k_podski

Hi Sheesh:) Welcome to the Maine board! I have gone though Maine General in Augusta so I don't know much about Dr.Wolff. I think there may be another thread in the Maine section with people going through Dr.Wolff.. I know I've seen the name on here several times, just not sure where? Best of luck to you on your journey, and be sure to let us know if we can help with anything:) ~Kerri

Wow, I've never heard of a sunrise wedding, it sounds amazing! The car thing is too funny, and a great idea:) I would definitely talk to your doc about getting in earlier than the 6 weeks. Dr. Trieu thought about it when I asked him at my first fill, told me to see how it goes. I bet if I pushed him, I could've gotten away with it. Hopefully after this episode you had your doc will give you bigger fills too, so you won't have to go in for the next 6 months for fills and have to deal with this:( I am glad to hear that you are feeling a little better though, how freaking traumatizing.. You're more woman than I, I would never go back for a fill again lol.. What can I say, I can be a biggggg baby! Things are definitely getting back to normal from my fill. I was able to get the sauce and ricotta down last night, and boy was it good! I have been living off water and popsicles since friday night, so it's nice to get something with flavor to go down. I'm going to try mushies for supper. I have been on a broccoli kick for a while now, and I've been craving it something fierce. Broccoli hear I come! lol I have been exhausted because I haven't gotten barely any protein in, so this morning I had a slimfast that took me 3 hours to drink. It's so darn thick, it takes me forever to drink now. I can feel it sit on top of my pouch just waiting to trickle down. Yum huh? I think this morning I was 193. If I can get to 185 or so by the end of summer I will be thrilled, and back to my high school weight. YAH! People keep asking how much more I have to go, and when I say another 45lbs or so they're always like "no way! you'll look too small" or " I think you look great now, I wouldn't lose much more".. It's weird.. I'm like hello people, I'm still almost 200lbs at 5' 3", I've got a ways to go! I think people who notice that I am losing weight are just trying to be nice but it just bugs me. I can be so anal lol Well, enough jibber jabbering. I've got lots of laundry to do and bills to go pay. Chat soon~ Kerri

Aha.. dehydration. No fun:( Do you think you were filled too much, and not able to get enough fluids in? Or maybe you got a bug or something? 4 bags of fluid seems like a ton, you must've been feeling pretty icky! I still have soreness around my port. Dr. Trieu seems to think from what I explain that it's just the muscle where it's attached being tugged at? He said he's not worried unless it's really bothersome, then we need to think about a port revision.. It's not horrible pain, just more uncomfortable, and I know it's there when moving around. I think my band is too tight, and I'm hoping I don't get dehydrated.. Friday night I had water stuck?? It was the same lodged feeling,, sliming, and serious sharp pains in my chest. Ugh. It's hard to get fluids down, they seem to sink like a rock, and I can feel as it trickles through. The nurse said to stay on liquids until today, so I have. I did try spaghetti sauce and ricotta last night and I was stuck again.. The nurse said think of yogurt or pudding consistency as liquids, and I thought that would count,but I guess I can't handle it? Ugh I just want real food. It's been since Thursday, and I'm really over it. I'm going to try the ricotta thing again tonight and see how it goes. I hope the swelling has gone down, because I really don't want an unfill. Well enough complaining for now.. How did the wedding go? Did you save me a piece of that cake? lol Just kiddinggggg... Unless of course it's pureed:) Hope all is well:) ~Kerri

Wow Amanda, that is really neat.. Horoscopes can definitely be freakishly accurate from time to time, and that is surely one of the times! Best of luck to you tomorrow, you go girl! :)Kerri

