Kat817

Our elliptical has 8 preset workouts, then the expansion slot for additional workouts, that you can buy. You can buy the card alone, or along with a DVD, that is of a trail or walking path to coordinate with the level of workout! We have never gone beyond the pre programmed! There are half of them that are 20 minute workouts, then the rest of them are 30 minute programs. We love it! We try to increase our speed when we conquer a program. Then we do free weights as well---it is a nice workout, not too strenuous to burn me out! I am a bit concerned, I suddenly have much stronger restriction. I am hoping it is residual swelling from the stress of Rick's icy adventure. Tonight, I could not even eat half of one taco. I'd say 4-5 little bites. I have no pain, I am just full VERY quickly. It has been over a year since I had a fill, so I cannot imagine it is changing!! Will just watch and see how it goes. Cindy, that is why I really seem to go for strong flavors since banding, I want a lot of taste, since I eat so much less, more bang for my buck!!! Tacos always work---even if it is a bite or 2!! TracyK--shoulda come on by, I'd have fixed you a taco, or shared mine!! Actually Kinsey shared mine. She was here late tonight, her Mommy went to the memorial service for the friends baby. He lived several days, but at 1 lb 2oz, there really was no hope. She said it was incredibly sad...she come in and wanted to hold and hug Kinsey who just wanted to play! Rick and I had a serious discussion tonight about getting another dog. One minute I am so excited, I want to run to the shelter right now. The next I stall, not wanting one at all!!! I had several deer in the yard again today, I stood Kinsey on the kitchen counter, and we stood there, and watched them for the longest time. She decided she wanted to be able to turn her ears like that!! Dog would scare away my deer. Deer eat the grass, do not have to be fed! Or given shots, or worm medication.....and when something happens to one of them, it is sad, but does not break my heart! Well I am off to bed, 5:00 comes early!!! See you tomorrow----getting a bit worried for my sisters here.....something feels "off". (((hugs))) Kat

How cool! Having your Dr. support the idea is crucial with insurance!! Hang out, read all you can, ask lots of questions-----just keep researching! Welcome to LBT!! Glad to have you here! Kat

I agree that the shakes may be too thick---and that can cause pain. I used a clear Kool-Aid consistency liquid Protein called Zero Carb Isopure. I bought the bottles at GNC. There is like 40g. of protein per bottle. The bottles are sized like the Sobe drinks in the store. I drank half in the morning and half at night. There are several flavors---everyone has different favorites!! They helped me a lot before I moved on to the shakes. That and the good old stand by broth! Glad your pain is easing! Kat

I agree----((((((big giant Violet hugs)))))) to Jenn and Terry. Sending good thoughts your way. We love you! Kat

I had a woman and her DD who go to church with my parents come up to me in the mall day before yesterday to ask how I was doing, I am on the church prayer chain, for surgery I just had. The DD (who goes to church even less often than me!!) says to me...."well it sucks you have to deal with cancer again, but hey it looks like it helped you lose a lot of weight!" uh-huh----that's how it happen! Idiot! Kat

Pasta is one of my more difficult foods!!! We are all sooooo different! I can eat it without pain, or anything, but I can only eat maybe a quarter of a cup! Other foods I eat normal yet small servings, not so with pasta, or rice. It feels like I eat them, they hit my stomach, and begin swelling---I am able to enjoy small amounts and stay full for a long time. BUT it is very easy for me to push it just a bite to far, and be hurting and on the verge of a PB. I second Jachut, either take your food, or opt out of eating all together! Life will get back to more of a "normal" just don't rush your healing. I too was on liquids for a month! You have your entire life ahead of you----let the band heal well, so you have success ahead! Kat

wooohooo!! Way to go Sherry!!! Pat love the do ---very modern! I like the variations in the chunky color! Gets a thumbs up from me!!! Kat

Good point! It would be terribly difficult to be the left out one, whether intentional or not. You want what is best for your friends, but you want it for you too! Difficult situation. Kat

LMAO--------------at myself!!! Talking to Laura about internal ultrasounds----and then my mind shifted gears to thinking about her size 14 tops---and I mentioned a size change----all in one sentence about internal US's!!! No the size of the ultrasound wand did not change----!!!! Kat

