marcyinak

Oh Nicole! You really need to re-do your picture! The one with your name...what do you call it "avitar"? Whatever, it doesn't suit you....you're MUCH better looking in the new photo! Bring it on sister! Weight loss suits you!

laurend - GREAT JOB! These days where we go up and down are a true test as to whether we can use it as a tool and not just rely on it! It's been a hard mind-game for me, but I'm pluggin' along. Keep on keepin' on sister!

Lynette - don't get overzealous now! That poor Hunter will be bogged down! Although, now is the time, they are so much like sponges! Connor (7) doesn't like to write - ever - he didn't even color/draw much as a little boy...he's my reader. Owen (almost 5) is the one who could care less about letters and numbers, but will sit down and draw up an elaborate picture of a lighthouse (he's never seen one in real life, but his rendition is pretty good)...he fills the entire page with color. What a contrast in children! Take your time and enjoy him just the way he is...you never know what his hidden talent may be!

I posted the following on another thread....thought some of it might be relavent and might inspire some conversation.... While I was staying with my mom last week I left the computer on one day and it was on Lapbandtalk and what'ya know, she read it. I wasn't so horrified for myself (although it DID piss me off), but I regret the intrusion into YOUR privacy. I'm sorry and it will NEVER happen again. I'm not sure how much she read, but I find all of this private and I wouldn't share anything with anyone else outside the site...just my own principal - I honestly don't care if you share horrific stories from Alaska! I was also thinking about how some people beat us up emotionally without yelling....how many times I was told "boy, you look good in that dress"...but what I heard was "you ONLY look good in that dress". Now, I am learning that it's OK to have emotional baggage...I am not one to blame my issues on anyone, but it's nice to know where some of my thoughts and actions come from.

Lap -Oh my crap! I think it's *funny* that mom's don't think it's intrusive (or even don't have a second thought, if they had a thought at all) to look at private information about their GROWN children (growing children is a whole different story). Did you happen to explain to your sister, while she was yelling at you, that this particular conversation is a prime example of what you have issues with? I found it ironic that she berated you about her berating you. (did that make sense?) Anyway, about some of Lap's comments... While I was staying with my mom last week I left the computer on one day and it was on Lapbandtalk and what'ya know, she read it. I wasn't so horrified for myself (although it DID piss me off), but I regret the intrusion into YOUR privacy. I'm sorry and it will NEVER happen again. I'm not sure how much she read, but I find all of this private and I wouldn't share anything with anyone else outside the site...just my own principal - I honestly don't care if you share horrific stories from Alaska! I was also thinking about how some people beat us up emotionally without yelling....how many times I was told "boy, you look good in that dress"...but what I heard was "you ONLY look good in that dress". Now, I am learning that it's OK to have emotional baggage...I am not one to blame my issues on anyone, but it's nice to know where some of my thoughts and actions come from.

Lap Dancer -

Alaska Update - Ok, so I made it through a fill, a vacation, and even the fair and I come home and weigh myself...I've LOST 5 lbs! This is GREAT because I thought I was eating all the time! I feel good and need some new jeans, but that'll have to wait until I get ahold of some money! Haha! The Chicken Slaughter of 2007 went well. I got off the plane, came into the house, changed clothes and started the carnage! It was a lot easier than I expected. It was time consuming and pretty physical (ripping the skin off of a bird is strenuous!) so my legs and arms are hurting (the GOOD hurt) today. I'll go for a walk later and stretch it all out. Needless to say, I ended up with a cooler half full of chicken meat! Not that it was the goal, but even the kids enjoyed watching mom! (Poor Stormy wasn't sure what to make of it all.) I feel like I don't have good restriction...I can still eat more than I "should" so I'll be looking at getting another fill next month maybe. Oh, do I miss the fast internet!!!

only4me - I raised chickens this summer....this was my first slaughter, thought I'd give it a name. I tell ya, after being pretty much alone with my three kids on "vacation" it was nice to see all that blood! :-) Just kidding!

