piercedqt78

Just be aware that the cold can cause the band to tighten down. The baby spoon was a lifesaver when I was first banded. ~Mandy

I am sorry you were not able to get filled today, but I agree you don't want that right before vacation. I know that I leave the office with great restriction and have had to go back and have some removed, even when done under fluro. It does make it easier to get restricted faster, but it's still not perfect. A fill can kick in several days to several weeks later. You don't want to be on vacation and have a fill kick in and not be able to even keep down Water....what a vacation that would be. Feel free to PM me if you ever want to talk, or need support. I don't mind you venting here at all and I am sure the other IL girls feel the same. (((hugs))) ~Mandy

Ok, the cold water may be what is locking up your band. If I drink anything cold before eating I PB. If I have a cup of warm or hot tea I can eat with no problems. Also consider eating off of kid sized spoons and forks. I did this for several months and really relearned how to eat. ~Mandy

I am losing, just very s-l-o-w-l-y. I had stalled for a very long time (6 months) But in those months I had 2 foot surgeries and a partial unfill. I am getting back to proper restriction and starting to lose again. I am also very close to goal and it starts to slow as you get smaller. ~Mandy

I took Abi for the assessment tonight. She starts the program tomorrow. It's a 10 day program, Mon-Fri from AM to PM. It seems very structured. They have group therapy, educational time, recreation, and creative expression. I have to pack her a lunch each day and they provide a snack. She is a little nervous but I am sure she will be fine, the place is very well regarded. I will check in again tomorrow, I'm off to bed. ~Mandy

Kat, I am so sorry for your loss. I know how hard that is, we were getting ready to have to put down my Hobbes Kitty in Oct and the day before the appointment I found him, he had died in his sleep. I took him and had him cremated. That was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. He was like a child to me and a sibling to Abi. She still cries about him all the time. So my heart goes out to you. (((hugs)))~Mandy

If the surgeon doesn't give you one, Inamed will just call and talk to customer service. My card also shows what the band looks like under flouro, tells the size of the band and also that is MRI safe, and not to take NSAIDS. ~Mandy

I know what you meant, I was joking. I am done having kids, I have a 5 year old special needs child that I love more than life itself but I don't think I could do this again. BTW, my daughter is bi-polar and while it is hard it's not impossible to live with. We take things one day at a time and thank God for everyday that we are a family. ~Mandy

I don't have the card from the link, I got a card from Inamed it was in my post-op packet. It's a hard plasticish material and has my surgeons signature on it. ~Mandy

Olive Garden does not accept the card here. My waitress let me order a kids meal, my daughter ordered a kids meal and my husband ordered a regular meal. The manager came over and said that she would allow me to order the items al a cart (it was way more expensive that way, I was cheaper ordering an adult portion and splitting it with my dd) but the company policy is that the kids menu is for kids 10 and under only. Another one to be aware of is that Bakers Square will allow you to order off the kids menu and then sticks a $3 service charge on the bill. My whole family refuses to go there anymore, if they had said there is a service charge I would have ordered something else and had leftovers or shared with my daughter. It was just poor business in my opinion. ~Mandy

Not me, no more for me. But it would be nice if others took the time to explain what it means to care about our fellow human. ~Mandy

I'm in the Chicagoland area, and it's so common place here that noone really looks at anyone else weird. My daughter made a new friend at school and I asked her what she looked like. She kept saying she had lots of braids, I finally ask is she was black. Abi looked at me funny and ask what it meant to be black. She has several black friends and never realized that there was anything different about their skin color. Another funny thing with my daughter. She was 4 at the time we were on vacation in Disney and we have made friends with a cast member from there. He was taking us to dinner in downtown Orlando and we were sitting in the back seat and she ask "Mr. Charles,is there a Ms. Charles?" He is gay and wasn't sure how to asnwer that so I jumped in and said "no, but there is a Mr. Abrey and they are very happy together" She looked at me then at him and said "that's nice" end of discussion. Several days later Charles' partner joined up for lunch and Abi was his instant best friend, telling us later, "I know why Mr. Charles loves him so much". Kids raised without biased and hate....gotta love em. ~Mandy

hey, I only have a second this morning. I just wanted to let you guys know that the email and e cards are really cheering Abi up. Today is probably her last day at her normal school for a few weeks. We are going to clean out her cubby, and get some worksheets so she isn't behind when she gets back. ~Mandy

