Introductions

Hi Lisa,

Welcome to the group. I think that more of us than you might imagine can understand your struggles. Please know that if/when you have the gastric bypass you will not be 'doomed' to 2 ounce meals for the rest of your life. Actually, you start out with very small 2 ounce meals, but now that I'm over a year and a half out, I eat a serving about the size of a lean cuisine. To be honest, now, people who do not know I had the gastric bypass don't notice that I don't eat very much at a sitting. I do eat 5 or 6 times a day. Not grazing, but 3 meals, with 2 or 3 snacks that are protien packed.

You will be arming yourself with a powerful tool to help you strip off your excess weight AND to help you keep that weight off. You will also need to do some behavior modification work, we all do. I have used a therapist to help identify and manage my food/behavior issues... they are more involved than I would have imagined. I also have used and still do use a series of books written by Dr. Judith Beck, called the 'Beck Diet Solution.' It's not a diet, but a way to learn to think thin. It takes time and practice, but you have time and can practice... I'm still working on it.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you as you make this incredible, life-changing journey.

Wishing you all the best,

Hi All,

My name is Michelle. I am 35. Married with 2 kids, 10 and 8. My BMI is 51.4, 283 lbs. and I am 5'1". Yes pretty much a round ball. I have been thinking about RNY 2 years now.  I will research it for a while, be all hot and heavy and ready to do it....and then it sort of drifts by the wayside, as I am still overindulging in all the things I love. About one month ago, my PCP recommended it. She said she never mentioned it to her patients before, but the surgery has come so far in the past few years she has been recommending it. She has a total of around 20 patients who have had WLS, with not one of them having a bad experience. That is surely food for thought. I guess what keeps me hesitant is all my failed attempts at weight loss. My favorite saying is  "I just don't have enough will power!" My fear is not being able to stick to the plan, cuz I surely can't stick to anything now. Also the thought of never having things I love such as sodas, pasta, rice, and anything with loads of melty cheese on it, bread, etc. etc.  I just don't know if I could handle that.  Then I tell myself that I am sure everyone who has had the surgery probably had similar thoughts. I think an approval from my insurance won't be the problem. I have state insurance under BCBS. I have seen where people get approvals overnight and 3 to 4 days.  I fit all the criteria that they want to give an approval. I won't more than anything to be more physically able to do things. My energy level is on the floor. I work, and besides that it is pretty much come home eat and lay in the bed and eat some more. My kids are growing up right before my eyes, and there is so many things I would love to do with them in my mind, but my body won't let me. I need a lot of prayer that God will help me make the right decision.  I have pretty much made up my mind to have the surgery this time. I am just so afraid of failure, because I know who I am dealing with here....A hard head...LoL....thanks for being so hospitable.

Michelle

Hi Michelle,

I understand your concerns about not being able to make the changes you need to make to have this be successful. I had those concerns myself and to be honest, I'm still a work in progress and probably always will be. I have to say that I truly do not believe that I could or would have lost the weight without the surgery. The surgery actually 'forces' you to make some drastic changes early on and you can work with it to maximize your outcome; not just with the initial weight loss, but with the likelyhood that you will be able to maintain that weight loss. While some will say "Oh, you took the easy way out." There is nothing 'easy' about WLS, in any form and it isn't a cure all, but it does give you a 'leg up' or and 'edge'. You can expect to lose an average of 60 to 80 percent of your excess weight with RNY. Because of your BMI, you might be a candidate for DS, which might be something to consider if you are concerned about your ability to 'stay on the straight an narrow'. I don't advocate one over another, but each surgery type has it's strengths and weaknesses, it might be worth looking at RNY and DS to see if one fits your needs better.

With whatever surgery you choose, you will need to make behavioral changes and if you are like me, that might be the most frightening thing because if we were able to make behavioral changes we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. I have found that during the first few months of the surgery, to be honest you aren't really making concious behavior changes, they are all dictated by the surgical intervention, but as you move past the early stages, then you will start making concious decsions that will impact your outcome. I have made much better decsions after surgery than I ever could or would have before. I think it's important to join a support group... virtual and in person. That's why I started this one and the one that meets in person in Raleigh (come join us... www.meetup.com/nc-wls) I started them, because I needed more support than I could get with my once a month meetings through my program. You will also need to find a way to identify and deal with your not so healthy affair with food. I find that it's almost like being in an abusive relationship; it hurts us so bad, but there are some things that comfort us and we keep going back. There are a number of ways to address these issues. I think getting counseling is a really good thing. Another thing that has been invaluable to me has been a program that I found called the 'Beck Diet Solution.' It's not a diet, it's a program to help you identify and manage behavior that keeps you fat, so that you can learn to 'think thin.' For me, I doubt that the program alone, would have been enough, but then the surgery alone wouldn't have been 'enough' either. With the combination of support, surgery and working on making behavioral changes, I have hope that I will be successful in the long term because we all know that losing the weight isn't the definition of success, it's losing the weight and keeping it off.

