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Kari--Thanks so much for the recipes! Love the format you used! I'm having major mother and DH issues this weekend! Mother: Now realize that she was once quite overweight (obese?), but through sheer will power, she's managed to lose it and more or less keep it off since my youngest sister's (the doctor's) wedding 20 years ago. None the less, she never complements me on my weight loss, and when I mentioned that I was considering a tummy tuck, her response was something about "Vanity." OK, with that background, my mom is always baking stuff, and then because SHE doesn't want to eat it, she gives it away. Yesterday at noon, when I was all alone, starving and sick and tired of the whole garage sale, she and my dad come over with delicious (but greesy) hamburgers from the best hamburger place in town and a plate of brownies and cake. She expects all kinds of gratidute, and I just wanted to throw it all in her face. I did not need that! But instead, like the "good" daughter that I am, (of course, never good enough, you understand) I ate the whole hamburger and a brownie. I can't throw the sh__ away, because they're "really" for DH as a thank you for fixing their leaking kitchen faucet earlier that morning, so technically, they're not mine to throw away! Of course, DH will eat them S L O W L Y over the next couple of days until they are stale. DH: he's another story. Let's just say that he had lots of other things that were more important than helping out with the garage sale this weekend. So basically, I was alone most of the day with all this stinking food, and the brunt of the work. No, my parents weren't there to help me, just to bring food, (and sit down to eat with me) to thank DH for spending 1/2 hour fixing the faucet--and DH had already left for the day to do his own thing! Janet--living alone sounds so good! Kari and others with "mom" issues: I'm with you. Mine isn't an alcoholic, but you need to know that when I was in therapy, my psychiatrist used to say that God consults my mother before he makes a decision. Here I am a 50+-year-old professional woman with advanced degrees, four great kids that I raised pretty much alone, (DH always has more important things to do) two successful careers, and I still have "mother" issues! How sad is that? Do I sound angry? Guess so.

Sorry for the long email. This whole marriage and relationship things got me thinking.............. Last november when I started my lap band journey I brokw up with someone. They didn't get it and my reason was the next 6 months to a year are all about me and getting my life and health back. It was a good decision for me I have needed all the me time to get through this.......... I want another relatsionship but not until I feel like I have gotten myself emotionally and physically back together. What they say is like attracts like. So you attract your emotional equal. That scares me because I don't want to be with someone who is my emotional equal right now!! I still have alot of work to do. Sometimes I think with bariatric surgery we are with someone who was our emotional equal when we were at our lowest emotional point and as we change our bodies and minds and grow emotionally our previous choices no longer work for us. Again we outgrow people. Eithet they grew with you or in your journey to emotional health you leave them behind. Sometimes other people don't want to change with us and we have to respect that and let go. We can only change ourselves and it is arrogant to think we can force someone to grow with us if they are not ready. So with marriage you are a part of a we but also a me. Hard balance sometimes. Relationship are dynamic not static. Both people have to constantly change and grow together for it work. I don't know. I hate divorce and I hate what it does to people. I think people should make it work if they can but sometimes it just is what it is. And I totally get why the divorce rate is so high. Same thing with alcoholics and drug addicts they get sober and more times than not they lose their marriages and relationships. The nature of the beast when one strives to become more emotionally and spiriturally healthy is we sometimes lose things and people who we think we can't live without. But life has a way of putting other people in our life who will grow and change with us to replace what we lost. Saying goodbye is sadly a huge part of emotional growth sometimes. Nothing easy about change as we all know......... If you tell someone what they are doing or saying is hurting you and they try to change or try to do something different keep those people around. Those people really care about you. But if they refuse to change or refuse to stop doing things that sabateage or hurt you than protect yourself and walk away. But the only way to know what kind of a person they are is to put yourself out there and tell them how you really feel. Don't assumethey already know................and in the end remember that "if someone shows you who they are..........believe them." Don't make excuses for them believe what they are telling you and saying to you and how they treat you. Ok, ok...........seriously enough thinking I have to sleep. Sorry for all my philosophying tonight. Food log tomorrow but I was a good girl!! No PB'ing and no over eating. Not to hungry so a good day!!!

I have drank lots of different alcholic drinks since having the band put in. Phyically the alcohol will have not effect on your band. My tolerance is a lot lower now so be careful not to drink too much.. I personally think the reason they say dont drink it because the high calorie content. For example a drink that I love is the simple vodka/cranberry. Your looking at nearly 200 calories for just one drink!. When your consuming only 800-1000 calories per day your looking at around 20-25% of your daily calories in just one drink! But who can have just one. Hey if you going out dancing every once in while, go ahead and have some fun. Just dont make it a weekly thing because that will for sure slow your weight loss down. P.S. make sure you hit the water bottle!

