Cococat

Best of luck.

Robin - In some states, what that woman did to you, yelling, screaming and threatening you, following you, etc. may be considered ASSAULT and MAKING TERRORISTIC THREATS. (She followed you and your children). You felt in fear of her. She did not commit battery, which is putting hands on (touching) another person without permission. But it might be considered an ASSAULT. Check with your local authorities. In fact if it was done to you and your children, three counts of assault - with two perpetrated upon minors. That woman faced serious legal charges. Usually "assault and battery" are linked together, but in some cases where the peron is threatening you or you perceive a danger to yourself and/or your children, it can be "assault" combined with "making a threat." I am not a lawyer but you could have gotten the police involved, which in my humble opinion, I would have if I had been you. The police could have told you what your rights were. I know it is too late now (probably)(unless YOU have it on video and know that woman's license plate number and type of car). BUT everyone keep that in mind - you do not have to be touched for it to be an assault, and "battery" consists usually of anyone even just touching another person without permission. Check with a lawyer for you state's statutes.

Hi, Toler! Happy New Birthday! The bloat goes downin no time. Then you are in charge of keeping yourself hydrated. Drink that Water.

Skuper - We lived in Westfield, NJ for twenty years. We moved to South Florida and have loved it. Give me orchids over snow any day, even when tropical storms are on their way. We even found a pizza place which makes passable pizza. (Not that we eat it that much anymore!)

Hi, Skuper, Welcome. As you probably have read from other's posts, it's okay to be a bit anxious. You will do great! Keep a positive attitude and obey all your doctor's orders. If you are like many of us here, you will experience a new and better phase of your life. Live long and prosper!

Hi, Toler - Glad your tests turned out well. Another great thing about getting this operation is the number of tests that you have to take. YES, it's GOOD! It's good because you get a complete health workup and can provide a baseline for future health reference. And at our ages, Medicare ... you know the rest. I also felt very good about learning about my heart health. Being overweight and coming from a family with heart issues I always wondered just how healthy my heart was. I have hypertension, too, which has come down a LOT since my operation. ... and the beat goes on ...

Toler: Congratulations! If you do get a little nervous - don't worry, all of us have been there. You are going to do just fine.

I hate to be a wet blanket but do you really want to put your exercise experience in the hands of a personal trainer who is not employed by the gym? Lots of people think they want to help, but go slow to accept it. Who are these people to give you advice on how to exercise? Will they take responsibility if you are hurt? Will ANYBODY? I am at an age when I have heard every story about everything that can go wrong. This is one: My cousin went for back therapy very recently to improve the muscles in her back. Her "therapists" were actually employed by the place she was assigned to. These young therapists told this 70 year old, over 200 pound woman to bounce on one of those exercise balls. They were not even spotting her. Well, she bounced all right. She broke the d@^^# ball! She fell straight down and crushed three vertebre. She was in agony. Her "therapists" were two young things that knew S#!+ about exercising people over 60. So, use your head. Who are you going to sue if you have an accident? Not the gym. You will have to sue the people who "helped" you, IF you can find them. The moral: Yes, isn't it nice to have nice people being so helpful. But watch out.

Katladee - Congratulations! You have just chosen health and life over pain and illness. However, your decoder ring has been lost in the mail. A year from your surgery date you will wonder why you waited so long and will not give a thought to the decoder ring.

I was never nauseated at all pre op or post op. I don't know what liquid shakes you are taking but all liquid shakes and all Vitamin supplemets are NOT created equal. Sample other shakes and see if they make you feel better. I drink Premier Protein shakes and take Bariatric fusion Vitamins. Could you be allergic to your vitamin supplement? Read the label of your shakes and your vitamin supplements as to what kind of protein and vitamin sources they use. If it is a mlik or whey derivative and you are allergic to milk products, I could see why you might feel nauseated. I am not allergic to milk products. There are shakes that have an egg white base, but I have not tried those. Vitamins - especially Vitamin Bs sometimes come from a yeast source - Brewer's Yeast. If you are allergic to yeast, and your vitamin source uses a Brewer's Yeast base, you may not be able to tolorate them. This is only my experience; your case might be different. Ask your doctor and nutritionist. They can give you the best advice for your particular needs.

IcanMakeit: Move to Florida. We do not have a state income tax or inheritance tax. You still have to pay federal taxes, though. When you get here you can play with "kids" your own age. I am not considered "old" here in SW Florida. Doctors and hospitals galore. Medicare accepted by most because if they didn't they would not have a practice. Thrift shopping (a hobby of mine) is FANTASTIC because all the ritziest folks throw away the best stuff, and people come here with their stuff and then they pass away, the kids don't know what to do with most of it. We have thrift shops, consignment shops and antique stores every couple of miles, and ditto, banks. Where I used to live in NJ we had liquor stores every couple of miles. The hurricanes here are no worse or ocurr more often than the ones we experienced on Long Island, and we get more warning ahead of time than anyone gets with an earthquake. Sadly, California is and a poor version of what it could have been before the politicians gave it away. One thing I will totally give California (I lived there for a year or so) is at that time the supermarkets had the best veggies and fruit that I had ever seen anywhere. The drought must have curtailed some of that but things will get better, I think.

I can see the commercial now: "If you have one life to live, live it in a red, Grand Jeep Cherokee." There is something pure about that.

