I'm here to help...

[bandingo 0]

Hi Indi

i am the loving supportive hubby and would like some idea's to an issue we have

Three weeks ago my wife went for her third fill,she is getting tighter,soon after she got a bad cold and for the last three weeks she is having to sleep well elevated and she is on Omeprazole because every night batween 2 and 3 am she starts gurgling and then goes into a coughing fit and PB a cup of flem,i lie there listening to her sleep and it sounds like the flem is building up then out it comes,our Dr fill recons it may be that the band is a little swollen cause of the cold ,do you have swelling during a cold andany ideas ,will it subside with time,She is such a trooper ,i want to help her the best i can ,she says it's not reflux as it doesn't taste or burn so it must be goobies any ideas !

[IndioGirl55 32]

Hi Indi

i am the loving supportive hubby and would like some idea's to an issue we have

Three weeks ago my wife went for her third fill,she is getting tighter,soon after she got a bad cold and for the last three weeks she is having to sleep well elevated and she is on Omeprazole because every night batween 2 and 3 am she starts gurgling and then goes into a coughing fit and PB a cup of flem,i lie there listening to her sleep and it sounds like the flem is building up then out it comes,our Dr fill recons it may be that the band is a little swollen cause of the cold ,do you have swelling during a cold andany ideas ,will it subside with time,She is such a trooper ,i want to help her the best i can ,she says it's not reflux as it doesn't taste or burn so it must be goobies any ideas !

How sweet that you are cking things out for you DW ;0) kudos to you ...

By what I have read yes a cold can make your band tighter - for some of us flying can make the band tight and stress too will make it tighter..

Has she taken Muscinx (sp) that may help - if it's not burning then I would say she's ok as long as it's not reflux - Reflux is not a good thing to have w/the band.

I haven't had a cold so I can't speak from personal experience - take that back I have had a head cold but that's it the doc gave me muscunix to dry me up.. I don't remember if it made me tighter or not - Stress is the main factor that tightens my band - I have no problem flying...

We all are diff w/our bands and they are very fickle...

I would stick w/chicken Soup - tea and something to help the congestion..

[IndioGirl55 32]

Good Morning Gang

Well I did go to bed early last night still didn't want to get up this morning :0)

Eva - Glad you had a great time in SF... How was the concert or is that another trip ;0)..

Well time to jump in the shower - cbl

[llkb4me 1]

Cheri, Love the new pic, you are beautiful.....

Well I am going in for a unfill, think I'll have them just take out half of what they put in so that should be 1/2 cc. This morning it took me over an hour to drink an instant Breakfast. How can you get that stuck feeling on liquids? It seems to be getting tighter every day. I thought I could make it the week but with Christmas it would be over a week, can hardly eat anything.

Lori, funny dream! Can just picture that.

Laura K

[Apples2 19]

Good Morning,

Hope everyone is having a good day.

LauraK...sounds like you're making the right decision in going back for a small unfill. Does not sound like much fun not being able to eat or drink. Being tight takes the joy out of everything. I look forward to eating and when I am tight because of strees, etc. things just don't seem right.

Janet...sounds like you got a good nights sleep. Better catch up b/4 you get hit with your crowd over Christmas.

Had a Christmas get together at our house yesterday. Everyone arrived at 3pm and wrapped about 10pm. Was very nice and my cheeks are still sore from laughing. I made a cranberry/pineapple glazed pork loin and after all was said and done I have 1 1/2 small slices remaining in the frig. Just served it with fresh parmesan focaccia bread. Had appetizers and Christmas goodies. Not much fussing but think everyone got a tummy full.

Today is being spent doing year end books and have a tax appt. Been working on it all since I got up and just fine-tuning, paying the last of the bills, putting last of the deposits in, etc. I am always so happy when it is all wrapped up and off my desk.

