queenbeeoffour

I love that you used the word "feral" to describe the kids!! I would be putting up an invisible fence and putting colars on all of the kids. What a nightmare for you!

No more big belly for you!! How wonderful!! Now I have to get my biggest size jeans out of the pile to donate - want to keep them so I can do some pictures like that in the future! :rofl:

How long did you wait before you went back to caffeine?! I was told only decaf coffee/tea pre and post op, but have yet to find out when I can go back to leaded. I know it's a stomach irritant, but ... I live in the Seattle area (aka latteland) and I work graveyard - hello, I need my caffeine!!!

I second that! :eyebrows: You look wonderful and should be so proud of what you have accomplished. You can definitely keep it going!!

:pound: The bananas are a crack up!! I'd love to use this one at work once in a while!! :confused:

Just had to add my strong support for Alanon again. I was very reluctant when I first started going and did not want to speak in a group setting. The best thing about Alanon is that you don't have to speak unless you want to, and it's not a discussion session. I learned so much from listening and their reading materials. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Truth be told, I really don't need the caffeine. I like the taste of regular vs. decaf. Since I've already been drinking decaf, I'm better off sticking with it. Point well taken, Delarla - I've followed your troubles and so sad to hear of what you have been through.

I've been through a divorce with an alcoholic and it is so tough. My ex was great at paying support, but that was it. Please consider a few things: - going to Alanon meetings - this is support for people that have relationships with alcoholics. You'll get support and tools that will help you in all aspects of your life. - keep a written record of your interactions, especially if alcohol is involved. You mentioned that he is going through recovery - I hope for all of you that he's able to stick with it. - I never forced my daughter to see her dad, and there was only one time that I told him couldn't have her because he showed up drunk (she was a teenager at that point). I realize that your son has special needs, but he does need to spend time with his dad, supervised or not, good, bad or ugly. A third party would be good to get involved so that he does interact with dad. I wish nothing but the best for you and your son during this time. I lived with my mom when I split with my ex, so can relate to what you are going through.

WOW - you look fabulous!! Congratulations!

I have Comcast digital cable and I found a whole bunch of exercise video segments - Pilates, belly dancing, strip tease type, yoga. It's pretty cool and free on their On-Demand (granted we do pay for it) At least I can try all of it without the embarrassment of strangers seeing me!!

OK - I've learned my lesson!!! Had my blender version of Thanksgiving dinner - no problem. Even had a few small bites of well chewed turkey. As I am leaving for work (work graveyard) I thought I would take a few bites of turkey followed with a tiny bit of cranberry - in a hurry of course. Wrong, wrong, wrong! Oh the pain! PB once at home, two times on the way to work - thankfully I had a cup available. I promise ... won't happen again. Ugh!

This is a fun thread! We have a 7 yr old fat black lab mix named Buddy, a 6 mo old Daschund/Beagle mix name Sadie, a black and white tuxedo cat named Peppy, two parakeets - one is green named Petie, the other is blue named Tweetie and one Russian tortoise named Franklin. The puppy is fun, but what a pain to get her trained. My hubby promised he would train her if we got her and it's yet to happen!

Whoo hooo!

Congratulations!! I had the same feeling!! Had my little salad plate instead of a dinner plate and was completely satisfied. Last year would have been a full dinner plate, with seconds and bread, and dessert to follow. What a difference and so thankful for my band!

I'm thrilled! I've lost 20 lbs in 18 days (9 days pre-surgery/9 days post-op). I'm already scheduled for a fill on Dec 28th and I can move from blender to soft foods in two weeks! Another 20 lbs off will take me to a weight lower than what I was when I met my husband over 12 years ago - I'm so excited!!!! I know the honeymoon will be over soon and the weight loss will slow down, but what a great running start. I'm happy that I have made this decision. I feel for everyone that is having problems and wish you all the best. Yes, the band has it's risks, but look at the great advantages! Thanks for this site and for all of the great people that make it what it is!!

I'm only 11 days out from surgery, but I am thrilled! Would do it again in a heart beat!!

The nurse today told me to think about the stitches pulling like having a few strands of your hair pulled. Helped me to put it into better perspective!

I'm crying - can't stop laughing!!

Holy Moly! You look so beautiful - what an amazing accomplishment!!

I had the egg drop soup last night and it was soooooooo good. Last day of full liquid diet! Ready for some blended soups - potato sounds good. I know that I am really tired of "drinking" my meals.

Surgery was a breeze and I feel like recovery has gone well. The main thing I didn't expect was to get strep throat! That hurt more! Whaaaaa! Finally on antibiotics and back at work. I have two days left of liquids and can't wait to start the "blender" stage for the next three weeks. Somehow three weeks of blender stuff sounds miserable, but I know I have to do it. I'm sure that I'll be asking for a swift kick in the butt over the next few weeks - so get your kicking shoes on! Welcome to all of the new bandsters and thanks to everyone for always being a great place to come to - I love the smiles you all bring to my face.

For me! I turn 40 in June and I just couldn't let myself continue to grow. I want to be healthy for my kids, and to able to chase after them as they get older and even more active. I want my husband to make eyes at me like he does the sweet little things that we encounter. I wanted to stop eating so much and so fast!

This is so true! I was were you are today about two days ago. I was sick too, so miserable all around. I made myself re-read everything that the nutritionist gave me and told myself I had to stick to it. Had a glass of Water and went back to bed! Today is better and I am determined to make this a success. I spent a lot of time last night reading over recent and older posts. The wealth of knowledge and experiences here is so wonderful. This is great group of people to be associated with! I'm going to my doctor's support group meeting tomorrow night and have my 10 day follow up on Wednesday, so I hope to be making some advancements over the next few days.

I'm making egg drop soup tonight - can't wait to try it! I posted a recipe I found on another post this morning.

Found an easy recipe on Food Network - just need to get some green onions for seasoning, but not eating! Asian Egg Drop Soup 4 cups prepared chicken stock, plus 2 tablespoons 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 green onions, chopped, including ends Salt and white pepper, to taste Bring soup stock, grated ginger and soy sauce to a boil. In a small cup, make a slurry by combining the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of chicken stock. Stir until dissolved. Slowly pour in the cornstarch mixture while stirring the stock, until thickened. Reduce heat to a simmer. Pour in the eggs slowly while stirring the soup in the same direction. The egg will spread and feather. Turn off the heat and add the green onions. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.