Anwyn

A coffeemaker in the bathroom.... that... is pure... genius!!!! That's right up there with moving the laundry room from the basement to the second floor. Some weinie medical student tried to tell me at a follow-up visit that I shouldn't drink coffee anymore. I just gave him a dirty look and tattled to my band doc (who said a few cups a day was fine).

I was told to wait 6 weeks after surgery for heavy lifting. Unless pain persists, I think you're probably fine.

It's not going to be fun, but you get through it a day at a time. I weighed myself every day during this time... The weight loss kept me motivated. I just kept telling myself that if I had to make it through without cheating to prove that I was really ready for this lifestyle change. Good luck - you can do it!

Vera, what a horrible tragedy. I'm so very sorry for your loss. ((((HUGS))))

Hello all, Cindy, I don't quite know what to say about your mom so I'm just going to give you a big ((((HUG)))). I'm sorry that you're going through such a tough time right now. That state exam sounds like a big nightmare too, so I'm sure that isn't helping matters. Pat, I'm glad you're enjoying your own "getaway" Unfortunately, we had to cancel our trip because of a big ice storm up North. We're going to reschedule for March. DH and I got the tax thing out of the way early (for once) and met with a new accountant. Our last one was a sweetheart, but she filed for an extension on our very simple return and never told us, so I sat and sat waiting for a $4000 return check. I wish I had that problem this year - we owe $$. I had my colposcopy today (that's the coochie follow up test). The short story is that they did a biopsy and there are pre-cancerous cells on my cervix. In a month I have to undergo a minor operation where they slice off the tip of the cervix. I'm sure glad I got in for my annual when I did (I was at least a year overdue). Because they did a biopsy today I'm not supposed to lift for two weeks or do anything strenuous. Yeah, right! Don't they know I have a 2 year old? It's always nice to have an excuse to avoid the treadmill though. :huggie: Betty, I'm glad you enjoyed a day in the sun today! Did all of your flowers survive the cold spell? Your 80 degree weather makes me long for the Spring! I know just what you are saying about those folks at Walmart. I feel so much compassion for them because I know how close I came to that point, but I also want to shake em and take them to a lapband seminar, lol. Patty, that is wonderful news about your boss! She sounds like a great lady, and it sure sounds like you've impressed her. Good to know you won't have to go on medication to treat your raging hypertension (ha ha). Dianne, I hope your ankle is feeling better! I myself am a huge klutz. I once pointed out to DH that the name Anne means "grace". He just snorted and said "yeah, right". Keep that baby elevated! Eilene, glad you got some much deserved down time while boss was away! Sherry & Bean, I hope you're both recovering smoothly. The liquid phase can be a long road. DH was ready to divorce me because I was whining so much. :boink: Alright, I'm heading off to bed... :bored G'night everyone!

((((HUGS)))) for you and your mom Penni. I hope that she feels better soon!

Sometimes having a physician who is willing to advocate on your behalf makes all the difference in the world. I'm so glad that you were able to have a positive outcome, even if the road was bumpy. Congrats on your new band!

((((HUGS)))) (just cause you sound like you could use one.. ) Have you met with a band surgeon yet? What does he/she say about your case? I think weight loss would help with several of them. Your energy levels would improve too. I've read a lot of inspiring posts about people who have seen their comorbities improve or completely disappear. I sincerely hope that this is the case for you too!! I've had the same thoughts about wishing I had done this 2 years ago (before my back gave out and I had to have surgeries to repair it). The important thing is, you're doing something about it now. Good luck to you.

Hi everybody! I'm sorry that I don't have time to check in with everyone personally tonight, but I wanted to let you know that I was thinking of you guys. I was laying on the table getting a boob ultrasound yesterday and I started laughing... The doc asked what was funny and I just mumbled something, but the truth is I was thinking about how I had to be sure to report in to Mom (Eilene) and let her know that everything is okay. I had a mammogram too, and everything looks fine. Woo hoo! False alarm I guess. Ugh... I just read that back and it sounds disjointed, but I'm too tired to fix it. DH and I are going away for a long weekend without the kids. I'll try to check in tomorrow but it may be next week before I get back here. (((HUGS))) to everyone - I'm hitting the hay.

