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I've read where alcoholics do that. That if you go to AA meetings, there's always a huge urn of coffee and an overflowing ashtray outside the door. I think the theory is if you have an addictive personality, you'll trade in one vice for another. However, that said...I quit smoking so I could have this surgery. I've tried to quit many times before, but apparently didn't want to bad enough (and thankfully, now there's Chantix!). I haven't replaced my cigs w/ anything, although I still want one about once a day. I also gave up diet cokes for the surgery and haven't replaced those w/ anything either. My hubbling always said he was sure if I ever needed a transfusion they'd have to give me a liter of dc. I had the surgery May 8th and can't say any of my old vices have gotten worse and don't think I've picked up any new ones. The hubbling would be happy if I became a sex addict, but that certainly hasn't happened! :bounce:

So I am just reading on here and contemplating what life is like at goal??? I cannot wait to be in your shoes. You should all be so proud!! I was wondering.... Do you have to live like an alcoholic that is sober, what I mean does it ever come naturally or are you always fighting the demons? Please tell me it gets easier! Thanks, Maureen

What you do is just look at the Nutrion Label on the back of a package. It will tell you what a serving is. Soup is usually 1/2 cup to 1 cup. chicken fingers... 3-5 pieces. The nutrion label will always give you the serving size. Lets say I eat Uncle Ben's Brown Rice. So, I go to fitday... ADD a "custom food" You name it and then enter the nutrional info. In one serving (which on the box tells you is 1/4 precooked, 1/2 cooked) You have the ability to change the amount of the serving... you can use TBSP, TSP, CUP, LITER So, in this instance... you enter .5 CUP Calories 170 Total Fat 1 Cholesterol 0 Sodium 0 Potassium 100 Carbohydrates 36 Fiber 2 Protein 4 Alcohol 0 Then you SAVE it. Now, when you come back three days later, you could enter that you ate .5 CUP and those stats would pop up. (EX 170 calories) If the next day, you only eat .25 cup(half as much).... half of those values pop up. (EX 85 calories) It will calculate the changes for you once you enter it the first time. So, if you enter the stats for 1 Ounce of meat... then you eat 4 ounces. You enter four ounces and it will automatically X 4 to get the total amount of calories, fat, carb, ect... that you ate. TIP: If you don't have a nutritional label... they have many foods already listed in their database that you can search for and add. You can also find ALL Fastfood nutrional facts at http://www.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=question457.htm&url=http://www.calorieking.com/foods/ You can search by restraunt. Then enter the nutrional #'s into fitday to tally them up with everything else you've eaten.

I'm trying to think of all of them as trying to be helpful. The only one I really blew it with was my mother. I did so well at Christmas dinner, and then my mother brought out this incredible lemon cake pudding that I adore. She said she made it just for me...sugar free and with only a tablespoon of flour for the whole batch. i ate it with gusto. Then she told me it really had sugar in it and she just didn't think it would hurt me on Christmas. I told her that was like shoving a bottle of liquor in an alcoholic's mouth. She said she'd never do something like that and how could I say that. Then she said she'd never feed me again. Then we let it pass and went on enjoying Christmas. Brutalized and duped by my own enabling 90 year old Mother! Oy vay! I was actually more annoyed with me than her...I've been going after lots of sweets...odd since I rarely did before. Not sure what that's about, but thanks for helpin' out, Ma!

Try this http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f22466/december-delights-2009-a-106299/index23.html#post1388171 or search December Delights 2009 On the drinking thing my lap-band book says that "alcohol has a high number of calories and breaks down Vitamins but an occasional glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage is not considered harmful to weight loss". I would think a beer would be like a coke with the carbonation and all but they do sell some low carb lite beer. Good going all!!

FluffyChix, Thank you so much. Yes, my Sleeve still works and gets restriction to food. As far as the fatty liver, it is Non-Alcoholic. I know without a doubt that I have a vitamin deficiency, and wanted to keep taking my vitamins until I can schedule an appointment to meet with the Doc. I just am not sure how long I should wait?? At the present time, I'm taking the OPTISOURCE Post Bariatric Surgery chewable tablets (& I absolutely hate them), but I force myself. I'm looking to make the switch to perhaps a 1 a day capsule (BariatricPal 1 a day Multi-vitamin).