How did I let this happen again? I had lost nearly 60 pounds, and slowly but surely, the weight had reappeared. I say that as though it happened without my knowledge or consent. I guess it would be more appropriate to say I put the weight back on. I wear it around like a lead coat. It stifles me, it breaks me, it pains me. Yet, I have done this over and over and over for my whole life. All the fluffy girls reading this know exactly what I am talking about. As a collective, we have probably gained and lost the same 60 pounds a million times. I hate to think it is because I am lazy, or that it is because I have no will power. I know that’s what most people think when they look at me - that woman is a glutton. I suppose there is some truth to it. Although, if they knew how disheartening it is to reach a goal, only to have it taken away . . . wait, there I go again, acting like some invisible power caused this. I know I have to take responsibility. I did this to myself. It didn’t happen to me, I caused it. But could it be that I can’t help it? It may be my fault, but maybe I just need some help to be successful. I tried many different things to “help” but nothing worked in the end. Weight Watchers was great, and I certainly learned a great deal about what foods to eat, and what portion size I should be eating. I remember the first time I learned about the portion size for pasta and rice. I think I laughed out loud. I did lose weight, quickly at first, but I never could get past that 40 pound mark. I had such a long way to go, over 100 pounds, and stalling out at 40 pounds just threw me over the edge. And when I would cheat, I WOULD CHEAT. I think it is a great deal like being an alcoholic. If I had one drink, or in my case, bite, it was all over. Forget about moderation, or “Points” or whatever. Then getting back on the wagon was harder than ever. Again, I know, excuses, excuses. Nevertheless, that was my pattern. I even tried medication for a while. I went to my doctor and begged for help. I remember saying, “I think something must be wrong with me. Even when I am really good, for a really long time, I can’t seem to lose the weight I need to lose!” So she gave me Wellbutrin. It states clearly that it is a medication for depression that should not be taken by people with eating disorders. Well, at 300 pounds, isn’t it fair to say I had an eating disorder? 50 pounds later, gained, not lost, I decided to quit taking Wellburtin. It definitely took the edge off, and helped me realize that I probably have some anxiety issues to work on, but it certainly did not help me lose any weight. In fact, it just made me complacent. The end result, however, was that it did force me to recognize that I have an addiction to food. It forced me to recognize that there was not going to be an easy fix for me. That was a huge disappointment. So, this last bit of temporary weight loss came from a surprising turn of events. I was pregnant, and all of a sudden, food was not my first priority. Taking care of the little being inside me was the most important thing of all. Because I was so large, 355 to start the pregnancy, my doctor was very worried about gestational diabetes. I met with a dietician at the hospital, and I followed her directions to the letter. I cut back on carbs, no more orange juice, lots of fiber, plenty of protein. Well, compared to the fast food junk I had been living on up to that point, it was no surprise that I started to lose weight. All told, I gained 13 pounds through my pregnancy, but lost 35 immediately after my daughter was born. Then, the most difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life occurred. My dear little one came 6 weeks early and was critically ill. She had to stay in the NICU for nearly a month. For the very first time in my life, I did not turn to food for comfort. In fact, I could not stand the thought of eating a thing. Leaving the hospital without your baby is the most unnatural thing in the world. I felt like I