piercedqt78

I can eat hooters naked strips, and the regular strips with loads of ranch dressing. ~Mandy

The watches are cool, but I don't think they will be noticed. If the watch face had the medic alert emblem on it I would say go for it. Or if you wear it with the watch on the inside of your wrist, maybe??? ~Mandy

1.I can cross my legs and breath at the same time. 2. Sex is way better. 3. I can run up and down the stairs to do laundry with no problem. 4.This may sound crazy but I can sit in the bathtub and have room on each side, my hips don't touch the sides anymore. 5. I can sit comfortably in a plane seat now. 6. I have gone from a 22-24 to a 14, soon to be a 12. 7. I can buy clothes in stores that don't even have a plus sized department. 8. I can stop eating when I am starting to get full. 9. I can and have tossed most of a cheesecake in the trash as it had gone bad. I passed on the chance to get ice cream today. 10. I can hold my head high and honsetly say I am 22 pounds lighter then the weight on my drivers license, I lied about it to begin with. 11. My seat belt fits comfortably finally. 12. I am wearing my wedding ring for the first time in a long time. (now too big) 13. I can sleep on my back without it hurting from the weight 14. There is room for me and my daughter in the recliner now. 15. I haven't had McD's in almost 6 months 16. having gall bladder out and I am not totally dreading the liquids before and after surgery. 17. The surgeon did not require my PCP to sign off on the surgery. 18. I can stand and touch the floor without holding my breath. 19. I got a new hair cut and my first question wasn't does my face look fat? 20. I can cook without having a taste before it is actually meal time. 21. Just bought a house and it is a trilevel and the stairs aren't killing me. 22. We adopted an 18 month old dog and I can keep up with her on walks. 23. I've only lost 10 pounds in 6 months but I still feel great. 24. I'm down to a size 12 and getting into some 10's 25. I bought mediums in the Jr department and they fit 26. I can carry my daughter up the stairs without being out of breath. 27. My cholestrol is actually normal without meds 28. I bought a bathing suit to wear to the community pool without a skirt or boy shorts 29. I forget to eat 30. No more midday naps 31. people don't believe I ever needed WLS 32. I bought several shirts with horizontal stripes

I have a whole list of NSV's do I have to choose just 10? ~Mandy

Also check Ebay, some of the sellers even do ingraving. I have had great luck with finding cool stuff for a lot less than in the other shops. Penni also has a great selection, great quality and really great prices. ~Mandy

Not yet, I am going to have my niece take a current picture tomorrow. I was going to do it today but I spent the day working in my flowerbed. I planted 6 rose bushes and removed several Russian sage plants. A year ago I would have never even considered doing any of that. But today it was easy, except for the extreme heat. I am resting and drinking my water, pictures tomorrow. ~Mandy

Trish, I am going to hijack the thread and ask how your port infection is healing....if you posted an update I missed it. ~Mandy You may now resume normal thread topic....

I have a regular silver one that I wear everyday. And I have a fancy one for nights out and formal stuff. Both have a plain silver tag with the cross in red on them. ~Mandy

I simply told Penni what I wanted and she made it for me. I had my hubby, my daughter and my birthstone on mine. Turns out really pretty. I think it is http://www.pemerridesigns.com/ ~Mandy

I can't do rice, big pasta ( i can have really small angel hair cut in very small pieces) bread, dry meat, tortillias, carbonation of any kind, bananas, pizza, fried chicken with skin, eggs (I can have egg salad). I am fine with seafood, chips, moist meat, red meat, I live on chili, beans, nachos, and turkey hot dogs. ~Mandy

mine says adjust gastric band with abdominal port no NG without scope my allergy info emergency phone number some people also have their doctors number listed. I had an id tag made and Penni60 made me a beautiful bracelet to put it on. I also had a dog tag style key chain made, same information. ~Mandy

Yiiiippppiiiiieeeee!!!!!!!! I am sooooooo proud of you. I know that you just feel great. Congrats and welcome to Onederland!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's a great place to be. ~Mandy

I take a bog of black or pinto beans and put them in the crock pot on low, cover with water add some onion flakes or a chopped onion and let them cook until soup like texture. I them take a few beans out and put them them in the blender and whiz them and add them back into the crock. I freeze them in smaller containers. You can add meat, my mom puts salt pork in hers, I put turkey ham in mine. They make a good quick easy meal and they last about 6 months in the freezer, but mine are always gone wayyy before that. Sometimes I add a small dab of sour cream and blend them into faux refrieds, or I eat them with mashed caluiflower. I love beans, they are a main staple of my diet now. The extra carbs are sorta voided by all the fiber in them according to my doctor. ~Mandy

Try plugging it into fitday.com and see if it gives you the break down. That sounds yummy, I would add an onion and some garlic, I love garlic in just about everything, I would also add some tomato sauce or diced tomatos. Sounds great, I will have to give that a try if it ever cools down around here. That would be a great crock pot party food. ~Mandy

KelliW, I can't friend request you without a last name or email address. You are set to private. ~Mandy

Trish, you are prettier then that flower outside and inside. ~Mandy

Jodie, you have to either have your last name or email address to friend request you. I used the last name given here, but just thought you should know that. ~Mandy

I too see the flower, and I posted a coment about it for you. ~Mandy

I thought he was going to host the Oreo theme song challange, not really the spokesman...~Mandy

