LittleOleMeinFL

oh Charlene! I hope you feel better! I know how frustrating it can be to just get a small fill and hope it is just what you need...but then to find yourself sliming and PBing and all that. yuck. Not a good day. Well, tomorrow will be a new day. : ) I've been so tight these last few days but I guess it's more stress and having flown in a tiny pressurized plane. I can eat only 3 bites of anything and I get severe sharp pains just below my breastbone. If I stop at the first twinge of pain, I am fine and it will pass. If I attempt to put that one last bite in... oh goodness, the rest is PB history! I have resolved to have two Protein shakes a day and then a few bites here and there of regular food. The good side to my situation is I am losing well while up here in NC. I am down 6 lbs in a little over a week. That is also after having 2 weeks prior of not losing an ounce! So perhaps it was just my time. Gals~~~Apples~ I want your life! Have fun with your company! I love when friends come from far away! Janet~ So proud of your gym stuff. It's that defining moment though that makes you go! WTG! And all that house cleaning, the front of mine needs some work! LOL. Nice weather, beach a mile away. : ) Meredith~ Holy cow you crack me up! $35 of food! How does one even spend that much at McCrack?!!? LOL. Glad it was just a dream. And I totally get your salads. We eat a lot of that kind of stuff. But no cool arabic restaurants here, so I have to make my own. : ) Julie Bubba~ Hope you feel better soon. I am so tired after a day at the hospital. Now my dad is scheduled for an endoscopy. He had a barium swallow done this a.m. after he choked on his dinner the night before. Well he has a severe stricture in the esophagus. The endo is a safe procedure. Get some Michael Jackson drug (diprivan) and you are in lala land. This won't happen until Fri b/c he was on aspirin and heparin! He's on soft food until then. I made him a SF homemade custard tonight for him. The food has been terrible. The no salt isn't even the problem. Just dried out nasty food. One good thing through all this is my sister. We are good hospital and home buddies with our eating. IT really helps having someone around that gets what you are doing. I am so terribly homesick though. Nelson is ready too. : ) Talk soon~ peas

Good Morning Vietnam (said in my best Robin Williams impression)!!!! I FEEL like I am at war! This must have been a touch of what the navy nurses felt like. Then to top it off, TOM decided to visit last night and OMW, how! I feel like a truck ran over me. But this too shall pass, right? NEWS NEWS... Dad is still in the hospital. The numbers are coming down a little. But a few are still up. They will know Thursday whether he will go home... or do dialysis. He only has one kidney so they will not do a renal biopsy. They would have loved to do one, as it is the gold standard, to figure out what caused the renal failure. But it is just too risky. Things we know for sure: he will stop all oral diabetic meds and the BYETTA! (just researched and found that there is a class action lawsuit against Byetta manuf. for renal failure! They have been under the microscope for pancreatitis, but the RF is new. Won't even go there right now).He WILL be on insulin. His doctor has the "flying" talk with him. He won't be able to fly solo anymore. He will always have to have another pilot with him. I know he is really sad about that. 10 minutes after the doctor left he got a call on his cell phone from the airport manager where he keeps his little plane (cessna 210p), who said there was a guy looking at his plane and wanted to know if he would sell it. He was like "holy shit! look at the vultures flying!" My parents were supposed to leave in a week for a 2 month trip to Europe. (Turkey, Greece, Russia) Well, somehow dad thought it would still be possible. I don't think so. Another blow for my dad was a phone call from his oldest and best friend... he was just put under hospice care for pancreatic cancer. They sat and cried on the phone together. My dad was a mess after that. Later mom told me that the last time she saw him cry like that was when his mom died in the 70s. geez. (holding hand over my heart) So, not sure when I will go home. Still playing the wait and see game. My DH wants me home NOW! It's a tough call sometimes, especially since I am not working. I want to be sensitive. But, as one of you said, sitting in hospitals is boring and tiring. ESPECIALLY for a 5 year old! He has gotten more toys this trip than ever! He has been such a good boy though. He bought himself and my dad a matching stuffed animal puppy from the gift shop. He has a bit of a stuffy nose this morning. That might be my ticket home! I know that sounds funny, but noone wants to be around a kid with a cold right now... and we might be kicked to the curb. Well, I am down to 238 yesterday! Today though was 239 so I won't change the ticker until it's a few days of 238. But I have been "good" while here. I exercised two days. My parents have an indoor pool, so one night I went swimming and did Water aerobics. Yesterday my sis and I walked and did weights together. I miss my gym and my routine. I never thought I would say I miss my gym! I have been reading everyone's posts. Will try and respond when I get a chance. hugs to everyone. Thanks for the prayers. You guys rock. peas~

