andrea0121

honk, I know I should jump on it now. I'm so paranoid that someone might say or think (heaven forbid) something mean about me. I'm going to look around and see if I can get a membership to our wellness center just for pool usage. Thanks for the heads up about the waterproof MP3 player, that's awesome!!!!

I have nothing pertinent to add, but this cracked me up. My aunt has HORRIBLE rheumatoid arthritis. Horrible....she's had booth her feet broken to try and straighten them out...anyway, swimming is about all she can do and is wonderful for her. I swam competitively all through grade and high school. I was fit as can be, the only time I had any issues was when swimming breaststroke and having my knees pop. Otherwise nothing else ever bothered me. It's wonderful cardio too. I can't wait to get some lbs off and go swimming again.

Awesome awesome awesome. Well done, and thank you for sharing!!!

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/01/tea-party-group-blames-leftist-for-giffords-shooting/69153 Tea Party Group Blames 'Leftist' for Giffords Shooting JAN 9 2011, 1:49 PM ET400 Showing no sign of tamping down on divisive political rhetoric in the wake of the shooting of 20 people that left six dead in Tuscon Saturday, the Tea Party Nation group e-mailed its members Sunday warning them they would be called upon to fight leftists in the days ahead and defend their movement.TPN founder Judson Phillips, in an article linked off the e-mail "The shooting of Gabrielle Giffords and the left's attack on the Tea Party movement," described the shooter as "a leftist lunatic" and Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik as a "leftist sheriff" who "was one of the first to start in on the liberal attack." Phillips urged tea party supporters to blame liberals for the attack on centrist Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, who was shot through the head and is now fighting for her life, as a means of defending the tea party movement's recent electoral gains. "The hard left is going to try and silence the Tea Party movement by blaming us for this," he wrote. Clinton used the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing to "blame conservative talk radio, especially Rush Limbaugh" and "The tactic worked then, backing conservatives off and possibly helping to ensure a second Clinton term." "The left is coming and will hit us hard on this. We need to push back harder with the simple truth. The shooter was a liberal lunatic. Emphasis on both words," he wrote. The Tea Party Nation is the sponsor of the Tea Party Convention at which former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was the keynote speaker in February 2010. "America is ready for another revolution!" Palin told the assembled at the conference, to standing ovations. Other tea party groups took a less combative tone. Tea Party Express Chairwoman Amy Kremer said Saturday her group was "shocked and saddened" by the "terrible tragedy." "These heinous crimes have no place in America, and they are especially grievous when committed against our elected officials. Spirited debate is desirable in our country, but it only should be the clash of ideas," Kremer said in a statement published by the New York Times. "An attack on anyone for political purposes, if that was a factor in this shooting, is an attack on the democratic process. We join with everyone in vociferously condemning it."

OMG that quiche sounds fabulous, yum! I'll have to print that out.

I had my first fill today. I found out I have a 9cc band and had 3cc's in at surgery. She added 1 more today for a total of 4. My Dr numbs it first and then puts the LB needle in. That just felt like pressure. I've lost 9.5 lbs since surgery. I kind of stalled since switching to solid foods. Hopefully with the next couple fills I'll have some restriction and get back to losing. Plus our treadmill came today so I have that to work out on too. Woohoo!

Dave, you just explained my pre-op hunger to the letter. Same thing with post-op. As I'm typing my stomach is growling, I certainly feel hungry...I'm trying to drink water to quiet it up a little bit...but I'm not dyinggggggggggggg. Unfortunately, I only go about 2 hours before starting to get that growling hunger again. It does not take much for the feeling to go away though. I go for my first fill this afternoon so I'm curious to see how that will work for me, maybe I'll be able to go 2.5 hrs instead of 2.

Tomorrow is my first fill, and I need to find out why I'm having odd chest pain and headache when I breathe in super deep. Kinda creeped out by that.

I haven't burped since surgery, lol. BUT, this headache thing, OMG I thought my bf was going to have to take me to the hospital last night. It was brutal. Stabbing pain and it seriously probably took over an hour to go away. I thought I ate too much, but maybe I ate too fast?? I've only been on 'real' foods for a little over a week. I didn't have anything crazy, 4 little chicken tenders and some cheese. Didn't drink either. I'm glad I'm not alone....even though it's a crap side effect.

Has anyone had shooting pains in their head (it's not like a headache...it's literally stabby/shooting pains on the left side)? I ate dinner last night and must have over indulged, my pouch was definitely full, about 10 mins after finishing eating I got the horrible pains in my head. Scared me. I go on Friday for a fill so I'm going to ask the PA as well.

God! Is your (former) bff my bff? Same scenario. I was DREADING telling her about having WLS. Her older sister had gastric bypass; my friend and her husband would just give her major hell about it...still do 12 years later. The sister had an open bypass and it took months for her to heal, but they'd make fun of her saying "well Hollie, guess it was all those sit ups you did after surgery that got you to lose that weight." Looking back now, I feel bad for Hollie knowing that there's no way in hell she could exercise. Trust me, I helped change her bandages plenty of times. You could stick your whole fist if not more into her wound (for a size comparison). Soooo, yeah, I was quite hesitant to tell my bff anything. Sure as sh!t, she started making snide remarks. I haven't talked to her since before Halloween. Her and I have been through a lot together too. She was there for me when I lost my brother in 08 (she'd lost her little sister to brain cancer in 98) amongst many other tough situations. This just really pissed her off. She's slightly over weight too so I'm sure most of it is jealously. Oh well, people like that don't deserve our company IMO.

