k_podski

Congrats Sarah! That's great! I dont have a scale down here, and it's killing me.. Things are a mess down here. I just don't know which way to turn. We planned on leaving today while things were fairly stabilized, but last night ended up being a bad one. Soooo this morning we are re-evaluating. My Mom and her siblings are meeting with the social worker this morning to re evaluate their options.. God, this is so hard.. Just to make matters worse, my sister, BIL,andnephews are up by my house for the week at camp for vaca... Now we are all the way down here, and it makes me feel so guikty.. Ugh.. Ok... lol.. I need to stop unloading.. I'm having an emotional day, can you tell? Congrats again on the 2lbs lost! I think I may have found them?? I have been eating at weird hours, and not the healthiest stuff.. I'm trying, but there are only so many options. I did get protein vials from the Vitamin Shop yesterday- 42g for one vial?! I'm sucking one down now.. I've been sluggish, and I think I just need some good ol' protein to helpme out. We'll see.. Chat soon Kerri

Hey Sarah, Hope everything is going ok for you? I assume that you've been working all of that OT and are too busy to hop on here:) I'm down in Mass right now.. We got an urgent call yesterday at 6am that my Nana was rushed into intensive care down here, and was not expected to make it the day. It was a horrifying experience.. I called into my jobs and my class, packed a bad, and went over to pick up my Mom to drive her down. She thought she was going to drive herself, after calling me hyperventilating?! So it's been an interesting 24. We don't know which way things are going to go with my Nana. She was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis and Alpha 1 Protein Deficiency last Fall,and things have been horrible since... This time she suddenly came down with not only Pneumonia, but a Staph Pneumonia:( Things aren't looking good at this point, but it's one moment at a time. Theyhave her on a Bi-Pap machine to help her 02 sats.. Yesterday during transport they were at 44%?! Last night they were at 97-100% .. We're playing things by ear, we have no idea which way things are going to go. I am so thankful we were able to make it in time.. Well, sorry to blab, I needed to get all that out:( I hope everything is ok with you! Chat soon ~Kerri

Wow Annie, the hair looks fab! It looks so natural... Is it real hair? Congrats girl, you must feel like a million bucks:)

hehe, that made me giggle.. Us March-ers are always thinking. Haa! High protein jello shots.. Man that's living it up:)

Thanks Lynn! It sure does feel good.. It's been a long time coming! Amanda- Protein in Jello shots? Sure! If you want there to be:) Congrats on your training, and your good time as well. That must make you feel fabulous! I totally know how you feel about the measurements. It is hard to see numbers lower than what we expect, when we've been working so hard to see the higher numbers. It's really inspiring that you are going through all of this training for the triathlon, and I'm sure that you will start seeing those numbers where you want them sooner than later! You go girl:)

Haha.. No jello shots and kayaking for me today! It's a rainy miserable day. Maybe on the 4th? Although, the jello shots do sound fantastic right about now:)

Just wanted to share that I am officially in: I am so excited! I didn't make my goal for my birthday, but I'm finally here now, and proud:) I hope you all have a great weekend! I'm off to celebrate with some shopping! ~Kerri

Saraahhhhh!!! Guess whatttt?!?!??! I am officially in ONDERLAND?!?!?!? Yup yup! Not only am I into the 100's, but I lost another 3lbs, which now makes me 198! Yah! I am so psyched!!!! I knew it was coming, but boy has it been a wait! The restriction is still fabulous.. I'm hoping I will stay this way for a while? The liquids do go down slower, but not too slow, just enough to keep me in check. I really have to pay attention to each tiny sip I take, and how it feels going down. Amen for that! lol So mac and cheese, huh?:tt2: Too bad it was boxed, there is nothing like the real thing! The fact that you were satisfied with 1/4 cup is amazing! The liquid mushy thing is definitely hard to get over. It's "safe", but it can make it hard to try new things! Try not making your mushy's so liquid-ish.. If you take a tiny bites, and it goes down ok, go for it! If it doesn't feel like it's going down right, thin it a little bit. I soo know what you're talking about! As for the nutritionist.. Tell them you need to get in there sooner. I did. They actually asked if I wanted to talk with her right then, and evn that was a real big help! I felt the same way as you. They are there for us, so take advantage of it:) Well, I'm off to go vacuum the camp, my sister and BIL are on their way with my nephews for a whole week!!! I can't wait! The lake that the camp is on is 4 miles from me, so it makes it really easy to run over and spend time with them. Yay! I hope everything is going well for you:) Chat soon! ~Kerri p.s. there is NO pizza for me in the near future! lol I learned my lesson the hard way:)

