Fairysaddle

Wow, this was fun to look back at. I've been stalled for almost a year now, and I needed that reminder of how far I've come. I'm far from my goal, and haven't gotten near that 200 mark yet. But I've hit all the others. :scared2: I just got my first bike a couple weeks ago, and have been happily hauling my 4 year old DD around in a bike trailer since. So I guess that accomplishes both "riding a bike" and "running around with the kids." I'm having so much fun this summer doing things that I thought I would never do. We even went camping - in a tent! Never, ever thought I would even WANT to do that one. LOL! It was a blast. Thanks for bumping this thread. I would love to hear more updates, and hopes from the newbies. My new goal. I want to Bike to the Bay next year! :wink2: And, I'm still hoping for that "Vacation the I could never do before" at my 200 lb mark. Have a great time at Dorney Park! And, good luck on the 5k, Summer. You will get there!!!

Never mind... I went to the bike store today and got the answers I needed. :thumbup:

My white ones that came with the ipod just self-destructed. I would like to replace them with something that stays in place a little better. What do you use? What have you tried that didn't work? I got some over the ear ones from Walmart once. They didn't stay in place well at all. I still like the concept and I'm wondering if I just bought a crappy brand, or if the whole design isn't very good for exercising? Then there's the ones with the little silicon ring that you actually put in your ear canal. How well do those stay in place? Thanks!

Thanks, Kim! I'm not as worried about the sound quality as I am about the comfort and fit. (Although I don't want BAD sound quality, either.) The iPod ones were OK, but they did tend to fall out every now and then. You like the comfort of the type that fit into your ear, then?

Anyone know if there is a theme to this month's post-op support group? I might actually be able to make it this month.

Ugh. Add me to the cookie hall of shame. :tt2: I just made my last batch tonight. I promised the kids that we would make some cookie cutter cookies, and didn't have time before Christmas. The problem is that they don't eat them - I do. Having little kids really does make things tougher. Not to blame them, I do realize it is my own extreme lack of self control. I probably would have made some cookies without them, but at least two batches were completely for them. The cookie cutter cookies, obviously, and I was a good girl and gave away ALL of my Santa's Whiskers cookies because I thought I was the only one in my household that ate them. Well, the next day my son was crying that they were his "favorite". So, I was guilted into making another batch - which sits in my fridge calling my name, completely untouched by him after eating one or two right away. :mad: I really, really need to get my butt in the gym and work. Our insurance is expiring and we are HOPING that without my "morbid" we might qualify for a lower rate. DH is self-employed, and with my weight our insurance costs about 1 1/2 times more than our mortgage! Realistically I know that insurance is band-unfriendly when it comes to rates, but we have to try. It's destroying us financially.

Congratulations and welcome to the Band Wagon! It's good to hear the you are feeling better. But you have a ways to go before you get to eat, and it's a tough time of year to be doing this. Sorry. Strain some soup through a collander. I found that having something savory really helped. Also, popsicles or jello are great for having something that you can "eat". I started on pureed soups about 2 weeks out. It was slightly bad, but so many people on the boards were allowed to start mushies and even eat that I was feeling pretty deprived and created my own intermediate stage between liquids and mushies. I pushed the "if you can drink it through a straw" rule and threw soup in the blender. I'm not recommending it, just saying what I did. :biggrin: (It is very important to give yourself time to heal, so please don't push it yet. You aren't even 2 weeks out.)

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm a bit leery to flash my card to get the child's price at buffets, and have pretty much avoided them. But, avoidance isn't always an option. Today my family took me to the Mother's Day Brunch at Deerfield, which was expensive enough that I decided to give it a try. So, I thought a thread where we can all list restaurants that we've tried to get accomodations at would save us all a lot of stress. I'll start the list... Deerfield did give me the child's price. :welldoneclap: (And extremely yummy, btw!) I can also mention that the Perkins on Kirkwood Highway lets me substitute a side salad for the potatoes and pancakes when I order an omelette. (No flashing of the card required.)

Congratulations, Julie! I'm glad to hear that your surgery went well. Just keep going one day at a time, and this month will be over before you know it.

