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

Hi mine name is Barbara been married  to my hubby since  1977 have 2 kids  2 cats and 5 birds.i started my weight loss trip in dec 2009 at 267 pounds  i have been fighting weight gain since  i was 25. i have high blood pressure and type 2 diabetic since 2008. had trouble with the insurance through my hubbys shop they decided to remove the obesity plan so i had to get my own insurance that coast me 600.00 a month. in  sept  i got the approval for my surgery after i did the 6 months requirment .on oct 20th  2010 i got my band. since i have been banded i  am off one of my diabetic meds and down 42 pounds. and a pants size.the only problem i have had is my port tiped in jan so i got that fixed.I am happy with my choice to get the band.

I am 47 year old married, mama, RN of small rural ER.  Top known weight 380 pounds and wore sized 36 - 38 from Catherine's.  My scrubs were special made for work size 8X.  I had  Lapband surgery in December 2008 after much struggles with insurance company.  Presently I am wearing 14 - 16 misses and large to XL scrubs.  I weigh 185 pounds!  I have 2 children both living at home.  My oldest is a student at the local college - she is 20 years old.  My 17 year old is a junior at the local high school.  Both girls are excited every day for me and talk much about  the changes the lapband has done for not just me,but our family!

It is interesting and I love to read about everyone.  I however because this can be put on Facebook, Google, Twitter, etc., prefer to remain anonymous. 

Yeah, I wasn't thrilled when OH started the Facebook, etc. share feature, so I'm OK with your anonymity, and glad to have you aboard!

My name is Lisa and I live in the foot hills of the Cascade Mountain range in Washington state just 35 miles from Seattle.  I'm 48 and have been married just 3 years to my DH John who I met "on line"  just 7 months before we got married.  He has two grown children, a girl 23 and a boy 24 that live near by.  I never had children of my own, (at least no human children), but I came into the marriage with 2 Miniature Schnauzers, Fritz and Ziggy and 3 cats; Harley, Sadi and Pashmina.  This past Fall we added a new "child" when we adopted a long-haired miniature Dachsund named Lionel.  Harley passed away this past year after a long kitty life of 16 yrs.  You can see pictures of my animal family in my OH photos.

I've been a member of this OH forum for 2 years.  I joined shortly after my Lap Band surgery to gain information and support from other people who understand where I've been and where I'm headed.

I first learned about "the band" when I had my Gall Bladdar removed 7 years ago.  The surgeon said I would be a great candidate but I never followed through to investigate the surgery.  Then in 2007 my PCP suggested that I have a breast reduction to give me incentive to lose weight.  I wore a 46 G!  But when I went to the consult, the surgeon told me she wouldn't do surgery on me until I lost a minimum of 50 lbs.  She also suggested the Lap Band and Dr. McMahon at Swedish Hospital in Seattle.  I went to the informational seminar in July 2008 and had my surgery on November 10, 2008.

I weighed 330 lbs when I had my surgery, my BMI was 47 and while I was generally healthy, my body was breaking down.  I had constant foot pain from PF and Heel Spurs and knee pain that I knew would eventually lead to needing knee replacement which I probably couldn't have becuase of my weight!  I didn't realize that I had Sleep Apnea until I had a sleep study done per my Bariatric Surgeon's requirements.  I got a C-Pap machine and had the best nights sleep in years!  I never realized the strain my obesity was putting on my body by robbing me of a good nights rest!

I've worked for the same large fashion retail store chain for almost 29 years and have had many jobs over the years.  I've lived in 6 different states moving around to open new stores for my job when I was a department manager and buyer.  I've been back in WA for 11 years and now have a job where I don't have to travel.  I think this change in jobs made losing weight with the band possible because my work life is a lot less stressful than when I was traveling for business. 

I lost 104 lbs with the band in 9 months.  I credit my rapid loss to not the band alone, but the changes I made to the QUALITY of foods I ate.  I cut out simple (white) carbs and changed over to all complex carbs along with limiting my portions.  I followed the rules to the T because I knew that what I was doing before wasn't working.  I decided from the beginning to totally submit to what the Nut recommended and I did!  Thanks to the band I was able to eat 3 meals a day with 1 snack when I needed it.  I stuck to 800 calories a day which was my sugeon's protocol at that time.  I took in 60-80 grams of dense protein daily and drank 60+ oz of no calorie liquids.  I limited my portions to 1/3-1/2 cup portions and limited sugar to no more than 5 g per serving.  While never much for exercise, I committed to moving more than I did before and started with simple things like walking the dogs and parking further away from the stores and my work.  Later I added a Pilates tape and Wii Fit to my regime.

