L8BloomR

OHMYGOSH, what a terrible encounter!! I am so glad you could write it here and get it out, so many times we have a hurtful experience and we just keep it to ourselves out of embarrassment. That was so awful, but I am impressed with how you handled yourself... I loved your comment back to him!!! You did great!! He sounds like a terrible person.... probably drunk and/or drugged up, with alot of rage. Hopefully, he left there in a rage and got stopped by the cops for reckless driving.... then he probably got violent with them and they had to spray him with mace, then cuff him and beat him up on the ground.... ooops, must be all those "Cops" shows my sons used to watch!! Anyway, one can only hope. Rest assured that he WILL get his!! It always happens!! And be gentle with yourself--- this was HIS problem, not yours!! Hang in there.... you really did yourself proud! Karen

BJean, I haven't seen anyone here call anyone else "traitors" or "unChristian"... Where do you see that? And I also don't see anyone stopping anyone else from criticizing the President or the country. But many of us on this side shudder when we hear "Bush is a drunk", "Bush is an idiot", etc., because not only is it non-constructive, it demeans the man at a time of war. You are intitled to say whatever you want, we are intitled to wish you wouldn't. Why does that bother you so much? Are you the only one that can have an opinion?

Dpingl and Mousecrazy: Thanks, you guys!! Those were great posts!! I expected to get "flamed" like crazy, but I really am gratified that it hasn't happened (so far...!) and I really respect the way you responded with intelligence and grace. You guys rule! Karen

Dani, what kinds of healthy foods do you usually like to eat? If I were you I would keep a large and varied supply of them so that you will have alot to chose from depending on your mood. I would be very careful to not have anything around that is off-diet. Especially at first when you are trying to find your way around your eating issues. Make sure to eat frequently at first and try really hard to keep your Protein levels high. Good luck---keep posting and asking questions and you will do this! Karen

Hi Carlene, I think you are thinking of a different thread, since I was sort of following one that did switch to abortion (but I didn't respond there.) This one stayed pretty much on topic, but there have been alot of threads like this going on since it is/was a political season, and it is hard to keep them straight sometimes! Also, I do want to tell you that I always enjoy your posting on Catholic issues, as I am also Catholic and appreciate your knowledge of Church history. Thank you for the time you take to get it right! Karen

Tom, wow---they sure fed you differently at your hospital than most of us got fed!! I suppose if you were able to eat like that there, then what you are eating right now will not be too much of a problem. I don't know about everyone else, but my "liquid diet" list includes yogurt, pudding, and Protein drinks, and was to last for 1 week. Now on week 2 I can have mashed potatoes, babyfood, cottage cheese, etc. You are alittle ahead of most of us! I, too, do not have problems swallowing anything I have had so far. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad one!! We will have to be very careful until we get a fill so that we can continue to lose weight. Good luck---It sounds like you are doing good so far! Oh, and I have lost 10 pounds in my first week!:dance: Karen

Goodness gracious... 20 pounds lost??? You have done so well---be proud! :clap2: Remember what we have all heard from this board. Until we have a fill, we are able to eat pretty much whatever so we have to be careful. Some of us eat from emotion and therefore we will have to spend alot of time dealing with those issues. It is not going to happen overnight! Brooksie, please don't beat yourself up over this; you will only add to the problem. Just start fresh as of right now, and try not to have the foods that trigger your eating anywhere nearby. You have done so well, and you will continue to. BELIEVE!!! Karen

Carlene, I did go back and searched the entire thread. I could find no badgering or "nasty" posts by any Republicans. Please direct me to the post #. Can't we all be considered "passionate", instead of "nasty"? Karen

Bigbootygirl, I think only Republicans should speak for Republicans...so I will tell you, as a Republican, why I think most of us don't bother with these political threads. I have seen and experienced the onslaught of attacks directed at anyone who thinks differently from the Democrats... While Republicans allow Democrats to have their say without badgering them on their beliefs, the same does not hold true for most Dems. If a Republican questions or debates, they are "mean-spirited", but Dems can call names, question the intelligence of Republicans, even openly discuss with smugness and superiority (as if they know for a fact) Republican values and morality, as if we are all one and the same .... and they are called "passionate". Now, I know I am inviting attack AGAIN for even posting here, but honestly, I should have the right to state an opinion without anyone questioning me ad nauseum. I don't have the same amount of time that some others here have for endless debate. I am rational, intelligent, well-read, AND compassionate, and it has been my experience that most of my fellow Republicans are the same. We live in a world of liberal media, liberal thinking and political correctness, yet we manage to sift through it all and hold onto our beliefs and values. I am proud to be a Republican, a conservative, and a Christian. Karen

THANK YOU JDRU AND OBERHASLI!! I just ordered the book---Amazon should give you a commission!! donamarie---- WELCOME! :welcome2: You and I were banded on the same date! Keep coming back to this site and sharing your progress so we can all help each other, OK? Day six is almost over---I get to start on mushies tomorrow.... yummmm..... Karen

Kristi, I was surprised to hear about the pill not going down....since I have been taking all my meds without crushing or breaking and they go down fine. One pill in particular is very large. The surgeon told me that I should do that because there is really no restriction without a fill and it wouldn't be a problem. Did you get a fill so soon after surgery? Karen

Cassandra, How long has it been since your sister was diagnosed? My cancer was already in my lymph nodes. But it has been 15 years now and I am cancer free.... please let her know that! How's the pre-op fast going? Hang in there---you will be glad you did! Karen

