Candle

I made this 2 weeks ago and it was really good. I think it's a WW recipe.
Buffalo chicken Soup
6 cups milk (I used 1%)
3 cans 98% fat free Cream of chicken Soup
3 cups cooked, shredded Chicken (thigh meat might work best if you have good restriction)
1 cup Sour Cream (I used fat free)
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce (I like Frank's Red Hot)
Everything in the crock pot on LOW, for about 4 hours

I made this 2 weeks ago and it was really good. I think it's a WW recipe.
Buffalo chicken Soup
6 cups milk (I used 1%)
3 cans 98% fat free Cream of chicken Soup
3 cups cooked, shredded Chicken (thigh meat might work best if you have good restriction)
1 cup Sour Cream (I used fat free)
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce (I like Frank's Red Hot)
Everything in the crock pot on LOW, for about 4 hours

So I've come to the end of my band journey ... and I am relived! The last few years have been pretty miserable and I hope my story can help someone else.
I was banded in Aug 2007. GREAT results! I was very lucky and didn't have to mess w/ too many fills/unfills or have any complications. (that I knew of) Pre-op weight of 311 and low of 160 in under a year. I didn't maintain the 160 for long but was happy in the 175-190 range for a few years. I'm back up to 240 and feeling like a complete failure.
I just had my band removed on Mon and I'm feeling pretty good. They used 2 of my old small incisions and had to open up the old port incision a bit. The port site is what's killing me. My band had slightly slipped but the removal was quick and uneventful. Didn't even have to spend the night in the hospital. I was thankful my surgeon supported my decision to have it removed and helped fight my insurance to get it covered. (Not medically necessary? What a joke! I'd love to know how much they've paid out in doc visits and tests for stuff all caused by the band because I know I've spent a fortune in copays & missed work. I guess it's the same as so many insurance company's paying for women to have a babies but not for birth control?!)
About 3 years ago I started having dizzy spells coupled with severe upper abdominal bloating/pain. The symptoms were very similar to diverticulitis, minus the bathroom troubles. Attacks started to get more and more frequent. Multiple visits to PCP, band doc, and finally a gastroenterologist. Multiple tests; barium, CAT scan, endoscopy, allergy tests, etc. The gastro theorized that I was experiencing aerophagia (swallowing too much air that gets trapped in your intestines and creates pockets - similar to diverticulitis) and the band was really trapping that extra air. I fought it and didn't think it was band related but after a year we did a complete unfill and guess what - no more attacks!! That was Dec 2013 and I've remained unfilled since. Still getting stuck often and having lots of indigestion.
Sometime during that year I developed horrible heartburn and have been on 40 mg Omeprazole since Sept 2013 w/ no relief!
Around the same time I also developed left shoulder pain. It was occasional and bare-able. I assumed maybe an injury or tendinitis. The shoulder pain finally got really bad and consistent about 6 months ago. Multiple visits to PCP, Orthopedic, & Physical Therapy. The therapist wanted me to get an MRI because the X-rays weren't showing anything, Cortisone shots didn't help, and my symptoms and range of motion didn't really sync up to a rotator cuff injury and/or tendonitis. I broke down in his office - "MORE EFFIN TESTS AND COPAYS AND PAIN AND AND ... wait a minute? Could this also be band related?" Did a little research and learned about the Vagus nerve and how it can be affected by the band. That little bastard really causes trouble! The body is so complex!
I developed sciatica about 1 yr after being banded but have severe Scoliosis so I chalk all back stuff up to that. I had a major episode last week and was barely able to walk or work for about 5 days leading up to my band removal. I was really nervous about recovering from abdominal surgery with my back in that state. My back has been 100% fine since coming out of surgery on Mon and I haven't taken much in the way of pain meds. Anyone w/ sciatica knows - a magic overnight cure does NOT happen. Now I'm thinking that was also band related because of the Vagus.
Only time will tell how my heartburn, shoulder and back are long term but I'm pretty optimistic the worst is behind me. I can't remember a time I went 5 days without saying "My shoulder is on fire!" I'm also still a little shocked and angry that something I did [voluntarily!] to make myself healthier made me so sick.
So I guess I'm starting over on the weight loss journey - thinking about Weight Watchers again. I keep telling myself it's a lot easier to lose 50lbs than 100 and am trying not to back slide any more. Maybe a revision in the future but not something I'm even ready to think about right now.
I hope someone reads this who may be experiencing similar symptoms and it helps turn that light bulb on because it took me awhile and a lot of wasted time and energy.

