Rebeccalee

You're doing great! So glad you found what you needed and your journey is starting off so well.

If your wife makes a chunky soup, you can fish out all the chunks and minimize the liquid. She might be able to make it a little less liquid, too. It will still probably go through a little quicker, but shouldn't be a problem if all else is going well. Of course, there will be some things that you won't eat anymore and some that you eat less, but that's part of the adjustment. It is natural to miss some foods, but the adjustment has not been as hard as I thought it would be.

Boy, I'm glad I saw my doc before there was any talk of bonking on the head! We sure can be hesitant when it comes to seeing our doctors, but I think they sometimes make us feel so darn stupid and wimpy (and broke .) When they don't know what's wrong it sometimes feels like it's all in the head. They are probably just as frustrated as we are about finding out what's wrong. Aren't we glad we took the EASY way out?! I am so very glad I got my band, but, by golly, I'm gonna yelp --loud-- when it doesn't feel so hot. That's one of the reasons we all come here, right?! To spare our family and friends from some of the yelping and find people who really understand what's happening -- the good, the bad, and the beautiful. I guess a little bonking on the head helps in the communication process.

That was too cool! I will have to learn how to do that. Your family is beautiful, Vera. Thanks for sharing!

Darcy, I'm so sorry to hear you are in pain. It really wears on you, doesn't it. How long has it been hurting?

Is this the same girl who is never gonna ride a bike again, just ride behind hubby? You are truly a wild one! That is one pretty bike. Happy Birthday WEEK!

Wonderful goals! 1. To stop thinking about my weight so much! and lots more....

I can't believe you guys! I leave town for a couple days and you throw a party! I don't get to go to Vegas, either, and I love a fine whine. With cheese. AND....drum roll .....official weight at doc's place........188.5.... down 60 lbs. in 4 months! Of course, it's not so hard when you're on a liquid diet. Congrats to Theresa, too, for losing 3 this week. We both did!

WOW! That is great! It will be here real soon. Your doctor's office sounds wonderful. Now, do something for me.....don't get on your bike for a month after surgery. OK? I keep trying to think what could cause me band problems and I wonder if the vibrations (or my wreck) could cause trouble. Since it's winter anyway, just wait until it's all healed up. Okay? I feel better now. You will be so glad you did this. I still love my band. It took me a few weeks to actually LOVE it. But then, I'm a weenie. So glad you are in the countdown phase!

My husband said that is sick! (Of course, he has man-boobs, too.) I think it's hilarious!

I have ChampVA, which is for disabled vets' spouses. It uses similar criteria and schedules to TriCare. The hard part is to get a doctor who will accept it. It pays so poorly that few will. I had to self-pay my surgeon, but the good news is that it paid for the tests, the hospital, the anesthesiologist -- and my portion was 25 percent. I know someone who had that famous band doc in Georgia, who was in the FDA trials, do hers and he accepted her ChampVA. He may quit b/c of the rates, but he wants to accept it b/c of his conscience. Hope you find a doctor who will do yours. They are out there!

That's an awesome picture, silly girl! You look great. Have a wonderful birthday dinner, and then back to the straight and narrow. I love it that your hubby had to ASK if you weigh less than him! And I thought 190 was as high as you could go on a driver's license. :guess Like, isn't that the limit or something. When I got my motorcycle license put on back in April, I had them put mine at 180. HA! I was between 240 and 250 and hadn't even decided to get my band yet. So when I make goal, maybe I'll get one that says 105. Marie, That is soooo awesome! Pretty soon he'll be able to pick you up and twirl you around.

That is so cool, Lisa. You'll get used to the biker gear and not feel so conspicuous. It does feel a bit strange at first. I bet you look really hot! Happy Happy B-Day!

Hey Penni, I mean, Mom, Are you sure you aren't just letting Lisa win 'cause she's just a kid? Don't give up so easy.....Boy, I love this race! :laugh And don't you give up, either, Lisa. What would we do for entertainment without you two.

How exciting! Have a wonderful long weekend.