Angela, I am finally getting over the diarrhea...:clap2: Now maybe I can walk a little bit further than from here to the bathroom?? I think switching to yogurt and thicker liquids made the difference...something for my body to work on alittle Thanks for sharing Penni's news. Oh, and I already know the great doctor in Ventura; Dr. Billie, right? I plan to switch over to him as soon as my insurance coverage runs out on the Fountain Valley doc I have now. Thanks for the info!! Yes, there is a train from Ventura to Burbank!! Let me check it out a little and I will get back to you with the info. That was a great idea!! Glad you are doing so well!! Karen

Karen, Thanks for your support. I am doing much better now, gas and few aches here there is it. (I am a bit concerned about slippage just due to all the previous heaving.:sick I THINK I am down about 11 pounds as of today. Have not figured out how to move my ticker?? I am eating soups and yogurts and few other very liquid mushies. I move to full mushies Wed. I have already found it I don't drink slowly I get a tightness in my chest. I walked today for the 1st time, it was nice to get out! I also have one shoulder that is sore because its the side that I have been sleeping on..I thought it was gas but don't think so now ..?? How are you doing? Do you still have all your tape on? One of mine came off in the shower today..?? Dpingl, I didn't have staples, so no tape! The surgeon used a type of glue that will wear off after awhile. It has been nice to not feel the "pull" of stitches/staples, or to deal with leakage. I know from experience how much better you will feel after the staples come out, so hang on until then! As for your shoulder, I had that for the first 4 days, now it is just a pain in the left side.... 11 pounds down??? WOW!!! Is that since your surgery or from the pre-op diet?? WAAHHHHHH :cry I want to have lost 11 pounds!!!!! Good for you! Karen

I LOVE the stuff!! It has helped me so much, even before I got banded last week. I can't have whey based proteins, yet due to blood sugar issues I must have alot of protein to feel good. This was the perfect answer...25g or protein in about 3 swallows....mixed in a sweet, tropical juice. Just go online and search for Profect.... you should get their website. If you can't find it, let me know and I will find the link and send it to you. It's not cheap, but it sure has helped me especially now that I am post-op. Good luck! Karen

Hi Patricia, I just had my surgery last Wednesday, also, and have had diarrhea since the day after! Today is the first day that I am better, and I believe it is because I started eating foods with more to them, like yogurt and Cream of Wheat. I think the yogurt at least should help. Have your friend try them, if possible, even if she can only get down a little. And I do think that having diarrhea is better than having constipation. I seem to have less problem with the gas pains then those who can't "go". There is always a silver lining! Good luck to your friend and to you! Keep us posted! Karen

Hi Angela!!! I'm so glad you are doing good!! Talk to you soon!! Karen

:gluck: to SHERRIE, BETSYJANE, KEE, AMY, TROPICALJILL, KELLY, AND MRS.832, who are being banded this coming week!! You will do GREAT---you'll see!! Please report back as soon as you are able, and know that we will be thinking and praying for you! Karen

Jackye, I felt pretty weak for the first couple of days after my surgery, until I was able to get down something with more substance then just the clear liquids. TRY to get down a protein shake, and I wouldn't try too hard to keep it very-low carb, just in case your body is like mine and needs some carbs. See if that will get rid of that queasy feeling.... it really helped me. I used plain soy milk, and didn't go for the "light" kind, and my protein powder has a few carbs, also. It is still "low", but sometimes our bodies may need a little time to make the transition from how we used to eat, to this new way. Good luck and let us know how you are doing! Karen

:welcomeB: Mrs.832 and apinksoprano!! I am glad you are joining us!! Keep posting and ask any questions you may have---we are in this together!! Karen

Cassandra, what an adorable picture of you both!! You look so cute and in love... thanks for sharing this!! Thanks also for the kind words about my surgery. How is your sister doing since her thyroid cancer? Are you getting better with your nervousness? Is your boyfriend? Show him this list and all of us who are reporting back so soon after surgery---it may make him feel better and help him to understand what you will be going through afterward, OK? Good luck with the pre-op diet! Karen

Jess, I am only 4 days out from my banding, but I do remember talking to the doctor on release from the hospital, and she told me that there is no restriction of the band right now, that as the swelling goes down there will be nothing holding me back from eating, and I need to be careful about what I choose. I would suspect that the food you ate just passed through the stoma easily and there was no damage, but it does mean that you will need to get a fill as soon as you can. I think you should stay away from situations that require you to eat, and I would NEVER go all day without eating much. I am hungrier than I thought I would be so soon after surgery, so I am careful to eat every couple of hours so that I don't get the "crazy hungry" feeling. If I were you I would become a hermit for awhile, at least at mealtimes, and plan in advance the liquid meals you will be having and the schedule for them....and stick to it. Don't beat yourself up over this, you have been one way for a long time, and it isn't going to change overnight! Let yourself heal, talk to your doctor, and go easy on yourself, this is a huge commitment we have made and there will be times that we all fail. Good luck and congrats on realizing you don't want to keep doing this kind of thing! Karen

WOW, that was quick!! I am so glad "everything came out ok"... :biggrin1: Are your gas pains better now?? Keep on getting better!! Karen

Dpingl, I am soooo sorry that you didn't do as well as you had hoped. I usually do get sick for the day after a surgery, but it didn't happen this time. I can't imagine why you had such trouble. Well, it can only get better from here on out, huh?? Please get well soon and let us know how you are doing. We will have some numbers to compare, since we got banded on the same day! Keep us posted on your progress, please!! Karen

CJay, congrats on your successful banding!! I just had mine done on Wednesday, and I am already doing great like you! I had a similiar experience in the hospital, but mine was with the breathing tube. But since then I have done well, and I give so much credit to this forum and all I have learned here. I love how you phrased your last thought: about dancing and living life again. I understand completely!! Keep posting and sharing your progress, it helps us all! :clap2: Karen