Hi Kimberly, Dr. Trieu told me in the beginning that the chance for a complication (ie; band slippage, flipped port, band erosion..) is about one in 1,000.. Usually if there is some type of complication it is easily reversed. In some VERY rare cases they have to take the band/ port out, which I'm sure you have read in the complications section. Some of the stuff people write in there is scary, but you're right, it's better to be more informed! Good for you for checking into things! I too had the need to know everything that was possible:) I would say that in no way should a hiatal hernia repair get in your way.. It is something that is more common than I realized myself. I would think it's actually better for you, and would make for a shorter recovery period, because it's one less thing you have to heal from after surgery. It is very common for them to do the repair when people go in to be banded. The liquid to solid food sounds scary, but it's just moving along one day at a time, and listening to your body. We may not tolerate some foods after surgery, so it's all about taking things slow, and on occasion, learning the hard way. The band is a pretty delicate thing, but can take a lot more than you would think. I hope some of this helps, and don't be afraid to chime in anytime! That's what this thread is here for. Sarah and I have been the only ones chatting here for a while because no one else has stopped in:) The more the merrier! Support is a wonderful thing, that helps us all get through! Take care~ Kerri

Howdy:) Yup, I'm feeling some restriction! I was soooo stupid last night... I don't even know if I want to type this lol.. I'm an idiot, and must be responsible for my stupidity, so I guess I'll share lol.. So I was very very tight yesterday. I could only take tiny sips of water, and even my protein shake felt too thick. So anyhoo, my DH asked me to make him pizza for supper, so I did. And boy did it smell good! I was starving, but fought back the urge to nibble. So fast forward 3 hours.. I was getting ready for bed and my DH hollers out "hey can you heat me up a couple pieces of pizza?" Sure, so I did. And it smelled really good again. So not only did I take a big bite, I took 2 bites, thought I chewed it really well, then swallowed a little bit at a time. BIG FREAKING MISTAKE! Ugh, I was so mad at myself, thinking why do I do this?! It was definitely stuck. So I hovered over the toilet for 20 minutes or so, nothing came up, but I almost wished it had.. I was so uncomfortable! I brought the garbage can in to the bedroom with me, propped some pillows up behind me, and lay there miserable for another hour and a half watching Dateline lol... So yah. I'm a jack*ss and totally learned my lesson! Today I stayed on liquids again just in case, and tonight I had a bit of milky mashed potato. It all went down fine, I just hope I didn't do any damage. So, I see you're sneaking in some chocolate? lol. I'm sure it wont be the last time, we all need a little treat sometime! Isn't it great to be satisfied with such a small amount? I'm not a big sweets person, but I do have cravings time to time. Usually just a taste is enough now:) I can't believe you're 3 weeks out already?! Wow! After mushies I was eating softer proteins and veggies. The first thing I ate was chicken salad, of course the chicken was blended to a pulp, but it all went down fine! I was psyched to have food with real consistency. I can't remember what the binder gave for examples? It's in my car.. I look through it tomorrow and see what I was eating, I have my logs in there from the first 6 weeks. Well, I'm going to stop rambling for now. Tonight I am playing D.D. for a "boys night out" Yay for me. lol I'm going to go pick them up, and hopefully get some sleep tonight. Hope all is well! :)Kerri