I am ROFL Thistle - what a great post! I love your sense of humor - especially the part where DH pretended to pull the plug. It sounds like he knows how to keep you laughing when you're nervous. DAA, I can't get any more specific than Thistle's minute by minute countdown. The only difference for me was that I had to stay overnight. I wasn't up to phone calls until the following morning. Good luck with your surgery!!

Happy Birthday Kare! Hope your day is getting better. And why is Michelle's brother out of the question? You need a younger guy - no 50 year old man could keep up with you!

Hi everyone, I am really disheartened by the number of negative posts I've been reading lately, and I know I'm not alone. I value this website, and I just hate what has been happening lately. So, without further ado, my suggestions for how to make LBT an even better place: 1. Respect the person who started the thread by staying on topic. If you want to discuss a different topic, feel free to start a new thread. If the thread starter tells you straight out that you are off topic, have the courtesy to respect their wishes. Again, you always have the option to start your own thread. 2. Stop flaming people for expressing their opinions. Certainly state your opinion in return, but this can be done without ripping apart someone elses beliefs. I know this point has been expressed before, but it bears repeating. 3. When you do get flamed, try taking the high road and don't respond. I know, I know... yes, you do have a right to defend yourself. But, a true s**t starter will be much more frustrated if you just ignore them. They WANT to fight with you - don't play into their hands. 4. Don't think that by using sweet wording and smilies that you're not being just as inflammatory as someone who "comes right out" and flames. Respect that other people have different viewpoints and opinions and let it go. 5. I am shocked (shocked!) that some people are slamming other users in their signature lines. Nuff said on that one. Geesh... I feel like the peacekeeper in a big dysfunctional family that a few weeks ago was getting along just fine... WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?! (cue dramatic sobbing). From the bottom of my heart, I love you guys. Let's all take a deep breath and get back to the support and intelligent discourse that makes LBT so great.

Patty, I'm glad that you're feeling better and having a quiet day at home. It sounds like you're on the right track to straightening everything out. Sometimes taking a mental break can be healthy. Your Disney passes sure do come in handy! :cool: (((HUGS))) Pat, I'm sorry that I missed your pager message this morning. I didn't even get the notification until this afternoon. I think I must have left my computer on while I was getting the kids ready for the day. Your new car is beautiful BTW! Very classy. Speaking of cars, guess what I did this morning? I have Molly Maid clean every other week because I can't vacuum and DH can't keep up with cleaning and work (the one benefit to a bad back! - I'll take it!!!). Anyways, their car was parked at the end of my driveway. I was backing out of the driveway in my Mountaineer, and *WACK* I smacked right into their car. I knocked it 6 feet forward into my yard. I have a back-up sensor that was beeping away, but I was in my own little world. Fortunately, there was no damage to either vehicle at all. Oops! Eilene, that's a shame about your fill. I have read about people not feeling anything for 2 or 3 weeks, so maybe it's just taking it's time kicking in. Betty's right though - it's better to sneak up on it or you'll just end up going in for an unfill. It's like hearing that you should eat your veggies... you know they're good for you but you'd still rather have dessert. Cindy, that's so funny that you brought up the Zone!! I was talking to DH last night and he's really down about his weight. He's 6'2 and 295. He's never been this heavy before. My brother and his wife just started it a week ago, so I was thinking of buying the book and doing it with him to be supportive. From what I've heard, it's really similar to the diet I SHOULD be following as a bandster anyways. There is a 2 week phase at the beginning that I think is NO carb. Sounds scary, but I bet the weight loss is great. Sherry, I hope you're resting and recovering from surgery. Keep the drugs flowing! Hugs Betty, Zan, & Beanie (hope I didn't forget anyone!).

Start Weight: 220 Today's Weight: 214 NSV: Yesterday I went shopping and was able to fit comfortably into size 18/20's at Lane Bryant. Just seeing the number 18 on a tag was enough to keep me smiling all day.

I have two kids (2 and 5) and they're both really skinny. I made the conscious choice to never say the word diet in front of them, and I never, ever complained about my body. It's worked. I finally asked my son the other day if he had noticed that I lost 70 lbs and he gave me a blank look and said "yeah, I guess". Geesh! Maybe I should talk about it more. :cool:

Wow, thanks for sharing your story with us. You've been through so much, and I truly hope that with whatever road you take you can get the results you are looking for. Just a cynical thought here: You were banded in a clinical trial? I wonder if the trial lasted for 5 years and he boots all of his patients after 5 years... He may be one of those docs more interested in research than in treating ongoing patients. Whatever the reason, shame on him.

