. I even uploaded them to Match.com.

This place is heaven on earth. Only downside is the weight I'm sure I'm gaining this week. I'll have to be extra vigilant when I get home.

Very nice JWM. I do hope you showed your face on Match though...hahaha!!

seriously though...it's all about being normal. I've gained 20 lbs. as you know and while I am not happy with that and am looking to get back to fighting weight, I am still normal and that's the most important thing.

Enjoy your trip and time with the girls.

1 hour ago, JustWatchMe said:

I'm in Punta Cana with my daughters for five days. Bare legs, bare arms, and so happy. I haven't felt this "normal" in decades. These pics really represent a milestone in how I see myself. I even uploaded them to Match.com.

This place is heaven on earth. Only downside is the weight I'm sure I'm gaining this week. I'll have to be extra vigilant when I get home.

Wow Punta Cana ! So beautiful ? I went last year and I was unable to control myself so many different delicious food everywhere, take the ride to isla saona is out of this world you are able to do swimming in almost the middle of the ocean in a natural pool ? Priceless, enjoy with your girls!

It's also the first time in over three years I've not worn a body shaper every day. Just too hot here. I may not go back to wearing them.

Oh yes showing your face probably really helps when trying to find a match You look amazing! I'm hoping that once I get through this surgery, I'll be able to eat better and actually focus on my health and healing once and for all.

I'm still not sure what revision is the best...everyone is pushing the sleeve, but you know if your going to have to do it again I would want to do what's best for me not just what's "popular"because I can see how that doesn't work for everyone just like for me the band was not the winning tool. My body is rejecting it.

With all the technology and tools out there I would think that there would be a way to gather the metrics on a person and determine the type of surgery that would work for that individual over another just because it's less invasive, or less maintenance, or more popular or cost efficient than another which might be the actual golden ticket to help the patient reach their ultimate health goals.

I have to go through all the medical testing to check my breathing and heart and all that stuff again...including my "mental" state...but how about diagnosing the reason for my obesity and why the band was a failure no matter how little, how much, or what foods I ate didn't eat or threw up?

Lisa...gonna be at Citifield tonight. If you and Ken are going, let me know and we can talk a bit, yes?

16 minutes ago, gowalking said:

Lisa...gonna be at Citifield tonight. If you and Ken are going, let me know and we can talk a bit, yes?

Hi Liz,

Ken is working tonight and Sunday. I probably won't be out near the city until the end of August we have tickets for the Lady Gaga concert at Citifield.

Have a great time, and stay cool!!

Well.. I'm wondering about Liz starting Banders #8......