the best me

Good luck Karel! I wish you all the best, and I hope you'll post updates about how you are doing! We have plenty of pre-banded and de-banded and revised folks here and we are ALL in the same weight loss boat. You can do it!!!! I'm relieved for you! So glad you are happy with your decision. Good for you!

Oy, Karen! Be careful! I can't eat pot roast reheated. I know it's moist and tender but it's hard to chew but the smallest bite! I'm always super careful with that one. Glad you are home. So sorry about John's Grandma.

Just reasearch your MX doc very well and make sure you have local after-care (fills, problems, if any, etc) when you get home. I'm a happy Dr Kuri patient. Research well! You will find many happy MX bandsters, and others who wouldn't go back for all the money in the world. I have no regrets.

Baruim is some type of liquid metal? It tastes chalky and yucky, mine was kind of peppermint-y, but you swallow it and they take an x-ray of your band to make sure the baruim goes through the band...and you are not blocked. You can't go home if you can't swallow liquids.

Hospital gown and compression stockings only, and I woke up with a catheter. Yuck. I was so glad to get that thing out later that afternoon. I'm guessing at some point I was in a position I'd rather not think about now that I'm awake. Medical staff see this stuff everyday. I'm sure it's no biggie to them, but...ugh, I shudder at the thought! LOL The most important thought for you should be a safe and successful surgery. You'll be naked. I'm not sure there is a way around it? It's okay, though. You'll be excited to have your band so try not to worry. :nervous

Update...it's over 2 hours later and I'm still nice and full. But you know what's got me? My sweet tooth. I could eat something sweet so easily right now! I dont' want supper, I want a Starbucks Mocha Frap, or a WW ice cream bar (2 points...which is probably what I'll get) or some chocolate. I'm having carb withdrawals? LOL The only real carb I've had today were the crackers this morning. So, maybe I don't need a fill. Maybe I need an attitude adjustment!

Okay, I saw you on the vegetarian recipe thread so I know you are out there! LOL How are you? How was the Upper GI?

Yay! Leatha's coming to Hickory! Okay, lady, we gotta get something going. Here's some ideas... 4pm is too early for me to get together without the kiddos. And I'd hate for you to hang around Charlotte long enough to wait and have dinner with us (me!) when you could easily be in Hickory and checked in by 5pm. I'm thinking you will drive from the airport to 85S to 321N to Hickory. That'd be the way I go, anyway. So at that point, you are in Hickroy for the week. So a 7pm dinner in Hickory any night could be possible? Is this true? What about Friday evening on your way out of town? Could we do a Charlotte/airport area dinner...or even Cox Rd.? on Friday evening? I guess if you took a late flight home...I don't know if you want to do that or not? Our church has VBS all week, so whatever night we do, I'll just find a way to skip that night, no biggie, but I need to be able to plan. Oh Leatha, I would just LOVE to meet you in person! Let's find a way!

Okay, this is a "post fast and run" post (hi everyone! :wave:) but I wanted to get this addy copied onto the GFG page so you all can check it out. http://www.flylady.net/pages/body_clutter_main.asp FlyLady wrote a book called Body Clutter and I love it. I'm betting some of you all would love it, too. Check out the resouce page on the website (link above) and do some surfing in there. You might get some inspiration? I hope so! I printed out the Body Clutter Investigator page. Handy!

Okay, check this out. This morning I had 1/2 cup egg salad with 8 Townhouse crackers. Then for lunch...just to test the fill thingy...I heated up 6 ounces (I weighed it!) of baked chicken (boneless skinless breast in honey teriyaki marinade) and sat here at the puter and nibbled. Got stuck...ouch! oooooh! hmmmmm! eeeeeek! UGH! so I plopped about 1/4 cup of sour cream onto the bowl of chicken and ate ALL of it no problem. Man, was it good with that sour cream. So, now I'm not hungry (good thing, right?) and we'll see how long this lasts. I'll post an update tonight after dinner. I'd love to get some feedback from you all about whether or not I need a fill. Whose thread is this? wildflower...I hope this helps you, too!!!! LOL

Yes, and I can't wait to see exactly how it works out...it WILL be miraculous! Amy's getting banded...Amy's getting banded!!!!

I used regular white onions in mine. No big. Hey, I didn't put bell pepper in my soup...is that on the recipe? I missed it?!!!! Anyway, I'm sure it's fine to leave that out. I just wouldn't add something like peas or corn instead (carbs). Next time I'm adding more diced tomatoes and more green Beans to the pot. Yummmmm. Hey, ddiedre, well said on your reply to honu, I agree totally! I also understand the whole fad diet thinking. I didn't get this band to do yet another fad diet. But the fact is...sometimes I need a kick in the pants too. If eating alot of veggie soup for a few days helps, I'm in. :hungry:

