Kira

Have a Happy Birthday! You've been a model bandster and have given yourself the best gift ever!

I started at 221. I'm 5'3''. I set my goal at 135 based upon what would be a good BMI. I've weighed less than 135 before, and looked horribly thin (I'm pretty busty regardless of weight), so I may stop before I hit 135 if I think I look "just right" at some point before that (wouldn't that be great!). I weighed in at 175 this Monday. I've been pleased with my progress. If I only make it to 150, I'll be happy, but I'm giving myself at least 1 1/2 years to make it to goal. I have not exercised as I should since my surgery, but I have stayed pretty good on keeping my calorie intake around 1200 or less.

I am a type 1 diabetic, so I will always take insulin. However, my total insulin usage has dramatically decreased since my surgery. Pre-op, I was averaging around 135 units of insulin a day (I'm on an insulin pump), and I am now averaging around 50-70 units a day. I can't really tell by your post what specific problems you are having, but I'm happy to share my experience with you if you would like to pm me. In short, I've managed by increasing the testing of my blood glucose and drinking juice to bring up any low sugars--although I haven't had too many of those. As it always is with diabetes, it's kinda trial and error. But I have seen a massive improvement. My A1C level was just checked this week, and I'm at 6.2, which is even more of a measure of success to me than the number of pounds I have lost.

I am so proud of you. I have to say to y'all that this gal has been the most dedicated bandster ever. She's hard on herself though. BTW, I'm super jealous about the decrease in cup size! I am still cooking up ideas on what we are going to do to celebrate!

I took off the Friday of my surgery and was back in my office on Monday. I didn't have any problems. I was a little bit tired on Monday, but I managed to work the full day (and I work long days!). By Tuesday, I was pretty much back at my old pace. One thing to remember is to get up and walk around a bit during the day. That will help with the gas pains and the recovery in general.

I have some clothes that will probably work for you. I've sent you an email. Congrats! Bridget

I was banded by Dr. B on the same day as Keri (banded for life). I had no problems with him; however, I have not seen him since my post-op. The fills are done at SCOR, and they've done an excellent job so far.

I had my surgery on a Friday morning and went back to work on Monday. I really didn't have any problems at all. I was moving a little more slow than usual on the first day, but I was back to full speed by Tuesday. Although my job does not always keep me at my desk, I just carefully arranged my schedule so that I would only be doing desk work that week.

I had a great time today. Thanks for hosting Keri. I can't wait until we all get together again.

I have done the Zoom twice-most recently about 2 weeks ago. My main issue with Zoom and the band (my first Zoom was preband) is that my band doctor doesn't want us drinking out of straws, and drinking with a straw is encouraged after Zooming because it prevents staining. As I drink a lot of coffee and tea, this is a big issue for me. So, I sit here now sipping a glass of tea knowing that I'll just have to have Zoom more frequently. The process isn't all that painful. You do have to sit for about 45 mins with your mouth held open and stuffed with gauze, but it doesn't bother me at all. I would check around with dentists in your area. I paid a fortune the first time I had it done, but this second time, I went to a dentist who does free Zoom (does not include the trays--but you can follow up with white strips) with exam, x-rays, and cleaning--so mine was free this time with the services that were paid for by my dental insurance. Oh, and my teeth are usually sensitive for a day or two after, but it's not all that bad.

we just got a digital Rebel for Christmas, and I love it! If you are interested in seeing some shots, pm me with your email address and I will invite you to view the photos I have posted on my flickr.com account. For those of you into digital photography, I highly recommend flickr.com. I've used lots of other photography share websites, and I really like this one the best.

I am in Dallas, and I co-chair the board for a large nonprofit all-volunteer organization. We rely upon volunteers to help organize our annual gala event as well as other events throughout the year. If you are interested in event planning, I suggest that you look for volunteer opportunities to build your skill set. You may also have the opportunity to meet people who are recognized in the field you are interested in. For example, some of our volunteers a couple of years ago had a chance to work closely with a very well known (and well televised) event planning professional here in Dallas. Another resource for event planning is ISES. I believe that stands for the International Society of Event Specialists. They have a chapter here in Dallas that is very active. http://www.isesdallas.com/ If you are interested in hearing more about the organization I work with, please feel free to PM me.

Here is the picture from the party this weekend. We had a great time. It was also good to see Keri some place other than the Dr's office! http://static.flickr.com/38/75760278_598a8ad270.jpg?v=0

Let me just tell you all that Kari looks fabulous. She has been such an inspiration to me. Even though I don't post much on here, the two of us often exchange emails, and it is so wonderful to have a supportive friend. I promise I will hurry up and get the pic of her and I together so she can post it. You should have seen the two of us running around at the Little Gym at my son's birthday party. We both got some exercise on that day!

I posted on this in another thread last weekend. I recently bought DDR and have been playing ever since. It is a wonderful way to get exercise. I often find myself dancing until I can't move any more--then I rest and try again in 30 mins or so. I just kinda leave it plugged in all weekend, and do a couple of songs here and there.

I am a type 1 diabetic and 2 months banded, so I've dealt with a number of low bloodsugars while adjusting my insulin intake to match my new eating habits. I just keep a small juicebox in my purse. It has about 17 carbs and is around 70or so calories. I buy the small juicy juice kind. I have a 4 year old so it's easy to keep stocked with juice boxes.

I am with you. I was banded 9/23. My first fill was 1.0 and my second was .6 for a total of 1.6 in a 4.0 band. I just called today and scheduled another fill for next Monday. I feel very little restriction, and it doesn't seem like I have to even be sure to chew my food that well. I am holding out now with a lot of willpower, but I am afraid that I have gained or not lost any more at all.

I just had one of the best workouts of my life today. During the black Friday sale, I picked up a Dance Dance Revolution game for our Playstation at Best Buy. It's the videogame where you have a dance pad and you follow the arrows with your feet. I have always thought it looked like fun. If any of you have Playstations and like to dance, I suggest that you go out and buy this. It's a ton of fun. I finally stopped playing after about 1 1/2 hours (only because I no longer had energy to move my legs!) It also has a workout mode where you can track your workouts and it tells you how many calories you are burning, etc. It's kinda hard to explain,but here is a description that I found online: Dance Dance Revolution, or DDR (known as Dancing Stage in Europe), is a music video game series produced by Konami. It was introduced to Japanese video arcades in 1998, after being shown at the Tokyo Game Show earlier that year. Since then, the game has gained significant popularity elsewhere in the world, including large portions of North America and Europe. As of 2005, over 90 official versions have been produced, including those for home video game consoles. The Dance Dance Revolution series is a subset of the larger Bemani series of music games. The game is typically played on a dance pad with four arrow panels: up, down, left, and right. These panels are pressed using the player's feet, in response to arrows that appear on the screen in front of the player. The arrows are synchronized to the general rhythm or beat of a chosen song, and success is dependent on the player's ability to time his or her steps accordingly.

I did a little research on the net, and apparently lots of people are using video games for fitness. http://www.getupmove.com/about.asp There is also a p.c. based game at http://www.stepmania.com/stepmania/

I think I saw something like it in another advertisement that didn't look like it required a game station. I'll try to find it and post more info if I can.

Congrats Keri! You look awesome.

I have the power panties, and they honestly seem no more supportive to me than a good pair of control top pantyhose or tights. I have ordered one of the strapless camis, but I am still waiting to receive that. BTW, they seem to have larger sizes available on their web site.

MOUSE is my idol!I love going to concerts. In fact, I'm going to see Gwen Stefani this Friday night. Not a complete list, but here are some I have seen: Joan Jett (15 years ago and just this past weekend--that woman is amazing); Neil Diamond; Aerosmith (about 5 times); Eminem; 50 cent; Limp Biskit; Godsmack; DMX; Motley Crue; Tommy Lee (solo and with Methods of Mayhem); Train; Blondie; Pearl Jam; Ramones; Bush; No Doubt; Concrete Blonde; The Dan Band; Kiss; Poison; Ratt; Tesla; Firehouse; Garth Brooks; Better Than Ezra; Billy Joel

I used 1/2 skim milk and 1/2 1%chocolate milk. Tasted good to me, and I am very picky. ONe thing that helped was to blend well and pulse several times in the blender.

Well, I was not able to speak with Kari this morning, but I heard them talking to her in recovery as they whisked me out the door, so I believe she made it okay as well. I was in by 6:30, surgery a little after 7:30 and home by 10:45. I have a few aches and pains, but am doing okay. Kari--hope all went well with you. I look forward to keeping up with your progress. My cell phone number is on the footer to my emails I sent you, so call if you need anything or just want to chat. Bridget