ifyourstomachoffendsyou

LOL Apples. Hopefully those live cultures in the Kefir will restore my system. Tasted good too. Might make that part of my daily diet. Without sugar added its very low glycemic. With the splenda it tastes great. Can maybe add my own flavors. Cheri

Feel better Apples. Laura, good to hear from you again. You are doing well. Beating yourself up never helps you lose weight. All newbies joining in--welcome. Keep coming back. Worked today. Had major gas problems but otherwise OK. There was no place safe today to go fart. The smell traveled or people walked right through what was an empty spot--including the principal. Struggled to keep a straight face as people reacted and not give away the source. People asked if Phillip was around, a student with a known intestinal issue. Went home early and howled in my car most of the way home with laughter tears washing away all my mascara. Funny. Farts are always funny. Stopped at a health food store and picked up some SF Kefir. Took it home and added some splenda. Hopefully, it'll regulate my intestines. Also picked up some Biotin. Can help with Sjogren's dry eye and mouth syndrome as well as nails, hair, and scalp. Well, wanna run to Kohl's for a pants exchange before church choir tonight. Cheri

Oww, oww, oww, Apples. Be better.

Yep! You need a fill. Go for it. Then you have to startworking on your head and your thinking. Try exercising when you want to eat. Buy some sugar free Snacks to substitute for high carb high fat foods. You can do this!

So yesterday's gas may have been prelude to the stomach bug. Up all night with gas pain and joint pain, started throwing up early in the morning. Not the same as pbing. Called in and took the day off. Slept a lot. Been slowiy sipping Water, decaf with a little milk, and a Protein drink. No longer queazy but my lower legs and feet keep aching. Must be working its way through my system. Think I'll soak in the tub to finish the process. Seems like a 24 hr. bug. Cheri

Arlene, sorry for the pain. Sounds like you're still doing well with sticking to Protein even if not shakes. Apples, nice recap. Lori, nice deals. Doesn't quite make up for missing your family. Melissa. If you don't speak up and tell people to take the junk back out with them or make a point of throwing it in the garbage in front of them, they're going to keep flaunting it in your face. I have to periodically make a point with my husband. He just doesn't get that this is a lifelong disease, that the cravings are always there. Went to Panera Bread tonight to get my onion Soup and had a small steak and cheese sandwich witout the bread. Pbd for quite a while on just the soup, but finally opened up and could get it down. That made me happy. Hate wasting money. A couple more lbs and I should be able to eat out once in a while. Have been struggling with unbelievable gas at work and at home but at work I'm either farting in out loud at times or doing the silent but deadly thing. Poor kids. I often have no warning. Last night in bed my husband suggested he might be better sleeping outside with the skunks. It's the Atkins bars that do it so bad. However, I need something high protein to keep my cravings at bay throughout the day. Unfortunately, the vegetable Proteins and fiber really give me gas, especially if they contain chickory and/or a componant of chickory called inulin. Inulin actually stops your blood sugar from going up and prevents absorption of carbs, but it also creates unbelievable gas. Gotta go to bed. Gotta keep up with my sleep. Great pics Julie and Arlene. Cheri

Laura K, Nasty stuff going around. So far my immunity due to constant exposure to children is protecting me. Hope you fight it off quickly and get back on your feet. Tex, hope you're feeling better. Gotta eat a little before going to choir. Cheri

So, two new kids today. Fit in pretty good with their classes. Both have good classroom teachers. One of them I definitely need to find additional time for. I loved my rotisserie chicken with the pesto last night. I also tried some with the olive tapinade. Pretty good, and it did make it slide down without making me pb. Put some in a baggie today and took it to work with hummus mixed in. Also helped it slide down and tasted terrific. Band and stomach are feeling much better. Taking my meds with a little milk is definitely helping. Am back in weight zone, am not irritating my stomach with meds and pbing so its healing, so I'm enjoying my food now. Jodie. My band was really tight after my final fill. It was difficult to adjust to at first. I had to go back on Protein drinks and mushies till it healed and I needed to lose a few more lbs. Once I did that its been great. My recent problems came with gaining some of that weight back and with my meds irritating my stomach. I consider that final tight fill a gift that makes it almost impossible for me to gain weight without causing problems or to overeat without causing problems. See if doing liquids and mushies a few days and losing a few lbs helps you adjust. Your stomach is irritated again from the band and needs to heal. Cheri

