mdrai

Oh, I'm getting freaky about surgery, too. What a combo.

Checking in again... Went to see "Shrek 3"... enjoyable, but #1 was best, then #2, so that makes this #3. Did fine w/my drinks, even tho I had to keep passing the popcorn bag & jumbo soda back & forth to the kids. Did not go to Panda Ex after, which is good. Went grocery shopping instead. Wow my stomach was growling! Came home/food away/broth w/protein powder in it/nap... woke up & I am SOOOOOOO HUNGRY! And CRANKY! Family had dinner while I was snoozing on the couch... man it smelled so good... & it was just hot dogs on the grill! This is getting REALLY HARD! I am REALLY QUESTIONING MY DETERMINATION & ABILITY TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THIS! I mixed up another protein shake and came into the dark office & straight to lbt & you guys... But I swear it would be SO SO SO EASY to go into the kitchen & grab a dog or two and EAT THEM STANDING AT THE COUNTER! And I'm really not all that big a fan of the 'dog. This is the end of Day 6 liquids -- not even 1/2 way there yet!!! I am using ALL my strategies & positive thinking & visualisations & self-talk & avoidance (after I'm done here I'm going to go upstairs, fold laundry & get into bed... my ultimate diet strategy -- go to bed!)... but I'm not sure how long they will hold me back! Ultimately the #1 thought that I keep repeating to myself is that if I "cheat" on this 15-day liq diet, then I run the serious chance that my big, fatty liver won't shrink or whatever and either they'll have to slice me open or won't be able to do the surgery at all. That's it... the magical thought. But what happens when I don't care about that????? How long will it hold me??? Another thought I have is that if I can't do this for 2 weeks, then I shouldn't get the band... that's a good backup thought for now, too. I hope they're strong enough to last for 8 more days!!!!!!! I'm not worried about the post-op liquid phase, as I figure that's all I'll be able to / want to "eat" then, anyway. It's just NOW!!! Thanks for letting me rant... I'm off to bed!!

Good Saturday, everyone! Man weekends are hard re: eating/dieting -- especially on the liquid diet! :mad: Our weekend schedules are so loosey goosey that eating is a challenge. Today the kids want to go see "Shrek 3" (I do, too)... so I'm planning on bringing a protein shake & a dt green tea or crystal light to suck on while inhaling the aroma of popcorn all around me....... THEN we usually stop @ Panda Express after... I looked up their soup nutritionals & think I'll be ok w/the egg flower soup (prob too much sodium tho). Then I got the idea to look up several fav eating-out spots... Starbucks... Panera... I priinted out the nutritionals for drinks, soups & salads for future reference (can't wait 'til the "mushy" stage!)... I think I'm going to keep these printouts in my car, so I have them handy when I need them, which is usually spur-of-the-moment stops between sporting events/errands on weekends. So having this info makes me feel a little better & in control... planning ahead... having the facts... I can't believe I'm being so food-responsible! Have a great day, everyone! OH -- (I can't believe I forgot to type this already!) -- this a.m. the scale read "302.2"!!!!! Wow & Yay! It's not "official" 'til Tues a.m. (oh the head games I play w/myself) so I can't wait to see if I hit Two-terville by then! Amazing!

Oh dear, Terry... sorry to hear about your burger experience! I was surfing around on the "food" forum and there's a thread about "Do you find it easier to eat junk" (or something like that... it's a poll) and I'm reading the posts & starting to freak out about am I doing the right thing w/getting a band? It seemed like practically everyone had some horror story about not being able to eat before noon/4/6pm or only shakes and all crazy stuff like that and then one person wrote this: "I think back to when I thought I'd just be eating small amounts of food and wonder why I didn't know that eating at all would become such a chore." That's what I think!... that I'll be able to eat pretty much whatever, just smaller amounts of it. When I think that I could have a whole host of problems of what/when/how much, etc., I start to get fretful. Part of the reason I'm doing this is so I don't have to spend so much time thinking/planning food... that it'll be a nonissue... I don't want it to actually be MORE difficult! I'm attempting to calm myself by remembering that many (most?) of you brave, trailblazing Violets had serious moments of doubt in the couple weeks prior to surgery, and that these thoughts are normal, and that it will all be ok... I'm generally a positive attitude kind of gal, resourceful, not taken to whining (all that much)... and think that these traits will serve me well in my post-band life. But still... the niggling fear of surgery, of the unknown of what "after" will be like, of missing my "old friends, food" (or at least the quantities of them)... are starting to circle 'round my brain and get my bp up... tell me this is normal, and this too shall pass!

