I am scheduled for May

[Perky66 1]

I am starting mine on the 30th of April, so pretty soon. My Dr suggests 2 full weeks. Not looking forward to it but am willing to do what it takes at this point....

[amsderb 1]

:thumbup:OMG...I just e-mailed my cousin about my banding coming up because she is coming to town the same week:redface:

So, I was very short and positive about it etc...so she mailed me back with her concern that it could be wonderful but that she had heard of many people using alcohol as a substitute for food when emotionally eating... so I wrote this back..:thumbup:

I wanted to know if this sounds like I am in denial or if it makes sense???

I thought is was pretty concise...do any of you relate to this? Please let me know because I'm just thinking that surely I'm not the only one that feel this way???

Thank you for your concern and support! In one of my support classes they did talk about transfer addictions.

I am never going to say never...but I truely do not think that this will be an issue for me...coming from the very alcohol environment that I have...if I was going to drink to cope it would have happened by now!!! As an adult....well even as a teen and young adult....I have always been a very occasional to light drinker...mostly having a glass or two with my family at holidays. I have dealt with MANY situations, like divorced twice etc..., and never needed a "drink" or even food to cope. It is hard to say if food is really a comfort to me because I have had such a terrible time since High School with trying to control my weight. I do feel that it had more to do with my PCOS which we never knew I had until about 3 years ago....

Yes, I do LOVE good food and sweets have always been a downfall...raised with too much good stuff...then married to a gourmet chef....etc.... and a family whose entire world revolves around "happy hour" and three square meals a day....I know I can eat!!! But when I am sad or mad do I turn to food? I just can't say that has been the cause of my obesity...Have I always taken care of myself...no...Have I always made healthy food choices...NO....equally, have I always made being active and exercising a priority...NO...work was the priority in my life...convience...and at times on a tight budget...cheap carbo food. So I truely feel that my current situation has been a combination of genetics,lifestyle, poor choices even at times uneducated ones (we know so much more about carbohydrates and their negative affects especially with insulin intolerance like I have had...and the importance of balancing a Protein rich diet) and the simple fact that some people can live the type of life style I did without the same result of weight. I also will say very loudly...SOMETIMES I JUST SIMPLY GAVE UP TRYING BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A VICIOUS CYCLE..LOOSE...GAIN FASTER AND MORE ETC...

As you can see, I have been working on identifying all of this. The program I am with has a ton of education and psych eval etc...it was a requirement of my insurance too.

By the way, before I even knew I would be making this decision...I had gotten remotivated in the fall..after not bleeding my months away...and I joined an exercise / diet program which is only going to continue to compliment my procedure....I joined December 4th and since then have lost @25 lbs (it goes slow) and 35 inches!!! Of course, my docs are happy and it will make this new transition so much easier because as far as behavior modification goes...I've been practicing since then....

So, dear cousin, I know that was a mouth full...please know I do appreciate the support...the funny thing about me as a "fat" person is it never really stopped me from being me....I will still be the same person...It is just that now I will have even more energy and desire to get more out of life...in a sense my expectations of fun will increase...and my health will be better for it. Honestly, I had to get that damn uterus out of there so that I could get back to life...it has been a journey since last June and now the journey will continue with a better tool to fool my body...and mind a bit !

[Seattlelight 0]

Hi Shelley - With the exception of the Gourmet Chef Husband... we could be twins! :biggrin2: My weight gain started in my teens, I was 5'6 and 140-160. Then in college.. another 50 or so pounds. Finally I decided to get into shape and join the Army. Which I did great and my low was 123lbs. When I got out, I went right back to my old bad eating habits. I only knew two food groups.. Fast-Food and Happy-Hour! I also have very bad genetics. Everyone in my family, at one point or another, has been 75lbs overweight or more. I'm talking Aunts, Uncles, Cousins.. everyone! I was raised with my Mommas down-home-country cooking so of course those are the foods that I crave. I use to never eat Breakfast, had fast-food for lunch and a big ol' comfort dinner with all the fixin's. :biggrin: I didn't need to snack in between because I always had that over-stuffed feeling, or right on the verge of.. :drool:. Finally, as I've aged and moved away from Momma :sad:, I eat much smaller meals. My heaviest was 340lbs, I'm now 280. But it's too late, the damage has been done. I have high blood pressure, sleep apnea, a hiatal hernia, and had reconstructive surgery on my left foot/ankle because my weight was forcing my ankle to turn inward. So, if I don't loose weight.. I'll be having surgery on my right foot/ankle, and my last recovery took over a year! So, weight lose surgery is not an option for me.. it will keep me on my feet and save my life!! :smile:

Thanks for letting me share my story! Tina

[Di4AU 1]

I finally know where I"m supposed to be! May Flowers! I have a surgery date of May 22, in Birmingham, AL. I'm very excited and ready to get going.

[amsderb 1]

:biggrin:

Thanks for letting me share my story! Tina

Yours and my highest weights are alike! I also was down to 123 at 1 point in my adult life! I thought back then since my dad was military...why didn't I join the army then I would have to stay in shape....but I never did...considering I'm a teacher...I also wondered if I should have been a PE teacher so that I didn't sit so much!!!

I'm sorry about your foot surgery...but hopefully this will save the other foot or at least make recovery easier if needed?

Good luck to you and stay in touch!:biggrin2: Shelley

[amsderb 1]

Welcome Di4AU!!!! Lets Go Mayflowers!!!

