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).

myself I am going to the GYN next weds.. I have had a sharp stabbing but tolerable pain in my lower left pelvic region. (ovary??) past 3 months different wonkie stuff going on with me including some water retention.. so I am gonna go check it out.. hopefully not a cyst,, but that would be better than other things.

Donna, sorry to hear your having trouble. I hope everything works out for you. Please keep us informed. I'll put you in my prayers tonight.

Shrinknme, You will also be in my prayers.

And Orea, you seem to be doing great lately. sorry about the virus. Hope you feel better now.

its by Good Earth and its the sweet and spicy herbal tea...

here is a link if you want to get an idea of what it looks like.. I know the package has changed several times.. but it gives you an idea

quote]

I've been drinking this tea for years. It's so good. I do it as iced tea because I'm not into hot beverages.

I'm certainly not losing fast, but what leaves doesn't come rushing back the first time I go astray. That is a big deal. Before the band, I could and did regain weight at an astonishing speed.

So I will just keep chipping away at it. The virus has left me marginally tighter, which I needed.

its by Good Earth and its the sweet and spicy herbal tea...

here is a link if you want to get an idea of what it looks like.. I know the package has changed several times.. but it gives you an idea

quote]

I've been drinking this tea for years. It's so good. I do it as iced tea because I'm not into hot beverages.

thanks for the reminder.. I just made a big pitcher of it cold! I love it!

myself I am going to the GYN next weds.. I have had a sharp stabbing but tolerable pain in my lower left pelvic region. (ovary??) past 3 months different wonkie stuff going on with me including some water retention.. so I am gonna go check it out.. hopefully not a cyst,, but that would be better than other things.

Hope everything goes okay with your appointment. There are a million benign but annoying things that could be causing your problems. I've had cysts many times and I have prolific endometriosis so I know how your feeling. Definetely good to get it checked out.

How did you come to your goal weight? Initially I took my height and found out what weight I'd have to be to have a BMI of ~24. Recently a girl around my age came in to have a panniculectomy as she had a RNY and had lost 170lbs. Like me she was 5'10" and she currently weighed 180. She looked downright skinny! She ended up having over 10lbs of skin and fat removed so the surgery brought her down below 170. This made me really think that I should change my goal from 160 to 180.

lovegrapes - I came up with my goal weight based on the BMI chart as well. As a generic starting point, it makes sense but as we get closer to goal, I think we all need to reassess what that goal weight should be. For some it will be less and for some it will be more.

How did you come to your goal weight? Initially I took my height and found out what weight I'd have to be to have a BMI of ~24. Recently a girl around my age came in to have a panniculectomy as she had a RNY and had lost 170lbs. Like me she was 5'10" and she currently weighed 180. She looked downright skinny! She ended up having over 10lbs of skin and fat removed so the surgery brought her down below 170. This made me really think that I should change my goal from 160 to 180.

yes the goal weight has to be what you feel comfortable with.. that BMI chart although helpful is generic.. so you have to taylor it to you.. when you get to the right weight for you you will know. I have sister in laws who are all at the correct weight for their height and they all feel too skinny.. so it depends on you.. I have talked to several people who had the band.. where approaching the bmi goal weight and decided to stop.. so I guess its up to you.. I just put the BMI chart weight on my goal and then I will reexamine it later :bananalama:

There are so many aspects to consider. Your bone structure, how much you exercise and build up your muscle mass. How you look and feel. And there is your lowest attainable weight versus your lowest maintainable weight. Lots to consider.

Isn't it nice that we are even in a position to be thinking about this! :-D

I agree Orea.. nice to even consider it!! I however keep looking at peoples before and after pics to keep myself encouraged.. it still seems so impossible that I could be perhaps a size 10 or smaller!! so then I see people pics and think.. well there they are.. and they lost it all..

Donna how are you feeling?? any better?? docs today still??

Just heading out to the doctor's office now. I've been sleeping propped up with pillows the past couple of nights so I haven't had a repeat of the throwing up bile but I've got one bad crick in my neck! I'll post as soon I'm back to let you all know what the doc says/does.

I'm back. The doctor said I was too tight and took out .5 cc which took me down to 4.5. He said I'd lost 12 lbs since my last visit on 12/2 and was happy that I'd lost an overall 35 lbs since my surgery date in July. He said that was a good rate of loss for me. I told him of the 12 lbs lost, that the majority of that was by Christmas and I've only lost about 1 or 2 lbs since Christmas. He raised his eyebrows at that and said I need to be keeping a food diary because I shouldn't have had a stall for that long.

He said my band probably tightened up since I've been under stress. He told me wait until the stress goes down and I feel back to normal and we'll recheck to see if I need another adjustment. He said the pouch looked fine and there was no dilation or slippage. He gave me the picture to take home with me.