Hey guys~ Just a quick note. Thank you thank you thank you to you all for your thoughts and prayers! You have no idea how much it means. I was able to read the posts with my phone that gets internet while at the hospital. I tried to post once and then hit some button and it erased, so I decided to wait until tonight to post. My Dad is hanging in there. So far they are still holding off on the dialysis. The kidney doc seems to think he will get past this and won't need it... but he won't know until the morning labs come in. Dialysis comes with its own set of risks. They are giving him steroids for a possible allergic reaction that caused this? and to also help the kidney. The only problem it is sending his blood sugar out of the ballpark! He has never needed insulin and is on a sliding scale now. He is doing better though- he feels and looks better. I know it's probably the steroids. They always make you feel better at first. These are long days at the hospital. The good thing is we aren't really eating that much except meals. So I haven't been overdoing it at all. I have been tight, so haven't even been able to eat much when we do eat. I make sure and get a Protein shake in between. I haven't even had time to step on the scale! This is the longest I haven't weighed myself! I am having a terrible time of missing my DH. I think because this is such an emotional experience anyway, it makes me that much more sad when I talk to him. I have to fight back tears when we talk & try not to cry in front of Nelson. We were all together for 2 weeks straight and the separation is tough on us all. : ( I wish I had time to comment on the posts. It will have to wait. Please know that I am reading them and send my warm thoughts your way. More later... peasout~~~

Just checking in before i leave. I think my band has been tighter the last 48 hours. The only positive thing is down 2 lbs! I think I have mentioned that my dad is a private pilot. He mentioned to my mom this a.m. that the thing he is saddest about was the last time to come visit us a couple weeks ago... was his last time flying. Once someone has had dialysis it is usually an end to passing the FAA physical. I honestly think flying was keeping him healthy. I was just about to reserve our flight when my parents called, dad said no sense in the plain sitting getting dusty- so he is sending a friend pilot of his to come get us. so sweet! The positive is we just have to go to our little local airport, no lines, no check in. The negative is the usually 1 hr commercial flight is 3 hours on this tiny one! My dad is at the medical center. He had a pretty tough transport though. He had a complete fit when the guys finally arrived to transfer him! He was refusing to go.. b/c they made him wait... and he threatened to call the newspaper and report their incompetence... <sigh> Anyway, a very smart and kind nurse supervisor was able to diffuse him and away he went. Mom said he is a little confused too. This is from a man who literally went from rags to riches... started as a janitor in a Boston fish market... to owner/CEO of a fortune 500 company. He paid his own way through engineering school, while working full time. He's known for his kindness, honesty, intelligence, business sense and wit. He doesn't want anyone outside of family to know he is sick. I will be in touch! Thank you guys- I can feel the love.