Terry, if you need a shoulder to cry on or whine to, or out and out bi#*h to---call me anytime! Sometimes it is easier to do with someone who cares about you, yet is a bit distant from the goings on in your life. I had a neighbor once, and they lost their 2 year old son to menengitis. He would come over usually drunk---and cry and talk about Parker for hours. He told me one 'morning after' that he had no one else to talk to. His wife would not listen, she was unable to talk about it yet, and his Mom would, but she hurt from losing Parker, and then hurt worse knowing he was hurting so bad. He said us not being strangers, but not really involved was what pulled him through some nights. Poor guy! He eventually divorced, and remarried, and had 4 more sons. I never encountered it until my son went through some problems, and I had no one I felt I could turn to. That was not also thrown by his actions at the time, or some one who would not judge him his entire life for a lapse in judgement at that time. So if you need a "someone" please know, day or night, I am only a phone call away from commiserating with you! Laura I agree that it seems an awfully invasive way to begin---which is one of the first questions I would ask him-then if nothing else see a renal Dr.---he should be able to pin point where the kidney is and if it would be an issue. IMHO. Ultrasound, even the internal is not a big deal. I was at my heaviest when I had my bout with cancer, and a standard ultrasound was useless, I had way too much belly flab to see anything, so I had many vaginal ultrasounds. A little uncomfy mentally---but not physically. And WOW what a size change! It spit snow off and on all day, nothing sticking, just keeping everything damp, so it can freeze tonight!! Yea, Michelles scale is moving, maybe mine will too! I have behaved very well today---no urges to do otherwise! Went to lunch with my folks, but I shared lunch with Kinsey, we had chicken and a salad...she had the fries, and the corn on the cob, and the dinner roll cjust sat there!!! She thinks sharing with me is such fun! She holds up a bite of something, say a cucumber and asks me if I want it before she eats it! I know being around me now, she is learning much better eating habits than I showed her Mom at that age. I made sure she ate a healthy diet, but didn't do so myself!!! Ms Jenn.....Haydee....Panda.....Lunasa.....where are y'all at? Miss you! Might have to call in the flying Monkeys!!! bwahahahaha!!!! Well I am off to cook some hamburger, it is tacos tonight. I decided that sounded good and easy---and Rick always loves them especially if I will fry him flour shells for his!!! I used to eat them too---and could eat 2-3 of them---the small flour tortillas, not the foot wide ones!!! Now I do one of the corn tortilla taco shells, and am good! But it is a lot of flavor in not a lot of food---which is the best of both for me!!! So I better get cooking and chopping, and shredding---did I say easy?????? Kat

I had all my blood work done when the hair loss began, and everything come back normal. I attributed it to the change in diet, and the shock to the body. I know for a fact I was getting more than enough protein. When the loss finally stopped, I breathed a massive sigh of relief....I was probably a bit premature in doing so! Just a few weeks ago I was diagnosed with a thyroid tumor, actually several of them, and had the center (the isthmus) and the entire right lobe removed. Now I get to see if the hair loss begins again...with more anesthetic, and more hormonal changes! Boy will the fun never end??? Kat

((((big old giant hugs)))) for you!!! You have helped your son see you in a new light. You have forged a whole new bond with him, and showed him, you have begun thinking of him as a man. I am willing to bet he will be one of your biggest supporters! Glad Dad come through too---and I like that you eased sons mind, should something ever happen to you from whatever cause. Sounds like you are on your way---------good Luck----it has been such an awesome change with my band, I love it, only wish I had discovered it sooner! Congrats on taking charge of your new life!! Kat

Oops was going to say if they won't prescribe something, hit some Ibuprofin, wash it through your pouch, but it will help. I would not normally suggest meds with our bands, but the ibuprofin works better than Tylenol for the crampy junk. Kat

