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Hi Kimberly, I haven't met any of the Doc in Portland, but I hear they are good. I'm assuming that the hospital you are going through has a web page? If so, I'm sure you can find some useful info about the Doc's there, and the specific requirements about surgery. If you haven't already, you may want to call the office and get a date that you can attend a seminar. That is generally the first step.. Also , they will already have you in their data base as well:) Best of luck to you! ~Kerri

How was the ricotta and sauce? It was one of my fav's that I still have on occasion:) I also had a taco type thing I made for mushies- fat free refried Beans with a little taco seasoning and cheddar mixed in, cooked it in the microwave for (I think) 45 sec,and added dab of sour cream, and some salsa "juice" dribbled on top.. Yum:) The salsa juice was just the watery stuff in a jar of salsa. It really helps get some flavor in! Congrats on the new earring! What a neat idea! It's like making your own little scrapbook of your life journey:) Someone in the shrinking shamrocks group was going to get a tiny four leaf clover tattooed over their port incision. I thought,huh, what a neat idea. Always a reminder of where you've come from:) For work.. Lets see.. At my first job I work with adults with developmental disabilities. I work part time on the floor, and part time as administrative assistant, dealing with exciting office duties lol.. (Actually I do enjoy the second part more.) My other job is just 1:1 home health, working for a family who is trying to keep their Mother at home. I also do respite on weekends for people that I work with, that have clients living with them. I give them their break for the weekend:) I also am taking some classes and trying to get my butt back in school for nursing. I am taking the classes through the local adult ed. It's called a "college transition course". I am hoping at the end of the 4 week session I can be enrolled in CMCC for some Fall classes. We'll see:) What do you do for work? I think you've said you work in a hospital?? Well off to work I go. Have a fab day.. I'm hoping to see the sun poke out again? I dread these rainy days! I could sleep allll day! ~Kerri

Wow Harley, sounds like a fabulous time! The cabin looks amazing! I hope you have a wonderful time.. I am super jealous:) When I read your post about drinking it made me think, and I just wanted to share.. I had a big bash a few weeks ago and made 325 Jello shots with rum, vodka, and tequila (with 3 wonderful helpers). What people didn't know was that more than half of the jello shots were sugar free;) Everyone loves jello shots, right? They're fun, help you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and these were super low cal. They are also easy to make ahead, and to pack. We had 2 coolers full:) I used Barcardi, Jose Cuervo, and Absolut which are all 69 cals/1oz. We got about 20-25 shots out of one box of jello, which had one cup of alcohol and 1+1/4c Water.. I'll attempt to translate that?: 8oz/cup= 552 calories, divided by 20 shots/cup= 27.6 cals/shot. I think.. lol We found sugar free pina colada jello which was fab, and also did tequila with SF lime jello. They were surely a hit! I think there was a total of 22 left over out of the original 325:) Also, when we have people over I drink diet barqs, or diet coke and rum. The soda only takes a day or 2 to flatten with the cap off in the fridge. I have one of each on hand now, ready to go:) Hope some of this is helpful..

Shame on you for not writing back sooner?! Hehe.. It's alll good. I do the same thing. I could swear that I replied, yet that reply is no where to be found. Once and a while I type on here, and then go to post something and lose the whole darn thing. Just *poof* and it's vanished. Then I have to type it all out again. lol Dang computers. The pup is doing well. He had his rabies booster, heart worm/ lyme disease test (haha I just corrected my typo.. I spelled it "lime disease lol) and a thyroid test. Gosh I have expensive animals! The labs and shot alone were $145, then I had to get more Frontlinefor the dogs and cat- $60, and I had to get more of my cats prescription food and antibiotics.. Another $48 + $32. EEK. Needless to say, I pulled out the plastic for that one lol. I wasn't planning on half of that. It seems as thought the cost of EVERYTHING has gone up, but my paycheck is holding steady. A little birdie whispered in my ear at work yesterday that we may be finally getting a cost of living increase. How helpful that would be! The cost for necessities has literally doubled in the last 2 years. Alright, enough complaining for now:) How's everything going for you? Back to work Monday, eh? Are you nervous? How is MUSHIES?! Yay! You must be happy to be getting some flavor and real foods in? I had my whole days worth of meals planned out for my first day of mushies lol.. Scrambled egg and cheese for breakfast, cool whip free with pureed strawberries and banana for lunch, and ricotta, spaghetti sauce, and parmesan cheese for supper. MMMM.. The last one sounds good. Maybe I'll do that for lunch today with a few meatballs? Well, I'm off to class. Busy day. Yay. Hope all is well! And sorry to bore you with my long rambling post. I'm seriously over tired from the overnight! hehe Peace out~ :)Kerri

