Getting to know you....and me....

Hi Magdalena,

Nice to know you better. Congratulations on this new step in your life.

I LOVE German food, was raised on it but  didn't realize it was "German" food; thought it was the same old stuff everybody else ate every night. On vacation at Epcot center my sister and I were so thrilled to try out the German food resturant because we love to try new cuisines and couldn't wait to find out what it was like.  Everything on the menu was what we normally ate at home! As good as it is, we were hoping to try something new : )

Trixie

Hey Everyone,

I am Kim from North Central PA. I am a project manager for an international telecommunications company. I have lived in Belgium, NYC, NJ and SoCA. I really miss the warmer climate, especially with all of the snow that we have gotten recently. My home consists of four furry children - Bennie (a shaded silver, doll-faced Persian cat,) Bear (a long-haired black with a bit of white cat,) Christine (a long-haired tiger cat) and Lilijana (a/k/a Lily - a black Puli dog who is starting to get her cords.)

I am fortunate to have traveled extensively and went to Iceland just to be able to hike on a glacier. OK, so I am a little bit crazy as well.

I lurked on this site for quite a while before I joined last year. I was banded 12/01/10 and had my first fill on 01/20/11. I go for my second fill on 02/10/11. I have enjoyed reading most of the posts and have learned a lot from everyone here. This site can be a great source of info. I just wish that we could all get along better.

Looking forward to "meeting" more of you.

Peace, Kim

Where in Belgium did you live? A former business associate of mine lives in Antwerp and when I went to Belgium on a buying trip years ago, he and his family entertained me in their home (can you say home made pommes frites?!) and took me sightseeing in Antwerp and Bruges. It was a great trip, even though it was January and rainy.

I have a funny story about Iceland. I have a friend Colleen who loves to travel. She and her boyfriend decided to take a vacation in Iceland because his family was Icelandic. In the concourse of Keflavik Int'l Airport, they ran into one of Colleen's least-liked coworkers, a French Canadian woman and her husband, also on vacation. Colleen said, "I go all the way to Iceland to get away from work and who do I see there but Huguette?!!" Anyway, she asked Huguette how they chose Iceland as a destination and Huguette shrugged and said, "It just seem like a good idea, non?"

Jean

Jean,

I went to high school at an all girls Catholic school in Antwerp. I really miss Europe and if it weren't for my parents being in the US, I would consider going back.

The Icelandic people are some of the friendliest people that I have ever met. I would die if I took a vacation to get away from my coworkers only to discover that they too chose the same destination.  AAUGH.

Kim

Kim,

A very small world indeed. I was living in Scotland after I graduated high school, unable to decide whether to go to college in the UK or the USA, so I went to The Hague, Netherlands to take my ACT's. Looking back, I think I did OK by coming back to the USA. The cost of living in Europe makes my eyes pop out!

Jean

 Hi
My name is Wendy and i live in a suburb of NY. I am coming up to my bandaversity next friday. I have lost 63.5 plus a few lbs.( not official for me till dr weights me).
I am married 25 years and have to kids 23,19.
i am 51 years young. I love to walk. I crochet but my hands are to dumb to knit. 
Haven't shared with many about my lapband because people are to judgemental. I work in a camp in Mass in the summer always looking for bandsters to meet while I am there. I work with kids.
I love to try new recipes. For my 50th birthday I went on a hot air balloon ride with hubby at daybreak. Best reason to get up so early on your bday.  And this was before I was banded.
Oh yea if you haven't figured out i am a poor speller.
wendy

Well I live a nice quiet, boring life, by choice. I just turned 60(eekk how did that happen?) and have been happily married for 25 years to the sweetest guy ever. He's loved me thick or thicker and has had to take over a good part of the housework because I'm laid up so much of the time with arthritis problems, fibromylgia and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Actually he's a better house keeper than I am. We have 3 kids, 7 grands and 4 great grands. Most live out of the area so we don't see them often. I'm involved with a group of Christian ladies that knit and crochet projects for Salvation Army and other local charities. That keeps me plenty busy. I also enjoy counted cross-stitch but the eyes aren't quite as sharp as they used to be. We live on almost 2 acres about 5 miles from town and very much enjoy the country life. I've made some wonderful friends here at OH and spend way toooo much time here but what the heck I could worse addictions I guess.

Hello, all!

I'm Allison. I was born and raised in the good ol' midwest (grew up in Sioux Falls, SD but currently live in Minneapolis, Minnesnowta). I'm 26 years old and about to turn 27 next month.

