shellyj

hey vera! calvin is 1 week exactly out of PS and he was in less pain than expected and is healing nicely. he will get drains out tommorrow. he is also planning to return to work next week. i will be going out there for 10 days fr christmas! thanks for asking! thanks leatha! thanks kelly! i always like seeing progress pics of people who started close to the same weight as i was. i am glad they give you something to shoot for! enjoy this next year it will be FULL OF CHANGE! thanks MomHappe1 i will be bustin outta my britches when i see 199! so far i have yet to dip belo 207! thanks blossom! thanks paula! i have a hard time realizing that but WHOA! thanks teresa! it is quite an adventure looking at all the pics in a row. made me really stop and think. thanks greg! i LOVE the mans opinion!! thanks lauri! hey michelle! thanks! things are going good with new man, we will be spending the holidays together! he was down here last week so we got to spend thanksgiving together too. thanks alex and kimberly! it was so nice coming in to work today and seeing all these encouraging messages! you guys are AWESOME! michelle

hey lisa, your loss and attitude are phenominal! :banana!!!! you impress the hell out of me! you have the best attitude about this whole thing to research all your options then make an educated decision. you'll be in the 230's SOON!!!!! (((((hugs))))) michelle

well dang...i tried to attach them to make it easy. if your interested you can view them at my picture trail they are at the end of the progress photos

thanks pat! thats so sweet! so marie does that mean no pic??? lol... rats!!!! michele

you need an unfill. not only should you be able to eat Soups, mushies but also SOLIDS!!! your dr should be more attentive. i called mine when i was to tight, and i could get down soups just had a hard time with solids, she cam in on her day off to unfill me because being tight is VERY SERIOUS!!! have you been having reflux? PLEASE tell your dr you need a slight unfill. to me being to tight was WAY worse than being to loose. my dr took all the fill he added plus -.2 cc to let my stomache heal because i irritated it from the pb'ing. ((((((hugs)))))) michelle

lol! i am telling you victorias secret is where its at!!!! i would go in and ask to be fitted but dont buy a bra there...go home and shop here: http://www2.victoriassecret.com/Sale/ CLEARANCE!!!! on the right the 70% off section!!! michelle

OMG my friend just emailed this to me!!! had to share

i just recently made my first trip to victorias secret and asked for the BEST PADDED PUSH UP BRA they had!!!! and let me tell you...I HAVE CLEAVAGE!!!!! yes its false cleavage but STILL!!! theres really not that much padding its just the way the bra's made....i LOVE it!!! i'll let the pics speak for themselves...i can tell a big difference!

now thats really cool! keep us posted! michelle

i am so sorry you are having to deal with this. i cant imagine how you feel. you are in my thoughts. michelle

WOW GIRL!!!! you are looking GREAT!!!! and i know you must feel wonderful! keep up the great work! michelle

OOOHHHH ANNE!!!! THATS WONDERFUL!!!! i am SOOOOO happy for you! i cant wait for you and your tool to get reaquinted! YAY!!!! your band is WORKING!!!!! ((((hugs)))) michelle

hey babs! i had to get an unfill for ebing to tight...i am bitching, moaning and whining right there with you. i now have less than before my fill! i only have to wait 1 month till my fill though. let me know how it goes! michelle

thanks leatha for that very intersting post. i am actually going for an upper gi on next week because i think i am to tight. i have been on liquids since monday. i cant afford to wait for something to wrong because if i go to the er my ins wont pay. i am getting the upper gi to 'diagnos' reflux but i am taking the x-ray films to my band dr. as soon as they will give them to me. alexandra- please keep us updated. i know you will.

the last time i had a fill under flouro the dr said see the barium sitting in your pouch for a second or two before it goes down...thats restriction...go slow. i am confused.

(((((((((((bright)))))))))) hey girl! maybe your dr didnt fill you enough. can you go back for another fill? it really is ALOT easier with proper restriction. i couldnt eat oatmeal for Breakfast. this morning i had 1 packet of lipton cup of Soup. i am pretty damn tight though. contemplating a tiny unfill i will say on the chocolates, Cookies, icecream etc that is an everyday battle of saying 'no thanks'. think of it this way...you are a strong woman! you can do ANYTHING short term...so you have to give up sweets for another year...have some endulgences in there (REALLY good ones and savor them!) and once you get to goal or at a comfortable weight for you then you will be able to endulge a little more but it will be like a normal skinny person...you will have to figure out a good balance of endulging and eating healthy! the sucky part is the things like cookies, ice cream, chocolate, chips etc are all things that go down EASILY so it does require disipline....with a proper fill though it doesnt require MUCH disipline!!!! this from a MAJOR chocoholic!!!!! i had an endulge weekend this past weekend and 1 of the many treats i had was going to the melting pot a 2 hour eating event...i topped the meal off with a flaming turtle! chocolate fondue with cheesecake, pineapple, strawberries, marshmellows, brownies all to dip in the fondue....i ate all i wanted...i wont be touchin chocolate or sweets again till thanksgiving...but just thinking of all that i had and the fact that i had all i wanted, guilt free will be enough to tie me over. i do have some all fruit sweetened with splenda popsicles in the freezer...they are 25 calories a piece! not to bad! if you still need restriction and can get another fill GET ONE!!!! I LOVE YOU BRIGHT!!!! you can do this!!!!! your just 5-10 pounds from getting the rest of the way into the smaller size where you can go to a regular store!!! michelle

you can call dr morton in TN 615-832-8186. i dont know if they do Mexico dr patients but the fills are 150. michelle

i'd wait till the day before to cancel! before my last fill i had tightened up but i think it was from stress of being worried i would get overfilled (my dr doesnt use fluoro)