You hit the nail on the head, Fenton. I think this is a struggle a lot of people deal with. When I was younger and small-er I always saw myself as huge. I was never happy. I was never a "small" person, but looking back, 165-170ish didn't look bad on my 5' 3" wide frame. I was beautiful, and healthy looking. I am afraid that even as I lose weight, and get nearer to my goal I will still be unhappy. It's a vicious cycle. I believe that society is mostly to blame. I was very disappointed in "Americas Next Top Model" last season (I think). The winner was a "plus size model" in a (gasp!) size 16?! Have you seen her?! She is beautiful, and maybe a bit thicker than the other anorexic-ish looking contestants, but by no means plus size. I think this sends a horrible message to anyone who's ever struggled with their weight, never mind young, naive teens who will do whatever it takes to be the "norm", and not the occasional "plus sized" winning contestant. Sorry.. Maybe this is a topic for "Rants and Raves" lol. As you can see, I am easily side tracked:) Regardless, I think body image is a never ending battle, and if thin- bony looking bodies weren't the norm, and plastered all over t.v. and magazines, we could all be a little more content with our thick-er selves. Fewwww... I'm done. Sorry for the side bar convo with myself, I just had to get that out;) ~Kerri

Trisha- first off, congrats on 35lbs gone forever! I seem to be stuck in the same rut as you. I have been at -38lbs for almost 4 weeks now. I truly know how hard it is to wait for fills! I think I have been more hungry since my fill? I'm sure that because we have to eat more (to feel like we're not starving) it's helping to hold the scale steady. Try to remember that restriction is a process, and it may take a while to get there.. It's just keeping patient in the mean time:) It wouldn't hurt to call and ask for a fill? I'm not sure how your doc is about getting you in early, but it's worth a try! Best of luck to you, and remember to keep your eye on the prize, you can do this! Now if I can just take some of my own advice..lol :)Kerri

It was great to meet you too. You know, I forgot to ask a couple of questions- about being pushy with fills, and about eating something "bad" to break a plateau.. My next fill is next Thursday, guess I'll wait til then. I can't freaking wait?! I am eating 1- 1 1/2c of food?! At the beginning of all this I couldn't get a 1/2c in me. I hope the doc will be understanding, and let me help call the shots when it comes to fills. It's hard to go so long in between. I'm sure the amount I'm eating isn't helping with the plateau either:( I could snack allll day. It's healthy snacks, but it's just adding more calories. (to make me not feel as though I'm starving I have to snack, which I never had to do before my fill). Well, hope you have a great day! I'm taking the pup to the vet. I hope he gets a good report. I'm questioning hypothyroidism:( Guess I'll have to wait and see.. :)Kerri

So I went to the local support group tonight.. It was about body image, not feeling good about who you are, and how hard it is for our minds to catch up with the weight loss. I have such a hard time going to the gym because I think everyone is staring at the "fat girl" working up a sweat. Someone brought up the fact that maybe they aren't thinking that at all (or even looking at me for that matter), and it's just me sabotaging myself. So- tomorrow I am going to the gym with an open mind. Instead of seeing that super-skinny blond looking at me, and thinking to myself "b*tch, eat a twinkie", I'm going to let my own insecurities go... Heck, maybe she's thinking "wow, look at that chick working her ass off." Gee. I hope this works.. I need to get my butt in gear.

What an awesome goal! And a snowboard that's made specifically for your stats, with a friends art work on it t is even better! I've never tried boarding, but maybe it's something to think about.. It's a big deal around here. PS-Thanks for the compliments anniedub and hopeinapril:)

Haha.. That's usually the case here as well. I guess everyone else was enjoying the beer for me.. I was the only one at the end of the trip able to drive:lol: I made 3 trips back to the ending spot to pick up the peeps and their kayaks, and drop them off at home. I felt a little left out, but didn't want to indulge on the empty calories. Maybe next time:)

Thanks, Fenton.. Kayaking is a blast! It is def a great workout! My arms are still killing me, but it was so worth it. Here is an old "before" and a "current" of my tatt.. It is a cover up of my old prison-ish looking tattoos that I got years ago. It is a work in progress. It is only black ink for now, but I get colors in 3 weeks, or once it's totally healed:) Before: Currents:

I had sort of an NSV this weekend... I WAS out getting active, and kayaked 7.5 miles of beautiful river near my house.. But that's not the NSV.. For my birthday my Mom bought me a new bathing suit that I had fallen in love with. I haven't been comfortable in a bathing suit in years, but once I tried this particular suit on, I knew it was "the one". I have always worn a t-shirt and shorts over my bathing suit, but still felt like crawling under a rock in public.. I decided it was time to change that. Since this time last year, I am down 51lbs, and I am determined to change my ways. So- This weekend while out with my peeps kayaking, I decided to leave the t-shirt and shorts behind. And I wore JUST my new suit... confidently! I felt totally empowered by this! I also wanted to share a couple of pics.. Hope you enjoy! ~Kerri Me: The crystal clear water:) Some of the peeps:

In case you don't recognize me from my pics- I will be wearing a green/ tan columbia pullover jacket, dk blue jeans, and I have very curly brown hair:) Yup.. that's me lol

Hey girl.. I just got the address off the Maine General website, and did a mapquest search.. I think I've got it!:biggrin: I come from the other side of Augusta, by the Market Place at Augusta. Just before there I'll hit the Interstate, and it's only a couple miles out. A lot easier than all of the in town traffic I usually have to beat, and the rotary.. See you tonight! It's exciting to finally get to meet face to face:)