I have no hunger pains but mentally I want to eat. However my incision is letting me know that I better just stick to the liquids and be done with it... I read all of the stories that people were told to go on a pre-liquid diet before their surgery date. I went on a one day liquid diet and my surgeon stated I did great. She said my liver was perfect, she asked me if I drank alcohol. I am not a drinker or a smoker I live a clean life. (I don't judge those that do. I'm just letting you know what works for my life)

I'm taking a multi and Vitamin D - 10,000 units because my bloodwork ALWAYS comes back very low on D. I live in Seattle so I can't expect much else! If the deficiency is still a problem post surgery I'll ask my doc for a standing prescription for the once a week dose. I've also cut back coffee to weekends only, cut out soda which wasn't difficult since I don't drink much anyway. Same with alcohol, I play on being alcohol free for a year after surgery. I'm drinking more water, which is why I stopped drinking coffee. I found I was drinking a few cups of coffee before work then NO water the rest of the day. I've also upped my skin care routine. I'm not a very vain person but I've heard that rapid weight loss can cause a little wrinkli-ness in the face. I have good skin - trying to keep it that way!

I was dreaming about drinking last nigh...lol. I wonder what my doctors guidelines are for drinking, he seems to be pretty easy going. I mean, I was drinking coffee maybe 11 days out, eating a regular diet at 2.5 weeks out, keeping in mind that I was tolerating everything wonderfully (thank God). I wonder if I could even tolerate alcohol at this point, because when I ate a raw onion? It burned my tummy and I felt a little nausea.

Denise- Waitaminute, he wore a pink floyd tee to a metallica concert?!?! Terry- No I meant to record that HBO series, my dad said he recorded the marathon last night and it looks good. It's a BALMY 60 something degrees here today, not sure what happened! Didn't even need my hoodie today. A customer sent me this today, thought it was cute.. "HOLIDAY EATING TIPS" 1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls. 2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas! 3. if something comes with gravy, use it.That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat. 4. as for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission. 5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating.The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello? 6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do.This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog. 7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention.They' re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again. 8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day? 9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards. 10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-rea d tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Good morning again, Violets.. Where's TracyK????? She's usually the first to post in the morning. Doing well on the eating this morning. I had a scrambled egg and cheese with Ethan and am now drinking my first liter of water. No snacking in between. I agree, the pouch test isn't to lose weight.. it's to get you back on track and back on following the rules. I was at the point where I had something in my mouth just about all day and most of it was sugary. I tossed all that stuff out, even my very favorite thin ribbon candy. I know why I got fat. I did NOT have a good childhood. I swore I would not be the parent my parents were. I'm still dealing with inferiority issues, but the Bobster has made a big difference. I know that food is a comfort to me. I love the way it tastes, the texture, the smell. If I could taste it and then spit it out, it would be fine, but we all know that ain't happening. So I got the band and just as with every diet I was picture perfect in the beginning. Then one little slip led to another and another after I got my big weight loss. That stopped the loss and even though I'm feeling great and I know I look so much better, I really want to get to goal. This pouch test has got me back on eating the band way. I haven't had sugar for 5 days and have done the lo-carb as well. I'm so happy to see the scale finally moving the right way. That is a great motivator for me. Leaning on everyone here has helped a lot too. I feel bad when someone says they slipped and wish I could be there to smack 'em upside the head as I know you would do to me!! Suzie.. hope you get some answers at the doc. We all need to remember that we have a disease just like an alcoholic does. The only difference is an alcoholic can and must cut out alcohol completely. We just can't do that with food. That's what makes it so hard. Well, I'm waiting for the Bobster to get home so I can have lunch with him. We're finishing up the ham and cheese soup today. I'll have to try the pumpkin sausage soup soon. TracyinKS.. what kind of sausage did you get?? BBL...

