Daisalana

I like water.. Just a tidbit, I don't know if it's true, but I read something about the sugar-free gum actually stimulates hunger from the sweetener in it. I never liked gum initially, but for banding I was told not to chew it, since it could get stuck and have to be surgically removed. Ick.

Honestly, don't notice it at all. :biggrin:

Here ya go. You can see what this is, my boobs up top, belly on bottom? Right between my boobs, is the new location. The bottom bandage is where it was. It's RIGHT under my skin, so I can feel every detail of it. If I am laying on my back, and I run my hand over my body I can most definitely feel it. My DH says he can see it when I'm laying down and only if I point to where it is.. so It's not too obvious. Even if it was, I don't care.. my doc said he can take the port out when I get to goal, but I'm not interested. I'd rather be able to keep adjusting it throughout my life. I like playing with the port, it's neat. So.. even if I was in a skimpy bikini (never happen), no one would notice it, no. Oh, and yeah, it's right above my bra line. That was only problem for a few days post-op because it was sore and healing. Now it's fully healed and my bra does not hurt it, I don't even notice it. Actually going to take a pic real quick at work on my cell.. hope no one walks by :biggrin: Here-- You can see the scar kind of under my left breast. (not the small one under the bra, that's from the first surgery lapscropic tool stuff).

Hello! I hope you don't get offended, I just wanted to say what comes to mind when I read your post. There is a reason the evaluations are put into place. I saw a perfect example not too long ago (a couple actually), where the person could not deal with being banded, not even 1 week post-op. I wonder how they passed evaluations if they are that unstable. I don't know you at all, to know whether they diagnosed right or wrong. On the show Big Medicine, I hate their psych. I always disagree with her (but only based on what I see on the show) and think she does people a serious injustice. However, maybe there was something that they picked up on from you, that is a 'classic sign' that you're not ready for it. Again, this is speculation, just giving you another point of view on this. They are out for your best interest. Hell, they want the $$$ from the surgery, they won't deny you out of boredom. So, stick with it, do whatever they think you need to do next (more counseling, or ???), and roll with the punches. You're not defeated!

I agree, I wish I could get over the sex factor of being a lesbian! Life would have been a million times easier hah hah.

I just went back to re-read your timeline.. April to July is no problem!! Not at all. You'll be back to lifting bags & chasing kids by June. By the trip, you'll also know if you've had any issues from surgery (blood clots, or anything else that would cause you to get 'stuck on an island'). It's so extremely extremely unlikely being 'too tight' or 'too loose' is going to cause some horrendous complication. And, due to statistics you may not even notice your first fill. Have fun on the trip!! :angry_smile:

I like to poke and play with my port :cursing: I pretend I'm an alien or a robot that disconnected from my dock. :angry_smile:

I'm picky and whiney, and I hate all the Protein shakes. So here's what I could tolerate.. The Slimfast chocolate shakes, very very cold. And then a concoction I came up with, that worked for me since I had to do the shakes. Expresso shake... -Make ahead: Take an ice cube tray, make some extremely strong coffee or use expresso (I used expresso, the stronger the taste, the better..masks the protein ick), freeze the coffee in the ice cube trays ahead of time. -3-5 ice cubes from above - 1 scoop vanilla Protein powder (any brand, they're all equal IMO) -1 packet of artificial sweetener -or however many you want (I actually prefer sweet-n-low in my coffee, so that is what I used) Blend well till it makes a coffee smoothie.

Any chance you can post-pone the vacation? Even if you are feeling better by the cruise, if you're still in post-op diet.. the last thing you want to do is be surrounded by NO-NO foods. When you are told you can only drink clear liquids.. and you're looking at lobster & steaks.. I just wouldn't put anyone though that!

I don't know about DDD's.. I am DD, and I fit just right, if I bend over, the top bubbles out. They aren't by bra size, they're just 1x, 2x, etc. tops. I never thought about how I fit into that. My bathing suit last year was a 4x, and it held my boobs well. Now I'm in their 1x, my boob cup hasn't changed and it fits well also.

You're not alone.. he tries to fight about money, but I won't let him. I am pretty stubborn... I like to spend money.. I love to shop, I love frivelous things, trinkets, nice car, nice house, new decor for the house, vacations, gambling, etc. He doesn't 'want' for anything apparently, he never wants to spend money for.. ANYTHING. That being said, we have 401k accounts, savings accounts, and I am the budget-er. I handle all of our finances. I've never spent money we couldn't afford to spend. I put money into all of our savings accounts with every paycheck. Even if we have an emergency and needed money (say, for a lap-band revision), we can handle it. With that bit of background, when I buy new shoes, or plan a casino trip.. he bitches and moans and talks about how I buy too much, or how we don't have the money.. and before I let it bring me down, I say.. I earned it, I'm doing what I want with it, we have money! He has finally learned, he rarely comments now. Yesterday he made a comment about me buying a new purse.. I just said "it's so pretty!" hehe. If you're contributing to the finances, put your foot down and say YOU want to save for X. It's compromise. Although, you offering to switch teams makes me think maybe the problem is deeper than finances :angry_smile:

I don't do WW, but wanted to comment on something else you said. Immediately before & about 7 months post-op, I used a website to track everything I ate.. I am counting calories.. and make an effort to eat more protein than other stuff. After the 7 months, I was able to learn how to gauge foods I eat on a day to day basis.. how many calories are roughly in X, and how much of X do I actually eat.. etc. Once in a blue moon I eat something new, or somewhere new, and want to get an idea of what the item is caloricly (since sooo many things have hidden calories). But I can pretty much go anywhere with DH and know what I should or shouldn't eat. If it's high calorie but something I can't eat much of, I'll get it. If it's high calorie and I know I can normally eat quite a bit of it, I just pass on to something else.

