Band_Groupie

Well said!!! -BG

Slips are more common just post-op before everything heals. After six weeks you'll be golden and all foods will be allowed again. Keep in mind your band is not helping you yet, so it's all up to you until restriction...you don't want to mess this up before the band even has a chance to work for you. Hang in there. -BG

Tuffet- tuf·fet (tuf′it) noun a tuft of grass a low stool BTW- I add protein powder (soy based) to my oatmeal every morning (I use a fork to mix it in before I cook it). -BG

CONGRATULATIONS on your banding!!! I started out at a similar BMI. Best thing I've ever done for myself! -BG

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GO GIRL GO!!! If you haven't already, go to the home page, down to 'groups', then '2009', then December...we had several people most days in my month. Join the forum there ('subscribe' to the group, under 'forum tools' I believe) and you'll have lots of help from people in the same place. -BG

Hang in there...I didn't have any 'real' restriction until my 3rd fill and am at my sweet spot after my 4th (but it takes some even more). Be patient (LOL, I wasn't either) and it will come. -BG

LOL...4 yr. degree in Art Education and I'm burning myself with a glue gun LOL (nothing you all couldn't do...well, minus the burns. See those three straight vases on the Dining room buffet/left...drop in some ornaments...no burns!), but thanks! And Michelle, as a former art Teacher I LOVE snowflakes!!! When my three were little my house was loaded with those and kiddie vinyl clings on the windows that they rearranged daily! Kay- I'll try to take more pics tomorrow of my tiny kitchen tree (it limits you to 5 attachments).