Oh my.. That sounds awful!! I hope you are doing a little better now that you are at home and getting some rest. Were they able to tell you what caused the fever, nausea etc? Or is it from the issue with your uterus? It's strange that they found fluid around your port.. Yikes. I hope things are a little better for you now! I had a fill yesterday and had to leave work early this afternoon because I had a piece of summer squash (of all things) stuck like a mutha lol.. I tried to eat a few small pieces of steamed squash before I went back to work, and figured since it was exactly 24 hours later I would be all set. WRONG.... I drove to pick up my client like that, sliming horribly, and soooo uncomfortable:( I had no choice but to go in because I agreed to help out with extra shifts while we have 3 people plus our supervisor out. I ended up calling my team leader to come in. He was irate, and half an hour away. yay lol So he got there, and as I'm driving off I start to feel better and realize the pressure in my chest was going away. I came home and layed down, and I feel better now. Luckily I didn't have to drive all the way to Augusta to get an unfill, and have to start all over again. The nurse did say though, that I need to stay on liquids until Sunday evening. I am so not looking forward to this lol... Well, I'm off to meet my Mom to walk around the Blueberry Festival for a bit. Let me know how things are going when you get a chance. Good luck with the wedding tomorrow! :)Kerri p.s. were able to ditch a few more lbs while in the hospital? Just curious.. not that I'm looking to go to the hospital:)

Yay! Back from my fill, and I am still alive. The doc seems to think I'll only need another .5 or so. He has been (thankfully) aggressive so far, and after 3 fills I have 8.5cc's in a 10cc band. I was happy to learn that I have lost 45% of my excess weight since surgery?! How crazy is that? It totally excited me! The nurse told me that after 6 months the average is about 36%, so after 4 months and a week with that number I felt motivated, and realized that maybe I haven't done as bad as I thought:) Fenton, thanks for noticing the half way mark:) I am sure the next half won't come as easily or quickly, so I have set a mini goal to lose 23lbs by the end of November, and hopefully the other 23 by my one year bandiversary.. Guess I'll have to wait and see, but that's what I'm working at. It doesn't seem like that much to me splitting it up into 2 goals:) Well, I'm off to work, just wanted to pop back in and say howdy.

So I had my fill. Done and over with! Dr.Trieu seems to think that all I'll need is another .5 or so. I am now at 8cc's in a 10cc band. I am sure glad this is over! It wasn't so bad I guess, and I am so thankful my Dad went along with me lol.. Kind of childish but it helped!:biggrin: I hope everything is going well for you? I haven't heard from you in a few days.. I'm off to work again. Yay! Hope to hear from you soon:) ~Kerri

Howdy everyone:) Just stopping in to say hello..I am off to the doctors this morning for a fill. I think it may be my last?? My last experience with a fill was pretty bad, so I'm dragging my Dad along with me lol. I hope this is it, and that it goes a lot more smoothly.. Just had to share, my nerves are getting the best of me this morning. Have a great day all! ~Kerri

Howdy Sarah, How goes the battle? Are things still good with the fill? I get a fill tomorrow at 1. I'm making my Dad go with me lol... The last one was pretty rough for me so I decided not to go alone again. I still think this will be it:) The DH just walked in and is bugging me for the comuter, so I'll be back in a few:)

Wow, 4lbs is awesome!!:teeth_smile: You go girl! I have completely blown the low carb thing this weekend, so tomorrow it's back on track for me. Weekends seem to be the worst for me.. We're always out and about, nothing is planned, and I blow it. I need to figure out a game plan! Well, sorry to cut this short.. I was called in for the overnight (yay for OT!) I just wanted to check in and see how things were going since your fill. Glad you posted, and congrats on 4lbs down! I'll be on again tomorrow after a longgggg day. Chat soon~ Kerri p.s. it may be easier for you to make a new ticker.. Some times they are a pain, I've had to make 2 or 3 new ones:cursing:

Hi there puterlady:) Congrats on being banded, and welcome to the Maine board! My name is Kerri, and I was banded on 3/19 by Dr.Trieu. It has been the best thing I have ever done for myself, and have had pretty good success so far. I go for my next (and hopefully final??) fill next Thursday. Your gas problem, as I'm sure you know, is totally normal. I luckily didn't have too bad of a problem with it, but when I did I used a heating pad and dissolving Gas X strips. They say walking is the best cure though.. There is also some kind of technique about getting on your hands and knees, pushing your shoulders towards the floor, and raising your butt in the air.. The theory being that the gas will move to the highest point. Sounds silly, I know.. The nurse told me this, but I'm not sure how well it works? It may help give you some relief? Best of luck to you, and let us know if you need help! Another gal on here, Sarah, was banded by Dr. McKee as well, her screen name is Bandme08. We're more than willing to help:) Take care, Kerri

Good luck with the fill tomorrow! Did you find out if it's at the office? Make sure you have some good (ha?!) liquids hanging around for the 24hrs after the fill. After my first fill I had to stock up because I forgot about the 24h thing. Oops:) They called me today to move my fill up to next Thursday the 31st instead of the 7th. A-okay with me! I am close to the sweet spot- hopefully this will do it:) Well, I have to do some laundry before I go to work for the night:( Ugh! Actually I leave in a half hour so I guess I'm not doing too much laundry... darn computer- it gets me so tied up I forget to do laundry... Ooops?? Ha! Chat soon:) and good luck tomorrow!!! Let me know how it goes! I'll be here cheering you on! You go girl:)

Congrats Rhonda! What an achievement! You'll be there in no time:) And... Wow, Fenton will surely have a head swelling moment when he sees all the withdrawals he's caused!

Hi Christine:) Things are going good here. How are things going for you? Are you doing Induction, or your own thing? I pretty much stick with the Atkins outlines, except for the no coffee bit at the beginning. I have to have my morning coffee! I only have one cup with a little 1/2+1/2 and sweet n low, so it can't be too bad. I guess the theory is that it is a stimulant and can make you crave things.. It doesn't me, so I think it's ok.. I haven't weighed myself while I've been having a hard time.. I weighed in yesterday morning and was pleased to see that I have lost the 3lbs I gained while in MA, and another 2 to boot. Phew! It was really helpful to see good numbers. I'm now at 196. I have lost 46 since pre op and have 46 to go. So I am exactly half way there. Woot! I have a total loss of 56 since January. Holy moly, is it true?? It seems so weird. I really can't see much of a difference, but my jeans sure show it.. I'm in a (kind of tight) 14 now, down from a 22 in January?! The induction has really helped give me the kick in the butt that I've needed. Carbs are my worst enemy, and I really think that was part of my emotional "funk".. I was drinking slushies, eating potatoes, Pasta, and bread like they were going out of style. I've always tried to keep my carbs to a minimum, but I let them get the best of me over the last few weeks. Carbs totally throw me out of whack and have me craving all the bad stuff. So there it is. Things are going well, and I am feeling lots better already. I just need to keep on keepin' on. I know I can do it:) Hope all is well with you! ~Kerri

ps.. I just noticed since pre op I'm down 46lbs, 46 to go. Half way babaaaaay!

Howdy Sarah, Induction is going well.. I have no confessions to admit to:).. This morning I was down another 2lbs. I finally lost the 3 from when I was in MA, and now another 2 to boot. Sheeeesh. it's about time! So to say the least I'm pretty content right now, and slowly coming out of my funk. I think alot of it is getting the carbs out of my system too. Carbs are my biggest enemy! Well, I thought I'd stop in and say hey. It's back to work for me. Yay. lol :)Kerri

