../forum/index.php Fri, 18 May 2012 23:35:00 -0400 Phorum 5.2.8 ../forum/read.php?4,205,205#msg-205 ../forum/read.php?4,205,205#msg-205
Thanks,
Carrie]]> ccagle betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:30:02 -0500 ../forum/read.php?4,200,200#msg-200 ../forum/read.php?4,200,200#msg-200 BUSYMOM betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:34:20 -0500 ../forum/read.php?4,199,199#msg-199 ../forum/read.php?4,199,199#msg-199 Wanda Gillett betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Sun, 21 Aug 2011 15:12:29 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,196,196#msg-196 ../forum/read.php?4,196,196#msg-196 Barbara]]> Anonymous User betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:23:32 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,194,194#msg-194 ../forum/read.php?4,194,194#msg-194 Prettygirl betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:38:49 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,193,193#msg-193 ../forum/read.php?4,193,193#msg-193 sgarza08 betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:02:38 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,191,191#msg-191 ../forum/read.php?4,191,191#msg-191 Anonymous User betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:49:40 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,187,187#msg-187 ../forum/read.php?4,187,187#msg-187 Hi all... well i am just hmmmmm... idk nervous maybe. I don't want to do the wrong things. I thought i knew what all i was suppose to do. And i am sure i do. I feel wierd though... like everything is fine but after all the stories i had been told prior to my surgery i had anticipated idk something...i dont know. I am not really hungry nor do i really ever feel full does that make sense? i am just ok. I need to find out when the soonest meeting is?? Anyone able to give me time and location? I know i probably seem like i am babbling but i just feel like ok now wut with tears and joy?? Any Advice Welcome.... ]]> hopeful betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Mon, 17 May 2010 12:24:53 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,184,184#msg-184 ../forum/read.php?4,184,184#msg-184
I am 21 years old and ever since I can remember I've been over weight. Not just that, but way over that. I am 5'11" tall and right now I wiegh close to 400 pounds. I have a lot of pain in my lower back, my legs, my feet, and sometimes catch myself having to catch my breath even just sitting down and chatting. My doctor tells me at every visit I'm borderline diabetic and when I see a new doctor they're always surprised that I dont have diabetes. (especially since it runs in my family)

I have two older sisters who have got this surgery as well (Gastric Bypass) and they are doing wonderful! I am so proud of them!
When I got the call from BetterLife that Thursday afternoon, I literally had to cover my mouth so the woman scheduling me would hear me crying, but when she put me on hold to check the schedule, I let it out! I am so excited and so ready to do this. I had been waiting about a year to hear they finally got together with Blue Cross. I am so thankful and ready to get on with this journey!]]> sandyig1288 betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Sun, 09 May 2010 13:59:58 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,180,180#msg-180 ../forum/read.php?4,180,180#msg-180
I am 21 years old and I scheduled my Gastric Bypass date for May 24th 2010. I am super excited but really nervous. I'm afraid of the emotinal struggle that it's going to be. Is there anybody else out there that is as young as me? How has your body reshaped itself? Do you have extra skin? How did you feel for the folowing days after surgery? When I originally decided to have WLS, I had my heart set on the sleeve because the bypass scared me and i watched my dad lose 60 pounds with his lap band and gain 30 pounds back. BUT, my insurance doesn't cover the sleeve at all, but covers the bypass 90%!!! which is awesome. So now i've decided to do the bypass. Anybody have anything they would like to share with me about their experience?]]> mynewlife betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:24:32 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,179,179#msg-179 ../forum/read.php?4,179,179#msg-179 terry_coles@yahoo.com if interested. Perhaps Dr McDaniel would like to join us?

thanks,
terry]]> terry coles betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:05:50 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,178,178#msg-178 ../forum/read.php?4,178,178#msg-178 I am new to the forum and wanted to see if there is anyone out there that have had the sleeve surgery and their results on it. I have my surgery already scheduled and decieded on the sleeve since I am making a life changing decision I wanted something permanent. So anyone out there have any stories they can share would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks]]> Anonymous User betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Sun, 10 Jan 2010 14:09:02 -0500 ../forum/read.php?4,175,175#msg-175 ../forum/read.php?4,175,175#msg-175 One fact is i am in a cycle that i want to eat more, i am aware of that. the problem i am concerned about is that i am able to eat more with out discomfort.
i do not want to loose ground on the work that i have accomplished. "help"
thanks
debbie]]> Anonymous User betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:08:12 -0500 ../forum/read.php?4,174,174#msg-174 ../forum/read.php?4,174,174#msg-174
I have been reading some posts about Rheumatoid Arthritis and weight loss surgery. Is there any correlation? I had WLS July 2009 and am just getting diagnosed with RA. I know that when I was heavy, I took Mobic for about 10 - 15 years on a daily basis for hip joint pain. I tend to think that I just kept the arthritis at bay with that medication all those years and now that I don't take it anymore, the RA crept up on me. I now have pain and swelling in my knuckles. The doctor today said she thought it was RA and I had xrays and blood tests done. Have you heard or researched any connection between the two? My doctor also prescribed a Voltaren Gel for the pain. She said that would be okay to take topically so I wouldn't injest nsaids. Thanks.]]> judygail betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:00:32 -0500 ../forum/read.php?4,167,167#msg-167 ../forum/read.php?4,167,167#msg-167 kathy betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:25:33 -0500 ../forum/read.php?4,164,164#msg-164 ../forum/read.php?4,164,164#msg-164 I have only heard of one that meets on Tuesday nights, which in never an option for me (I have to work on Tues. nights).
Anyone know of any others?
Thanks]]> Anonymous User betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:38:41 -0500 ../forum/read.php?4,161,161#msg-161 ../forum/read.php?4,161,161#msg-161
I have to admit that the 14 months gave me a lot of time to get to know more about myself and see what I can do, but it would have been nice to have been able to skip past at least a few of the months!