That does sound like right where your port is (It's where mine is anyways...). I couldn't lay on my side for several weeks after surgery, and it does seem to be the slowest place to heal up. I think you're feeling port pain, but follow your instincts and call your doc if you think it's something else.

Hi Kathy, First, if you haven't already, I would go on liquids for 2 or 3 days if you were throwing up yesterday. Otherwise, you'll probably PB again. If I were you, I'd get a small unfill. Many have said that even a really small amount (like .2 cc's) can make all the difference. Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon!

Kare, I agree that some people are taking offense because they don't know us very well yet, but they're also not giving us the benefit of the doubt, and that bothers me. I also concur with the high number of threads, but there have been a few instances where the person who started the thread politely asked people to stay on topic, and they were ignored. Oy! This site. I gotta get a hobby.

Happy Sunday everyone! Well, I have to say I'm pretty jealous of all the snow you guys are getting. Not nearly as jealous as DH though - he LOVES snow. It's sunny and cold here. I'm going to head over to Lane Bryant to buy some bras later. I have the boob exam this week, and I'd be really embarrassed to let him see the ones I've been wearing (underwire falling out, rips, etc). :biggrin1: In regards to the negative threads, I just did something that was probably really stupid. I took everyone to task in a new thread. I should have just kept my thought to myself, but I really feel like a few people are ruining my LBT!!!! And it pisses me off. So, I ranted. Oh well... let the flaming begin, at least I had my say. Bene, I'm sorry that you didn't like the unjury. I used to mix it in with Carnation Instant Breakfast and milk for a 35 Protein gram drink. I didn't like the taste, but it was nice to get so much protein out of the way. Glad you liked the bracelet! Pat, it's good to hear from you! I know what you mean about losing money on the car. I've done things like that before. I ease the guilt by saying that I'm the type of person who keeps the economy moving! LOL Betty, you didn't miss anything with all those negative posts. We seem to have a new group of people who I lovingly refer to as s**t starters. Sherry, good luck tomorrow! I'll be sending lots of good thoughts your way tomorrow. I'm so excited for you! Zan, I just read your response to my manners post, and let me tell you - you just made my day. I think I was shaking when I wrote that up. Thanks for your support! :biggrin1: Holy cow - I just read your post. 23 inches of snow?! Hope you have lots of cocoa on hand. Eilene, I hope you're enjoying your day! Isn't that funny about dogs and snow? Nothing brings out the puppy in my lab like a good snowstorm. And he's 7 years old. Cindy, are you enjoying the olympics? I love watching the figure skating. They're so beautiful and graceful. Glad to hear that you've recovered from your cold! Well, I gotta run. I finally have a picture taken of my awesome valentine's day gift, so I gotta post it on the thank you thread. Talk to you all soon!

Christina, I don't think you're alone in becoming sensitive to the eating habits of others. I couldn't have cared less what others were eating pre-band. Now, I look around at the people who are eating appetizers, entrees sized for 3, and dessert and I find myself (a) grateful for my band, ( shocked that I used to eat that much, © a little disgusted if they're really packing it in, and (d) sometimes even a little envious, depending on my mood. It sets off a complicated string of emotions for me.

Your girls are beautiful! I love the ones of them together - too cute.

I'm covered in them too. The weight gain stretch marks on my stomach are vertical and the baby stretch marks are horizontal. Is plaid in this year?

Hi Paula! Welcome to LBT. This site is full of information. You may want to try doing some searches on topics of interest to you, or just start reading old threads. And ask away - that's what we're here for!

Christy, you are really wonderful to be taking this in stride. I hope that you can find a way to be banded again (er... for the first time...? ) whether it be with Dr. Rod or someone else. Dr. Hekier, there was a case in Michigan where a woman had lapband and they nicked her stomach with the instruments. They didn't do a barium swallow and she died the next day. It was all over the news here because she was a Detroit city councilwoman. My surgeon told me that a barium swallow would have caught it. I'm not trying to question your expertise - just thought it was worth passing on to you.