TheGh0st

Yes, I'll be there. I'm dragging my husband along as well. Thursday is my Birthday and it his attendance is a command performance present. Billie called me about a prescription I was trying to get insurance to cover and when she called I asked her about group. She said that it will be discussing a book she likes that talks about weight loss surgery. Written by Coleen Cook, I believe she had the bypass surgery not the band so I'm a bit wary of its relavance. Still should be interesting.

20 weeks - I can't believe I was so close to right on the timing. 3.3 POUNDS PER WEEK !!!! :hail: I may be farther along time wise than you but you are still one of my hero's and give me inspiration to keep on with the struggle when it gets tough. At 20 weeks I had only lost 30 pounds or 1.5 pounds per week. Right now my average for the last 53 weeks is 1.47 pounds.

OFF TOPIC Hey all. Sorry I haven't been posting much. Seems we all have been a bit absent lately. Things have been very hectic for me lately at home and office. The office remodel is finally done but we are still left with trying to put everything back in their new homes. As most of you know I've also been lazily searching for a new job. My husband finally kicked me in the butt and made me get a resume posted on careerbuilder.com as well as putting in that application to NFM. In one week I had 4 calls for interview. The last one I went to was actually one that didn't even know if I was still looking for a new job. He had heard of me through the grapevine from a business associate that had known I was contemplating a move last year but had no idea if I was still interested in leaving my company. The first time I got to speak to the gentleman we talked for over an hour on the phone. Then I met him off site for an interview this morning that last 3+ hours and another 2 hour talk later that afternoon at his business. He practically gave me the job on the spot at nearly $1/hr more than I make now. The job would be 80% accounting 20% customer service/sales. Right now I do the opposite 20% accounting 80% sales. So I'm just a bit nervous that he might not be getting someone as able to jump into the job and run with less training than I might need. But I'm still pretty confident I could pick it up. We left it that we would schedule a few hours over a day or two next week for me to be shown a little more of the job maybe even try to work a half day for him. Then we could both decide if it was as good a fit as it seemed in the interview. I've been at my current job for almost 9 years so changing is a bit scary for me. Positives: 0.95/hr better pay 401K with first 3% matched at 100% (vs. NO 401K) A year end bonus that takes work performance into acct (vs. bonus that is ALWAYS the same every year) More flexible rules on taking time off <10 min from home (vs. 25-40min depending on traffic) Negatives: Fairfax - Not the best neighborhood (vs. heart of Jo Co) Older (circa 1960's) Style Office Decor (vs. newly remodeled) Fear of failure to learn new duties all sick or personal days though allowed are unpaid. Strange rule about how personal calls and e-mails are allowed but only if done from a phone/computer other than your own. I really did get a good vibe from the guy and when I added up the monetary value of wages/benefits of each job (even taking into account the loss of paid sick days it still came out to a $1.43/hr better pay. But I'm still nervous. I'd be replacing a gal that he fired after 4 months because she wasn't working out. He says she was taken on at a much lower wage with the knowledge she was a novice. He said that to calm my fears but that only makes me feel more nervous about his expectations with taking me on at the higher wage he is willing to offer me. BACK TO TOPIC My last fill has made me very tight. I can only eat and drink very small amounts at a time. Though I still don't seem to have any new foods that I plain can't eat. And I haven't PB'd but I have been having terrible acid reflux when I drink Water. As a result I've lost another 4 pounds since my fill last Wednesday! That makes 2 weeks in the last month that I've lost more than 1 to 1-1/2 pounds. The only 2 times outside of the liquid phase that ever happened! LAST NOTE I also wanted to say I had a great time at the Blue Nile. Hope we can do it again soon. Someone else can pick the next restaurant though .

Congrats on breaking through to the 40's!!! :high5: I need a reminder. When did you get your band? It feels like it was just 4-5 months ago. You seem to be tearing your way through those pounds girl. Keep up the good work.

Good for you!!

I hope you are able to speak to Billy or even better get into the office before you leave. Keep us updated.

Sounds good - See ya there

OK you are asking a Libran to make a decision but here it is. I will be at the Blue Nile Cafe tonight at 7pm (give or take 10 min) Any and all that can make it are more than welcome to come. I don't have Pat's Number either unfortunately. If the 3-4 of us like it we can always go again in the future.

Up to you. I'd love to go tonight but looks like some can't make it. We could also go next week. My cell is 913-710-3390 if you want to call. Hope I'm posting soon enough.