Thanks Pamela, my neighbor also told me that prednisone gave her a voracious appetite for many things, food among them! She swears that is when she became an alcoholic!! I have no alcohol craving....just food, and lots of it! Got the things I need to make Kinseys star mask. Mom dropped the things by and I swear the piece of elastic they brought with it---looks like it is OLD and used, I keep imagining it coming out of someones pants-----I bought new elastic to make hers. Good grief there are only half a dozen kids, if they would have told me, I would have bought them a package of decent elastic...give me a break! Saturday night, we had to go in and buy some more bricks for Rick's woodstove in the shop, and after that we drove through the luminaria display at the college, it was so pretty! They had a lot less than in previous years, but it was still impressive. This year they only had 30,000 luminarias when in the past it was over 50,000. No need to worry over the sun here today Pamela, it is overcast and gray, and rainy! I keep thinking it will turn to snow, but not yet. I ask Rick what he wanted for dinner....he paused a half second and said Chili dogs. What??!! He said one of the guys come back at lunch from Sonic and had one and it looked great. Definitely not something I would have thought of to have, and not on my list of things I would have wanted, but hey it is easy, quick....and I have all the makings!! So guess we will go that route! I have to go out and bag potatoes here in a minute. I forgot I had ordered potatoes from these kids. They go out to NAPI (Navajo Agriculture Products Industry) and get truck loads of potatoes and sell them. I buy them usually before Thanksgiving, because I always have so much family to cook for---til this year!! So I buy a BIG bunch and just divide it up among the family. So I have 100 pounds of red potatoes in my garage! That cost me a whopping $12.00!! I break them down into bags and give them out! To go to my local Safeway to buy a 10 pound bag of red potatoes (which is what DH prefers) costs $6.00! Wonder what people would think if I wrapped them up with a bow?? LOL ok, no potatoes for gifts!!! Well I have tried for 3 hours literally to get this posted, and everytime, someone comes in or calls, and when I walk back by I see my half finished post! So here it comes!! Kat

The stomach sounds are normal. Most sleevers don't dump; that's more common with bypass, and even then it's only about 30% of people. When something doesn't agree with me, I have diarrhea or vomiting. The diarrhea is often from sugar alcohols or too much coffee. The vomiting is usually from my vitamin or sometimes eating too fast. You're not going to "ruin" your surgery by eating something that doesn't agree with you.

Yes, me too, I was scrubbing the steri strips glue gunk with alcohol and not having much luck getting it off --- I was even tempted to get my all time favorite product out "Goo Gone" and use it but I didn't want to put chemicals near my incision...just kidding I know not to do this really. I'll be heading to CVS tomorrow for liquid bandage. Thanks.

My brother is a highly intelligent man. This was proven decades ago, when IQ tests (performed while his teachers and parents tried to figure out why he was a miserable little bugger) showed a genius level IQ. I know that sentence sounds unsympathetic to my brother, but we were all miserable - our parents, his teachers, me, and my brother. The decades that have passed since then haven't given him any more common sense or made him any less miserable. A good example of that is his reaction when I first talked with him about my weight loss surgery. This highly intelligent and (by then) well-read man said, "Wow! So, you have the surgery, and then you eat anything you want and you still lose weight!" Well, no, I told him. Not really. In fact, nothing like that. During the 6 years of my weight loss surgery journey, I have (over and over and over again) witnessed bariatric patients who came out of the operating room after surgically successful procedures still wondering why they couldn't eat anything want and still lose weight. Their disappointing weight loss was and is a perpetual puzzle to them because somehow they had not grasped that behavioral change is required for weight loss success. It's easy to label those patients as stupid or ignorant or deluded, or to blame their bariatric team for failure to properly educate those patients about what would be required of them both pre- and post-op. All of those things could be a factor. In March 2012 I attended 2 sessions of a required pre-op nutrition and education class. My BMI then made me obese, but not morbidly so. I had gained weight after a complete unfill and was preparing to say goodbye to my beloved band due to medical problems aggravated by my band, planning to revise to vertical sleeve gastrectomy in the same procedure. The dietitian leading the class was a perky, pretty 20-something girl, adorably pregnant, who had clearly never struggled with her weight before. Her slightly condescending attitude was hard to take, but about halfway through the class I thought I could understand her attitude. She had just named a long list of foods we should not eat after surgery (including fried foods, candy, baked goodies, soda, alcohol, salty snacks, etc.) when I heard a woman nearby say bitterly, "I don't know. That seems like an awful lot to give up." Since I had known the before and after of WLS, I was strongly tempted to respond to her, but I held my tongue (wisely, for once). I don't know just why so many people think that WLS is magic, that you can eat anything you want and still lose weight; that you don't have to give up a single food or behavior or attitude in order to succeed. Maybe we can blame that kind of thinking on the media, or maybe we can blame it on the deeply-entrenched denial that tends to go along with obesity. But the fact is, you can't eat anything and still lose weight unless you're dying of cancer or AIDs or some other fatal disease, and probably don't want to eat a single bite of anything anyway. And I'd trade dying of cancer for WLS sacrifices and success any old day, wouldn't you?