Funny, I just posted this on another forum... Check this out, San Antonio Bariatric Surgery - New Dimensions Weight Loss Surgery - Side Effects Hibernation Syndrome Two or three weeks after Gastric Bypass or Adjustable Gastric Band, the patient’s body "figures out" that it is not going to be receiving its accustomed calories for a long time. In about half of our patients this results in what we call the hibernation syndrome, where one’s body falls back on its built-in evolutionary response to a low food supply. The person just wants to rest and be as still as possible until the food returns. Energy level drops through the floor, and the patient can become emotionally labile (tearful or irritable). There can also be a component of depression caused by the loss of the previous relationship with food. This syndrome can be unnerving for patients because it comes at a time when they are just beginning to get over the pain and other effects of surgery. They believe they should be feeling better but they just want to curl up and go to sleep. The good news is that this is not a dangerous or unusual thing, and will resolve in about two weeks when the body figures out how to use fat as its main energy source. <H3> </H3>

Congratulations!!! I'm so happy that things are going well.

I was completely dreading liquids, too. That scared me a lot more than the surgery. But it wasn't nearly as bad as I was making it out to be in my mind. Just keep remembering that this is a very short period of time in comparison to the rest of your life. Broth goes a long way to satisfy the savory. You will get sick of sweet stuff. Jello and sugar free popsicles are a great way to satisfy the need for some texture. As for feeding the family - it won't kill them to eat junk for a month! Whenever DH was around, I made him deal with it. When he wasn't, the kids ate fast food or something that I could pull out of the fridge/freezer. If it took more than throwing it in the microwave, they were out of luck. :thumbdown: I only sat with them if we were eating in front of the TV. Yep, sign me up for Mother of the year! LOL! But, seriously, 99% of the reason I had this surgery was to get healthy for my kids. I have never stressed over my body image, even though I do appreciate that particular benefit, it was not my motivation. So I wasn't going to stress about being a little bit selfish when it came to having to psychologically deal with liquids. It is very tough psychologically. Give yourself a break and accept that. Don't fight it by trying to be Super Mom. Your family can make some sacrifices, too.

CHRIAS is starting a lower delaware practice. So it wouldn't be too terribly far for you. I'm not sure where it is, though, probably Dover. Check their website. I think there was a sign saying that they were making appointments for the new site last time I was in the office. So it is probably already opened, or will be very soon. (I didn't pay that much attention, since the current location is about 10 minutes from my house.)

Good luck! I don't know about the robe. You will have to get up and walk, but you will also have an IV. Some very loose, stretchy pants or a skirt would probably be a better idea. Going to the bathroom with an IV is tricky, so make sure they are very easy to get on/off. I remember all the "last meal" plans I had. Then I went to the doctor for my pre-surgery appointment and she told me to start low-carbing immediately. Aaaaahhhh! That was probably the worst emotional crisis that I had, because I had everything all planned out, then I didn't get to say my food goodbyes. LOL! It seems ridiculous now, but at the time I was a mess. Nobody had warned me about the low-carbing period. Wasn't somebody having surgery today, too? Or was that last week? In either case, check in to let us know how you are doing! edited to add - I always like to have my own pillows. Preferrably with bright pillow cases so that they don't get thrown into the laundry. Your cell phone & charger. Comfy, SLIP ON shoes for walking in. And make sure you ask for an extra gown as soon as you get to your room. They ran out when I was there, and it would have been nice to be able to wear an extra one (on backwards) as a robe when traipsing around the hospital.

I'm so sorry. :thumbup: Before you completely give up, call your insurance. MAYBE they will cover the $2000 fee. Also, look into your copays for the other stuff. DH is self-employed, so our insurance stinks. Perhaps I'm painting a much more dire picture than is really necessary. But, really, think hard before giving up. You ARE worth the investment! Find a way to make it happen.

Really??? Wow. Is that through CHRIAS? I didn't have to do a seminar first, and the fee for St. Francis was $500, which was paid before the surgery, not even before the classes. So that fee is new to me, but I really have no reason to keep up on that process. Even if your insurance covers the surgery, consider that you will have a TON of copays - several for your surgeon pre-surgery, and frequently after surgery for fills/checkups, bloodwork, cardiologist, pulminologist, sleep study (poss.), your physician, psychiatrist (which may not be covered), medications, the hospital fees, etc... This is not a cheap or easy process. On the plus side, once you get past the expensive "Protein supplements" stage, you will be spending a lot less on food. And, once you get down to normal sizes, clothes get a lot cheaper. So, your cost of living will go down. I don't want to discourage you, but you sound like this is going to be a significant financial hardship. And I wanted to let you know that fee is only the tip of the iceburg so that you can make an informed decision. I'm sorry, I know that isn't what you wanted to hear. Make the decision to change your life, and then find a way to make it happen! Good luck!! P.S. If you are self-pay, you may want to look into having it done in Mexico. That's a very popular choice around here.