The evil twin comes out now to watch Dexter. See ya'll later. Cheri

Good morning peeps, Just back from church. My DH worked all night so he's going to bed. I'm going to walk and then call various dear grandchildren to see with whom I can go trick-or-treating. I went grocery shopping for myself yesterday. Stocked up on my Atkins products that my DH can't remember to buy when he does the grocery shopping. I need them at work, especially, since I frequently need something I can just grab over the course of my 10 hour day. I also bought an herb and garlic rotisserie roasted chicken. I can pick off that today and tomorrow, but my main plan is to cut off and dice the chicken and freeze it in baggies to take to school for lunch. I bought little containers of basil pesto, olive tapinade, and hummus to add to the bags or to dip the chicken in. I also bought small containers of deli-made chili and broccoli cheese soup to bring to work or to make for myself at night. These will all get Protein into me without irritating my stomach and making me pb. The rotisserie chicken is just about the tenderest, juiciest chicken and dipped in these good-for-you condiments should slide through a little easier. I have lost 3 lbs and am back down to the top of my self-imposed weight range but I'm still really tight. My stomach is still irritated so I need protein sliders. That way I won't get too much Calcium from drinking too many Protein shakes. I plan to lose 4 more lbs by Thanksgiving so that I'll be at the bottom of my weight range and much more comfortable. I also noticed that the new meds I'm taking for my Sjogren's need to be taken with food or milk so I'm making sure I swallow them with milk and that I've had at least a little something to eat. That means I have to take the meds to work for now since I can't even get a Protein Drink down for over an hour. That may have been irritating my stomach as well and causing swelling which makes the band more restrictive. The main thing that will reduce the pbing and allow me to eat the meat I love that keeps me satisfied will be to lose the weight. Nothing loosens the band like losing the weight. So people, if you're pbing, you are probably eating too much, eating too fast, gaining weight, or eating things that irritate your stomach keeping it swollen. The band is a powerful tool. Listen to what it's telling you. Cheri

Hi all. Got banded June 18, 2009. Reached goal in January, 2010 just after turning 58 in Dec. Fifties way better than the 40's, except for dating at the end of my 40's after a rough divorce and my kids going through their teens and early 20's. Now my kids are all out of the house and I get to go see grandchildren. I have very meaningful work teaching at-risk urban children and I know I make a difference in their lives. I did have various repairs, removals, and replacements throughout my 40's and 50's but am currently in pretty good shape, especially now that the weight's off. Getting close to my 60's now. Should be an adventure. Cheri

Phyll, hope you get your energy back soon. Also hope they can do something about your neck and back pain. Now that you're settled in one place you can maybe also get back into onederland and beyond. Good for you, though, in not gaining all the weight back. I don't think we always give ourselves enough credit just for maintaining at whatever plateau we're on. Some have gained 10-15 lbs back but called a halt. Others aren't losing but they're not gaining. Many aren't losing but they're exercising so they're losing inches. This is a disease and it is life-long. The band is a tool but the disease can still take over. Kudos to all of us who post here and hold ourselves and each other accountable. We each have our peccadillos and can't all follow the same path. Some find journalling helpful, others don't. Some find counting carbs helpful, others find counting calories helpful, some can't accurately do either, like me. I just try to keep my Protein high and my carbs low and let the band help me with quantity. Some weigh everyday to hold themselves accountable, some weekly, some monthly. Some allow themselves daily treats, some weekly, and some monthly. Some exercise like demons and some can't exercise at all. The main thing is, we're all, despite falls off the wagon, working on managing this disease. We can't cure it, but with God's help and each other's, we can manage it. God bless you all ladies and gentlemen for being there for each other and for me. Cheri