Wow Sarah, those measurements are great! I had a "fat day" on Thursday and was hating myself.. I put on an old pair of 22's and a 2x shirt as a reminder. They were huge! I still continued to have a fat day, lol but it was amazing to see the difference! It's too funny that we are almost exactly the same stats with measurements and weight. It's great to have a buddy who knows exactly what I'm talking about! As for the scale..I know how hard the scale can be.. I really should only weigh once a week, but it'll never happen! I think it really helps me stay accountable too, so maybe it's not too bad?? It is so hard to not see the numbers drop though! Just know that they will go down in time, and you will be beyond these numbers! Love the "breasticles" comment. I sooo know what you mean! I'm 25 with no children, and have the boobs of a 60 year old with a family of 10. Uh. I have never really considered plastic surgery until now. I think once I get within 20-30lbs of my goal I will go in for a consult. I don't think I'll ever be perfectly happy with my body, but my boobs have always been an issue, and now it's worse than ever. Maybe I would feel more feminine and pretty? My husband hates the idea, but I remind him that it's not for him.. And after all, doesn't he want a happy wifey? lol So today is day one of Induction.. I am working all afternoon in the middle of no where with 2 clients. I am only bringing a few things to eat, and my low carb bible to look over:) I am going to be accountable, and I will post my mistakes. I think it will be helpful for me? When I eat bad, and feel horrible about it, I tend to stay away from here and try to hide. I think posting my slip ups will really make me realize what an idiot I've been:). Plus maybe you can give me a cyber "talking to" when I've been bad lol Well, I'm off to get ready for work. I hope you've had a great weekend, it's sure been a beautiful one! We were out for 11 hours yesterday on the bikes, and what a blast!! Phewww I needed that! Anyhoo, I'm really going to get ready for work now.. :)Kerri

Sarah- I think it is only Dr.Trieu who uses xray for the first fill.. But it wouldn't hurt to call so you don't have to make a mad dash in the streets of Augusta next Friday:) Hopefully your first fill goes well! How exciting! I couldn't sleep the night before my first fill, it was like Christmas lol My next fill is August 7. I think I'll only need 1cc or so. I'm going to aim for 1.5, and hopefully get away with it:) I'll only have one more month after that that I won't be charged for fills, so I want to get in all I can. Lets face it, at $30 in gas and a $30 copay, the trip for a 15 minute appointment isn't the cheapest. (But so worth it!) My port is still sore most of the time, and my last fill was horrible. Dr.Trieu didn't know why it would still be painful, and I'm supposed to call if it persists. I think I'll just wait til I go back in August. Does your port still feel sore? Mine doesn't usually bother that bad, but it's sore to the touch, when I lay down, and sometimes when standing up from sitting it aches.. I dunno. I just hope it goes away! Anyhoo... I'm going out tonight with a bunch of friends and co-workers. I am stoked, and I'm hoping it'll get me out of this "funk". I really need to get out and have some fun. I am in rare form lately, and I'm not liking it! If this is what depression is, I feel for those who have to deal with it daily:( I've been miserable. People keep telling me I don't seem like "me", and it kind of freaks me out. Hopefully this passes with time! Sorry again to blab lol Hope all is well :)Kerri

Thanks Christine for checking in on me! I've been reading the last few days, but haven't posted.. I'm having a super hard time getting back into the groove of things. It seems that when I'm not doing things right I don't want to post on here.. It's embarrassing to admit my failures. Ugh. I know everything I am doing wrong, but can't seem to turn it around. This Sunday I am going to start the Atkins induction and go with that for a while. I am definitely on carb overload, which makes me hungry, tired and just plain blech. I am stuck in a funk, and needing to get out if it! Hopefully the induction will help me on my way:) ~Kerri