Hello guys~ Well, looks like Nelson and I will leave in the a.m. for NC. They are transferring my dad tonight to a bigger medical center. The hospital near their house does not do dialysis. So right now they are frustrated, in his room waiting for God knows what! It may be paper work, the nurse to get back from dinner, or for the ambulance... either way it is frustrating waiting when you don't feel good. Not that I will really help anything, but my dad wants me to come up. I wish DH could come, as he might be even more helpful than a nurse practitioner. He just had 2 weeks of vacation and has to be back on Monday. Not that you can time things, but had this happened last weekend we could have all gone for a week. It will be tough for me to be there with Nelson alone. He can be a handful at times, needing attention. You know the one thing that made my dad so upset.. he has had the same nephrologist for 20+ years. When he got admitted his dr (cardiologist) called the nephr. for a consult and to let him know what was happening. The nephr. sent a partner to see him but never called or came himself. My parents took it so personally, as they feel really close to the doctor after all these years. It was so bad today, that I actually felt that this was bothering my dad more than his medical condition! I had DH put a call in to the good nephr. 2 hrs later he did finally call. But not sure if it really helped as now they say "he called, but only after Nael called and told him to!" Can't win for losing. They still don't know why he went into renal failure. He was perfectly fine a few weeks ago, with labs of a 20 year old. And then over the last few days with no apparent reason, the kidney just shut down. He has been so "good" the last year, exercising, eating healthy, keeping his blood sugars normal... and this is what happens. He also doesn't handle this stuff well and is a tough patient. His Turkish temper gets the best of him... but what he really needs to do is relax. My sister said my mom is an emotional mess. She is a retired nurse and handles everything well in front of him, but as soon as she goes to the cafeteria she breaks down and cries. So I am glad I will be there to help her out a bit. I had to cancel all my workouts, and even had a gyn appt on Monday to explore the absent TOM. All this can be handled later. ok gang~ keep up the good work. Thanks for the well wishes and concerns. I will update you when I can. peasout~ Laura

G'Afternoon guys~ Went to the gym this a.m.. DS was supposed to go with me- after my workout was his "kids exercise" class. He said he didn't want to go and I left. Apparently 3 sec after I pulled out of the driveway he had a meltdown and wanted to come with me. My cell wasn't working and my DH ended up bringing him to the Y. I put him in the playroom and DH did his first workout in a LONG LONG time. I had to go get him a Water and a towel. : ) Then when we were done with ours we went to the kids. It is sooo cute seeing all these kids exercising! I got a call from my mom after the gym. My Dad's in the hospital! They live in Charlotte, NC. Going to see what the doctor says today- i might be flying up with Nelson tomorrow. My Dad is diabetic and only has one kidney. He's on Byetta and has been doing very well with blood sugars. His last A1C was 5.8 (non diabetic!). His one kidney has been so so- lately trying to act up. He started retaining fluids the last week or so and yesterday he just felt lousy. We spoke to them last night and DH knew what it was immediately. He was the one who told him he HAD to go to the dr this a.m.. I am hoping the tests are ok and they give him an IV with some diuretic and he goes home. I guess the worse case scenario is some temporary dialysis. Here's the clincher. One of the motivating factors in me and my sister getting surgery was a conversation my dad had with his attorney/best friend. He had told him that he was sad (not mad) that both of his daughters were so unhealthy, b/c he knew that no surgeon would ever let us donate a kidney for him. His friend told me this in confidence. I still doubt they would do surgery on us, as we are still morbidly obese and not quite healthy. Let's pray his kidney is still hanging in there. This tugs at my heart in more ways than anyone knows. My parents have done so much for me in my life! I would do anything for them. Time to attack some house work and wait for a call from my mom.

If~ Do you have access to a microwave? If not buy a small FUNTAINER thermos (at Target or Walmart) They hold 10 oz.. I make a stew or bean soup and take it with me if I am going to be out and about. (or a one pot wonder the girls are always talking about). Another travel thing I enjoy are the tuna SUNKIST- Lunch to go. They are 2.6 oz. or can buy the little 3 oz packets. I mix it with vinegar instead of mayo or LF yogurt and spices. Another idea would be the individual cottage cheese. And there are several of the Healthy Choice that have more protein. I found the amount of protein is perfect and throw the carb out. I think someone should market some frozen entrees for the band/bypass patient. If I have other ideas I will let you know.