I'm going to cut out the alcohol for the time being. I'm also going to figure out how to crank up my steps a notch. But it will also take cutting back calories I'm sure. If I can break 259, I'm sure more progress will follow. It took me a long time to break into the 260s too. A good hard workout at the gym tonight. I think I found that I need a pre workout snack for energy, like I did today. If I lose another 30, there won't be a lot left to lose, except maybe skin. I'm not the kind of guy who will get below 200. My lean body mass at 0% fat says I weigh 198. So 15% body fat would be about 225 to 230. My scale says I'm at 22% now.

Hi all, Not sure if anyone remembers me, I haven't posted anything here in forever. I'm getting ready to re-commit myself and finish this thing for once and for all. I lost weight steadily for about the first year, then maintained a loss of 65-70 lbs until back in the spring when I stupidly decided to have a little Fluid taken out of my band. It was a mistake, and I've been in free fall mode ever since then. Since April, I'm back up about 15-20 lbs. I've gone up in pants size and I am completely disgusted with myself. I have a fill scheduled for tomorrow morning, so I'm treating tomorrow as the point of no return. Getting some good restriction back will make things easier, but I have also got to learn to put the wine glass down. I really enjoy a glass of wine (sometimes two) at night after I get my kids in bed. It helps me wind down and shake the day off. But, I know from past experience that I don't lose whatsoever if I am drinking anything alcoholic. So, I'm just going cold turkey. Which is fine, I have done it before. I'm just going to miss it! Also, I have been battling hip bursitis since July so that hampers my exercise plans. I want so badly to get back on the treadmill (I completed Couch to 5K last year!), but it only exacerbates the problem. I have had two rounds of oral prednisolone, the second stronger and longer than the first, in an effort to avoid getting the dreaded steroid injection in my hip. I am terrified of it, but I think in the end I know it's what I'm going to have to do. Anyone with any experience having this injection? It's the greater trochanteric bursa, and I'd probably be much easier to just go and have it done if I hadn't read so much about the injection technique...the needle is advanced until it hits the hip bone, and then it's withdrawn a few mms and the injection is given. Something about knowing the needle is going to actually touch my bone just freaks me out. It's funny, I used to be a veterinary technician (before I had kids and quit working to stay home with them), and I assisted in surgeries all the time. Even lots of orthopedic cases, with bones and pins and drills, all that. Didn't bother me! But this? I'm scared to death! Okay, I'm rambling. I'll stop. It's good to see a lot of the same names here as three years ago. I'm going to try to show up here more often, maybe I can get motivated and hopefully help someone else get motivated too, after I get my own ball rolling again.

Hey, on another thread, someone posted a link to an "Adjustments" page...thought it was VERY helpful so I'll post it here, sorry it's so long. How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week: A. You may need an eating adjustment 1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day 2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber 3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome” b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram (1) It’s also a stomach irritant c. fruit juice is just sugar Water 4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods? a. Are you avoiding soft foods b. You can’t just eat what’s easy c. cheese is glorified fat 5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals 6. Are you eating too much junk a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you feel deprived. b. Stay out of fast food places 7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily 8. Do you always eat the protein first 9. Then the vegetables or fruits a. Five servings a day b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable 10. Is your portion size appropriate? a. meat or fish (1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards b. Vegetables (1) ½ cup – the size of your fist c. Starch (1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need much (2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta 11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar c. They teach you to like things too sweet d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don’t 12. Avoid most diet foods a. Real food usually tastes better b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great (1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine (2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats a. They may go into permanent storage b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove hydrolyzed fats from the body B. You may need a behavior adjustment 1. Are you eating only when you are hungry? a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait. 2. Are you eating three meals a day? a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks 3. Are you sitting down to eat? 4. Are you eating consciously? a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions 5. Are you eating slowly? a. Put the fork down between bites b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying 6. Are you taking small bites? a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork 7. Are you chewing well? 8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals? a. Practice water loading between meals b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal 9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness? a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough b. Hard stop versus soft stop 10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing. 11. Do not eat when you are not hungry C. You may need an activity adjustment 1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week? a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week? c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes? 2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity? a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding c. Parking your car further away from the entrance d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash g. Playing with your kids D. You may need an attitude adjustment 1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey? 2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are eating and exercising? a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days 3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues? a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating? b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions? c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor? 4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings? 5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends? 6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically? 7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey? 8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating? a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts (1) Obsess about something else b. Perfectionism (1) All or none, black and white thinking c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss 9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards? 10. Have you learned how to take a compliment? 11. Are you giving up diet mentality? a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day b. Stop dieting c. Stop depriving yourself d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad” e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food 12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place? E. You may need a band adjustment 1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate portion sizes but getting hungry between meals? 2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large portions. 3. You are having to struggle to lose 4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and having a good mind set. F. You may need your band loosened 1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down 2. You are vomiting too much a. How much is too much? 3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night? a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux: (1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods (2) Chocolate (3) Caffeine (4) Alcohol (5) Some fruits and vegetables a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers (6) Peppermint a. Baking soda toothpaste (7) Carbonated drinks e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals f. If you smoke, quit smoking g. Reduce stress h. Exercise promotes digestion i. Raise the head of your bed j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist k. Stress increases reflux l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime (1) Tylenol is OK n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications p. See your health care provider 4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest, especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack. b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise. c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you also have nausea or fever d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention. (Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.) e. If your pain is severe This was written by Jessie H. Ahroni, Ph.D., A.R.N.P., C.D.E., B.C.-A.D.M.

