Neicy

I am so hooked on the McDonalds ice cream cones. It is the best soft serve ice cream. It has 150 calories per cone. I'm not gonna tell ya'll how often I slip up on them, but not more than once a day!!

Welcome to banded life. I wish I could tell you that head hunger goes away. The best solution that I've found for this is to keep your head busy! When I start opening that refrigerator or pantry door and peer into it looking for the snack that I don't need, it's because I'm bored or stressed. Try to occupy yourself with another activity. Sometimes it works. Good Luck!

Best wishes to you and your daughter. My daughter is banded also. We have a great support system, it's nice to share this experience.

Thanks for thr literary treat, even though you didn't get to go. It was a delight to read, brought a smile to my face. Hoping you heal with Godspeed.

Ask your doctor about transdermal formulas. A compounding formulary pharmacy can make patches or gels that transfer the medications through the skin, thereby eliminating the stomach problems. I know that ketoprofen is one of the nsaids that can be delivered in this manner. I'm not sure which others are suitable for this method. Check with your pharmacist.

Hi Ryan, Just wanted to tell you that I used to take so much ibuprofen, I'd buy it in the industrial size container! It really worked so well to relieve pain, but it does tear up your stomach. I had to really think about not being able to take it anymore after I got banded. It was a major consideration as to whether I would get the band or not. I wasn't sure I could do without it. I was just like an ibuprofen junkie! I don't have the stomach aches I used to get. I never paid that much attention to it back then, but I'm sure now that it must have been my "habit". Anyway, enough about me, I know that you are disappointed about the delay in your surgery, but you do want to be healthy first. Finding this out really saved you alot of potential problems, your doctor is on the ball. Get well, my friend, you're in my prayers. Let us know about your trip, I can't wait to read your descriptive account. It will be a treat for us.

Penni, sorry to hear you've had so much going on. You certainly are sweet to rush to your parents aid, it must be hard living so far away. Do be safe on the trip home.

Definitely rough on the banded stomach, please be careful!

Sorry to hear that you've been so sick. I hope that your doctors get everything worked out for you and that you are feeling well very soon. Keep us posted on your progress, and congratulations on the 75 lbs., that's terrific!

So glad to hear that everything went so well for you. Keep us posted on your progress. Take care and follow those post op instructions.

Donali, your job is turning out so well. You have my respect and admiration for doing it, and for so many other things as well. You're an inspiration and a role model.

Glad you're on the mend. It is exillerating to shrink isn't it!

Vera, my husband loved the carpenters joke! Very funny!

Chantal, I really understand how you feel. It is absolutely the scariest thing to make that step, especially when your heart is broken. You truly deserve better and you know it. Go to the attorney, take that step and it will empower you. I remember being in the same place with 2 small children. I backed out several times because I was so scared. When I finally did it, I wondered why it took me so long. It wasn't as terrible as I had made it out to be in my mind. Sue is right, see a good attorney and assure that you don't continue to be on the short end of the financial stick. Best of luck to you.

Tellie, Best wishes for a quick and easy recovery. I'll keep you in my prayers. Keep us posted as things develop, and try not to worry too much.

Looks great Lisa! The rooms are so cute. I'm sure lots of people would love to have you paint for them. Sounds like a good business venture to me.

I am finding that it takes a little time to discover the "soft stops". I think I am getting the hang of it now, way fewer hard stops, once I learn the subtle signs. (and agree to obey them) The hard stops are kind of like a choke chain for me, a few jerks and I'm trained! Woof, woof!! It is really interesting that you can observe such a difference in the two bands. Have you ever sensed tenderness around the port after eating really well? Not really pain, but a real awareness of it being there.

Ryan, as always, we are here to support you, and bat the ball back and forth into different courts. I think it helps to consider many points of view , as you have done. There's alot of wisdom channeled into this communicative process, I know it helped me greatly when I was at the point where you stand.

Your sons obviously love you very much. What a cute story! I'm glad to hear that they will be supportive of you, should you get the band. Sounds like a healthy relationship when you can pull and tug at serious yet tender issues like this. You're blessed.

Terry! I was also wondering about you. I hadn't posted in a while, either, just busy. I can't believe you got terorist e-mail! Don't let them get you down. Keep in touch! Congratulations on the new job. Sometimes the comfort of the status quo holds us back like a giant magnet. You overcame it's force and I hope great things happen for you. Donali, your construction project is looking good! My husband is a general contractor, and over the years I have seen alot of work. Sometimes I think I could do it, but thinking about it and doing it is two different things! Girl, YOU ARE DOING IT!! That's remarkable, and I think you're awesome.

You definitely look good on that harley, Lisa! You're gonna have traffic backed up from all the rubber neckers gawking at ya!

Can't eat eggs either. Too bad, cause I love them, or used to. I've just about given up on them. If I would have known that I couldn"t eat eggs after the band, I'd do it again in a heartbeat!!

Penni, you are looking great! I need to lose another 10 or 15 lbs before I can do the side by side. I'll bet you have so many people telling you how good you look. Kudos to you.

Wow Lisa, what a tremendous difference! You are looking fabulous darling, rock on!

We are sitting at home today waiting for Ivan to blow through. We prepared for the worst, since the forcasters couldn't pinpoint landfall. Now it appears that Mobile is the projected path. I feel sorry for them. It is so boring around here, the windows are boarded up and not much to do. This is so out of routine! I keep munching on nuts, and snacking on the food that my husband bought in case the power was lost. So much crap! Oreos, mixed nuts, chips. I absolutely can not have this stuff around me! The band does not come equipped with will power! Amazing how all that junk slips right down, no PB on that stuff! It isn't even raining here yet, they forecast some hurricane force winds for us here, we're on the LA/MS coast. I am not worried about Water, our property is about 25 feet above sea level, but I am a little worried about the winds. We have about 300 trees on our 3+ acres, mostly pines and they are fairly brittle trees. So, please say a little prayer for all those to be impacted by this powerful storm. It is so quiet around here right now, the proverbial quiet before the storm. My children and many of our friends have evacuated, but we chose to "ride it out". I think that sitting in all of that stalled traffic would have stressed me worse than sitting through the hurricane.