Penni60

Wade: I can truly feel your pain and understand about not being happy in your job. I was a cancer nurse for 8 years. I dealt with Bone Marrow Transplant Patients. We would have them on our unit for at the minimum of 2 months to sometimes 6 months. It would just depend on how they recovered once transplanted. LONG process. I got so incredibly burnt out and began to have a laise fairre attitude. That was a shock to me that I was no longer compassionate or caring about my patients. I realized I needed a break. This was after only 3.5 years of working in this field. I took another job of helping to open a Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in the Veteran's Hospital in Nashville, TN. I was out of patient care for about 6 months and this re-vitalized my spirit. I was ready to go back to the bedside. Then 4 years later burn out again. This time my compassion wasn't affected. I had lots of anger at the system for treating our veteran's like guinea pigs. I tried to fight the system and knew I would fail so I left the job. All that to say, I felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was a different person. I had all those years started eating like a pig and put on most of my weight. I ballooned from a 200 up to 280 before I left. Keep your chin up. I decided I was going to work with my sweetie in his office till I decided what I want to do. I have dabbled in Photography, painting, writing, poetry, and genealogy since I retired from nursing. All of which I love. Things will get better. I have faith.

Hey Paula: I am so there. I gotta get this weight loss back on track. I have been slacking lately with food choices as well. I started yesterday with a liquid fast to purge my system of all sugary stuffs. Now guess what? I am craving sugary stuffs. LOL!!!! SIGH!! The PAIN oh THE PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!! I think I can lose 12 lbs in three months for sure. That would put me in the high 220's. I would be ecstatic.

Betty thanks for starting this thread. I was just thinking about Vera last night. VERA!!!!!!!!!!!!! HEY VERA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Come on come and tell us how you are doing. Inquiring minds wanna know.

Not in TJ but I do know of a great place where I live. LOL!! Of course that is 3 hours North of San Diego. Would be happy to take you to my mani and pedi place if you wanna make the trek to me. Amtrak is cheap and it leaves from San Diego and drops you off where I live in Van Nuys.

Welcome Salena: Ask questions and do a search for a specific topic. Almost all have been covered by now on this board. Good luck on your journey to weight loss.

Hey wade for some reason you did not copy the entire list. Might want to edit your post to reflect that. Or better yet just wait cause I think there will be a NEW post started in a day or two.

Hey Sue, I was gonna call you the other day and see who you were doing then I realized I don't have your number. LOL!!! Hope all is well with you. OK spill the beans on your recovery. What infection? And is it all better now?

Jamie I feel you excitement and thrill. Just know that we are all here for you and don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you want. I am keeping you in my prayers for a quick recovery.

I've been in enough trouble today I ain't touching that one!!! LOL!!!!!

How long you been banded again? You do know there are other positions that won't hurt the incisions? Sorry guys but no other way to say that. I would just take it easy and not try to make the earth move the first time. I think it was a good month before I felt like it but there are most likely others that "felt" like it sooner. I had some other problems too though with port issues so that was my deal.

To everyone that decides to leave due to the recent thread conversations, I want to respectfully ask for your forgiveness in my role of those conversations and to reconsider your leaving. It is hard enough to make the decision to become banded much less be successful without a support group. So, please reconsider. I have posted a public apology under the title "Postive Thread."

OK so if I am reading this right we that LIE on our driver's license have just set our weight goals. LOL!!!!! OH to be 200 right now. I would be in hog heaven as my grandmother would say. CONGRATS that you are 9 lbs from your license weight. That is WONDERFUL

Roxanna: So glad that you did your homework. That is so important in this journey. I too am a nurse. I was a RN Cancer nurse for 8 years and then retired early. Found me a man. LOL!!! Anyway I digress, there are several people on this site that have went to Ortiz and I am sure they will chime in to lend their input. The aftercare is really important and I am so glad to hear that you are already trying to line that up. Good Luck and anything I can personally do just let me know.

What kind of band do you have? I know when I went for my first fill, the doc told me that at least .2cc to .5cc is in the tubing leading up to the band. For the most part the liquid should not be absorbed but it isn't impossible either. It can happen. If you are at 3cc in a 4cc band then please do be careful cause you might be overfilled. Just take it easy till your next appt. Always follow your doctors recommendations or call if you feel uncomfortable in anyway.

Nicole: This is a good thread. Mine isn't quite that bad. I was somewhat honest when I went for my license. I had them put my weight at 200. LOLOLOL!! I truly weighed about 100 lbs heavier. Penni: 100lbs lighter. LOLOL

I had one too but elected to not use it. I do like Alex and sometimes just order off the children's menu or get soup and salad and share an entree with my sweetie. Or I just order a regular meal and take the leftovers home. There is this great seafood restaurant we go to on occasion that when you have leftovers they put it in tinfoil and make cute animals out of it. I got a whale with a mermaid once. I have often thought about asking the waiter if they can fashion my leftovers into a lapband, but then realized that would be almost impossible. LOL!!

Nicole: Just don't ask DeLarla to raise her arms when she meets you for the first time. LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HUH? Lisa!!

Paula this cracked me up. It is all that good cooking that we just can't resist. Gotta have a bite of this and a bite of that and pretty soon we are full only we haven't finished taking all our bites. LOL!! Drink fluids for the next couple of days girl. Give your stomach and esophagus a rest. I feel your pain.

WOW!! Zoe you look amazing. Keep up the good work.

Betty, I am truly sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you at this time. I too have lost my father and know the pain that can cause. I will keep you in my prayers.

Thank you Joanie for seeing the other side of this thread.

For a subsitute to the mayo and those extra pesky calories associated with the mayo I use dijon mustard. It gives the tuna a kick and spices up the flavor. I usually eat the tuna without breads or crackers. I try to eat with celery if possible.

Personally, I go through this stage of being angry at the world and whoever is in my way gets the brunt of it. So I try to use this board as my therapy so that when I am in one of those stages I force myself to look at another person's point of view. It IS THERAPY for me. I love the fact that I can come here and vent. I also LOVED (notice the past tense) the fact that I could post MY opinions and not be personally attacked or accused of threatening someone by stating those opinions. I have tried to mend fences but have been ignored. That speaks volumes to me.

OK things have gotten just a little too serious on here today. I think it is time for some comic relief. I received an email today from a close friend of mine. They sent me this pic with the email. I looked at it and said "Holy cow how did you get a pic of me in a former life?" Come on now all your southern ladies out there, how many of you have actually done this? I confess I have. They work for something other than enjoyment. Have fun guys. This is all about lightening up the mood. If you are offended then don't go any further. If you are offended then I apologize. This is too funny.

Francesca: HOLY MOLY!! I am so impressed. How the heck did you lose so much weight? Tell Tell.