Hi Sarah! I'm just getting home after a very long few days. The fill went ok. I now have 7cc's in my 10 cc band. WOOT! Also I think my interview went really well. Guess I'll have to wait and see? I found out that a Chemist applied, as well as a guy that's working on his PHd?! I don't know why they'd apply for an assistant administrator, but ok? To each is own, right? Just wanted to pop in and let you know I'm alive:) But EXTREMELY exhausted. I can't even type right. lol.. I'll write again soon. :)Kerri

All the talk about walking on the beach is making me super jealous! It's one of my favorite places to be! I just wish I didn't have to travel 3 hours to get there:( Amanda, congrats on signing up for a triathlon! How inspiring! Every year my boss tries to talk me into an "Iron Woman" contest.. Maybe I'll consider next time?! You go girl! Evalas- congrats on onderland! What an accomplishment! Fenton- Thanks for sharing that video a few pages back- that was fantastic! I really enjoyed it:) This morning I was down another pound. 202... Which means I am officially -40lbs since surgery, and -50 from pre-op! WOOT! I am so excited. Maybe the 5 week plateau is over? *knocking on wood* I have had such a hard time keeping on track seeing the same old "204" pop up every morning.. I am glad to see it moving along. It gives me strength to eat right when I'm questioning things. I can't wait for my fill on Thursday, I hope by the weekend I can enter onderland for the first time in over 7 years:) Have a great night everyone! I'm off to work until 9am tomorrow. EEK! ~Kerri

Congrats Kimberly on getting your PCP to approve! I know some folks have a hard time getting their PCP to agree to the surgery. You sure are lucky! Best of luck to you on your journey~ :)Kerri

Ticker updated.. AND..... DRUM ROLL PLEASEEEEEE!!!!- I have lost another lb this a.m., which brings me to 202lbs, -40 from surgery, and -50 from pre-op! WOOT! I am so freaking excited! It's about time the damn scaled moved:) Along with my fill on Thursday, I will reach my goal (FINALLY!) of being under 200lbs in no time! I am so psyched! Ha! Just had to get that out:) Now on to you... Your first day back was a 12 hour day huh? Then a 2hr workout?! You are truly a woman on a mission! You must've been exhausted last night! The OT deal sounds great, everyone loves time and a half! Summer is a great time to earn extra cash, because there are so many more ways to blow it! We are going to Water Country with some friends the weekend after the 4th. Me, water park? Cha! I am stoked! I haven't been since I was a kid. I am so glad that I can feel confident, I just want to get out and do things! On to the stomach growling- boy does it make some strange noises! If I am truly hungry, my stomach sounds like a monster is coming out of my abdominal cavity. It feels like it, too! It doesn't hurt, but I can almost feel it doing back flips saying "feed me!" lol So last night I tried the melatonin. I slept like a baby. Boy that stuff was wonderful! I even woke up feeling good. I was shocked. I will NEVER take the OTC sleep aids again. That stuff is horrible! Oh yah, one more thing to blab about lol.. (sorry, I'm hyper today, and on a mission to get to work..) Today is day #2 for me, quitting smoking! I am using the patch again... I quit 2 years ago for 9 months, until a dear friend passed away suddenly from an unknown heart defect, at 21 years old:( I kind of lost my bearings, and turned to my bad habits for comfort:( Ugh, no good. So anyhooo.. The guy that did my psych eval suggested that after I was well on my way after surgery, I should plan on quitting. So here I am. -50lbs, and hopefully smoke free for good:) This will be quite a trial for me, but I know I can do it. Well, enough rambling for now. I am off to work until 9am tomorrow.. Yay. lol I hope you had a good day at work! Chat soonish:) ~Kerri