Morning gang~ I am back to 244.2 this morning! I feel a LOT better. Yesterday had- Breakfast: a yoplait yogurt (100cal) Lunch:Chick FilA chicken Soup (240 cal/ 15 grams protein), 4 chicken nuggets (130 cal/13 grams protein) Dinner: Unjury(80c) Protein shake made with Light Soy Milk (60c) and 1/2 banana and 4 strawberries (68c). 208 cal/27 grams protein Snack: FF Cottage Cheese(70c), 4 saltines(51c). Jello SF Pudding(70c) Grand Total:870cal and 72 gams protein + coffee and BBQ sauce: 920 cal/72 gms protein I drank 2 liters of water! Worked out. I used a 1/2 of one of those BBQ sauce things for the nuggets, not sure how much a TBS. of that would be. And I had my coffee- which adds 50 cal. So, let's say another 100 cal? Anyway, I know one thing for sure, when I write things down I am MUCH better with what I consume, I am less likely to snack uncontrollably, and I feel better. For today I just made the same shake I had for dinner. The company last night was ok. I got over my bad mood for the sake of my husband. The only negative was they wouldn't leave! Nelson was up until 10pm!!! I can count on one hand the number of times he has done that. He was thrilled. This gal had NO idea how to interact with a 5 year old. She plans on having kids in the next year and she dismissed Nelson's requests to help him with a floor puzzle. The husband on the other hand was very willing to play Wii Mario Kart with Nelson. Nelson beat him of course..LOL Welcome back Janet! Loved your photos! Looked like you guys had a great time! Meredith~ Glad you got your meat on! It does a body good! : ) Have a great day everybody! peasout~ Laura

Lord have mercy!!! If that wasn't a day and a half!!! I have to agree with Julie B- at least you got a serving of peach cobbler out of the deal! LOL. So sorry about your ring. At least you didn't lose your ring FINGER! I had a patient once who slammed his finger in a drawer and his wife found it in the junk drawer with the loose change!:thumbup: WOW WOW WOW LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yipeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!:biggrin::thumbup::w00t::thumbup: Congrats! That is so wonderful to hear! You did it!!! YEAH! I am so proud of you! You guys truly inspire me!!! I'd do a back flip right now if I knew how! If your stomach~ Thanks for the ideas. I know I am not pregnant. And a month ago I went to see my doc for a check up (internist). I just wasn't feeling well. He did a "battery" of tests (thyroid and everything else)... EKG... echo... etc. Everything was normal. He spoke with my surgeon, who later called me. He said, guess what? I never said you would feel GREAT while you are losing the weight. You will feel weak, and irritable and sometimes hungry and mad and sad. It will pass. In the beginning your body will fight this weight loss tooth and nail. Just bare with it, you will be ok. Your body is getting used to being on less calories. He was right. I have been pregnant- this is not pregnant. I wish it was! LOL.. but I think there is a reason that God doesn't have a lot of women in their mid 40s having toddlers! I am simmering inside but trying not to say anything. My DH invited one of the new docs to our house, that joined the group a few months ago. He's a recent grad from an anesthesia residency and is taking his boards on Monday. So someone offered to help him study. Well, last minute he asked if his wife could come with him! He has been here once before. Now, I am not one who gets hung up on messy stuff around the house. But usually the first time someone comes to the house, I like to straighten up, clear toys (at least a path), and make sure I have something to offer to drink. Right now the choices are apple juice, Protein shake or Water..LOL. Oh, I forgot the light vanilla soy milk! I was in the pool with Nelson when he told me. There are pool toys as far as the eyes can see... wet bathing suits... popsicle wrappers... This gal is from Miami and supposedly a high fluten interior decorator! They want to start a family soon. She will take one look at my messy house and Restoration Hardware Slip covered couch (nicely decorated with Crayola markers and chocolate) and run from the house to take her birth control pills! I can't do anything but laugh at this point. DH just looked at me when I cleared my junk counter (keys, wallets, toys, medicine and everything else) into an empty laundry basket and thew it in the guest room! Who bets I get to sleep late tomorrow?! (ha, that didn't even happen on mother's day!) I'd have a glass of wine, but we don't have any. :smile: What did you guys say about a frown? there we go, I twisted it around. It's sideways, but it will have to do! :tt2: peasout~ Laura