My older sister has a biracial child in West Virgina and he has been fine. We are talking about a place where the KKK stands on the corner handing out recruit flyers. He attends a regular school and they live in the middle of town, no one treats him poorly, stares or asks questions. She is with a white man now and they still don't get strange looks. ~Mandy

Faith, the best way to learn smaller bites is a set of baby silverware. I used a baby spoon and fork for several weeks after I started mushies and real food. It helps you get the amount you need, not the amount you are used too. ~Mandy

Dianne, hope you are feeling better each day. I need details, cuz I am looking into some reconstruction myself....LOL. ~Mandy

Same here, my 5 year old eats more than I do. We went to a buffet last night and I had a small scoop of crab salad, 4 shrimp (boiled) and 3 bites of mashed sweet potatos. I had a kids sized ice cream cone and only ate a few small bites of it. I was full. The total amount on my place would cover a saucer if that and some of it was sent back. My daughter had 2 slices of pizza, some mac n' cheese, and 2 cookies, more than double what I ate. The manager came over and offered to refund my money as he felt that I didn't enjoy myself. I explained to him that his establishment was one of my favorite places to eat because I could control my portions and choose several items without them all having to be appitizer combo stuff. I had a healthy meal, and enjoyed the time with my family. ~Mandy

I agree with Tired Old Man, there are babies of every race and color in need of homes. I suggested going to a european country because you specificied that you wanted a white baby. We live in a very diverse area and so many families have mixed race children, adopted or natural born. They are all family just the same. ~Mandy

I keep them in my car. There have been days when I have been out longer than anticipated and needed something to eat. I figure 100 calories of chips or crackers would be better than fastfood or stopping in a convience store and eating an entire bag of something else. ~Mandy

