IntoLess

Gina, I thought I was the only one who thought most everyone here was rude! Not to mention, they don't know how to freaking drive ! Yield signs are there for a reason, when it is on YOUR side of the street, you yield to ME, when it is on MY side, I yield to you :w00t:. I do like it here, I stay in my little housing area, visit with my neighbors, go to the occasional Hail and Farewell, and every now and then go to an FRG meeting. I will be working again soon, so time should go by a bit quicker (hopefully) and we can leave from here after this next deployment (hopefully :eek:).

94-95 Fort Campbell, KY (met and married there) 95-98 Hohenfels, Germany 98-00 Fort Benning, GA 00-04 Babenhausen, Germany 04-06 Fort Campbell, KY 06-current Fort Hood, TX We are ssssssoooooo ready to get back to Germany, but with this next duty station possibly being his last, I want to go somewhere we haven't been if we can't get Germany.

Hello, all, My name is Kitty, and have been married to my soldier for 13 years. He has been AD for 16 years, with about a year and a half NG duty while in high school. We are currently stationed at Fort Hood, soon to try to get away from here, my husband isn't fond of the Cavalry way of life. We have been to Fort Campbell (where we met), Hohenfels, Germany, Fort Benning, Georgia, and Babenhausen, Germany. We were supposed to go back to Germany a couple of years ago, but were redirected to Fort Hood, while I like it here (love the weather), my husband does not. We have one daughter, who just turned 12, and two dogs. I was banded July 8th and will not get my first fill until the 21st of August. I have been ready for my fill for a while, but my doctor is somewhat conservative in that aspect. He needs to do something though, because I feel as though I can eat this house some times.

Oh, yeah! Cream of wheat! I add extra powdered milk to it too.

For a nice "sweet treat", you can add the SF caramel flavored coffee syrup to ricotta cheese. Also, I like to make a "fake" lasagna, ricotta mixed with a beaten egg and Italian seasoning, topped with marinara sauce and Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and bake. I make instant mashed potatoes with chicken broth instead of water, and add some powdered milk to give more protein. Black bean soup is good too....one can of black beans, rinsed and drained, add salsa, and chicken broth, puree and heat individual servings. Add some chicken to it as well before pureeing if you like. I add cheese to just about everything, and if I can put some powdered milk in it to add to the protein I do. Scrambled eggs with salsa and sour cream (and of course cheese!)

I like that recipe, it is a staple for me, though I add some canned chicken and puree it. It adds a bit more protein. I like mashed cauliflower. Boil the cauliflower until very mushy, drain, add some ff ranch dressing and puree. Top with cheese (protein).

Yes, you defined "ghetto" for us, but you haven't told me what she should have used to paint her picture for us? How should she have described the area. What could she have said that would not have been so offensive/classless? While I do understand and know that some ethnic groups seem to inhabit lower income areas more than others, not one ethnicity is exempt. Every race has seen hard times, and they all live in lower income housing/neighborhoods. Define it all you want, from whatever dictionary you would like, my two cents is my opinion, and will not change. That does NOT necessarily make me correct, but from my experience of several years ago, all walks of life resided in the "ghetto" then, and I am almost positive, they do now. I do not think of one race over another when the term is brought to mind.

My two cents, take them for what they are worth..... The OP didn't say ghetto full of white people, ghetto full of Mexican people, ghetto full of black people, ghetto full of Puerto Ricans. Just ghetto with some unfavorable looking people. After my parents divorce and my dad's choice to stop house payments, we moved to the projects. Were there some unfavorable people there, yes, were they all of one race, no. It took some time, but my mom finally worked us out of there. She now owns her house, and is sometimes scared of a particular neighbor's friends more so now then when living in the projects. When speaking with her, we will sometimes laugh and joke about something that happened when we lived in the "ghetto". I do not see the ghetto as belonging to one race or another, just a place I would rather not live in again. My point, until someone put race into the conversation, I never saw it as a race issue, rather an issue of lower class/ higher crime. Ghetto is a word that, IMHO, is used quite liberally anymore, and depending on how/where/when you grew up has several meanings. I don't see a need to take it personal, it painted a picture of what the OP wanted us to see when thinking about her post. Should she have used different wording? I can't answer that, would it paint the same picture for you if she had said the doctor's office was in a shady neighborhood? Or maybe that the doctor's office was in a fairly undesirable neighborhood, would that have done it for you? I know, how about it being in a low income part of town?

I have the restaurant card and another card in case of emergencies. The second card is for paramedics or other emergency personnel to let them know I have a band and not to use any type of gestational tubing on me, along with the surgeon's phone number. Also in case of emergency (car accident, etc), they have suggested I get a medic alert bracelet so if something happens to my purse, they know what to do/not do. I found it interesting.

Y'all are just making me miss home even more........I gotta get back for a visit!

I am 2 weeks post op, so no fill yet. I am on full liquids/mushies/purees for the next several weeks. I had my Protein shake for Breakfast earlier this morning. My daughter and I are going swimming this afternoon, so I wanted to get my protein in before we left, as I didn't think I would be able to get two servings in between the time we get home at 6pm, and bedtime at around 10 (and I have never been a late eater). I had some pureed FF refried Beans, chicken, and cheese around 1. I wasn't hungry, but knew I needed the protein. We have made plans to do this all week, should I eat before I go even if I am not hungry? I throw up the pre-made drinks, so taking those along isn't an option. I am scared the cooler won't keep the milk cold enough to make my own, and I don't like them made with Water. What should I do? Wake up much earlier to get that first one in? I just don't want to mess this up.