Funny to say that as my DH is a recovering alcoholic and has been sober for 6 years :clap2: . Wonderful guy. Anyway, on Christmas Eve I was feeling really down about the not eating thing, and he said "it is just like not drinking for me at first, it sucks, but you get over it." He said it so simply and it kind of hit me in the head...duh, of course. He has done this amazing thing and never looked back, never complained to me how hard it was, still goes to events, parties etc where people are drinking up a storm and sips his diet pepsi's, get in ont he fun, makes jokes-in essence "parties" and never touches a drink, and here I am whining about not being able to eat some roast beef. It was a good perspective for me, and I appreciate that you somehow reminded me of that. It honestly helps.

Thank you all for your kind replies. bigbellykellie, you are truly an inspiration - just knowing you've made it through to the other side gives me hope. To those posters who suggest I ditch him because he doesn't love me unconditionally, I can't help asking myself whether there really is such a thing as "unconditional" love when you're dealing with two adults. He likens it to being married to a heroin addict or an alcoholic. Should he put up with any behavior on my part that adversely affects the whole family just because we took vows? And to those posters who've suggested that maybe the relationship isn't based on such strong stuff to begin with if this is all it takes to knock it down, well that's definitely something to think about... Thanks again for your thoughts and please keep them coming!

Weight loss is in slooooooooooo moooooooooooooooootion! But to be honest, I have been partaking much more alcohol this summer than usual and eating more of the bad stuff. But my fill is still pretty good. I am going to be more serious about my good food this month and come September, I am gonna rock on hard. I am determined to beat the odds of a 60% weight loss. I am aiming to lose 100%..... 20-25 more to go..... How is everyone else doing on their current fill. I'd love to hear. I am thinking, one more small fill to 3.2 and I will be there.