We are expecting a pretty intense snow storm to hit us Wed night thru Friday night. I detest these storms during the holidays when everyone is travelling. Just not the same when someone cannot make it to the festivities. Hoping our family that needs to travel can hit the road early so they can make it. Such a worry with everyone on the road. Almost happy DS #2 decided not to come home. He can fly in but a 4 hour trip after he hits the airport. We will have our little Christmas with him once we get to Atlanta in about a month and fly DS #1 out to be with us also.

Still without a dishwasher during this busy time of entertaining. Will do some rethinking on where to buy my appliances the next time around. It's been over a month since I've called them and check every other day on where we are on the list. Good service? I think not. You want to see me crabby, just mess with the flow of how things are to go in my kitchen.

Cheri...missed your new photo and went back and looked. I can really tell a difference in this photo from the last. Also, congrats on the weightloss. Not to long now and you will be at goal. Hang in there over the holidays!

I have been tight (not overly...just not what I am used to) the last couple of weeks. Everything feels fine but just no hunger. Stress will do that to me. I'm thinking I don't even need a port. Just give me year end all year round! (Honesty don't like feeling and don't like to have to force-feed). But, you will all be happy to know that I am diligent (sp?) in getting all my cals in per day. I am back to getting up at night to have my steel cut oats and dates just to keep things right.

Eva...good to hear that you had a nice trip with DH and got to see some of SF. Never been there but would love to go. Maybe in our future motorhome days.

OK..so around Thanksgiving we all posted what we were thankful for, etc. Soooooooooooo....when Eva was talking about making tamales (this time of year, and for Christmas???????????), I just didn't get it. Got me thinking that it would be fun to share one of your favorite Christmas traditions that you love that your family does. We are a diverse group and would be fun to hear what one of your favorite family traditions is...whether it be something you make or bake, a game that is played, etc.

I'll start...our little family (DS, myself and 2 DS's) always had our own little Christmas a couple of days b/4 Christmas. When DS's we very little I asked them what mom should make for our meal. It was scrambled eggs with diced ham, homemade cinnamon rolls with icing, being able to eat their gingerbread house and cocoa. We've carried that forward all these years. I still remember their chubby little cheeks as the two of them discussed what they wanted (probably 3 and 4 yrs old).

Better get back to it or I won't be ready by the time I have to leave for appt.

Lori...hope things are better for you every day. Meant to get a card off to you but will have to say I just didn't get it done. Just know I think of you often and the struggles that come with knee replacement (and the drug dilema). We're so lucky to have our medical advisors (Phyll and Laura) to call on in out time of need.

Will check in later.

[Great2BThin 5]

Good morning. I had a much better night last night. No weird dreams that I remember. I put the bottle of oxycodone away and am not taking that one at all anymore. And the norco (the extra strong vicodin) I took just one every 4 hours except once when DH asked me where my pain was on a scale 1 to 10 and I said 9 he told me to take 2 and I was still okay. I think it was the combo of the 2 kinds. I even did some of my therapy exercises this morning. Pretty good when I remind myself that it still hasn't even been one full week since surgery. My bend at therapy yesterday is starting out at 70 degrees, the same as my other one did and I got it up to 130 degrees. I am a good, rule following patient and have no doubt I will rehab this one as well as the first one. I am feeling so much better mentally as well, I was a basket case on all those pain pills and am so grateful to Phyl and Laura for their help and advice. I see my surgeon for the one week followup tomorrow and will ask about RX going forward.

Today is a busy day if I can handle it all. Right now DH is at the eye dr. we picked out his glasses (he wants my help picking them out) previously so he just had to get the exam and order them and when he gets home we may go to costco. No I won't walk around much, I will either let him push me in a chair or wait by the snack bar while he picks up the couple items we need. Then I promised Grandma that I would do my best to be at her place for an appt at 1pm today with this Longterm Care aide person that is to come and meet with her and my mom. She wants me there because I understand it all (sortta LOL). My mom had things so messed up and had Grandma convinced her money was runnning out when it wasn't really true. So I will do that for her today. DH will take me as I can't drive yet. Tomorrow is therapy and Dr. and then it's Christmas eve. Wow!