I wish you success in your journey.

Hi, my name is Teresa. I am 51 years old, married to my husband Art for 31 years.I have two grown children My daughter is 29 and my son 26. I just moved to Smithfield NC from Middletown NY. I used to be a heavy smoker but I have been smoke free since Dec. 2006 and I am now at my top wieght of 298 lbs. I suffer from High blood pressure, Diabetes 2, Back Pain. The other day I looked at a picture of my self and relize how big I really am.  I think when I look in the mirror I don't really look. I relized it's time to do something. I am tired of the yo yo life I've lead so I've decided. I want to have surgery. I made the call. This past friday the 13th I recieved a call from the Doctor office. My insurance will cover me 100%.  My first appointment is with Doctor Paul Enochs March 5, 2009. I am very excited and scared at the same time.

Hi Teresa,

It's nice to meet you and I hope to get to meet you in person some time. We have monthly support group meetings in Raleigh on the 3rd Saturday of the month... we'll be having one this coming Saturday as a matter of a fact. At any rate, it sounds like we have a lot in common I have twins that are just about the same age as your children, they turned 27 this past December. I also have a 14 year old. My husband and I are high school sweetheart and have also been married 31 years. We moved to Raleigh from the SF Bay area about 8 years ago.

It sounds like, contrary to popular opinion, Friday the 13th, just might be your lucky day.

Wishing you all the best,

hi, my name is Kristi. I had the lapbanp surgery 9-04-07. I lost a grand total of 147lbs, but i have gained 60+ lbs. since june of 08 because had to have surgery twice since then so now i sit here sad and depressed because i have to have surgery again 4-24-09 because my band slipped.I have the worst luck ever! im tryin to stay positive but i am havin trouble do so. when i have surgery next mouth DR. might be doin the gastric sleeve. if anyone one has had the same thing or anything close please let me know im not alone!!!!!

Hi Kristi,

I'm sorry to hear that you are dealing with a band slippage, but I'm glad to hear that you'll be getting it fixed soon. I'm sure that your weight loss will jumpstart with your new pouch and you'll be on your way. You have already done an AMAZING job with your band.

Please be sure to keep us posted on your progress.

Wishing you all the best,

Hi, I am Tonya West. I joined this group shortly after my surgery. I had the realize band placed on February 26th, 2009, so I am not quite three weeks post-op.

I am married to my husband, Brian, who has been a firefighter for almost 20 years, but switched his position to fire/arson investigator ,  fire inspections about 2 years ago. The 24 hour shifts were getting to him, so he is now an 8-fiver. I have two children, Katelyn, age 10 and in the fifth grade, and Caroline, age 4, in preschool. I am an emergency room physician, and have been in practice for 13 years. Wow, time flies!!!

I did not even begin to have a problem with my weight until my first year in medical school. I gained 15 pounds the first semester. I joined weigh****chers, and immediately tried to reach my "ideal weight" of 110.  I had always weighed around 125-130, wearing a size 6-8. I got down to 119, with bones and ribs sticking out everywhere, looking anorexic, and wearing a size 4. I have a large amount of muscle for a female, so trying to get down so low was really unrealistic. I have always had very large arm muscles and calve muscles, and have been asked often if I was a weight lifter...nope, just born that way.

After the first weight loss, I kept it off for three years, but slowly started putting it back on. I reached 165 during my residency. I joined Jenny Craig, and got back down to 135, but by the end of my residency, I was back up to 175. At about the weight, I became pregnant, and got up to 245. I actually lost all of that on my own with diet and exercise, and got back down to 130. It was about a two year process. Then, in 2001, I faced several life changing experiences at once. I faced divorce from an abusive spouse who was stalking me (right before 9/11, which was another stressor), and decided to move to NC from the midwest . Needless to say, rural NC is much different from Chicagoland, so there was the culture shock of rural eastern NC, as well as the stress of moving to a new job, not knowing many people, and moving here with my 3 year old daughter...don't ask why I didn't move back home to Texas, where my family was...guess I wasn't thinking straight...On the day I was packing to move to NC, I was contacted my the Edney Gladney Home, known as the Edna Gladney Home for Unwed mothers when I was adopted from it in 1965, saying that my sister wanted to meet me. So, shortly after getting to NC, I met my sister, brother and  mother. Unfortunately, my father and two brothers were already deceased.
With all of the stresses, I started eating delicious eastern NC barbecue, and stopped getting on my treadmill. I had actually been running 6 miles a day on my days off, and 3 -4 miles on days I worked....but that all gradually stopped, and I crept up to 175 lbs. Then, I met my wonderful husband Brian. We dated 3 months and were married, and pregnant almost immediately. I literally gained 12 pounds a month on some months of my pregnancy. I really didn't feel as if I was overeating, but in retropect I was. It wasn't the amount, it was the substance of what I was eating...sometimes whoppers, sometimes pie, whatever I wanted.  I weighed 245 pounds once again...the exact weight I was when I had Katelyn. I dropped down to about 210 after the babies birth. I completed a 60 mile walk for breast cancer, called the Breast Cancer 3 day in October 2006. I was very proud of myself, as many people of normal weight were not able to complete the whole walk. I trained for the walk, sometimes walking 10-15 miles in preparation. I trained for 6 months. Still, in all the walking, I only got down to 198. The weight gradually crept back on again...I have tried many different diets since Caroline was born, and never really succeeded on any of them. So, I began considering the lap band. I was too scared of the RNY and didn't think I was "big" enough for it...so, now here I am 3 weeks post op, almost from the realize band.

