Carrie_C

My knees hurt too, but not as much as they used to.

I bought a pair of 14's from a jr department a few months ago. I can get them on, but they are really tight. I am looking forward to getting in them!

My sister is having a C section next month and she wants ME to tape it! Hope I don't pass out!

Yea, the short gym shorts and white tee shirts were the worst!

There is no proof that animals don't have souls. There is no where in the Bible that says that animals won't be in heaven.

I am in nursing school full time. I'm also a wife and mother to 4 furbabys.

I was also on celexa and depo. I started taking celexa as soon as it came out. I was told by my doctor then that celexa would help me lose weight! Yea right!

OMG! If the band is considered "no work" then I hate to see what real work to lose weight is!!

LOL!!!! Good point!!!

Where did everyone go?

I used to work in a pain management practice. I think fibromyalgia gets a bad rap because so many people use it as an excuse to not work and get disability. And a lot of people fake it just to get drugs. I have to admit that I saw it many times. These people make it hard for people like us to get help who do have real pain. I guess that's why I am reluctant to go to the doctor about it.

Of course she's happy doing foster care. But as you should know, kids in foster care get moved around all the time and don't stay in one home. And for your information, she did adopt one child who is 13 now.

If abortion were illegal, patty, do you actually think that there wouldn't be any doctors preforming them?? There would be numerous unsafe back ally abortions. At least now, with it legal, it is a lot safer than it would be if it were illegal.

My mother has 2 babies right now. They are almost 2. She has had them since they were 3 months old. She has had numerous babies in foster care that weren't adopted.

I understand. I can tell you, that for me, it was the best decision I ever made for myself.

Yea, tell that to all the foster children my mother has.

Some people may not be responding because cocoabean answered your questions really well. You don't really vomit with the band. For me, it's really like a burp that brings the food back up if I eat too much. If someone is truely vomiting, there is probably something going on that's not normal. I have not really had to give up many food, except bread and french fries. Working out does help the weight go away a lot faster. But you don't have to become an exercise fanatic. I just walk about 30 minutes each day. As far as sweets go, the band isn't going to stop the cravings. I still have them and it is a struggle sometimes to avoid sweets. But I think that is true with any type of weight loss surgery. You still have to have will power.

1. Would you do it over again? Yes! In a minute! It's the best thing I've ever done for myself! 2. How long post-op until you feel normal again? It took me about 2 weeks to feel good again. It all depends. Some people feel great right after surgery, I think I had a harder time adjusting emotionally. Once I got past the liquids phase, it was much easier. Do you ever "forget" you had the surgery done? Sometimes, when I am really hungry and eat too fast. Then the band reminds me that I have to slow down. 3. Are there any foods you CAN'T eat post-op? I have trouble with bread and french fries. I can eat a piece of bread sometimes if I wait until I have eaten the rest of my food. But I can not eat sandwiches. I don't have a problem with fruit skins if I chew really well. I can eat Pasta as long as it's the really thin kind. I eat popcorn all the time with no trouble. 4. Do I need to give up coffee and soda? All doctors are different, but mine said no carbonation for the first year. I never was much of a soda drinker, so it wasn't that hard for me. I drink flavored bottled Water now. My doctor said coffee was ok in moderation. I do drink a cup most mornings. I drink decaf tea a lot also. 5. Do you deal with heartburn or reflux regularly? No, I have never had heartburn since getting the band. 6. Can you have this surgery and NOT tell your whole family, friends, and co-workers? Yes, you can have it and not tell many people. I only told my immediate family. I told none of my coworkers. Everyone was always on some type of diet anyway, so no one even suspected I had surgery. They just thought I lost weight on a diet. To this day, they still don't know. 7. How is it you DONT lose weight immediately after surgery? I did lose weight immediately after surgery. I have found the closer I get to goal, the harder it is to come off. 8. What type of band do you have and are there any differences in the manufacturers? I have the lap band. I just went with it since it had been around longer. I don't think it makes much of a difference. 9. No liquids with meals, whatsoever? No, never. It's really not hard once you get used to it. Some people can drink with meals, but I tried once and got very sick. So I wait about an hour after I eat before I drink. The hardest part about this is convincing everyone else that I really don't want anything to drink with my meal. I will order water at restaurants, just so no one notices. 10. Post op diet consisted of? I had to do one week clear liquids, one week any type of liquid, one week soft food, and then on to regular food. All doctors are different, but I think most people can't eat anything solid for about a month. That was the hardest part for me. But I think that's what keeps me motivated! I just think "I didn't go a whole month without solid food for nothing!" 11. Anyone have a doctor they can recommend in the LA, Ventura area? No, sorry.

And since when is it ok to tell someone they aren't allowed in church?? The Bible that I read states thou shalt no judge, for you shall also be judged.

Cleo, you are SO right, it is about control. That's what gets me about religion. As I have stated before, I am a christian, but I am not religious. There is a huge difference. I believe that religion is all about control and it always has been. Religion has always been about controlling women. I believe that's the main reason so many people want to make abortion illegal. People can say whatever they want, but it's not about babies, it's about control. Women have fought long and hard for the rights that we have today. My mother and mother-in-law grew up in a time when women couldn't even wear pants to school. My mother wore pants to school once and got sent home. If we let the government make abortion illegal, we might as well all throw out our pants and start going back to only wearing dresses, because that will just be the start of it. Once they get control of abortion, they will start taking control over everything else women do. Outlawing birth control would be next on the list.

I am a christian, and I am pro choice.

You only have 6 pounds to go before you reach your goal?! That's great!

Bjean, I totally agree. We must never let them take away our rights.

You can buy them other places besides walmart if you don't have one close to you. You can also get them on ebay. Just type in ring snuggies in the search box and a ton of them will pop up.

I was very surprised when my shoes didn't fit anymore too. As for the rings, mine are all too big too. You can buy things at walmart to put on them, I think they are called ring snuggies. They go on the back of the rings and make them fit. They only cost a few dollars. I am wearing them now because I don't want to have my rings resized until I get to goal.