vinesqueen

Thank all of you. Thank you for your kind words, so heartfelt and sweet. Each post a balm for my wounded self. I really was going to delete all most posts because I felt like a complete fraud. I felt like I was lieing to all of you because I am obviously not having any success, based on what the scale said. I felt terrible because well, the scale haddn't moved, but I felt terrible for all of you as well. How could any thing I have to say have any bearing on anything? Lies, damn lies, and what the scale says. (sorry Mr. Clemens) I don't have a goal weight in mind, I never have. My goal has been a size--size 12 or 14. Nothing crazy. I know the scale lies. I know this, I know this, I know this. And yet, I let it completely destroy all my self confidence after a weekend of an awsome NSVs. I let that damn scale ruin practically my entire week. I give it way too much power, power it doesn't deserve because it lies, and lies gleefully. Lies with malice. One of the things that popped into my twisted brain yesterday was this saying : It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others. http://despair.com/index.html I know that we have some members who have had awesome and phenominal loss. I am in awe of how much Jamin' and Loosin & Trama nurse have lost. They are my band sisters and their successes are so mind boggling. My heart absolutely seeks to soar with them. But we also have slow loosers who also need to be celibrated. Yesterday I went through my journal and all my posts to collect in one place all my NSVs. What an eye opener that has been. I still feel miserable, but miserable is not completely discouraged. Oh, and my best temper tantrum? I put my fist through a metal storage locker after being targeted by a new boss and fired without cause. The waitress I worked with lied and the boss was threatened by my mad short order cook skillz...

No Cheryl, it's call "deployment." Since you said MP and not SP, I'm guessing he's in the Army. Y'all don't have alot of experience deployments of any sort of durration. (Navy wives laugh their butts off whenever Army wives are on the news... *sniff, sniff* he'll be gone for two whole weeks....WAAAAA*. To a Navy wife a month det is a welcome break!) The emotional rollercoaster you are on is completely normal and to be expected. It is very, very hard to prepare for what your family is going through. Go to your appointment, but be very honest with your doc. If you are still tight, then get a fill later. Your doc is your partner in this, not your boss.

I would think that she would have no band for a while to let her stomach heal. Then go with the larger band. I personally don't know that I could in good concious recommend the RNY. Yes, I know that there are many many people who've had tremendous success with the RNY, but I worry that the complications are too great. Your sister is in our thoughts

Cheryl, some of us start pretty tight and don't need a fill as soon as others. Everyone is different, and you might need a fill by week 6-8, and you might not. I know that Capt'n Jack didn't need his first fill until quite recently. You might not either. Please don't let this add extra stress, the thought of possible stress stressing you out. Hope that made sense. Talk to your doc at you fill appointment. You might need a fill, and you might not. Do not let this add to your stress. You have enough to worry about. In the grand scheme of things, right now, getting a fill is the least of your concerns. Also, Cheryl, you are currently under a huge amount of stress. Stress actually inhibits weight loss, something to do with the steroids your body produces. And, of course, the first few weeks are for healing, not losing weight. As hard as it is, please don't worry about losing weight right now. Do NOT compare your journey with anyone else. Right now, your course may feel full of jagged boulders and broken glass, up hill because of what your husband is facing. Other people have a walk on the beach or a ski slope. You will do fine, trust me.

800 is low, 1200-1500 calories is closer to the range according to all my research, and my nutrishionist backs that up. Of course, your milage may vary. You need to make sure you are getting in enough calories so you don't shut down your metabolism. many poeple report that once they kick their intate to around 1200 range that their loss is faster. I know this is the case for me. zero dairy? Really? How do you get your Calcium? even before I got my first fill I had restriction, so it may be that you will have some moderate restriction. Sorry about your complications and hoping you have a speedy recovery.

Woot! Welcome to our newest Bandit!

I would suggest calling the center and getting the answer straight from the source. I would hate to give you one answer only to have you discover that I was completely wrong either way. Congrats on your upcoming band!

Oh Babs I hope that is the pain talking. Take your meds, pain is so hard on your body and your psyche! If you have to deal with the pain that puts extra stress on everything. I would rather be a lttle groggy now than have a longer recovery. ((( hugs)))

I was thinking about this, and I think I would postpone the revision. I don't know the details of your wedding, (congrats btw!) but you probably have 800 million things to attend to, and while a revision is minor, it is stil surgery. You are still going to I would think that the revision would add only 20 bizillion gallons of stress right now. I would reschedule the revision for when you get back. This way it woun't interfear with your fabulous wedding & cruise! Congrats!

Oh Babs! {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{BIGGEST CYBER HUG EVER}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

/e falls over laughing. Okay, you are completely freaked out about a donut, but a margarita makes the day better???? Okay, I'll be the first to admit that a shot or two of tequillia will fix just about anything... Except maybe a toaster. Pretty sure it wouldn't fix a toaster... May have to do some research...