was literally being torn apart. I remember, the night I was discharged from the hospital, my husband and I were walking across the parking lot, and I said, “I feel like I am forgetting something.” Then I broke down and bawled. I don’t think I quit crying for the rest of the evening. I had to pump every three hours because I was hoping to breast feed my baby. Since I wasn’t eating, there wasn’t any milk to pump. I didn’t figure this out for about three weeks, and was getting very discouraged. However, I did find it funny that every time I turned around, someone was trying to make me eat. It was the strangest thing! My father especially, who was such a champion for me during that time – driving me back and forth to the hospital – would always try to get me to eat. I just couldn’t do it. In the end I lost an additional 20 pounds, creating an ultimate weight loss of about 55 pounds at that point. Eventually, my beautiful baby did come home. She is the light of my life. Being her mother is what I have been waiting for. I know all mothers probably feel this way, but she is the most lovely creature I have ever seen. She spreads such joy everywhere we go! I feel so blessed to have a baby that can make even total strangers smile with glee. I continued to lose weight. Ava and I walked every day. All the climbing up and down the stairs with baskets of laundry didn’t hurt either. Breastfeeding did work out in the end, so I know that helped me shed a few pounds as well. All told, I lost over 60 pounds. Then, I had to go back to work. Summer was over, and I had to return to my job as a literacy specialist at an elementary school. I started eating again. It happened slowly, and I saw it happening, but I didn’t do anything about it. It was as though I could watch myself through someone else’s eyes, but I didn’t try to intervene. I just kept eating. WHY? I have thought about this a great deal, and I don’t have any good answers. Was I feeling guilty about taking my baby to daycare? Probably. Was I worn out and looking for comfort? Probably. Was I wishing for more consistent help from my husband? Probably. Are those good reasons to gain 60 pounds? Absolutely not. So here I am, obese again, trying to raise a well-adjusted girl in the United States. That is why I have made this decision. She is the reason I am going to be successful this time, even though I have been unsuccessful all the other times. I want to raise her, not watch her from the sidelines. I want to still be alive when she gets married and has beautiful babies of her own. I want to be able to chase her if she is getting into harms way. I will do this. So that brings us up to date. I have decided to have gastric banding, also known ad Lap-Band surgery. This simply has to work. I have to do the hard work to make it work. I am going to be successful at this! Several things happened to bring me to this decision. My good friend Heidi had gastric bypass surgery a little over a year ago. I mention this for several reasons. First of all, I love Heidi. I have always thought she was one of the most beautiful women I have ever met, even when she was heavy. Second, Heidi has always reminded me of myself. We were both women of faith, school teachers, intelligent, opinionated and well-read. I hold her in the highest esteem and respect her immensely. When Heidi told me she was going to have gastric bypass surgery, I was so excited for her. She had followed a path similar to mine, struggled with her weight all her life, tried all the commercially available programs, all to no avail. I was a bit worried of course, especially because I had just heard about another person I knew that had died from complications from bypass surgery. I started thinking about the notion of never being able to eat gluttonous amounts of food again. I thought about not being able to drink a can of soda pop. I thought about eating only Dixie Cup sized potions. Yuck. That was not for me. Not only that, it scared me. (continued in part two)