I managed to loose 50 pounds on my own, but I know that history repeats itself and the weight is just waiting to come back on.

I am super stoked to finally be able to have this surgery done. I have heard nothing but excellent things about Dr. McDaniel's and his office staff. Everyone I know that has used him speaks so highly of him.

It is exciting that this forum exits...kind of gives us a place to vent and get answers!

Christine]]> Sunny76Daz betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:30:29 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,160,160#msg-160 ../forum/read.php?4,160,160#msg-160 My name is Debbie, I was banded on July 22nd. I looked into the lapband approx a year before deciding to actually move forward. I did alot of research on doctors and on the procedure itself. I have been very very pleased with BetterLife Bariatrics from day one, my experience with the staff and with Dr. Mc.Daniel has been nothing but outstanding!! The staff made my entire process and hospital stay very comforting for me and the care was impeccable!!
My Journey begins at a whopping 230 lbs (July 08) which is the heaviest I have ever been...with many health problems beginning to occur I knew I needed to make a life change and commit to it. I decided if I was going to do this I needed to do this right and I started by changing the way I was eating and thinking.
I knew I had to change the whole thinking process and make better choices in eating. I also started walking to make sure I was nice and strong for the procedure especially since I have struggled so much with this weight.
I managed to lose some weight by the time I was banded in July (201). The procedure was a success and I was lucky enough to not have any complications. I made sure to follow all instructions before and during my recovery to include walking as much as possible during my hospital stay. I feel that following every instruction recommended by the physician is so important in order to have a successful outcome!
I am now 2 months out and I have lost a total of 28lbs so far. I am walking 3 miles a day and I am eating as healthy as I possibly can making sure I get the fluids and proteins in first... I am already seeing positive results in my health which is my ultimate goal and of course the weight coming off which has been an added plus!! (:P) I would highly recommend this procedure to anyone who is struggling with weight loss and meets the requirements for this procedure! It's most definitely a lifetime change but so well worth it..having a long healthy life is priceless!!
Again, Thank you Dr. Mc.Daniel and staff for giving me a second chance in life!!
God Bless,
Debbie Salazar]]> Anonymous User betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:35:17 -0500 ../forum/read.php?4,150,150#msg-150 ../forum/read.php?4,150,150#msg-150 because i am lazy and was dining out i thought i would be smart and just take a digital picture of my plate when it had all my food in it so that i could write it down later.....
OHHHHH my goodness the impact that had... i savored that food and realized i couldnt go back to get more (buffet) because i would have to take another picture. talking about realization.... TRY IT....
i then was so proud that i didnt eat everything on my plate i took a picture of that too...
those pics are now on my refridge like a report card from school.

at first i thought people would think i was weird taking a pic of my food, so when i looked around..... i seen a man dressed in his pajamas, other overweight people with their food piled high, deserts like crazy on tables, wasted food.... etc.....
i am glad and proud of my self for doing it
debbie]]> Anonymous User betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:52:44 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,148,148#msg-148 ../forum/read.php?4,148,148#msg-148
Within a few days of being released from the hospital I was at the gym on a treadmill walking. Although I was still having gas pains from the surgery I walked through it. I was determined that I was going to lose the weight. Like I said, this was my last chance. My husband is a Corpus Christi Firefighter so when he worked his 24 hour shift I would go to the gym twice a day. I knew that I had close to 150 pounds to lose and could not justify sitting on the couch doing nothing.

Everything I read and heard indicated that the first 6 months is the most important time for weight loss so I didn't want to waste of minute of it by not working out. I had to keep asking myself "HOW BAD DO YOU WANT THIS? HOW BAD DO YOU WANT TO LOSE THE WEIGHT?" And was I willing to do WHATEVER it would take to accomplish this? The answer was YES.....I was willing and able since I had no major health problems to keep me from working out.