Mango - try teaching your kids to sleep when the sun is still coming through the windows! Nothin' like the "midnight sun" to screw with everything!:bored only4me - salad is a funny thing...I find you really have to chew it up or it could just plug up the little tube to your stomach! I wouldn't give up on it, but maybe try switching a little - a small, chewed bite of salad and then a bite of something else.:hungry: AppleBlossom - I, too, am having trouble decifering between full and stuck. I will take a bite and think "ok, that was enough, that was almost bad" and then after a few minutes I can eat a few more bites...hmmm Also, DH is home, no kids...HAVE SEX! It's a great way to spend time together and burn calories! Who said you shouldn't "excersize" together? Alaska Update - Ok, so I made it through a fill, a vacation, and even the fair and I come home and weigh myself...I've LOST 5 lbs! :whoo::clap2::whoo::clap2::whoo::clap2:This is GREAT because I thought I was eating all the time! I feel good and need some new jeans, but that'll have to wait until I get ahold of some money! Haha! The chicken Slaughter of 2007 went well. I got off the plane, came into the house, changed clothes and started the carnage! It was a lot easier than I expected. It was time consuming and pretty physical (ripping the skin off of a bird is strenuous!) so my legs and arms are hurting (the GOOD hurt) today. I'll go for a walk later and stretch it all out. Needless to say, I ended up with a cooler half full of chicken meat! :hungry:Not that it was the goal, but even the kids enjoyed watching mom! (Poor Stormy wasn't sure what to make of it all.) I feel like I don't have good restriction...I can still eat more than I "should" so I'll be looking at getting another fill next month maybe. Oh, do I miss the fast internet!!!

janiee - my doc used a pretty small needle and I swear I didn't feel it at all! Heck, you went through surgery, you can deal with a little stick! only4me - of course you're hungry...that soup just fills the whole stomach, not just the pouch - runs right through it. Try adding some protein powder to the soup to thicken it up a bit. You should be moving into regular food soon...my opinion is that we should be eating normally for at least a week before a fill...have some green tea - it will help with the appetite. Good luck, sister! It's been 9 hrs and I'm still full from the quasadilla from lunch! This is goooood!

Something wonderful has happened! I went to lunch with my sister and all the kids...ordered a lunch special - a quesadilla (yeah, not the healthiest, but this was a treat). It came with about 8 wedges of quesadilla and some fries. I was only able to eat 3 of the wedges (didn't eat the fries, and although I was thirsty, didn't drink). I was FULL! Yes, really, FULL! I have to admit that it was incredibly difficult to not munch on what was still left on my plate while wating for a to-go box. I told my sis that it was really bothering me to not finish what was served. I know that I still ate more than my supposed capacity, but there we/are no PBs, sliming, or discomfort. I'm just glad I couldn't eat more! Needless to say, I was giving a very thankful prayer on my drive home!

I stayed on liquids for a couple of days. My own "Marcy Logic" tells me that filling kind of traumatizes the stomach and may make it swell more so drinking liquids will help with that swelling (if it were to happen)...it's a good way to clean out the body anyway. Well, I was filled last Thursday 8/16 and don't feel much different...hmmm....wish this thing would start working!

My doc tells me to eat three meals a day and have a Protein shake as an after Breakfast and after lunch snack to even things out. I have to admit that I don't do that..... I usually have a shake for breakfast and some fruit (like a banana). Then nothing until lunch, which could also be a shake, and then I EAT a snack and EAT dinner...sometimes I graze in the evening, but it's always something small, low calorie/carb...yeah, I suck at following diets.

So I have a 4cc band and had my first fill last week...got 1.5cc put in. Doc said that he likes to be conservative for the first fill, just in case....besides I live hundreds of miles away from said fill doc and a problem would suck! I don't really feel any restriction, but there are times food feels uncomfortable going down...like in my chest. I stop eating then...is this was the "new full" feels like? I actually think I should be able to eat less than I am...I'm sure I'll need another fill in a month or so.

I went to a wedding yesterday and after eating (small meal of chicken, tomato salad, and watermelon - ok, there were more choices, but I was sticking to small and chewable). I get a call from my mom (who is watching my 2 yr old daughter) saying, "I was in the kitchen....(phone cut out)...meet me at the emergency room!" :car::help: I raced out of the reception and (than heavens I had borrowed her Corvette - great car in case of emergency!) met her at the hospital. Turns out the little stinker had gotten into Miracle Grow...covered herself head to toe (mouth too). Well, mom paniced and didn't think to call Poison Control first. So...after an hour in emergency and $100 co pay....it's HARMLESS! :nervous So I put my girl to bed and went back to the party...thing is...I was STARVING when I got there! I managed to stick to black olives and a SMALL slice of cake, but after all that, I think I deserved some friggin' cake! Ok, they were weird people and the cake was sugar free, but it was still cake! I'm still baffled why I was hungry...I mean my stomach was grumbling! I can't tell if I actually have restriction or if I'm limiting myself right now. I'm hungry right now, that's for sure!:hungry:

