giveyouthemoon

I got 5/10...lol! And I work for an IT company!!! Shows how much I think of "my boys" eh??? Truly I wonder about some of the specimens I see in the cafeteria.

Lisa, I'm so incredibly sorry. I lost my kitty several years ago but it still hurts to think about it. There is nothing like the unconditional love of a pet. It's a beautiful thing. And I agree, Alex, let your kids know that kind of love even it if means one day they hurt. It's beautiful for a mom to want to protect her kids from hurt, but knowing that kind of love and yes, that kind of loss, is what makes us human. Sending big hugs to you Lisa. My heart breaks along with the rest of us in your LBT family.

Yeah...that was me. Perhaps I should clarify. The "vibes and lights" come from God. White light is a god light. But that's cool, we all gotta use what brings us comfort. How 'bout you ask God and the angels to help you to feel comfort about this situation. Ask God to help you release all problems to Him. Your worrying so hard isn't good for your mental OR your physical health. Ask God to bring you peace because you sound incredibly stressed out (for very good reasons).

If you are self pay, as long as you have the tests done, you can get the procedure pretty darn quickly. If covered by insurance it takes longer to get all the approvals.

Thanks Vines, you are right on the money. I've stayed out of the discussions of all the issues folks are having (despite sending LOTS of good energy to the folks who are struggling). Here's the thing....I'm banded. I already got the thing in me. I cannot spend every day worrying. What will that change? I have it inside of me. All I can do is continue to live as a bandster. Besides....worrying takes ALL the fun out of this whole experience. I didn't spend that much money to continue being miserable. Losing weight is fun dangit!!!! I often put my hand over my tummy where Katrinka (my band) resides. I send her white light energy and affirm she is safe and sound and in place doing her best job. I'd rather affirm THAT than problems. Everyone...do it now....put your hand on your band and silently thank it for being there, for being your friend and partner, for saving your life. Now go out there and be the best bandster you know how to be!

Count me in as a happy bandster. I'm five months out and I've lost one pound shy of 60 lbs. Oh. My. God. Add to that the break in my cycle of food addiction. I mean, this little band has cured issues I've had all my life and are deeply ingrained. Okay, "cured" may be too strong as I still suffer with the demons dancing in my head, but Katrinka (my band) sure has given me some good distance from my obsessions with food. I just got my second fill and it's a skosh too tight so I'm PB'ing a lot. And heck yeah I'm scared with each PB that it will be "the big one". But I don't regret the band for a single moment and I am grateful everyday to have my little friend helping me out. It's funny, I'm visiting my sister and my brother in law for Turkey Day and my BIL who is a big guy...well...he told me he feels sorry for me. He is sad I can't eat. This is because I'm struggling with being too tight. I told him "don't feel sorry for me! Be happy for me! This is the greatest thing I've ever done for myself!!" He still doesn't get it. To him food = happiness. And that used to be the case for me too. God I love the change in perspective I have from this little stip of silicone!!!! So add me to the list of very happy bandsters who prays each night for my band to stay safe and strong.

lol, well...maybe. I'm a lazy gal by nature but I was all commando on walking around. It seemed to be the ONLY thing that made me feel better, especially when I was in hunched over mode. Heck, a couple days after my surgery I woke up in the middle of the night all tight like that and I got up and did laps around my garage at like 3 in the morning. My sister thought I'd lost my mind. But it helped. Everything calmed down and I went back to bed. Oh and like princess said...WARM liquids. I finally figured out while on liquid stage not to refridgerate my Ensure, to just drink it warm. It went down SO much easier. And also lots of warm broth. Like princess, I have to start each day with something warm otherwise Katrinka (my band) is CLOSED for business!!

Best solution is time. I had that exact same feeling in teh weeks right after surgery. I would stand up and walk all hunched over since everything had tightened up as I sat. Sounds pretty normal. I betcha that suddenly in a couple weeks you'll be telling us how you can eat pretty much anything. It happens! Hang in there.

Well here's an NSV I would never have thought about before....I noticed today coming out of the shower that, and I can't believe this....my bath towel wraps all the way around me and the edges actually overlap. I mean...I can tuck in the corner and have it cover ALL of me! Granted, it is a big bath sheet, but that doesn't matter.....it didn't wrap all the way around me before. Now it does. :does a spastic happy dance outside the shower....being careful of the wet floor: In case I haven't mentioned it lately, I absolutely freaking adore my band. Her name is Katrinka and she is my best friend!!!!

Oh man...I just can't do that. I'm always impressed by folks who can get out there right away. I just *freak* with crazy crowds like that. Have fun and LUCK on getting the best deals!!!!

Okay....I'm sorry that I know this information....but after being a bulimic for almost ten years, I have of course seen all kinds of things. It has been my experience that things like meat take a long time to fully digest. Refined carbs like bread and stuff break down faster. I'm not surprised that some of the beef came up even several hours later. It just takes a long time for your tummy to break it all down. I think that's probably why the docs want us eating hard protein like that, you stay fuller longer.

Here you go....this was my pre-surgery checklist and it worked out okay all things considered: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7338

Thanks ya'll. I agree, I think recognizing NSV's is a huge part of this whole process. I couldn't have made it this far without the love and support of my LBT family! Ya'll rock and not just a little!!!!!!!!!

Oh and here is a site devoted to tracking the rotation of the items on the site that sells the stuff: http://silverjewelrycycle.msop.net/itemlist.pl

Well, so I personally used PayPal to pay for it so I don't give them my credit card number....I prefer that. I haven't gotten any of my orders yet, but I got emails that they shipped today (one day turn). My sister has used this successfully. I don't blame ya'll for being skeptical...I am too. Hey, do a websearch on it...I did and found a lot of hits. Definitely check out anything like this on the 'net!!!!! Like I said, I don't personally vouch for it...what is that ol' saying?? Buyer beware? lol!! Edit to say....this company also sells on eBay under the seller name DiaGeminc (got this from the website) so maybe you can check out feedback there??