I've found you, my people! I'm finishing up Day 5 of 15 of my pre-op diet... being banded Tues., 5/29 (that Mem'l Day bbq should be interesting! ) Then I'll be on liquids another 2 weeks after surgery (but I'm hoping that end will be easier as the gaping hole that is my stomach will be "tamed".) I can have Protein shakes, Water, decaf coffee & tea, crystal light, broth, and sugar-free Jello & popsicles. I have to meet the following nutritional levels: 70 g protein, 30 g fat, 30-50 g carb, 64 oz water. They also say 700-900 calories, but I'm finding that that's been running more like 500-600 so far, but w/all the other areas met. I'm also usually a weekly weigh-er, but have been doing it daily to watch the lbs plummet! For broth, I'm straining 1 can of Campbell's Healthy Request Chunky soup and then mixing the broth from that w/1/2 packet of unjury unflavored Protein powder (10 g pro). Then my kids eat the soup "guts", as we're calling them! I find those broths tastier than just broth... some have quite a kick! I also ordered the sample pack from bariatriceating.com but was basically scared to try the different protein mixes as I know that so many of them are just awful. But I was getting bored of the Atkins-in-a-can ones, so yesterday I gave one a whirl. It was whey Gourmet Smooth Peanut Butter chocolate, mixed w/ 8oz skim milk (oh, I can have that, too), so 30 g protein, and it was HEAVEN!! So smooth & creamy & delicious! I couldn't believe it! It tasted like melted reese's cups! (Of course, not having eaten anything in 4 days, maybe my sense of taste is out of whack.) Anyhoo, I ordered a whole tub of it today... I figure if I can have 1 of those a day, I just might make it! Otherwise I'm doing ok... the headaches are basically gone, but my stomach growls quite frequently... for instance, yesterday in the checkout line at Sam's Club... I got several odd looks from the others in line! I have been having 1 craving, tho... very specific... Ledo's cheese pizza... I've tried imagining eating it, to see if that would make the craving go away (it didn't), and also telling myself that for mushy stage, I could go buy a jar of their sauce & mix it w/light riccotta cheese for the flavor (didn't really work either), and also telling myself that in a couple months I can have the tops off a piece (still not really doing the trick). So basically, it's just trying not to think about it... but I'm surprised that THAT is what popped up as my ongoing crave... not what I would've expected... odd... Splish, splosh!

ACK! Just got a call from the Middle School VP... my son was caught "kissing on the lips with a girl"! This is a "first" in mommyhood for me... he's my baby boy, my little buddy... we have an excellent relationship, (I think) very open and honest w/each other... just the other day I asked him if he "like liked" anyboday or had a crush on anyone and he said "no"... so this is really out of the blue! My little baby boy is growing up! What a mommy moment! A milestone! Waaaah. I know this is normal & I'm not upset about the kissing... it's the "he's growing up" aspect... I;m such a sucker for these milestones & life passages... boo hoo... AND... I KNOW that this would be the exact type of thing that would send me straight into the arms of a big, warm, gooey pizza in my pre-band life... all the mixed, churning emotions... I'd have gone for the calming effects of all those carbs! So here I sit, wondering :What do I do?!? Jumping jacks spring to mind... that's how amped up I feel. Ok... it's taken me hours to type this due to interruptions... gotta dash... will check back later... ~~Cassenova's Mom

Another thought if you really want to drop it fast to just get it over with and on the way to bandland is to do the pre-op liquid diet NOW... I'm on day 5 of 15 before my surgery on 5/29 and so far have lost 8 lbs! Now I know that most of that is water weight, but it is still very motivating! I know I would never be able to do this (liquid dt) if there wasn't an "end date" + a major payoff (the band) @ the end of it... but maybe the same mentality would work for you... do the liquids + vits, etc. really hard for x amount of time (a month or two??) to get to the goal of the band. Just a thought.