[miles2empty 0]

One month until surgery date. Just dawned on me, although I've been up for more than a few hours at this point. Next appointment is May 5th, and then May 12th and then I'm in the home stretch. Oh my gosh Maysters, I am too excited for words!!!!

Jaime

[angelic_1 0]

I am two weeks until surgery!!!

I am SOOOO excited, but also a little nervous. What if I still can't lose the weight? What a total failure I am if I have surgery and still end up fat?!?

I finally told my thin sister. I was very nervous to tell her about it because I thought that she would be like, "just use willpower". She has made comments like that in the past... She was very supportive of my decision.

Anyway, I am excited, but a little anxious, too. Don't get me wrong- not anxious enough to think that I am making a mistake. I know that I need to do this while I am still young (BTW, 35 is still young! ) and in relative good health.

[Allison 2]

Thanks for the good wishes three sixty six, yeah that thing sucked but at least its all over ( i hope lol ) angelic 1, I recently tried telling my thin sister about all this, she just gave me the death eye and didn't say anything, I had to say, isn't that exciting? Just to try to get something out of her, she just said, "no, thats f**king stupid, just do it yourself, your so f**king lazy." Awesome.

I didn't even try to reason with her, I just shut up and sat there on my laptop, she hasn't mentioned anything since so whatever. I mean, shes in highschool and all highschool girls are BIG BITCHES! lol, so screw her! I'm getting so excited now that I'm just waiting for my surgeon to call and schedual an appointment where he will give me my date hopefully! As of right now I have 3 supporters, my mom, (shes finally totally supportive) and two close friends.

[marineliebe 2]

I am two weeks until surgery!!!

I am SOOOO excited, but also a little nervous. What if I still can't lose the weight? What a total failure I am if I have surgery and still end up fat?!?

I finally told my thin sister. I was very nervous to tell her about it because I thought that she would be like, "just use willpower". She has made comments like that in the past... She was very supportive of my decision.

Anyway, I am excited, but a little anxious, too. Don't get me wrong- not anxious enough to think that I am making a mistake. I know that I need to do this while I am still young (BTW, 35 is still young! :glare:) and in relative good health.

angelic 1,

i totally understand how you feel, i have been feeling the same way! i'm afraid that i still won't be able to lose, that i'm going to fail, that i will have spent all this money (i'm self pay) and will still be fat. or that my band will slip or somthing a few months down the road.

and just like you said, i'm not so scared that i don't want to do this...or think that i'm making a mistake...i'm just worried, what if i'm the one who it doesn't work for.

[LaMonica 6]

Hi guys....I introduced myself in the intro thread but wanted to stop by here!! I'm LaMonica, just got my surgery date of May 23rd.....I'm 24 and live in McKinney TX. Gonna be banded by Dr. Felts

How do I make a banner with my pic?? Good luck to all of us!!

[Allison 2]

Hey marineliebe, I bet we are all feeling like this, I know I am! I think especially since I have NEVER been thin, I feel like maybe I'm supposed to be like this! I mean, I've done everything, and nothing has worked! There have been a few pounds lost here and there, but I have simply never been a normal or healthy weight. Its so strange to think that if this really does work for me, I shold be at a weight that I haven't seen since probably 5th grade!! I think it might be a little different for people that were thin when they were young and now that they are older have gained weight. Its so strange to think of me being thin, (will I look 10 again? lol) which is why I'm so afraid that this, along with everyone else, won't work.

[SkiGirlDenver 2]

Hello May Bander's --

I just got my surgery date -- yeah -- its May 23rd -- Friday of Memorial Day Weekend -- that way no one at work needs to know. I totally can empathize with how everyone is feeling -- I am terrified that this won't work for me and that I won't lose any weight and will feel like a complete failure. But here is how I am trying to think about it -- I KNOW if I don't do it, I won't lose any weight and am pretty sure a year from now I will be the same or heavier -- so that is probably the worst outcome. Chances are it will work and if it doesn't then I am no worse off. (OK maybe a little worse off but I am trying to be an optimist :blushing:). My doctors is being really good -- trying to set realistic expectations for 30-40lbs in the first year -- at first that sounded so SLOW i was disappointed but then I thought -- hey it took me 10 years to get this big if it takes a few years to get it off so be it -- maybe that will mean my skin will snap back. Good luck fellow Mayster's and I hope we can all stick together and support each other through this crazy journey we are about to embark on.

[Maitai 0]

Hello Everybody,

I would also like to join the May bandsters. My surgery date is for May 12th with Dr. Murr in Tampa. Hope to get to know everybody better and that we can share our experiences together and support one another.

[Aquameliza 0]

liquid diet started today! Wow - I feel like I have to do well with this as a test - if I can't do this, I will fail in the long run. I know that is a lot of pressure to put on myself, but I HAVE to take this seriously - I truly feel like this is a gift and my last chance- if I do not take full advantage of this or only do it half a*%ed instead of giving this my dedication that I will deserve to fail. Oh, I am so very anxious and excited and nervous and all of those things.

I am so happy to have this forum!! It gives me a place to go everyday to see how others are doing (isn't it funny to see yourself in newbies?!), to ask questions, and to just weigh in on issues. Mostly, it feels like I am part of a community and it is a great feeling. I forgot how many days to surgery it is (21 I assume)- it is so cool to see my ticker count down. I will weigh in again this Friday when I see the anesthesiologist.

Anyone been through the anesthesiologist appointment yet? :blushing:

Happy Earth Day Everyone!!