OMGosh, I have rediscovered the library this summer. What a lifesaver! Of course, keeping up with books, videos, and due dates are kind of a pain, but 3yo Tyler LOVES to play on the computer there! He puts his headphones on and I double click the Arthur game and he sorts bugs by size, color and shape for 45 min EASILY!!! The library here also has a large wooded area beside/behind it where volunteers have made gravel paths, marked trees and bushes, set up benches, built little bridges and rock streams...it's beautiful there! One day we took our books out there and read. How nice! We could easily spend 2 hours at our library! They (the library) also have a sumer kids program at the local Elem School cafeteria. Last week Mr Snake was there with, no kidding, dozens of snakes. I held one for the kids to pet! And he had a HUGE Python that took 8 adults shoulder to shoulder to hold while the kids went by to pet it. Next week, Mr. Music is coming, so loud music and dancing is on the list of things to do. Rachel (6) is doing gymnastics on Mondays, too. She LOVES it! Last week, her instructor asked me if she could come to the 4:30 class (instead of the 3:30 class) because she'll be more challenged there. There are loads of younger ones in the class I signed her up for, and her cartwheel is great...anyhow, I'm so proud! I know what you mean about the neighbor kids...gone all day, not home until 6pm, too old, too young, they can ride bikes in the street and mine can't (without me and I'm not standing out there aLL day) yada yada. Hey, Paula, Google Ginger Plowman and check out some of her books. She also has a "Wise Words for Mom" calendar-like resource with bible verses and biblical principles for dealing with ANY kid behavior...talking back, disobeying, stirring up strife, the list goes on. I ask Rachel all the time, "is what you are doing generating Peace in our home? or is it stirring up strife? What does God say about that?" and it's GREAT!!!!!! Good luck. Being Mom is HARD!!!!!!!

A placebo appointment! How funny! I'm the same way. I can eat! Then I go and get something stuck, or it's that TOM, and I think "am I nuts? I don't need a fill!" I think I'm going to get one anyway. Sometimes the smallest amount can really help. I just need to wrap my head around eating slowly and oh-so- carefully at EVERY moment...if a placebo appointment would do it for me, I'd pay for it!

PM's are supposed to be Private...but I wouldn't hesitate to forward those to a Moderator.

Queen...some folks say that getting banded will either cure reflux or cause it...you won't know till you get there. I think the biggest danger is damage to the esophogus from the reflux...so you really want to do all you can to avoid it. Try an LBT search for Reflux and Heartburn and see what pops up. If it's reflux, you'll get pages and pages of threads! Plenty of folks take Prilosec or some other acid reducer, but being too tight tends to be the biggest factor in reflux problems. Did any of that help? LOL Good luck!

I have a Magic Bullet and it's GREAT for pureed foods. Very easy, easy to clean, easy to use. But it's not so great for crushed ice drinks. It shut down -overheated?- in the middle of Pina Colada night last week. :eek: so I borrowed my neighbors plain ole blender for that. I plan to get a smoothie maker machine for iced drinks. I hope it crushes ice better than the MB. Good luck! OH! I heard that Target has a $10-15 personal blender that's pretty handy. This was last summer, so maybe they will be back? Check there, too.

Hey...I didn't know Court was a florist!!! How cool is that?! Court, you really should come to another lunch. You and Sherrie. I think we scared her off.:eek: Hi everybody! :wave:

Hi all you new folks, and welcome to LBT! There are sooooo many of you, I can't keep up so this is a nice place to say hello to lots of you!!!!! Someone asked about having a 5yo at home. My youngest was 2, and he was hard...diapers and all. I needed help, plus my first 2 weeks post-op were very difficult. I was super tight and it was sure scary. Anyhow, a 5yo is manageable. Just prepare him/her for being a good helper. Practice now for things like "will you hand me the remote?" and "will you bumpt down the air?" or whatever. And help him/her be as self-sufficient as possible. Keep healthy snacks in a basket, easy to get to. You will be sore and tired and need extra rest, but it's not like you are tied to the bed or sofa...it will be fine! Good luck everyone! Happy Band-days to all!

Hang on Diane. It's the ebb and flow. It comes and goes. When the gumption comes back, run with it. You haven't gained, for crying out loud! That's excellent news! Start small...just go twice a week, or just do 10 min a day, or whatever increment works that's lame but do-able. Start fresh SOMEwhere. Once the endorphins or whatever hormones kick in that make you feel so fab, you'll get some energy back. In the meantime, KNOW that the scale isn't the measure right now...put up with the gaining and losing the same 2-3 pounds while you get back on track, it WILL come off as you are able to step it up a bit. You are doing great! Now, go kick some BUTT! :boxing:

Okay, a bit of a disappointment...no Leatha next week. Her Mom is recovering from the stroke and Leatha's company is sending someone else to do the job. :eek: Please remember her Mom in your prayers. She needs her blood thinner medication but it's risky to take it due to the stroke...I read on another thread that Mom was home, so there is some improvement. Shucks...so close! I'm sorry we missed you Leatha! Take good care of Mom! ((((hugs))))

A florist with a band? Who? WHO? Oh please tell!!!!!

Yippppeeeeee! GOOD for you, Wavy! You did it!!!!! Here's to the PERFECT band date! (when you get it!)

Aww, Sunshine. I'm not in Canada and have no opinion about your doc's office matters...but I just wanted to send a ((((hug))) your way. Hang in there. I'm sorry you feel so yucky. Shame on the "yucky Kathy" for talking to you that way. :eek:

Excellent! Yes, I see a big difference. Here's to more weight loss for you! Yippe!!!!