Apples2

Hey All...got an email from Julie. She was released from hospital yesterday and was not provided with test results since it was the weekend when she was released. She stated she had an upper GI and waiting on those results. Stated that she has some pain but cannot detect where it originates. She expects to get some results soon.

Too funny when things get a little switched around, Eva....I asked Sandy how HER Charlie was doing and I made the statement that MY Charlie (DS) is a stinker.

OOOPS...forgot to say...Good Night, Sleep Tight. Sending the love. Might be missing quite a bit this week. Busy, busy but will check in when I can.

Good Evening All...You will all have to excuse me for being MIA...just a bit busy this week. Joyce...too funny on the bath mat comment..... Arlene....too funny on the bath mat incident.... Arlene's DH....too funny on the bath mat incident.... Just don't give ideas to those struggling! (Everyone running to bathroom to put mat under scale)! So DAMNED cold and windy and snowy here. We had a full-blown blizzard on Friday night and Saturday. Major highways and roads closed for over 24 hours. We did make it to our wake on Thursday night and our funeral on Friday but make it home just in the knick of time. Been stuck in the house ever since. I really never liked it when my boys used the words " it sucks". Well, I forgive them. IT SUCKS! Agreed to do a day out with DH today but after stepping outside early on, I nixed that idea. Not worth traveling 70 miles and running while freezing from restaurant to car. Eva's ideal weather made a pansy out of me. Jodi...hope Dazzi's Bat Mitzva (sp?) was everything you/she wished for. I am sure you are spent after the planning, etc. Once in a lifetime event and it sounds like you put your heart and soul into it. Janet...have a great time with your Lucky 7's gang. Also, enjoy your time off of work. Wish I could call myself a Lucky 7's. Would have booked a flight out. Julie...hope you are home and on the mend. Check in when you can. Melissa....wishing for you to be able to do the reconnect with your therapist. Don't hold back and accept the help and advice given. Lori...enjoy that babe. (Envious). I agree with others. DD's MIL has the bitch factor included in her personality. Sound like SHE needs to read the Boundries book. Maybe DD can just pass it onto her. I agree that DD and SIL need to be on the same page in how to deal with her. I see a broom and a pointy hat when you explained her last fly by. No LauraK this weekend? Cheri....Hope your 60th celebration was great and that you had a nice time with your company. You've done a lot of that lately. Good for you. Just read your last post on food addiction...true...we are so different than being an alcoholic...we HAVE to eat. That's where Janet's plan comes into play...throw the sh_t away. Let me back up on that....first of all, don't bring it into your house. Second, if you are exposed to trigger foods, have the man balls to walk away from it. Do the "boot strap" thing. Pull them up and walk away. Gotta, gotta, gotta put up the walls (boundries) with certain foods if they are a trigger. A person can give into them over and over and over or they can make the decision to put the wall up and say NO. It might be that a person has hundreds of food that are triggers to them. Lots of walls but once you can turn yourself off to them, much stronger. Not sure if any of you understand that, but so true. Laura...... HAPPY BANDIVERSARY TO YOU HAPPY BANDIVERSARY TO YOU HAPPY BANDIVERSARY, DEAR LAURA HAPPY BANDIVERSARY TO YOU....AND MANY MORE! Good thing DH noticed. Every time you post I sit and look at your signature b/4 and afters. Soooooooooooo amazing...the difference. Love ya. Jessica....way to go, Girl! You are on the move! So sorry to read your last post on how overwhelmed you are. Find more time to post....we will calm you down. It's tough. I remember those days. Hope they can find a med for DS that works without the weight loss. Hugs. Keeping up your pace, I'm sure, is quite the challenge. Just know you have your fans here. Looking forward to the day you are "pinned" (Graduation). You can do it. You have proven so far that anything is possible. We should all learn from you and what you have done for yourself in the last 18 months. I went back today and read your first posts. You should go back and read them....I almost cried while reading them....you have come so far. Hugs. Wouldn't it be fun to have a planned LB friends get-together around the time of your graduation? Hmmmm....something to think about. Phyll....have a great time with your girls. Do you plan on staying over at Janet's? I was quite impressed by your DH and how he fit in to our dinner at Janet's and was even more impressed by the wonderful food and the service he gave us when at your place. That was so fun, wasn't it? Something I will never forget. Think it should be an annual thing....I'll bring DH next time. He's such a girl. Let me define that. He just fits into so many situations and hangs with whoever. Love him for that. Meredith...you didn't fall off a St. Pat's float at all, did you? Just checking! Hey, Linda...hope you are feeling a little more "not stiff". Gosh...sucks when we think we are 19 and push bikes uphill. Bet that's what did it. Give it a day...bet it will be better. Ooops..forgot...you have FM...might take a bit longer. I bet that your FM is not as bad as it was since you have been so faithful about being active. Right? We should PM cuz I have been thinking about the Chicago trip and thought it would be so much fun to just drive down a day early and catch the train with you. It won't work for me cuz I need to be back in MN that Monday night to do a planned trip with my very best BFF. Heading to a resort up by Duluth for a few days. Joyce...I bet you are looking forward to getting that splint off and onto full healing. Unfortunate situation for you. Sandi....such the workout queen. And, yes, I too can hardly look at any footage of Japan. Makes me weep. How's your Charlie? Mine's being a little sh_t right now but I have faith or hope or something. Eva...you must be resting and studying after having such a big/unexpected FNSC. Hope you were able to catch up and regroup b/4 tomorrow hits. Gosh...DH and I miss you and would love to jump in the car and drive just that 14 miles like we did and pick you up and go to a museum. Can I say it again? Our weather sucks. Whine. OK...I have been so bad at this responding to everyone...just plain don't like it. I just usually say what I want to say. Sorry if I missed any of my girls on the thread. Wish Tex would check in. Was always nice to hear from "Our Boy". Well...flew out of bed at 3:40 to push the "I want coffee now" button and realized it was OK cuz it was 4:40 so did not need to go back to bed. Was a little bit tired today but got 12 doz cookies made for a special event (Habitat for Humanity) and fought a nap cuz knew I would sleep better if no nap.

