Hi everyone--I thought I'd listen to some advice from one of the other monthly groups and start one master thread in which we have an ongoing discussion/updates. I don't know about you all but I certainly spend most of my time on these boards on the pre-op forum and the general forum, not here. It would be nice to have just one thread to go to once in this forum.

We can maybe start out with introductions?

As for me, I'm going the "online privacy" route for now (paranoid that people I haven't told about this will somehow stumble across me on this site I guess, which is crazy, I know) but I can give you the big picture:

You can call me Penny, I'm 27, single and live in the Washington, DC area. I have a background in politics (which is why I live in DC) but now I'm a librarian which is much cooler and way more fun (trust me on that). Oh, and there's no "Marion the Librarian" thing with me either. One of the things I hear most frequently (besides the cliche "you have such a pretty face") is "but you don't LOOK like a librarian", which is another one of those bizarre backhanded compliments that you never really know how to take.

Personality wise, I'm kind of dorky, big into public radio and books and popular science. Oh, I'm also a little on the paranoid side (as you may be able to tell from earlier in this post). Beyond that I'm just kind of silly and friendly, VERY much so into traveling and I'm an aspiring "green" domestic diva (but that's not going so well).

Happy Badiversary to All!!!

I have completed all my tests for insurance approval of a revision to a sleeve. Meanwhile, I am still eating plenty of protein and exercising. The eating plan is the same only less food. I am on the same journey....just another tool.

What is the sleeve?

Gastric Sleeve. It is removal of 75% of your stomach and forms a small pouch. It removes the Ghrelin hormone that causes hunger. In a revision the doctor removes the band and port and removes most of the stomach. I still have a 40 BMI and High blood pressure. I need to lose about eighty more lbs.

Good luck Charlene! I am very haappy and excited for you, I hear great things about the sleeve!

Happy Bandaversary to all Charlene, Congrats, I think the sleeve is going to be a great choice for you. I know how you have struggled with your band. I'm really happy for you.

I was just looking at everyones Avitar pics, Boy all of us have changed so much since we first started. KUDOS to all of us. We look Fantastic!!!!

I was just looking at everyones Avitar pics, Boy all of us have changed so much since we first started. KUDOS to all of us. We look Fantastic!!!!

JULY BUTTERFLIES 2008 ROCK!!!!!!

We DO rock! Even though I had issues with my lapband slipping and have gained 22pds as a result of removing the fluid, I feel like I am basically starting over again. Right now, I feel like my body went into starvation mode cuz I was hardly eating anything and losing so fast, that when the doc took the fluid out and I was able to eat, my body is now holding onto whatever I do eat, even though I am eating healthy and counting calories...which was the most frustrating thing for me before...my body nearly demanded that I eat so little to lose weight that it wasnt healthy. Now that my tummy is healed up and the band is in place, I am praying that I can get this weight off in a healthy way. I have found that this 22pds has weighed on me more than the 100pds I have lost...I feel it more and I dont like it. I saw a picture of myself recently and was SHOCKED to see that I was not as heavy as I FEEL. I am in a size 12/13 or L depending on the clothes and that is not fat, but mentally/emotionally I fight grabbing those sizes cuz it has been sooooo long since I have worn them that my brain gravitates to a size more *reasonable* like a 14 or a xxl...like I cant possibly be smaller than a 14 or a xxl. Then I keep saying to myself it is ONLY 22pds get over it, your tummy was sick, just deal with it and if this is the only weight you have to deal with for the rest of your life, that is a GOOD thing!

Anyone else have these things come up? It really is the first time I have run into them within myself. I dont care about how my body looks after losing the weight, I know how to dress this body. *smiles* I have stretch marks from having babies, I have scars from 5 abdominal surgeries, 9 lumpectomies and a dbl masectomy and reconstruction...these are my battle scars, my badges of courage if you will...but man this added weight is messing with me and I am fighting hard to not let it sabotage me. I am sooo grateful that I have this tool and am looking forward to getting another fill in a few weeks, it might be the extra bit I need right now.

Thanks for listening...

