lbriteyes

Getting really anxious about going to the class Thursday night. I'm looking forward to it, but the fear of the unknown is too much. I always like to be in control of what happens with me. Not knowing what to expect is strange. I'm sure they won't kill me or anything, but I am out of my confort zone in the not knowing department. Trying to keep myself busy. Maybe I'll do research on the hospital's program. That always makes me feel better. On a happier note, my 50th birthday coming up. I'm throwing my own party. Nothing elegant. lol It will be a beach party barbeque with just my close family and neighbors. I've planned lots of stuff for the grandkids, and probably spent too much, but you only turn 50 once. Still have two weeks to go. Lots of stuff left to do (and to occupy my mind). Cleaning, preparing, menu stuff. Linda

Oh geez. I'm sorry you were in such pain. I hope that part is better than it was. Did they say what caused the infection? Thank God you don't have stones. I hope you sleep well and that you recover quickly. Linda

That's a relief! I'm glad you found a car without having to vist all the dealerships and doing all the jumping through hoops things. Its a plus that its big enough to do everything you need it to. Linda

When my mom, sister and I went to Vegas, I just pretended to use my seatbelt. I was wedged in so well anyway, that there was no way I was come out of that seat on take off. Have you ever noticed that with very few exceptions, in movies/tv/etc., that they portray fat people as stupid/evil/bad/etc.? Think Kathy Bates in Misery, or Melissa McCarthy in Brides Maids. Linda

It just seems as though evreything is moving in slow motion. Sort of like walking through water. I don't even have my first meeting until the 26th. I hate not knowing stuff. I think you have a good outlook on setbacks. Nobody is perfect, but you seem to roll with the punches in a positive way. I hate grocery shopping too. Its hard when you have to shop for other people as well. Even shopping outside the aisles can't get everything you need. Beans and such are in the aisles. I love the refrigerated Dole fruit cups too. I get all the sugar free ones, but I haven't read the lables. I try to keep fruit in the house. I can't wait til the farmers markets open for the season. Linda

The way I look at the past is that even though certain things happened, it helped to shape who I am. Doesn't excuse that, but it part of me. Only a part, but I wouldn't be the same person is events had unfolded differently. I find it does help to have support. I know I'm lucky in that. I haven't had any sort of sugars (except what is in some processed foods and fruits, for many years. I am currently shaving some meds. I'm tapreing off what I know I can, and dealing with the rest. Grandkids are here... Linda

Yeah, but its so great that you lost more weight! I don't think I've heard my stomach growl in 20 years. I am glad to hear you aren't having any kidney pain. I've been practicing drinking lots of water. Sounds really stupid, but I want to make sure I can get it all in. How much did you lose pre-op? How much have you lost from start to finish (I know you aren't finished). Linda

My daughter is of the mind of if she has kids fine, if not, that's fine too. She has her kids at school, and Justin doesn't care one way or another. Hopefully, you'll have an easy time of getting pregnant. Planning pregnancies can be difficult. Randy and Chasity planned Corbin. She took her temperature, charted her ovulation, and since they wanted a boy, they tried different *methods* to get one. lol I think they just got lucky. They swear the planning worked. Chicken and noodles is so simple to make. I used to make my own noodles, but have found that the wide Amish noodles work just as well. I use a large pot and put in two or three chicken breasts (and then cut them into small pieces when they're done). Then I throw in some celery and baby carrots. As my dad would say, then I "boil the hell out of it." I also use chicken base (powder form, not stock) for extra flavoring. When its done, I put in the noodles and cook those until tender. Larry likes it without the celery and carrots, but then again, he's a wonderful cook in his own right. His specialty is vegetable soup. Its different ever time, but its always awesome. There's a lot of leeway making it that way. You can add whatever you want to, to make it your own. Linda

I think its nice you want to make that effort. There's so much hype about how mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law have bad relationships. It doesn't make sense for me to have a bad relationship with Chasity. She has three of my grandchildren. I like to foster our relationship whenever I can. Also, she had a really REALLY bad mother, so I try to be someone she can look up to. I hear Rosetta Stone is good for learning Spanish. I think there might be some free online programs too. Good luck with it. I hope it comes easy to you. Linda

I think you're right. I have tons of 70's stuff on my computer. Weird obscure stuff. lol Yeah, Larry and I like the same music. I'm sure he sang along with Comfortably Numb. I got my grandson a mini-big wheel that looks like a Harley. He loves it. He calls me "Grandpa." Linda

The hoops I have to jump through are because the insurance company doesn't want to pay for it unless they have to. They do have shareholders to think about. For them, I have to go through each step of trying to lose weight... diet, exercise, medications, nutritionists, etc. Paying for surgery is the last thing they want to do. As for the surgery itself, I think I have to do pre-op stuff that can take time to do. Linda

What a nightmare for you. I had heard that its hard to get pregnant when you have endometriosis, and also when you take the depo shot. We got lucky that her's was in stage one. The surgeon came out and talked with me and Amy's fiance. He showed us the pictures and told us he got it all, but that it looks like she may be developing more. He said that he wanted her doctor to put her on a medication that would send her into early menopause (she's 29) which would stop her periods so that she wouldn't be at risk. I thought that was a bit of overkill. She's discussed it with Justin and me, and she said she'd rather do the depo. I don't know what she plans for right now. She's weighing her options. I think its wonderful that you got your miracle baby! I love the name, especially for a boy. I hope you're able to have another down the road. I made a huge pot of chicken and noodles. Justin and Amy have been eating it since Friday. lol Justin loves my cooking. He's a good boy. Been taking care of her really well. I think I like this one. Linda

