Excellent!  Way to go!  Congratulations.  How are you feeling now that you are down so much?  My surgery is Tuesday afternoon and I am so excited.  Thanks for sharing.  ~~Cindy

Congratulations on the weight loss and keep up the good work!!  You know you can do it!  You may be far better off.  Everything happens for a reason, and someday you will find the reason that your journey turned out this way.  I actually envy you for taking the route you have been "forced" to take.  I'd trade places with you any day.  I had the lap band surgery in July 2004, and had it removed by emergency surgery in August 2006.  After much investigatig, and traveling clear across the country for answers ( I couldn't get answers or help at Midwest Bariatric Solutions from my surgeon, Kevin Wasco), I have had 4 additional surgeries.  I will be having a 5th tomorrow (this one rather minor) and 2 additional surgeries (major ones) to follow which will require travel to my surgeon located on the East Coast, pain, loss of time from work, etc.  The physician has told me and has written a report for me that states that he "has substatiated beyond any doubt that these problems began at the time of the placement of the band . . .   physician error of the placement of the band".  Kevin Wasco continued to tell me for 13 months that "he stands behind his work and will correct it".  He told another family member and I exactly what was wrong (although he never gave the condition a name) and he described exactly how to fix it (although he never gave the surgery a name).  When my family and I really put the pressure on him after 13 months of nothing but lip service, he discharged me as a patient.  Ironically, the condition he described was my exact diagnosis and the surgery he described is exactly what I had done.  Furthermore, in that 13 months I continued to lose weight and by his own notes he states that this is a "case of malnutrition rather  than a successful weight loss".  He admits he knew I was suffering from malnutrition, but did nothing!!  As a result, it has been explained to me, that malnutrition over a long period of time, can cause damage to many or all major organs.  Once I recover from the surgery of tomorrow I will be having my colon removed.  It is no longer functional.  So . . . do you really want anyone within that practice operating on you?  Sometimes bad is good.  You may be disappointed now, but you will be much further ahead in the long run.  I have interviewed with 3 of the 4 local TV stations in this area (I see you live in Oshkosh also).  Following the last major surgery I will be doing a TV interview to show this side of bariatric surgery.  Also, if you get the Oshkosh Northwestern, read the article on obesity in this past Monday's edition.  If you don't have it, let me know and I will get it to you.  You may find that very interesting and encouraging.  I will keep you in my thoughts.  I know how tough it can be, but you will be far better off in the long run.      

Hi,  I'm having a hard time with the exercise part of this life change.  I haven't been active physically since I was a kid.  Exercising outside, in public, is really uncomfortable even before I try it.  How did you get started?  Have you been in touch with other post-ops who are exercising?  Appreciate it, thanks,  VR  

Thank you so much, been there-done that but I don't meet those guidlines.  Please keep me in your prayer!