Am I having second thoughts? Sort of...I have only lost 6 pounds. This is discouraging to me. I was told repeatedly that I would not lose weight that fast with the lap band, but it is still discouraging. I lost those 6 pounds in the first week, and have not lost any more since. Does anyone have any encouragement? My first fill will be at 5 weeks post op. I am also so hungry sometimes that I get a headache that is not relieved with motrin or tylenol.

I also struggle with finding time for exercise. I work 12 hour shifts, which mean I leave the house at 630am, and don't get bac****il usually 800pm. I work Fri, Sat, Sunday. On my days "off", I am taking care of my children, Mon-Thurs...I get them up at 630am. We go to school, and preschool. I have time at home in 1 1/2 -2 hour segments during the day. After school,there is gymnastics and dance and tai kwon do, as well as homework. I find myself in my spare moments trying to pay bills, buy groceries, prepare dinner, etc, etc...I know that getting up early would be my best time to exercise, but the older I get, the more tired I get...LOL. In the past, I could get up at 430 in the morning, ahead of the family , to get my exercise in....Now, I hit the snooze over and over again....I do love to exercise, and usually get addicted to it when I start doing it....but finding the time...I am sure this is a common struggle . Does anyone have any ideas other than getting up early?? I guess I may have to bite the bullet and get up early.

Well, I guess this was more than an introduction. Sorry to be so wordy. I am glad to be here on this journey, and I am looking forward to giving and receivng suppport!

Tonya,

I'm delighted to meet you and want to warmly welcome you to the group. If you haven't found the lapband and realize band forums, please look them up. They may well be able to help you with the hunger issues, what to expect, etc... Of course, we're here too, but to be honest, I think that about 90 percent of all surgeries are still RNY, so you'll get some focused support on those forums. That said, I want you to be sure to come here too. We can and will support you and look for support from you.

It's really normal, no matter the type of surgery that you have had to hit a stall in the first few weeks after surgery. I was sure that I had messed it all up, because I lost 10 lbs following surgery, then NOTHING! I was so distressed. In talking to my surgeon, he said that no matter the type of surgery or weight loss, you are likely to lose in a stair step fashion rather than sliding down, so hang on. It will come off. Just stay the course.

The other issue will be fills and how they will work for you. Most RNY patients lose a great deal early on, but slow down signficantly in the 'back' end of the journey. Many banders start slow, but gain momentum as they have their fills.

No matter you surgery type, be sure that you are getting in the exercise... sounds like walking is a great one for you and that you address the behavior component. With those to areas tackled and your band, you'll do well.

I run a very large group in the Raleigh area. If you ever get up this way, let me know. I'd love to meet you.

Wishing you all the best,

Hello,  I am Brenda from Monterrey, Mexico.  I am 61 years old, mother of 3 and grandmother of 5 with another on the way.  My husband and I have been missionaries in Monterrey since 1969.  We just might stay, if we decide that we like it!

In 2001 I had a adjustable gastric band put in...one year later it had migrated into my stomach and caused an horrific infection.  The docs say I almost died.

So I decided to do it on my own.....over the next 7 years, I gained back everything that I had lost plus another 20 pounds.

My doctors encouraged me to have more surgery...my sister had the RNY last March and has lost all her weight....  Finally I said yes.

Last October 10, I underwent surgery, thinking I would have the RNY like my sister.  The doctor found some giant deposits of scar tissue and wound up doing a VSG. 

I have lost 60 pounds since then.  Have regained some of my health, and the doc is now ready to complete the RNY...probably in April.

It is good to be in this group.  I need all the support that I can get.

Brenda