andreaearlemccorkle@...

[Guest guest]

, I appreciate your opinion, because getting the band is a major decision. And you are very right about food being a comforter. And you make some valid points. You can get the band, but that dosen't change that food was a friend, food was more than a friend, someone you confided in, the only the person who was there when no one was, was food. And although you can't eat the way you, I guess in way you are losing a bestfriend. But its a friend who just as much as they may have helped, it also took alot away. And its good that you have identified this about yourself. I am sure many bandsters feel the same way as you. So I am glad that you shared this with me.andreaearlemccorkle <andreaearlemccorkle@...> wrote: Hey Mardi, Well for me, A LOT has changed...radically changed. I had surgery onApril 18th (band) and I came home and 17 pounds evaporated and noteating didn't bother me much AT ALL during the liquid stage. After allI had just had surgery and I was healing and then I was, after allbusy. Bip scared me straight during the healing process and I stuck tothe after diet like a Nun chasing Jesus (no insults intended!), butlet's just call it religious, until the last few days of the 30 when Ifinagled what "mushie" really meant (surely well chewed chickennuggets, that's mushie!). Then, I started on real food again and foundI didn't much tolerate that which you have heard you don't muchtolerate (breads,

pastas, really dry meats and LETTUCE of all things!)BUT I could eat whatever else, every few hours in small quantities(about what my two year old eats). The weight loss ceased to assist.My own undoing so to speak because I was then very adverse to whatthey call working up a sweat. Then two weeks later, literally on mysix week band-iversary I got my first fill back in Mexicali. It was aminute fill, really small, like.6 cc's or something, giving me a totalof 1.4 ccs in my 4 cc band (Dr. A put .9 ccs in when I was banded tofit the band around my stomach). I thought, yippeekaeaye...er...anyway, home bound I was and went. Well, well, well, I gotback to Texas and did the after a fill diet, though not as religiouslyas the after the band diet, and on day five I started trying to eatsome food again, just mushies, but tuna if you call that food, andahhhhh heck no, that wasn't going down. Next day I had a few tatertots, no

brotha, not happening either. I tried protein drinks, I triedsoups, I tried, I tried, I tried...nada! Lots of PBing and aboutanother 14 pounds went down the watery way.....Was I overfilled, was I crazy, was I achingly desperate for food?Well, I was one or two of those. I dunno...I posted on here, I calledBip, and then I realized......I WAS TRYING TO HARD. I was so bound anddetermined to eat again that I never let my stomach rest and I'd beshoving food in before the broth could take effect. Finally, I restedand then went back on protein shakes, and now thick liquids, and somesmall bites of food, but here's the thing, I still can't eat too earlyand when I can eat, after 2 pm or 4 pm, it's three to five BITES offood, and that's ALL I NEED. If I eat more, it comes up! A few hours later I can repeat the process. Here's another little tidbit, myfreaking band, woman that she is, doesn't like sweets at all,obviously

she never approved this through me!...so that ice cream Iloved, those m & m's I snuck in, when I eat that, nausea flows, head totoe, and I feel like crap, that's if, if I don't PB. So a few days ago, I'm sitting on my bed thinking WTH?????? My bestfriend and husband are telling me I'm depressed and need to "snap outof it" and I'm like, "Hey guys, BITE MY SHRINKING BUTT!" but on somelevel I know they're right. I mean I'm physically tired and my fillaint no where near perfect but the weight, the weight is coming offand hey baby, I'm wearing clothes from a year and a half ago! I lookedin the mirror and thought, HOOEY I'm looking less fat by the minute,but I'm still sitting on the bed all sad and pathetic being mean tothe kids and dogs! Well, I'm a counselor, so I start evaluating mymental state, what triggered this behavior, what's up with my poorpitiful me act, what are my depressive symptoms, and Mardi, it hit

melike a ton of bricks......FOOD DID! Here's the thing, while I did my pre-surgery therapy to address theissues that made me fat, I somehow missed the after surgery piece ofno fat, no carb pie. The thing is Mardi, I am almost 40 and food, wellit's been a friend, a buddy, a comforter and for me, a stressreliever! Well, especially since my fill, but really since thesurgery, I look at food now, and it has a whole OTHER appearance! I nolonger look at that hamburger and think,"When my husband ticks me off,I'll have you good and loaded with extra cheese, and I'll feel betterthen!", I now look at that hamburger and think, "Ahhhh hell nah,you're gonna make me throw up...keep cooking jack, cause I ainteating!" So here's the unmedicated issue Mardi, food has been myProzac for about 36 years. When I get stressed, I eat like a southernwoman at Sunday brunch! Then, even while the stress is still there,it's less

effective and I can now manage it. Fill my belly, cuddle myemotions, saturate my mind, and help me deal Burger King and TacoBell, because you have been one legal drug I can afford to get my fixof. Except now I can't because my band, that girl, she don't sufferfools well at all, and all that food made me a fool for too many yearsto count! So now I'm left to my own devices and guess what, I'm off my Prozacand depression, it's knocking at my door because my buddy aint here toanswer. So the last few days, I've been evaluating my stress level,and it is WAY too high (nothing to do with the band, everything to dowith lifestyle), and now I gotta find some way to meet my stress needswithout food and even as a counselor, I'm a bit bogged down in it!Talk about addiction counseling....."HI MY NAME'S ANDREA AND MY LASTMACARONI & CHEESE WAS 52 DAYS, 9 HOURS, AND 36 MINUTES AGO!" I findnow, I'm raw and achingly sad not

have my food buddy....And Mardi, so blessed happy to finally have that drug out my system,no matter the personal growth it might take for me suffer thesewithdrawals! So, is the band worth,YYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!But be aware food is more to us eaters than just life support. By theway Mardi, I've lost 31 pounds of fat from all over my body (in sevenweeks) and clothes fit that haven't in a year and a half and insteadof walking around in a food sedated daze, I'm dealing with my ownissues, sans that extra large burrito supreme! It's worth it Mardi butbe advised to ride with caution because it aint a walk in the Tofupark, it's a ride on the bandwagon! HOPE THIS HELPS and remember, it'sjust my humble opinion, and everybody has ONE!!!!!! >> Hi guys! I hope everyone is having a good day. Well for some of you, > you may have read my initial post the other day. I am considering > getting the band because my weight has gotten out of control.> I am close tp 300lbs and I am 5'1. I am not happy with this weight, > and my ideal weight for my height is 130. I wish I could get banded > today, but my insurance does not cover the procedure.> > Anyways my question to everyone how has their life changed after being > banded?>

May the road rise up to meet you,

may the wind be at your back,

may the sun shine warm on your face,

the rain fall softly on your fields;

and until we meet again, may

God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Be blessed- Mardell