Laurend - I've always felt the best way to learn (or re-learn in your case) is to teach. It will all come back to you and you may even come up with better ways to comprehend and remember the material!:car: Jeanie - Girl, you have way too much time on your hands! Either that or you took a speed reading and typing course in your early years! I'm not having any "issues" with my fill...in fact I actually kind of thought I'd feel different, but don't. NewCC - I personally hope that those food demons leave! I LOVE to feel full...not just satisfied. I LOVE to feel a huge wad of food be chewed and swallowed. This is just a whole new "satisfied" feeling we have to get used to so we can be successful! Tenille - Yes, I wanna drink with meals. This has been a hard habit to break. I've started keeping a glass, but with only about 2 oz of liquid in it at the table...not enough for a good swig if you know what I mean. When I get the urge to drink I realize that it's not going to satisfy me and so I just let it go. Also, the liquid has helped in the past when something got stuck...make it just a little moist and happy, happy, joy, joy feelings come 'round again.:hungry:

Hello everyone! I had my first fill last Thursday. It was easy, painless, and doesn't feel like enough. I thought that I had a 10cc band, but I really have a 10 CM band that holds 4 cc. He put 1.5cc in and I felt fine. I stuck to liquids and soft foods for a couple of days and had chicken last night...just a little. I was at a wedding and I swear I was hungry and wanted more! I just wasn't satisfied all evening, but I stuck it through. I'll be back in Anchorage at the end of the week so maybe I'll ask the doc to put just a little more in? What do you think? I'm tolerating everything else just fine today. Still eating less, but knowing I could eat more (and wanting to). I don't know if Dr. K does this, but my fill doc had me lay down and lift my legs and out popped my port...easy to find and fill! When I left Nome I hadn't dropped any pounds, but there are other indicators that something is happening...a ring I haven't been able to wear for 8 years and now it fits comfortably, all my jeans fall off of me, and I bought a pair of capris the other day in a smaller size! So it's all good. I have to admit that I'm astonished when there are folks banded about the same time as I and have lost 20-30 lbs. Don't know how they're doing it; I feel like I'm excersizing and eating the same....hmmm...

Okay, I'm alive...but, frankly,there's no way I can go back and ready everything I've missed right now. So I thought I'd give a little Fill Update! I went in and found out that I don't have the 10cc band, I have a 10 CM band that holds 4cc. No biggie - honestly, I don't care or know enough about sizes to know if this is good/bad or it doesn't matter. My fill doc is great and I didn't feel the stick...at all! He uses a fairly small needle and put in 1.5cc. I didn't feel any different, funny, I thought there'd be lightening, stars, and rainbows when it was done! I've been on liquids and soft food and haven't been hungry...I'm going to try some real food tonight at a wedding, but will take it ssslllloooowww. I actually had a little tighness with scrambled eggs this morning. Hmmmm, maybe I DO have restriction. Anyhoo...a tip for fills...while lying on your back, if you lift your legs the port will just "pop"...makes finding the port much easier and therefore less sticks to get it right!

All this talk about being "force fed" at dinner time growing up....I just saw the most hillarious commercial!! Baskin Robin's: Mom sitting at table eating with son, Dad says to son, "Eat all your peas or we're not going to Baskin Robin's for a treat." Dad turns around and mom grabs the plate and devours the peas! It just made me think of our recent conversations....too funny...really, I'm laughing my a$$ off...hopefully, it won't grow back! Thanks for the advise/encouragement!

Chris45 - You're right, I too notice the habits of my spouse more now than ever! I found it interesting last night that he ate a Nutrisystem pizza then an hour later had a HUGE bowl of ice cream and cake! LOL! I remember reading an article a year or so ago that was titled "My Spouse Makes/Keeps Me Fat"....so true! So...FIVE WEEKS out and I weigh 2 lbs. heavier than I did before the surgery?! I'm a little irritated, but I get my first fill tomorrow and, usuing advise from another thread, I'm goig to go full-on liquids for two days which might just jump start the jump start (if you know what I mean). I'm glad this fill is happening during travel. This way I've been packing all day (gotta make sure I have underwear/diapers for all the kids) and not thinking about a big, horrendous needle sticking in my belly. I'll have plenty to do to keep my mind off of it! I'm worried, however, that the day after the fill I have to drive about 7 hours to my parent's house....I usually snack on this drive to keep me awake and not bored. Hmm....what shall I do? Maybe I'll tune my iPod to ABBA and teach the kids a thing or two? At the end of our little trip we'll be at the State Fair. Hmm...how to deal with Fair Food? I've never been to this particular fair, but I know the Cream Puff Lady will be there along with other not-so-good-for you food stands...maybe I'll just take my shakes with me and be boring? With that said....I probably won't be on for a week, although everyone else has quicker internet so maybe I will....don't miss me too much!