Holy crap! I would literally poop a brick! (That would cure the constipation!):thumbup::biggrin: After 9 years of infertility, that would just be a trip wouldn't it? I seriously doubt that is the problem- though I am sure Nelson would love a sibling. But my gyn told me I was in peri menopause last time I saw her. My ovaries have been scrambled, poached and boiled. As a matter of fact I asked her about post surgery if I would need to be careful, etc. After looking at my labs, she told me I had a better chance of winning the Florida Lottery. Apples~ I almost peed myself laughing at your comment about the "I'm here to help" meaning about every little thing! :thumbup::lol: OH gawd that was funny! Glad the freezer is fixed. Went to the gym. Did 30 min on my step tread and then 30 min of weights and then my stretches and situps. Then I got Nelson out of the playroom and took him to the YMCA kids exercise class. My trainer teaches it and boy was it fun! She made this huge obstacle course and then made them act like animals and walk funny. They had no idea the positions they were in were really stretches and exercise! Now time to deal with the daily chores. CBL! Welcome back Janet!!!

Hi there! The dinner menu, BTW, sounds devine. I would seriously take up farming just to be able to cook. I've stopped all my major cooking since surgery. (back in the day I was known to make homemade pita bread and other sweets and meals.) It's hard for me to spend hours cooking to have a 5 year old stick his nose up at it and for me to only eat 1/2 cup. DH usually cooks these days b/c of it..LOL. He's a good cook but makes a mess! It's so funny that you mention Ocala... DH and I were just looking at the houses there. Not sure which area to go to. It seems there are rustic cabins and then really nice houses. If you have a reputable company- would love the info. And, YES! would love to meet you for lunch! Wow Julie B~ Vit D huh? That's an easy fix though. My sis who has gastric bypass had the same problem pre-op. She has always avoided the son like the plague. She is on the Vitamins as well and encouraged to get some moderate sun. Congrats on your band saving you from food that doesn't even taste good! I have had that experience too and it is wonderful! It's funny how we suddenly have more discriminatory tastes and demand for quality food! I LOVE that! :smile2: The first month of two I was fit to be tied- literally! It was such a problem for me. These days it is a rare problem. I found the Miralax to be very effective also. This was a prescription a few years ago and then went OTC. It's expensive but works and is gentle with less side effects than other laxatives. They also recommend it to RNY patients. I am particular to PER DIEM (made with senna, 100% Natural Fiber Plus Vegetable laxative). The other thing that I do is good old fashioned prunes/prune juice. I was using dates until I realized they were 140 cal for 2 of them!!! yikes!!! ok guys~ I am off to the gym this morning. My body is frustrating me. I skipped my TOM last week! I was sure I was going to start on my anniversary, was PMSing big time... and then POOF, nothing! I feel bloated and yucky. Up another 2 pounds! (yes Meredith, I am either the same or more than you now!) Either the food I did eat is settling on my hips or I have some incredible Water weight! SIGH:mad2: have a great day! CBL!!! peasout

Good morning gals~ I've been up since 6, it's 1130 now. Put up 8 loads of laundry and been puttering around the house, playing with the little one. DH took him to see a movie (G-Force), about guinea pigs who are police. I politely passed on that adventure. (I would rather clean!) Meredith~ Naples is across the state..LOL :mad:, BUT... I used to live near there and we LOVE that area of FL. To me the west coast of Fl is the best! It's not that far, only 2.5 hrs. I would LOVE to meet you. We are always looking for a reason to get out of town, I could leave the boys at the beach and join you for a band friendly lunch. Something to look forward to! Julie/Mrs. B~ Good morning to you. Your pontoon ride sounds so beautiful! I have never seen the Missouri river, or that area of the country for that matter. We must put it on our to do list. I LOVE your new profile pic! SOOOO cute! Doodlebug~ Your DGS is so lucky to have you and your DH in his life! My DH was raised by his GP, and he wouldn't have had it any other way. The love and wisdom that was instilled in him is priceless. They had a special relationship. I pray that your DD does well with the program she is in. I am sure knowing her son is loved and cared for helps her. Wow. I can feel the love & pain through the computer. <hug> I was talking to my DH about my weight gain this week. He said I really really did not eat that much. Some of the meals did have sauce and there were certainly a bit more calories than normal- but he said not representative of 4 lbs weight gain! He said he thought to himself at meals at how lucky I was to have my band. He would find himself really hungry and unable to resist the bread for example. I couldn't even get one bite in. He said it was night and day how I would have eaten before WLS. It was interesting to see the event through his eyes. Basically, I went on vacation- I ate pretty well but had some treats- and now time to get back in the swing of things. :tongue2: We have a baby sitter tonight! We will go see a movie. Usually we love going out to eat, but I am so sick of restaurant food- think we will skip eating out!:mad:

