Mrs Husker

I would like to address what you said about you sleeping on the couch and you and you dh "barely on good speaking terms". No matter how bad it gets, nothing will get better in my home if my dh and I are at odds. When this happens, I don’t care about anything. I don’t care if the house is cleaned, the bills are paid, if I exercise or what goes into my mouth. It will make me sick. You need to work on fixing this. Is there anyway you could have your folks or a friend take your son for a night so you and your dh can have some alone time to talk. When he comes home, meet him at the door, look him in the eyes and say "I love you". Tell him how important he is to you and let him know that nothing else matters but your relationship. Hopefully the conservation will start rolling from there. And no more sleeping on the couch, you belong in the same room as your husband. If you two can work on getting your relationship back where is should be, it would help elevate the "extreme stress" you are under, which in turn should help put everything else in perspective. Best of luck and know that we are here for you.

Shan71 Try Gas-X strips. Those and a heating pad should help with the gas pains. Also, walk, walk, walk. This will help get the gas out also. Good luck and congrats.

My doc doesn’t use numbing spray or a shot. I just focus on a spot on the ceiling and take slow, steady breaths. I don’t like it when she pulls it out, the tugging bothers me.

Thanks for the tip on Steve and Barry's, HeatherA. I just found out that they opened a store here less than a month ago. Plan on checking them out with my dd after the holidays. So far, my transistion clothes have come from the back of the closet. I don't have to dress up for work, just jeans and my work shirt. But it is nice to find clothes that fit again that I haven't been able to get into for a while. I also don't mind going to the Goodwill near my house. They have everything hung according to size so it is easy to find what I'm looking for. But when I need to dress up, I like the Dress Barn and LB.

I am soo happy for you. You have always been an uplifting person to anyone in need on this board and you are doing great. It's nice to see something good happening to someone so nice. You are such an inspiration.

Way to go Dave!! My doc uses flouro so it takes longer then 10 min, most is about 1 hour.

Fully clothed, no shoes and I empty my pockets just so I can get rid of every ounce I can. LOL

Congrats both Rain and Purple!! Don't if feel sooo good.

Talking about clothes..... I had a Christmas party at my house this weekend with my older sister, her family and my younger sister. Us three girls put on pj’s and put our hair in ponytails and took a photo under my tree for my folks. I went to Walgreens to have them developed and had to wait an hour so I went across the parking lot to a Goodwill to look around. I decided to check out the jeans. I found two pair of 14's that looked great so I bought them thinking that I will be in them soon. WELL, I got home and decided to see how "soon" it was going to be. I got them on and with a bit, not much just a bit, of sucking in, zipped and buttoned. I was so excited that I called my mother in Frankfort, KY to tell her. Granted, they are too snug for me to wear all day, but I GOT MY BUTT INTO A 14!! I have not been in a 14 for 15 years. The last time my son was 3 or 4, he will be 19 in February.

Still to far from goal, but wanted to cheer you all on. GO GOAL!!!

Congrats JC on taking the steps to a healthier your.

Mine have always been done under flouro. I get on my back on the table, she watches the screen while feeling for my port, sticks the needle in and "fills" me up, then stands the table and me up (with the needle still sticking in me). At this time I have to swallow barium. I think it’s cool watching it go down. I can see it going down the esophagus and pool in the pouch before it is squeezed to the lower stomach. If all is well, she then pulls out the needle. That is the part I think hurts, when the needle comes out. I hate that tugging feeling.

You need to change the settings under your UserCP.

I would love to have a cookie. Heck there is a lady here at work that sells candy bars from fall to spring. I would love one of those also. But I don't. I have a mantra that I repete "You had surgery to lose weight, SURGERY!" (Thanks again for that one OH Juli). It also helps to have something to do when the cravings hit. I will get on my treadmill at home or go for a walk around the office at work. Heck, just coming to LBT when I had a craving helps. Good luck.

Way to go fellow Marchie!!! I love NSV almost as much as seeing the scale move downwards!!