Laura, you might call and speak to your Dr. or his nurse, and explain why you cancelled the appointment. Oftentimes they will prescribe one or 2 mild sedatives, similar to Valium--to relax you and make the tests easier on you and on them. I do not want to scare you, but there is a reason to do the testing now. Anything that is in the way or perceived by the body to be in the way can cause the body to spontaneously abort---miscarriage. It is very common, but it is also very difficult to deal with emotionally. Maybe make another appointment just to TALK to your OB/GYN. Ask what the risks are, and Why they want these tests now---and if there are less invasive, less painful ways of doing them....there might be---you don't know if you don't ask. I only tell you this to encourage you to be proactive to your fertility as opposed to reactive to tragedy. I know I sound like a Mom, and Hon, this is the advice I would give my own DD. Having lived through cancer of the uterus, I have had many tests with dye---and it is just as stated, a mild crampy feel while the body dispells the dye. If they do not prescribe something for you--and my Dr. always would if ask---and he learned to have it ready for me. He gave me diazipam or something like that---it has been a few years! Some tests---biopsies, I would take the day off and keep my feet up, other things, once the test was over, I was up and going again. Remember it is just like with the band--they must outline the worst possible so that no one is surprised by it. Hang in there, and make an appointment to talk with them about it all before giving up. 77 degrees! It is snowing out here....and a balmy 29 degrees! Fire is a blazing, because my granddaughter hates wearing pants!!! BBL~~ Kat

:Banane53::Banane21::Banane32::Banane22::Banane33::Banane01::Banane44::Banane35::Banane23::Banane03::Banane45::Banane13::Banane24::Banane02::Banane47::Banane04::Banane05::Banane27::Banane59::Banane06::Banane17::Banane07::bananajump::not_ripe::Banane09::Banane40::Banane08::Banane52::Banane20::Banane42::Banane10: Lots of dancin' Nanners for your drop into Onederland Sherry!!! You worked hard to get here and I am so proud of you!! (((big GIANT hugs!!!))) Kat

I have the utmost respect for my parents, did for my grandparents--to suggest differently simply because they used a controlled method of discipline that some deem bad is ridiculous! They did not spank/swat me because they outweighed me and could! They did it to teach me something---and they did. They did not teach me that I was their boss----that the world revolved around me. Look around you that is what you are getting in the world today! They did not teach me that lesson simply by bullying me! They were not abusive, most people are not! Explaining, and time outs work fine most of the time, but defying that, is what got me in trouble, and what got my children in trouble. We have no felons either. Although I do have a niece who is a crack head---oh yeah she doesn't count----they don't believe in spanking either. Oddly their older child is choosing to raise her kids totally different than she was raised...she has watched her sister spiral down right along with the rest of the family. I am not in ANY way saying that by not spanking her she became a druggie! I am just saying, it did not prevent it. There is MUCH, MUCH more to raising a child than that. It did NOT cause it---but neither did it PREVENT it. And if you want to bring respect into it, I have never in my life seen kids treat parents more disrespectfully than they were. They walked all over the parents back then, and still do. They are not self supportive even in their 30's! They were shown no boundaries, and still have none. They borrow money---well borrow is the wrong word--that implies re payment, non stop! The point to this rambling (it IS early!!) is that parenting can be effective with or without spanking. That is only part of the picture. I do not believe anyone here condones abuse of a child. I do believe we all view what constitutes abuse differently. I just disagree with the blanket statements coming out of the discussion that one cannot respect parents who spank---BULL! And people who are spanked will be less successful? BULL! All swats are abusive? In my opinion--once again BULL! A look around here on LBT, which is just a small sampling will show differently, some were disciplined with spanking, and have gone on to be very successful, and have not become abusers due to it, and it seems they still care about their parents! Kat

Editing, is a real challenge here!!! Welcome to LBT!!! Glad you come out of lurker mode! Congrats on your surgery date--it will be here before you know it! Get all your things together, so you can take it easy for a few days when you get home. Have some liquid Protein items on hand, liquid Tylenol--heating pad---and your slippers---you will want to do lots of walking! Hang out, so your last minute nerves can be reassured for you---most of us got them! I look forward to hearing how it goes for you!! Welcome! Kat

Michelle!!! You are going to have to change your screen name to Wonder Woman!!! My gosh girl, you amaze me! Glad surgery went well. Tomorrow, walk and sip, walk and sip, and walk and sip some more! I did not get in the amount they hoped I would following surgery, but by about the 3rd day I was drinking enough to satisfy anyone! I walked almost non stop! But I was in the hospital for almost 3 days! I had it done on the morning of day 1, and spent all that day, all the next, and went home the morning of day 3! But I had a 5 hour flight, and about 5 hours of driving as well---so it was best I waited! Go get some rest. If you are going to try to sleep in bed, try putting a dining chair next to the bed---it helps to have something to use for leverage getting in and out of the bed! Let us know how you feel tomorrow! You are a bandster---wooohooo!!! Kat

I'm like you Michelle, I can and do eat pretty much anything that strikes my fancy!!! I cannot eat much of it---I do still have some restriction, but this to me is ideal! I am losing slowly---I need to update my ticker, but it is so dadgummed touchy, it seems everytime I want to change it, it tells me I now have too many lines! When I don't change anything but a number! Anyway, I have seen 183 for a couple of days now. I am 5'9" and I wear a 12-14. I can walk in and buy a 14 and wear it without issue. The 12's----it's a toss, some of them work, others do not. And the size change is a wierd one I think, they seem to not only have sized down some, but the stride seems to fit differently. Possibly due to all this yucky pouch of skin and flab!!! Be Gone Belly!!! The only thing I will not try to eat again, is glazed donuts. Oh they hurt me so bad! I took 2 bites, and it grew to feel like I ate a dozen whole donuts----I don't need them anyway, so I avoid them completely!!! We are being predicted more snow tonight, we are in a winter storm warning. I guess it might as well be winter, and get it over with!! Rick built a fire, then went to bed, and it is roasting me alive. Must be why I am losing weight, I am melting! I went into the LR a minute ago, and it is 86 degrees in there!!! Now it normally is very warm in there, and less so in the more distant rooms, like our bedroom which is fine, we prefer to sleep with it a little cool. But then it is still warm come morning, and we can simply throw a piece of wood into the coals, and have fire again. But tonight, oh my goodness, he built a biggun! Jane, glad your sleep study is over, hope your blood work is all good! Denise---how is the little Mommy to be? How many Christmas presents have you bought the baby? LOL--I am not laughing at you, I was such a fanatic when Manda had Kinsey, it was not funny! Well tonight when I went to the Grocery store, I was going to buy ice cream, even had my favorite, and Ricks in the cart. It was BOGO free, so...why not? I was shopping along, and though WTH am I doing? So walked all the way back across the store, and put it away. I come home without buying the ice cream!! Yea!!! Laura---doesn't your boss know how much the Violets help you out? Doesn't he want to reward us for that? Bonus money for all your Purple Powered Pals!!! You ought to take pictures of you and DH with all that moolah!!! You could roll around in it like you see on TV---I'd be afraid of losing some! Tracy---keep the ice, snow is bad enough!!! Pamela---I see you on line, we might be posting at the same time--HI!!! TracyK, you and Terry must be hording all the sunshine! Well I better get with it, put some things away in the kitchen, start the DW and go to bed! Will talk to y'all in the morning! Kat

Cards are mailed! Secret Santa is mailed! So....everyone is getting something, but someone is getting more! LOL Kinsey actually sat on Santa's lap and had a conversation with him today. She told him she wanted toys. He ask her what kind of toys? Maybe a Dora toy, or a Princess toy? She said yes to both! Then she told him she wanted to have flowers to give to her Mommy. So...made a mental note, to get some flowers to show up Christmas morning. She told him she would leave him milk and Cookies, but no raisins they look like bugs---and launched into telling him about her Cereal one morning had bugs! It did---weevils---she did NOT eat it! I threw it out, but it made an impression!! Up where we got stuck, they received an additional foot of snow today, and they have a ranger there I guess, warning of the road being closed at 7 tonight. One of the guys who was stuck as well, that had placed a call to me to keep me informed, called to say they got their truck out today with a wench truck. What a mess! We got some pics, I will try to post some. Remember last week, Rick worked for his employee whose Dad died? He was very upset for the kid, his Dad was younger than us, and died chopping wood? Well imagine this, he goes to work today and gets a call from the kids wife, and Dad is alive and well, and worker is on a drinking binge!!! She said she found out why he was out of work, and left him--running over his foot! Rick give him 2 options....Employee Assistance to deal with his alcohol problem, or a final paycheck. He had not been in to sign up for the program. Rick was so upset, he really felt bad for him. The guys took up a $$$ collection, they actually ordered flowers---the florist called today! Can you believe how horrible of a lie that is to tell??? Well I need to get dinner going....will check in later! (((hugs))) and watch for the mailman!!! Kat

