angel_eyes4477

I'm with Missy. I eat that stuff also on a regular basis. I fix a chicken and rice casserole that is awesome, but a little high in sodium. I need to find some low sodium cream of chicken soup or learn to make my own. I don't wanna give up my casserole. It is high in protein and would be good for ya if not for the sodium.

Missy, So so SO many congrats on this milestone!!! We love you and are so inspired by you. Next month is my 9 month bandiversary and I won't be QUITE at 150 pounds. Maybe 120 though! But you know the issues I have been going through with the MS and damnable steroids. Anyway, enough about me and back to you! I am so proud of you! About the pics... WOW you can really tell the difference! Your face looks so thin! Your inner light really shines through in the most recent pic. You look so happy and content. It's a good look for ya! Beautiful.... simply beautiful.

cute lol

CG, As far as your original pic. I am not sure if it is ghosts or dirt. It could really be either. It sure LOOKS like humanoid forms.... I do believe in ghosts. The house I grew up in had a ghost, but not a human one. LOL. It was the ghost of a dog. We would be sitting in the living room and hear the sound of a heavy dog jumping down from the sofa. We had a dog, but she was a small pekapoo that wouldn't make that noise, and she usually wasn't in the room with us, or she didn't jump off the sofa if she was. We'd hear it from the kitchen and go look and nothing was there. Little kids can see ghosts better than we can. My little cousin has seen the ghost of my uncle's late brother on more than one occasion. She was born years after he died, yet describes him to a T. He was a big guy, probably about 600 pounds. He died in the place that they are living, and she sees him quite a bit. She has also seen my mom and talks about her alot. Especially lately. She told my aunt the other day that they need to go and help my mom with her leg because it was hurting. My mom had trouble with her legs when she was alive, and it could be memories of that, but we don't think so. She started talking about her and said she saw Trisha ( my mom) the day before... I wish I could see her.

Woot Woot! I weighed yesterday and I am finally officially 100 pounds smaller! I lost a small person! Woohoo! So far, I have been losing without a fill, but I know the time will come that I need one. I am still able to go between 4-6 hours without being hungry, but I am wondering how much faser the weight will come off with a fill. Woohoo 100 pounds!

Hi all. I am asking for prayers for me and my family, please. I lost my mom yesterday, and am having a hard time coping.

Thanks nathansmommy1020!

Thanks everyone! It feels GREAT! @2savemylife - When I was banded on February 10th, I weighed 385 lbs and am now down to 285! As far as advice, well, I dunno lol. I just followed my doctors orders mostly. I have had a few slip ups, but just let them go and got back on the right path. I can't do heavy exercise yet, so I walk alot and do some stretching. When you get to the soft foods stage and beyond... CHEW CHEW CHEW. Make sure it is a tasty mush in your mouth before you swallow it. Eat lots of Protein rich foods, and take your Vitamins consistently. @ Rojasanoll and xsentrick - THANKS so much! I am impressed with myself too lol!

19.6 bags of sugar! Sooo close to 20 bags lost! Then, only 21 more bags to lose lol. I like looking at it this way. It makes it seem a little more attainable when you say 21 units of measurement instead of 105 units lol! But, lately, I keep losing and then regaining the same dang bag Grrrr. (I've lost it again yay! And plan on keeping it off.) It was the homemeade carrot cake I made for father's day and in memorial of my mom's birthday that did me in. It was the first one since she passed away, and it was her favorite kind of cake. To me, it was worth it. So I have to work extra hard at losing it again to stay on goal, so what? I can do it! Now that it is cooler again, I will be able to get out and walk again without feeling like I am going to pass out. .

Well, so far the biggest success I have had is getting below 300 pounds for the first time in 15 years! It happened 5 days ago, and was the BEST feeling! I had previously been 302-304 for a few days. I'm not sure how many because the scale was moved and lost for a few days lol. Then we found the scale and I weighed myself and I was 298! Woohooo! The next day I weighed myself again and was 296. I was sick for a couple days and didn't go visit my dad, where the scale is. Then today I went and weighed in at 293! It's been so long since I have been this weight, I dunno what to do with myself. So far I have lost 92 pounds since the day of surgery! And I'm just getting started! I have yet to need a fill, but I know it is coming. My legs look sooo much smaller than they used to, and so do my arms. I have gone down 3 band sizes in my bra. No cup sizes, which is fine with me. I can walk a LOT further than I used to be able to without getting winded or feeling sick or in tons of pain. I used to barely manage 10 steps before the leg/hip pain used to start. Now I can walk through Wally World no problem, and I walked around a walking track the other day with no problems. I still have to use a rider at walmart if it is terribly hot outside, but that is due to me having MS and heat issues, not the weight. I take my puppy out walking a couple times a day now, and actually enjoy it! I don't go to a Gym yet because I can't afford it, but I am keeping a lot more active than I used to. I am smaller than my bf has ever seen me before, and he is constantly giving me compliments. So are my family. I only wish my mom could be here to see it. She passed away a little over a month after I had my band placed, and she was my biggest supporter. I know she is proud of me. Just 8 more pounds and I will hit the 100 pounds lost mark! I am so thrilled and proud!

Thanks ladies! It feels great!

Well, after the band, most people are light weights when it comes to drinking. There isn't much in the stomach to soak up the alcohol, so getting drunk a lot quicker happens. Also, beer is a no-no due to the carbonation. Same goes with soda as chasers. Most alcoholic beverages have a lot of calories. Empty calories at that. I only drink alcohol every once in a while, and only have a couple shots when I do drink now. I only drink at home, and have tea or some other non carbonated beverage as a chaser. Either that, or I will have a couple glasses of wine. As they say - everything in moderation.