Hi y'all, Well, the Dr. nixed the coming home already idea! Looks like maybe Friday....whenever, we will wait, I want her as healthy as possible. Jane they showed us how to work the pump, and all today and we will work with it tomorrow ( at least she will) they are going to add a length to the line now so she can do most of it herself. Kinsey is still fighting some sort of stomach bug...the diarrhea continues. Such fun up and down 500 times a day and night! She says her bottom is sick! Manda ask the Dr. about it, he laughed, and told her she was in the hospital with 200 people with the same bug, not to worry about it. The ENT said today that her preliminary blood work looks like his diagnosis may prevail (Please God) as her nuclear something in the blood and her SED rate were lower than the diagnosing guidelines. Had us laughing and floating on cloud 9. Then the CD Dr. come in and told us that may very well be because the flare is easing. Brought us down in a hurry. I took a book to the hospital and sat and read, we took off Kinsey's boots and let her climb up in bed with her Mama and she put on Spongebob----and in a few minutes Kinsey was snuggled up against her fast asleep. Should probably have been a clue she was getting sick! Manda turned the volume down, and within minutes she too was fast asleep. So I moved my chair outside again! The nurse come by and said she would put a sign on the door to check in at the nurses station. I told her it was not visitors that were the problem, it was the CNA's! They all were really good after that! The 2 of them slept for about 2 hours. Then they played a couple of games of Candy Land. She always takes things to entertain herself, today we took the game. Then we come on home. She has spent most of the evening in the bathroom. She is asleep now and has a chewable Immodium in her system, maybe it will help. Judy I agree that your DIL needs to have time to adjust to her meds and all before the stress of caring for a child again. Hope it all goes well. That is such a difficult thing to deal with, it makes you angry at them, then at the same time you kind of shake your head at yourself and realize it is a mental condition they have no control over. And the condition itself makes keeping on a medication regimine very hard. We have dealt with it through the years with the kids Mom. Her problem is the drugs and alcohol mess with the affectiveness, then she is convinced it isn't working so just quits it all....cold turkey and all hell breaks loose! Think I might go try to get some sleep while Kinsey is, it was about 2 AM when the bathroom runs began last night. I have no problem telling y'all I am tooooooo old for this! Hugs~~ Kat

Larraine, I want affordable health care for all Americans. I don't want our government to be that insurance company. The government has the power to make laws and they should enforce these laws that they can make on private insurance companies. They should drop the law that states you can't cross state lines for medical insurance because that would encourage competition between states. They should enforce tort reform, because that would stop all trial lawyers from making these multi million dollar cases. There should be caps on ins. payouts. Then doctors wont have to perform unneccessary tests just to cover their butts should someone choose to sue them. They should make it a law that noone can be denied health coverage or pay a higher premium because of pre-existing conditions. There are many ways to enforce the private insurance industries to comply. They don't want to do this because the lawyers and the insurance companies are lining these politicians pockets to keep the laws from ruining their greedy wealth. Maybe they could make a law that puts a cap on insurance premiums. If you don't have the ability to pay for ins., then you can apply for medicaid, which is government ins. that is already set up for those who can't afford to pay. The gov. can simply raise the income guidelines for people who can't get on it because they are borderline income and don't meet the eligibility. God wants us to be good stewards with our money and the government has shown us many times over that they can't be. When the government runs something, they don't have a care about waste. It's not coming from their pocket, so why should they care? Just look at medicare or social security, both are bankrupt. So, as a christian, it's not that I am against helping the unfortunate that don't have insurance, for I do want help for them. Jesus said, "The poor you will always have with you." What about the 450,000 who die every year from tobacco, should we help them, how about the hundreds of thousands who die every year from alcohol, should we help them? This list could go on and on forever, but you get my point. The government should not be in the business of social wellness. Roosevelt did a bad thing when he started welfare in the government. Handouts in the government far exceed what the people here can afford. If the gov. stopped giving away all our money, then we would have more for our own health care and living exenses and will be able to give to the charities of our choosing. We wouldn't be indentured servants to China and other countries either. Your great grandchildren will be paying for their deeds in the future.