Dz- Share away...this one still chokes me up! -BG

I’m in need of a good uplifting story today, so I thought I’d tell one. It’s my very favorite Christmas story so hang in there with me.:biggrin: When we were first starting out we didn’t have much but we tried to make the holidays special. The kids always wrote their letters to Santa well in advance and we always let them ask Santa for 3 wishes (thus giving us a clue what they wanted and limiting them at the same time). We reinforced how important this decision was and that they had to chose carefully because children only got to send one letter per year (Santa is busy after all). So the kids always fretted for weeks before deciding. This always involved hours of “test driving” in the toy store, circling items in ads, and paying more attention to the toy commercials then the cartoons on Saturday mornings (Remember when cartoons were on Saturdays only? No?…I’m aging myself:embaressed_smile:). This was always particularly hard for my DD…choosing between many things you want has always been hard for her. Just go clothes shopping with her sometime…after a few hours on the bench in the fitting room you’ll know what I mean. When my oldest (DD) was about 5 she had a particularly hard time choosing that year. She finally sent off her letter to Santa and we were set. We bought our presents, wrapped them all up,:glare: and loaded them in the car.:rolleyes3: We used to take turns traveling to each set of Grandparents every other year and that year was my parent’s turn. My Dad has been “playing Santa” since I was a baby and he has always done an awesome job! I remember sitting in my grandparent’s house with all my cousins and hearing Santa’s bells and then seeing his face coming through the snow toward their big picture window…I thought my heart was going to burst with excitement! We each took a turn on Santa’s lap to whisper our wishes into his ear and he always had candy canes to give out. We’d sing him our best Christmas carols and then wave to him from the window as his sleigh-bells slowly faded away. I swear I could hear the reindeer on the roof! I was wonderful…up until the year that my cousin whispered in my ear who Santa really was and I burst out in tears :rolleyes2:(my Mom had to rush me to the bedroom before I traumatized all the other cousins). That cousin who told me has spent some time in jail over the years:glare:…go figure! Sorry, back to the story… So this was one of those wonderful Christmas’ at my parent’s home now and there was Santa in their window. I thought my DD was going to die of excitement. It was finally her turn on Santa’s lap and he asked her what she wanted for Christmas…we’d been practicing this with her for weeks…she could rattle off those 3 wishes like nobody’s business…so cameras:camera: and camcorders:film: blazing we waited for her reply…I knew her well…no whispers in Santa’s ear like the shy kids…I knew she’d list them loud and proud…a pause…then she thoughtfully looks at her grandparent’s mantle points to it and says “I want a manger just like Oma’s (Grandma’s) only I want a PINK light in mine.” WHAT’S THIS???!!!:wink2: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 3 WISHES WE’D BEEN PRACTICING FOR A MONTH??? Well Santa must have seen the surprise in my face:ohmy: because he promptly asked “Well, what other things do you want Santa to bring you?” “That’s all Santa…that’s all I want.” she says matter-of-factly and she wouldn’t budge. You’d have to know my DD to understand this…this was NOT one of those spur of the moment decision that kids make just because they can’t think of what else to say…oh NO…she had obviously given this a lot of thought. She’s one of those kids whom other people, from the age of about 2, have been telling me that she’s a kid who’s going to get what she wants out of life…she’s bright, precocious, outgoing, likable, adventurous, is always the life of the party, loves attention, and can smooth talk the pants off anyone. The manger my mother puts on her mantle every year is a beautiful antique one with 14 figures and animals. It’s from Italy, an old one from about 1920, with a yellow light in it (with a fabric covered cord that will probably cause a fire some day) and it was given to them by my father’s parents. The kids all love it because every year (I told you this story in my “Traditions” blog) on Christmas Eve a child gets chosen to carry in baby Jesus to place in the manger while we all hold candles and sing “Silent Night”. My DD loved having her turn to do this. OK…now what’s a parent to do? It’s Christmas Eve and no stores are open:clock: to look for a manger even if we wanted to. What could we do? We spent Christmas Eve assembling the kitchen set she’d asked for and said a prayer:pray2: that she’d love it. Christmas morning dawns and the cousins arrive. Santa always wraps all his presents in plain Red and Green paper…except each child’s big gift which is left unwrapped. We let the kids come into the family room and my DD ran:willy_nilly: right to her kitchen set with squeals of delight…all was well and I breathed a sigh of relief. We start the “great unwrapping” with Opa (Grandpa) handing out gifts one at a time. A few presents into it my DD gets a red gift box from Santa that I didn’t recognize, but sometimes the grandparents do that. She opens the box and screams with delight:hurray:….she starts to jump up and down pointing and can hardly breath! It’s a manger set…identical to Oma’s…and yes, it has a big pink light in it. I look at the box…then I look at the mantle…double-take…I check again…yep, Oma’s manger is still there, yellow light and all. It’s a Christmas miracle! I start bawling and saying “I believe in Santa!!...and Christmas miracles!!”:laugh: At this point I see my middle sister in tears laughing and crying with me. Pretty soon we’re all laughing and crying. I later find out that my Grandparents had originally bought two identical manger sets…they’d given one set to my parents and one to my father’s brother and his wife (my aunt). My Aunt had passed the manger on to my sister (her Goddaughter). Long story short…my sister already had a manger set so she’d never put it out…it had been down her basement for years…waiting for it’s moment…all she had to do was switch out a big pink bulb from my parents Christmas tree for the yellow one!:glare: The manger set now adorns my mantle every year (until my DD gets a home of her own)…and yes, everyone who sees it curiously asks about the big pink light so I have to tell the story (it does kind of make the crèche look like a brothel:blush:…but I love the pink light)…and I still believe in Santa!

Great job on the WL!!!! My port was sore for a long time...but part of that may be because I was always touching it LOL. -BG

I still think it is (magic). Good job! -BG

CONGRATULATIONS Bander!!! Hope this note finds you at home and doing well! -BG

Great job on making the first step!!! Good luck with your journey! -BG

Ahh...I had a migraine all weekend long...luckily, not a puke and assume the fetal position all weekend, but Sat. it was bad. My preventative (Elavil) was working well for almost a year, but I've gotten a few of them lately...into the doc for my physical tomorrow, so we'll see what's going on. NO FUN...I can relate. Great job on the WL...what a pain to have to lose certain amounts, isn't it?! I also had a '5 month' '6 month diet'...started in Nov., had my last weigh in April 1 and was banded April 22. I don't get why in the world they call it a 6 mo. diet...symantics, I guess since we do have a visit to the doctor each of 6 months. I'm wondering how many people here do an extra month without knowing this (although some do have to do 7 visits). Great job! -BG