I had surgery on my left foot about 1 year preband, so about 2 years ago and have been 100% pain free since then. But, now my right foot is killing me, it was bad when I had the fiirst surgery but it wasn't bad enough to have surgery on. About 2 weeks ago it started hurting and it hurts all day. I have lost almost 75 pounds and I really hoped it would make it better. The foot doc said that even 100 pound people have these problems, it wasn't the weight causing the pain. I have a surgical consult on monday, I want it taken care of asap, I have a trip planned for the end of Sept/ beginning of Oct and really want to be able to do all the walking. Plus my dd starts school Aug 24th and I have to drive her there, so I need to ba able to use my foot. Wish me luck, I think I'm gonna need it. ~Mandy

Isn't that what Randy Jackson had? He has gained back a lot of weight in the last year. ~Mandy

The problem that some bandsters have with high starch products is that they tend to sorta "clump" back togehter. I have problems with fries, pasta and rice. My doc says that those foods form a ball of dough like starch and that is why we have problems with them. I can eat a bowl of cream of chicken and rice soup and half an hour later a ball of rice will come back up. My mother says I am like a hawk, I eat, my body takes what it needs and spits the rest back out. (hawks regurgitate the bones) It's weird it goes down but almost always comes back up, you would think I would learn, but I guess I am slow like that. ~Mandy

I have a problem with pasta, but not small amounts of mac-n-cheese. I get the kind with the cheese sauce not the powder or I make it from scratch. I have been know to sneak in a bit of unflavored protein powder too (shhhh, my family is clueless) ~Mandy

Here is Marc's post from above: These are questions that I ask and feel that if the physician does not want to answer or I don’t feel safe that he is telling me front up truth he is not going to touch me -- Some of these questions may be redundant to other folks questions who have posted and if so I am sorry -- These questions will make a caregiver think and that is what I want to see. I don’t want him/her to squirm but I want them to realize that this is me and there is going to be accountability in this relationship. I start off as one who is very interested and say I have same concerns and I need your help in finding some answers -- This is a great way not to alienate or make them feel they are being interrogated. I watch my tone and watch theirs as well. I look at their body language to see what is really being told to me. I want someone to look at me and not be rolling their eyes or gazing off in the distance when giving answers that sound rehearsed or mechanical. I want to see compassion or empathy in a real form -- not holding my hand like a child or treating me like a romantic savior sweeping one off their feet with" I wont let any thing happen to you and I will always be there for you "NO NO NO I want to be treated as an adult making the most important choice of my life and I want to be treated as one human being to another -- if I am going to let this person operate on me. Most of these questions can be applied to any medical procedure and great to let someone know that you are a consumer not a typical Joe schmo who is not a self advocate. I surely don’t believe in causing a power struggle with my health care provider but I want to know what is up and more so if they are on the up and up. There are jerks in every profession and I sure have seen some in my lifetime. Finally if they say they never have complications or never have had post op infections or pt that eroded or a pt that never has had slips they are not telling you the truth. Remember a human being is doing the surgery and don’t let them fool you that it is all ok and give you the G*d complex with that brush off that it will all be ok. I much rather have a MD tell me yes I have had complications but were able to treat them well then someone who simply sugar coats and feeds me a line of BS. So this is what I ask -- Are you board certified and in what country? How many lap bands have you done? How many lap bands do you do a day? What is the percentage of your complication rate? What is the percentage of the infection rate at your facility? Will you personally be doing the surgery completely or will a resident or other physicians you are teaching be involved? So is the port able to be palpated seen by others? Will the port affect me during sex? Amount of saline put in for fill and what determines this? Will the incisions be obvious without a shirt (should I ever get to the place where I would want to take mine off LOL) One of my friends suggested since I am going to have banding that I should start working out and loose weight now pre op. What is the recommendation of how intense and how much? Given the above height and weight what is your opinion of how long it would take to reach that goal wt post banding? Do post op is it suggested as when dieting to only loose 1.5 to 2lbs a week and what is typical ? And what if I loose more --is there such a thing as too much wt loose to rapid? Is there ever rejection or allergic reaction of the lap band itself? Are there any problems with traveler’s diarrhea where you are located -- i.e. Mexico? Are all stomach exercises eventually ok post op? Do most patients with weight loss require skin plasty? How long after? As a man I have lower testosterone and higher estrogen due to obesity -- have you seen this reversed post op as the weight goes? A woman may ask about heavier periods becoming less due to over estrogen and if they have seen improvement? Is the abd discomfort immediately post op relieved by walking? Do you medicate your patients to the point of no pain if walking doesn’t relieve the pain? I want to go back to work as soon as possible working in an office -- how long? Have you ever done presentations or lectured or been to a US hospital for training? Can you give me the name of a US MD who has worked with you or knows you? Should I have any problems -- follow up will be most likely with Dr _______ would you be willing to speak if there is a problem? I want a copy of my total medical record in English on discharge is that a problem? And how much will that be to have done? It is very important to me that my anesthesia is not done with a general and that I not be intubated (unless of course medically needed) -- is this a problem. Would an epidural be considered I really would find it ideal? When refills occur is it necessary to have UGI or fluoscope done? Cost of each? Do you have a 24hr ans service? If your out of town who is responsible? Do they do lap bandings? Exactly for what reasons do you want me to call you? Do you have NP or PA that I can talk to if I can not get a hold of you? Look if your afraid to ask questions of your MD as he will think your silly or he doesn’t have time to answer then chances are YOU HAVE THE WRONG MD. Be a partner in your health care not a patient. I hope this post has been an addendum in helping folks ask questions that they want to know and have every right to know -- remember that it is your body you don’t have to justify your search for knowledge ........it is yours for the asking. "CAUSE I WANT TO KNOW" Marc

MouseCrazy, I want you to know that I am soooo proud of you and your journey. You are my band sister and there is a Disney bond between us. I know you can make it to goal this year as you have made it so far already. I am glad that you decided to make that decision last year one for you health and also because that decision allowed us to be friends. (((((Hugs)))))~Mandy