Did I say cutting off the poor? I said give aways. I have always said that there will always be some poor who will need a hand up, and the government should give it. It is when the government decides to give away to those who DON'T need it. Like home improvements mentioned earlier, and cash for clunkers, and up tp $8,000 towards your house and a playground, and well here, take a read: The 102 worst ways the government is spending your tax dollars: 102: Protecting a Michigan insect collection from other insects ($187,632) 101: Highway beautified by fish art in Washington ($10,000) 100: University studying hookup behavior of female college coeds in New York ($219,000) 99: Police department getting 92 blackberries for supervisors in Rhode Island ($95,000) 98: Upgrades to seldom-used river cruise boat in Oklahoma ($1.8 million) 97: Precast concrete toilet buildings for Mark Twain National Forest in Montana ($462,000) 96: University studying whether mice become disoriented when they consume alcohol in Florida ($8,408) 95: Foreign bus wheel polishers for California ($259,000) 94: Recovering crab pots lost at sea in Oregon ($700,000) 93: Developing a program to develop "machine-generated humor" in Illinois ($712,883) 92: Colorado museum where stimulus was signed (and already has $90 million in the bank) gets geothermal stimulus grant ($2.6 million) 91: Grant to the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance to support the traditional arts apprenticeship program, gathering and festival ($30,000) 90: Studying methamphetamines and the female rat sex drive in Maryland ($30,000) 89: Studying mating decisions of cactus bugs in Florida ($325,394) 88: Studying why deleting a gene can create sex reversal in people, but not in mice in Minnesota ($190,000) 87: College hires director for a project on genetic control of sensory hair cell membrane channels in zebrafish in California ($327,337) 86: New jumbo recycling bins with microchips embedded inside to track participation in Ohio ($500,000) 85: Oregon Federal Building's "green" renovation at nearly the price of a brand new building ($133 million) 84: Massachusetts middle school getting money to build a solar array on its roof ($150,000) 83: Road widening that could have been millions of dollars cheaper if Lousiana hadn't opted to replace a bridge that may not have needed replacing ($60 million) 82: Cleanup effort of a Washington nuclear waste site that already got $12 billion from the DOE ($1.9 billion) 81: Six woodlands Water taxis getting a new home in Texas ($750,000) 80: Maryland group gets money to develop "real life" stories that underscore job and infrastructure-related research findings ($363,760) 79: Studying social networks like Facebook in North Carolina ($498,000) 78:18 North Carolina teacher coaches to heighten math and reading performance ($4.4 million) 77: Retrofitting light switches with motion sensors for one company in Arizona ($800,000) 76: Removing graffiti along 100 miles of flood-control ditches in California ($837,000) 75: Bicycle lanes, shared lane signs and bike racks in Pennsylvania ($105,000) 74: Privately-owned steakhouse rehabilitating its restaurant space in Missouri ($75,000) 73: National dinner cruise boat company in Illinois outfitting vessels with surveillance systems to protect against terrorists ($1 million) 72: Producing and transporting peanuts and Peanut Butter in North Carolina ($900,000) 71: Refurnishing and delivering picnic tables in Iowa ($30,000) 70: Digital television converter box coupon program in D.C. ($650 million) 69: Elevating and relocating 3,000 feet of track for the Napa Valley Wine Train in California ($54 million) 68: Hosting events for Earth Day, the summer solstice etc. in Minnesota ($50,000) 67: Expanding ocean aquaculture in Hawaii ($99,960) 66: Raising railroad tracks 18 inches in Oregon because the residents of one small town were tired of taking a detour around them ($4.2 million) 65: Professors and employees of Iowa state universities voluntarily taking early retirement ($43 million) 64: Minnesota theatre named after Che Guevara putting on "socially conscious" puppet shows ($25,000) 63: Replacing a basketball court lighting system with a more energy efficient one in Arizona ($20,000) 62: Repainting and adding a security camera to one bridge in Oregon ($3.5 million) 61: Missouri bridge project that already was full-funded with state money ($8 million) 60: New hospital parking garage in New York that will employ less people ($19.5 million) 59: University in North Carolina studying why adults with ADHD smoke more ($400,000) 58: Low-income housing residents in one Minnesota city receiving free laptops, WiFi and iPod Touches to "educate" them in technology ($5 million) 57: University in California sending students to Africa to study why Africans vote they the way they do in their elections ($200,000) 56: Researching the impact of air pollution combined with a high-fat diet on obesity development in Ohio ($225,000) 55: Studying how male and female birds care for their offspring and how it compares to how humans care for their children in Oklahoma ($90,000) 54: University in Pennsylvania researching fossils in Argentina (over $1 million) 53: University in Tennessee studying how black holes form (over $1 million) 52: University in Oklahoma sending 3 researchers to Alaska to study grandparents and how they pass on knowledge to younger generations ($1.5 million) 51: Grant application from a Pennsylvania university for a researcher named in the Climate-gate scandal (Rep. Darrell Issa is calling on the president to freeze the grant) ($500,000) 50: Studying the impact of global warming on wildflowers in a Colorado ghost town ($500,000) 49: Bridge built over railroad crossing so 168 Nebraska town residents don't have to wait for the trains to pass ($7 million) 48: Renovating an old hotel into a visitors center in Kentucky ($300,000) 47: Removing overgrown weeds in a Rhode Island park ($250,000) 46: Renovating 5 seldom-used ports of entry on the U.S.