Anna - You crack me up! In my house if you don't eat leftovers, you just don't eat! I can't afford to be making/buying "fresh" food for every meal! With all those kids...you should teach them to cook, so you're out of the kitchen and then they can learn portion sizes/control. It has really helped with my 7 year old....

Ruby - I TOLD you all about the sliming...no one listens...maybe it's good that you had that experience, that way you KNOW what you don't want to happen ever again! Because I give my scraps to the chickens, I don't have to worry about cleaning the plate! Phyl and Kathy - thanks for bringing up DH issues and how to handle it. My sweet man questions A LOT about what I'm eating and how much. I explained the other day that it would be more helpful to me to have praise for the things I have accomplished instead of pointing out things that (honestly, I'm already aware of) are bad for me. This was recently brought up...did anyone else grow up with the "finish your plate" mentality? :hungry: My sister and I were having a conversation about when mom would buy cookies or "good" cereal when we were younger and we'd eat as much as we could, as fast as we could for fear that there wouldn't be any to enjoy later (because everyone else is doing the same thing). Now, we actually laugh that there is birthday cake that needs to be thrown out because it's been sitting on the counter too long...no fear anymore, we know that it can either be replaced or that there will be some later if we want. :biggrin1:Gee, did that make any sense? The sun is sort of out today, maybe I'll go for a walk? Went to Transformers yesterday with the boys...it was "Thuper Awethome!" I love watching my kids enjoy stuff!:girl_hug:

cazulay - You think YOU'RE spending a lot on groceries? Now, I'm not complaining (too much) because we sort of had a choice of moving out here, but $2.99/lb for apples...APPLES! The fruit selection sucks out here! Frankly, I'd be willing to pay for good produce, but it's not even GOOD! Most of the stuff gets frozen on the way out and, if you aren't aware, frozen apples SUCK! At least I was able to harvest two HUGE zucchinni from my greenhouse today! Good luck with sticking to cheaper/healthy foods! OK, so I'm not losing. I'm enormously frustrated! I feel like I'm barely eating and didn't even feel like I was cheating yesterday when I had a very small (2-3 bites worth) piece of birthday cake! So, I'm excersizing and eating less...what's the deal? BTW I've never felt like I looked fat before...now I feel like a big freakin' blob! Even wearing my control top pantyhose and a cute church outfit yesterday made me very self-conscious! This is a whole new feeling for me! AAAAHHHHHHH!

jackie - my doc said that there's been "a few" times where he actually hit the tube instead of the port. He's in Denver so he won't be doing my fills (although, I'd trust him to "get it right the first time"). I understand that sometimes it takes more than one stick to get the port. I can feel mine (the outline too) so I don't think getting it in the right spot will be too much of an issue...now to get the right amount of fluid! There's another story!

ribearty - yeah, I've had that tummy pain too...it means you're not resting enough...take it easy. Some of my pain was also due to some nerves trying to re-connect. That was a sharp/burning type pain. But the soreness will go away! Linette - I have to admit that I'm jealous! Especially now that we don't have that nice cushion that we once had...self-pay sucks. My doc won't file insurance for me, but maybe I could get him to write a letter of medical necessity and file myself? Hmmm...I'll try that and see how things go. Um...is a quad-runner the same as a 4-wheeler? That's what we call them up here. We also say "sno-go" or "snow-mobile" NOT "snow-machine"...those are things that MAKE snow! Mango - welcome to my world! Insurance not only cut coverage, but increased our co-pays (from 15 to 25/visit) and premiums 120%! YIKES! I am soooo ready for my fill! Thursday can't come soon enough! I go up and down with the food - some days I eat too much, but I'm still more active than I have been in a long time. This usually happens in August anyway...get the energy out before winter comes (in about a month)...then I'll hunker down for several months with my treadclimber and the rec center here. I'm having a little anxiety about this weekend. I'll be getting my fill on Thurs. and then I'll drive to Fairbanks to stay with family for a few days. I'm worried that there'll be a lot of judgement. Not for having the surgery, but that I don't LOOK like I've lost any weight (and haven't really since the surgery) and worried that there will be a LOT of eyes on what I'm eating. My usual obnoxious confidence is waning!:omg: