anonemouse

Luckily, my favorite drink from Starbucks is the Vanilla Iced Coffee with cream. It's not nearly as high in calories as some of the others.

Oh yeah, that's familiar. I spend WAY too much time here, usually.

What really drove me batty about the formatting "there" was that you had to search for certain topics. There wasn't any division of topics, like there is here.

Yeah, I finally gave up on OH several weeks ago. I had my account there deleted. I'd had enough of all the infighting and BS, constantly feeling like I had to watch my back because of who I was friends with, and with the horrid formatting. I hope you feel welcome here, Wendell!

I'm finally losing again! Once I went back on regular food, I regained about 6 pounds from my post-op low (went from 211 to 217). Since my first fill on August 9th, I've lost 7 pounds!

I've got horrible sleeping habits. That'll have to change, though, since I'm teaching this semester. I am definitely a night owl, so getting up early is going to suck.

For once, I completely agree with you. I feel that he shouldn't be sentenced to death, but rather be forced to live for the rest of his life in the prison's general population. That, to me, would be real punishment for him.

I've had 2 fills. I got the second one on Wednesday. With the first fill, I had some restriction, but not very much. Luckily, my surgeon's willing to be pretty aggressive with fills, so I was able to go back for the second fill just two weeks after the first one. That gave me time to see if I was going to tighten up (sort-of a delayed reaction to fills that apparently happens sometimes). She believes that if the patient knows that they haven't hit their sweet spot, there isn't any reason to wait longer than necessary between fills.

Guys, I am loving finally having restriction. I think I am at the perfect spot right now. I can eat just about any type of food (with the exception of soft bread) if I eat slowly and take small, well-chewed bites. I have a normal diet, but just eat less. It's wonderful to be able to eat a small amount of food, but still be completely satisfied. The only things I am still having trouble with are drinking enough Water, getting in all of my Protein, and letting my eyes be bigger than my stomach. I still serve myself huge portions. I had my first day of teaching for the semester today. I am teaching at one of my university's extension campuses, so I had an hour's drive (one-way). I taught one biology lecture and two labs. My students seem to be really great this semester, which I am SO happy about. The first time I taught (4 semesters ago), my students were horrid. Good students definitely make the difference.

Have any of you seen the dog chew toys in Michael Vick's image?

I'm back from fill #2! I now have a total of 1.8 cc's in my band. I am definitely feeling more restriction. Since it was a 6 hour drive back from the surgeon's office, we stopped at a restaurant in Memphis for lunch before heading back. I got a baked potato and cinnamon apples (supposed to be eating only soft foods for a couple of days). I ate the baked potato, but was only able to eat a few bites of the cinnamon apples before I was COMPLETELY full. I have noticed that I have to eat really slowly, otherwise I am uncomfortable. I think the food displaces air in my stomach, and if I eat another bite before it comes up, it hurts. Soft bread is out of the question now, also. I tried to eat a roll with lunch, but only got a bite or two down before I decided that it wasn't worth the discomfort.

I have trouble sometimes when I eat soft bread, sandwiches, and sometimes chicken. I don't PB or slime, but it feels like it gets stuck. That's what I'm hoping for.

To be honest, I think you still have restriction. If you didn't, you would still be very hungry after eating only 4 ounces. Compare how you eat now to how you ate before the band. Before, would you have been satisfied with 4 ounces? I eat a lot less than I did before I was banded, but it still takes more than 4 ounces to satisfy me, generally. For example, I made lasagna and fresh green beans for dinner for my family and myself a few days ago. I was able to eat a 3" x 4" piece of lasagna and at least 1/2 cup of green beans before I was satisfied. Now, before I was banded, I would have gone back for a second helping of both, so I know I am eating a lot less than I was, but not as little as I should be eating.

Well, my summer is nearly over. I will be teaching my first biology lecture (I am a grad student) this semester, along with two biology labs. I normally only teach the labs, so I am pretty nervous, since I am going to have to teach material that I haven't had myself in several years. I'm hoping that it all comes back enough that I can help other people learn it. The ecology, evolution, and environmental stuff is cake to me, but the molecular stuff is something that I've always struggled with. My first class is next Friday, so I still have several days to review, luckily. I go in on Wednesday for my second fill. Right now, I have some restriction, but not nearly as much as I'd like. My incisions are itching like crazy, though. And I've still got marks where the bandaid they put on at my first fill gave me blisters. Can you believe it? BLISTERS. That has never happened to me before. I don't know if I am developing a latex allergy (my hands have itched in the past when I've worn latex gloves) or if I am sensitive to the adhesive now.

To be blunt, I think your boss doesn't want you seeing a doctor because they don't want to pay worker's comp. See a doctor before you do irreversible damage to your shoulder.

I agree with Green. I can remember being SO bored in school. I think that we are so afraid of letting our kids fail in this society, that we do anything and everything to keep them from failing, even when they may not be making the grade. We want everyone to make passing grades, even when they either haven't done the necessary work or aren't intellectually equipped to earn it themselves. To put it bluntly, my high school's programs were so dumbed down, I passed ALL of my classes with As and Bs without studying more than five minutes before exams. And I'm not a genious. It's pitiful. I personally think our educational system should be stratified, based on potential ability and actual performance. It wouldn't be fair to ask only4me's son to compete academically with high-achieving kids, and it isn't fair to require high-achieving kids to be restricted to the academic standards of kids that aren't capable (for one reason or another) of reaching the same level.

That's horrible!

I don't necessarily think that it's bad that a mother stays at home with the kids, but I wouldn't do it. My mom didn't when I grew up. I spent time in daycare, at relatives' houses, and at my parents' business. I think that in order for a relationship to be healthy (even if it's parent/child), there should be some separation. One thing that I don't think is fair, though, is that it's generally expected that the mom is the one that stays home. Why not the dad? Unless a mother is breast-feeding, he can care for that child just as well as the mother can. Why should she be the one to sacrifice her earning potential?

I do, at least a little bit. I'm nowhere as restricted as I want to be, but I do eat less than I did before my fill. I'm going back next Wednesday for my second fill. I had the first one about a week ago.

I think your husband and my brother are the same person. He used to date the nutritionist for a bariatric surgeon in Memphis, so he thinks he knows everything about the band. I think he's starting to realize just how much he doesn't know, though, every time he asks whether I should be doing something or other, and I say yes.

Wow, that's pitiful. I get to teach a biology lecture this semester (first time doing it, I usually only teach the labs), so I can't wait to see the geniouses I have. I'm used to the ones that think that they can magically absorb half a semester's material overnight.

When you do a blog, it should only show the title on your page. People have to click on the "(view more)" that's next to them to read the actual entry. To do your blurbs, you go to "edit profile" and fill in the boxes and then select "save all changes" at the bottom of the page. My myspace URL is myspace.com/ldl5112 if you want to friend me.

Wait until you have to attempt to teach some of them college biology. Makes you want to repeatedly slam your head into your desk.

I can't help but hope so.

Well, I would love to go to the Mediterranean countries, as well as the Far East. But above all, I am an avid wildlife nut (degrees and everything). I would KILL to go to Africa and to Madagascar and to the South American rainforest. There are lots of animals out there that I'm determined to see in the wild before I die. It's incredible how thrilling it is to be almost within arm's reach of a threatened or endangered species. It's totally different from seeing them in a zoo. I got a taste for it when I saw American Crocodiles when I went to the Everglades a couple of years ago. There are only about 1,600 of them living wild in the U.S., and I got within 10 feet of two of them. It's a wonderful experience for anyone who's into that kind of stuff.