OOPS! Not sure what to do. The doc didn't give me my vicodin in liquid form like I told him to but was in so much pain I filled it anyways. I thought I broke up the tablet into small enough pieces but one lodged down in there and after 20 min of drooling like crazy I finally pb'd. Well more of a quick cough that came with an extra little surprise. Now I don't know if I should take another pill or maybe just a half. Crushed this time. Or go to bed and hope I can fall asleep.

I've spent many a hundred probably thousand trying to get curls like that. I've chopped it all off recently and am giving it a rest from perms. But what I'd give for your hair.

Cate - love the pics! I'm so happy for your progress. I Still can't get over how much some of your pics make us look like sisters to me. Uncanny. I'll have to post some of my pics from when I had a perm. But I bet your one of those butt-heads (Said lovingly ofcourse) that has natural curl.

Any day/time works for me. But I found out they are closed on Sundays though so how about Friday night all? Awfull short notice I know but let me know.

Sorry I've missed a couple days here. I threw my back out either from WOF or painting & moving furniture at work. Have been in a vicodin induced haze for last day or two. Can't remember what all I've ate but it hasn't been much more than what I've forced myself to eat to help avoid any nasea with the meds. Foods over last 48 hours: 3 cheese Stick 1/2 cup Protein pudding 2/3rd Protein Bar 32 oz Water 16 oz skim milk 1 cup - liquid "vicodin" style pain meds 1/2 cup Codine(sp?) laced cough syrup from someone elses Rx. (Ran out of my own) 18 - Baby chewable aspirin 14 - OTC ibuprofen 2 Vicoden (Yeah Doc gave me more of the good stuff) 1 Flexiril muscle relaxant

Well girls today was my official 1 year. Had an appt with Hoehn & I was down 10 pounds since my last visit. I was still able to get another small tweak to my band since it was my last freebie. Hope it doesn't turn out to be too tight. According to the docs office I was down to 183 or 71 pounds down from the start. Pretty pleased as that is with close on unlike my ticker weights. (I know TMI, but there you go). I also had something kind of "strange" happen this morning. We were getting some new desks installed at work and I could have swore one of the two installers did a little traveling up & down with his eyes when he first saw me walk in. If I didn't know better I would have thought he was checking be out. Hmmm... Well I'll post later. I'm beat. Need to know from all if everyone/anyone is still interested in meeting up Sat evening for dinner at the Blue Nile. Let me know.

Katt - looked a bit on the internet for the Butterfinger Cocoa. Looks like it is made by Nestle, But I've never used it myself so I'm not sure which stores carry it. Saturday food - 3 cheese Sticks 1/2 cup BBQ Beans 5 chocolate Chip Cookies at Worlds of Fun Water - Didn't keep track Activity - Walked at WOF from 10am to 6pm. Only sitting down on the rides and during lunch. No Benches!!! Sunday Food - 2/3rds bag of popcorn w/Butter at Ringling Bros. 4 - Cheese Sticks 1/4 cup of Cream Style Corn 10 - Slices of Turkey Pepperoni Water - Didn't keep track Activity - Went to Circus at Kemper and walked up & down stairs to entrance 3 times (OK pretty weak but I couldn't have done it once before without getting extremely winded.) Monday - 1/3 cup of Barbacoa meat with Black Beans, Hot Salsa & Pico. 1/2 of a tilapia filet. 2 brocoli florets Water - 20 oz (Terrible) Activity - Finished Emptying Office & Work and Painted with boss. This is a large 1500 sq foot open floor plan room. I was so sore from all the up & down that when I got home it hurt to even breathe. But I still had some liquid pain meds from my surgery last year. Overdosed on that and I'm feeling much better now.

Pat & Cate - Congratulations to both of you!!! Keep up the good work.:clap2:

Johni - I can't really give you any wonderful advice but didn't want to leave your post unanswered. Each person experiences the band very differently. Many are more restricted in the mornings but I have heard of some more restricted in the evenings. I've been banded for a year this week and just in the last month I've started to experience food coming back up in my throat along with heartburn. I'm afraid its a sign of being too tight but don't want to get an unfill. Seems way too early for you to be too full but it wouldn't hurt to talk to your doc about it. I'm also not trying to sound any large alarms here. However, the only time I ever experience pain from eating that was in my was just before I had my gall bladder out. And it was nearly always after eating an evening meal. So again I'd say it probably would be a good idea to ask the doc about it. I'm glad you found us. Do you mind me asking who was your doc? Most of us here were banded by Hoehn. - Diane

Brunch: One Scrambled Egg mixed with.... Tbl Cottage Cheese & Mexican Velveeta Dinner: Inside of Chicken Enchilada @ Sol Azteca and 5-10 Chips with Refried Beans 2 Cups Milk 1 Cup Water (TERRIBLE!) Will try to drink some more before bed.

