Reflections on the Second Anniversary

I am grateful and happy that I made the decision to be banded 2 years ago. I am not as grateful and happy as I should be, though, as my wife and daughters are quick to point out. If they are correct I would not be here writing this now but more likely dead or in a worse place than I was both mentally and physically. I, like many, tend to lock the bad up in a closet somewhere and only visit it when it suits me. I also tend to be 20% grateful for what I have and 80% jealous of what I don’t. When people congratulate me for the weight I have lost my tendency is, and always has been, to reply that yea, it’s a start, instead of acknowledging that I have indeed done a good thing. Well you know what? I have done a very good thing, for both myself and my family and by extension possibly for all mankind as well J. I have gone from a 360 Lb depressed type 2 diabetic with bad knees, severe sleep apnea and a ton of other related physical problems, to a current 219 Lb never satisfied but relatively healthy specimen. Hey, life aint perfect fer nobody. I no longer exhibit any symptoms of diabetes and I was injecting insulin and taking a cabinet full of meds before. Diabetes does not disappear but I am free of all medications and symptoms. Many, in fact most, of the physical problems I have endured throughout my life have either disappeared or at least become much more manageable. For me one of the most important changes is in the way I feel when I enter a room full of people. I no longer feel like I stick out like a sore thumb and with that feeling gone I can concentrate on the reason I entered the room in the first place, whatever that may have been. For each of us the changes are different but still have a series of common threads. Physical activity is greatly enhanced, self esteem is elevated and life is still not a bowl of cherries. I include the last because I think it is important to remember that this is not a magic bullet but rather a tool. A fantastic tool that can accomplish many wonderful things if it is used correctly, grasshopper. Good tools by themselves can not build a good house. It takes a good carpenter to wield them. I’ll drop the analogies here since they can go on forever and the rest is fairly obvious.

I had been heavy since birth and like most participated in just about every diet and weight loss program known to man. I even had a limited 2 year success where I went from 305 to 173 and held it for 2 years but the crash and rebound that followed was even more devastating. Skip ahead another 20 years and I find myself at 354 Lbs in poor health and depression. I attended a mini class reunion of my University wherein was reacquainted with an old classmate who lives in Mexico City. I went to a rather unique school where most of the students and teachers were from latin countries and we were all bilingual. He took one look at me and told me about a procedure his wife had had in Mexico where they placed a gastric band and he told me of her amazing results. I was, of course, quite skeptical but a month or so later I began my own research. When I decided that was the procedure I wanted I tried to find a way to get it done in the US but without insurance it was a losing battle. Even with insurance it is still not as easy as it should be. Since I was going to have to pay for it myself my research led pretty quickly to Mexico. Even though I am no Stranger to Mexico or other latin countries I still did almost a year of research and anguish before I made the decision. I had narrowed it down to two doctors and situations in Mexico. It turned out that the Patient Coordinator, or whatever you wish to call them, that I had been in the most contact with had actually represented both before. She helped me make the decision based on my specific concerns. The rest, as they say, is history. I ultimately chose Dr Alberto Aceves. I have since come to know this man as both a great surgeon, source of sage medical advise and a good friend. This is not intended to be a commercial for Dr Aceves but rather a reflection on my journey to date so I’ll try not to mention his unbelievable care and skill again in this treatise J

I lost the first 100 Lbs fairly quickly and easily. At least I considered it easy. I kept detiled and exact records of everything I ate broken down by Calories, Fat, Carbs and Protein. I also kept exact records of exercise. Weigh loss without exercise is possible but I liken it to racing a car without oil. It will still run but not anywhere near its potential and it will still burn out too early. I think one of the reasons it was “easy” is that I was obsessed with it. Listen to anyone that is about to be banded or during the first 6 months and you will see an enthusiasm that is seldom matched. In my case reality set in at about a year. I had plateaued and to a large degree still am. Here, however, is the real lesson. The band is the tool that buys me time to learn new habits. I developed habits over a lifetime that led to the bad conditions described above. It is not realistic to expect that I can develop a whole new set in the course of a year or even 2. It is no longer about get thin quick but rather about getting healthier and developing a different lifestyle that results in different behaviors and values. That, my friends, takes time. I am, in fact, writing this to remind myself of that as well as to remind myself that it is necessary to pay this forward in order to keep it fresh and exciting. I still make bad choices. I still beat myself up. I still wish I had the fortitude to stick with it 100% and effect all the changes I think are possible. BUT I have begun to learn to temper that with the reality that I have already begun those changes and that time alone will tell the tale.

I realize this is a long re-introduction and I assume that if you have read this far you either still do not have a life or you are truly interested. If I can be of any help to you as you do your research or as support for someone who is also walking this path, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Hi Craig, and welcome. Yep, I read your whole post, because I am always interested in hearing a fellow bandster's experiences.

Wow, you have lost an amazing amount of weight! I agree with your wife and daughters, you have so much to be thankful for. Just the health benefits you have derived alone are wonderful.

I think we all go through ups and downs with the band. It is a constant learning process, and a battle to fight those old habits that keep rearing their ugly heads. I am currently on an "up" time with my band and hope to stay there for awhile.