Hi all. Had a pretty good week at work. New schedule is working well. However, 3 new students starting at our school Monday. One is just pre-school. However, 2 of them will need to be added to my schedule. One of them is coming to us from Wisconsin. Her mother "homeschooled" her and then died. A foster family put her in school where it was discovered that, though she was old enough for third grade, her academic scores were at kindergarten level. The school was providing massive help for her but grandmother, who lives in Chicago, sought custody and had to prove to the courts that she would provide good schooling where she would receive equivalent help. I couldn't promise equivalent help, but I wrote up what I could provide and talked to her sped teacher and compared methods. So grandma got custody and she's starting Monday. She is in second grade and currently tests at beginning of first grade. The other child has been out of our school since first grade and is returning as a 5th grader functioning at a mid-third grade level. Two weeks ago, I started two new kids I'd tested who also need help. One is testing at the 98th percentile in reading but below the 10th in math. Fortunately, he's only in third grade and I should be able to catch him up but I suspect a genuine learning disability in math. His half-sister is very high in computation but very low in math compreshension, so she is seeing me, too. This is the way it's like with every new kid we get. I think, when the parents find out about my program, it's one of the main reasons they send their kids to RCS. As long as RCS can keep its doors open, and some fool doesn't shut down No Child Left Behind or stop funding it, I have great job security. It means I work 10 hrs/day in order to accommodate these kids but that's my choice. I've reduced my group sizes by putting kids in before and after school and as long as my groups are small and I've neutralized behavior problems by making sure those kids are on the computers or are coming before school and not with their peers, I can just keep teaching. I do have at least one light period everyday where I just have 2 kids on the computer. I have an assistant two days a week, and another woman who comes in and tutors a couple of days a week. She is a theology student at McCormick Theological Seminary and is paid by them to tutor at our school. She got assigned to me to supervise so she comes in as her classes allow her. So, my food is OK, not terrific. The small weight gain has led to me being tight, which makes it hard for me to eat as much meat as I'd like. My high blood Calcium problems are also affecting my food choices. The Atkins products I like for treats all have high calcium in them. It's difficult to do 3 days of very low carbs when I can't use any of the products that worked for me while losing weight. Just the milk I put in my coffee contains almost all the calcium I need in one day. Add one Protein drink and I'm over the top. None of my parathyroid tests has come back abnormal. My blood calcium is only a small fraction above normal and they haven't found a cause, so I'm thinking it's just a physical anomaly of my body, and the amount of calcium I consume is probably not the cause. Nevertheless, I'm trying to at least not go over 200% of what I need. Woman my age are supposed to be taking 150% of the daily recommended dose to prevent bone loss, which I do have-though very mild-despite my high blood calcium. This is a very wierd thing. I've cut back my Vitamin D but I'm not eliminating it because its helped me so much with seasonal affective disorder. It's very hard for those of us of Northern European extraction who live in northern climates to get enough of it. My blood levels are high but not too high. However, combined with too much Calcium it could still be the cause of the high blood calcium levels. Especially since I use a laxative which can also lead to high blood calcium. So I'm trying to cut my laxative use as well, but I've been constipated since childhood. I eat a salad every night and take ground flax seed in the morning and at night and it makes no difference. So I'm frustrated. I have no time and no desire to cook. I don't enjoy eating out because I can eat so little and my husband can eat so much. Plus he eats extremely slowly because of his false teeth so I'm sitting there forever watching him eat. For an ADHD compulsive overeater, this is not a good thing. So I'm venting. If you didn't understand half of what I said, that's OK. The gist of it is that my calcium problems are causing me food choice problems since what works for me weight wise may not be good for my blood calcium levels. In addition, the slight weight gain has tightened my band enough that I'm having trouble eating enough meat and protein to satisfy me and keep my cravings at bay. This leads to eating sliders, which are always fat and carbs combined-a deadly combo. So I need to lose weight in order to loosen the band in order to eat right, but my tools for doing that have been compromised by my blood calcium. So I'm frustrated which is something I always used food to medicate. I'm not enjoying my meat because I start pbing so quickly on it, so eating is frustrating. I can't eat out because of pbing on meat and having to sit there and watch my husband eat for another half an hour while my food is cooling in front of me. Aargh. Cheri

Hi guys, TX, glad you're posting. Had a big bone spur and some rotator repair some years ago. Now my left shoulder has torn cartilage from a fall a couple of winters ago. Only really gives me trouble when I sleep. Can't lay on that side comfortably the way I used to. But I'm not willing yet for a surgical solution. And my experience with physical therapy for other injuries has not been great. I have full movement in shoulder, I just can't bear body weight well on my left shouder or sleep well on it at certain angles. I make sure I sleep on it in various positions that keep it from freezing up. I can just tell that something is torn and that kind of tear never really heals. Hope you heal fast and get full mobility and strength back quickly. I tend to heal very quickly from various joint surgeries. Don't even need physio afterwards. Pray you'll do as well. Arlene, counting the carbs and not the calories might be the way to go right now. With your metabolism so low its probably insulin resistance that's keeping it so low in addition to your meds. Even a small amount of carbs can trigger cravings for those sensitive to it. Even fruit can do it. Corn is like potatoes. Turns to sugar very fast in your system. Once your metabolism changes and your insulin resistance improves from losing the weight and increasing your exercise, good carbs can be increased and occassional not-so-good carbs like corn tolerated. Keep the goal in mind. You've experienced so much improvement in your health. Some of it is from the weight loss itself, and some is from the elimination of carbs from your diet, including the lessening of your FM pain. You can do this, as can we all. Cheri