WoooHoooo perfect job! WTG Patty--so happy for you! You will be smokin' hot before we know it! Mandy---any way to find out if they have an Ipod or something---you could do an itunes card, then they could choose the music. You could get a gift card to a local book store, a little book light, some cozy slippers, and give them a little down time, reading what they want instead of grading papers! When my DD was in 1st grade, her teacher was young just setting out. I helped enough to hear her talk about her life, and knew her Grandmother was still in Germany. About Thanksgiving, I was flipping channels and QVC had these ornaments on, hand blown and painted German designer ornaments. It was a set of 24...had Santa, and angels, and bells, and french horns, you name it! I sent a note home with each of the kids---with the help of the teachers aid! Out of 22 notes sent home, 19 responded with money! When the ornament package was divided it was less than $4.00 per child. When they come in the mail, I opened the box, and wrapped them each individually in boxes, and labeled them from each child in the class. At the party (yes we were still allowed to have Christmas parties!) the first 2 kind of surprised her! The very first one, she told the kids a story about this being just like the kind of ornaments her Grandma had, and she loved it! Then when the second one was opened, she was still amazed, by the 3rd one, she of course recognized what was going on, and I appeared with the case to hold them. My DD graduated HS in 1999---so you can do the math, this was many years ago. I still see the teacher in the grocery store on occasion, and she says she still has most of them, she has raised several children and has a dog with a wicked tail she said!!! Unfortunately I did not get a chance to do something equally fitting for many of her teachers. I was not able to be in the classroom as much then...so often reverted back to gift baskets...like you mentioned before, the movie basket etc. They all seemed to like that though! Kat

Will be thinking of you today!! Hope everything goes wonderfully, and you have an uneventful surgery and recovery! See ya in bandland!!! Kat

Do you have issue with other hard Proteins? Can you eat say, Roast beef? Hamburger? Pork? Not Tuna and other fish that is so soft. If you can eat some hard Protein and not the chicken then I would guess it is just going to be a trigger food for you---but I would make sure I could eat at least some hard protein before scheduling another fill. I try to keep chicken as well as other meat moist, and it is much easier, reheating meat is VERY difficult, almost always is too dry. I have restriction, enough to trigger me when I eat too much, and enough to slowly lose, but I choose not to be too tight, I would prefer toget my nutrition from food as opposed to shakes or supplements--so have opted not to be as tight as some people want to be---which might be why I can eat most any thing without issue. I was afraid of shrimp, it seems hard to chew to mushy stage, but it was not an issue either. If you cannot eat any HARD protein without pain, I would suggest discussing it with your Dr. just to be on the safe side.

This makes me laugh, I watched part of Oprah's speech on the news---missed it when it aired. I ask my husband..."Is she trying to be funny? She acts like she is channeling a preacher!" Then I read this and the light went on! You nailed it, she was "doing" MLK!!! Now this morning when I saw it again on another news report, it just cemented it-----you are SO right! Kat

Denise, I think that definitely is part of it, if not the entire issue! I was banded in April, in May my DH was diagnosed with a bad heart valve, and with one complication after another---it was a horrible year...blood clots, open heart surgery, massive GI bleed, more heart surgery....and then, as his issues tapered off, so did my loss of hair. Now whether it was just the standard time line for loss, or whether it was connected, I have no idea, but it may well explain it. So sorry to hear of your loss, regardless how long ago it was....((((big hugs)))) Kat