If there are any Christians out there who are looking for special support during this time I thought we could start a thread related to this. It might help with those thoughts and doubts as to if this is the right thing we are doing or any other 'shares' that might come to mind. I could use some at this time in my walk.

Sister in Christ,

Valerie

Hi everyone. I was banded on 11/17/07. I am glad that I found a thread where we can give God praise for all that he is doing in us. I must admit that I have been pretty discouraged because I have not lost any weight since my first fill (I am beginning to wonder if the fill took) but I am going back in 10 days for another fill. Hopefully this will be what I need to lose weight again. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone!

Hi Everyone,

I love this thread!! Thanks to all of you and your encouragement!! I am new to this website and very new to this whole way of connecting with other people. But I'm really excited that there is a Christian section!

I live in Northern Minnesota and am not yet banded. I, like so many others, have been heavy most of my life and have lost and regained so many times I've lost track. I am very hopeful that the LAPband will be the tool I need to keep the weight down. I have already started dropping the weight just with the determination and excitement that I will be able to keep it below OBESE this time... I haven't been below 185 my whole adult life, so I set my goal close to that. Does anyone have any advice about how you set your weight loss goal? The RN seemed to take whatever I said, which was nice but I don't know if it's too high.

I started the process of getting ready for this huge change in Oct. 2007. (Over the summer I had talked to someone who had the gastric bypass, so I looked into it and found the LAPband option.... The other one was really scary to me.) I am now getting close to being banded! My insurance has said they approve. I've gone to the informational seminar, RN and dietitian appointments. My psych eval was completed and approved and just sent in on Friday to my doctor. I am planning on having the surgery at St. Mary's Duluth Clinic. They have team meetings on the first and the third Wed. of each month. So they should be reviewing my case in two short days. And then I should know my surgery date and have an appointment with the surgeon!!! I am very EXCITED but also scared. I think I'm pretty prepared and a lot of the random questions that I have seem to be covered somewhere in this site. Which is so cool, and feels like such a blessing.

So mainly I just wanted to introduce myself and say hi to everyone!

Hey everyone, glad to see more new people! We're growing! that's encouraging in itself. Plus, whether your goal is too much or not enough, what matters is that is where you want to be. If you reach that goal you may decide to go for more. Whatever we lose, each pound is a victory, its one more pound less you are carrying around.

Thanks so much Wombat and Mrs. Peace

God has entrusted them to us and I am so blessed to have tried to do my best.

As I sit here now, my heart fills up, but I give God all the praise and honor for his blessings. My daughter and her two girls were in a head on collision Saturday night. It was so bad that the impact of the cars threw ALL their glasses off their faces. My daughter's knee was hurt and her 5 yr old hurt her ankle, the 11 yr old was okay. Can you imagine to get a phone call from your child saying, "mom, we were just in a car wreck". I live here in TX and she lives in Louisana. I couldn't get to her, but thankfully her brother was visiting and my ex-husband lives there(and her MIL) and they took care of her. I am so thankful today for God and his mercy and his grace. She said that the car is total.

Today, I am thankful that God spared my daughter and granddaughters.

Stay focused and be blessed

Welcome "newbies", it is great to have you join us.

bzymom, glad to hear that you are feeling better. I bet it's great to have a dr that has a lapband. He has first hand experince. Do you know why you were pbing?

krsmith, don't be discouraged, was this your 1st fill? Sometimes it takes a few/more to get to where you can get some restriction. Believe me you don't want to get too tight, I've been there and it's not a good feeling.LOL Besides, my dr is not aggresive with his fills. How many wks apart do you get your fills? My dr does it every six wks.

Diamond2008, let us know when the surgery will be. I'm excited for you and we will be here to cheer you on, help and pray. Trust me, we have done the lost/regain thing too. I was not overweight as a child,but I look back on my life and realize there were situations that I ate myself to where I am now. I saw it as a way of escape. I thought people didn't care so I didn't care. Aren't we fortunate that lapband was invented as tool to help us? I personally don't set goals, but that's me. I get a little down when I don't meet them, so I just wait until they weigh me at the dr's office. :wub:

Again, happy to meet each of you.

Oh my, 2bmeagain, how wonderful that everyone is okay! I'm sure that was a very scary ordeal. I know you are so thankful that your family is ok.

