vinesqueen

Great work! Great NSV! Amazing work! I agree with Lisa/DeLarla, you need to go buy yourself some new clothes, even if it is only a few pieces. Congrats again!

I used to be exhauasted for ever and a day. I also *knew* there was no way I has sleep apnea. No possible way. I just had developed insomnia, that was all... Well, they did the test, and I was waking up 180 times every night, and didn't even know it. It's pretty bad when you impress the sleep study folks... My oxygen level would drop down to the low 80's every night. I had a real love/hate relationship with my CPAP machine. I don't need to use it any more, and even if I try to sleep with it, I take it off soon after I fall asleep. If you need it, then man, will it ever change your life! You will have more energy, feel better, increase your sex drive, have less head-aches, and there are some studies that suggest that if you get 8 hours of sleep you will do better with weight loss efforts. (Sounds like snake oil, but these are all the side-effects I experienced)

Riding an ATV would probably be less physically demanding than riding a horse. I got the a-okay to ride a week after being banded. Cheers and wear your helmet!

the week after I was banded, my husband drove me to Idaho so I could go back to school. It was about a 12 hour trip, but I slep for a big whack of the trip.

My younger sister has been in several honest to god bar brawls. Me, not a one. And we would go drinking at the same places. Anyone been in a bar fight?

My Dh has lost almost 200 pounds in almost 2 years. He still has a ways to go. He started at 600, and he's be biggest bandster I know of.

I had trouble with my bra for quite a while, and even now it sometimes irritates my band incision scar. Part of this no doubt is because I wear a G cup, and that incision line is right where my bra band hits. I wore a sports bra I modified so it wouldn't be too tight for quite a while, or when I was at home, a tight tee-shirt under my other shirts to help corral the "girls."

One other thing, because you have been through such difficulties that most people simply cannot comprehend, you have added depth and richness to your character and personality.

I don't think anyone can answer that question but you. I do know that bitterness will get you nowhere. Everyone has a different set of lessons they are here to learn. Some people need to learn acceptence of not only themselves but others. Not always an easy lesson. One thing I do know is that many skinny girls think that they are fat, and have tremendous self doubt around what they look like. I know that while I was never skinny, I didn't have an accurate picture of what I did look like. I thought I was terribly fat because the scale and my doctors said I was fat. I wasn't, I took up the same amount of physical space that others took up. Many skinny girls are sooo insucure about themselves, and many feel that their body is the only thing they have to offer, so they neglect to develop other parts of their beings. Do you really have extra energy to spend on hate? I know that I don't, plus hate isn't good for my soul or my kharma. Things attract like things. Love attacts love, hate attracts hate, indiference attracts indifference. I have been ill used by some in my life. I could be bitter and full of hate and rage. But you know what? it only really affects me. And one of the lessons I've learned is that I have to be kind to myself. If I am kind to myself, I am more apt to be kind to others. "Beauty is skin deep, but ugly goes to the bone." I don't know who said that, but to a great extent, I think it's true, except for true inner beauty, that always shines through.

the pilaties ball is great, and I do crunches. I wan't told to not do them.

Mary, isn't the Band making you smaller???? I don't think Penni had anything to do with that... Muffin, wow! Phenominal is right! Doing great Kel, and Tammy, wow! I think you picked the right avatar as well.

See Paula, just one more example that he's being raised by a pack of wild dogs. Who knows, maybe his kids will be raised by a family dog...

Jody, honey-bee, I'm so sorry you are in so much pain. I just want to let you know that I understand some of your pain and am so sorry for it. Some of us didn't get to go to home coming or Prom, and we were not homebound. Life gets so much better after high school anyway. I garantee that failing one class will keep you out of college. I had a terrible high school GPA, I mean truly bad. But guess what, I'm currently on a full ride scholarship. It is never too late to go to college. Sure, I'm old enough to be your mom, but I'm also a full time student. Concentrate on your health now. If you need to take an extra semester or quarter, to finish with the GPA you think you can achieve, then you need to do that. That won't make you a failure or dumb; it makes you smart because you are taking care of yourself. Do you have the option of an alternative high school? My son just graduated from the local alternative high, and it was the very best place for him.

was it raining?

Heck! who cares what the scale says if you are loosing those kinds of inches! Besides the scale lies, lies, lies. Very impressive work! Nice to see you again Carmel!

Heh, this weekend, Spudboy was showimg me some of the leftover carnage from The 4th. I believe they were trophies. I had gone to bed after we got back from the show and I didn't light off any of the fireworks. I thought they just had bottle rockets... "no Momma, we had some firecrackers too." You had firecrackers???!!! He patted my arm, "It's okay Mom, don't worry, we saved some for you." And then we both laughed. That last line is not how the usual fireworks conversation goes between teenaged sons and their mothers.

Yup, CPAP changed my life. I hate the damn thing, and I don't need it all night anymore. Life is amazing when you get a full night's sleep

I vote yes for staws. Some people do better without them. Then there is my mother who never learned how to use a staw...

So Megan, can we get an update?

La Madam's right. Call your doctor. and there is no need to make yourself suffer! The band isn't a diet, it is a lifestyle, a way of living. Being miserable is no way to live. the band is not supposed to be surgical bulemia!!! If you PB or vomit once a week, you are probably too tight. If you cannot drink anything, you are definately too tight. Be good to yourself! Call your DR. If you have to have an unfill, you have to have an unfill. If you are really too tight, you will damage your stomach.

I started back doing crunches about a week out, and horseback riding 2 weeks out, so yes, crunches are just fine 8 weeks out.

Yesterday, I reached a milestone I was hoping to never reach. I PB'D. All I can say is OH DEAR GAWD! Saturday, I had a really bad sliming incident. Do not, I repeat, do NOT let yourself get too hungry! I had a hair appointment, and they took close to 6 hours for a simply dye job. I was very, very careful when I finally got some lunch, but I see now I should have either had something in my purse or started the meal with milk and let that sit for a while. I didn't get anything stuck, but man, the slimes were terrible! This was my first experience with the slimes. dinner lastnight was a disaster. I ended up BPing for the first time since I was banded in March. I felt really yucky for the rest of the night too. I was hungry later that night, but a half cup of ice cream fixed me up. That and the cup of milk too... BTW, the ice cream was from the quart I bought 3 weeks ago...

I give Astro cheese, it helps buffer his asprin when he doesn't/won't eat. Just makes him a little gassy, but no worse than the frozen broccoli I give him.

by all rights, I figure I should at the very least be an ax murderer. to this day my older sister cannot see how I could have called the police on our parents. In the '70s it wasn't like today, where the slightest alligation of abuse is investigated. My mom blames me for how my younger brother turned out. She figures it's all my fault he's abusive, spent years on coke, criminal record, incredibly manipulative and basically a viper. He's 40 years old, and is living off her. Younger brother has most of the "tells" for a serial killer, if that doesn't creep me out... Of course, our older brother is about the same, but he's not mean in the same way. Of course, when I was little, older brother would pick me up by my head and smother me until I would pass out. Then drop me to the floor.

looking embarased.... a cheese burger. Mind you, I'd never had trouble eating the occasional cheese burger before....