We got our live tree for the foyer (I think it's 12' this year), as usual, the weekend after Thanksgiving. The boys got all my outside decorations up that weekend as well (Attached Pic 1- Front porch/door). I made the lighted garland, decorations and the Williamsburg arch over the door. Everything is now on the tree (Attached Pic 2- This year's tree), and all the decorations are finally up around the house, except my kids displays which they will do (Christmas dollhouse, train set, and monorail). Lest I repeat myself, If you want, you can read more about my Christmas obsession at last years blogs here on LBT: 12/4/08 Fa la-la-la-la... - LAP-BAND®®®®® The tree/ornaments: 12/29/08 It looks like someone threw up ornaments on our tree! - LAP-BAND®®®®® Oh, and if you're wondering why my mantle has a nativity with a pink light in it that makes it look more like a brothel than a crèche (Attached Pic 3), then you must read my last year's blog with my very favorite family Christmas read: 12/17/08 I Believe in Santa! - LAP-BAND®®®®® In this pic you can also see 2 of the 3 cradles my kids made on the hearth...read: 12/6/08 Traditions...What's in Your Shoes? - LAP-BAND®®®®® I love setting the Dining Room table for Christmas (Attached Pic 4 & 5- Dining Room). I made the decorations and fruit cone on the table. My MIL gave me a few pieces of Lenox Holiday Christmas china that someone had given her and that got me started on setting up service for the holidays. I didn't select a china when we got married as our everyday setting was expensive, so it's fun for me to set out this china once a year. So get going folks and Deck the Halls!!

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You haven't failed at anything! Many gain weight during this period and your doc shouldn't be expecting you to lose weight during this period (I lost a little, but only because I did it). This period is for healing...it can take six weeks for the internal stitches to heal. You need a better protein shake (slimfast doesn't have enough protein). I bought a flavored protein powder at GNC and added milk and fruit. The more protein you get the better. Thei period 'Bandster Hell' is tough, but it won't last forever...with restriction, soon you won't be hungry and you'll be dancing the LB jig and all this will be a distant memory. Hang in there! -BG

INCREASED APPETITE? HE!! TO THE NO!!!!! I hope it's not true, but now I'll be more aware in case, thanks. Barbara- yep, off it completely...the one he gave me last year was both of them in one pill and I was getting suddenly getting whacky side effects, which I assumed related to the pill. Both my PCP and now the new OBGYN said with my sister/history of stroke I shouldn't be on hormones without a really good reason...bummer...I keep hearing great stories about woment 'turning back the clock' with the estrogen...oh well, at least with the weight loss I'll only feel like a 50 yr. old instead of an 80 yo. Do you have any advice? -BG PS- I just went and looked at the Rx and it is for Effexor...YAY...she said it was like Prozac and she gets the best results with that one.