Hello all~ I am feeling better today. Last night I must've gotten up to pp about 5 times! Already this a.m. was back to 245, so we will see in the a.m. My feet are much much better. It's weird b/c this is the first time since surgery that I have had any swelling in my feet/hands. DH was also up 5 lbs or so from that trip. LOL Meredith! You are a trip, at least we are the same!:biggrin: Linda~ <hugs> I am so sorry to hear about your DGD's diagnosis. DM is a frustrating disease. It is good they caught it early and it does respond well to steroids and the IV meds. I knew they gave IVIG, but didn't know that much about the methotrexate. I will definitely keep her in my daily prayers. 1day~ Thanks for your support. It does help knowing you guys are there. And even more... knowing we have all been in the same place.:thumbup: Kath~ sorry to hear about your DD's relapse. Drug addiction is a horrible thing. It seems like your band is really helping you- glad you are having restriction with your 2nd fill! Young~ thanks for the tip. I hope your A1C does get better. They gave you a surgery date! :tongue2: That usually means they are confident that you will get things under control. Buckle down and be good these next few weeks and you could bring that # down! I use a mask with my CPAP. (ResMed- Ultra Mirage). I tried the nasal pillows but always had a leak. My DH has had a CPAP for 9 years and tried every mask out there! The one thing that helps me is the humidifier! If you don't have one, it may make the difference for you. I don't want to repeat the sleep study, but I am fairly confident that the weight I have lost has cured my SA. My DH, being an anesthesiologist, will watch and listen to me sleep sometimes. He said I have stopped snoring. I never had periods of stopping breathing- just that my oxygen levels went down. When we went to Quebec I didn't bring my machine and did fine. I know my SA was induced by my weight gain. One more thing to say goodbye to soon! And, yes, I would love to meet you when you are town! I've been busy unpacking, doing laundry, grocery shopping and getting back in the swing of things. Although we had a GREAT time in Canada, there is no place like home. Here are a few pics from the trip. After we landed in Newark the pilots invited Nelson up front. (he had an airplane shirt on and had an identical plane in his hand!) He was thrilled! Hope everyone is having a great weekend! peasout!~~~

uuuurrrrrggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh~! <growl>:cool2::smile::wub: I probably shouldn't have done this... got in tonight and stepped on the scale... up to 247! I never usually weigh in the afternoon. My feet are really really swollen... swelling? I guess traveling and increased sodium with eating out for a week. and weight??? Water retention AND..... I guess plain and simple from eating TOO much... and not exercising!!! I feeling like a sloth. I hope I can get to the gym tomorrow.. my feet are actually hurting with slippers on! Not even sure if I can get my running shoes on. Feeling yucky and pissed off at myself. Thanks for letting me have my little pity party. I know... enough feeling sorry and get back on the band wagon tomorrow. Refuse to change my ticker tonight. I will get hydrated tomorrow.. walk a little... and re-weigh day after tomorrow and will update the damage then. <pout>:eek::mad2::cool::wub: peasout~

Hi guys! Congrats joanne! Meredith, great job!!! My body kicks out the absorbable stiches too. Right now we r in the newark airport waiting for our 11am flight to west palm beach. I'm on my crackberry... Lol, I mean blackberry as I write this. Very interested in seeing my scale. Have no idea where it is. I am officially sick of restaurant food! Ready to be home and eating healthy again. Cbl Peasout!

