munchkin392

I love to shop and I really need to get my head around the fact that I don't need to be spending money on clothes!! I just can't picture myself getting any skinnier at this point....Crazy, I know. I just ordered new scrubs for work yesterday, and originally had them all one size smaller in the cart (I bought them online) and then changed them to my current size. Duh!! Now I will probably have to send them back to exchange for smaller ones. The only thing I am trying to console myself with is that one of the brands I bought always runs small and I always take at least one size bigger in them anyway!!

Laura, You are so funny!! What is wrong with your neighbors, have they not heard of trash cans? Or perhaps they were hit by another trash can bandit? LOL! We had one of our trash cans stolen once also. Why anyone feels the need to do this is beyond me....but it seems to be a fairly common phenomenon!

Travelgirl, Hubbys on the way to the store to get mixins for chili as we speak!! He thought your recipe sounded pretty darn good!

I was just on macys.com, and they are having a one day sale today, and I found some AWESOME deals. They have some jeans and sweaters, etc, for between 10.99-14.99!

Sounds like Brit Brits mom could take some parenting cues from you!

I got on the TNT website one night, and the posts were FULL of people ranting that it's blasphemous, etc...it seemed to really elicit some strong reactions from some people. I am not particularly religious so it does not offend me, however, it does make me think. I guess because I can relate when Grace asks why God makes good people suffer and lets bad things happen, while bad people get away with much that they do without consequence. She seems to really struggle with that, and I admit, being a nurse, this has crossed my mind on more than one occasion. It seems some really good people get more than their share of misery...Did anyone watch the season finale last night? It really brought the first season together and explained alot of why Grace is the way she is.

LOL!! I agree, she is way skinny!! And she has some ginormous manly veins in her arms too!!

I had surgery Dec 5th and was supposed to go back last Friday, but couldn't because my tummy still hurt too much. (I am an ICU nurse so my job is pretty lifting/moving patients around intensive)...I will definantly be going back this Friday. If you have a desk job I imagine you could go back fairly quickly, but like other posters said, it is different for everyone. Take as much time as you can!

Thanks for all the suggestions! My tummy is rumbling just reading all these recipes!! I think the first one I will make is chili because my hubby has been hankering for chili lately! I think I will try the meatballs before I get my first fill also...they sound pretty yummy!:biggrin1:

Another great place if you don't mind shopping online is QVC. They have a very wide range of sizes in all different brands. Some of the clothes are pretty hideous, but some are very cute!! The Denim & Co line has some cute stuff and is pretty reasonably priced for when you are transitioning through sizes. I'm going to order some Denim & Co jeans today I think!

I know, I was shocked also...what a good role model for all the kids who watch her on Nickelodean.....yikes!

Viri-This is going to sound so silly, but I'm so jealous of you, I've always wanted to be a librarian!! I love to read, I can think of nothing better than being around books all day. That is one thing I am very thankful my mother instilled in me-a love of reading. She started reading to me when I was very young, and I've always been a bookworm! I used to sit and read a book a day, but I don't seem to have time for that lately. Dee-I hear you about how you would rather be in a happy marriage...divorce is so hard to go through. I was devastated when I divorced my first husband (got married too young) even though it was my decision. I felt like a huge failure, and my family was so nonsupportive, they just didn't understand why I made my decision. But...as I've always told my friends who are having relationship problems, you shouldn't necessarily listen to what other people think because obviously they aren't living under the same roof as you, and don't know what goes on. Now if only I could listen to my own advice and not be so hard on myself! (Sorry, I got on a tangent again!) Hey, we saw the lawyer about the jerky neighbors yesterday, and he read all the stuff I had documented, and the first thing he asked when he was done was "How old are these people?" Wahahahaha!!!! I told him that has been what I have been saying all along, that they are in their 50's but act like they are in elementary school!! I thought you would get a chuckle out of that! How is everyone else? I am not being a very good bandster so far. The one thing I am really having a problem getting used to is not drinking while I am eating. I did not think I would have a problem with this, but I do for some reason!! I always have water sitting by me (and did before I was banded even) so I have to make a concious decision to physically put it away before and after I eat so I won't drink it. Arggghhh!!! And my hubby says I am obsessing about food. I don't think he is getting that I am trying to relearn how to eat. Did any of you have this problem with the people around you? I probably am obsessing a little bit as I am rather obsessive by nature, but still.....this is a whole new lifestyle.

Thanks for the advice, I need all I can get right now! I love tea, but I have never tried green tea. I will have to try it. I have been eating alot of protein and eating several mini meals a day, that seems to be working better for me right now. I have my first fill scheduled for January 15th, so hopefully I will get a bit more restriction at that time. Happy Holidays everyone!:biggrin1:

LA- I told everybody before getting my band....and I am living to regret it! The girls I work with are all very supportive of me, but I ran into work to get something yesterday, and the day shift girls that hadn't seen me since surgery were already asking me how much I had lost. I told them 4 pounds, and they all just kind of looked at me. I was like "Sheesh, I'm not even two weeks out yet!" So, I guess what I'm saying, is think carefully about who you tell.:confused:

I hear you, I was banded on the 5th and I'm starving!!