Hey 50's gals...I thought you might enjoy my blog here (on LBT) today as it's a 50's issue... Have a great weekend all! -BG 12/4/09 Happy Pills Posted Today at 10:12 AM by Band_Groupie Tags Yesterday I had my yearly OB-GYN annual checkup (sorry dudes, no details). I was ushered into the room by a very young morbidly obese nurse/or MA. Before I got on the scale she asked me what my weight usually is...hmm...I replied 'Well, I never know because I'm on my way down...I got the LAP-BAND®®®®!' (I was 180 on their scale fully dressed in jeans and after breakfast...down to 177 on my scale today, so that head is staying OFF!). Then the questions began about the LB...How much have you lost? When did you get it? How is it working for you? Have you had any problems? Do you have to keep going back to your doc...for? So I answered them all and then some...she was really interested. I told her she could feel my port...she thought it was on the outside of my body so I had to lift up my shirt to show her...then she asked if they have to open me up every time to do the fill...I couldn't help it...I started laughing (OK, how does someone in the medical profession think that? I thought most people knew, like I did, from all the commercials!)...then I explained the port, what it looks like, and how fills work. We commiserated about dieting (she's a yo-yoer, like me…and has lost up to 50 pounds before dieting, like me) and before they came looking for her (we were talking awhile) she left me with a 'I'll have to look into it!' I almost gave her my LBT name, but then I thought she might not like that I unkindly called my one PCP nurse 'Nazi Nurse'...you know, the one who wouldn't give me the 1 flippin' POUND I needed at my should-have-been first month weigh in (I did eventually bond with even her...over the Steelers). 　 It's fun for me to get to talk about the LB, since only DH knows about mine. I have to tell all the medical people I see (it was on my form I filled out there at the OB-GYN; ‘surgeries you‘ve had’), so it’s always interesting to see the reactions. Pre-band I got ‘You’re not heavy enough to need that! You don’t look like you need a LB!’ from every medical person (even my pre-op requirement ones) except my LB office and one of my PCP nurses (and she had a LB). Now I always get the comments of how great my weight loss is and lots of questions. It’s been a nice change…I went from having to defend my decision to compliments. 　 I saw a new doc there for my exam as I wanted to talk to someone new about HRT’s (hormones). My first doc there, I loved, left the practice, so I saw an old guy there last year who put me on an Estrogen/Testosterone pill at the first mention of hot flashes. I think I mentioned last year that I stopped taking the pills the first month. I went to my PCP for my physical and he suggested I stop taking them after I complained about sudden morning dizziness and joint swelling/pain (my fingers). Since then, I’ve been paying attention to articles/TV about HRT’s and it seemed to me that they do wonders for some people, and there are all kinds of ways to approach it, so I decided to try a new doc there so I could get a new approach. Well, she discussed the pro’s and con’s, patch, different meds, etc. She didn’t agree with me that they needed to check my hormone levels (I had a partial hysterectomy so it’s harder to determine what stage of menopause I’m in). I was concerned about trying a patch because I’m allergic to all kinds of adhesives (even band aids). She was concerned about me even being on an HRT because one of my sister’s had a mini-stroke in her early 40’s…I suggested that I’d rather have the hot flashes than a stroke (I told her I'll just lay on the tile floor and and alternate pressing my face cheeks to the cool tile). So she suggested something new, since my main complaint is the ‘burning up red face’. She gave me an Rx for a very low dose of a form of Prozac…yes, the anti-depressant drug…I’m going to be on ‘Happy Pills’. She said they’ve found that women have found that a happy side-effect is that this has helped many with the hot flashes…interesting. I had all the usual concerns about taking an anti-depressant when you don’t need that part of the effect, addiction, etc. (not to mention I'm tired of adding pills when everyone else here is getting to get off of theirs), but she quelled my fears with how super low the dose is, etc. …she couldn’t possibly have thought I was depressed because I was beaming talking about my LB with her too…it’s not possible that I could get much happier! 　 Happy Pills! I’m not making fun as I know depression can be a very serious disease (it’s touched my extended family too) and medicines do help a lot of people, but I had to laugh when she told me which pill. My GF’s/neighbors and I get together now and then for a girl’s night out, or more likely for a girl’s lunch out. We have a running joke when one of us is complaining about our kids, teens, husbands or we’re stressed out that we need some ‘Happy Pills’…and hey, two of their husband’s are doctors…they could be our “Happy Pills dealers’…OK, just kidding, again…maybe you had to be there to think it’s funny. We’re planning a girls holiday lunch out soon and I can’t wait to tell them I’m on Happy Pills…they‘ll have a good laugh! 　 OK, I AM wondering if they’ll help me even a tiny bit through those stressful moments with my extended family (remember the holiday drama)…or my teens…DS1 is coming home for the holidays soon and it’s been ‘his turn’ in life to be the argumentative one…I’m predicting a few stressful moments over the holidays now that he’s had a dose of having freedom to be his own boss at college. If I tell you I had no stress over the holidays…you’ll know for sure it was the pills. So watch out folks…if you thought I look at the world through ‘rose colored glasses before’…well, I can’t even imagine LOL. Look you can get some too...in candy flavors... ...or camoflaged as a first-aid kit!

CONGRATULATIONS Bander!!!! -BG

WLCOME to LBT!! Congrats on the banding! Take things slowly and you'll do great! The pain is just from the stitches on your stomach holding the band and it will go away when they heal. Best wishes! Join the Dec. group here on the home page if you haven't yet. -BG

HOLY COW!!! A first fill of 7.5 cc's? That's the biggest one I've ever heard of...I'm hoping it was under fluoro? You should NOT be having pain when you eat (unless you get 'stuck'/didn't chew enough). Your NUT or doc should have given you a diet plan with amounts, so give your doc a call and let them know what's going on. I usually eat about 1 cup at lunch/dinner and about 1/2cup at breakfast (I'm tighter in the mornings). I'm allowed up to 1.5 cups. Good luck! -BG

WELCOME to LBT! There's a Mexico surgery forum on the home page...lots of people go there (you can do a search or start a thread there). Good luck! -BG