Cynthia, Reading your post made me cry, Not in a bad way but just because you have been through so much. What a brave Lady you are. After everything you've been through 22lbs will Not kick your butt, It's just a matter of time and it will go away again. I go up and down constantly, Can't seem to get a grip on maintaining. I just tell my DH I'm just one of those Gals that look better with their clothes on, I think in real life most of us do LOL. Anyway, I'm giving you a cyber High 5 for the courage you are teaching the rest of us. I do know what your saying about realizing what your size is now, I see pictures and have to take a double take because I just don't feel that size. My Doctor told me that I just can't seem to shake the fat mentality. I thought it was pretty funny. It sure was nice hearing your story, Thanks for sharing.

WTG! Cynthia !

We all do Rock

Congrats to all our Anniversaries this month

Cynthia you have been through alot but you can get through this too stay strong girly. You can do this.

Charlene - I pray everything works out and the Sleeve gives you the tool you need to get through this battle. Cause this sure is a battle for us all.

I go to the doctor Monday for a much needed fill. I gained 30 pounds when he took almost all the Fluid out and kinda went a little crazy with the food. I too am thinking this of a restart and going to do it right.

Kimaly, thanks for the encouragement, I needed it. It has been a very rough 2 yrs, 4 if I include the dbl mastectomy. 2yrs ago my Daddy passed, I am a Daddys girl, always will be...and within 6mths of that, got divorced. I dont regret the divorce, long story but it was a very difficult marriage with no support during those 2 very huge events in my life, let alone the WLS.

But there have been blessings along the way...I am a survivor, I have lost 100pds, I have had an add'l 3 grand babies, making my love total 5...5 is the number of grace...the 5th was just born on July 1st, the 2nd anniversary of my Daddys passing. She has made a very difficult day one of grace and a day to rejoice. I have a wonderful man in my life that I am doing life with and when I told him on our first date about having had a dbl mastectomy, cuz when do you tell someone about that? He got up, hugged me, told me I was brave and then pulled back and asked, did you think that would bother me? I said I didnt know, my ex never once saw me and for some men it could be a deal breaker...his response was that if that was the case for him,he didnt deserve me...I think that was the moment I fell in love with him! We will be together 1 yr Aug 18th.

...so I do need to keep fighting the good fight and not let these 22pds have any power over me...just get rid of them! *smiles*

Charlene, thanks for the encouragement and for explaining the sleeve. It sounds like the byass, is it similar?

Thanks 1day at a time! I know what you mean about going a bit crazy when the doc took the Fluid out - it felt soo good to just eat when I hadnt been able to eat for a month...but that only lasted about a week, when I realized the weight was coming on too quickly! *winks* Now I am fighting the tide! *smiles*

It is kinda scary to think that we really survive on 900-1200 calories when the fill is really just right...not scary when the band is in place but scary to think that GOD FORBID, it would ever have to come out! I was so scared when they found the band slipped and took the fluid out that I would need surgery to correct it or worse...and ppl outside of the realm we live in now dont understand that making this choice does not make things easier for us at all. I dont know about any of you but I have heard many things including the line that I have taken the easy way out.

Charlene, good luck with the sleeve and congrats on approval. If I were to ever lose my band, I would hope I could have the sleeve done. I don't qualify now, but I am afraid I would regain what I have lost without some kind of help.

Cynthia, you have been through a lot in the last 4 years, but it sounds like you have gained wonderful family and an amazing man since then. Continue to fight, you are worth it!

Update on my exercising...in the last 24 days I have only missed exercising 1 day. I am excited that I am able to stick to it and I was working on the elliptical mainly on level 7 as the lowest in the beginning and now it stays on level 13-15. I haven't lost any weight at all, but my husband and dad said I look smaller. Today I noticed my jeans were getting baggy and I realized I could pull them down without unbuttoning or zipping them! So, that is a surprising NSV! I hope I am able to keep it up. I am not sure I will be able to fit exercising in when I go to New York next weekend, but we will be doing so much walking that it will make up for it. Happy Bandiversary to us all and keep fighting!

I really want to start the exercise thing again, been really tired this week. I work late shift, work form home which is nice, and I plan on doing my Turbo Jam during my lunch hour. I want this extra weight to get off me..PLUS my nephews wedding is in Sept and I bought this AMAZING red dress to wear! Very 40's with a scoop sweetheart neckline and a peek-a-boo panel of white with red polkadots...my man, bought me the re peek-a-boo toe heels to go with it - YUM! I just fit into the dress and a few pds less on me would make it just that much better fitting...I really want some accountability, so maybe some of you could check in on me see if and how I am doing? I would appreciate it. *smiles*