Janet, I thought Russell should win too. I know lots of people thought he was terrible in how he played the game, but it's just that a game. I felt bad he didn't win.

Apples, lets see traditions. I have several I guess. Chrsitmas eve I always let the kids open one present it started when they were little and I got them those little red sleepers to sleep in so they looked all Christmasy and fresh Christmas morning for photos. It took them years to figure out that that one present since then is always PJ's now they love it and look all year for the perfect pair. This year I even got a pair for the future SIL. Their stockings always have M&M filled candy canes. And Christmas eve is always on DH's side of the family oyster stew. However, no one that has married into the family likes it and they started making chili for us. So now it's chili and oyster stew. Normally though my kids have a 'ceremonial oyster' for DH. LOL SInce being back in Denver Christmas eve has always been at my house. Guess no one liked hosting it and I love it so I just sortta got it. I will have about 25 folks here. Tried to include my side of the family this year as they will all be in town but they refuse. They have known DH's family for years and there's no in laws on their side of the family to co-ordinate with or anything. DD is doing most of the coooking this year and can't wait. She loves to cook and entertain way more than I do.

[Apples2 19]

Good ole' oyster stew. A PB just waiting to happen! For years we have had our Christmas Eve with "Mom's" family. We go over to their place (about two miles from here) about 11:30am on Christmas Eve. Their tradition has always been to have oyster stew. Well when our family started joining them and none of us eat oyster stew, I bring along a crockpot of potato sausage Soup. But, this year was planning on bringing chili. (Funny that you do the same). I usually make a couple of loaves of homemade bread to go with the meal. In the evening we have the traditional ham, mashed potatoes, yams, creamed sliced rutabagas, etc.

It is such a joy that some of the grandkids have had children and so much fun to see them in their little fluffy Christmas dresses and to see the excitement they have for Christmas. We have a live nativity at one of our churches for the kids and they always look forward to that. So much more fun shopping for little ones. This year everyone is getting keepsake globes with an angel (she collected angels) from us in remembrance of "Granny". They are beautiful and had a special plaque put on the front with her name and "Loving Mother (or granny) and Angel". They wind up and play her favorite "The Lord is My Shepard".

[Apples2 19]

By the way, Lori...thank you for sharing your favorite Christmas tradition. Any more from anyone else?

[LittleOleMeinFL 1]

Hi guys~

Just popping in. Soooo busy, no time to read posts- so just scanned them.

Welcome to the new faces~ I promise to get to know you after the holidays. This is THE BEST THREAD ever! Folks are kind (most of the time..LOL)

Janet~ agree with the survivor thing. Bless his heart he was in tears. He was awesome and should have won! Glad he got the viewers choice. I heard (not sure it's true) that if you had WLS you cannot be a contestant on the show. LOL.. I actually considered it a few years ago. LOVE that show. Must be the Peace Corps volunteer in me.

Apples/Great~ love oyster stew. yum.

Cheri~ love the new pic too. You look awesome!

Meredith looks like she is having a GREAT time in NYC... saw her pics on FB.

I am so busy with Taekwondo (party there tonight, practice last night). Errands. Packing. Getting house sorted to be able to leave DH here for a week. Praying the weather doesn't cancel my flight on Christmas Eve Day.

Tomorrow morning is "fake" Christmas morning for us. Told a white lie that Santa was coming to just drop a few things here tonight while doing a "test flight" of the sleigh. (that he knew the weather was good down in FL and good place for touch and go landings...LOL) He's used to Grandpa flying a lot down here and doing those... so he believes me. This way DH gets to see him have Christmas. What difference does a couple days make when you are 5. He said to me , "I am the luckiest kid ever b/c I get to have TWO Christmases!!!"

