I'm here to help...

[IndioGirl55 32]

GOOD MORNING GANG !!!

I am going to miss you all - I will try and ck in while I'm gone

I love you all !!! You all have become my new found sisters

Be good - help each other while I'm gone - I gotta say you are all doing so good and I a happy and proud of all of you for the great job you have all done..

Love to you all !!!! I will ck in when I can ..

xoxoxo Janet

[Charlene K 1]

GOOD MORNING GANG !!!

I am going to miss you all - I will try and ck in while I'm gone

I love you all !!! You all have become my new found sisters

Be good - help each other while I'm gone - I gotta say you are all doing so good and I a happy and proud of all of you for the great job you have all done..

Love to you all !!!! I will ck in when I can ..

xoxoxo Janet

We will miss you and Phyl. I hope all of you have a great time. We want pictures!

[JoannMarie 0]

I have been busy, busy - have not even had time to read all the posts, or to post myself.

I AM IN ONDERLAND! As of Tuesday morning - hit my goal of 50 pounds lost and that glorious onderland. Of course, I was up a pound+ yesterday (the usual bump), but this morning down again. I guess that makes it official. I'm still dazed. It's hard to believe it is really happening!

I'm working on the Cars quilt for DGS - want to take it to Seoul with me next week. Prepping it for quilting this morning, and will start the quilting process this afternoon. DH and I are planning to go to the campground this weekend - and for once the weather forecast is great. It will be a great weekend for walking, canoeing, and fly fishing. Hope to do all three...

It's good to hear everyone is doing well. Safe travels to all those on trips this week. It's good to hear others are getting the hang of restaurant eating. It does take some thought and planning. But isn't it good to be thinking about food in a healthy way - not looking frantically for the next donut... I like that!

[Charlene K 1]

I have been busy, busy - have not even had time to read all the posts, or to post myself.

I AM IN ONDERLAND! As of Tuesday morning - hit my goal of 50 pounds lost and that glorious onderland. Of course, I was up a pound+ yesterday (the usual bump), but this morning down again. I guess that makes it official. I'm still dazed. It's hard to believe it is really happening!

I'm working on the Cars quilt for DGS - want to take it to Seoul with me next week. Prepping it for quilting this morning, and will start the quilting process this afternoon. DH and I are planning to go to the campground this weekend - and for once the weather forecast is great. It will be a great weekend for walking, canoeing, and fly fishing. Hope to do all three...

It's good to hear everyone is doing well. Safe travels to all those on trips this week. It's good to hear others are getting the hang of restaurant eating. It does take some thought and planning. But isn't it good to be thinking about food in a healthy way - not looking frantically for the next donut... I like that!

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Congrats on Onederland!

[ifyourstomachoffendsyou 1]

JoanneMarie that is awesome. Why, by the way, do we call it onderland. Safe trip Phyll and Janet. Have a great time. I lost over a pound despite little restriction, my clothes are falling off me after a 28 lb loss from my highest before surgery weight. 35 lbs is my half-way point. Yea for me.

[Mrs. Bubba 0]

Congratulations, Joann Marie.... What a wonderful happening... It must feel so good.... I always wait for the second day of a number before I count it official, too.... Our bodies are just so fickle the way they bounce.. I guess that's why lots choose to only weigh weekly.... I can handle the bouncing, so I like to do it daily.... Way to go, girl....

If, Onederland is being able to say 100 in front of the rest of your weight.... So the first "onederland" weight would be 199.9.................. get it??!! I started at 387 so hitting the 2's was a big deal for me.... Now on to Onederland.......

Drove the car for the first time today... DH forgot his cell phone and had to take it to him about 8 miles away.. My ability to get around is better since getting the staples out on Tuesday... I'm moving much easier now... I colored my hair this morning and can sure tell he strain I put on my back and side... So, I'm taking it easy now... We have a picnic this evening with DH's old employer.. They always include the retirees... I might not be able to eat much, but at least I'll look good and much younger without the grey hair!!!!

Safe journies to all those traveling... and everyone have a good evening... TTYL... Julie

[Great2BThin 5]

Congrats, JoAnn, on ONEderland!! WOOHOO!! Never to see a 2 again in front of your weight. Isn't that an awesome feeling? Have fun camping and watch out for bears! :thumbup:

[JoannMarie 0]

In our case, armadillos, remember? You get bears while camping - we had an armadillo cross our campsite! What can I say - it's southern Missouri vs Colorado mountains...

Julie - I hope you are being gentle with yourself. You have more healing to do. Take care.

You bandiversary girls - Happy day - You are amazing role models and I love knowing you. It is so good to have such caring support from you.

[bugsbuni70 1]

I am getting hungry and tired of just liquids . Any suggestions on how to make through?

[Charlene K 1]

I am getting hungry and tired of just liquids . Any suggestions on how to make through?

My doctor allows Protein Shakes so patients don't get weak. Call your doctor and ask.

[bugsbuni70 1]

I'm allowed Protein Shakes too but I don't like them.

[Meredith2424 0]

Hello all. Just got home from work about an hour ago. Whew, what a long day!!! Went to the Dr this morning for him to look at my incision. He says that it looks wonderful! No more drainage, and it's on its way to being fully healed! I also scheduled my first fill to take place in 4 weeks! They couldn't do it in two because I'm still so swollen. It's ok though, I am now pretty confident in my will power abilities! I know I can make it now. When I got home tonight, I took the bandaid off of my incision and a little thread started pulling out of it!!!!! I was so scared because I thought that I may have ruined something. I called the doc on call, the one that saw me today, and he said that this is normal for 10 percent of the population. Everyone elses body dissolves the internal sutchers and thats it. Mine apparently decides to push them out. The great news is 30 pounds are gone!!!!