If anyone would like to help cheer up my princess, send her an email. She loves e-cards. Anything funny, or any holiday (even halloween LOL) she is funny like that. She came home from the library with a halloween book and a book about being Jewish (we aren't). Most of you have my e-mail address if not, let me know and I will PM it to you. I am up, can't sleep. I just want to make it better. She seems so normal about 60% of the time. The other 40 she is angry, weepy, resentful. It's hard watching her struggle with who she is and how she feels. The doctor is leaning towards bi-polar disorder. He put her on a new med, called abilify (sp?) and upped the topamax dose. (that is her seizure medication) he says the topamax is also used in people with personality disorders. Seems like nothing helps, but I am willing to do whatever it takes. I am rereading the book "the ups and downs of raising a bi-polar child" it is written by a mom and their childs doctor. Seems more real than the medical books we have read, more hands on. I feel for the mom, and some of it scares me as I see that as our future. I am going to a parents of bi-polar kids support group next week, it's at the center that Abi will be attending. Tomorrow is battle with the school and insurance day. Fun huh? The center that Abi is going to is luckily in network so I should just need to pre-register for the center. I have the referral in hand, so I have all the codes and info they will need. I am more worried about school, I don't want to have to fight with them. I know they will want us to wait until spring break. I know they lose money when she is not there, they get so much per day per student for funding and she has already missed so much school this year, all medically excused. I just want her to feel normal as soon as possible, and if that means missing 2 weeks of school, or me homeschooling her for the rest of the year, then so be it. I think she is really having a hard time with it, but she won't talk about it at all. When she is stressed she breaks out in hives, and holds her bowels. Tonight she came to me crying that her stomach hurt. She finally went to the bathroom and called me up to help her. She was so backed up that when she was finished she had blood on the toilet paper, this has always been an issue. When she was in pre-school I had to mix mineral oil in her milk everyday, I think we are going to have to go back to that. I was a very nervous child and I had to be on medication for bleeding ulcers at 5. I think she has some of the same anexiety issuses. I have a half sister that is bi-polar but we have different fathers and that is where the mental illness comes from with her. There is no history of mental illness genetically on either Dave or my sides of the family, so we are unsure of where this is coming from. I think we just need prayer and strength right now. I am blessed to have my sisters here, you all mean so much to me. My family tries to be supportive but my mom says things like, it's just a phase and this will pass. She blames school, our move, even my dog for Abi's problems. (Abi loves the dog) She can't accept that there is something wrong with her and that she needs help. My mom hates that she is on zoloft and that is a regular fight with us. Then my sister with bi-polar disorder keeps saying "she's just like me" this sister has a history of drugs and bad choices, so that really doesn't help. My oldest sister has 4 kids and she says I'm too strict with Abi. I think I am a good mom, she doesn't see that I face major challenges with my child. She has 4 healthy kids other than my youngest niece having asthma, she thinks the two problems are the same amount of stress. She has never had to listen to her child say " I feel empty inside and don't want to be here anymore" she wasn't talking about being in a different location, she is talking about dying. My baby wants to die, and I can't help her.......How as a mom am I supposed to handle that? I can't let her play in her room with the door closed, I can't let her go and play at a friends house, I can't take a bath and let her play in her room. What would I do if she hurt herself? I am up every little bit checking in on her, worrying that she is going to wake up and do something drastic while I sleep. I have to have everything locked up, cleaning supplies, medicines, soaps, everything you can think of. I know that stuff should be locked away anyway, but we have to be extra careful. I worry when she is at school, with my mom, even when I have to run out and leave her with her dad. I don't know how to handle this anymore, and need help. I called and got info on the support group today, that was a huge step. Dave finally admited that she needs help. He asked me to write down the names of some books for him to check out at the library so he can be better informed, that was also a huge step. He says that he would rather admit it's bi-polar and get her help then try to pretend it's not a problem and allow it to get worse. I agree. Even though I hate having her on meds, and the thought of adding more meds is daunting, we will do what needs to be done. My 5 year old takes 7 or 8 pills each day, depending on the day, more than my 83 year old grandmother. I know I have rambled on, but I feel better I guess. Maybe I will just do this each night after everyone goes to bed, for therapy. I think I am going to start journaling again. I have a livejournal but never update it. I haven't written in it since being banded 20 months ago. I am going to try to get some sleep, I will check back tomorrow. Thanks again for the prayers, good thoughts, well wishes, and just for being my bandsisters. I love you guys, Mandy

I have a hard time eating an entire pack, but my band is pretty tight. I love them. I also love the 100 calorie popcorn bags. ~Mandy

I talked to Don Mills at Inamed, he is the king of all things Inamed related. He can answer most questions regarding insurance assistance. There wasn't a program like that when I was fighting but that was 2 years ago. I did get covered, it just took a huge fight. It was worth every moment and all the stress. ~Mandy

Hi guys, we are back from the psych doc. He is putting Abi into an outpatient treatment center for 10 days. She will miss 2 weeks of school but the school will send the missed work home for us to work on. This program will do a complete evaluation and help her build coping skills for anger, depression and all the other emotions that she feels so strongly. They have finally listed bipolar as her diagnosis and that is what she will be treated for in this program. It could become an inpatient thing, we will take it one day at a time. Say a prayer for my baby, she needs all the love and support she can get right now. ~Mandy

Have you considered adopting from a germany, lithiuana (sp?) russia? That would be a white baby. We offered to adopt a chinese baby a few years ago, when my daughter was still very small (she was just 2). It fell through and now that my daughter has been diagnosed with severe problems, it was a blessing that we only have her. What would I do with another school aged child when we are at all the appointments? I am a parent to a single child and couldn't be happier about it. I can afford to plan for collage and we still take vacations, and she has everything she needs, medically, emotionally and physically. (aka she is spoiled) I couldn't imagine having another child right now. ~Mandy

Click on anyones ticker, it will take you to where they made it. Design a ticker for yourself. There will be several options to choose from for the html code. Choose the one that is for v.bulliten, highlight it and click copy, come back here and click on user cp (top left hand corner of the page) you will put it in the signature section (simply paste the code in there). Click save changes and it will be in every post you make. You can update it as you lose weight. ~Mandy