She is. I got really lucky. Even though she's my daughter-in-law, we're really BFF's. hehe

Yesterday was my grandson's 2nd birthday party. I drove. For some reason I had the radio on. It was a really nice block of good '70's rock. I didn't really realize how good my speakers were! If Larry complained about the loudness, I couldn't hear it. lol

I'm sure once you get settled, things will be better. Linda

It would be nice to meet up in Vegas! Right now, I'd have to purchase two tickets on a plane. Ugh. Freemont Street is wonderful. Its really advertised a lot there, so its easy to find. Its also free, which is a plus. I run into weight related obstacles every day. Pulling my seat belt out as far as it goes in order to fit me. Chairs at anywhere... doctor's offices, anywhere you have to wait. And then there's running out of breath when you have to stand in line at the DMV or the bank. And while I'm ranting, food commercials send me over the edge. They show these skinny people eating everything from ice cream to fast foods to pizza to EVERYTHING. Skinny people. Why? (I know why) You know darned well that those actors don't REALLY eat that crap, and yet I still wanna know, WHY can those skinny people eat that crap and still be skinny! /off soapbox Linda

Excellent advice. My grandkids do enjoy hiking. Linda

I'm a much better grandma than I was a mother. I wasn't bad, just I could have been better, done more stuff with them. I am a better mother to them now than I was then. I never beat them or anything. I was kinda strict, but allowed them to make mistakes. They knew they were loved. I never had a problem with any of them since they knew they could make those mistakes and they wouldn't be judged. I was mostly a stay at home mom, but worked periodically for a few years at a time. They are all well adjusted adults. My oldest daughter is a social worker and has a son a year old. My son works at Whirlpool, and is working on his Journeyman's thing. He's the one who has given me three grandchildren. My youngest daughter is a teacher, recently engaged, and just purchased a house on her own. I must have done something right. You sound so much like me! I read and read and research and research this lapband stuff. I actually get sleepy hopping from site to site, looking at every aspect. There's a lot to know, and not just the lapband surgery stuff. I have found information on pre-op, post-op, nutrition, things you need to know but aren't covered in meetings, seminars, classes, and on and on. That's one reason I was so excited when I found this place, and then read your progress. That's funny about the steak! I'm seriously considering buying that Ninja system that processes food. That way I can prepare my own shakes and smoothies. Its supposed to pulverize anything. Have you read any of Michael Pollan's books? He makes really good sense about foods. A few tips he has is to shop the outer perimiter at stores. All the nutritious stuff is there. You don't really need to go down the other aisles. Also, cook like your grandmother (or great-grandmother) did. They ate things directly from their gardens. And, if you read the ingredinets on a label, if there are more than five, it could be a problem. If it has things in it you can't read or recognize, don't buy it. He has several books on Amazon pretty cheap. Linda

I forget to remember how good a childhood I had. There are so many people out there who share your story and worse. It must have been really hard on you. And then to top it off with an awful marriage seems like a nightmare. I was a skinny little kid, but in high school, I gained and gained and gained. In 9th grade, I weighed 180 lbs. Then as a senior, I lost it all and was down to about 135. Then I got pregnant. Gained 60 lbs with my son, but then lost it all plus a bunch. I married at 120 lbs. I looked awful. Almost anorexic. My wedding dress was a size five, and it was loose. Then I got pregnant again, and something tripped my trigger. I gained 60 lbs, and kept gaining, even after birth. I'm lucky that my husband loves me for more than just weight. I'm glad you have someone who treats you like you should be treated and loved. A man who treats a woman badly is not a man. I bet you feel better just not eating things with sugar in them. My husband used to use sugar like it was going out of style, and he didn't feel well. We switched him over to straight from the hive honey (we have a large nice honey producer locally), and he feels better. I haven't used any sort of sweetner in years. No soda, no anything. I don't even bake anymore. Still the weight won't come off. I'm really glad for you that you don't have to take meds for diabetes now. That has to be a relief. I want so badly to stop taking meds. I know I will always have to take meds for bipolar and thyroid disease, but hopefully, the rest of the stuff can be dc'd. Linda

That's awesome that you've found a doctor who is so good. I hope I get that lucky. Linda

Evenings are the worst for me. I hope you continue to feel full and the weight keeps coming off. Linda

I know how you feel. Moving is a major stressor. And with all the other stuff you have going on... I can't imagine. I hadn't thought that buying a car in California would be any different than anywhere else. But then, I've never been to California. Good luck. Linda

The gas situation does suck. My Dad and sister live 30 minutres away, and my daughter lives about 45 minutes away. I'm thankful that my son lives really close. I love Vegas, and would like to go back. We had a great time. The Freemont Street Experience is awesome. I think your daughter would love it. Weight limitations really stink. We can't do this or that because of it. But we will! Going out of the country is a scary proposition lately. It doesn't matter where you go, people hate Americans. At least I would be afraid.... but I'm afraid of a lot of things. lol Linda

Blood pressure is up and down. Had my wrist cuff verified by my doctor. My youngest daughter had laproscopic surgery today to figure out if she had endometriosis. She did. They removed it all. She's home and well. I came home and napped. Last night, she called and said she wanted my chicken and noodles. I made a huge pot of it for her so she could freeze some. I got up at 5:30 this morning and loaded the car and went to the hospital an hour away. I was glad I got to see her before surgery. Her fiance and I played games on his tablet during it. When she was done, she wanted Justin to help her get dressed and in order to leave. Guess I'm not the mommy she needs anymore. Time to switch gears and change to be the one she does need. Linda

Good to know! I'm adding to my list. Linda