I'm in Frederick, MD, and am going to Dr. Barry Greene, w/Shady Grove Hospital. He came *highly* recommended & is supposed to be one of the best in the area. The Web site is www.advancedwls.com. Best of luck to you!

Oh. My. Gosh. Violets! I just tried a sample packet of "Whey Gourmet Smooth Peanut Butter Chocolate" protein mix in 8 oz. of skim milk and may I just use the word: orgasm! I was out of my head with the smoothness and the taste! It tasted (to me) like I was drinking a melted Reese's Cup! It is 120 cal, 2 g fat, 3 g carb, and 22 g protein (not including the skim milk). Wowza! I am going to order a can of it tonight!!! Seriously, w/one of those a day I may just stay on liquids forever!! (PS -- I had this *after* I spent about 20 minutes fantasizing about a Ledo's pizza... and it pretty much cured that... pretty much...)

Wow... lots of "Dr. Laura" moments going on here! Tracy... What a complicated, convoluted tale... as you know, there just isn't a clear, "right" answer... what does your gut tell you? How old is your son... 6?? Having read only your very high-level synopsis, I think I'd vote "no" for now... Be aware that where children are concerned, I tend to lean more traditionally and more conservatively as far as what is "good" for kids than society does... I think "COULD he handle it?" Yeah, probably, but why make him? Why not just let him be a little kid & leave these complicated adult lives/scenarios for when he's older? W/all the drama of the not-so-distant past, why not just try to give him as "boring" or "normal" childhood as possible w/as little "Jerry Springer" as possible? It is easier to sheild our young ones from bad situations than it is to try to undo potential damage unwittingly caused by others whom you can't control and don't particulary like or respect. The having to sneak e-mails is one red flag, I'm sure there are many more. You say he thinks of your BF's kids as siblings, right? so it's not like he doesn't have that dynamic in his life or is a sad, lonely only. Not an easy decision... I don't envy you... Laura... Your wedding plans sound wonderful... albeit busy! It brings back memories... really, 20 years later all I remember are the highlights, the video & photo moments... I don't remember (well, I didn't 'til your post!) all that went into it. After our wedding was over, we agreed that we should've saved the $$ and used it to go for 2 weeks to Jamaica & get married on the beach there! And anyone who wanted to come along w/us could have... but that that would've been less stressful all around with the same result. Ask yourself "Who am I putting on this big wedding for?" If it's not your dream, then reconsider perhaps! How fun & adventurous to "elope"! You could always have just a big, rockin' party on your return! Oh -- one other memory -- we were married on a Sat & spent that night @ a hotel near the airport, flew to Jamaica on Sunday, and it wasn't until WEDNESDAY that I actually felt relaxed & that I was finally enjoying myself. The stress from the whole thing lasted THAT LONG! So, my suggestion would be that if you do go w/the big Nov wedding, that maybe "honeymooning" in December would save you $ and you may be able to "enjoy" it more fully. Just my .02. Wow... maybe I should apply for "Dear Abby"!

I'm a good juvie matron, too! Right now she's on her knees cleaning out the cabinet under my stovetop... an area that hasn't seen the light of day in 9 years! Hot water, soap, and a sponge... I'm evil... and I'm liking it!:heh:

I had these exact thoughts! I hate the "No gimmicks, no tricks" tag line & also thought to write them & encourage a WLS article from them. Not that I begrudge those women anything at all -- more power to them -- but that's just one approach, and one that many Americans cannot accomplish, and to denigrate other options is foolish, IMHO. Great minds!

I am trying to do at least 1 nice thing for myself each of these liquid pre-op days... Tues = manicure & pedicure; Weds = new 50% off chair pads + placemat/napkin sets for the kitchen; Today = a new 24 oz lime green water bottle w/one of those cores that you stick in the feezer & freeze so it keeps your drink cold w/out watering it down w/ice... it has oz markings on it too, which is helpful (a little thing, but it works!). Oh yeah -- and my haircut! My dh should watch out... I may like this!!