You know, that was my initial thought. And I showed up for my initial consult, weighed in and thought I was doomed for denial because I JUST missed the 100 pound cut off, but had a whole mound of co morbids. I wondered the entire time while waiting for them to submit if they deny me for the surgery, why did they approve me to see the surgeon in the first place.

I wasn't really required to do a pre-op diet, except clear liquids the day before surgery. Including the liquid diet starting Monday July 7th, I have lost right at 14 pounds. I am so excited. I don't get my first fill until the 21st, which can't come soon enough!

I like to do the refried beans blended with chicken breast and salsa, top with cheese. Also, cauliflower "mashed potatoes", cook cauliflower until mushy, put it in the blender with a tad of ranch dressing, my daughter doesn't know it isn't ranch mashed potatoes! You can put just about anything in the blender, chicken with broccoli and a little cheese, split pea soup, crab salad, baked ricotta (ricotta and parmesan cheeses blended with egg and Italian season, top with marinara sauce and mozzerella cheese, bake), sweet ricotta (ricotta with the flavored DaVinci syrups you use for coffee)........... Just don't forget to get your protein in.............

Tricare doesn't advertise it but I have talked to several people who have had band and RNY get tummy tucks through Tricare. They consider it as a two part plan. BUT I believe there has to be some issue with the skin---rashes and such. Instead of calling Tricare, go to your local Tricare Service center and ask someone there.

I have lost 12 lbs since the day before surgery on the 8th. I didn't weigh myself Tuesday before surgery.

Today is day 4 for me, and I am still hurting. It has never been extreme constant pain, just discomfort with an occasional stabbing type of pain. I take my meds only at night and sleep fairly comfortably on either side now, still cannot sleep on my stomach. When I get up in the mornings is when I feel the most pain. My husband seems to think it is because I am stretching out the muscles that haven't really moved and stretched all night. After I am up for a little while, I feel better, though still not ready to run a marathon. I have lost 12 pounds since starting my liquid preop diet on Monday. I am still not feeling hungry, nor am I wanting everything in sight. I made spaghetti and meatballs for my husband and daughter last night, and I thought I might want a meatball, but didn't. It really surprised me, especially since I know I still have another week+ on liquids, yuk! Good luck to all!

I am getting banded July 8th, and will be celebrating it as my "birthday" from now on! Good luck and best wishes to my July bandster sisters!

I was banded Tuesday, the 8th, and will be on clear liquids for two weeks. I have an appointment to see the doc on Friday, and hope he will switch me to full liquids. I am not really hungry yet, but I am thinking by then, I just may be. So far doing good with the broths, jello, carnation, Isopure protein drinks, crystal light, water, sf popsicles, you name it.......if it is clear, I am ingesting it at some point within these two weeks. Good luck..

I finally got home from yesterday's surgery. I was bumped back some because of earlier surgery delays, and the radiology department closed before I was out of recovery, so no barium swallow until they got in this morning. I am having more discomfort than pain really. I asked for nausea meds before we left the hospital so that the hour long drive home wouldn't be too bad on my stomach. Good call there. All went well, would have liked to have been home yesterday, but it happens......didn't sleep well last night because I wasn't in my own bed, so I am a little sleept today, and very irritable.

Oh my gosh! I am so excited, well, kind of. I think. In about 16 hours I will (should) be knocked out getting ready to get banded. I have everything ready, I hope, for myself and my family for afterwards. My only concern is that the doctor gives pain medication upon discharge, and I couldn't fill it this weekend. I have to wait until tomorrow. Oh, well, maybe I won't have to go to the pharmacy, and they will bring it to me. BEST OF LUCK TO ALL MY BANDSTER SISTERS! KEEP ME INFORMED AS TO HOW YOU ARE DOING!!!!!

From submittal to approval, mine took less than an hour, maybe 45 minutes. I was approved for an overnight stay, but that is precautionary for my doctor, he wants approval for overnight in case it is needed. When I received my approval and it was for overnight, I called my doctor's office, and they told me it is done as outpatient, and they request inpatient for everyone, regardless of insurance. A friend just had hers done through Tricare, and she was outpatient. Don't fret about it, you have the paperwork, typo or not, they have approved it. Just remember to ask for a copy of the approval.

What did you drink on your clear liquid diet? I have two weeks of clear liquids after surgery on the 8th, and while I think I am prepared, I look on my counter top and in my cabinets, I don't see much of a variety of flavors. What did you eat for two weeks, assuming your surgeon put you on two weeks of clears, that kept you from going totally mental tasting the same foods over and over and over and over..............

I believe I can do it, but I was wondering about some type of variety....I guess lots of seasonings will get me through.............

My doctor, well nut, gave a few examples. Broths, crystal light, sugar free popsicles, sf gelatin, etc. I am just thinking that before my two weeks are up I am going to go insane. Variety is the spice of life, especially mine.....