Initially I exercised to lose the weight, then I exercised to keep the weight off. Now I exercise because I CAN.....and because I love it!!! I enjoy seeing my flat stomach, the defination in my abs (although not quite a six pack), my well defined bicep and tricep muscles on my arms etc...... I love to see heads turn when I walk into a room, even at the gym. I've had several personal trainers at the gym comment on how good I look. My personal trainer keeps telling me that she needs to work out harder since my arms look better then hers. What an amazing complement from someone who makes a living teaching people to exercise.

Ok so as you can see I've managed to keep the weight off because I gave up excessive eating and picked up exercise as a new addiction. Yes I do have an addictive personality and everything I do I do to the best of my ability. I see no end to where I can take my body now.

But there is still that little matter of FOOD. Yes I DO still love to eat and I am still addicted to food. Everyday I still have to make a conscious decision to eat the correct foods and not the junk food. I do eat alot of protein since I am into body building and want to see more lean muscle mass on my body and the protein is essential for muscle development. I cannot ever buy a box of cookies or a gallon of ice cream because sweets ARE my binge food and I will keep eating them until they're gone. Yes they will make me feel lousy but I will still eat them if I have them. This is not to say that I don't occasionally eat junk food, but I do it in a controlled setting.....such as sharing a dessert at a restaurant with my husband instead of buying a whole cake and bringing it home.

And by the way my husband chose have lapband surgery 3 years after my surgery. He said he never would have considered such a thing except for the fact that he'd been going to group with me for years and saw miracles happen to many people.

Group therapy IS still very important to us and we make sure we get to group once a month or so. Because we still are addicted to food and need to be around people just like us. And when I first came into this process and went to group I wanted to meet people that had lost the weight and kept it off. So part of our reason for attending group is because we want to help others through this process.

Weight loss surgery is a wonderful.....wonderful.....wonderful TOOL but it is just that! A tool that works wonders IF I choose to work it. It's given me a whole new life! I went from a size 26 to a size 4-6. Four years ago I was fortunate enough to be able to scrape together the money for plastic surgery to remove the excess skin. I had a lower body lift and then went back to have breast augmentation and my arms done. I am thrilled with the results of all my surgeries!

I love to communicate with those new to this process so feel free to write with questions, comments or whatever.

Time to put on some shorts and a tank top and go out into the world to enjoy life as a skinny, fit woman. And to always remember to thank God for this transformation that he's helped make possible.

Until next time......
Terry Coles]]> terry coles betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Sun, 09 May 2010 13:46:51 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,147,147#msg-147 ../forum/read.php?4,147,147#msg-147 went to the pouch pals meeting last tuesday and it really helped. Lane Johnsons term was "yea things sometimes are HARD, but i can do hard". (may not be the exact quote and thanks lane for letting me use it)
I am ready.... my goal this week and a half is to stay free of illness so that i dont have to be rescheduled.

debbie]]> Anonymous User betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:04:44 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,143,143#msg-143 ../forum/read.php?4,143,143#msg-143 one question is the diet coming home while waiting for band to be tightened. i understand they start to tighten it after 2 weeks. do i start clear liqs all over again?]]> Anonymous User betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:01:31 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,141,141#msg-141 ../forum/read.php?4,141,141#msg-141
Thanks!!]]> terranicole betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:07:52 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,137,137#msg-137 ../forum/read.php?4,137,137#msg-137

I am interested in reading testimonies from anyone who has had the sleeve or lap-band. I need to make decision soon and would like to hear from you.

Thanks.]]> nanabv betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:19:45 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,136,136#msg-136 ../forum/read.php?4,136,136#msg-136
My scheduled date is next week and I have been so looking forward to having WLS. However, today I find myself having fear/anxiety/cold feet. Did some of you experience this prior to your surgery?]]> nanabv betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:43:42 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,123,123#msg-123 ../forum/read.php?4,123,123#msg-123 I am new and will have my bypass on 8/10/09. Can someone tell me why we need to go to support group meetings? What do they do? How do they help?
Fern]]> Anonymous User betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:30:49 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,111,111#msg-111 ../forum/read.php?4,111,111#msg-111
judygail]]> judygail betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:42:41 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,110,110#msg-110 ../forum/read.php?4,110,110#msg-110
Hi Everyone!
I had bypass surgery in Jan 2005 performed by Dr. McDaniel. I have since lost 86 pounds and have remained at a stable weight for about 2 years. I want to have plastic surgery to remove excess skin from the weight loss. Particularly arms and abdomen. Has anyone had any plastic surgey done? If so what procedures? Where and with whom? Insurance paid for part/none/all? If insurance paid what insurance provider? Just some of the questions I am looking for answers and suggestions to.
Thanks!
B)]]> NPR betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:27:25 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,107,107#msg-107 ../forum/read.php?4,107,107#msg-107 msanchez betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:33:52 -0400 ../forum/read.php?4,106,106#msg-106 ../forum/read.php?4,106,106#msg-106 lrgsgt@o9 betterLife Bariatrics forms Online Support Group Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:23:27 -0400