Good afternoon guys~ We are back in the hotel for a litte R&R after being up early and out the door by 7. We are having a great time. So glad we went on the ferry boat tour yesterday and horse & carriage ride. This a.m. woke up to rain and low 50s. That is really wet and cold for us south floridians! It was actually pretty refreshing to put on long pants and jackets! We decided to hop in a cab and go clear across town to the La Gallerie de la capitale. It's a HUGE mall that has a roller coaster and 10 other rides inside! (Train, bumper cars, carrosel, etc.) And a big arcade and food court. We went to one of those build-a-bear stores (the Canadian version anyways). Nels picked out a baby lab puppy. The girl made him pick a star and place it on his forehead and make a wish before placing it in his heart. He held it on his forehead for 30 secs. Later he told me he wished that one day the puppy would become real! : ) awwww. We decided not to lunch at the mall. Food court crap and so busy. We came back to Old Quebec and went to a little cafe. I am getting smart now at meals. Had a cup of tomato and cabbage Soup. (mainly a broth with some little bits of tomato and cabbage.) Then ordered the crab cake appetizer. It was the perfect amount. I did the same for dinner last night; cup of soup and small appetizer. I know many of you recommended doggy bag. This sounds weird but I cannot stand bringing leftovers home. I don't know why but I have never liked restaurant food reheated. My DH is the same. It's one of the many things we have in common. This cold rainy weather has me wanting to nap. Boy I wish the days when Nelson would nap! Now he is content watching cartoons and playing with his new puppy. We will recharge our batteries and then go out again in a bit. We are walking a lot but no other exercise really. I feel like I should be in a gym. I will have to hit it every day next week! You guys are all cracking me up with the crazy dreams! LOL. As far as making a plan to meet up... Let me know and I'll be there! Any excuse for a trip! I would even sponsor it, though I am sure FL is too far for most to travel. Mrs Bubba~ hope your incision is ok. That is a little scary for any drainage. Get better! Meredith~ How is your incision? You sound like you are doing good. Let us know what the dr says! Bugs~ Glad surgery is done! Glad to hear you are ok. Janet~ Have a great trip! Be good and have fun! Loved your photos! Time to go, just wanted to check in! peas

DH fixed the computer! Sometimes it is so nice being married to a geek! : ) He is laughing at me as I type this. We are about to go out and about again. Today we went on a guided bus tour of the city and then a ferry boat trip. Had lunch on the boat. I ate the inside of a chicken salad sandwich. Could tell there was a LOT of mayo, I think that is what made it go down ok. We will attempt dinner again. Felt horrible too b/c the restaurant last night was well over $100 for 3 of us! I did have a glass of wine! I was shnockered (word?) with 1/2 glass! I am SUCH a cheap date these days!!! time to get dressed, just checking in

Hi guys, greetings from Quebec. Thanks for all the advice and well wishes for traveling. The trip up was fine. I brought a protein bar for the flight and was surprised they served turkey subs. I ate a little of the meat and the tomato. During the layover I found a ff yogurt. We went to an amazing place for dinner, I was so looking forward to it! I ordered curry scallops and shrimp. Not sure what did it but after only 3 bites I had horrible pain! I guess I didn't chew well. I was afraid of pb and stopped eating. I was so bummed! Now in the hotel I am hungry. : ( just ate a dozen almonds and feel ok now. Tomorrow is a busy day of sight seeing. I am writing on my blackberry. My laptop is On the fritz! I think facebook farmtown gave me a virus! Dh is not happy. Tomorrow is our 8th wedding anniv! I told him... What do u get a guy who has everything? A really bad computer virus! Lol! Sorry for not commenting on posts, can't review while using phone. Will check posts in a day or two. Peasout!