Ohhhhhh, Eva....what DH and I would give to be at the FNSC. Can you pick us up at the Pheonix airport about 4pm tomorrow???? We truly, truly miss you guys. Raise your glasses in a toast to us and say my Grandpa's favorite toast. "Over the lips and over the gums, watch out A$h__e, here it comes"! Then one more toast to Mr. M. and your DH for their bdays. (I don't have anything wise to share for their toast). My DH says that your DH needs to toast with one of those leftover Miller Lites

Phyll A GREAT BIG "Yeh, You Betcha"from MN Way To Go!

Linda...you truly have that knack of hitting the nail on the head when you explain things and try to get your point across. I wish I had that ability. My mind is so muddled lately from other "forces" that I feel I have I do not come across with any message. But, you do have a point with eating a "good/healthy/well-rounded" meal. If you include fats, proteins and a bit of veggies/fruit, a banded person should feel some satiety. You talked about the fact that if you eat that way you are not ravenous and can push back the hunger monster. As I stated in my post last night....there's still some hunger. In the last 2 yrs I could qualify as being the "Carb Queen".....this is self-inflicted as to maintain my weight. I can tell you that if ppl are eating way many carbs and trying to keep their hunger at bay, that's not the way to do it. With my carb-laden diet, I am hungry every hour by choice. When I eat a meal heavy in protein, I feel too full to get all my required calories in. Reason being???? Most carbs are sliders. Now, I have never been a believer in the all or nothing attitude with our food choices. Some "good" carbs need to be in our daily menu...IMHO. A few days of kicking a plateau in the butt with loading up on protein and being very strict with carbs seems reasonable and then introducing a few to have a balance makes sense. We just need to find out what it takes for us individually and find the right combination. There are so many ppl that are carb sensitive. I was one of those ppl until I got to goal. Bagels were not my friend....english muffins loaded with PB added to my demise when it came to all the weight I gained. But if a person is carb sensitive, adding "free" foods like green beans, broccoli, aspargas, strawberries, is a great solution to being able to eat and keep the weight loss or maintenance in check. Now...back to a life FILLED with drama and crap and crap and drama. UGH.

I also use the powder in my steel cut oats. I make up a big batch of them and freeze in serving sized dishes. I take them out the night prior to using and add the powder, raisins, chopped dates, etc.