Hmm, I think I missed that thread. Could you please bump it? I don't recall any thread that promotes a specific doc. I do know that a while back someone posted that they were available to do fills in... Vegas? That thread was I believe locked and a note was placed explaining why it was locked. Sorry you feel like your doc is being slandered. Not sure what you mean by giving evidence. The Pix of Delarla's last port removal were pretty grafic and pretty darn specific. Not for the weak of knees... Other poeple have posted their experiences, both good and, well, really bad. And yes, you are absolutely correct that there are chances for complications from any doctor, procedure and action. But often anicdotal eveidence is collected before any study is done. I don't care what the subject is whether we are looking at something like complication rates of a particular doctor or at strange network behavior. Often times the collection of anicdotal evidence is the impedis for a more formal study of a particular practice. For instance, I recently completed an analysis of computer trouble tickets that started out as anicdotal problems, and I was able to correlate a specific geographic location as being the locus of the trouble. The process in question is being changed to improve the situation. But it started out with anicdotal evidence. I personally think it is vital for people to hear about other people's experiences, the good, the bad, the indifferent. Words written down are so subjective. It is an art to be able to convey exactly the right emotion and meaning, and yet still words are open to interpretation. If you've ever take a literature class or a poetry apprication class you will understand what I am trying to say. Your own experiences will color everything you touch or read, and so sometimes you will read something that was not intended, or miss something was the writer felt was crutial. I do not mean this as You, Prettyone specifically, but more the universial you. I'm sorry you feel that the moderators are acting as shills, or are trying to keep things in termoil. I have not read anything that would cause me to come to the same conclusions, but again, my experiences color my perceptions.

I think this got burried in other posts, but Flower is having a port revision today. I don't know any of the details, but I just wanted to get this put out so people could send her some positive vibes. Sending you waves of white protective and blue healing light Flower.

Nope, you cannot go swimming after only two weeks. You will need longer than that for the insision to heal. My best guess anyway. I had a laparotomy two weeks ago and I'm still not cleared for immersion activities like swimming or baths.

Excellent work! are you tracking your NSVs?

I love red bull for road trips; red bull with vodka at the end of the road trip...

hey April. Sorry you are so stressed. The best news is that you caught yourself before you got out of hand. Right? Right. The Guidlines in a Nutshell CHEW TO GOO Limit your caloric drinks. Eat your Protein first, next veggies, then complex carbs. If you have Snacks, make sure they are planned. If you have the occasional unplanned snack, try to choose something healthy. Be kind to yourself CHEW TO GOO don't drink when you eat, and wait a good amount of time after eating. (sort of like swimming.) try to get in about 60 oz of Water, give or take. (I think it's about 2 liters, but I probably made that part up.) try to get about 1200 to 1500 calories in a day. Adjust as you need excersize. get that fabulous booty shaking. Those are the basics.

My psych eval was about 50 minutes long. She wanted to make sure that I knew things like I would be able to eat again and that I had realistic goals. She also wanted to make sure that my understanding of the Banding process was realistic.. that I knew that the weight wouldn't magically fall off, that there would be plateaus and other similar issues. Now Renebean, I don't normally advocate anything but being truthful, but I suppose in your case you did the right thing. Of course, this begs the question, why didn't you just have the surgeon remove all that extra cotton??? warning! thread hyjack! Cheryl, you will need extra support for the next few years, so make sure that you take full advantage of your branch's support system. Make sure you take advantage of your civilian support network as well. I'm glad you are here because you will get some of the support you need. Not everyone will be able to understand your specific support needs, not everyone has had a SO go off to war. My ex was in the Navy during Gulf War I. In fact, his squadron was the first to be fired upon even before the war started. I know the stresses I was under, and so I have a small idea of what you are going through. Long separations are very difficult on a realationship. I'm getting ready to leave my husband and son for the 3 year in a row. I go to university in a different state than where my husband and son live and work and go to school. Please feel free to PM me any time. Also, if you need one, start on in the Lounge for support, since it isn't specificually band related.

dang it! I missed it

You may not want a Champagne ever again. Many people have a very difficult time with fizzy drinks, and bubbly is certianly fizzy! You might discover that your rituals don't need changing at all. Or you mnight discover that they change and evolve on their own without intervention on your part.

An occasional NSAID (OTC pain killer) is not going to hurt anything. Key word being "occasional." It is vitally important that you have a glass of something with this to wash it out of your pouch.

Amazing Becky! Simply amazing! You have every right to be doing the happy dance!

That's fantastic Christina! You are going like gang busters! Excellent work!

Well, there is long term stress, and there is long term stress. Selling a house is one of those top of the chart stressors. Sorry about your stress. I do know that when Im stressed I'm more restricted than when I'm not. Perhaps you should get an unfill until this is over and settled?

Uhm, how is eating a sandwich like a normal person "out of control" and/or eating like a pig??? That is about what a normal person eats. Normal being someone your size. You age a donut? OH MY GAWD! SEND IN THE MARINES!!!! TIME FOR AN INTERVENTION!!!!! (sirens going off in the distance, spot lights searting the night skies.... ) Calm down Estella! Has it occured to you that perhaps you body NEEDS extra nutrishion right now??? Extras nutrition means extra calories. Sure, not a gazillion calories, but have you looked at how many calories the subway sandwich has? Completely reasonable. You didn't go out and eat a double pepperoini large pizza. You had a subway sandwich. You ate ONE donut, not A DOZEN. Calm down, breathe. Here, use this paper bag because I'm afraid you are going to start hyperventilating. It's OKAY.