And I cut out a tiger head for the breast pocket... so it was like a tiger boob was jumping out at you... really, really kewl, dontcha know! I am a computer illiterate but am motivated to try to learn how to post pics, so maybe I WILL post it for ya'll! (Is that a threat or promise, not sure.) Oh, having SO much fun w/my new short hair today -- it's fun surprising the heck out of everyone when they see me! Oh, one MORE thing... long story, but my friend's 8th grade daughter (straight A student, student gov't, honor roll kid) was suspended yesterday & my friend and her hubby HAVE to both work today, so guess who is on "juvenile delinquent" duty? -- ME! I'm supposed to make her do homework & clean my house! The A/C guys are also hear to install our new units, so needless to say the cleaning will have to wait 'til tomorrow after they are done... what a life I lead!

This was the "quick overview" horoscope on my yahoo page this morning, and I liked it & thought we ALL could relate to it, no matter what your "sign": "You know how goldfish can grow infinitely large if taken out of a bowl and put in a lake? Think of your life as a goldfish. What setting can you put yourself in so you allow yourself to grow to your full capabilities?" Good analogy & question, huh? As far as clothes go, I attacked my closet over the Dec. holidays and got rid of a LOT of stuff as I wanted to know what I had that I could actually wear, so I guess I'll be shopping cheap for awhile. Janiebug -- when I was in HS I sewed a lot and I sewed my bf & I matching purple jungle print shirts w/tiger heads... wild... and I still have mine! (Even tho I'll NEVER wear it again, I don't think it ever WAS a style let alone will be a style again.) So I understand the whole sentimental thing. Lunasa... a baby... wow... big decisions all over the place for you! Day 4, 11 to go on liquids... feel free to join me, Lunasa, or anyone! Really, it's great to be in the checkout line and have your tummy grumble so loudly that the folks behind you give you weird looks (happened to me yesterday @ Sam's Club -- what the heck was I doing there when I was on liquids anyway??? Man I'm a good mom!!!) Great day, everyone!

OMG! In the spirit of Spring and new beginnings and feeling all proud w/my bad self on all of Day 3 of liquids what did I do?? I had my hair chopped off into a cute, funky short style! i wish I'd thought to take a "before" pic w/my old boring mom style hair so that I could show you guys them both... I'll check on the 'puter to see if I can find anything, but I'm not holding out hope as I avoid the camera as much as possible. I'll get someone to take a pic tonight & I'll try to post them tomorrow. What fun! I feel so light & free & short & sassy!

My "sleep doc" told me to come back & see her @ -50lbs... I guess it depends how much you have to lose, etc... I also got the instructions on how to adjust my machine, and have lowered it a bit.

I am being banded on 5/29 & have to give myself 1 shot of Lovenox the eve before surgery, and then 2x/day for 14 days after. To say this was a surprise to me is putting it mildly! I am *not* a fan of needles of any sort... but I figure better safe than sorry and I'll soldier through.

Hey Pam... My son is a 7th grader, so I give you ALLLLLLLLLLL the credit and appreciation in the world that you work with them every day. The 1 can drive me bonkers sometimes... puberty has jumped up and just b*slapped him all over the place this year... the height, the voice, the hair , the attitude... yikes! Of course, he is a doll baby 1/2 the time, too... but it's oftentimes hard to tell which kid will answer when speaking w/him. And then there are his buddies who still look like 5th graders -- what a wacky time of life! So 200 of them all together -- wowza! And think of all the walking you'll do today... that's exercise! And yay on the pants!!!

Update, Violets... Full disclosure: I just changed my ticker from a goal weight of 175 to 199 BECAUSE 199 is really & truly my #1 goal... I honestly can't remember ever being in the 100s... so that is my heart's desire. When I achieve that goal (notice I said "when", not "if"!), then I will re-evaluate where I want to go from there... which I think will depend on a lot of things, such as what size clothing I'm wearing, how I feel, how I look... then those additional pounds will be, well, I don't want to say "gravy" or "the icing on the cake" or "the cherry on top" (why do we have all this fattening food imagery in our language, hmmmm?)... so, ummm, then those additional pounds will be "the splenda in my coffee," "the Protein in my shake," "the wiggle in my sugar-free jell-o"... you get the point! That is all. Please continue with your regularly scheduled programs.