Arlene/Charlene, You eat way more than I can. Two eggs? I'd be pb'ing after just a couple of bites. A turkey burger? Again, can't eat a whole one, much less a salad or veggies on the side.Are you adding stuff to them that turns them into sliders? Do you need a fill? Are you putting a lot of fruit in your salad? Sugar in your salad dressing? Is it sugar free yoghurt? How much sugar is in muscle milk? If you're going to purge the carbs, do it totally for a couple of days. Read the fine print on everything. Then add back the veggies, then some fruit, then maybe something like popcorn or other whole grains in very small quantities. You do not have the metabolism for carbs. Janet does. Someday, when you have the weight off, and can exercise more, your metabolism may pop up. Your blood sugar and insulin resistance will regulate themselves once you lose weight and your metabolism should improve. Mine did. I was able to add back some carbs and still keep the weight off. Atkins products are some of the best for keeping Protein high and carbs that count extremely low. Very cold here tonight as well. Dramatic drop in temp. Still windy. Oz. by Oz. Lb by Lb. The weight creeps down. (Or up.) So far going down. I'm on the band-wagon to lose 4 lbs by Thanksgiving. That'll put me at the bottom of my weight range. That way I can enjoy Thanksgiving guilt-free. Cheri

Prayers are with you Tex. I've gone through double knee replacement surgery and major 6 hour neck surgery as well as a hysterectomy and shoulder surgery not to mention lap band surgery. For me a little R&R means going to the hospital for repairs and replacements. Each one has brought improvement in my health and well-being, so very worth it. It will be for you, too. Sun today but still very windy. Two more days of teaching. Going well. Lost it with a student this morning. In front of the principal. Talked to her dad and put together an action plan. Most students and teachers don't ever see me that angry, but this girl has been lieing to me, her parents, before school monitors in order to avoid coming to my room before school to do her computer program and her little sister doesn't come either. I keep holding that spot open for her because her mom and dad want her in there. So when I found her outside doing before school recess instead of in my room I snapped. Gave her a documented detention and called parents who will now walk her to my door to make sure she makes it into my room. Every child and adult on the playground turned to look when I ordered her in no uncertain terms to "Get into my room, now!" Once I got her on the computer I actually took a walk to calm down before I continued teaching the other kids in the room. I have a voice that can cut glass if I need it to. I just can't abide sneaks and liars. Cheri

I tell everyone. Part of recovery is accountability. Helps me walk the straight and narrow. Also want to inspire others. Gave up caring what people think a long time ago. Cheri

Wow Jessica! You go girl. Stay on your meds and you can do phenomenally. Your son is doing well now. You absolutely ooze confidence. Hope the food is going well, too. I'd say go for it all. You're at the perfect age and you are doing great. Cheri

TX can't believe its already time. I remember the combo of fear and anticipation. And determination. Sick and tired of being sick and tired. Keep that feeling alive. We'll help. Cheri

Just called Desert Rose. They want everyone to call. They're keeping track of everyone affected. They have a web site you can contact for updated info. Its www.shellvacationsclub.com and if you want additional info contact 877shell10 (phone). So far all the info available is that they had a breach that affected credit card and debit. Investigators are working on it. Sounded like it might have been shellvacations in general that was affected not just Desert Rose. Cheri

Any exercise makes me hungry. However, swimming always makes me pee a lot so I'm thinking you may drop a lot of Water, which can make the stomach less swollen and make the band less restrictive allowing the pouch to feel less full and you experience hunger. Just a theory. The only snack to have is a Protein snack or you'll undo all your good work in the water. Protein Drink, meat, protein low or no carb bars, low fat (not no-fat) cheeze, etc. We're looking into some warmer arthritis pools. I'd really like to get back into swimming but I can't stand the colder water they use in the community pools near me. I can't warm up in the jacuzzi's because they use such strong chlorine and the jets force it into my skin and cause hives. Had a good day at work today. The new scheduling seems already to make an improvement. A few calls to key parents helped. Got choir tonight. Singing Handel's Messiah Dec. 5. Love it. My basement is getting done just in time for Thanksgiving. I usually make the turkey and have people over. I'm also having Ken's side of the family for Christmas Eve. Hasn't been my turn in years so basement is just in time. Also in charge of Christmas Party at work. Will have it at my house. Expensive even though everyone brings stuff. But, won't have that many parties again for a while. We're supposed to be getting very high winds from the West the next few days and severe heavy rainstorms. Hopefully, all the waterproofing will save my basement. We had draintile put in, and a new sump pump and back up pump with battery pack. Better hold up. All that new drywall would be ruined. But we have a guarantee of no water from Permaseal. Well, gotta hydrate before choir. Julie, thanks for updating us. Glad things are going so well. Cheri

