Introductions

Hi Mike,

It's nice to meet you and I'm delighted that you are a part of our group. You have done a fabulous job with your band... I think that learning to be accountable to the most important person in this journey... yourself, is one of most valuable lessons I have learned. 

Like you I truly appreciate the warmth and support that I find here on OH. I honestly do not know that I could or would have been nearly as successful in my own journey if it were not for the support, information and friendships I have found here.

I look forward to getting to know you better as we make our respective journies.

Wishing you all the best and continued success,

Hi,
I turned 52 May 13th and my birthday present to myself was RYN on the 19th.  Friday I'll be 1 month post op.  My highest weight April 19th was 317 and today I'm at 274.  This is the best present I could have ever given myself.

As a child I was always a little on the heavy side.  Through my teen age years I weighed more than most people would have guessed.  I'm 5'7" and actually carried my weight well.  Is there really such a thing?  Oh well, even now people I work with don't think I weigh as much as I do but the scales never lie. 

I married at 26, had a beautiful baby girl at 29 and divorced about 1 1/2 years later.  He decided he'd fool around some on the side and it just got out of control. During the time we were dating and married, his mother is a wonderful country cook and I loved her food.  The weight started going on and after the divorce food was my comfort and friend.  The pounds went on and at the time I just didn't care.  Being a single Mom is a tough job and I wanted to make up for her not having her Dad around all the time.  She was active in school and outside activities and it was quick to grab something to eat rather than take the time to cook.  More pounds added on.

After 13 years as a single mom, I met a man from Wilmington who I fell in love with and we got married 8 years ago.  He's wonderful to me and to my daughter who is now 22 and getting ready to go to Law School in the fall.  My husband is a big eater and considering my love for food, more pounds went on which brought me to this point in my life. 

I've always put others first, myself last but decided I need to come first.  I suppose better late than never but if I could turn back the hand of time, I'd like to think I'd do some things differently.

Greetings,

I'm Renee living in Ahoskie, NC. I'm 47years old, originally from NY and moved to Durham, NC in 1995. I am single, childless and a Social worker who is an Assistant Professor of Social Work for a HBCU.

Teaching classes at night, prevents me from attending support group meetings in the evenings and I beleive that connecting with others through this site will keep me grounded. I understand the importance of attending support groups going through my journey.

I am having my surgery tomorrow, August 4th and 7am, and I am both excited and anxious. I will be taking along my computer to stay in touch with this group and site and I am confident that this journey will challenging and worthwhile. I look forward to connecting with other!!

Hi Barbara & Fellow Losers!

My name is Katie and I'm 27. I live in Riverton, WY with my husband, grandma, and our 2 cats. We don't have any kids and won't have any either, which is fine because I'm just not a kid person. I work for Edward Jones Investments as a Branch Office Administrator. I love to shop, love music, and love riding 4 wheelers with my hubby.

 I guess I've always had weight problems, but since I was 17 they got worse and worse. I had a hysterectomy when I was 17 due to endometriosis, adenomyosis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. I was on so much medication before and after surgery, and then having to take hormone replacement therapy, really messed with my body. So, I went from being a chunky kid to being an overweight almost obese woman. I battled my weight through my first marriage and then my divorce really did a number on me. I am a stress/depressed eater, so the pounds packed on pretty quick. I met my current husband and we worked together to lose weight and I got down to 200 pounds before our wedding. I was SO happy. Then, 2 weeks to the day from our wedding, I was in a car accident. A woman ran a red light and she was going 50 mph. It totaled my car. I broke my left ankle, broke 4 ribs on my right side, had bruises and contusions all over my body, and had one really bad hematoma on the inside of my left knee. Well, that hematoma still has the color of bruising and it's been 4 years since my accident. It also left me with nerve damage in that area of my leg and knee. It was so painful and I was on oxycontin for 3 years and gained a LOT of weight during that, coupled with the fact that I could not exercise because it hurt so bad. So, I was officially obese.

So, I finally switched doctors at my mother's encouragement, and he took me off the pain meds (slowly took me off), gave me different medicine for nerve pain, and got me in for my initial visit for the LapBand. My mom had the REALIZE band in January of this year, and she has lost 76 pounds to date, so the doctor said I was the perfect candidate due to the fact both my mom and dad were obese, and that I had been fighting my weight for years as well as other co-morbidities. I haven't felt this good since I was in high school. I've lost 20 pounds and lots of inches (including 4 inches in my waist!!!).

I am already having a successful journey with my weight loss surgery and I am so thankful that  this tool was given to me. Thank you for allowing me to join your group. I think I will be able to learn a lot from all of you.