I just wanted to share this with my fellow Marchies. It has nothing to do with the band, but I thought you might enjoy it. I got a call yesterday from my 12 yo DD from school. It looks like by "baby" girl is no longer a baby. I was the only one at work yesterday so I couldn’t leave work. I talked to the nurse and she said that everything was fine and they had supplies and she would help my DD. I started to cry when I got off the phone. I knew this was coming and thought I was prepared. Anyway, DH and I decided to take her out to dinner last night and she chose Red Lobster. When we were seated our waitress asked if we were celebrating anything. My DH and I looked at each other and started laughing as my DD turned a very pleasing shade of red. If was so funny. The waitress thought we were nuts sitting there laughing at such a simple question. To spear my DD further embarrassment, we told her that we were not celebrating anything. After our waitress left, my DD said in all seriousness she thought I was going to tell her about "me becoming a woman today". Just hearing that phrase come out of our little girls mouth, both my DH and I started laughing all over again. The people sitting around us must have thought we were drunk.

My LB doctor is a woman, so no crush there.

I just had my second fill of .3cc, so now am at 1.3cc. I do have restriction and if I am not careful, my band buddy lets me know it. I still have a problem with night snacking and am trying to find other things to do instead of eating. But last year I would have put on weight this time of year and this year I have lost. This time last year I was 235 lbs, now 185 - 50 lbs gone in one year. Yeah me!!

LaLa-Looks like you are doing great. 81 lbs gone forever.

Way to go Jeni!! Don't it feel good!! Texas-57 lbs gone, you are doing great! And I agree with Jmcambra, you are also my hero OH Juli. Not only in weight loss but you are such a supportive person and always have something uplifting to say (even when you are dishing out well deserved and asked for "tough love")

My most prized Christmas memory was when I was six years olds. My dad was stationed in Thailand at the time and my mom and two sisters and I lived in California. I was daddies girl and it was very hard on me not having him home. Well, mom woke us up Christmas morning and said that Santa had something very waiting in the living room for us. sleeping on a pile of blankets by the tree with a big bow by his feet was my dad. I saw him and just starting crying I was sooo happy that he was there. I think he only got to stay for the week, but that was one Christmas I will never forget. Still am daddies girl 32 years later.

Personally, I don’t think that indulging in a craving once in a while is that bad. I have been craving a grilled cheese sandwich. So I made on and cut it into quarters and had just one quarter, minus the crust (dog got the crust and my dh had the rest). I ate it very, very slowly and enjoyed it tremendously. It satisfied the craving and I didn’t over indulge like I used to do when I had a craving. Same can be said for ice cream. One small scoop, about 2 tbl, eating slowly with a baby spoon does the trick for me. Just don’t do it daily and if you enjoy it slowly, one it last longer and two it satisfies.

Just wanted to check in and see if anyone else from Nebraska had checked in. So how is everyone doing?

I had one "stuck" episode that kept me on soups/mushes for about 2 weeks. Normally after a stuck or pb, I stick to liquids for the rest of the day and start the next with soft/mushes and see how I feel by supper time. I just try and make sure that I don’t push it too soon.

Congrats Cuddle!! There are times when I see a baby and wish with all my heart to have another one, then realize that I only have 6 years to go until my last is off to college and decide that I can wait for grandbabies. Welcome Gkeyt. Looks like you are doing great. OH Juli-Reading about that boy and with all the pain he must be in just about made me cry that he took the time to give you a pat on the back. He must be one hell of a kid. Well, had company this weekend and my brain didn't pay too close attention to what was going into my mouth. But my band sure did. I had 2 pb's. One Saturday after taking a big drink to wash down a Trisket, and one Sunday from not chewing a bite of pork chop well enough. They were not that bad, just what I would call "last bite forced exit". I think it's the slimming that gets to me though. That is soooooo gross. As of this morning, drum roll, 185!!!! 5 lbs in 15 days to hit my goal of 180 for Christmas. I can do it, I can do it!! Have a great day everyone.