Thanks for the posts ladies. My surgeon didn't have any weird pre-op or post-op requirements. I too was back on normal food after 2 weeks. I was starting to feel like the odd one out since everyone in the Dec 2010 group has all these diets they had to be on before or after surgery. I'm losing weight, not massive amounts but I am losing, I also have my first fill on Friday. So far so good.

Lordy I wish I had this problem. I'm the exact opposite, I don't know which is worse.... Someone suggested Miralax, I used that postop and have been moving ever since...ugh. lol.

Jeez you guys, I was banded 3 weeks ago and have only lost 9lbs!!! hahahahah, be happy with what you've lost! Is it all post-op? My dietitian told me straight away that as soon as you move to more solid foods you'll either plateau or gain weight, so it sounds like that's what's happening with you. Congrats on the 17lbs lost!!!

I had surgery on the 8th and went back on the 20th. My port sits high, or my boobs are so big that they sit on the port...one or the other...so sitting in a chair was very uncomfortable for me for the first week+. Sounds like a lame excuse but it's feasible, I also had to go buy no underwire bras so that I could go back to work and sit all day, hahah. I would say no less than a week to play it on the safe side. Good Luck!

Hi, I was banded on 12/8 and have only lost 9lbs, so don't feel out of the norm. I see a LOT of people on here saying DO NOT compare yourself to others. Trust me though, it's hard as hell to see people who've only been banded 2 weeks losing 15+ lbs, but you can't compare. Watch your over eating, I'm not going to lie - I ate Cookies and fudge several times over the Christmas weekend.....I don't think that was on my NUT plan. Keep your head up, watch your portions. I went to the dietitian today and she said DO NOT go much over 1/4 a cup of food. I can have a snack in-between meals that is high in Protein only, and at the same portion size...but try not to go over. I'm starving, trust, but it's worth it. Some of us just don't lose as quickly as others, and hell, I'm almost 300lbs I should be losing a lot quicker but it's just not happening. I too can start exercising next week, I purchased a treadmill that should be coming next week...can't wait to do that in the comfort of my own home. Plus it's cold out. Good luck, just know you're in good company!!

I just bought one off walmart's website with site to store shipping for free. I figured I'd buy a cheaper one (this one was $300) and see if I can get in the groove of it. It's better than committing to a year of gym membership, which around here can be close to about 50 bones a month. The bummer for you is that you're on the second floor, that really stinks. You can try to order one, set it up and ask your downstairs neighbors if they can hear it going, and if they can, can they tolerate it for 45mins a day, and if so when would be good times for them. If it doesn't work out, save the packing material and take it back to the store. That's why I got the one I did from there, they'll take it back if it doesn't work out. Good luck!

I had my 3 week post-op nutrionist appointment today. I've been moved on to normal (soft) foods. I still have to get in 1 protein drink a day, but she thinks I'll be fine getting it elsewhere. I'm only down 9lbs since surgery, I wonder if that's because I was on purees the next day out? Weird. Either way I'm soooooo super happy I've lost any weight. Between everything I have going on (1/4 of a thyroid and PCOS) I'm happy to be losing at all. Next week I'm allowed to exercise. I bought a treadmill since I live north of Chicago and the weather isn't really conducive to walking outside. Glad everyone is doing so well!!! OH, I go for my first fill on Jan. 7th, woot!!!

This! I didn't have a pre-op diet either. I actually asked my surgeon why I didn't need to do one, he said it's a waste of time. He doesn't need the liver to 'shrink' in-order to install the band correctly.

Today is your day!!! I hope all goes well for you. I'm almost 3 weeks out and am feeling great. The first few or more days are pretty rocky, but I promise you'll be feeling better and be happy with your decision!!! I've lost 9lbs post-op and on mushies and am quiet pleased. Update us when you can.

Lol, I just freaked out about the straw thing. I've been seriously drinking through a straw since I woke up from surgery 2 weeks ago!!! I almost had a heart attack, . Don't beat yourself up, OP....just get back to it.

I've lived off of pureed chili (with a dab of shredded cheese melted in). I wasn't on a pre-op diet and I only had 1 day of liquids, but the chili tastes so good compared to anything else I mushed up for the pureed stage.

So weiiiird. I left the hospital on pureed foods (I only stayed the night because I had a later surgery time). I feel bad for you guys on liquids that long after surgery. I'm hungry now and I'm eating stuff with substance!!! I do only need a little bit to satiate me though, so that's good. For those concerned with weight gain while in the hospital, I gained too....this Wednesday will be 2 weeks and as of this morning I've lost 10lbs since surgery. Your body will swing back once all the fluids they pumped into you goes away.