Hey Sarah! It's been a longggg time since I've been on here.. Sorry! I have had a really rough time trying to get back into the swing of things.. I'm stuck in a funk! I am fluctuating between 199-200. Confession time: I haven't been eating well, I am not tracking my intake, I could care less about protein, I haven't exercised, I'm not drinking all the water I need, and I have been eating wayyyy too many carbs. Not to mention because of all the above, I am dragging butt big time, and have no energy for anything. Ugh. I just don't get myself?? I have done so well up to this point, and now I am just sabotaging myself. I just don't know where to start.. One good thing is that I do have some restriction from my last fill.. At least I have something to work with! So yah, nice post huh? Holy freakin' Pity party lol.. I just really needed to get it all out. On Sunday I want to start the Atkins induction phase, and move on from there. That has always helped jump start me and make me feel good. I really need to get myself prepared, and figure out how to keep on track. I really need to turn around the issues I stated above. I know what needs to be done, now I just need to do it! So enough with me.. How is everything going for you? You must have a fill coming up right? I think my first was 6 weeks out? Are you feeling restricted at all? I see that your down 42lbs?! Amazing! You must feel fabulous:) How is your summer going? Any more trips planned with your kiddos? We have a few events coming up in August, but nothing too exciting. I am going to Water Country in NH at some point soon, and hopefully a weekend getaway with the hubby to OOB. Well, I hope everything is going good for you! And I PROMISE I'll be on here more often! Chat soon :)Kerri

Thank you all for your kind words and support! Yesterday was a rough day for me as I didn't get in from Boston until 10pm on Wednesday, and it was right back to work yesterday at 7am. My brain hasn't had a second to rest. The lack of sleep and time to process what I just went through has gotten the best of me.. I can't tell you guys how much your words have helped! This morning I am down 1lb.. I think getting back into my routine will be so helpful! 2 more lbs to go, and I can start over again.. My Nana sent me a card 3 weeks ago that said she was so proud of me for doing so well with the band, and finally hitting onderland. This morning I put the card on my fridge as a reminder to eat the right things, stay on track, and make my Nana proud. I can do this:) Thanks again to all of you <<<cyber hugs!>>> ~Kerri

Thanks for the kind words WCM.. That helped me smile:)

Hi all, it's been a while! And boy do I have some catching up to do. I am just returning from a long week and a half in Massachusetts.. After a long winter and 2 harsh respiratory diagnosis of Pulmonary Fibrosis and Alpha One Protein Deficiency, my Nana suddenly came down with Staph Pneumonia last Monday. I drove my Mom down to be there for her Mom and family. It was a blessing that my Nana was able to remain alert until her final moments, and share with us that she was comfortable, and unable to fight any longer. She told us "it's time for me to go". My Nana passed away early Sunday morning with her 5 children and 8 of 13 grandchildren by her side. How tragic yet beautiful at the same time... To say the least I have been dealing with a whirl wind of emotions since last week. As usual the pans of casseroles and sweets came rolling in.. For the last 10 days I have had nothing but bad hospital food and sweets to suppress my hunger.. and emotions. Until now I never thought I was an emotional eater.. Boy did I have myself fooled:( I got in late last night from Boston to discover I have gained 3lbs, and am no longer in onderland. Ugh. I have big regrets on how I handled my eating in the past few days, and am trying to get past it so I can move on in the right direction. It is so hard not to beat myself up for it. I just can't seem to let it go.. I just don't know where to start. This morning I wanted to start out fresh, and get back on track. I can't believe how hard it is?! I am not going to move my ticker up 3lbs, as it breaks my heart to do so. Hopefully the 198lb on there will be accurate in a few days as I get back into the groove of things. Thanks all for hearing me out.. What an interesting journey this has become! ~Kerri

Congrats Texgirl!!

Hi Sarah! I just got in last night from MA. My Nana passed away very early Sunday morning. It was a sad, but truly amazing experience. She was surely a fighter! She held on until my Uncle Dale was able to get there from Utah, and even said her goodbyes to him. All of her children were there with her, as well as 8 of her 13 grandchildren. The services were amazing, as well as the outreach from the community. She was loved by many! It's so hard to let go.. So today I'm back to the grind. According to my scale I have gained back 2lbs.. It upsets me, but honestly, I expected more. I need to get back into the groove of things, and keep on trucking:) I just wanted to say a quick hello, and let you know I'm here:) I hope all is going well for you! Welcome to the Maine board, Angel! And hello Kimberly! I hope things are moving along for you guys.. Looks like you both are set up for the next seminar.. Best of luck to you guys, you are about to start a wonderful journey:) ~Kerri