Pam & areellady, thanks for you encouraging words yesterday! "mdrai....put this picture of yourself in your mind.....YOU IN A STRING BIKINI..ON THE BEACH....YOU CAN DO IT..." -- roflmao! -- this cracks me up!!!!! I hope laughter burns calories cuz' I am definitely laughing my butt off over here (hey, if getting up to pee counts, then laughter should, too!) I'm just trying to take it one "meal" at a time... day 3 /12 to go... wowza! Good luck w/all the assignments, Jennifur! Another busy day here... I have my anesthesia consultation this morning (1 hr away). I'm starting to yearn for summer vacation like the kids are!... much less running around then, + hazy lazy afternoons at the pool... rough life, I know! Have a great Wednesday, everyone! "Glug, glug, glug!" Drink that h20!<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

<p>Help me Violets! </p> <p> </p> <p>I am STARVING! </p> <p> </p> <p>Oh. My. Gosh.</p> <p> </p> <p>I cannot conceive how I can do this for 13 more days!~ Yikes! <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/eek.gif" border="0" alt="" title="EEK!" smilieid="10" class="inlineimg" /> </p> <p> </p> <p>I guess I'll take it moment to moment... for 13 l-o-n-g days! </p> <p> </p> <p>All I know is that I had BETTER LOSE a TON of WEIGHT!</p> <p> </p> <p>Lord Have Mercy!</p> <p> </p> <p><img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/wacko.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Wacko" smilieid="333" class="inlineimg" /></p> (by "this" I mean the liquid diet, in case that isn't clear... clear as in Water... water as in I am floating away... splish splosh...)

ibchelle: Wow, 40 lbs in a month -- that's a LOT! Congratulations!! I'd say it's fast! And I wouldn't worry about your body slowing down a bit... it needs time to catch up and reevaluate what's going on... + I think that the "ideal" weight loss w/the band is 1-2 lbs/week in the long run, so don't freak out just yet! Lunasa: BEAUTIFUL wedding photos! Sounds like an Irish wedding is not to be missed! Laura: Lunasa's right, you may want/need *some* on-the-ground help w/the actual manual labor involved, if not someone who's experienced w/weddings to bounce ideas off of. I'm sure there are gobs of wedding web sites... there was no Internet when I was married back in the stone age (ok, the '80s)... all we had were those 100lb bridal magazines to flip through for help... amazing it got done at all! lol! Tracy: Great pic! I can see the loss in your face, too! "Glug, glug, glug"! Well, the vet came and Mo was constipated w/old poop that had dried out & was too hard to push out w/all the pain from the bladder stuff... a vicious cycle... gotta love a woman who'll stick her finger up your cat's butt to clean him out! That's why she makes the BIG bucks! So cross your fingers that this will be IT for his medical woes... as my checking account is EMPTY now!! Oh, and did I mention that our upstairs A/C unit died and we need to have all of that replaced tomorrow. Can you say B-R-O-K-E??? Good thing I can't eat anything... all this worry & money stress would usually send me RUNNING to food... so instead I got my mani & pedi + am going on a walk -- :youcandothis: -- is this even ME typing this stuff??? What is happening??? (I hope it's the transition beginning to occur... from a food-addicted fattie to a NORMAL PERSON!!!) Keep keeping on, everyone!

Hang in there, Pam... take it one day / one moment at a time... sometimes baby steps are the best we can do... and that's ok! Be gentle w/yourself during this difficult time... vent to us... we can take it! ((hugs))

Good Tuesday Morning, Violets!~~ Day 2 liquid diet for me... splish, splosh! My cat w/the blocked urinary tract came home from the vet's on Sat., but is not doing well at all, so the vet is coming back today... Did I tell you his name? It's "Mo"... it stands for lots of things... "Mojo", "Satchmo", "Mocha", (even "Mo-ron" on occassion), etc... but over the weekend we decided it stands for "Mo-ney"... as we're spending soooooo much on him. To help my kids comprehend, I told them that I spent as much on him last week as we would pay for 4 5-day park hopper passes to Disney World! That got their attention! And my dh's too, who is not at all pleased w/this turn of events and thinks I should let mother nature take her course... which I would do if this was a terminal thing, but he's only 6 1/2 and otherwise healthy... this is fixable and he could live a long, healthy, happy life... why don't men understand??? Why does it all boil down to the allmighty dollar for them??? I'm doing something nice for myself today -- I'm getting a pedicure & manicure with a friend! I'm trying to be very kind to myself over these next two watery weeks... if I don't, then who will??? Will check back in a bit... have a great day, everyone!