I finally had a few pain free days (minus time with my mother-in-law) and i have started going to the gym. So far I made it Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and today, Sunday. I have been trying not to weigh myself too often but so far i have gone from 273 (my heaviest in May) to 239.5 (as of today):smile2:. I have only cheated on the no smoking a few times but did really good until last week. Going to try again, hope this time, no cheating.

Starting to wonder about how i am going to celebrate my birthday though... cupcake instead of cake:w00t:? Am I allowed to have a cocktail or two? I know that I wont be able to get hammered like I have the previous years, but can you drink with the band? I kinda want to ask my dr but i dont want to bother them with stupid questions.

-S

P.S. does it bother anyone else that the cute two thumbs up emoticon doesnt work, instead the dumb looking thumbs up with sunglasses gets put there...stupid emoticons...you think your so clever dont cha???

Although my dietician and doc told me no alcohol for 6 months after surgery, I went on a 2-week cruise 3 months after my banding and my surgeon said I could drink - in moderation and being very careful to choose my empty calories wisely...he said to stay clear of mixed drinks with sugary/fruity mixes and that I could drink a glass of wine a half hour before dinner...or as a nightcap. I was very careful and had a BLAST and was able to enjoy a bit of alcohol with the other 5 couples who were with us.

As far as the cake I passed on those types of desserts for fear that the doughy cake would swell up and cause blockage, so I stuck with a tiny bit of Creme Brulee, or a small bit of Flan, etc. I did enjoy some sorbet types of desserts too. I was too afraid to eat much else in the way of desserts. I did not feel deprived either!

I walked every day on the cruise and did manage to get to the gym...I swam every day as well...and despite all of the food available on the ship 24/7, I still managed to lose 5 pounds between my weigh-in the week before I left (when I got a fill...smart woman !!) and when I went back 2 weeks after I returned from my cruise for my next fill!!!

So celebrate responsibly!!

Happy Birthday!!