GardenLady

Looking for folks to connect with from the northern suburbs, etc. I'm in Champlin but if we have enough folks maybe a rotation of locations to accommodate the variety of locations would be the way to go. I love a little coffee shop (can't drink it but love the aroma). Any thoughts?

Saturday, October 11th at 10:00am at the Perkins in Golden Valley/St. Louis Park (394 and Louisiana Ave - next to Menards). Sounds like a plan. Hope to see you there!

Evening! LindaLue There is a "wing" on one floor that is just for bariatric patients. Good and bad in that - everyone is in the same boat so you will have company as you walk the floor - when you get to the nurses station you can "go around the block" so it isn't totally a straight shot back and forth. Getting to the right place is a little weird when you sign in - you go downstairs which just struck me as odd for some reason - probably because the video, etc. don't really show that part. Marybeth - are you sure you should be having that much protein already? I got "hollered" at when I tried to get in my 60 at 5 weeks out. My instructions said to try to work my way up to 30 grams for the first three months, up to 40 by 6 months and up to 60 thereafter. I'm already at about 50 but it's hard unless you drink heavy duty protein shakes...and I wasn't even supposed to drink those for the first couple of weeks. Now that I've done sounded all "naggy", let me say that I personally say, drink what's comfortable but don't be surprised when the hair stars falling out. I'm glad I had thick hair to start - I can't imagine how it is when your hair is thin. I have a co-worker who just had the Roux en Y done and her hair is fine and thin so I'm a little concerned about how much she will have left until is stats to grow back in again. Thankfully mine is starting to grow in again but it's so short so far that it still seems much thinner. As for the type, I was told to go for the ones like Isopure (the protein source is whey protein isolate). I personally use the Labrada Lean Body brand but add some of the unflavored Isopure to it so that I get more protein (and since I don't really like the unflavored stuff added to non-dairy drinks it works out well). Go4itLori - welcome to the party! We have a couple of fworking on getting us a meeting place for next month and hopefully we will be hearing from them soon. On a personal note - I finally lost those couple of pounds I picked up there for a bit. Let me say that snacking is very bad for me - it seems to take nothing to show up on the scale. I can't remember what they called it - inattentive eating or something like that. It is my number 1 biggest problem - I don't notice when I go for the snack and I really should go for a sip of water instead. oh yeah, and I may be able to drink water again pretty soon. I find that I can drink my sassafras tea with no pain! This is very much a step in the right direction and I can just tell that there will be ice cold water in my future...and not just from it being winter! Later! Tyra

Hey all, we are just growing by leaps and bounds here! That is fantastic. I'm sorry I missed last week. I think I rather like working at home but it is all too easy to get too involved and forget about life outside the four walls. To those getting ready to go to Unity for your surgery - I had Dr. July and she was outstanding. All the folks at Baker and Associates AND Unity were excellent to work with for the entire experience. You are in very good hands. I'm looking forward to the next meet-up and looking forward to meeting everyone. Chat with you all soon! Oh, and the name is Tyra...Not pronounced like Tyra Banks but like Kyra what's her name...Sedgwick? Is that right? On the tv show, The Closer. Tear-uh...hhmmm, but truth be told, I answer to just about anything.

Sounds like a plan! Count me in for Perkins...

I can do 9/20. No problem...

Excellent! Getting some new folks to join us AND Marybeth's prepping for her surgery date - good news all the way around - and for a Monday... I'm very glad I went where I did for my surgery. I couldn't stand doing the liquid diet after the surgery so I can't even begin to believe that I would do well with it before! Had my 3 month follow-up today and they tell me I'm doing great. I was getting a little concerned because it doesn't seem to be coming off quite so readily now. But they tell me that I shouldn't be looking at the weight loss but rather the percent fat...and of course, then they couldn't tell me the percent because the scale didn't give them a reading! So then she had to go by the pounds lost and I'm doing great - the logic totally escapes me and if they can't tell me the percent fat, who could??? Is good though since the weight was never my issue, at least before the surgery. That I lost anything was good enough from my perspective. Catch all who can attend on the 20th...at La Casita...5058 Central Avenue, whatever the heck the town is called, MN.

Gooooood evening! Hope everyone is doing well? I see we have some new folks joining us here - hope you can join us on the 20th at La Casita in Roseville for some nibbles. Somewhere around the 15th or so, I'll pop a note reminding everyone - again - and asking if we can get a rough guesstimate of how many of us will be there. Frankie, hope your surgery went well and your up and about today. They had me up the afternoon of the surgery so you are probably doing multiple laps by now, yeah? :-) I will be bringing some Protein powder for whoever claims first - I have a container of Cookies and Cream by Syntha? I wasn't impressed. Not enough flavor for me. I've noticed that I seem to like spicier/hotter food now than I did before...or maybe it's just because my brother has been doing the cooking and he's not much for spice... Enjoy your weekend!!! Tyra

aaaahhh, Marybeth have your La Margaritas now because we aren't allowed to drink alcohol for at least a year after the surgery...or so says my surgeon. sort of sad too - never been much of a drinker but I was really enjoying trying out the variety of ways a margarita could be flavored...DInner's at La Casita, Wednesday the 20th at 6:30-ish for those of us who can do a central location. For those of us who can do a trip to the Becker/Albertville area or a return to the Maple Grove area...I'm seeing some interesting places in the immediate Albertville area - Space Aliens: http://spacealiens.com/albertville-mn/menu , D. Michael Bs: http://www.dmichaelbs.com/ordereze/Menu/0/Menus.aspx or Neighbors: http://www.neighborseateryandsaloon.com/# or we have several we can do in the Maple Grove area - 3 Square, Pittsburgh Blue, Granite City, Biaggis, Sawatdee, Claddagh Irish Pub, etc. Any thoughts? If we can do on Saturdays, that's good too... Share folks - what do you think? Later, Tyra

Quest4 - so far the closest would be the couple of us in Champlin. I'm good with going Northwest to meet folks from out of the Twin Cities area if you'd like to meet - don't know where some of the newer members to this line are from so don't know who else is around. Do know that I need to get up to the shops at Albertville here soon - need to hit up the Corning/Revere shop for some plain white plates/platters...There has to be places there we could meet up at, yes?