Oh Long, Congrats!!! I absolutely ADORE weddings! I know you are glad you will look great in the photos! Now you have even more motivation to be good~ time to look for a dress! I know my Mom loved helping plan my wedding with me! Thanks Eva~ I know other people's pics helped me and try to pay it forward. Also It helps me see the changes and how far I have come already. Joann~ Don't fret about the 3/4 lb. VERY soon it will be down! And congrats on the friends' reaction! It is a good feeling when people NOTICE all the hard work! We have seen Cars about 3000 times! LOL! We also collected all the diecast ones from the movie! Nelson still loves that movie. I know you will have a great time seeing them. I am sure your DD will appreciate it so much! Nothing like a mom's love for sure! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!:w00t::thumbup::drool::thumbup::wink2::laugh::biggrin::wink::biggrin::thumbup::thumbup::wink2::drool::thumbup::laugh: I am so very proud of you! And JUST in time for your bandiversary!!!! WTG!!! YOU inspire me kiddo! ok guys~ I am busy busy packing for our trip to Quebec, Canada! Of course packing means packing for 3 of us! And the weather is supposed to be in the high 40s/50s at night which makes it tricky for us Floridians! LOL. I am looking forward to getting away. This will be first trip since banding where we are flying, not driving. So I am limited on what stuff I can bring. I am not bringing Protein stuff, etc. I am sure I will be just fine, but it makes me a bit nervous. We will be doing lots of sight seeing and walking. A few boat trips, the ferry and then to go whale watching! We will have wifi, so I will likely bring the laptop. Always comes in handy for Nels to watch movies on too... and to look up sightseeing stuff. Have a good week everybody! ~peasout!

I am glad you emailed her. I am concerned too. I hope she is ok. I know you will keep us informed! Thanks Janet. Meredith~ Glad you got your lentil soup you were craving. I made some today actually! I add lots of veggies (onion, carrots and celery) to make it even healthier. A one pot wonder if you will. Oh, before I forget about the Muscle Milk. Make sure you get the Muscle Milk LIGHT! The regular MM is too high in fat and sugar. (230 cal/25 grams protein). I have only found the Light in vanilla and chocolate. I ONLY drink the chocolate- the vanilla tastes like baby formula to me. LOL. It depends where you are on what you are eating and how many calories you consumed for the day. MM Light - It's 160 calories and 20 grams of Protein. I generally have it as a snack in between meals if my protein is low for the day. I usually have it mid-morning as I am tight in the morning and can usually only have a coffee and a Yoplait 100 cal yogurt for Breakfast. At GNC they have the 100 cal/8 oz bottles (15 grams of protein). I try to buy those when I can. Muscle Milk Light Ready-To-Drink It's late. I am pooped. Time for bed. Oh, I added photos to my profile. Wanted to add lots of fat before ones for comparison. I told my DH that he can take photos now..LOL.. for the last year or so he has not been able to take any unless I said so. :smile: Hope everyone is doing ok. peasout~

Welcome young! PSL is around the corner from me! WOW, if you do make it down, we should meet for coffee or something. I live in the boonies so it's exciting when someone has actually HEARD of this area! Good luck with your upcoming surgery. I also have sleep apnea. Silly me made the appt for the study before finding out if my surgery actually covered WLS. After I got the results, I found out I had an exclusion! I still got the CPAP. My sleep quality improved tremendously! I also find when I wake up around 3 or 4 that I have to take it off. Now that I have lost 1/2 of the weight my husband says I do not snore now. I never had true apneas, but rather my Oxygen levels dropped b/c of airway noise. My guess is at goal I will not need it. But I love the humidifier, it really keeps my nose clear with my allergies. WOW WOW WOW!!!:scared2::thumbup::scared2: WTG~ Congrats on two years kiddo! You have been such a successful banster! We are all proud to know you and thank you for being a mentor and teacher to us all! Happy Anniversary to you too!!!!!!! WOW! Congrats! Conrats Phyllis! And I LOVE the new hair! Your band anniversary is one day before my wedding anniv! You can ask them for some at the hospital, you don't need to buy them. They also sell little plastic cups at the grocery store that are 60cc, so you can just fill them half way. Bill4/Nicole~ Welcome! Congrats on your success so far. It is sooo important to keep a food diary! I find that if I don't get 60-80 gms of Protein a day, then I am hungry. Really keep track, and that will help. Weight Loss - Diet Ticker Then go to edit signature and paste your link there. Make sure and put the privacy to public if you want people to see your graph. Hope this helps OK... CBL! Laura

Oh Charlene~ What fastastic news! I am sure he has the BEST person in the world caring for him now! Tell him we all said GET WELL SOON! ~Laura