Old-Timers, Newbies, Lurkers-I will if YOU will...

Ok...the Houston OH conference is less than a month away. The TMB may never be the hot bed of support/activity it once was, but it CAN be better than it is now...

I VOW to take at least 10 minutes of my morning FB time to post to the TMB. Will you join me? How many of us met and became FAMILY, either directly or indirectly thru the TMB???? Don't newbies/lurkers deserve to develop their own "families"???? Yes, STEPH, I'm having one of my "Christian moments"..lol...and I'm going to try REALLY HARD for it to last daily for at least a month...

OK..I'll start..I'm Gina (AKA Nurse Diva)..8 and 1/2 years post RNY..have never reached that magical "number goal"..many ups and downs along the way..but I'm still HERE....have lost 153 pounds, as of today, and am not giving up. I'm off all insulin, etc. I thank God every single day for bringing me to OH all those years ago. I found my surgeon thru this site, and my FAMILY.-people who truly "get me"-even when-especially when-I'm not at my "best"...

Never be afraid to ask a question. There's NOTHING you can do/say/ask that at least one of hasn't thought of or done

I am with you Gina.   Everyone deserves to be supported and have their questions answered by people who have been there before and walked in the shoes that no longer fit our feet because they are no longer fat.   

Everyone who doesn't know me.....I am Vivian.   I will be 5 yrs. post op RNY next month and lost 140 lbs.   I have re-gained a little bit back but I am working again on re-losing it.    I am a OH Support Group Leader ( LOSE IT 4 LIFE ) that meets once a month in Keller, Tx. (1st sunday afternoon to be exact ).   I love meeting newbies and giving support to anyone in need.   I would love to encourage anyone just thinking about going to the OH Conference to please go.    You can come up to any of us and we promise not to bite you.  LOL  Just kidding  but you truely do make life long friends here just as Gina said.     Come to the Conference if you can....they are amazing and we DO understand where you are and what you are going through.


Hugs and blessings  ~~~~ Vivian

I'm with you on this, my friend!

I don't do FB, but on the weekends I'm addicted to Pogo's Canasta.... I'll take the vow to carve out a few minutes from my game to post on the weekends too.... LOL

Yeah to Gina for this!! I was getting kinda lonely over here without my other veterens.. gee, am I already a veteren!!

I am a little over 3yrs out from RNY gastric bypass and have lost 170 lbs. Although it has been a rough 3 yrs and I have gone through just about every complication and problem someone could have, I would still do it all over again!!  One reason I have made it through all this is the love and support of the TMB!!

Welcome to all the newbies and the hope tos and anyone just trying to develope a healthier life! Have a seat w/us on the loosers bench and ask away if you have any questions or concerns. If we can't give you the answer we will tell you where to find it!!!

Meggie!!

That's our Gina, having another CHRISTIAN Moment, lol...just kidding.

To the newbies and lurkers-this site can be YOUR lifeline but only if YOU choose to participate.  When I first found the TMB, there were 80-100 "train" posts everyday, meetings and parties galore and that's how I met all these wonderful people.  I never had many friends before i had my surgery but now I have so many it's hard to count.  And I don't mean friends, I mean FRIENDS-people who "get me", who I can call at 2 AM if I am in trouble, who I can't imagine not talking to everyday.  That's the kind of relationship we all NEED and you too can have it by posting here everyday.  Jump on the "train" (WLS EXPRESS) and just simply tell us about your day.

OK, on to me...I'm over 3 years out from lap RNY, have lost 95 lbs and I've been at goal for over one and half years.  I'll also be at the Houston OH conference and will have a jewelry vendor booth selling Forever in my Heart lockets/charms as well as some reasonably priced  (most less than $20) BLING...aka costume jewelry.  So come visit me in my booth and say HI cuz a girl can never have too many friends!!

