Hello all. just joined today...glad to find a support group to learn from. I am 5 foot tall and weigh 230#. I have never been so large, even when I was pregnant with both kids. I am miserable, and am hoping this surgery will assist me in the healthy changes I need to make. Hope it helps me get off the pills for my blood pressure, my blood sugar and hope it decreases the trauma to my joints, etc...also quitting smoking this week, so I have a little over a month to get that craving out of my system before surgery. My husband of 20 years and I have been separated since late August, but that is an entirely different matter altogether. I want to start 2009 on a clean slate. :smile2: Pray for me...and please feel free to post back to me. I will need the encouragement! :biggrin::thumbup:

Hi Teresa. Welcome and congratulations on getting your date. It sounds like you are going through a lot right now and I think it is wonderful that you are doing something that is so good for you. You deserve it!! If you get tired, lonely, uncertain, bored, or just have a question... LBT is a great place to come. The nice people here will keep you company, answer your questions, listen to you, and support you (and the time you spend on LBT is time not spent in the kitchen or even thinking about food :smile2:!! Everyone here knows exactly where you've been, where you are, and where you want to go... and you can't find those kind of people just anywhere. I have made some very good friends here. Good luck with the smoking!! I know that is not easy. Take good care of yourself and enjoy the holidays. Let me know if there is anything I can help you with. Becky

Wow Becky! I'm in the process of stopping smoking too. I'm down to about 8 per day from a pack and a half. Seperation and divorce are pretty stressful. Please make sure you talk with your psycologist<sp> After 20 years it is a big change and I'm sure you have lots of built up stuff to deal with.

I was married for 17 years before I kicked my ex out (he was mental and physically abusive and an alcoholic). And my weight was my shield from my ex-husband and from the depression involved with the whole mess. But that is indeed another long story.

There are tons of very good people here to help support you and answer questions. But please take advantage of your psycologist.

Good Luck

Hey there!

i got my date to- Jan. 9th. Am so excited!!

Change is good and even if it takes time to get through things change will be good. With God all things are possible!! Good luck on your journey!!!!!

Hey Congratulations!

I would certainly love to keep in touch and get some support, too. I am hoping to get my surgery date soon but I'm a little earlier in the process , I have my first consult visit on January 12th.

Are you excited? Yesterday I watched a video of the surgery being done live and got a little squeamish :shades_smile:. But it certainly won't deter me. I can't wait to get started!

Well, good luck to you!

-music

I got my date recently - January 20th! Barack and I will begin our new lives together

well, I work at a hospital so lost "squeemish" many years ago, lol...They just started doing the LB here in June. Two of my co workers are were the first to get banded here in July. Both have lost about 60 pounds in 5 1/2 months. So, I do have a couple of friends that I can bounce things off. Teresa

Wow, January 20th, that is great!

Yeah, I was a phlebotomist for many years, I've seen and smelled gangrene, nothin usually fazes me. But something about watching them put the probes in kinda got to me.

-music

LOL, I understand that too...I have a mediport and also been giving my self sub q injections for 5 yrs now...so I think the Huber needle accessing the port bothers me more than anything even after all this time. Good luck to you on your banding...Teresa

that is cute...good luck to you on your inaguration...lol Teresa

that is cute...good luck to you on your inaguration...lol Teresa

Thanks Teresa, at least I won't have to worry about what I"M WEARING to the occasion

Thanks Teresa, at least I won't have to worry about what I"M WEARING to the occasion

VERY TRUE!! I hear open back gowns are all the rage in 2009. :shades_smile:

Hi there. I'm a newcomer to this and am very excited. I should be getting a surgery date soon. I am nervous about having something inside of me forever, but I can hardly wait to start shedding the pounds.

yeah teresa, lol, I don't know how you do the sub q injections, you're good!

I'm excited, I just had an appointment with my doctor and she ok'd it for me to try to set up my sleep study in advance, instead of waiting for my january initial visit. She thought that there was no way I'd get an appointment before January but she referred me. I called them this morning, and they have an open appointment tomorrow for me to get evaluated! I'm hoping that's a good sign. I really don't want to drag this process out and have to get my surgery way into the Spring.

Welcome, Ready2win! Good luck on getting your surgery date soon :ohmy:.

yeah teresa, lol, I don't know how you do the sub q injections, you're good!

I'm excited, I just had an appointment with my doctor and she ok'd it for me to try to set up my sleep study in advance, instead of waiting for my january initial visit. She thought that there was no way I'd get an appointment before January but she referred me. I called them this morning, and they have an open appointment tomorrow for me to get evaluated! I'm hoping that's a good sign. I really don't want to drag this process out and have to get my surgery way into the Spring.

Welcome, Ready2win! Good luck on getting your surgery date soon :thumbup:.

Good luck!! And Merry Christmas!!

Hey Teresa, Merry Christmas to you, too!

How are you? I just had my sleep study last night! Wow, talk about fast moving, I love making Dr's appointments during the holidays. Everytime someone cancels, I get an opening :thumbup:!

Then the weight loss clinic just called me and they had an opening two weeks early, so I get to have a visit on January 2nd!

I hope all is well with you :eek:

Take care and happy holidays...

-music