Congrats, Eva. If I had my masters I could maybe do educational consulting when I'm done teaching. I think about it but I hate school. LOL. Why doesn't anyone write on weekends when I have more time to check this and read? Back into battle tomorrow morning. Need prayer. Up against a street culture that, like Satan, roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom it may devour. I realize that as urban teachers we are on the front lines against powers of darkness that want to destroy these kids. Prayer is the most powerful weapon we have. That might sound melodramatic but its not. All the politicians argue over Al Quaida and illegal immigrants and ignore the warzones in their own cities. Third world countries right here in the USA. A plague on both their houses. By the way, did you know I'm the granddaughter of an illegal immigrant? Wonder if the authorities will deport me to Holland. LOL.

Arlene, swimming should be good for your back or Water walking as long as you move gently and don't push yourself. Also, if you can hang upright in the water with your back and lower body totally relaxed it will gently pull things straight again and relief any nerve compresseion. You can do it hanging on to a kickboard or with your hands on the side of the pool. If you sit on a kickboard and hold your balance you will work the tiny muscles along the spine that hold your spine in place. Tell your trainer that you're having back problems so he modifies any exercises he's having you do. If you lay on your back put a rolled up towel under the curve of your lower back and your knees on top of a pillow. If you roll onto your side keep the towel supporting that same part of you but put the pillow between your knees. I've slept that way for years and it really keeps my spine in place. I also drive with a lower back support. After weight loss, weight is redistributed in ways the back isn't used to. In addition, you're using muscles that haven't been used now that you're moving more freely and adding exercises. If these muscles are pulled or start spasming they can pull on your spinal column and misalign it. Jodi, how blessed you are by Apple's largesse. Sounds like the clothes are perfect for the community you live in and their modesty requirements as well as being classically styled so they're always in style. Sounds like they're colors that would flatter you as well. Laura, you survived! And now you have the blessing and excitement of your husband's return. Nelson is so lucky to have parents that have such a loving relationship. He receives so much love from the two of you and he gets to experience the love you have for each other. What a great gift you've given him. And its obvious he reciprocates. And now you've chosen to spread that love around with your volunteer work. You are an amazing woman. Janet I'm so sad your sister is approaching the final stages of COPD. Was she a smoker? She must be so scared. It will be hard to not be judgemental with her for her choices. You and she have had issues haven't you? I'm sure you have many mixed feelings about trying to be there for her. Well guys, one more lb to be back in my goal range, then another 2 lbs to be safely back in the middle of that range. Got lots of exercise the past several days. Walked in South Bend along the river and what they a call East Race--a diversion from the river at the point where they have dammed up the river and have a series of mini-falls. Don't know if this is flood control in a spot where the river drops rapidly or creates electricity. But the East Race is a diverted section that has been set up for rafting and kayaking as the water flows down. I also went dancing with my roommate at a nearby bar. Motown. Also went for walks yesterday and today. Weather was perfect for walking. Went dancing last night with my husband also. Now church and hopefully another walk. Then tomorrow back to reality. Students in my room at 7:30. Have been rearranging my schedule to reduce my stress levels. Take a child out of a situation where they have an audience and start seeing them at a time where they have none, and suddenly they start to learn and you can build a relationship with them. Reduce the number of children you see at one time and you can get a lot more done with those who remain. So my days get longer but my stress goes down. I can teach for hours and hours as long as I'm not fighting with obstructive behaviours or working with groups that are too large that defeat the purpose of small group instruction. Went to GS's Grandparent's day last Friday on my way back from South Bend. He was so happy to see me. I was very surprised at how few students there were in his kindergarten. All 3 classes were no more than 10 students. Its amazing what a school can accomplish when the financial base of the community can support it. Plus they also have many poor areas in the area which is partially rural and they qualify as a Title I school so they have that money coming in as well. However, they do not have a good systematic direct instruction multi-sensory phonics program which surprises me. All the current research and evidence-based best practice recommendations support the need for this, especially for children at risk. Well, gotta get ready for church. Have a great Sunday. Cheri

Fills are very important. When you find you can eat what you want and almost as much as you want, its time for a fill. But first after surgery you're healing up. That's bandster hell time. It may take more than one fill before you really feel restriction. Also, as you lose weight the band will loosen and you will probably continue to need fills. Follow the rules of the band. After the mushie stage eat mostly protein, then some veggies, a little fruit if room, dessert for special occassions.

My daughter, a former police officer, said that after we fill out our paperwork and tell the cc. co. that there were others, that they would tell us if we need to file an affidavit with the LV police. The fraud departments are better equipped than the police to handle it. Cheri