I have this one: Medical ID Bracelets, stylish bracelets to alert the medics in an emergency, free engraving - Item# ACT20 - Petite Oval Link Medical ID Bracelet 2 lobster clasps (Detachable) I make jewelry (at least, I did before kids, not exactly a small-child-friendly hobby :rolleyes2:), so I can easily make new bands that have the two lobster clasp ends. I haven't, but I can. LOL! I have a potentially deadly drug allergy as well. Although the chances of them treating me for a urinary tract infection at a crash site are slim, I feel better having it there. And, it gives me a valid reason to give nosy people who ask why I wear one. Mine has my first name on the front, on the back it has: HUSB: 555-555-5555 LAP-BAND 1/29/2008 NO NG TUBE/NSAIDS NO MACRODANTIN/HCTZ I like it, I think it looks nice. Not too "medical" looking. But obvious enough that they will find it in an emergency. I'm hoping to give chain maille a try soon so that I can make a nice looking band for it. I also carry a PDA in my pocket that has an ICE listing with all my medications, allergy specifics, doctors, medical history, etc...

NSV alert ---> I fit into an XL!!!! I knew I needed a new coat this year, and I want something WARM. So I was eyeing an LL Bean down coat. They are much more expensive in Women's sizes, so I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, I could squeeze into an XL. I was reluctant to spend $100 to try it though, so I got this one off of Ebay before making the investment.... L.L Bean Crimson Insulated Quilted Barn Jacket coat XL - eBay (item 300257064951 end time Sep-15-08 10:11:15 PDT) And, it fits!!! A little tight in the belly, but not too bad. By cold weather it should do just fine. I'm so excited. I haven't been in Misses sizes since college when I lost a lot of weight for a few months. Woohoo! I know I'm nowhere near XL in regular clothing. But I'm still excited. It's not an ugly, freezing cold Woman Within coat!

Lynn - I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter. White light going out in hope that they find the problem and make it better soon! It's never fun to hang out in the hospital. It's amazing how dead-tired you can get just sitting around all day, even when it's not a big crisis. I'll never understand that. I got a 1cc fill on Friday. Boy did that make a difference! I'm finally eating bandster portions. I've always thought I was eating too much, but I was getting stuck occasionally and thought I had decent restriction. I guess I was wrong. I haven't gotten stuck since the fill, but I can definitely feel it after about 1/2 a cup. Plus I'm eating much slower, without even thinking about it.

The St. Francis support group is right off of I-95 at the Christiana exit (the northernmost of the 2 exits, the one where Toys R Us/Borders is - I can't remember what the sign says there). It should be pretty easy for you to get to. The address for CHRIAS is 537 Stanton-Christiana Road, Suite 102, Newark, Delaware 19713. St. Francis is the suite right next to it. Here's the link to the CHRIAS directions. Directions to Delaware's Surgical Services Specialists - CHRIAS - Christiana Institute of Advanced Surgery I hope I can make them next month. edited to add: Parking is in a standard outside lot, and is free. I've always been able to park in the 1st or 2nd row.

Hope - WTG on breaking 250! :wink2: I'm eyeing that one myself. I was hoping to break it by our trip to Disney next month, but I don't think I'm going to make it. I'm losing pretty slowly right now. I got a fill today, though, so hopefully that will get me going again. Lynn - Thanks for the tip. I'll have to check them out.

I'm getting to the point where I'm looking at the regular sizes wondering what I will wear next summer. It looks like the sleeves in regular sizes are cut really high. I'm definitely going to have a problem with that. My arms are huge. Of course, regular size shirts are shorter, too. So I'm sure that I'll have a harder time covering the belly as well.

Ooof. You have been through the wringer with this surgery. I'm glad you are pleased with your results, though. I'm scared to death of doing the LBL/TT. But I can't wait to get rid of this belly. I think I want to do my arms first, though. It's actually kind of psyching me out. Kind of like "let's lose all this weight so that I can have a big, scary surgery. Woohoo!". :biggrin:

Welcome Stacy! It's great to have a veteran amongs our ranks. What happened with your PS, if you don't mind me asking?

Welcome back 366. I see by your ticker that you have done great! Don't get discouraged by the slowdown, it happens. You probably have a plateau coming up soon, too. It's tough not to see the scale moving, but your body needs time to adjust every now and again. (I think I may have FINALLY hit the end of my 2 month plateau. Yay!) And good job on starting the exercise program! It will get easier. You'll go from 10-15 minutes on a slow treadmill to 30 minutes fast with hills in no time. Then you'll want to hop on the elliptical and start the process all over again. :thumbup: Unfortunately, I just had something come up on Wednesday evening, and I won't be able to make it. I was looking forward to it, too. *sigh*