How does Wednesday the 20th sound? Same place/time, different date? La Casita, 1925 Perimeter Rd, Roseville at 6:30-ish?

Marybeth, so sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. Please get better soon! And Busymom - now I feel really bad since I was the only other one to respond affirmatively and now have to cancel as well. Something came up with work and so I need to stay here. All things considered - what about next Wednesday, same time, same place (not same Batman network:-)? Think we might be able to do it then? And if there are only a couple, two or three, of us, well, that works fine too!

Wednesday- sounds like a plan in action...but I reaaalllly need to get to bed... See you all there...

Hey, I take 7 Citri-cal Calcium petites (to get close to the 1500 mg calcium they want me taking) - they have 400 mg calcium per serving which is two tablets and they are made with citrate rather than the carbonate which is apparently an issue. I also take one equivalent Flinstones chewable multi-Vitamin and one NatureMade Super B vitamin. I went with that brand because it gives me the B1 and B12 at the levels they want me to take. I understand there might be issues with interaction between something in the multi-vitamin and the calcium so I have to wait an hour-ish between the two and that there is something that is an issue with taking two much calcium at one time. So I take the vitamin, wait an hour start taking three of the petite calcium's. Then about 3 hours later, I take three more petites. After dinner, I finally take the last petite and the B complex. Phew! Sounds like a lot of work/planning but it's easy after setting up all of my meds for so many years... See you next week and have a great in-between!!!

Deb, that is excellent news! Glad to hear that you are doing well and feeling good. Will you be up to eating solid foods and meeting up with us on July 16th?

Count me in!

OH and let's make this clear - EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO JOIN US!!!! Do not feel you have to ask, just let us know to add one more to the count so we get a table set aside for us.

I think LaCasita sounds like a plan - and you can't hear me saying this but it's causing a good giggle - my brother has been asking to eat there every since we saw it open and then I had the restrictions on the surgery and it didn't happen...now I'll be eating there before him thus the giggle. Small change in plans for my work schedule - with the job change and the hiring for the investigations branch, I will now be working from home every day of the week. Either I will love it or I will be ready to pull out my hair after the first month. I say Lacasita sounds like a good option I appreciate a variety of cultural offerings so long as they all come to play inside my tum tumm. Say 6 okay? or should we give folks a bit more time to arrive so maybe 6:30? If there are ones of us who would like to car pool and it is inconvenient to go that far on their own - I'm good for driving...I just need to vacuum out the car to get rid of the cat and dog hairs. So we all in for Mexican on the 16th?

Gooood afternoon everyone! Good news about Debradebra, yeah? So good to hear. Now to hear about the surgery recover with the same positive news when she's up to sharing. I got some good news this morning myself - appears that the best thing I could have done for the cirrhosis was to have the sleeve surgery and they expect that I might be able to have a full recovery of the precious little darling. So now this surgery has been good for me in two very important medical ways - the type 2 diabetes and the potential for liver repair. As for our next get together...I had to pull up a map to see where some of these places were that Marybeth mentioned. To get as close as midway between, Fridley or New Brighton appear to be closest to halfway-ish for most of us. I see Chinese, Thai, American, Mexican, etc...quite a selection. Any non-starters we should be aware of? Once we can eliminate, I'll put together a short list of non-fast food places to consider and we can make a selection. How's that sound?

Debradebra, how did everything go? you good? We missed you at dinner.

OMGoodness! We'll be thinking of you and wishing you well. For me - I hope it's nothing more than what I've been told in the past when I've had them - "it's just fatty cells in the breast"...of course, I had to have two more breast deflating mammograms and an ultrasound for them to come to that conclusion but I was happy to take it!

we are still on. Looking forward to meeting everyone. Happy to have everyone who can make it there and hope to get others as time/location will permit. Seems to me that Bladefox suggested we ask for "babe" table? okay so I need to go back and read the earlier posts to make sure I have it right. and no, I don't look like my dog unless you count blond, short and fluffy...

Definitely in and looking forward to it. It will be soooo nice to talk and DINE with people who get the restrictions we have with the surgery...and I want to pick the brains of those who had their sleeve done before I did...I promise to be gentle :-)

I haven't had to count past my toes yet so I'm currently coming up with 6 of us, assuming Mssilky can join us from Andover... Unless I missed someone, I have Bladefox, Mbrinmn, Snochick2005, debradebra, Mssilky and myself. We can ask for a table for 8 and have a bit of wiggle room or we can ask that there be expansion potential if we have more that can come more last minute. This sounds like such fun! I can't wait...

LOL, and you can see how much you will be able to eat afterwards! I had my VSG on May 12th and ate at the Olive Garden tonight - just got home as a matter of fact. Let's see - less than one half of a "taster plate" skewer of chicken (so maybe the equivalent of 1 1/2 chicken mcnuggets?) and one cheese ball - done! and worth every yummy bite!