How did I let this happen again? I had lost nearly 60 pounds, and slowly but surely, the weight had reappeared. I say that as though it happened without my knowledge or consent. I guess it would be more appropriate to say I put the weight back on. I wear it around like a lead coat. It stifles me, it breaks me, it pains me. Yet, I have done this over and over and over for my whole life. All the fluffy girls reading this know exactly what I am talking about. As a collective, we have probably gained and lost the same 60 pounds a million times. I hate to think it is because I am lazy, or that it is because I have no will power. I know that’s what most people think when they look at me - that woman is a glutton. I suppose there is some truth to it. Although, if they knew how disheartening it is to reach a goal, only to have it taken away . . . wait, there I go again, acting like some invisible power caused this. I know I have to take responsibility. I did this to myself. It didn’t happen to me, I caused it. But could it be that I can’t help it? It may be my fault, but maybe I just need some help to be successful. I tried many different things to “help” but nothing worked in the end. Weight Watchers was great, and I certainly learned a great deal about what foods to eat, and what portion size I should be eating. I remember the first time I learned about the portion size for pasta and rice. I think I laughed out loud. I did lose weight, quickly at first, but I never could get past that 40 pound mark. I had such a long way to go, over 100 pounds, and stalling out at 40 pounds just threw me over the edge. And when I would cheat, I WOULD CHEAT. I think it is a great deal like being an alcoholic. If I had one drink, or in my case, bite, it was all over. Forget about moderation, or “Points” or whatever. Then getting back on the wagon was harder than ever. Again, I know, excuses, excuses. Nevertheless, that was my pattern. I even tried medication for a while. I went to my doctor and begged for help. I remember saying, “I think something must be wrong with me. Even when I am really good, for a really long time, I can’t seem to lose the weight I need to lose!” So she gave me Wellbutrin. It states clearly that it is a medication for depression that should not be taken by people with eating disorders. Well, at 300 pounds, isn’t it fair to say I had an eating disorder? 50 pounds later, gained, not lost, I decided to quit taking Wellburtin. It definitely took the edge off, and helped me realize that I probably have some anxiety issues to work on, but it certainly did not help me lose any weight. In fact, it just made me complacent. The end result, however, was that it did force me to recognize that I have an addiction to food. It forced me to recognize that there was not going to be an easy fix for me. That was a huge disappointment. So, this last bit of temporary weight loss came from a surprising turn of events. I was pregnant, and all of a sudden, food was not my first priority. Taking care of the little being inside me was the most important thing of all. Because I was so large, 355 to start the pregnancy, my doctor was very worried about gestational diabetes. I met with a dietician at the hospital, and I followed her directions to the letter. I cut back on carbs, no more orange juice, lots of fiber, plenty of protein. Well, compared to the fast food junk I had been living on up to that point, it was no surprise that I started to lose weight. All told, I gained 13 pounds through my pregnancy, but lost 35 immediately after my daughter was born. Then, the most difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life occurred. My dear little one came 6 weeks early and was critically ill. She had to stay in the NICU for nearly a month. For the very first time in my life, I did not turn to food for comfort. In fact, I could not stand the thought of eating a thing. Leaving the hospital without your baby is the most unnatural thing in the world. I felt like I was literally being torn apart. I remember, the night I was discharged from the hospital, my husband and I were walking across the parking lot, and I said, “I feel like I am forgetting something.” Then I broke down and bawled. I don’t think I quit crying for the rest of the evening. I had to pump every three hours because I was hoping to breast feed my baby. Since I wasn’t eating, there wasn’t any milk to pump. I didn’t figure this out for about three weeks, and was getting very discouraged. However, I did find it funny that every time I turned around, someone was trying to make me eat. It was the strangest thing! My father especially, who was such a champion for me during that time – driving me back and forth to the hospital – would always try to get me to eat. I just couldn’t do it. In the end I lost an additional 20 pounds, creating an ultimate weight loss of about 55 pounds at that point. Eventually, my beautiful baby did come home. She is the light of my life. Being her mother is what I have been waiting for. I know all mothers probably feel this way, but she is the most lovely creature I have ever seen. She spreads such joy everywhere we go! I feel so blessed to have a baby that can make even total strangers smile with glee. I continued to lose weight. Ava and I walked every day. All the climbing up and down the stairs with baskets of laundry didn’t hurt either. Breastfeeding did work out in the end, so I know that helped me shed a few pounds as well. All told, I lost over 60 pounds. Then, I had to go back to work. Summer was over, and I had to return to my job as a literacy specialist at an elementary school. I started eating again. It happened slowly, and I saw it happening, but I didn’t do anything about it. It was as though I could watch myself through someone else’s eyes, but I didn’t try to intervene. I just kept eating. WHY? I have thought about this a great deal, and I don’t have any good answers. Was I feeling guilty about taking my baby to daycare? Probably. Was I worn out and looking for comfort? Probably. Was I wishing for more consistent help from my husband? Probably. Are those good reasons to gain 60 pounds? Absolutely not. So here I am, obese again, trying to raise a well-adjusted girl in the United States. That is why I have made this decision. She is the reason I am going to be successful this time, even though I have been unsuccessful all the other times. I want to raise her, not watch her from the sidelines. I want to still be alive when she gets married and has beautiful babies of her own. I want to be able to chase her if she is getting into harms way. I will do this. So that brings us up to date. I have decided to have gastric banding, also known ad Lap-Band surgery. This simply has to work. I have to do the hard work to make it work. I am going to be successful at this! Several things happened to bring me to this decision. My good friend Heidi had gastric bypass surgery a little over a year ago. I mention this for several reasons. First of all, I love Heidi. I have always thought she was one of the most beautiful women I have ever met, even when she was heavy. Second, Heidi has always reminded me of myself. We were both women of faith, school teachers, intelligent, opinionated and well-read. I hold her in the highest esteem and respect her immensely. When Heidi told me she was going to have gastric bypass surgery, I was so excited for her. She had followed a path similar to mine, struggled with her weight all her life, tried all the commercially available programs, all to no avail. I was a bit worried of course, especially because I had just heard about another person I knew that had died from complications from bypass surgery. I started thinking about the notion of never being able to eat gluttonous amounts of food again. I thought about not being able to drink a can of soda pop. I thought about eating only Dixie Cup sized potions. Yuck. That was not for me. Not only that, it scared me. (continued in part two)

