WLSResources/ClothingExch

Good, you make it through. It wasn't so bad, was it? If the surgeon in fact said not to "have anything 'rough,'" sex was the foremost "Thou shalt not" on his mind. Otherways, he'd have said "do" instead of "have." The American vernacular is the giveaway. Take the time to heal. If you want, throw your fiancé a few non-strenuous crumbs or let him have himself.

@@fatgirlsvelte, you're understandably feeling a loss also felt by many who have to give up running or some other endeavor for all sorts of reasons. It may be that you'll be given clearance to run again down the line. You'll probably be better off if you can not think about it until you're ready to have your ankles reevaluated. However things turn out, you'll be better off for having worked toward it -- strengthening overall and all the rest. As walking itself may not be thrilling, turn it into an exploration, an adventure of sorts. Don't walk simply for its exercise value (which it really does have, y'know). Use the time to take in and connect with your surroundings. If you're walking through a neighborhood, take in the life of the streets. In a park, the squirrels and birds and children playing. On a rural road, the fragrances, trees, vistas and all else that comes into view. My walks have a title, "Walking and what I found there." Some have journal-worthy moments for me (which means I say to myself, "Why don't you keep a journal?"). When the mundane or the magnificent takes up residence in my consciousness, my heart is happy.

If you are your own surgeon, follow your own counsel. If not, call your surgeon's office now so that you follow the surgeon's counsel in a timely manner.

It's reasonable not to want a cold while you're recovering. Some would even say it's wise not to want... If only for your peace of mind, have someone else take you in and get you out.

@@Express09, The bad news is that your body is not a machine. The other bad news is that it is unlikely you'd have lost 13 pounds in the week leading up to your trip. The good news is that you're going to Mexico. No more pouting. Have a great vacation. You're in good shape.

Would you believe that nail-painting is a new one for me? Thanks a whole heap for a new, instantaneous cliché. Keep watching over your shoulder.

I was expecting a variation on the now-tedious lists of "Things to do to keep from boredom and other emotional eating." It contains many that came as a surprise because they aren't specific tasks and obvious time-fillers. They have potential to be freeing if one stops rolling one's eyes long enough. If I ever again hear or read, "Take a bath" or "Rearrange a drawer," I'll scream.

@@Dub, don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

"Well, now I am miserable! .. "This is not how I want to live. I want the band to help me control my portion size and keep my from eating mass amounts of carbs. That's exactly how it was before and I loved it. "It has only been one week with the new fill." Lines 1-3: There's your answer. Line 4: A week is a long time to be so uncomfortable. Call the office immediately so that you can go in to have some of the saline removed. (You don't want to have the weekend keep you miserable longer than necessary.) Whether all of the new saline should be taken out is up to you. However, since you were happy with your weight loss and the way you felt, it probably should. Since you're early in your band career, I'll say a few things that you may not have come across yet. I hope you were given a cup of Water to swallow before you left the office. It's an immediate test to be sure you're not overfilled. Keep in mind that, even when the water does down comfortably, discomfort won't set in soon after. It's only a possibility, not a given! Even when a band is a good partner for a while, it can suddenly change, either too tight or not tight enough. For that reason, bands have been known in some quarters as "fickle bittches." Neither the number of adjustments nor the amount of saline in relation to the size of the band have relevance. 10cc in a 14cc band may be great for one person, murder for another and ineffective for a third. The saline level is right when it's right. That's it. Get yourself taken care of and have a good weekend.

@@daniotra, the last I knew was 30 years ago, so it's good to know of the safety developments. Since I never used one and only once in my life had a dinner cooked in one, my interest is nil. I'm just glad, having heard of unspeakable damage done by them way back, that I no longer have to worry about those who use them. Sincere thanks for bringing me up to date.

Never heard of "instant" pot, but Google implies that it's a pressure cooker? They scare me. Just dropping in to say "Howdy." A new topic yesterday brought you to mind and I realized you've been scarce.

@@Shrinking_Violet, none taken. To show that I'm not offended so that you don't lose sleep, I'll share a bit more girl talk which had slipped my mind earlier. During the first stretch of periods every six or seven weeks, it lasted four days. Then, during the years of 30-day intervals, it lasted three and one-half days. We're having such fun!

@@chicken Lady, @@yleitner and whomever else comes along, I believe it is unusual to be nervous on the day of surgery. There's no time for nervousness when you're kept busy in the prep area with people fussing over and around you and strings of others coming and going with their clipboards and seemingly endless questions. You'll find that you're so diligent and compliant with the "Turn this ways" and "Bend that ways," not to mention taking care to answer the questions accurately as though you're being graded. We become good girls and boys. All in all, not a bad thing, which does not mean you should forgo asking your questions. @@Chicken Lady, you may even be in recovery as I type this. You'll be great. Same for the rest of you.