Babs, you are doing so well. Keep up the good work! I can understand how you feel when you make a goal, though. I wanted to Celebrate with food when I lost a certain amount. How ironic to want to reward ourselves for eating less by eating more. But... it is part of all cultures to celebrate with food. I think we should do it and then make that big push to get back to the program. It sounds like you are doing just that. Besides, we want to live normally, and part of that is eating with others. You know better than most of us how to work the band. I think you are doing a fantastic job!

You guys are doing great! All this talk about exercise is making me feel guilty. I actually used the hotel gym in Reno and walked on the treadmill, along with walking to shop and swimming in the pool. Now if I can just get it going on at home. I am down to 191 today even though I had some ice cream and creamy soups. Ice cream is a liquid, right? :straight I worked my way up slowly to a stick of string cheese yesterday. CRASH! I hurt so bad and am still sore this morning. My throat was burning, too, and I'm still taking Nexium. I went back to liquids right quick. I'll try one more time working up gradually. Then I am giving up on trying. I emailed my doc to let him know and will call in a couple days to insist on a test if nothing improves. Liquids are fine, but I can't do that forever! My doc is going to be pissed because I ate creamy soup and cheese -- heaven forbid I should tell him about the ice cream! Oh well. I had a great weekend, then a bad day. That's not too bad in the grand scheme of things.

Hi Betty, Isn't tomorrow your doctor appt.? Good luck! Hope you get everything moving along.

I have talked with a woman online who was banded by Dr. Raul Mirande of Klamath Falls. She really likes him a lot.

Good grief! I can't believe you had such a horrible class! I'm really glad you passed, though. My class was overwhelming, but a good group with good instructors. They were all real nice and only yelled a little so we could hear, or would listen. I think it is impossible to listen to all those yelled instructions when you are trying to think about all the new procedures. Go get that license and get on that bike! You are doing much better than I could dream of doing! Way to go!

Feeling better, thanks Betty. Still waiting for the irritation to go away. It's still there on liquids, so I have a way to go still. Hoping it is cleared up by Monday.

Ok --I have to admit that Mom was right. I bought the Vitamins today. It's a smaller, travel-size bottle, about 8 oz. I was glad to be able to sample it. It is a very NASTY green! And I was ready to puke just looking at it. So I steeled myself......and it didn't taste bad and there was no aftertaste. I can't say it was enjoyable, more of a nothingness .... I was so worried about it I'm not sure if there was any taste at all. No aftertaste, no problem. I could probably take this everyday. I think I'll close my eyes next time. I'll give you an update when I don't look.

I watched this show today. There was one small portion on the band when Ali was on and that gave a little information. Otherwise, it seemed to be more about how losing weight doesn't necessarily make you happy and can mean you need to adjust psychologically. Personally, I wish it had been a bit more positive and informative. At least the band was mentioned and a bit shown about the surgery.

I can't eat tortillas, either. I avoid bread, pasta, and other starches and sweets, but probably could eat them if I wanted to. I do have dessert sometimes. When eating out my husband and I will share something and he even eats less, which is good for him, too. I drink little alcohol, but do have some when the occasion calls for it. Sometimes I want to eat a big portion of something, but I'm not hungry for it. I have also given up some behaviors: I no longer have to check the desks at school to see if I will fit; don't have to worry about booths in restaurants or seats in airplanes; don't have to wear baggy clothes to hide the rolls; and don't think I'm the biggest person in the room wherever I go. Giving up many liquids takes getting used to, as well as "pigging out" on huge amounts of food. It takes adjusting, but is every bit worth it to be healthy and more of a normal size.

If having fun with your inner child looks like spoiling your daughter, I say go for it. Your daughter will have wonderful memories of it. Your friend may be jealous or wish she did those things for her daughter. I had two sons and enjoyed doing so many things with them and for them. I like boy things best. You might go toward nature things like trees and stars or jungle things in your son's room. It's not so much of a "boy" thing and might interest you more. You are doing wonderful things for your children. Thanks for sharing.