New Here

Thought I would say hello!  I'm waiting to be approved for Lap Band to be done by Dr. Adam Smith...I go above and beyond the criteria, so I'm not worried about being approved.  I'm just looking for "been there, done that" kind of opinions and support.  I've always been fat and happy...until we adopted my daughter and now I feel like I owe her more mobility.  I am a 5'4 and 365ish and 31 years old.  My husband is naturally thin, and fell in love with me at the size that I am...but he is very supportive of my decision and has decided that he is going to eat what I eat forever with me (his idea, not mine!)  I'm a special education teacher and 9 hours short of finishing my M.Ed in Spec Ed. at UNT.  I currently live out by Amarillo, but will be moving back to the DFW area this summer for my husband to attend seminary in Ft. Worth.  I'm hoping to have the surgery during spring break, but have already started paying attention to protein contents in foods and in cutting back on portion size.  I also switched to Diet Coke (from Dr. Pepper) last June and am in the process to switching to tea.

SO that's me in (high protein) nut shell.  I look forward to getting to know the frequent fliers in the forum!  

Welcome to the Texas board!

You've come to the right place for a lot of sage advice from a lot of been there done that kind of people!  LOL 

I'm not a lap bander myself, but there are several regulars on the board who are if you have lap-band specific questions.....

Please read and/or post to the WLS Express post which appears everyday, Ms Alissa starts it out most mornings, but several other peeps jump in to get it going if they're up first...  It's a fun place to get caught up on the goings on with our motley crew....

SO that's me in (high protein) nut shell.  I look forward to getting to know the frequent fliers in the forum!     

Hugs! 

Welcome to our family, AMANDA! I don't know Dr. Smith personally, but have known OF him for many years-doesn't he have a lapband himself?

Bless you for your chosen line of work. My best friend is a Speech Therapist, working with elementary school children. She finished her Master's last year. It takes very special people to do what y'all do. Myself, I've been a nurse as long as you've been alive (but just barely...lol). My first love is Hospice nursing, but I'm currently the Medicare Coordinator in an Arlington nursing home (alot easier on the back muscles for awhile).

I am almost 8 years out from RNY-one of the "oldies" here. You'll find people from all walks of like, all ages, surgery types, etc. What you will NOT find is a better group of people ANYWHERE.

Do you know where you'll be living? We have a "every other Saturday" social support group that meets in SW Ft Worth, not far from the seminary (but we drive in from ALL over). We also get together at various other times, and locations...just because we can!

Again..a BIG WEKCOME!

Gina AKA Nurse Diva

Hi Amanda....
Welcome to the TMB.... please feel free to ask questions, lurk, or whatever your heart desires. There are several support groups that meet throughout the month (I'm sure they will chime in with time and dates).  Fortunately you found a board that has the "been there DONE that" all covered.  There are some that are been there DOING that or been there WINNING at this!

One thing that helped me was NO soda's at all (I was a 6 pack of Diet Coke & 2-4 Monster Energy a day person)... I went cold turkey and haven't had ANY carbonation since April 2008 (other than the accidental sip when I didn't know that my kid had a DP and I was coughing super hard and that about scared me cause I refuse to let the carbonation in).

GOOD LUCK in your journey and please ask ask ask the questions!!!


~Sandi~

Welcome to the TMB Amanda.  Congrats on your lap band that you will be getting soon.  You'll be glad you are moving to the DFW area because there are a lot of great active people there. 

I am an educational diagnostician; ready to bite the bullet and go back to reality today (work).    It sounds like you are doing a good job preparing for your surgery.

Karla

Welcome Amanda

The TMB (tx mesgege board ) is the best place for support - lots of love and support - we are like a huge oddly assorted family- in for the good and the bad - ask questions, you will get answers here.  someone is almost always up and around on here - George does the nigh****chman late at night and some of us that have been transplanted to the east coast (curtisey of the US military) are up at 5 our time so 3 Tx time - like I said someone is almost always around LOL

You will find sevearl of us in school, not sure if anyone else is working on the level you are or not but you'll hear rumblings of homework and finals :) from time to time

post on the wls express most days - that is the best way to get to know us and for us to know you till you get to the dfw area and can enjoy all the local support meetings

peace
Danni

Welcome Amanda!

I do know how you feel and can especially relate about having a naturally thin hubby who love(d) me just the way I am(was)...  My hubby married me at 313 and 9 years later ended up with the 'tiny' wife :)

I'm 2.5 years out from surgery and holding at goal.   When I started this journey I was wearing a 30/32 and now a 8/10 - 12.    Oh, and I'm only 5'1", so can totally relate :)

Good luck and keep us all posted with your progress and especially when you move back to the area.  There's lots of local get togethers for socializing and we love folks at all stages and in all sizes.   Can feel a little itimidating to meet others at first, especially when you see how tiny some are, but just keep in mind that most of us are not 'tiny' in our head's anyway!!!   :)

 Thank you all so much for the welcome!  I'm glad to be here!  I will definitely be posting--I feel a little consumed with thinking about and planning for the surgery.

As for where we lived/are planning to live:  we lived in Corinth for the last 8 years and still have our house there (my little brother and his wife currently live there), but plan to move back to somewhere midway between where I get a teaching job and my husband's school in South Ft. Worth.  

And yes, Dr. Adam Smith does have the Lap Band himself.  He's 5 years post-op and that's one of the main reason's I choose him.  I like that he knows all of the in's and out's of living with it.  He let me feel his port on my first appointment because I told him that was one of my biggest concerns...it seems odd to have a foreign body under my skin that I can feel!  He really made me feel at ease!  

Anyway, thanks again for all of your responses!  I'm off to check out the "WLS Express"!  :)