K-pod, I cannot say enough good things about Chantix. I tried everything else and nothing worked for me. It does have strange side effects. I had to start Lexapro while I was on it but the Lexapro kept me happy and the Chantix kept me smoke free. It also gives you very, very vivid dreams but other than that, I had no problems. If you find yourself struggling with the patch, I strongly urge you to get a prescription for Chantix. I met with my PCP and looked into Chantix, about a month ago. Since I have a history of sleep issues and nightmares she suggested to go with the patch again. The last time I quit was for 9 months. I used the patch and had great success after the first week, until nausea and headaches set in. I stopped the patch, and was free from the symptoms as well as smoking.... Until 9 months later when a dear friend passed away very unexpectedly, and I kind of lost my bearings. I am going to try the Patches for now, and see how it goes. If I don't feel they are enough I will surely try the Chantix. I figured I might as well stay with what worked the last time for the time being, though. I can't thank you all enough for your responses! It's wonderful to feel so supported! My doc doesn't require that you quit prior to being banded, only for the bypass. He obviously highly recommends quitting or at least cutting back, but doesn't require it. I was very surprised to see in the psych eval notes that the shrink suggested not pushing me to quit until after I was well on my way after surgery... How strange is that?! He said that he thought it would be too much on me, and that I should take things one step at a time. So I did. And now I think I'm ready to be rid of smoking.. I got my old bike from my Mom's house tonight. I haven't ridden it in 6 or 7 years. It is surprisingly in great shape (from being stored in the garage) and even the tires are holding air:) Tonight I took it out for a 3 mile trek in the warm humid air, and boy did I enjoy it! I forgot how much I love that thing! Well I'm off to catch some zz's. I hope you all have a wonderful night! ~Kerri

Hehe!! This amused me:) So how did they day go for you otherwise? You must be exhausted tonight? I hope you thoroughly enjoyed that 1/4c of cottage cheese.. Mmmmm lol I DID love cottage cheese until I lived off it for 3 weeks. It was just a "safe" food, easy to prepare, and hey, it's got protein:) I sprinkled mine with finely chopped chives for a little more flavor, it was getting old quick! So yah, a fill on Thursday at 11:15!!! Yah! I am stoked! I hope they get me in and out, I have an interview for a new position at work at 12:45. It'll be cutting it close, but I think it will work out. Today I started my new class. It was great, but for a first day, they didn't take it easy on us. The homework is insane! Luckily we only meet once a week, so I've got time to work on it. After class I went to Wally world and stocked up on SF popsicles, slim fast lo-carb, and SF dark chocolate pudding cups- Man those things are good! I just had one actually with a dollop of cool whip free. Mmm They taste like the real thing:) Oh yah, I bought some melatonin (3mg) too. I was confused because all of the different brands have different dosage instructions.. One was 150mcg tabs, take one or more tabs at night, don't exceed 5mg. One was 5mg, don't exceed 2 tabs. The one I bought was 3mg, take one tab. It was kind of in the middle, so I figured it would work. We'll see:) Well, glad you survived your first day back at work! Have a fabulous day tomorrow- It's supposed to be SUNNY?!?!? and hot! Woot! Summer weather in June? I'm confused?! lol Chat soon~

*go Fenton, it's your birthday!* lol <<<<That's me holding pom- poms cheering you on:) 100lbs lost.. That would be amazing?! Not that 87 isn't amazing?! You can do this. I think you said that you are averaging 5-6lbs a week? You can squash this like a bug!:grouphug: Good luck to you! Just wanted to share that my scale finally moved for the first time in almost 6 weeks?! I lost 1lb! It's not much, but I was so happy to see "203" in big red numbers! 3 freakin' lbs to go, and I will be in ONDERLAND! I am so close I can taste it! I'm going to try to step it up a bit today. I KNOW I can do this:) Oh yah, I started the patch today. I am sooo done with smoking.. Ugh.. This should be interesting! I hope everyone has a fabulous Monday:) ~Kerri

wow, that's a longgggggg post. My bad. I guess I had a lot to say about nothing? lol :grouphug:

I was soooo going to write back last night, but the dh was hanging over my shoulder, telling me to let him use the comp for once:) I went to use my laptop and the stupid thing wont connect to the internet through my wireless.. Again?! Ugh. I'm sure it's the wireless box itself, as it's happened like 4 times prior. I have to call an 800- number, talk to someone who doesn't understand English, and try to explain the issue. Usually they say "ok, me understand. Your laptop have problem, you need contact laptop maker" I'm like.. er, no! You fixed this problem last time, you're going to fix it again. It's like a 15 minute process of typing in numbers, letters, and dashes on my desktop, and *wa-lah*! Internet. I get sooooo frustrated with this junk! lol Holy guacamole... Complain, complain, complain lol sorry.. So back to work today?! I hope everything goes well for you, I know you're more than ready! How awesome that your scrubs are loose on you:) The one thing I always hated about them, is that they have NO stretch! Do you think any coworkers are going to notice your strange eating habits for the next few weeks?? It must be hard to explain lol.. I was at home for all of mushies and liquids, which was great. I was so afraid someone would notice me eating bizarre stuff lol. When people notice that I've lost weight, they're like, "wow, how are doing it?" I always brace myself for that question.. I always say that I'm watching my portions, eating high protein, lower carb, and exercising.. I guess it's the truth, right? lol Well I hope you had a lovely time chatting with DBF last night, and aren't too sleepy today:).. You rebel! lol Oh yah... I'm going to pick up some Melatonin today. You're like the 4th person who suggested the stuff to me:) It must work! Hope you have a great day back at work! P.S. The scale moved this a.m.?! I have finally lost 1lb in five weeks of waiting?! lol. I am 203:) 3 flippin' lbs to go, I am so close I can taste it. Maybe I'll just drink water all day, and wake up in the morning and be in ONEDERLAND:) Ok, just kidding, I would never have the will power to drink just water all day, but it sounds good. I am going to do a little extra drinking, walking, and less eating though.. I can do this! Happy Monday! :)Kerri

Yuppers, the dh made it home safely. He rides a Harley.. I was brought up around them, so it's only natural I'd find me a Harley man lol. He didn't get in until 9 last night, aching, soaking wet, and exhausted. But alive:) Which is great lol As for your scale OCD issue.. I have the same freaking problem. I think most of us do. We want results, and we want them now! So soft mushies, eh? Interesting concept. Wouldn't that be like thick liquids:lol:? Yah I'm freakin' hilarious.. Tonight I am feeling over worked, under payed, and over tired. Ok, and a little silly too. I haven't been sleeping good for the last 2 weeks, and I can't take it anymore. I tried a couple of the OTC sleep aids.. They sure do work great to put me out, but then I can't wake up in the morning, and I'm in a fog all day. Argg So goes life. I'm off to do a load of laundry, then hopefully to sleep:rolleyes:. Chat soon~

So am I the only one who doesn't know what a mars bar is? Is it like a milky way? lol I love me some milky ways! I haven't had one in eons.. Now I'll crave one for days... More power to you Fenton for only eating half at a time! I know I couldn't do it:) Well I did some more kayaking today. 6 miles, and it was amazing! The river was up really high from all the rain, so the currents were fabulous! I must say that the sight of the sun was very welcomed.. It was soooo good to be out! I am so sick of rain! Summer is the only time of year that I am outdoors all the time, so it kills me to be stuck inside with nothing to do.. I tend to look for something to eat every 10 minutes too, which is no good. Pat- My nutritionist told me that eating at night time is not bad as long as you keep it light, and if you need protein it's a good time to get it in. Often times I eat a string cheese, or some cashews to curb my hunger in the evening. Last night I had 1/2 of a banana, a few chopped fresh strawberries, and some cool whip free for a snack/ dessert, and it was so tasty! I could have used a little more protein but I was craving the fruit, and boy was it good! MMmmm:) Hope everyone has a great weekend! :)Kerri