Hi, just checking in. I want to at least try to check in every other day if not everyday. The encouragement that comes from you guys is just amazing. My week-end wasn't so bad a few wrong food choices but doing a lot better. Put on a size 20 dress for church and got a lot of positive comments (down from a size 26). Thank God the race is not given to the swift or the strong but the one who endureth to the end. And I plan on enduring. Thanks for instruction on adding the ticker, I will have to try it.

Thanks Candy. God is so good. We are not deserving, but I thank him that he can see what we are going to be ,rather than what we are now.

Patti-cake, you had company this weekend, I made some bad choices, but I'm back on schedule today. I took off last week (exercise) and I started back this morning (5:00) 1 mile and two miles at work. Doesn't it feel good to put on that smaller size? :biggrin2: I just love to put on those things that I couldn't wear last winter and find out that they are too big. Yes, thank God that's its not to the swift or strong, cause I don't jog that fast. LOL:biggrin:

Hello all! I can't believe I found my way back to this forum. LOL

I'm feeling sooooo much better! I can actually eat again and today my kids and I went for a walk. I do get tired easily but other than that I'm feeling better. My second mini goal is for the bruises on my tummy to go away. I don't like seeing them at all.

I found out today that my first fill will be March 3rd. Pretty amazing!

Have a wonderful week!

Hi, all! Wow! I don't login for a few days and so much happens. :ohmy: It took awhile to catch up on the thread. I've read about those who have been overwhelmed at work, car accidents, new grandbabies, and newbies to this site. Welcome to all the new people and praise God for his strength in helping us through the trials of our lives. He is SOOOOO Wonderful! :biggrin:

I am happy to report that I now have a surgery date! Pre-op is March 7 and I will be banded on March 17. This date couldn't have worked out better for me if I could have picked the date myself. It is the first day of spring break (I work for a school). I think I mentioned in my initial thread that doors just opened up easily for me on this. Once again, the door swung wide-open the the best possible date. Isn't God incredibe! I'm more excited than anything else.

Blessings to you all this week.

4giveN, what can I say except God is so faithful. When we look back at the times we stressed about things, he kept saying, give it to me, I'll work it out. He has certainly shown himself as a God of truth, which we never doubted, we just wanted NOW. See how he worked that out, you won't have to take days off from work. Ump, ump, how wonderful he is. I'm too happy for you.

I am going to stand up from my desk and do a "happy dance" for you.:thumbup:LOL

Keep us posted.

bzymom, glad to hear that you are feeling better. One day at a time, okay.

My fill will be March 3rd, too. Let me know how things go.

I'm thankful today for God's guidance. Ps. 23rd.

Stay focused and be blessed.

2bmeagain,

THANK YOU! That is so cool that you would get so excited for me! How awesome!

:cursing:

Hope everyone is doing well today. I don't know about where you all live, but it is still pretty cold here in Kansas. :tongue: Looks like the rest of the week will stay that way. I'll sure be happy when spring decides to make her appearance. Stay warm!

:cursing:I am new to this thread, and am so glad I found a Christian thread!!!!!!! My DH just decided that I could have the lapband done, praise God!!!!!!! I am trusting Him that everything will be ok! I'm a winner either way, if I go or if I stay! I am in the middle of having all my preop stuff done, not too much to do, just an EKG, blood work (my preference), and a sleep study! I am excited that this will work for me, and even my DH (who was so against it), is thinking about it now. He wants to see what happens to me first. I leave it all in the Lord's hands, and I hope to make some Christian friends while I am here! I have been a Christian for 9 years now, and am working my way to heaven more and more everyday! Hope to hear from y'all soon! Love and prayers-Until Jesus Comes--Karen

Hi all,

I am a newbie also. I am so glad that I found this thread. It seems to be very encouraging. I have been praying for years that my insurance would cover my surgery and would'nt you know that after prayer it finally came true! I managed to jump through the hoops of requirements and I was approved for surgery literally overnight! What an answer to prayer. I was banded Dec. 28th 2007. I felt totally unprepaired and everything was happening so fast. After 6weeks I had a 37 lb. weight loss. Now I am stuck and don't want to get discouraged. I have only had 1 fill. I am supposed to have another fill this friday. I really don't want to have it done. My first fill did not go so well I had chest pains for 2 days. The fluids passed well, but I felt like my stomach was in the lower part of my throat. I pray that it will go better next time. I am just very thankful that the Lord made all of this possible. And thankful that there are other christians to hear from. Many blessings to you all.

:biggrin2:I added a new ticker, and my pic supposedly. I am on my way to being a loser!