I may try the meeting tonight.. What time is it? Do you have the directions to the new place in Hollowell? I know I didn't spell that right lol.. The nutritionist told me that broths and protein drinks count toward your daily fluid intake, so it seems that you are right on top of things! I was also told by the nurse that the first week it's hard to get everything in, and not to worry if all goal weren't met. 12 freaking lbs?! That's fabulous! You must be psyched! I can't remember what I lost in the first week, but I know it wasn't near 12... I'll have to check back in the chart on my ticker.. Last night I was looking through the Christmas pics that we sent out this past year.. It kind of gave me hope. I was 252 at Christmas time, and now I am at 204... It sucks to have the scale holding steady, but to look at those pics made me pretty happy. I'll have to post up a few, and one of my kayaking adventure on Saturday.. Sometimes it makes me feel better to compare, and realize that I have lost.. Well, I'm off to work, then hopefully bring my poor dog to the vets. He has an embedded tick on him:( I feel soooo guilty.. I called the Auburn emergency vet yesterday, and they said it would be fine to hold off until today.. I spend nearly $60/ month on Frontline so this won't happen.. Grrrr... WTH?! LOL.. I'll stop complaining now. If you can get back to me with the address in Hollowell, I'll see what I can do. I'm hoping the vet gets me right in so I'll have the evening off, and I'll be there! yay:) Hope you're amused by reading this rambling post lol.. I know the boredom issue killed me too! Chat soon~ Kerri

Hey girl! How's everything going? Sorry it's been a while.. It's been a busy few days, and now I'm back to work tomorrow.. Ugh! I can't win. So how is everything going for you? Have you been able to stay off pain meds? I think as of day #3 I had no pain meds except for once and a while at night time to ease some discomfort... I see that your ticker now says -34, you must've lost more since surgery?! Holy crap girl, you must be feeling fabulous! You've caught up to me! I better get my butt moving:) Are you craving real food yet? Do you have to cook for the kids? That was the worst for me.. When I started feeling better, and was cooking for my husband, the smell of the food got to me. Well, I hope everything is going well for you! Congrats on your loss. I'm still stuck at 204.. And anxiously waiting for the scale to move! Chat soon:) ~Kerri

Congrats Fenton, on your being morbidly obese.. What a great accomplishment! I am 6 points from being "obese" and can't wait to get there! 84lbs gone is amazing, keep up the good work! As for the Wii tennis johnson style.. What a mental pic:)

Wow, Tess! Looking fabulous! You can see a huge difference in your face! You look 10 years younger.. Loving the new hair too:) Keep up the good work!

YAY! You're a bandster:) What a mess trying to get in, huh? It sounds like they are bound to hold up surgery no matter who you are.. I thought it was just me and my crap luck! Glad to hear you are doing well. After the first couple of days I felt a lot more human, but all together it wasn't really as bad as I thought it would be.. Is it more/ less discomfort than you were expecting? I'm sure you'll make it through this like a champ, you seem like quite a tough cookie:) How are the kiddos treating you? Hopefully you're being treated like a queen. I made sure I played it up for all it was worth! lol My husband and sister waiting on me hand and foot... How amusing to look back! As for your fill.... I wasn't filled in the OR, the doc said the band he used came pre filled with about 2cc's in it. Do you know what band you got? I wonder if you had some saline in there as well to begin with? You could call and ask? I had a heavy feeling in my chest every time I sipped on something, and when I called they said it was restriction from swelling, and the pre fill.. Do you feel any different when you drink? Well, I hope you're resting comfortably on your pain meds.. I'm envious, I got my a/c's out today, and boy, I'm feeling it tonight.. Take a dose (or 2) for me lol Chat soon ~Kerri p.s. congrats again! I can't tell you how psyched I am for you!

wow annie, you look fabulous! Congratulations:)

I just noticed your title on the top post- off to see the wizard.. lol.. I hope the wizard did his magic, and treated you well. :)Kerri

Thinking of you girl... I hope everything went ok! May I be the first to say congrats on being an official bandster?!:thumbup: Can't wait to hear from you..

Oh my! No rest for the weary:).. Good luck today, and I hope to heck they find a vein quicker than usual. I was incredibly nervous the day before, and kind of mellow the day- of as well.. I did great til I got there, and panicked a little, but once I had some "happy juice" I was swell:) I am so happy for you that this is finally happening!! Next time I hear from you, you'll be a bandster!!! YAY! GO GET 'EM! :)Kerri

Thanks Amanda and SpecialK for the replies! I have been trying to not let the frustration get to me, but boy, I was feeling it this morning! I think I will take your advice Amanda, and write to the other person and see what I can get for info. Maybe her band is different? Or she's related to the doctor lol.. Thanks again for the support! Good luck to you tomorrow specialk with fill #2! I hope you get some restriction from it:) ~Kerri p.s. thanks for the b-day wishes Amanda! As you can see I didn't make my goal, but pretty darn close!

You go girl!!!!! Best of luck tomorrow, I'm sure you'll do great! When you get a chance, drop me a line and let me know how you are doing. I will log on here in the morning before I leave for work, and check to see how you're holding up:) Can't wait to hear from you! Hope you're not too nervous:) ~Kerri