Your menu is gorgeous. Restaurant or Pike Place Market? I've never been, but expect plates, cutlery and tables are available. I'd forgotten that you're pre-op. Now that you say it, I do know the Scottish "oi," but was thinking of my own "oy" as in "oy vey" and "oy gevalt." Have a good night. Rats, I believe I've missed Bill Clinton's speech. Better see.

@@Steph0625, a number of the others said "fun" right off. I apologize for having taken a more serious route only. Yes, FUN. Have fun. You're beginning to explore a new realm, so think of it as an adventure. Not only will you be learning more about the male persuasion and the ways that males and females relate to each other, but you'll be discovering things about yourself that you may not have known or only guessed at. Now some serious stuff. There's a theory that the serious, sincere, stable, safe men use dating sites that charge a fee. I don't know which sites are which, but it seems something to consider. All those "S" words sound dull, but I think you know what I mean. It's about your safety. Back to "how to act." You can't go too far wrong if you act as yourself and are true to your personality.

@@fatgirlsvelte -- Babycakes, what have I told you time and again about Starbucks macchiato and Machu Picchu? The fussy coffees made with 2% milk are killers. But that was yesterday and this is today. I have faith in you. Keep in mind, though, that even gluten-free is high-cal unless we're talking cauliflower pizza crust rather than grain flour. "Plan ahead" is correct. You're fine. P.S. If the parenthetical "oi" in your first line in an abbreviation, I don't know it. "Over indulged," maybe? If, however, it's what I think it may be, try "oy" for transliteration authenticity.

My menstrual history seems to have been uneventful compared to most. The friends with whom I compared notes hated me for it. From the start (just short of age 12) I had cramps, usually mild enough that I got past them. By age 19, no more cramps. The worst all all along was some irregularity. It seemed that my period came along every six to seven weeks, which I liked and which rarely presented a great, public problem. Many years later I underwent a schedule shift -- every 30-32 days with a warning three days before in the form of the slightest, briefest twinge in either left or right groin area. Years later, another change, but I don't recall what changed. The closest thing to PMS all those years was no more than a dozen incidents of mild crankiness. No affects on appetite and no major lunacy. I didn't even know I'd 'gone through' menopause. One month I had a normal period, the next, nothing. That was it. Never a hot flash, no sweats, no moods, none of it. @@needtorecover, all wretched things come to an end. Patience and fortitude.

@@Frenchie1977, the others have given you the basics. As a passer-by in your topic, I suggest that you check with the hospital itself in advance. It may be that, as long as they adhere to the ADA requirements, hospitals have leeway to implement procedures as they see fit. Better to know ahead of time than run into surprises on the day of your surgery. All the best to you.

It sounds that, right now, your thinking is as great a problem as the injury, which is bad enough. Listen to your husband; he's smarter than he looks Healing comes first. Then you'll deal with whatever weight gain. You've lost weight before so you know you'll be able to do it again. If knitting is too difficult because it necessarily moves the arm you need to keep still, would crocheting be doable? If you don't know how, you probably know someone who can give you a lesson and company to occupy your mind. Start smoking again? No way. Long ago my late, beloved internist told me that, if losing weight and quitting cigarettes were too difficult to do simultaneously, it was more important to stop smoking first. There are lots of chair exercise videos online and probably available for loan from your public library. If your branch doesn't have any inhouse, they can get them for you on inter-library loan. Search on sparkpeople.com, livestrong.com and simply googling "chair exercise." Search "chair exercise" or "chair exerise dvd [or video] at the library's website. There is a series of videos called Chair Dancing which may be fun. In any case, you'll have more to do and you'll feel as though you're taking better care of yourself. You can modify any of the exercises that jar arm.

Great news. The only down side I see is not having a row to one's self when one may want a snooze or to stay quiet and private. Anticipating the first restaurant meals is understandable. I think that you'll breeze through because you've got this thing sewed up.

It's probably realistic, but there are no guarantees. You have no way of knowing whether you'll hit stalls along the way or oddball things may arise. Might losing weight be a realistic enough goal for you?

@@Steph0625, one other thing. If you come across someone who sounds meetable, but there is any geographic distance, he's the one to make the trip. This is a subsection under "choose a meeting place that is comfortable for you." If you're in Houston and Mr. Fortunate is in LaGrange, let him make the trip. Your comfort level and peace of mind when meeting strangers come before anything else. Have a good night. Signed, Your doting mother hen

But you are, LRMD, you are. Just teasing you with the "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" ploy I pull out of a hat every eight years or so. You, LRMD, shall be fine, a true champion.

We can do a family exchange. Difficult and awkward as it is to smack some sense or good taste into our own families, it would be sooo easy and fun to twist someone else's into knots. Alternately, send all your idiots to me. I'll send them back begging to do back flips to please you.