So I've come to the end of my band journey ... and I am relived! The last few years have been pretty miserable and I hope my story can help someone else.
I was banded in Aug 2007. GREAT results! I was very lucky and didn't have to mess w/ too many fills/unfills or have any complications. (that I knew of) Pre-op weight of 311 and low of 160 in under a year. I didn't maintain the 160 for long but was happy in the 175-190 range for a few years. I'm back up to 240 and feeling like a complete failure.
I just had my band removed on Mon and I'm feeling pretty good. They used 2 of my old small incisions and had to open up the old port incision a bit. The port site is what's killing me. My band had slightly slipped but the removal was quick and uneventful. Didn't even have to spend the night in the hospital. I was thankful my surgeon supported my decision to have it removed and helped fight my insurance to get it covered. (Not medically necessary? What a joke! I'd love to know how much they've paid out in doc visits and tests for stuff all caused by the band because I know I've spent a fortune in copays & missed work. I guess it's the same as so many insurance company's paying for women to have a babies but not for birth control?!)
About 3 years ago I started having dizzy spells coupled with severe upper abdominal bloating/pain. The symptoms were very similar to diverticulitis, minus the bathroom troubles. Attacks started to get more and more frequent. Multiple visits to PCP, band doc, and finally a gastroenterologist. Multiple tests; barium, CAT scan, endoscopy, allergy tests, etc. The gastro theorized that I was experiencing aerophagia (swallowing too much air that gets trapped in your intestines and creates pockets - similar to diverticulitis) and the band was really trapping that extra air. I fought it and didn't think it was band related but after a year we did a complete unfill and guess what - no more attacks!! That was Dec 2013 and I've remained unfilled since. Still getting stuck often and having lots of indigestion.
Sometime during that year I developed horrible heartburn and have been on 40 mg Omeprazole since Sept 2013 w/ no relief!
Around the same time I also developed left shoulder pain. It was occasional and bare-able. I assumed maybe an injury or tendinitis. The shoulder pain finally got really bad and consistent about 6 months ago. Multiple visits to PCP, Orthopedic, & Physical Therapy. The therapist wanted me to get an MRI because the X-rays weren't showing anything, Cortisone shots didn't help, and my symptoms and range of motion didn't really sync up to a rotator cuff injury and/or tendonitis. I broke down in his office - "MORE EFFIN TESTS AND COPAYS AND PAIN AND AND ... wait a minute? Could this also be band related?" Did a little research and learned about the Vagus nerve and how it can be affected by the band. That little bastard really causes trouble! The body is so complex!
I developed sciatica about 1 yr after being banded but have severe Scoliosis so I chalk all back stuff up to that. I had a major episode last week and was barely able to walk or work for about 5 days leading up to my band removal. I was really nervous about recovering from abdominal surgery with my back in that state. My back has been 100% fine since coming out of surgery on Mon and I haven't taken much in the way of pain meds. Anyone w/ sciatica knows - a magic overnight cure does NOT happen. Now I'm thinking that was also band related because of the Vagus.
Only time will tell how my heartburn, shoulder and back are long term but I'm pretty optimistic the worst is behind me. I can't remember a time I went 5 days without saying "My shoulder is on fire!" I'm also still a little shocked and angry that something I did [voluntarily!] to make myself healthier made me so sick.
So I guess I'm starting over on the weight loss journey - thinking about Weight Watchers again. I keep telling myself it's a lot easier to lose 50lbs than 100 and am trying not to back slide any more. Maybe a revision in the future but not something I'm even ready to think about right now.
I hope someone reads this who may be experiencing similar symptoms and it helps turn that light bulb on because it took me awhile and a lot of wasted time and energy.