Hi, I hope this message posts correctly.  My name is Kathy and I just had the Rny gastric bypass surgery this past Thursday, making yesterday 1 week.  I am excited about the changes to come.  The only problem I am having right now is with the protein issue.  I don't like the taste of any of the supplements so it is hard to get enough.  I'm trying.

I am from Fayetteville.  I am married to a wonderful man who is very supportive.  I also have an older son (out on his own) and a teenage daughter.  We have a dog and a cat.

I wanted this surgery due to the fact I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes over a year ago.  I have managed to keep it in check through diet, but it has been getting harder. Also, I take meds for high blood pressure and high cholestral.  I truly hope these issues will be resolved.  

Thanks for allowing us a place to learn.

Hi Kathy,

It looks like your message posted just fine :-)

Your profile sounds a lot like my own. We have 27 year old twin sons that have been out on their own for a while. We also have a teenage daughter. I decided to have my own RNY because I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and I decided that after 30+ years of battling my weight, that WLS of some type likely the only way I'd get the weight off and hopefully resolve the diabetes. Thank goodness all worked out. I lost the weight, the diabetes is resolved and my hemochromatosis is managed by the malabsorption that helps to keep my iron levels in check. I just had my labs done and my iron levels are great, myHbA1C is 5.4, my cholesterol is under control, my blood pressure is running about 100/60 w/out meds... Hopefully, you'll reap similar benefits with your own journey. 

It takes a while to be able to get all of the protien in and I think most of the Dr's recognize that. My husband really like the IsoPure protien drinks because they weren't as 'viscous' as many of the shakes. He often nursed them all day long. 

If you need anything, please post and feel free to send me a PM. I'll do my best to respond. 

Wishing you all the best,

Hi All
My name is Gina and I live in NJ. I have been over weight since 4th grade. I was the kid pick last for gym class. I have grown into myself and gown out. I have excepted my weight and lived life full tilt. I am married to a wonderful man (Ron) who love me because of my outgoing personality. I will try everything once to see if I like it and again if I do. I am very loving and giving person.

I decided to lose this weight not because I felt it stop me from doing thing, but because I so enjoy my life with my man that I didn't want it to end prematurely

I started my journey with Weigh****chers and lost 60lbs then started to gain some back. That is when I decided to look into WLS. By the time I had the surgery I had gained 30 of the 60 that I lost I have now lost a total of 100lbs from my highest of 318 and 78 with the lap band. I slip sometime and lose my way but the path is well lighted and easy for me to get back on with this band.

Thanks for read and supporting.

Hi Gina,

I hope that your journey is going well. I really related to your comments about living fully even before surgery. I felt that way too. I know that now I am more able to live an even fuller life than I had before, but like you, I didn't really wait by the sidelines to watch life go by. That said, I'm amazed at how much more active my life is now. I wish the same for you.

I look forward to getting to know you as you make this incredible journey,

Hello everyone!

I am struggling right now with my weight loss.  I had RNY on sept 20th 2009 and have lost 21 lbs.  I have been at a stand still for the last 3 to 4 weeks.  IM STUCK and am getting very depressed!  I follow everything to a T.  I get my recomened amt of protein and I stay away from carbs as much as possible but for some reason the scale has not moved.  I am so depressed that I cry at night thinking I am a FAILURE again!!!!!!  If this surgery doesnt help then nothing can help me.  I have a very supporative family who says that I am doing great but I cant see that.  All I see is the scale staying at the same weight at I have been ever since I went off liquids.  I started off at 314 and now am 295 and holding.  What could the problem be?  Im so scared Im going to fail again!

Hello! My name is Ana and I'm 31 years old. I am Brazilian, with Portuguese nationality and living in the Netherlands. When I was a child I was not fat but never thin either. I started gaining weight when I was a teenager and on age 14 I started to try diets and spent some vacaiton in SPAs (my mom is also overweight so I'd go with her). Everyt ime I would lose a lot of weight and later on put it back with some extra (as I think most of us). Now that I am maybe thinking of having kids I couldn't bear the thought of carrying even more weight and also risk my life and the child's. Well, being a mother can wait but I decided that having a healthy body cannot! When I can't anymore get home without stopping to rest (I live on the 3rd floor with no lift) and every day just to wear my socks is a nightmare I think it's time.

So I am set for my laparoscopic RNY gastric bypass on Jan, 7th, 2010. So far I am dealing with it pretty okay. No fears whatsoever. My biggest issue is that because my Dutch is not that good I can't really go into a support group in here and living so far away from my family and close friends might be a problem on the first days/weeks of "what have I done?" feeling. And that's why I am trying to search this support in the internet.