i am wanting to get some feedback the level of restriction people have. 1. when you drink first thing in the am is it more like: a. i can kill a 20 oz of anything in minutes b. i cant drink anything cold or even luke warm but i can get down coffe and other Hot drinks c. i can drink room temp. cold beverages (about 20 oz. in a hour or less) d. none of the above- (please describe) 2. for Breakfast i eat: PLEASE also list the time of breakfast! a. protien shake...keeps pouch full for hours b. mushies- oatmeal, cream of wheat, scram eggs, yogurt keeps pouch full for hours c. solids keeps pouch full for hours d. anything i have no restriction! e. hmmmph i skip breakfast 3. do you ever have acid reflux, indigestion? a. when i go crazy at mexican or with other spicy foods (or foods that 'normally' give heartburn) b. yes every morning c. never d. occasionally 1-2 times a month 4. how much can you eat of the following (round-a-bout): protien shake: *chicken (prepared any way BUT not real saucy- just meat!): *salad: *sandwich (made of reg. size sandwich bread) *chicken, soft veggie, carb or another veggie (i know this varies with the order you eat in BUT please go buy how you typically eat?): 5. are you happy with your restriction? a. yeah! sweet spot baby b. no but i have good restriction c. no i have some but not much restriction d. hell no!! SOMEBODY fill me!!!! 6. when you pb why is it: choose all that apply a. because i ate to fast b. because i tried to eat solids c. because i wasnt paying attention to eating d. tried to chase food with with liquids e. pb??? whats that i am perfect 7. how often do you pb? a. never!!! well less than 3 times b. daily c. few times a week d. once a week e. 1-2 times a month f. its pretty darn rare but sometimes! 8. how much liquids do you get in in a day? a. i struggle to get in 64 oz. (because of restriction) b. i struggle to get in 64 oz. (because i'm lazy) c. 64 + ounces a day no problem d. 100 oz a day 9. do you eat in the correct order (protien first, veggies, then carb): a. all the time... well 90% b. ummm no i eat however i want c. 50/50 d. most of the time i eat in the correct order (70%) but its a struggle e. less than 50% of the time (you need to pick b.!!!!) 10. do you drink with meals: a. yeah b. nope c. 50/50 d. most of the time no (70%) but its a struggle e. less than 50% of the time (you need to pick A.!!!!)

is moving again!!!! i got a fill on thursday weighing 219 (well that was my lowest, i was fluctuating between 219-226) anyhow i dont count a gain unless its more than 5 lbs. (ok 6 ) they added .3 cc's bringing my fill level to 3.7 cc's i left the office wondering if i had restriction as i was able to pretty effortlessly kill a bottle of Water. Anyhow...I AM RESTRICTED!!! more so than i EVER have been. i am really tight in the morning hot liquids go down slowly but cool ones dont at all, they just sit in pouchy. i ate some snackage saturday night right before bed. BIG MISTAKE...tight chest feeling doesnt let you relax enough for sleep. last night i made a choice not to eat 4 hours before bed time to avoid food in my pouch when i am sleeping. new thing for me i used to could eat at bedtime if i wanted meats well i think i am tight enough that i may have to cut some out, i brought homade beef stoganoff (YES i cooked it!) for lunch today... i pb'd :sick...i think it was a tiny bit of beef. i also cut the beef in tiny chunks before cooking...i THOUGHT i chewed good enough ok and heres the BIG ONE!!!!! i am down 3 pounds since thursday from my lowest post op wieght!!!! i am now 216!!!!!!! only 16 lbs from my original goal and 26 lbs from my new goal! LOVE YA'LL!!!!!! michelle 350-216!!!-190 8-18-03

hey penni! i went to dr shack he is the head of plastic surgery at vanderbilt. his # is 615-322-2350. he was very nice and proffessional he took the time to answer ALL my questions. lol i get to start calling my ins co in a week and bugging them. i really hope my stomach is approved. the dr said no way it has to hang below the 'sunshine' and the lady who handles ins. approvals said she thought it would be approved. i am going with her answer because i like it better! we'll see!

thanks everybody for replying! it is interesting to see where everyone stands with restriction. i posted this on another board to and sometime when i get some time i'll compile all the results and post that.

my response! 1. when you drink first thing in the am is it more like: b. i cant drink anything cold or even luke warm but i can get down coffe and other hot drinks 2. for breakfast i eat: PLEASE also list the time of breakfast! c. solids keeps pouch full for hours - i eat breakfast at 10 am 3. do you ever have acid reflux, indigestion? c. never 4. how much can you eat of the following (round-a-bout): protien shake: none i hate it!! *chicken (prepared any way BUT not real saucy- just meat!): 1/2 breast *salad: 1- 1.5 cups *sandwich (made of reg. size sandwich bread)- 2/3 of 1/2 a sandwich *chicken, soft veggie, carb or another veggie (i know this varies with the order you eat in BUT please go buy how you typically eat?): 3/4 cup - 1 cup. i tend to eat my veggie first because other wise i dont get any veggie in 5. are you happy with your restriction? a. yeah! sweet spot baby 6. when you pb why is it: choose all that apply a. because i ate to fast c. because i wasnt paying attention to eating 7. how often do you pb? e. 1-2 times a month 8. how much liquids do you get in in a day? a. i struggle to get in 64 oz. (because of restriction) BUT I DO GET IT IN AND THEN SOME! 9. do you eat in the correct order (protien first, veggies, then carb): a. all the time... well 90% 10. do you drink with meals: b. nope

thnanks ladies! yes the new fellow is still in the picture we are gonna spend next wednesday- monday tgether! should be fun! he just got approved for plastics! i just had my 1st consult! michelle

WOW megan!!! you look great!!! thanks for sharing your story! i think we have all been there in one way or another! michelle