It was acrylic and most of it came out. The boss will is paying the $110 cleaning bill for the car and he also said he'd pay for my paint covered clothes. I actually was enjoying painting as it was a nice break from the stresses of our normal work. At least until what happened yesterday. One other great thing happened yesterday. After buying new SMALLER jeans at Kohls I went to Dress Barn to buy a new top. (Couldn't find anything at Kohl's) And to my complete amazement I was able to buy a great top out of the misses side of the store!:dance: I never thought with my DDD/E size chest that would ever happen. As of this morning I've also managed to drop the pounds I put on over the holiday and am back to the same weight I was before I left town last Friday.

Why Me! :frusty: here I thought yesterday was bad. Today at work was MUCH WORSE! Keep in mind one of the things my husband & I "discussed":argue: last night was "decision" that I go to work today and announce to my boss I won't help repaint the office just 3 days before our new carpet is to arrive and after it was practically my idea to do the painting ourselves. So, I went to work today and was prepping for the painting I was going to work on despite my husband's comments. Before we could start painting it was decided that we should use a different color than we already bought and I was sent a few blocks down to the Home Depot to exchange the paint. But when I got there both gallons of paint had managed tip over AND open. :hurtDumping their entire contents all over my back seat and its contents, Clothes, Toys, Papers....my car tends to be messy. Home Depot was completely helpless they wouldn't even give me some free wash clothes or a bucket of water to try to clean the car out. I was literally in tears. Upset about how this had ruined the value of the car, upset about the paint all over my shoes, clothes, hands, upset about how DH would react after last night. I finally got home at 7:40pm tonight after spending 2-1/2 hours & $110 at a car detail shop waiting to see how much paint they could remove. Then going to Kohls covered in paint, in my socks to buy replacement clothes. After struggling with the temptation for over 2 hours at detail shop I caved and bought a piece of Baklava from te Greek shop next door. (Of course when I was 70 pounds heavier and had no band I was not an emotional eater. I have no idea where this habit has come from:rolleyes: ) On the bright side. The DH has been surpisingly calm (so far) about it. And... the new jeans I bought were another size smaller than the ones they were replacing.:clap2: Also the boss has offered to pay for the car's cleaning bill and my new outfit. I still told him I'd help with the painting on Monday during work hours but am no longer going to help over the weekend like I thought I might.

1 Protein Bar 1 cup crustless Pizza (i.e. ragu, turkey pep & cheese melted in microwave) 1 piece Baklava (not great but not bad considering I was craving an entire sheet pan of the stuff after the time I had today - see other thread) Water - 32oz

I don't mind the advice at all. I think you are probably right. I don't think DH does feel he has much control in either his life or our relationship. I think we both struggle with the feeling that the other has more "control". We really need to work on it more. Just so hard when you have a child at home. Thanks for making me smile.

Sometimes my tears are self pity "no one loves me" tears. But usually my "Tears" usually signal that I'm so angry I want to beat the holy *bleep* out of him but know I can't.

UHGHHH!!! I so want to eat right now! I'm not hungry just upset. DH has been sick last 2 days. He's finally feeling better this evening but has been a jerk all night. He has this annoying habit that when he decides he is upset with me about something he can't seem to get over being upset until I either get furious or more likely cry. Even if I'm apologetic and agree with him 100% on everything he says he doesn't seem satisfied. Instead he sulks for a while then finds more and more topics to bring up that he is upset about. I was particularily determined not to let myself lose it tonight with anger or tears so had to deal with him flaring up with re-hashes or new topics off and on all night. But finally gave up and got mad enough at him for him to back off a few minutes ago after having to go through a 2 hour "conversation". It's like he doesn't think I really understand how serious he feels about something until he sees me get as upset as he is. He's basically a good guy even tonight there were no obscenities or other extreme behaviour. Just the constant pressure of being on the defensive, trying to prove myself to someone I don't think I should have to prove anything to after 13 years of marriage. (After 1 year of marriage as far as I'm concerned) Again, UHGHHHH!!!! Thanks for letting me vent. Now I think I'll go to bed and dream of all that food I'm trying so desperately not too eat.