Mal-I'm so sorry to hear about your sons friend. That is such a sad situation. I went to nursing school with a woman whose son had committed suicide when he was 16. They had no idea he was even depressed. He went to his grandparents house when they were out of town and did it. Her and her husband have tried to make something positive out of it and they have a non-profit organization that goes around and teaches schools and such about teen suicide. They made a video about their experience and I was crying like a baby by the end of it. It was really moving. Mona-I'm glad you made it home ok. Sorry about the diarrhea-I had it too, but only for a few days, so maybe it will be better tomorrow. How's the pain? Tarheel-I second what you said about the pain. It was more than I expected. My abdomen is still hurting, and I could not really work this weekend. I tried to lift a patient out of bed and into the chair, and that was a huge mistake. Welcome to all the new people. I personally do not regret having my surgery with Dr.K. The aftercare thing can be a bit of a problem. I initially planned to fly back to Colorado for my aftercare, but I'm having some financial constraints right now, so I found a local surgeon to do my aftercare. I feel lucky because they only charge $150 for a fill, which is not nearly as outrageous as some of the others I have seen. If I did not get this surgeon to do my aftercare, I would be flying back to Colorado. I am a nurse, and I was very impressed with Dr.K and his staff, and very impressed with the surgical center where I had my surgery. The nurses there were top notch. I agree with Tarheel, if you have surgery in Denver, plan to stay an extra day or two afterwards to rest. I did not feel like flying home the next morning either. It was a long morning. Anyhow, if any of you have any questions, please feel free to PM me! I hope everyone is warm and happy! It's brrrrrr cold and snowy here!

Hello everyone and welcome to all the newcomers!! I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile, I got a computer virus. It sucked!! Want2Bme, I'm doing ok. I just PM'd Dee to whine about how my abdomen still hurts. It's not my port incision, it's on my left side over my stomach. I would have thought it would feel better by now, but I never do anything normally, so go figure....I can't wait until I get my first fill, because I am starving alot of the time. I can't eat much in one sitting, but it seems I get hungry frequently. Any words of wisdom anyone? I hope everyone is staying healthy and sane through this holiday season. I ventured out to shop tonight for the first time since my surgery, and it was not a pretty sight. I'm soooo glad my Christmas shopping is done!:biggrin1:

Ummm...I don't think anyone is taking OCD lightly here. I have been diagnosed with OCD and take Effexor for it, and it sure sounds like alot of these other folks have it also. I'm sure none of these obsessions or compulsions make life fun for anyone. For me personally, it's hell being a nurse while I'm a HUGE germaphobe!!

I can't tell you how much better this thread makes me feel! I do soooo many of the above mentioned things! Probably my worst one is picking my skin-acne, scabs, whatever. And I have really, really fair skin so it leaves scars. My hubby is always yelling at me to quit it! But seriously, I am OCD about too many things to list even. Sad, but true!

Aww, Dee, you're so sweet!! (I'm really not that sweet, I was just looped up on pain meds, ha ha!!) Tarheel, it gets better, I promise! I am almost back to normal except for a slightly sore abdomen and I still want to sleep alot (although the sleeping alot thing isn't much different than pre-banding,soooo....) I'm going back to work tomorrow, so everyone wish me luck!:nervous I have a feeling I am going to be hating life by Monday morning after I work three 12 hour shifts!

Also, if you work for Genesis, their health insurance covers bariatric surgery without having to jump through any hoops, because they are a Bariatric Center of Excellence. Might be worth looking for a job there!

Hi, I did not end up having my surgery in the Quad City area, but I have dealt with both bariatric centers-Trinity and Genesis. I work at Trinity so I was going to have my surgery there, and I had an AWFUL experience with them. The bariatric center is incredibly disorganized. The only advantage with Trinity is that they only have you put a down payment of $7000 down, and you can pay the remainder on a payment plan in 6 months. You do have to pay the surgeon upfront, which is $4500. All said, after talking with the Genesis bariatric center, I would definantly choose them. I think their preop teaching and postop follow up is much more thourough. I simply did not go to them because I was self pay and I had financial constraints. However, I was MUCH more impressed with their program. Please PM me for any further information you would like!

Mona, I wrote you a post in another thread-hang in there, it will get better. Last week, the day after surgery, I wanted to die by the time I got home from the airport. Everyday has been a little better. Take your pain meds and rest. And of course sip and walk! I don't feel totally 100% yet, but I plan on going back to work tomorrow, so I definantly feel much better than I did a week ago, because I couldn't have even thought about work then. Woofay, Hmmm...I'm not sure what I think of the band yet. I can tell I'm definantly tighter when I first wake up. It takes several hours before I'm actually hungry. I can tell the difference between head hunger and physical hunger now. I haven't had any bad episodes of sliming or PB'g yet. I did eat too much one night and was fairly uncomfortable for about 3 hours. The worst time is night for me, I seem to get awfully hungry at night. I guess time will tell. I haven't lost any weight yet, but I know that's common until you get your first fill, so I just have to be patient. I did lose 15 pounds prior to surgery, so I can't complain. I am eating much healthier now that I have the band, so I guess that is what counts. The one "head hunger" item I can't seem to part with is ice cream (and I knew that would be my hardest thing to part with, I could live on ice cream...). I have been good so far though... Everyone, I hope you had fun tonight at RR. I've been thinking of you and I wish I could be there, it would have been a blast! Maybe I will try to get there for my fill when you have your RR get together next month!

No, you're not being a wimp. Better to rest than to exacerbate your lupus or you will end up hurting for longer.

Great! I'm stressed out all the time at work! This does not bode well for me! (Or maybe it will because I will have more restriction??)