You are right, I need to detox. It was like that before my band, if I started even 1 M&M then it was a whole bag again and again. I'm like an alcoholic with sweets. It started when I started running half-marathons and they had chocolate after at the end. I thought I EARNED it and ate them and it started the same old patterns. You are definitely right, I definitely need to detox.! THANKS!! D PS..good luck on your goal, you are almost there!! :thumbup:

julie~ Caliou has been one of Nelson's FAVORITE cartoons since he was 3! He STILL likes it to this day. Actually a lot of the PBS shows he enjoys.. like Curious George. It's funny that your dear likes it too, thought maybe it was just a boy thing. LOL.. They sell the DVD movies too! Then you can REALLY get some stuff done. Amazon.com: Caillou DVDs for Kids & Family I think I saw them at Toysrus one time too, but I bought most on Amazon. FYI Long/Great~ I like the new name, BTW. And I cannot wait to see a pic of that shirt! WTG! Just come down slow and easy. I haven't been camping since the Peace Corps. It's hard to believe way back then I hiked the Inca Trail in Peru! I joined the PC weighing 210 and left weighing 160. I remember thinking I would conquer the world at that weight and NEVER put it back on! I will do that trail one more time in this life time. On my bucket list. PJ~ ditto. I am enjoying the parents. : ) Enjoy your vacation!!! YEAH!!! Bills bills bills... and pooped pooped pooped! I know I will have more energy. My parents haven't seen me in 3-4 weeks and were shocked to see the difference in me. Although there has only been like 8 lbs since they were here.. I have been at the gym a lot. Mom said it looked like more than 8. Guys I have a question: Do you guys notice a correlation between getting pain/stuck when you are dehydrated? Yesterday I was so busy running around, errands and cleaning and didn't get in enough Water. For the first time since my last fill I had trouble with dinner.. and then noticed trouble at Breakfast. No PB, just severe pain that made me stop eating. Bites were not big and had just started eating- so had not had too much. I spent the morning drinking. LOL.. water, not alcohol. I had 1.5 liters of H20 and LIVED on the potty today! : ) I ate lunch and was FINE. Nelson was jumping on my bed yesterday afternoon (after I repeatedly warned him not to or he would get hurt). I was in the other room and heard a loud thud, but didn't hear anything for 20 seconds after that. He was doing one of those "hold the breath before I cry really loud" moves! I am still not sure exactly what he hit. Foot board? Rug? Post? But I was convinced he broke his nose when it happened.. bloody nose, indentation. But alas... all is well. We were soooo lucky it wasn't worse! BOYS! CBL~ peas

Like any other addiction this is not about being hungry, just like alcoholism isn't about being thirsty. Just as the other people have posted, I think your will need professional couseling. They can help you address your need to constantly eat because of your fear of hunger. I read the advice of Geneen Roth in Good Housekeeping every month and find her advice very telling and appropriate. You can find her on www.geneenroth.com. She addresses emotional eating and has written books on the subject. Maybe they could help. Did you discuss this with your surgeon, nutritionist or counselor before your surgery? If so, what did they say? You need to call them and get their advice. Tell them what you ate and ask what you should be eating at this point in your post-surgery recovery. You are in bandster hell right now, too, since you haven't been restricted to your sweet spot. That being said, some never find their sweet spot, and even when they do the satiety they find is different that pre-band. The feeling of "fullness" is different. You need to be prepared for that. I hope you get the help your need. And ignore any mean posts you get. There are those who think it is their job to be judgmental and "tell it like it is". Good luck.

Those of us who are banded have admitted that food has been a problem or an addiction. For me, food was my drug of choice. I had someone tell me once that an alcoholic craves liquid sugar and a food addict craves solid sugar. Makes sense to me. You have taken a hugh step, and should be extremely proud of yourself. I am finding that changing my mindset to food is harder than sticking to the band rules. It's something I constantly have to work on. This forum offers so much hope, real life feelings, experiences, that it will guide you through. My doctor's office offers counseling for anyone that needs that extra help in controlling those feelings of no control. It would be wise to seek out help. You will be successful. You have taken the first hugh step to a healthy life. Now, for the next steps... I'll be praying for you. God Bless You!!:bored:

Hi Mrs Axl Rose, nice to meet you I'm Annie. I myself know how you feel... I was banded on the 11th of May 09 and food be it was my choice of drug so too speak. I have never smoked, drunk alcohol or done anything else. But food has been my addiction. Every waking moment food ruled what I was doing, when and how it was done. I would get to a point where I felt full and just like you said as soon as the full feeling did subside hey let's have something else.. It's just crazy it takes over. Wow and I even had horrible mood swings if i didn't get it when I wanted it... The thing is we made that important descion to take control of our lives instead of allowing food to continue to control our lives. Which has to be commended. It is not going to be fixed overnight and I do believe we will all have our moment of guilt when our cravings take over...But with saying this we need to pick ourselves up and get back on track. The band is a tool and it is not going to change a life time of bad habits...It will help but we have to work on our mindset and retrain ourselves with the help that the doctors offer us and the advice that they give us to follow. I'm pretty sure know one told me it was going to be easy and I know I've had my slips since being banded, so please know you are not alone in this fight to stay on the straight and narrow. Just pick yourself up and tomorrow is another day to the rest of your life...Don't be afraid to ask for help, and posting on here is great it really does help to be able to vent ask questions or to just read and feel that we are not alone.... Good luck Annie