Hey KAB...One of my favorite recipes to use PB 2 in is a chicken Thai stirfry dish. Just take about a lbs of chicken (dark or white meat) and dice and saute in a little olive oil. Add about a tsp of minced garlic, stirfy veggies, 1/8 cup lite soy sauce, 1/2 onion either diced or strips, and add a couple of tablespoons of PB 2 to the mix. It gives it such a nice flavor. I also use PB 2 in a lot of my protein shakes. Hope this helps

Heck, Great, just head for Denver and leave the house the way it is. Your baby GD is wanting her GM to hold her and your DD maybe needs to catch up on some sleep while you are there.

Good Morning All... Hadn't heard from Julie's DH after surgery and was getting concerned so I called on her cell phone and she answered. We did not talk long as the nurses came into her room to get her up to walk. Her band was removed. Her doc had hoped to do it with just a lap incision but doubted that he could. He needed to do a full incision and she also has the "hole" where they removed the port. There was on ulcer where the band had eroded. She is disappointed in losing her band but waiting to heal b/4 thinking of other options. Poor girl. Her LB doc stopped in to visit and told her that he was very proud of her for maintaining her weight during all the crap that has gone on with her body the last many months. I am in hopes that removing the band will allow for her to live a much more normal life and the the band might just have been the culprit in some of this pain she has had. It's been my feeling since the beginning of her troubles. Believe it or not, I am home for today. DH traveled a few hours to a machinery auction and DS is working from home doing bids and layouts on his computer. I am going to try to get some things in order around here, some bookwork done and make some chicken wild rice soup. We have a wake this evening and a funeral tomorrow. (Adopted Bro's FIL passed away). I am still in my jammies and plan on not changing until I get my work done and then can hit the shower. Hope you all have a great day.

Meredith...hope you get that good night's sleep. And, hoping you can figure out and that your doc can figure out where you need to be on your fills. This is my take on that illusive "sweet spot"...There is no such thing. Got made us hungry for a purpose. To nourish our bodies and to teach us boundries. Well....that didn't work with most of us. LOL. My point. I think that even though we have the band, we should still be able to appreciate and accept hunger pangs. If we do not have those hunger pangs, then we are dealing with reflux from over-filled bands. There is such a fine line involved in all of this. We ALL need to accept the fact that there is going to be hunger a couple hours after a meal. WE ALL need to accept the fact that we need to learn self-restraint to get us to the next meal. Plain and simple. Hugs on the issues you have been having and I truly hope that this is the fix that you need.

No TT on order. A plain and simple panni. My tummy muscles are in tact and I feel very fortunate for that at my old age. My GP and LB both believe (after me being in their offices for symptoms) truly believe that it should be done. As far as pain goes...it's just for such a short while and outweighs waking up and pulling skin out from under me.