I have been a member of OH for a very long time (see under my name over there? It's going on almost 10 years!). I wanted to make sure that I picked a surgery that would fit me, my eating habits and my lifestyle appropriately. And I think that I have found that.

I've been overweight my whole life. I have felt like I have been trapped in the wrong body but no matter what I did, I couldn't escape. Food seemed to be a comfort, but then that became a downward spiral too and by the time I threw my hands up and knew I had to do something different, I weighed 291 pounds. Man, and it wasn't even that I was eating McDonalds everyday or drinking a case of soda- I was actually eating ok- just way, way, way, way, WAY too much of it. And at 291 pounds, I couldn't even keep up with the amount of exercise that I needed to effectively lose weight. Hell, I couldn't even tie my shoes without holding my breath!

I was banded on February 16th, 2009 and I haven't looked back. I understood each and every statistic that was available and I made sure that I understood each and every possible situation I could get into with this band BEFORE I jumped in and had it strapped to my stomach. I made sure that I researched my surgeon and clinic as well and felt that they would provide me with the support I needed to be successful with this band.

Apparently I am unbelievably lucky (or perhaps I was just eating that badly before), but this process has been well, easy for me. I lost the first 100 pounds in 9 months and lost the subsequent last 25 in the past year or so. I have had 4 fills total (last being Oct. 2009) and I've never been too tight and needed an unfill.

I am currently able to tolerate bread, rice, pasta, carbonated soda, you name it. That being said, that also doesn't mean that I partake in any of that that often. It's not really worth it anymore. It's with this particular mentality (nothing is off limits) that I feel has made me successful. In the past, I would cut things completely out of my diet, which in the end made me binge on them more. Now, for example, I know that I can't keep copious amounts of chocolate around the house otherwise I'll eat it ALL, but I still definitely do eat chocolate. Now I just buy a smaller, one time serving amount.

I have lost about 125 pounds to date, going from the 280's to right at 160. At 5'5", technically I should weigh in the 140 range. That would be nice, but I've been able to maintain this weight for a year now with no problems.

In all aspects, life is SO. MUCH. BETTER. after losing weight. The best thing that has happened lately is that I'm going to marry my high school sweetheart this year for our 10 year anniversary (!) I can't wait to get into the size 12 wedding dress I bought! (I started out pre-surgery at a size 26.) Also, we adopted a big silly doggy (an American bulldog/pitbull mix) named Ariel that loves to jog with me!

And, last but not least, my 2 year bandiversary is coming up!! YAY!!!

Life is great.

Hello,

First off, thank you Jean, for bringing back the old 'enjoyable' OH

I am Colleen.  I am 56 yrs. old, married for 23 yrs. (2nd time)
I have 1 son and two granddaughters, ages 13 & 4.  Gained a lot of weight when pregnant at 17 and could never lose it. (still can't, but still hopeful with my band) I am semi-happy with the 40 I have lost. 

We love to go to Florida in  the winter, can't wait to be retired to be an official snowbird.  Also love to go to the beach in the summer.  I have lived in PA all my life.  I work at home for Blue Shield and am fortunate to have that insurance that paid for my band. 

My only pet is a little green lizard named Cinnamon I got at the beach last year. I now have to keep live crickets in my house!  I had a beloved kitty, Chancey for 19 yrs that I still miss. I want to help out with fostering for a rescue, but just have not committed yet.

My name is Beth, I'm 31 years old.  I was banded 12/27/2010.  Had my first fill last week.  Since surgery I have lost 30 pounds.  I've lost about 50 from my highest of 334.  I'm 5'9.

I was raised in Florida, but spent 8 years living in Utah, before moving back to sunny Florida in 2009.  My husband and I have been married for almost 7 years.

I decided to have WLS because of a few different reasons...but most important I WANT BABIES.  That is the most important.  Chances are I could've, but with PCOS and high blood pressure, getting pregnant would've be hard, and having a health pregnancy would've been even harder.  I was scared to get pregnant.  And it pissed me off.  Last year I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and PCOS and pre-diabetic....so I said enough is enough.

I've always been chunky.  I was born over 10 pounds and have stayed "a big girl" since.  I'm only about 15 pounds away from NOT being the fattest in my family. WHOO HOO! HAHAH!

My parents are very supportive, as well as my DH.  We had surgery the same day.

Thanks for the get to know you thread.  It was great learning about everyone.