Well Tuesday, after posting my garden pics blog after dinner, things got a little crazy around here. One of the couples going to the concert with us/old neighbors that moved close by was in the area (birthday dinner out for one of their teens). They called us and we invited them over. We invited another couple (going to the concert) over, had drinks on the patio (perfect weather) and discussed our plans while all the kids visited. The last couple (going to the concert) was returning from vacation that evening and we got a call that an Uncle in their family had died (expected, Hospice had been there). After about four more calls back and forth we found that the viewing would be during the concert, so they couldn't go. Then we got a call from DS1, that he'd been in an accident; no injuries. I always hesitate to share negative things about my kids here, but I will just incase it keeps someone else from having an accident (or your kids). He works with one of his good friends and after work his friend was performing in a band at a local bar (they have events scheduled on occasion just for underage teens, no alcohol). He was following his friend's car through the parking lot to park (probably too closely) and looked down 'for a second' to tune his iPod…friend stopped, DS1 didn't (even with hands-free phone calls there are too many distractions in cars these days with all the electronics...FYI we've always limited the number of kids he can drive and he's supposed to set the iPod to a playlist before he leaves and phone is supposed to be on speaker and only for important things). Bottom line is the friend's car had a higher bumper with a long/large trailer hitch and my minivan's front end (must be made of cellophane) was no match (minor damage to friend's car). He was going between 2-5 mph at the time (that was the prediction of the auto-shop manager the next day, as the airbags would have gone off if he was over that for the kind of accident he had, and they hadn't deployed). So that evening we spent some time sorting that out. Somehow (LOL) we also ended up with everyone's kids spending an overnight at our house, so there was popcorn to be made and sleeping bags and fresh pillowcases to be rounded up after the parent's left. We spent yesterday morning getting kids fed/home, then lunchtime calling; insurance, the friend's father (DS1 called to apologize, etc.), the rental car place, and we took my minivan to the car shop (5-6K or possibly totaled; and yes, DS1 was there at each step to hear it all); the hitch punched into my minivan killing the radiator and A/C fan (maybe more) and wrecking the hood, front end/bumper and front side panel…ouch! DS1 is going to be paying what the insurance wont (we made a deal with our kids that we'd pay for their first accident only). He had a similar wreck just about 8 months ago at the stop-light right in front of his workplace. DH's car that time…a bumper miss-match with a tall SUV in front as they were all stopping for the light "she made a hard stop sooner than he expect" and even though he was down to under 10mph DH car went under the other car's bumper (can you say TAILGATING!). Again, the SUV had hardly a scratch, but they almost totaled DH's car. Insurance yesterday said 'Didn't he just have this same kind of accident?' 'Ummm, yes, just a different car.' AHHHH! I know some of you'll think we're the strictest parents (we all do the best we can), but I'll tell you anyway (and no, he didn't get any consequences other than a long talk for the first accident, but the second time it becomes carelessness)…we'll only be letting him drive to/from work, but with us in the passenger seat for awhile to 'coach/tune up' his driving skills (punishments always seem to punish the parents too don't they...can't wait for the late night pick-up when the restaurant closes), and no, he won't have the iPod (or even the use of the radio or phone) in the car for awhile even when he returns to driving…we need this one to 'hurt' as he doesn't really have an appreciation for just some money coming out of his savings account. We'd also had already been talking to him about getting a second job as he wasn't getting enough hours at a restaurant, so we forced that issue yesterday and he called and got rehired at his old job (retail store). Of course it's not the hassle or insurance rate going up (it will) that we care about; he just needs to learn the lesson now before he or someone else gets HURT or worse…that's our real worry. Driving is a privilege and he's gotten over-confident in his abilities (we've seen that watching him drive recently…he started off as a careful driver, but now he's gotten complacent after driving for 3 years and needs an attitude adjustment). He needs to take it seriously and understand the responsibility of driving. We've had several sit-down discussions with him and I'm sure well be talking more about it on the way to PSU tomorrow (fun, fun, fun...NOT). In the afternoon we ran and got things for our tailgate and got ready. We thought we had someone set to take the now extra set of tickets, but that fell through less than an hour before departure. So more scrambling with others trying to find friends to go and finally the concert attendees suggested we take our daughter/BF (about 10 min. before departure). I grabbed DD some clothes in case they could come and off we went (the neighbors picked us up and had fully decorated the car and had bought us all kinds of whacky stuff to wear and display at the tailgate. We had a great time people watching (a major spectator sport at this concert) tailgating with the neighbors (I ate some sub (VERY carefully) and none of the sides we took, but I did have a two Corona's/Lime as it was all we had there (with some Gas X, and yes, my doc says carbonation is OK after a certain point post-op...and I nursed them forever...the tailgate is longer than the concert at JB). DD/BF got to the concert about ½ hour late (she had to work until 7pm), but they had a great time too (virgin Parrotheads). We danced, we sang, we had a blast…Buffett was awesome as always! What a way to celebrate our 50th birthdays! TERRIBLE phone-camera pic attached of us doing the Big 5-0. We picked up a rental car for me today and I'm off to pack for our orientation overnight at PSU tomorrow…it's been a busy, sometimes very stressful 48 hours. *Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book

