cramerk

Well, damn, I just spent a half an hour writing a post and evidently hit the wrong button and it disappeared. Probably for the better, there were parts about over eating and banana laughy taffee. So here is the short version..I head to dad's tomorrow, about an 8 hour drive. Dad's heart has gone crazy again, 160 beats per minute, so they are going to put a pacemaker in on Monday or Tuesday. He is so weak that he can't walk, so I am going to check into some transitional rehab, there is no way mom and I can lift him. I have lost control of my eating, so 2 pounds have come back and I am sure there is more to come. I am frustrated because I did so well during preop and now all I do is 'eat'. While the portions are reasonable, there are MANY portions of higher calorie foods. I can't seem to stop, but if I don't I am going to fail and continue to be a fat pig. So ladies, each and everyone of your need to give me a slap,slap,slap, and tell me what in the heck do you think you are doing. You must stop eating... it may be all liquids, but even laughy taffee and be turned into a liquid if you suck on it long enough. I better get to bed, Steph, drive home safe, the rest have a good weekend. I will try to be in contact from mom's, but I can't guarantee anything. Maybe the hospital will have wireless internet, so I can keep in tough, I am going to try. Thanks to each of you, have a good weekend. Karla

Geez, sorry about the nursing home situation. We hate to turn into our parents' parent. Well, add insult to injury...just gained 2 pounds. I know...this time is about healing not loosing, but it still frustrating. I will be so glad to get to mushies so my stomach feels a little full. I know one of the problems is what I drink. I try to stick with water or diluted juice. I can't handle artificially sweetened drinks. I suppose the protein enriched cheddar cream soup isn't a help either.

Okay folks, stupid question...I know a lot of people talk about pain at the port site after surgery. So, I figured since I didn't have a lot of gas pain, I'd skip past any other pain, well not so. I feel like my port is going to pop out of my skin. I know it won't, but it hurts like heck. Any suggestions? By the time I get home from work I have to lay vertical for about an hour for the pain to stop making me the 'hunchedback of Notredam'. I don't have a lot of time to be vertical. I have parent conference tonight and then have to get ready for a sub so I can head across the state to help with my dad. Just got a phone call from mom, dad's back in the hospital running a fever. They think it is pneumonia. He is on mega antibiotics and having blood transfusions. His oxygen level is low. Now what????

Sandy, hang in there. If you have an underactive thyroid it will make weight loss harder. Is your level of Synthynoid correct? It took my friend many months for the doctors to get the level correct. Even with the correct dosage, I imagine it will take a while for the medicine build up. How are you feeling otherwise? What about depression? I have been on antidepressants for most of my adult life and they help. However, after a while zoloft quit working and now I am on Citralpane (sp) a generic version of Lexapro. Dependant upon the amount of sun, there are times I have to up the dosage. The antidepressants really help me get moving. Good luck! K

Denise, Hugs, hang in there, I know the situation with your mom is impossible. My doctor prescribes Citalopram instead of the Lexapro. I was on Lexapro, but couldn't afford it and the Citalopram works the same. I'm not sure of it is a 'true' generic version of Lexapro, but the doctor says it is basically the same. Try it, its cheap, about $7 per month. Thank you all for listening to me gripe, I just felt overwhelmed. Karla

Thanks for asking about my dad. He is got out of the hospital on Monday and my sister is there helping. Unfortunately, dad is 6'5" and mom and my sister dropped him while trying to move him to the table. All is well, but dad is very weak after spending a week in the hospital and the impact of the chemo, radiation, and now the heart damage. I will head up there on Thurday to help however I can as my sister must leave to help her husband pack up and leave their winter home in Arizona and head to ONE of their summer homes. Okay, a little bitter, I think her husband could pack it up on his own, but what do I know about being financially independent. It must take a lot of work to keep 3 homes and a motor home, that cost more than my house, organized. But I have to live with my self...oh well. Sorry, I didn't mean to grouch. My school is giving me a hard time about being gone, I will miss one day of parent teacher conferences and they think that I just want extra time off because it is Easter weekend. I guess when I go without pay because I ran out of sick leave they will believe me. Yikes, I am sounding bitter, it just that I am tired and normally I start my summer job in March and I have had to put that off, I hate having to worry about money. I should erase half of this post, but I am going to leave it, hope you all forgive me for being such a b----.

By the way, I lost 31 pounds since the beginning of pre-op diet. whooooooooohooooooooooooooooo!! I will need to get one of those ticker things.

Lexapro or the generic version Citropan works great for me. I was on zoloft for many years, but it quit working.

I am new to this thread, but I know some of you from other threads. I had got my band on 3/31/09 in TJ, so I am only 5 days out. Surgery went great and I have little pain, but have a lot going on with my father's health and will need to go and help with his care later this comming week. In the article about banding becoming obsolete, what was the reasoning? Do many people go to the sleeve after banding. I gave the sleeve some thought before banding and having made the choice to go with the band, I won't be able to afford to move to the sleeve later. Right now because I'm still in post op, I am just feeling frustrated because I thought I would bounce back faster than I am. If I breath deep my chest hurts. I am afraid I am eating (drinking) too much. Okay, it sounds like I am whining, and yep I am. Sorry.

This has been a hard week for everyone, we need to turn this around...while we morn (sp) the loss of a student and our parent's health we need to take charge of our thoughts. I am not good at this, but I am going to give it a try, if I offend anyone in the process, please forgive me, I want us to focus on what we are graitful (sp) for: spring is on its way, supportive friends, love, a chance at a new life, turning the page, children, sun, honoring breast cancer survivors, warm puppies,... I am graitful (sp) for all of these things and more. We will overcome the challenges and be stronger. You are all in my thoughts are prayers, we shall conquer!