Glad to hear you're plugging along alright! Sounds like yummy soup, even for someone who isn't on liquids:) Yup, I had a tea in my hand.. lol.. Not the healthiest kayaking trip yet, but the teas were fun. I only had 2, but still, the calories are around 110 per drink. EEK! I love the river, so I try to get out any chance I can in the summer. The water is way up from all of this rain, and there were some pretty serious waves. It was amazing! We didn't even have to paddle most of the time, the current was so strong it carried us. One thing I love about the Sandy River is that it gets deeper than 6-8 feet in only a very few spots. You can see the bottom for miles of stretches at a time. The water is crystal clear, and the bottom is all rocky and sandy.. No muck and black scary water here! lol.. I have issues with dark water, or water that is so deep I can't see below me.. Must be those horror movies I loved as a kid. I wait for the hand to reach from the depths of the murky water to grab my ankle lol.. Anyhoo, I'm off to take a bath and wait for my hubby to get home from Laconia. He went with the guys for the day to check out the end of the bike week festivities. I hate it when he rides at night.. Ugh! I'm hoping the bath with help me relax and forget about it for now:) Chat soon, ~Kerri

Sarah!.. So you how are you feeling today? I know that liquids totally suck.. So I'm going to attempt a few ideas to help you get through it.. Could you try jazzing it up a bit? Maybe try adding some pureed fruit to a shake? Strawberries and bananas in a vanilla shake is really good.. Or even some chocolate, strawberry or coffee syrup (<<my fav!:redface: added to milk? I just found new milk that had 10g of protein, 90cals, and only 12 carbs, per cup. It's called "Hood Simply Smart".. It's skim, but has the taste of 2%. I don't know if that helps any? I use it to help get protein in because I am so sick of shakes. Also, I have some sugar free International Delight Mocha instant coffee.. I don't even know if you like coffee flavored things, but I make chilled Mocha with the above for a yummy treat! And it doesn't have crap for calories, or sugar. I just used a tiny bit of hot water to dissolve the coffee, then top it off with cold milk with a few ice cubes. Mmmm, I'm drinking one now lol... I've seen a lot about the Campbell's Selects. They are supposed to be a thicker, heartier soup base that is band friendly. I like the butternut squash, but it's also the only one I've tried. And one more... Campbell's healthy choice tomato soup is good with a few low cal Ritz. The crackers add some flavor and thickness to thicken it up. I hope these help you out in some way:) Liquids are hard to do anything with, so I just wanted to share a few of the things I've tried that seem to help..Are you waiting til Tuesday for mushies again? Well, I hope you aren't totally starving tonight.. I've been thinking of ya today, and feeling bad that I didn't take sec this a.m. before I left to check in on you:) I did some more kayaking with some friends, and my younger sister while shes down. My camera battery died at the beginning of our escapade, so I only got a few pics, but I'll share the silly one I like:) I look like an ape, although I was trying to do the "hulk thing" lol Hope things are ok for you! ~Kerri

EEK! I'm so sorry that happened to you:( That must've been awful and scary! Maybe they need to update the info in the binders?! Look at it this way.. You may be hella hungry for the next few days, but you'll surely lose a boat load more of weight! I hope you are feeling better tonight.. And always remember: This too shall pass:) It seems to be the common theme around here.. ~Kerri

OH NO, SARAH! You're a blood sucker! lol.. I am petrified to have blood drawn.. I always mess with the people drawing my blood, asking them how they can sleep at night lol I may have a few tattoos and piercings, but get me near a needle for medical purposes, and forget it! Haha.. I don't know what my issue is?! So have you tried any new foods yet? Anything with flavor? lol.. Just think.. 4 more days and you can start eating real foods! Yay! I go for my 2nd fill next Thursday. I am soooo ready. I hope that he will be aggressive, and give me another 1.5-2 cc's? Guess I'll have to wait and see. All I know is that I have NO restriction, and am waiting to feel something:) Well, I'm off to do some shopping. I am in serious need of shirts.. All I have for t-shirts are my "just my size" 3x from summer last year. They are not in least bit flattering at this point lol. They look more like a night dress. EEK! I need something with style;) Hopefully I find something around here. There aren't many stores to choose from.. Reny's, Wal Mart, and well.... That's it besides thrift stores. Uhg. Hope all is well! :)Kerri