I am tight too. Must be the time of year. Had a muscle milk this a.m. and nothing else and it is 2pm!!! Will CBL....

peasout...Laura

[Charlene K 1]

Apples, we had traditions years ago, but as the family has grown to 25plus......we do good to just make sure we get together at Christmas. My mother always made all of us cheese balls and chex mix for Christmas. Now, I do it. I swore last year I wasn't going to make it, but my kids look forward to it as one of their gifts. We always had Christmas on Christmas Eve, but as the kids divorced, now we settled on the one day no one wants........Christmas Day! It's ALL GOOD! We are Blessed!

[FemmeOne 0]

You guys are probably tired of hearing about my Italian pizzelle Cookies, but that's our main tradition. My grandparents were from Italy, and my grandmother used an old pizzelle Iron to make these thin anise-flavored waffle cookies on top of the stove. So this is one Italian tradition that we still do. I used to make the dough with the kids and supervise the cooking on the stove. My daughter still demands pizzelles for Christmas and although it's time consuming, I still make them.

A couple of years ago, we even made up a song to go with the pizzelle-making. (Sung to the tune of "Noel, Noel." ):

The first pizzelle, it stuck so bad,

It made mom frustrated, and o-o so mad.

And we did a LOT of verses too!

Another tradition that I still do (and am expected to!) is to fill stockings. I look for oddball gifts and weird candy and try to surprise them every year. Actually I still need to go out and find more stuff! I'd better get busy, huh?

[Apples2 19]

You guys are probably tired of hearing about my Italian pizzelle Cookies, but that's our main tradition. My grandparents were from Italy, and my grandmother used an old pizzelle Iron to make these thin anise-flavored waffle cookies on top of the stove. So this is one Italian tradition that we still do. I used to make the dough with the kids and supervise the cooking on the stove. My daughter still demands pizzelles for Christmas and although it's time consuming, I still make them.

Deb...I have to admit that I had never heard of a pizzelle until you mentioned them in your posts. Sounds like you have great memories from making them with your kids. Kind of like the memories of making gingerbread houses with my little cheeky boys each year. I can still see them sitting on the counter, cross legged and eating more gumdrops than went onto the house. Messy, full of white frosting and smiling.

[Apples2 19]

Apples, we had traditions years ago, but as the family has grown to 25plus......we do good to just make sure we get together at Christmas. My mother always made all of us cheese balls and chex mix for Christmas. Now, I do it. I swore last year I wasn't going to make it, but my kids look forward to it as one of their gifts. We always had Christmas on Christmas Eve, but as the kids divorced, now we settled on the one day no one wants........Christmas Day! It's ALL GOOD! We are Blessed!

It DOES sound like you carried your mom's tradition forward, Arlene. Chex mix and cheese balls sound great to me. That's the two things "mom" always brought to our family Christmas. Chex mix and cheese balls. I don't know if anyone will make it this year now that she is gone. I sure hope so!

[Apples2 19]

I just want to cry both happy and sad tears thinking of all these "Christmasy" things that all our families do and have done for years. Would love to have just one more Christmas with my boys little and do it all over again!

[ocotillo 0]

Hey Janet....no concert...didn't get tickets. But it's okay. We do see a lot of concerts every year.

Apples, traditions? When my parents were alive the main thing was I got to open my presents on Christmas eve night. We would have dinner then open presents. My parents told me it was because Santa had so many people to visit he stopped by our house early. I still open presents Christmas eve...mostly because I'm so busy Christmas day with dinner. I don't need to add house cleaning to the mix. Now...since I've been in this house, it's been I host a Christmas Day dinner. Everyone is invited and welcome. This year it looks like anywhere from 10-15 people. So, it's not as big as some of your families, but it's really nice to visit with friends. We also get some people stopping by for coffee and visiting.

Cheri, your picture is fabulous. You are looking very good. Congratulations.

I am home for lunch and need to get back to work. Have field notes to take and then some more computer work. Then I'm off for 5 days.

Check in later.

Eva