-Canada border in Montana ($77 million) 45: Testing how to control private home appliances in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts from an off-site computer ($800,000) 44: Repainting a rarely-used bridge in North Carolina ($3.1 million) 43: Renovating a desolate Wisconsin bridge that averages 10 cars a day ($426,000) 42: 4 new buses for New Hampshire ($2 million) 41: Repaving a 1-mile stretch of Atlanta road that had parts of it already repaved in 2007 ($490,000) 40: Florida beauty school tuition ($2.3 million) 39: Extending a bike path to the Minnesota Twins stadium ($500,000) 38: Beautification of Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard ($1.1 million) 37: Colorado Dragon Boat Festival ($10,000) 36: Developing the next generation of supersonic corporate jets in Maryland that could cost $80 million dollars each ($4.7 million) 35: New spring training facilities for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies ($30 million) 34: Demolishing 35 old laboratories in New Mexico ($212 million) 33: Putting free WiFi, Internet kiosks and interactive history lessons in 2 Texas rest stops ($13.8 million) 32: Replacing a single boat motor on a government boat in D.C. ($10,500) 31: Developing the next generation of football gloves in Pennsylvania ($150,000) 30: Pedestrian bridge to nowhere in West Virginia ($80,000) 29: Replacing all signage on 5 miles of road in Rhode Island ($4,403,205) 28: Installing a geothermal energy system to heat the "incredible shrinking mall" in Tennessee ($5 million) 27: University in Minnesota studying how to get the homeless to stop smoking ($230,000) 26: Large woody habitat rehabilitation project in Wisconsin ($16,800) 25: Replacing escalators in the parking garage of one D.C. metro station ($4.3 million) 24: Building an airstrip in a community most Alaskans have never even heard of ($14,707,949) 23: Bike and pedestrian paths connecting Camden, N.J. to Philadelphia, Penn. when there's already a bridge that connects them ($23 million) 22: Sending 10 university undergrads each year from North Carolina to Costa Rica to study the rainforests ($564,000) 21: Road signs touting stimulus funds at work in Ohio ($1 million) 20: Researching how paying attention improves performance of difficult tasks in Connecticut ($850,000) 19: Kentucky Transportation Department awarding contracts to companies associated with a road contractor accused of bribing the previous state transportation secretary ($24 million) 18: Amtrak losing $32 per passenger nationally but rewarded with windfall ($1.3 billion) 17: Widening an Arizona interstate even though the company that won the contract has a history of tax fraud and pollution ($21.8 million) 16: Replace existing dumbwaiters in New York ($351,807) 15: Deer underpass in Wyoming ($1,239,693) 14: Arizona universities examining the division of labor in ant colonies (combined $950,000) 13: Fire station without firefighters in Nevada ($2 million) 12: "Clown" theatrical production in Pennsylvania ($25,000) 11: Maryland town gets money but doesn't know what to do with it ($25,000) 10: Investing in nation-wide wind power (but majority of money has gone to foreign companies) ($2 billion) 9: Resurfacing a tennis court in Montana ($50,000) 8: University in Indiana studying why young men do not like to wear condoms ($221,355) 7: Funds for Massachusetts roadway construction to companies that have defrauded taxpayers, polluted the environment and have paid tens of thousands of dollars in fines for violating workplace safety laws (millions) 6: Sending 11 students and 4 teachers from an Arkansas university to the U.N. climate change convention in Copenhagen, using almost 54,000 lbs of carbon dioxide from air travel alone ($50,000) 5: Storytelling festival in Utah ($15,000) 4: Door mats to the Department of the Army in Texas ($14,675) 3: University in New York researching young adults who drink malt liquor and smoke pot ($389,357) 2: Solar panels for climbing gym in Colorado ($157,800) 1: Grant for one Massachusetts university for "robobees" (miniature flying robot bees) ($2 million) GRAND TOTAL: $4,891,645,229 Imagine how many poor people you could help with that total!

All of a sudden this country is sooooooo concerned about the so called 45,000 deaths a year from lack of medical insurance. How come we never heard of this before? Did you know that 435,000 people die every year from tobacco, Thats 7X more the amount of people annually who die from lack of insurance, but does the government step in and take control and outlaw cigarettes and chewing tobacco? NO! How about the people who die annually in this country from alcohol. The number is 85,000 every year. (twice as many than those who die without insurance) But no, you can't take the 'fun' away from society. Give me a break! the government wants to be in control of what we can and can't do. They are not concerned about your health or mine! P.S. I meant to say a million abortions annually.