Hi Headhunter! I attended two different seminars for two different doctors. The first one I almost went with, but as soon as he finished his 30-minute lecture he was out of there! He had about 10 minutes of questions and then he was out of there! He left the rest of the answering of questions up to some other staff. They were talking about all of these things that the insurance did not pay for such as the psych eval, which would have been 250 dollars. Nutritional consult with their nutritionist another 200 dollars, their "own" preop diet 200 dollars, postop diet 150 dollars. All of that the insurance didn't pay for. So, I called my insurance and asked about covering psych evals, nutrition consultations etc, and they told me yes they do. The NUT and the psychiatrist would have to be covered by my insurance, but they would cover it. I didn't like that about that doc. So, I attended another seminar with my doctor I have now. VERY meticulous during the seminar ( although he was a little late due to surgery) but very, very thorough! I asked them up front about the psychiatrist, nutritionist, etc. My insurance covered them all and I only had to pay 10 dollar copay each time. Except for the NUT class and that was 50, but still lots cheaper than the other doc. Also, my doctor has not lost a lap band patient. I don't know about bypass, as I didn't ask that. But, he is very careful and makes sure everything is safe for the patient before doing any surgery. I am on medication now for a peptic ulcer, but I can still have the band placed. He said once I am banded for a few months he wants to do another EGD to check things out down there. He stressed how important it is for me not to indulge in alcohol, NSAIDs, aspirin or even caffeine due to my ulcer situation. He sold me the first time at the seminar and I felt comfortable with my decision. I hope that answered your question If you want to ask me anything else, ask away.

Alright I cheated a little yesterday (day 2). Did good the whole day but took my son out for graduation and got a salad of which I could only eat a few forkfuls anyways along with an alcoholic beverage and 2 spoonfuls of dessert. Back on track today. doing good so far and already I am seeing a difference in the amount I can eat. This is not easy so kudos to all of you who successfully and faithfully stick to the test.

I've used goo be gone to get labels off of glasses and the like. I never thought of using it on my skin. I wear hormone patches and it leaves an adhesive residue every week. I've tried baby oil and it doesn't work. I've tried alcohol too. I guess I'll have to try goo be gone.

Hi All I am needing a little help here I am not losing weight only inches. I am two months post op and I have lost over 10" total and 14-15lbs. I am making sure I stick between 1200-1500 calories granted some weekend I have had some alcoholic beverages. I am exercising at least 4days/wk cardio for one hour and some weight training. This week I have started a food journal but I need some encouragement? how did you get past plateaus?. Also I have 4cc in my band got a second fill last week Thank you

Ok here is the downlow on slurpees........crystal light no less. I am sad but glad I know that facts. It is FULL of carbs!! Nutrition Information per Serving Cup Size 12 fl oz 22 fl oz 28 fl oz 40 fl oz Calories 50 90 120 170 Fat 0g 0g 0g 0g Sodium 75mg 135mg 170mg 240mg totalCarbs 11g 21g 26g 28g Sugars 0g 0g 0g 0g Sugar Alcohol 2g 3g 4g 5g Protein 0g 0g 0g 0g Vitamin A* 0% 0% 0% 0% Vitamin C* 0% 0% 0% 0% Calcium * 2% 6% 8% 10% Iron* 0% 0% 0% 0% *Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 Calorie Diet. Statement of Ingredients INGREDIENTS: WATER; GLYCERIN; PROPYLENE GLYCOL; SORBITOL; POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE; MALIC ACID; CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR; DRIED YUCCA; HYDROLYZED OAT FLOUR; SUCRALOSE [sWEETENER]; CALCIUM PHOSPHATE; CALCIUM CHLORIDE; SODIUM PHOSPHATE; SALT; XANTHAN GUM; GUAR GUM; CARRAGEENAN; RED 40; SODIUM BENZOATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA [PRESERVATIVES].