Thank you for sharing your journey thus far with us, we look forward to getting to know you better.

hey and welcme bak..i hope that ur 2 year experience has been positve i know that u hav had ur ups and downs but omg ur weight loss is amazing, and a pat on the bak to u.. i hope u continue to lose and get to ur goal if ur not already close..

i always think there are ppl out there not so lucky to get this tool and all of us should thank the ground we walk on we've had the chance to experience a life changing tool..

ccar50,

So glad you decided to post. I have a real bad habbit of over looking my

accomplishments. If someone says wow you have lost a lot of weight! My reply is well I still need to loose 50 more pounds. What the hell why can't I just say thank you? My self esteem has been low for so long it is hard to be happy for myself. Good point that not only do most of us need to learn new eating habbits, but also new ways of thinking and feeling about ourselves. For me the old negative stinking thinking always gets me in trouble. I used to think it was easier to just play the same old tape over and over rather than change. I now realize how much energy I did and sometimes still do put into working against myself. Hope to hear from you again.

JP

Happy Anniversary. Nice story. = ) Not banded yet. However, I will be in a few weeks.

Good luck with the remaining pounds. Have you ever tried accupuncture?

Thanks for that amazing post!

I am ALWAYS interested in a fellow bandsters journey!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for posting your story. I read the whole thing and it was encouragment for me. I am due to be banded on Feb 26th and reading your story gives me hope

I thank you for your post. I think it was the most realistic one i have read. I am currently waitng for my surgery date. I know this is not going to be a easy journey, not nothing worth it is. My life and health is worth it all! Thank you again very encouraging!

thank you Craig,

Your story was touching, thank you again for sharing.

Lana

I was happy to find your posting. I have not been banded, but I am on the beginning of my journey.

My questions are about living with the band. I have been to one seminar and my consult is next week. I know that there is a pre-op and post-op diet, and that when that is over you have to eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and learn to recognize when your body is becoming full. Eat small portions, protien first, etc. What are the things you have to live without? What do you believe are the biggest sacrafices that you have made?

Everyone seems so fired up, I want to see the whole picture.

Thanks!

Jayme:

What are the things I have to live without? I kknow how korny it is going to sound but the reality is that the things I gave up are.... Diabetes, Apnea, Swollen legs, shorter and more painfull life span.. The list goes on. I am not thankfull enough for it but thats the real truth. I gave up worrying about food all the time, where am I going to eat next and what am I going to eat. I still love food. I gave up worrying how peopole are going to react when they see me and wheter or not they were staring at me when I was eating. I know its a lot to give up :-) but hey...

Really the only thing I gave up is the ability to overeat certain foods. The only down side I experience very frequently is pb'ing, sliming, or the more common word, vomiting. It is not as gross as it sounds and does not bother me all that much. It can be embarrasing at times. It is really my own fault. I am still not very good at listening to by band and stopping when I know I should. I'm getting better but still not there. There have been a few public incidents recently that are embarrasing but not devestating. Its hard to explain but pbing or sliming is NOT as bad as true vommiting. My daughter, on the other hand, who is also banded, would rather jump off a tall building than have an incident of pbing, let alone in public. Ok Ive strayed off the main subject. There really is so little down side to my banded experience that it is hard not to be overly enthusiastic. One thing to remember is that you will get out of the experience what you are willing to put in. Excersise is a necessary component for most people to acheive all the results they can. I realize some people really can;t but the great majority of us can and those that do reap an even greater benefit.

In closing, ladies and gentelmen, the down side would be that there are some complications, as with any proceedure, but the benfits SOOO outweigh the risks that it is hard to imagine why anyone would not accept them. Good luck on your journey and if I can help in nay way please dont hesitate to contact me

Craig

Craig! Thank you so much for sharing! You have articulated your journey so well and I feel even more sure about my decision to be banded on March 12th. I'm so positive this is what will work for me and I can actually see myself loosing the weight. This is a big deal for me because I had become so jaded and lost because I had so much to loose and I had lost hope of ever truly being able to loose all the weight... it was so overwhelming. But, I believe this is going to work and I am going to work with it... I think of it as gaining a constant companion who I need to care for and let it help me as well. When I hear from people such as yourself who have been successful, it gives me chills and makes me weep just a bit... but they're tears of realization that it can happen.

You deserve a big round of applause! You did do it! if my calculations are correct, you've lost 140 lbs, that is remarkable. I think it must take time to let it all sink in... the success I mean. And it sounds as if now you can truly see how grateful you are and let yourself be happy. Congratulations!

Thank you, once again, for sharing and thank you for convincing me that this is real and we can really win the battle!

Sheri

Such an informative post!

I am concerned about the "compliments" after weight loss--I want to say, "I've ALWAYS been beautiful!" (haha--but it hurts that I am not accepted just the way I am).

AND--what is pb'ing?

Excellent post, thank you very much for sharing and for offering to answer questions and assist others. I am always interested in the stories of those who have been living with their band for a few years. Congratulations on your success and best wishes for the future.

JB, PBing is productive burping... FYI :rolleyes2:

Have you lost all of that weight since January 8th?????