Woof...Woof...(that's the Sharpeis coming out in me). I can somehow overlook certain things and still feel as if I look 38. Realistically I KNOW I look 55 but it's that positive side of my brain. I know I have certain damage just from the weight loss and aging alone but choose to accept it for what it is. But...in no way do I judge anyone for going for fillers, doing a bit of plastic surgery, etc. This is going to sound sooooooooooooo vane.....but I don't care. LOL. I was born with a somewhat pretty face and got to enjoy it for a lot of years and now I am just going to settle in with what I have cuz when I look in the mirror once a day, it's still a bit acceptable and I don't think I am at the point of scaring the little ones on the street. Arlene...good for you for going and doing what YOU feel you want to do. I hope it does what you wish for. Same as Janet. I really noticed a difference in her when I saw her this last time. One thing I need to do for myself is a panni. Now, some of you might be thinking..."That skinny bi_tch doesn't need that done"....my thing...it's affecting me and, for me, it's the completion of my journey. I truly don't think it will make a bit of difference in the way my clothes fit or how I look. I wake up 3-4 times a night and have to "reposition" my extra skin cuz it gets folded under my hips and ribs when I roll to my side in my sleep. I want if OFF. I'm tired of the sweating and rashes under it when I exert myself and when the weather is warm. I am tired of lifting it up in the shower. I am tired of the way it hangs out of my panties and rubs on the elastic when I walk. Just plain tired of it. We'll see what my next appt. brings. I have photos of rashes I need to submit to my LB doc (who does the surgery for his patients) and to get it submitted to insurance so I can be sure to get it done some time this summer so I can take time at the lake to recover. I was hoping to hear from Julie's daughter by now. She stated that she would make sure and show her daughter my phone number and call me when she came out of surgery. If I don't hear from her tonight, I will call her cell in the morning. She was so sad that she was going to lose her band. I have always felt that the band (or the surgery she had after she got the band) has something to do with the pain she has. Nerves...nerves screwed up from surgery or the band sitting on the major Vega???? nerve. She had not inkling of that pain prior to her exploratory stomach surgery a couple of years ago. I thought for sure Mayo would find it. I just told her to not worry so much about losing the band right now....especially if it is the culprit of her pain. Told her to look towards the future. Heal and then talk to her doc about alternatives. (i.e. RNY, Sleeve). She was pretty worked up. Wish I would hear from someone. Had a full day.....had a couple of appts., ran to Menards (like Home Depot), had to replace my kitchen faucet and dishwashing soap dispenser. We here in our country have a lot of Iron in our Water and ruins dishwasher, washers, toilets....basically anything it comes into contact with. I feel like I am forever with my head in the toilet scrubbing out the rust. Anyway, the hard water basically "froze" our kitchen faucet while we were gone. Of course, I found a good deal. I don't know how that happens with me....always seem to smell a good deal. Got it and ran with it and going to install it tomorrow. Sounds crazy, but, then I treated myself to a nice lunch. Just me and my thoughts. I had a 6oz salmon fillet cooked on a mesquite plank, a baked potato and French onion Soup with full-on mozz cheese and French bread with a nice piece of mudslide cheesecake with coffee. So there. Just what I needed. How's that for being indulgent???? The table talk was a little dull (didn't want to get caught talking to myself) but I had a nice time. Spent a little too much time over coffee and paid for it.....drove home the 70 miles in snow, ice and slush. Took me twice as long and caused me much anxiety. Got home safe and sound and happy to be here.

Thanks

I agree...something smells with the "added" fees. I have BCBS and the one and only "fee" I have had is my annual deductible. Nothing up front...no added fees to be paid to clinic or LB doc. I certainly would not feel comfortable being left with paying for some cooked up fees some doctor/clinic calls follow-up charges.

Gosh...it is so great to see and recognize some of your names on this thread. I am thinking that I remember at least 80% of you guys. Gotta say...you were some of the ones I looked up to and followed for advice and information when I first started on the LB trek. Thank you for checking in with your updates and sharing.

OK...had to Goggle Fat Tuesday/Paczki Day. Had no clue and had never heard the term b/4 (sheltered in our own little world). OMG...they are nothing more than our "FAT" bakery rolls. We call them Bismarks. They are EVIL

Aww....that's sweet and funny, Cheri...

Cheri...would not be back in MN if it were not for wanting to be here for DS's bday celebration. The weather is not horrible this week though. In the teens. How about a hot oil treatment for your hair every couple of weeks? You can buy it and do the treatment yourself. A good masque from your hairdresser that you do once a week is wonderful for dry hair.

Great..Google crockpot eggbake. You make it ahead of time and it cooks overnight. Sounds like a good job on the shopping. WTG! And...I'll say it again....I will never eat eggbake with hashbrowns in it again in my life. It kept me way too full all day. It was tasty but caused me to not get all of my calories in and am still full. Go figure. Ate two pieces at Janet's place and oatmeal with one of the pieces and I was hungry an hour or two later.

Meredith...thanks for clarifying on the fills. For some reason I was thinking you were unfilled. I have missed a lot of details in posts the last couple of months. My doc does not require liquids or mushies after fills but I think it's a good thing at least for a couple of days. Good you hear you had a nice day and you go to have your cake and eat it too, Arlene! Will show my DS your photo and send the greetings.

Meredith...sounds like your doc is not listening. I'm not expert but I only got about .5cc's at a time. I would ask him to do it under flouro or something in order to see what's going on. I guess if my DH brought trigger foods into the house and I was struggling, I would throw them in the dumpster. I wouldn't care if he bought them for himself. If he kept them in the shop....fine...his space. Just so they were not in my space and tempting me. Melissa....only WE control what goes in our mouths and if there is something in your pantry, car, etc. that entices you to eat it, get rid of it no matter what. If there is a temptation at work, don't let yourself go near it...slap your own hand if you have to. It's not easy but it can be done. Think back to the excitement prior to banding and why you wanted this new life with less weight and better health.