During the second year I lost an additional 16 lbs. I've had some struggles these past few months and gained 16 lbs but am half way through taking it off again.  It's amazing how fast I can gain weight if I take my eye off the things that worked for me.  Sugar is my issue along with night time eating and while I'm working on these things with a therapist I know it will be a life-long battle.  However, I also know that with the help of my band I can do it!  I saw a show the other night and the person trying to lose weight said "These new behaviors are not tools, I think of them as weapons."  Well, I have a powerful weapon to fight the fight against weight gain and it's my Lap band, but it's up to me to use it! 

One of the best things that have come out of this surgery are the friendships I've made.  So many people have touched my life and helped me throughout my WL journey.  There are too many to name, but bandsters old and new can make a difference to your band experience by sharing experiences,  so don't ever think that what you have to say isn't important.  I met Jean M. early on and we've become closer friends than I ever could have imagined.  I encourage you all to reach out to people in your area.  I did this early on and started my own Support Group because we shared a desire to have a "band only" group experience.  I was trained as an OH Support Group leader and now have group of 25 or so that meet monthly.  Where else can you go to meet a group of people that know exactly what you've been through and what you're going through?  These frienships have been a true blessing in my life.

My goal is to lose 29.6 more lbs.  I want to be under 200 lbs, just because I want to.  I don't need to.  I no longer have foot pain, my knees are better and I no longer need my C-pap machine for a good nights rest.  I'm wearing a regular size 16 and I feel like there's nothing I cannot do!  That's the most important thing.  I feel powerful, capable, energetic and happy!  Life is good when I'm good to myself.

God bless you on your personal journey!

Best~
Lisa O. 

I'm Tiff.  I'm about to turn 34. And I can't seem to get pregnant.... And I'm beginning to be alright with it.  I'm sure that will change next week like it did the week before, but who knows!

I came to OH in 2008 at 298 lbs. I was panicked at hitting the big 300.   I was miserable in my body. I was wearing a jeans size 26/28.

But lets go back a little. I was a chunky monkey kid at times. I've yo-yo'd by nature, not by design, my entire life. My MD put me on Phen Phen in highschool cause I was 180 lbs. Can you imagine? I pray for 180 now days. LOL!!!   fast forward a few years. In 2000 b.s. (before surgery) I met my husband and was 175 lbs. We got married in 2001 and within one year I was 275 lbs. The doctor figured out my thyroid was broken. I have Hashimotos disease and will take synthetic thyroid for the rest of my life.

During those few years before surgery, I was in weigh****chers and lost the same 30 lbs 4 times. I had a personal trainer at the hospital and worked out 3 days a week. I couldn't keep it off though. And nobody better ever say I didn't try, cause I tried hard!  Me and the hydroxycut. 

2008 I had enough and had my surgery. I paid out of pocket $9999. Thats not quite true. I paid around $1000 upfront, My mom paid around $2000, My friends and relatives held a monster auction fundraiser and we managed to raise another $1000. I took a loan for the rest.  To this day, I feel having these people care about me and vested in my progress keeps me going. This has not been easy.  Just a few months after my surgery, my port came loose on one side. Rather than tack it down in the same spot, my surgeon relocated it and tacked it down in an area lower on my abdomen that doesn't move as much. I've been getting healthy ever since.
 
Today I am in a 16/18 and feeling great!  My husband is going to graduate college in 102 days and will hopefully be getting a FT job for the first time in 6 years. I'm beyond excited!!! Our next chapter is about to begin.

oh- and I have 3 purring furbabies.

TIFF! You are NOT 33 years old! I refuse to believe it! All this time I've known you and figuring you for mid 20's!!!!

I have to laugh because I quoted something you said a year or so ago to a new OH friend this morning and afterward thought, "Tiff is really wise for a 20-something girl."

It's true. I was born in April, 1977. I met my husband when I was 25. And we've been married going on 9 years.  EEK!  We've been playing and traveling for too long. It's time to kick his butt in gear. LOL!!!

And time to make some babies! I know you've been putting a lot of grueling, dreary effort into that, with no results so far...but have you talked with your GYN about the lack of results?

we have... We discussed when would be enough time to lapse before we bring science in to the picture and we decided never.

Hubby and I originally pinky swore that we weren't going to have children. That's equivalent of signing in blood before god himself in our house. Well, a few years back we admitted that it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if we had a baby. And then we upgraded to what if we really really did this.... Well now that we are trying with no results, I'm sort of torn.

But I'm of that thought that if it was meant to be, it will happen. If not, then we will spoil our nieces and nephews rotten. We will call our carpool PTA friends from our catamaran in Rome to rub our wonderful life in their noses. It won't be the end of the world by any means.