I am not a fan of rides, so I read it and kind of forgot the info.. But a while back someone posted that certain theme parks post the info for how big the rides hold (Six Flags, Disney World) and one of them actually makes rides to accomodate bigger people.. I want to say DW. If you go to websites of the places you're wanting to go, look around and see if it tells you the restrictions on size for their rides. Good luck :angry_smile:

I do agree. The band keeps me from binging, even when I want to. By no means, have I turned into a brand new person, I still eat sweets I shouldn't have all the time, but the quantities are much much smaller than pre-band.. they satisfy me a lot quicker.. and some items I can't eat. Yay band.

Wow that's really interesting, never heard about this.

You should still ask your doctor, but I just wanted to let you know my experience with it. I get these sharp shooting pains under my left rib-cage sometimes.. and when I breathe in, it gets worse. Mine normally only last for 5 minutes at a time (if that).. and I figure it's like the tube of the band, hit up against a nerve inside somewhere.

Yeah the toilet thing, I don't understand.. how. Why? Why would any normal boyfriend just go "She kept saying 'Maybe tomorrow'". ....... And yeah Pam, the article I read said her pants were still mid-thigh when they found her. Still sick, head is killin me. I started taking Fish Oil & Flaxseed Oil last night. The fish oil I got says specifically "No fish burps!" lol.. which is why I stopped taking them before. Supposedly the stuff they're cased in won't dissolve till the pills get to your intestines. They are massive though, I was surprised I could get it through my hole with no problem. HMMM maybe I need a fill. And Terry! Sounds like you need an unfill. I don't think you have to eat solids to stay full sometimes (sometimes mushies are enough for me!) but does it stay that way all day? In the evening will mushies keep you full without wanting to snack?

Thank you Pam!! You're so sweet, the post card made me even more anxious, I showed DH and told him "We have to go there someday!!"

Yeah, that post is really random. If the insurance rate is better, it would be silly not to be on your parents insurance if you can. I was on my parents as long as I could, the cost was no difference for them. Now I'm not on their insurance and they're paying the exact same rate.. duh?

I actually got that coupon, went to their website to check it out.. and all the buy 1 get 1 1/2 off stuff.. was crazy expensive to begin with. It's like they jacked up the price, to make up for it. Normal t-shirt stuff was $40 each. No way! So by the end of it, you're still paying $30 per shirt. That's too much IMO, unless it's a really nice dress shirt.. which these were not.

Bingo! Even at my highest, when Tankinis came out, that's all I wear. I hate hate hate having to go to the bathroom in a 1-piece. I always get the ones that the bottom holds in the gut, that are not bikini cut bottoms.. I like the shorts, that will cover my thighs.. but the tight ones, not the baggy ones.. and then a top that covers the bottom. Old Navy's plus size tankinis are really great! They're not too expensive, they fit great, and the built-in bra has underwire (a MUST for me).

Well it gave you a chance to get out there, next time you won't be so nervous! You said before he 'rejected' you that there wasn't attraction on either side. That would have been it for me anyway. If it wasn't 'all that' for you either, why bother waiting to see what he thinks? Move along! :smile2:)

OH OH OH I FOUND A COUPON!!!! http://www.toobing.com/images/COUPON.gif Is this the place we're tubing.. Gruene River Company? Wild & Mild Float Trips. Who is going to do wild with me??

(Look, life vests on these folks! Maybe where we are going you can get one Kat!) :smile2::w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t::w00t: EVERYONE EXCITED YET?!

Some tasty alternatives. I haven't found a protein bar (chocolate or other) that was good to me.. I have to hold my nose to get any of them down. Russell Stover's Sugar-Free chocolate & coconut bars.. tastes 100% like mounds. Their sugar-free turtles are good too if you like turtles. Not a huge fan of turtles, but they do taste identical. Keep packs of hot-chocolate mix. They do have diet ones, I've not tried. I get a normal one (forget the brand now) that is 100 calories in a mug. When I feel sick or need a chocolate pick me up, I love sipping a hot chocolate. Kudos bars, they have 2 that are 100 calories each. M&M and Snickers. They're yummy granola bars, with bits of the candies mixed in, and the whole bottom is coated in chocolate. Again, not a diet product, just yummy and low cal. 1 bar is pretty filling with a decent restriction, I eat one for b'fast sometimes. (They also have a chocolate chip one, that comes in the variety box.. it's 120 calories, I've never eaten that one, I give those away some reason). Dove makes these small ice cream bars covered in Dove chocolate (vanilla & choc.. choc & choc). Serving size is 3 bars (they are individually wrapped). I eat 1 bar if I absolutely must have an ice cream treat.. and it's 70 calories. Hope this helps, don't deny yourself such intense cravings.. you'll likely obsess and do something silly like eat the whole box of donuts :smile2: Lastly, the people at my work are literally bringing in donuts, homemade cookies, pies, cakes, pastry treats, etc.. every single day. I have made an effort not to walk down where they are kept, because if it's out of sight it's out of mind. If I see something new and yummy looking, it's hard for me to say no.. thus, all the things I mentioned above, I can't keep them all in my house at one time hehehe.