Hey all.

So there's a bunch of us in this group, all split up into our different banding days. I was thinking that it might be a good idea to have one master thread as we move through the month, in which all of us could post as we go, from the pioneers going on March 1st to the finalists on March 31st.

I'd love to talk about our anticipation and any worries as we approach our banding date, for people to talk about exactly what happened from the moment they walked into the hospital door until the second they walked out, about how recovery is going, about weight loss and plateaus, about non-scale victories and challenges.

I was thinking that if we all contribute to one thread, it'll form a more substantial channel for information and support. At the moment, I was thinking that we might be too spread out into individual date, and that a central thread would be a really good backbone for the group, in addition to the date-specific threads.

What do you think?

Fenton

Okay Scrappy Friend -- so we aren't perfect at this but we weren't before WLS so did we have this nirvana idea in our head because we lost weight so fast that we would not fail? This is so helpful tracking the Long Term Progress over Time for Lapband versus RNY and I now understand even more so how those folks if they got off track, could gain all their weight back if they stretched their pouch out and were not one who had dumping from sweets. I am understanding more and more everyday what a Lifetime commitment really means. Maybe those of you who have been married a long time can appreciate more than me who is single,never married, that when you made a lifetime commitment to your spouse, you never thought there would be those hard days. Some make it for the long haul by just keep working at it, appreciating how far they have come, others, keep looking for the initial rush or feeling of happiness that may be hard to keep duplicating every day.

I have so much respect now for my bariatric nurse coordinator who has kept her weight off for something like 7+ years with RNY.

Stay warm to all. We are due to get hit again in Ohio with more significant snow again. Not sure where they will pile it up when they plow it, there are piles in parking lots that are something like 8 feet high, I've got some piles easy coming close to 3-4 feet high at my house.

Spring, please come soon!

I think it would be a blessing if sweets made me sick. They seem to slide down so nice.

It is snowing here too. Right now our drive ways is like a tunnel coming home. I think I have shoveled the same snow 3 times already trying to move it back more. The one day I had a 10 foot wall of snow and hubby thought he was gonna help and push it over the hill with his truck, instead it went right back into the driveway. The only good part is I know it is great exercise.

I thought about what you said about marriage and the good and the bad and sticking it out. If I can be married for the same man for over 27 years and still have a fairly decent marriage I guess I can put up with the good and bad of lapband and keep making it work. The trick is keep working at it and don't give up. Ever!

Way to go Scrappy on your 27 years of marriage!

I had my first PS consult today for Breast Reduction and Brachioplasty. She has my PCP and my WLS surgeon's recommendations, had the Mammograms already to review and said she can take the breast rash pictures I just took over the winter and submit those too. She said it can take up to a month for an insurance approval. Wish me luck.

I am still going to go to the 2nd PS consult just to be able to compare and have a 2nd opinion but I liked her pretty well. If after talking to the 2nd one I like the first one best, we'll just let her slog on through the insurance stuff.

It was a little shocking seeing what the arms may cost to get done even if its combined with the BR. There is still an incremental hospital fee, incremental anesthesia fee, plus her surgeon's fee and that is about $5K so I'll have to give it some thought on whether I want to finance any of that.

Good morning Shamrocks. It has been a little quiet on here lately. Is everyone doing okay? I had a maintain this week but I know what my pluses and minuses were this week so I'm okay with that. Keep on keeping on!

It has been quiet on here. Hopefully it is because we are all busy,, just notkeeping in touch.

Snow here has been wicked. still looking at the white stuff and posibility of more.

Struggling to lose last 10-15#..HELP

I'm stuck on the last ten as well.....up one, down one, up one, down one....I guess there are worse places to be stuck than where I am.....I'm pretty content....I just would like to be in the 140's for ONCE in my adult life!

Just battling the winter/February blahs here....I'm so ready for Spring. Just so tired of everything being gray, I crave COLOR!

I did it, i did it, i did it!

100 pounds gone!!!!!!!

God, does that feel good.....i was so happy to see that number on the scale today!

Yea Harley! Welcome to the Century Club!

Thats great harley!

Hey, all. The Sinner returns to the fold!

Good to see how well you guys are doing, wish I could say that I was doing as well. I've managed to slide back to my start weight (almost) after a year of terrible eating. The trigger was a disastrous relationship, but it really doesn't matter - I'd been going without full restriction, just trying to tough it out as a matter of pride. Then, when I started giving in to my old habits, I avoided going to get the fill that would bring me to restriction.

So over the year, I've put back on almost 100 pounds (something of an achievement!), and as you know, with the increase in weight comes the gradual loss of energy, and a decrease in activity, and a faster increase in weight, etc etc etc. So, yeah, almost back to my start weight.

At one level it's incredibly frustrating and sad - well, at all levels it's that - but it's also meant that I'm now so exhausted and out of shape that I had no choice but to go in and get an adjustment.

I have no choice but to get back on track, so here I am.

That said, you guys are effectively graduates of the program - you're doing well, out living your much trimmer lives, and won't be posting so often in here. I'll keep checking in with the Shamrocks, but I'm also thinking of joining one of the 2010 groups under a new pseudonym, just to get the energy and enthusiasm and support of what will probably be a busier forum. No disrespect to the originals! You will always be my Sisters and Brothers of the Band!

I must say, I'm really pleased and proud of how well you've all done. Now you can be my role models!

xo

Fenton

It's good to hear from you, Jonathan. I've wondered how you were doing. Sorry things have been stressful, I understand that. I was very pleased that my band didn't allow me to resort to old habits when I went through my divorce. I believe I mentioned it before, but in times of stress my band becomes a sphincter and I'm lucky to get much of anything through it, so it makes stress eating impossible.

Do whatever you need to do to get the support you need and make your band work for you. The planet is a better place with you on it, get yourself healthy!

Y'know, I wonder how things would have gone if I'd had real restriction before things got difficult.

Nice to see you here, Harley - and to see how well you're doing!

Fenton - welcome back to the fold. We've all had ups and downs in the 2 years but the best of all is to just get back up and dust yourself off.

Hearing that a relationship can get us eating again is part of my past. I'd lose 100 lbs to be pretty or thinner for a guy I liked and then I'd find out that wasn't the right thing and I'd eat my way back up again. Hope I never do it again.

I'm losing slowly now but going in the right direction. I am trying to get to my -130 lb milestone this week and maybe -135 by my 2 year bandiversary on St. Patrick's Day.

I occasionally post over here on the 200 lbs to lose thread because I have a lot longer journey than some of my original Shamrock friends. Consider that one.

200 Lbs+ - LAP-BAND

That's fantastic - what great numbers!