I KNOW! I guess...here's the thing....my damn sister got me addicted...so I have to pass it along to relieve my own guilt!! lol!! It really is awesome. I'm stocking up on Christmas gifts there! It rocks.

Divalicious De, I miss you girl. I miss you a lot. Glad to see you back here. Even a bit down your light shines like a beacon. As for me....well, I saw my shrink this week and she told me, in her professional opinion, that I'm depressed. She's right. I don't give a sh*t about anything. I can't be bothered. Work sucks. The guy I have a major crush on (we're good friends) just spent the weekend with an old girlfriend and had four days of mad passion. And now he's all into this new girl. So the boy I crush on doesn't like me back. My self esteem couldn't BE any lower. But enough about me....let's talk about my crazy mother. Who has spun out of control since my dad died in February. She has what we are all pretty sure is a gambling addiction. She keeps going off her Lexipro because she "feels better" then can't understand why she keeps sinking into terrible depression. She is so completely not self aware she doesn't even give herself a break for mourning her husband of forty five years. So my mom isn't write on the walls looney, oh ho ho noooo, she's the repressed in denial "there's nothing wrong with ME" kind of nuts. It's all just another form of crazy. And damnit....the holiday season ALWAYS gets me down! *sigh*

1) like the other folks on this thread....refried Beans heated with a splash of enchilada sauce, some cheese and sour cream 2) Tuna blended down in my kitchen chopper with mayo. Sometimes I throw some cheese in there and blend in. 3) cooked a chicken breast, cut it up, put in kitchen chopper with season salt and green onion. I really blended the crud out of that tho....chicken can be hard to get down but made into almost a paste and it is YUMMY. Sometimes I also throw some cheese in with the chicken. A hunk of swiss was terriffic in this blend. 4) cottage cheese (but go slow and chew because I've gotten into trouble by not chewing those little curds) 5) hot and sour Soup not strained. Eat the chunks of tofu slooowly.

Oh I'm ALL ABOUT the gurgly tummy. Especially when I've just recently eaten. Glug, glug. I just sort of put a hand on my tum near where my band would be to try to muffle the sounds. lol. Good on ya for the NSV too!!

Get thee to a phone book and find the number of a reputable therapist! We've all got food issues here and struggle with our demons. It doesn't get easier, it only gets harder after you are banded. I agree that the pre-op diet is hard...but it's nothing compared to what lies ahead. There is a time when you won't be able to cheat or you'll risk doing major damage. That being said, one slip up isn't the end of the world. Get back on that horse!!! The demons want to find and exploit any weaknesses. You need to be strong. And a good therapist will help you put some tools in your toolbox you can use to fight off those demons and keep them in the cage. Luck!!

Ok, here is the BEST advice I got when I went through this. I'd never had any sort of surgery ever before. Nothing, nada. I've been blessed that way. I also know I am kind of a weiner about pain. I just am. So after hearing everyone here say "oh I never took pain meds" or "Oh I only took them one day" I personally tried to be a hero like that. And guess what....I got into trouble. I got into pain so bad I could hardly tolerate it and it was hard to "come back" from that. That was when my sister sat me down and gave me the pain lecture. GET IN FRONT OF THE PAIN. Meaning, take pain meds BEFORE the pain gets bad. They told me this in the hospital but I didn't listen. My sister giving me a stern lecture worked. They give you meds for a reason. Only YOU know how much you need. Don't let ANYONE here tell you that you don't need them or shouldn't take them. Use them. Get ahead of the pain. When it starts to twinge, evaluate the pain, then dose up so it doesn't get bad. Now, all that being said...you get some goooood pain meds in the hospital and you really shouldn't ever be in bad pain as long as you are keeping up with the meds. I had that little morphine pen thing with the button I could hit to help with pain and it was AMAZING how well it worked. Just a little bump with the button and I was all good. Not all druggy or out of it, just happy and not in pain. All these worries are completely normal. You are about to do something REALLY scary. It's important to just "cowboy up" for what lies ahead. You have to stay strong to get through the maze ahead. And your LBT family is here to support you!!!!

Here's the thing....(this message is starting to become a gospel that I'm preaching I'm repeating it so much lately....)....having a PB is an important part of having a band. I mean, good job on not having one yet. But I honestly believe one has to know what a PB is to be able to know where the limits are on the band. To know what you can and can't do. Now I'm not advocating a PB just for the heck of it, to TRY to have one...I'm just saying...don't fear the PB. It's a natural part of having a band in your belly! And then when you have one, you get smarter and smarter about how to AVOID them. It's all a learning process.

I had a visit with my therapist right before surgery and she let me know that getting a bit depressed is normal after ANY kind of surgery. Normal. It is part of the healing process. Embrace it! And it is important to grieve the loss of your usual companion, food. Your relationship to food changes dramatically and feeling a bit blue is not only normal, it's essential to moving through the loss. Don't let a potential blue period sway you from getting the band. It is so, so, so, so, so, so worth it!!!!!!

I have a treadmill at home and I adore it. I'm no fan of gyms and if I have to GO somewhere to workout, I wont' go. I did getting up, stumbling down the hall and getting in some exercise.

I'm with Jess, I'm WIDE OPEN right before and during my period. I can eat damn near ANYTHING. So each month I have two weeks to be REALLY good because the next two weeks are anything goes. I struggle to just maintain in that time.