Here's a current pics so you will know what I look like (oh, I'm wearing some of my $20 bling)

Good morning Miss Gina!!!  I am here and I do post the accountability thread every morning (giving Karla a break)!  I would not be where I am today with out the special friends I made through TMB, my support groups, and my family!!

My name is Paige and I had lapband surgery on 5/30/08  I have lost over 150lbs (half of my original body weight).  People often think (or assume) that I have had RNY because lapbanders aren't suppose to be this successful!!!!  But I can truely say that there are a number of us here that have done a fabulous job!!!!  It has not been an easy road... but I can say it's the best thing I have ever done for myself!  When people ask me how I was able to lose so much weight I tell them that I surrounded myself with people who would be supportive of my efforts.  I ended relationships because they were not good for me... early on in my journey I decided I had no room for negativity.  My best girlfriends have all had WLS... because I met them here through TMB!!! 

It has only been in the last 6 months or so that my husband has begun to understand how important my friends are to me!!!   In April I was in Dallas and a group of TMB'ers surprised me at dinner for my birthday.  My husband was shocked that I knew so many people in Dallas!!!!!  Then there have been my "girls weekend" trips and finally the cruise we just went on!  Now he gets it!!!

TMB is a special place to me... because without it I would not have so many of you in my life!!!!

Before at 308lbs

This past weekend at 152lbs

I am Lynne and I'm 5 1/2 years out from the RNY with the fabulous Garth Davis! I lost 167 lbs., have gained back more than I want to admit, but I would do it again in a heartbeat. I was also privileged to have plastic surgery with Dr. LoMonaco, and was featured on two episodes of Big Medicine for those surgeries.

Especially in the beginning, I depended heavily on the TMB. In the last year or so, it seems to have become rather divided, and I'd really like to see it back the way it used to be. I am not a party animal, about half deaf, and am a bit shy, so some people seem to think I am a snob. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I am planning on being at the conference, unless my daughter decides to give birth that weekend! See you there!

Lynne, the beauty of the TMB is that there are people of all types that need and want support and friendship.  It doesn't mean the board is "divided"-just different strokes for different folks.  Seek out those with similar interests to yours and I bet you'll make lasting friendships too.

Me- however...I AM a party animal~I work hard, laugh hard, play hard and love life and value my friends more than they'll ever know.  (And I do it all without alcohol or drugs-unless you count 4-5 drinks a month "drinking").  So to those with similar interests to mine...come see me and who knows you might just get an invite to next year's July BBQ cuz like I said, I've always got room for more friends.

LYNNE-I agree with STEPH-there are "groups" for everyone-you just have to find-or START-them. We ALL started somewhere. I didn't know a single soul here, when I came to OH in 2001. I didn't meet anyone "local" until the first OH conference, in 2004, when I met YVONNE. I had to get waaaaaaaaay out of MY comfort zone, I assure you. I was scared half to death at that conference-but I DID it-I MADE myself get out there and meet people. Same with the local support group-I was TERRIFIED-hard to believe-I know-but TRUE!

I'm no "party animal" myself. The first 2 nights of the cruise I was asleep before 9pm, and I don't think I ever saw midnight on any night. My favorite moments were early mornings, on the balcony, just me, the ocean, and God....though the beach and sun run a close second. I REALLY wish you had joined BECKY and I on the Serenity deck, when we invited you to-it was so quiet and peaceful-I think you really would have enjoyed reading your books there, instead of choosing to stay by yourself so much. You can't get to KNOW people if you won't let them IN-ya know? I had really looked forward to some "Woogie and Ivey" stories-I always enjoy them so much on Facebook-but we never had a chance to talk.

I would like to PERSONALLY invite to post on the train everyday between now and the conference, so everyone can get to know each other better. Consider it a challenge, even. I will, if YOU will..

I couldn't FIND the Serenity Dec****il I think Thursday - then I couldn't find how to get to it without climbing up and down stairs - which my arthritic knees wouldn't let me do - and I didn't really know if you were just inviting me to be polite. I will try to be more outgoing.