So I've come to the end of my band journey ... and I am relived! The last few years have been pretty miserable and I hope my story can help someone else.
I was banded in Aug 2007. GREAT results! I was very lucky and didn't have to mess w/ too many fills/unfills or have any complications. (that I knew of) Pre-op weight of 311 and low of 160 in under a year. I didn't maintain the 160 for long but was happy in the 175-190 range for a few years. I'm back up to 240 and feeling like a complete failure.
I just had my band removed on Mon and I'm feeling pretty good. They used 2 of my old small incisions and had to open up the old port incision a bit. The port site is what's killing me. My band had slightly slipped but the removal was quick and uneventful. Didn't even have to spend the night in the hospital. I was thankful my surgeon supported my decision to have it removed and helped fight my insurance to get it covered. (Not medically necessary? What a joke! I'd love to know how much they've paid out in doc visits and tests for stuff all caused by the band because I know I've spent a fortune in copays & missed work. I guess it's the same as so many insurance company's paying for women to have a babies but not for birth control?!)
About 3 years ago I started having dizzy spells coupled with severe upper abdominal bloating/pain. The symptoms were very similar to diverticulitis, minus the bathroom troubles. Attacks started to get more and more frequent. Multiple visits to PCP, band doc, and finally a gastroenterologist. Multiple tests; barium, CAT scan, endoscopy, allergy tests, etc. The gastro theorized that I was experiencing aerophagia (swallowing too much air that gets trapped in your intestines and creates pockets - similar to diverticulitis) and the band was really trapping that extra air. I fought it and didn't think it was band related but after a year we did a complete unfill and guess what - no more attacks!! That was Dec 2013 and I've remained unfilled since. Still getting stuck often and having lots of indigestion.
Sometime during that year I developed horrible heartburn and have been on 40 mg Omeprazole since Sept 2013 w/ no relief!
Around the same time I also developed left shoulder pain. It was occasional and bare-able. I assumed maybe an injury or tendinitis. The shoulder pain finally got really bad and consistent about 6 months ago. Multiple visits to PCP, Orthopedic, & Physical Therapy. The therapist wanted me to get an MRI because the X-rays weren't showing anything, Cortisone shots didn't help, and my symptoms and range of motion didn't really sync up to a rotator cuff injury and/or tendonitis. I broke down in his office - "MORE EFFIN TESTS AND COPAYS AND PAIN AND AND ... wait a minute? Could this also be band related?" Did a little research and learned about the Vagus nerve and how it can be affected by the band. That little bastard really causes trouble! The body is so complex!
I developed sciatica about 1 yr after being banded but have severe Scoliosis so I chalk all back stuff up to that. I had a major episode last week and was barely able to walk or work for about 5 days leading up to my band removal. I was really nervous about recovering from abdominal surgery with my back in that state. My back has been 100% fine since coming out of surgery on Mon and I haven't taken much in the way of pain meds. Anyone w/ sciatica knows - a magic overnight cure does NOT happen. Now I'm thinking that was also band related because of the Vagus.
Only time will tell how my heartburn, shoulder and back are long term but I'm pretty optimistic the worst is behind me. I can't remember a time I went 5 days without saying "My shoulder is on fire!" I'm also still a little shocked and angry that something I did [voluntarily!] to make myself healthier made me so sick.
So I guess I'm starting over on the weight loss journey - thinking about Weight Watchers again. I keep telling myself it's a lot easier to lose 50lbs than 100 and am trying not to back slide any more. Maybe a revision in the future but not something I'm even ready to think about right now.
I hope someone reads this who may be experiencing similar symptoms and it helps turn that light bulb on because it took me awhile and a lot of wasted time and energy.

I made this 2 weeks ago and it was really good. I think it's a WW recipe.
Buffalo chicken Soup
6 cups milk (I used 1%)
3 cans 98% fat free Cream of chicken Soup
3 cups cooked, shredded Chicken (thigh meat might work best if you have good restriction)
1 cup Sour Cream (I used fat free)
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce (I like Frank's Red Hot)
Everything in the crock pot on LOW, for about 4 hours

I made this 2 weeks ago and it was really good. I think it's a WW recipe.
Buffalo chicken Soup
6 cups milk (I used 1%)
3 cans 98% fat free Cream of chicken Soup
3 cups cooked, shredded Chicken (thigh meat might work best if you have good restriction)
1 cup Sour Cream (I used fat free)
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce (I like Frank's Red Hot)
Everything in the crock pot on LOW, for about 4 hours

That's probably the stupidest post I've ever read on here!!!
First you compare smoking pot to smoking CRACK and then advise someone to DRINK alcohol over smoking pot ....
I stopped smoking about a month ago because I was warned by my therapist that they will do a drug test with the pre-surgery testing, for the anesthesiologist.
I've going to give myself about 2 weeks after surgery before I light up again ... I think I'm looking forward to that more than anything else :heh:

I made this 2 weeks ago and it was really good. I think it's a WW recipe.
Buffalo chicken Soup
6 cups milk (I used 1%)
3 cans 98% fat free Cream of chicken Soup
3 cups cooked, shredded Chicken (thigh meat might work best if you have good restriction)
1 cup Sour Cream (I used fat free)
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce (I like Frank's Red Hot)
Everything in the crock pot on LOW, for about 4 hours

I'll be thinking about you on Wed, Ellen.
How exciting !!!
Dr Geiss did my surgery too. It was at 4pm and it worked out perfect. I was in my room, after WALKING to my bed, by 6pm. My boyfriend stayed with me until almost 9 and then I slept most of the night.
Got to leave the next day by 2pm.
You'll do great.

hehe

I was just thinking about doing the opposite actually.

I've been a RELIGIOUS food logger since the day I started the pre-op diet. I use fitday.com. I've probably only missed a handful of days in the past 7 months. I really contribute a lot of my success to logging my food.

I want to hide my scale and stop logging my food for a week or two and see how I do on my own.