Laura~ Glad to hear you are having a nice time! I love the cooler weather!

Janet and Phyl~ Have an awesome time on your vacation!

Joanne~ WTG girl!!!! Onderland! What an accomplishment!!!

Apples~ Thanks for letting us know your location for the weekend! Maybe this time we won't freak out?!

Thats all for tonight I suppose. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow.

~Meredith

[LittleOleMeinFL 1]

Hi guys! Congrats joanne! Meredith, great job!!! My body kicks out the absorbable stiches too. Right now we r in the newark airport waiting for our 11am flight to west palm beach. I'm on my crackberry... Lol, I mean blackberry as I write this.

Very interested in seeing my scale. Have no idea where it is. I am officially sick of restaurant food! Ready to be home and eating healthy again. Cbl

Peasout!

[ocotillo 0]

Joann and Meredith CONGRATULATIONS!! How excited you both must be. It's that persistance and isn't that just so much fun reaching and 10 multiplier 10lbs, 20lbs, etc.

I'm getting ready to go away for the weekend for a little family reunion. We've been so busy this week I haven't had much chance to Post. I started eating real food this week and I really like the band. I really am not eating as much as I used to and I'm full for a long time. We went out to eat twice yesterday and I ate a bit of most stuff and that was it. I don't have any fill yet, so everything went down, just not very much of it. Yeah!! This is why I got banded. And I'm down 2 1/2 today. I'm not weighing myself every day either.

I'll be checking in again when I get back....I really enjoy this thread. Take care.

Eva

[ljv52 2]

Hi everyone! Took me awhile to catch up on all the posts. Meredith congrats on that 30 pounds!! Isn't it a great feeling of accomplishment? JoAnn, congratulations on Onderland, again Whoo Hoo on that! As Long said, you never have to see a 2 in front of your weight again. I've had a busy week. Had to take our DGD to specialists in Iowa City Tues. for more tests. We have now learned that she definitely does have Dermatomyostis. It's a disease that starts with a terrible skin rash, moves to the joints and causes some Calcium deposits on those areas, like the knees, knuckles, etc. The worst part is that it is an auto immune disease and it causes muscle weakness. The rhemutoidologist (sp?) says we did catch it very early, so far she has tested positive for muscle weakness, but hasn't exhibited any sign of muscle weakness in her every day life (she's still walking without problems, running, dancing, being her usual happy, active 2-1/2 year old self). She will be on Methotrexato once a month by IV and will be taking sterioids as well. They need to do an MRI so we'll be taking her back next week for that (they have to put her out to do it cause a 2-1/2 year old isn't going to lie still for 40 minutes). Anyway, we feel confident and are thankful that we have such wonderful doctors and drugs and treatments available. I'm sure she'll do just fine. Thank you all for your prayers and if you'll continue to keep her in your prayers I'd be thankful and grateful. On to less dreary news: Apples, I know you're gone, but LOL that dream was too much! I keep laughing about it and it's been over an hour since I read that post. I'd be happy to travel anywhere to meet all of you -- that would be so wonderful, so count me in. Laura, glad you had a great time in Quebec -- sounds like a great place to visit. Eva, have fun on your family reunion. Charlene, how's your DH doing with his band? I'm sure he's doing great as he has such a fine helper. I watched Big Medicine (a rerun) the other day and always think of you. Julie, glad to hear you're doing so well -- just continue to take it easy. We went out to a restaurant Tuesday after our long day with the specialists in Iowa City. For the first time since I started my liquid diet in Jan. I ordered just a regular meal. It was a special restaurant that serves family style food -- it's in Amana, Iowa and if any of you ever visit there, it's fantastic food. Anyway, to make a long story short, I ordered the roast beef dinner. The meals all come with cottage cheese, a little salad, fried potatoes, gravy, corn, homemade bread and homemade jelly. Well, I took a slice of the bread (it was thin) and smeared jelly on it and ate that. It went down just fine. Then I ate cottage cheese which is the best cottage cheese I've ever had -- in fact I don't like cottage cheese you buy in the grocery stores, but I like their cottage cheese. I also had a few bites of salad. Out came my plate of roast beef. Now I'm not a big beef eater, in fact, I haven't had any beef since my band. Well, I ate a few bites (it was drowned in gravy and very tender) and ate a few bites of spaetzle (yummy) and then I was miserable and so full I could barely breathe! LOL. It was so wonderful! I said to my DH, "well, aren't you the lucky one to get my whole dinner to take home with you." But the reason it was WONDERFUL is cause pre-band I would have went in there and had at least 4 or 5 slices of bread, ate the whole plate of food plus the potatoes, corn and more gravy and then ordered pie and ice cream for dessert! This just confirmed to me that getting the band was truly the very best decision for me! I just loved the fact that even though my head was saying "the Heck with your diet, you're going to eat a really bad meal anyway no matter what you want" that my band stopped me and said, "NO MORE FOOD"!! It was truly my ah ha moment. I will never attempt to do that again (it was just such a waste of money). But I'm so glad it happened cause it is proof to me that I really truly cannot eat the way I used to -- there was no way any more food was going to fit in that tiny little stomach pouch! I just loved it. Anyway, gotta run to work -- have a great and lovely weekend everyone. Linda