Hi Everyone, I'm so glad to have found this website. I have been thinking about and getting closer to making the decision for a while now. I am 58 yrs old, am a diabetic and have fibromyalgia. I have fought the weight battle all my life but age is making it much harder. Maybe some of you can help me with some questions or tell me where on the forum I can find the answers. My insurance will not cover anything to do with weight loss, though they would pay if I were a drug addict or alcoholic and needed help. So does anyone know of a good relatively low cost surgeon or clinic in the US to get this done: Has anyone been to Mexico or elsewhere and had it done? Good or bad experience and where? I am in VA but traveling to protect my life and health will be worth it. How do you feel about food after the surgery? I am wondering if cooking for family, at holidays etc will be a hateful chore when I can't eat much of anything. Does anyone know when the first bands were implanted and if over years any problems develop? I don't think we yet have grannies in nursing home with them, though maybe we do! I am looking forward to sharing and learning from you all, Mountaingal

Hi kathy I know yours was nothing to do with alcohol and I really hope more than anything I havent upset you. It was just before you posted I was going through all the things that could go wrong and that was one of my fears. Hope you are able to breath more easily and are feeling better. J x

Hi all- I am a sober alcoholic and sick of the whack game. I was banded May 11, 09. No restriction since I've healed, but I have a much greater awareness of what I eat and WHY I eat it. Banding has yanked that "eating for comfort rug" right out from under my feet. I'm so ready though- if I'm uncomfortable or bored or stressed, so be it! I just pray I don't think of new and different ways to self destruct- ha! Beth

You're not alone! I'm a decent drinker (a couple glasses of wine at night; maybe a few more cocktails on the weekends), and I was terrified that my liver might be larger than the norm. My doctor calmed my fears at my pre-op session when I asked him about it -- A, he said moderate to slightly above moderate alcohol consumption should not cause fatty liver and B, he wouldn't not operate because of one (unless it was enormous). My doctor's fellow told me when I woke up I kept asking if I had the band, and if my liver was small. Ha. It was fine, and I'm sure you will be too.

Hi Homecare et al - I just want to make it clear that my liver disease is not from alcohol, or Dr Chris would not have operated at all (he did ask me this while I was about to go under). So please don't worry about that. I have cirrhosis and underwent surgery in 2002, so it is very doubtful that any of you would have such a chronic illness without knowing about it - blood tests routinely test liver function and a problem would show up. In my case, the original diagnosis was seven years ago and my liver blood work has been improving ever since - the point where it was well within the normal range when the lap band surgery was attempted. Dr Chris stopped for fear of internal bleeding that he may not be able to stop and would land me in intensive care in a foreign hospital - costing me thousands a day. I'm still very disappointed in the outcome, but there's little that I could have done. As I said before, there appears to have been a huge miscommuniciation between Dr Chris, myself and Fredrik - but the outcome remains the same. The bottom-line, Homecare and any others, unless you have had serious liver problems in the past (likely resulting in surgery) it is doubtful you have anything to worry about. Good luck to you all!

hiya homecare:smile: being honest i am not too bad and as i said before my only worry is he cant do the surgery for some reason..that would just be disastrous:sad: been on the pre op since week past thursday no alcohol and trying to stay on low fat low sugar foods,had a treat last night though .....had a pizza:tongue_smilie: yeh my partner and son are coming over with me for moral support so just hope it all goes to plan. roll on thursday will probably catch up with you in the hotel the night before the big op? got an email from Frederik about the taxi etc and he will visit my room at 2100hrs approx to collect the cash and give me some more info. lets just think posititve!

Thanks Shell. I know I sound neurotic its just I have drank red wine for years, you know the thing stressful day at work and pour myself a large glass or two to relax. I havent really thought about the damage I may be doing to my liver until now. So one thing I have learnt on this banding journey is I must cut down on my intake. Its got too many empty calories anway and Ive heard you become a cheap date after being banded you cant consume as much as pre banding. Is this because you dont have much food in you to soak up the alcohol therfore it affects you much quicker. Will defo have to watch that as I dont like to be drunk and not in control. Jx:unsure:

Homecare, Kathy would tell you herself she knew she has liver problems. It was not caused by alcohol and certainly not by a couple of glasses of wine!! isn't red wine supposed to be good for you!! I had similiar fears that they'd find something when they opened me up, i'm a bit neurotic, if I have a headache i think it's a brain tumor! OK worse case scenario...IF and a very big IF there was something there wouldn't we be best knowing about it NOW so we could do something about it???? Perhaps Dr Chris saved Kathy, hopefully that will be the case that she's caught this in time. Your fears are totally natural and don't think yourself stupid for having them, you're only human. If we don't chat before Thursday, I'll be thinking about you on Friday and will wait in anticipation to hear your journey. ShellXXX

Yes, moderate alcohol consumption, specifically no more than one or two a night, has been shown to be beneficial. However, if you're trying to reduce carbs prior to surgery, you might be well advised to restrict or just temporarily cease alcohol consumption, since those carbs definitely count. But afterwards, once you heal and are on full liquids, have a toast on me!