ChrisRedJeep: Nice vehicle. I wish I had one. It is Sunday afternoon here in Florida, USA and it has been raining all weekend. Some secondary, smaller streets cannot manage the downpour and are ankle deep in water. Most of Florida is flat where I live and the runoff goes into the Gulf Of Mexico or into the Everglades ... when it wants to. Summer is our rainy season. The temperature is about 80 degrees Fharenheit, so it is nice even if it is wet. The rain is free water for the gardens.

Para-Thighs: Way to go! It's nice that your husband knows exactly what you are going through. My husband is supportive but he still likes it when I cook, and then of course, I have to eat some of whatever I make. I wish I could stick to my shakes more. ChrisRedJeep: Are you sure you are from the UK? Your name looks a lot like a modern, hip, Native American name. (smile)

Fortunately, we live in Florida where in the warmer months, we can use the pool on the lanai. Very quiet and dark neighborhood. I go in with my husband every night. We check out the stars and planets and often see meteors. I wear a tank top and undies. No lights, or course. I have four or five ancient but nice suits ... that do not fit! I hope when I get back to a size I can fit into that the elastic hasn't died.

Hi, Toler, I drink Premier Protein in a four-pack ready-made drinks. - 30 g of protein - 1 g of fat - calories 160 - 11 Fluid ounces in total. I buy it at Walgreens. But I have read elsewhere that Sam's Club and Cosco have it also. I haven't checked, but I am just relating what I heard. I only like the chocolate flavor. A very finikey (sp?) friend of mine tried some and also liked it. This was recommended by my surgeon and my nutritionist. So far so good. They say to drink it cold, but I don't like anything cold, so I drink it room temp. I have heard from others that it tastes better cold. The vanilla might be good for some, especially if you like to put it in a blender with other flavored things. I am lazy and hate to forever wash the blender, so I just sip a drink out of the carton.

No one has mentioned the amount of exercise that one gets or does not get as an element of constipation. At our age and weight, moving can be painful. But you must move around. If you have access to a pool, that helps in movement exercises. I hate the thought of exercise and sweating, so the pool is for me. I also had an "adventure" in constipation and ended up in the ER. Bad doctor there. He had no idea what he was dealing with. Ignorant b@$+@&d. Carbs constipate me. Wheat products especially. Bread is an absolute killer. I am still tempted to cheat by those little devils in carbs! I have bouts with constipation but I do not let it go for long before getting heavily into stewed prunes and oranges (combination). I put Miralax into my drinking Water. My doctor and Nutritionist recommend it. It has no taste and you cannot detect it. On other boards, the youngsters brag about how much they exercise and run. Bla. Bla. Bla. Well folks, I waddle. When I don't waddle, I limp and waddle. I am an old fart, and have to be a bit more conservative on my exercise so I won't fall down, braek something and complicate things more. We all have been there. But I am down 60 pounds since Sept of last year. My knees love me. Remember, 60 is the new 40. We CAN do it!

I did not know that they put in gastrric bands 30 years ago. That's a new one for me. I would not venture to offer any kind of advice or insight about your experience, since yours is so different from most of us and specific to you. Your surgeon must know the exact right kind of procedure for you. I wish you the best of luck in your coming appointment. Please keep us informed as to what your doctor suggests.

Flutterby - It is really important to get your shakes AND especially your water in. You cannot dehydrate yourself. Keep sipping that water. Don't neglect the protein. Those things are really important.

HealthyJudy - Hi. Glad you are on track. I also had an adventure in constipation. My doctor said to take Miralax. But it seemed too artificial or something. Anyway, you have to keep on top of it (ha ha) and do whatever your doctor tells you. But constipation, especially at our age I think, is commonly reported. I was sleeved in Sept. of 2014 and have lost 60+ plus pounds. Just to be able to touch my feet easily and put on my sneakers is great. The health benefits cannot be overstated. My blood pressure is down 20 points; ditto my cholesterol. My knees love me again. My feet and eyes even look better. I've got some extra skin under my chin, but who cares? Love the new clothes. Love getting up out of a chair easily. The first six months is a "Golden Time" when the weight melts off. Take advantage of that.

Joann from Lake City - Yes, I moved to Naples 20 years ago and it was not as crowded as it now is. I wish I had had the experience of being born/brought up in Naples in the earlier days. It is still nice but is getting more crowded every year. They "Paved paradise and put up a parking lot." One good thing: we have more doctors here than anywhere I have ever lived. In some places, like NJ where I lived for some years, it was liquor stores on every street corner. Here it is doctors and banks (not to mention the golf courses, which we do not use). However, Naples has three big hospitals.

To those who want to post pictures: Think twice about it. This is only an opinion but photos that appear here are not encrypted and can be taken off easily and used for ANY purpose by ANYONE. That means you might one day see your face advertising something online or being used for a purpose you did not want it to be used for. I would not rush into putting my picture anywhere, over which I did not have total control. But that's just me.

Flutterby - I do not know of any support group from Dr. Bass' office on this bariatric board. The support groups that he has that I go to have been at Physician's Regional (with Sharon) and in his Ft. Myers office (Nutritionist, Marci). If you go to his website (I think it's Gulf Coast Bariatrics) there is a calendar (you have to search for it, but it's there, under "Seminars and Support") where you can see the days that the support groups meet. They are great. Make every effort to go.

Thanks to you both for your replies about the eyeliner. I appreciate your answers and suggestions.

Thanks! How did it come out? Did you do it in black, or brown ... or what color?