Steph, I think you need to check out this headache thing, it could be a symptom of something else... get to it girl

Another good brand of shoe is Brooks. I am a pronator, so Brooks has a shoe that controls that.

Hello everyone, I am home and naturally not feeling to great. I had to drag my bag through customs and rushing to catch my flights. Dad is hanging in there, they still don't have his heart stable, so who knows, I just decided to not think about it tonight. They are talking about putting him in temperary nursing care for a week . My sister told mom that she would be there, but that isn't what she told me. So again, I am just going not going to think about it. I love you all, but right now everything feels so surreal. I know the band is there because of the incisions, but other than some aches it doesn't seem real. I will get into the 3d stuff soon, but right now I can't focus on it. Thank you all for the well wishes and positive vibes, I love that yyou are all there for me

Yep, Steph, I know, I will be careful. We will find out more today about what is going on with dad's heart. I know they won't let him go home until it is stable. I have to get the positive vibes going, I guess I am just tired. Anyway, chat later. k

Got a hold of my mom last night from TJ, dad is in the hospital. The chemo has damaged his heart. They have him on meds to try to lower his heart rate, it is running at 160. If they can get it down and stable, he will be able to go home. However, the doctors say that mom will need help with his care. So as soon as I get home, I will need to get my grades done and sub notes taken care of and get my butt to Roundup to help. Unfortunately dad is 6' 5" and I won't be able to help lift him, even though he hardly weighs much right now. Hopefully my sister will come through and comes home from the 'summer' home in Arizona, I'm not holding my breath. She lives the life of well-to-do retirement and has little use for our family. Sorry, I am sounding rather bitter. Cried most of the night and just don't know how I am going to do this. I know I need to be there, but I don't know how many sick leave days I have and I can't afford to go without a pay check. I am feeling overwhelmed. I head off to the airport in an hours, so I best get packing.

I'm here at the hotel in tj and feeling fabulous, oh a little achy, but no shoulder pain!!! Actually I don't feel like I have a band in or any thing. Sat by the pool all morning with a fellow bander and gabbed for 3 hours. Got a bit of a sun burn but it was worth it. The sun just sinked into my bones. Dr. Ortiz says I am going to be one of his best successes. I guess I passed the 'How much do you want to loose' test. When he asked I told him that I wanted to loose enough to feel good in my body and to be able to do things that I have lost to my weight, and that I wanted to play with my future grandchildren. We talked about his daughter and The Secret. I was reading the book in the clinic and everyone said they did and loved it. Who knew that a book could help you get a connection. I am seriously thinking about returning here for my fills. One lady here had a fill with Dr. Rohrer and it went badly. She says she flies down in the morning and flies out in the evening. The clinic transports you back and forth. I am going to give it a thought.

I can't remember if I said how much I lost right before surgery. When I started the process I weighed 255, the morning of the surgery I weighed 227.

Humm, looked at my incisions. I am super glued together. I know that it is frequently used, but I am just a little surprised.

Steph Thanks, I have been drinking very easily, it actually feels like nothing is there. In the afternoon and evening I drank 2 bottles of water, 2 caprisuns (wish they had something less sweet & more nutritious) and 2 popsicles. I was reading some of my posts from yesterday, I didn't realize how out of it I was. I am glad you can decode them. Send the purse pics, I make a variety of purses, with or without embellishments. So let's see if it is something I could recreate for cheaper. I am game for pitching in for Karri's registration form. In the same token, maybe we can help each other with donations. I know that we can't 'shift' donations once the Kommen Foundation has them, but once we hit our goal, we could ask our donors to donate to one of our partners?

This sucks, Dr. Ortiz said I woulds be hungery for a week or so. I don't think it was so funny when I started taking orders for pizza delivery I am more hungery that I ahve been for a long time. k

Hey ladies I am sitting here do not much. I am really hungery water and diluted juice is not doing it. My post opt diet is verry differrent from you have all explained. Week 1: on clear liquids Week 2: Drinkable yohurts Week 3: Drinkable liquid,yogurhts/protein Week 5: 3oz meat, geeens/fruit./grains, no more that one protein drinks per day, there will be not way that I can get 60 - 90 The brain is going so I am shutting down, k

Peaches-your teeth are beautiful, but so are you!!! I understand the lack of traction on satin, but at this point I would risk it. Thank you for your support and allowing me to become part of your family. All of your are beautiful and wonderful people. This is so much easier with all of you on my side. You all inspire me to become the best that I can be...corny but true.

Peaches, my flight was cancelled and I am back home and going to try it again on Monday, surgery rescheduled for Tuesday.. I am exhausted, sobbing in the airport WHILE you chew on airline personel is hard work. I finally drank a protein drink, who knew they would take it away from me when I checked in a 9:15 this morning. I think I am going to shut down for awhile, the computer and my brain. Thanks for everyone's support, there is a reason this happened, I'll figure it out later when my head doesn't hurt

Sitting in the airport, 'attracting' my plane. (The Secret). It will arrive and I WILL arrive in San Diego TODAY. The weather will clear and the plane will arrive!!! Karla

Phyl - yep I am traveling alone, I tried to find someone (long story) but in the end it is just me, which I think is part of God's plan. I need to accept that my girls have their own lives and it is time to start mine. After raising kids for 32 years, I don't quite know what to do with myself. And Phyl, it is nice to know that if I get in a bind, I have someone there. Besides, I would love to see that hat collection! Thanks. Well, the bags are packed, the toothbrush charged up and I am ready to go. Karri, have fun at school. You only have about a quarter left!!! And right back at you...YOU take time for yourself. Your life sounds crazier than mine.