Do you have an urgent care place near you? They would probably be able to tell you if it is a ststch that was supposed to dissolve or if it is something you should be worried about. If it is the latter, they should be able to get in touch with your surgeon to manage your care. If it is the former, then it will make its way out eventually. I have had many of these stitches not dissolve and make their way out of me after different surgeries. Good luck!

First off, let me say that I have been depressed for the last week, due to the fact that my mother passed away last Tuesday. She was my best friend and biggest supporter. She was thrilled and excited for me when I had my surgery on February 10th. Every time I would weigh myself over at her house, she would grin and tell me how proud she was of me. So today when I weighed myself, it was bittersweet when I looked over at her chair and no one was there. I lost 8 more pounds since last Thursday, for a grand total of 62 pounds since surgery. I know my momma is proud of me, and watching my progress from Heaven now, but it hurts so much. I'm surprised that I lost the 8 pounds. I am on my period and retaining some Water. My ankles are a little swollen. Also, in my depression, I have eaten a few things that I shouldn't. I ate a few potato chips. Not many, but a few. Also, at my uncle's house after the funeral, I ate a small piece of cake. I am mostly staying on track, but there are a few things that have called to me. My dad, brother, bf, and I all went to Golden Corral the day after the funeral and I ate my mom's favorites from the buffet. I ate some mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, popcorn shrimp, in addition to the pot roast and roasted chicken that I had. I only had a couple bites of each thing, but I wanted to eat her favorites. For dessert, I had a little carrot cake and a bite of bread pudding. Her absolute faves. On a happier note, I have had a few NSV's. A friend that I hadn't seen in a while saw me in Walmart and when I went up to him said "Huh, that was you. I saw you from behind a few minutes ago and wondered if it was you, but thought it couldn't be because you were too skinny." LOL. He told me how good I look and gave me hug and said congrats. Also, when shopping for pants for the funeral, I fit into two sizes smaller than the last time I shopped for pants! My dad had a hip replacement almost 2 weeks ago, and while he was in the hospital, I walked about five miles over the course of three days. Not bad for a girl who didn't used to be able to walk 80 feet without resting and being in incredible pain. All in all, things are going good for me weight wise. I'm not going to let this depression over my mom get me too far off track. I haven't had a fill yet, and don't feel like I need one.

Thank you everyone. I really appreciate your words of comfort and support. It means a lot to me.

Thank you all.

I will be 4 weeks post op tomorrow. Just starting a regular diet. Next Tuesday, my parents and I are going to be heading out of town for a few days. My dad is having a total hip replacement Wednesday, and will be in the hospital for a couple days after that. I'm a little nervous about going out of town and staying in a hotel, not being close to home with the "safe to eat" food and drink. I'm really nervous about going to different restaurants. My parents don't have a lot of money, and neither do I. We are all three on disability. We don't have enough money to go to restaurants that would have really healthy options all the time. I'm hoping that the room we get will have a fridge and microwave. If there is a fridge, I can easily make some chicken salad or something like that to have. I'm also nervous about eating at the hospital. Hopefully they have some good choices... Wish me luck! If anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them! Thanks!

My surgeon requested that I quit 6 weeks before surgery, but said it was up to me. The reason he said he wanted me to quit was because, according to him, the band is put in kinda close to the lungs and he said the lungs can get pretty beat up during the procedure. He said if I still smoked up to the time of the procedure, I would have a higher chance of needing to stay on the ventilator for a while after surgery. I ended up quitting about 8 months before my surgery. It would have only been 6-8 weeks before surgery, but my doctor was in a bad car accident and wasn't operating for a while.

I had my surgery on February 10. The first few days were pretty rough due to the gas pains and the fact that I had a bad sinus/lung cold. Let me just say that coughing/blowing your nose after lap band surgery is NOT fun... After that, things have leveled out as far as surgical pain. Have a UTI, but it isn't too bad. Anyways, I weighed myself again today and so far, in the last 23 days. I have lost 45 pounds total! I am excited about that. And not only am I having victories on the scales, but I have also had a few small NSV's so far. Such as clothes fitting better or being too loose, being able to see my ankles, and being able to walk around wal-mart. Usually when I go into wally world I am in a riding cart, due to health factors in addition to weight. Last night when me and my boyfriend went in, I walked around the store most of the time. He followed me in a rider just in case, and I had to use it once or twice, but I got back up and walked more. It felt great! I'm loving life with the band. So glad I had it!

I weighed myself again today, and am now down 39 pounds! In just 17 days! It's awesome I am supposed to go in for my first follow up tomorrow, but don't know if I am going to be able to make it. I am having a little bit of diarrhea and general yuck feeling. I have a UTI and think the antibiotics may have given me C Diff, which sucks! I had it before and I hate it. Antibiotics are not a good thing for me, and I have had to have them three times in the last month. Twice for 2 different UTI's, and once for suergery. My surgeon is 100 miles away from me, so if I'm not feeling better by the morning, I am going to have to reschedule. I really hope I don't But on the plus side..... I've lost 39 pounds!!! Hehe!

Well, so far things are going pretty well! I had a couple days there that I was having an almost burning, pulling feeling in my incisions, but that has gone away. I can't wait until my mushies stage starts Friday! Mushy food never sounded so good hehe. I weighed myself at my mom's today and so far I am 32 pounds down since the day of surgery! OH Yeah!!! I am excited hehe...

Good luck Talk Teacher! You're gonna do great !

I get to start mushies Friday and I am so excited for it! I have my meals already planned out for that day hehehe. MMM scrambled eggs with shredded cheese and garlic powder! Can't wait!