FromPrisoner2Pioneer

Thanks to everyone for replying. I joined MyFitnessPal.com & you were all correct... it is easy to use. WayneF, I'm having the same trouble you are, but I suppose I can ignore the calorie thing? That's my plan anyway.

See you guys on MyFitnessPal.com!

/P2P

I'm having difficulty finding a *free* application that will allow me to enter my own nutritional guidelines (high protein/low carb) and then report my progress against my daily food log. Which electronic application do you use?

I've looked at several and it seems like they all want to charge me a membership fee if I want a daily report that compares my intake with custom designed goals.

Would you please let me know what you use? If it's not on the list, then reply to this message after pressing the <Vote> button and let me know what you use. I will add to the list as we go along.

It will be interesting to see what everybody uses. Don't forget to hit the <Vote> button.

Much obliged,

/P2P

Thanks for all of the replies. I was finally able to wear a single sports bra (I normally layer 2) sixteen days post-op. Wooh! That was a good day!

/P2P

I'm 5 days post-op & still can't wear a bra. It feels like it restricts my breathing. How many days post-op were you when you started wearing a bra again? This is driving me crazy?

/P2P

Thanks, Amanda, but I'm thinking another blog would just be white noise. Hows about if I write anything else of any length on the forums, I'll post a pointer in my status update. That way, you'll have a head's up.

Speaking of autocorrect, my little brother sent me an email warning me about post-op gas pain due to "Ina Rickey". Since I was scheduled for surgery the next day, I immediately googled "Ina Rickey" <-- sounded like an ugly condition, perhaps related to rickets (sp?). Turns out, he meant to say "inactivity" but he was bedevilled by spellcheck on his iPhone. I felt like a real idiot. :0)

Thanks for looking in on me, friend.

/P2P

If you haven't started your own blog, you really need to! I would love reading your posts everyday! And if you have, please send me the link!

That was the most entertaining thing I've read since damnyouautocorrect.com!

I thought I'd motivate myself to do some housecleaning by cranking up the tunes. My sugar-free Jello (I am on my pre-op liquid diet). The plastic container I traditionally use sprouted a leak and began spraying boiling hot liquid jello everywhere.

Since Katy Perry's "Firework" was blaring I had been transported to a state of invincibility and it took me a few seconds to realize the bowl had the audacity to hemorrhage on a Super-hero like me. After salvaging about a cup of the liquid (will that stop up the kitchen drain?) I took an inventory of the damage.

Spurts of red dye #40 had catapulted a good six feet from the kitchen sink. The floor looked like a crime scene. The counter-top wouldn't come clean -- it seemed to be permanently stained.

By the time I tried to wipe the cabinetry, the jello had begun to gel. I don't know how b/c I had yet to add the cold Water. I guess the force of the wind cooled the spraying jello as it arched in mid-air? I also wiped fully formed jello from the inside of my glasses and sandals. Had I known making jello was a full contact sport I would have been more appropriately attired.

Only minutes before, I had totally bought into Katy Perry's proclamation. I WAS a "firework"... destined for greatness. Mid-song, I was transformed from a firework to a f___-up & I made the appropriate substitutions in the lyrics as a I sang the song and cleaned up the mess.

I hope the experience doesn't ruin the song for me. I LOVE that song. /P2P

I'm a Nov Bandster 4 days pre-op looking for Oct Bandsters that are still giving status updates. My wall needs a few more friends that are active on the board. Don't "do" Facebook?

/P2P

I thought I'd motivate myself to do some housecleaning by cranking up the tunes. My ITunes playlist entitled "Feel It Burn" was lifted from the kids next door & everything on it has an upbeat tempo. My favorite is Katy Perry's "Firework" -- it's a great exercise tune. Very uplifting.

After emptying the dishwasher, I elected to make 6 cups of sugar-free Jello (I am on my pre-op liquid diet). The plastic container I traditionally use sprouted a leak and began spraying boiling hot liquid jello everywhere.

Since Katy Perry's "Firework" was blaring I had been transported to a state of invincibility and it took me a few seconds to realize the bowl had the audacity to hemorrhage on a Super-hero like me. After salvaging about a cup of the liquid (will that stop up the kitchen drain?) I took an inventory of the damage.

Spurts of red dye #40 had catapulted a good six feet from the kitchen sink. The floor looked like a crime scene. The counter-top wouldn't come clean -- it seemed to be permanently stained.

By the time I tried to wipe the cabinetry, the jello had begun to gel. I don't know how b/c I had yet to add the cold Water. I guess the force of the wind cooled the spraying jello in mid-air? I also wiped fully formed jello from the inside of my glasses and sandals. Had I known making jello was a full contact sport I would have been more appropriately attired.

Only minutes before, I had totally bought into Katy Perry's proclamation. I WAS a "firework"... destined for greatness. Mid-song, I was transformed from a firework to a f___-up & I made the appropriate substitutions in the lyrics as a I sang the song and cleaned up the mess.

I hope the experience doesn't ruin the song for me. I LOVE that song.

Also, I've spent some time in Lafayette, Louisiana. I dunno how anyone diets there. You guys have the best food in the world!

I'm very upset right now b/c for the past 6 months i've been going to the dr and dietician for 6 months straight, saw a psyc, and did meal replacements only to find out that I was DENIED!!!! Now get this...they said i as denied b/c i didn't have documentation of 6 months non surgical weighloss, (duhhh i saw dietician for 6 months) and also b/c i only have 1 comorbid (high blood pressure) When i 1st started on this journey, the dr assured me that it wld be no problem for me to get approval with a BMI of 35 and HBP...What am I to do now??? PLEASE SOME HELP ME.....

Did you also see your PCP once per month or just the dietician? My bariatric center gave me a form that my PCP had to fill out every month. Plus, I had my PCP scan my food log into my medical record every month. I was approved after six months, but I had 3 comorbidities (HBP, cholesterol & sleep apnea) & a so maybe it had nothing to do with the medical record? And I didn't have BCBS but I dunno...I thought I'd throw it out there... just trying to help?

So sorry!

/P2P

I'm very upset right now b/c for the past 6 months i've been going to the dr and dietician for 6 months straight, saw a psyc, and did meal replacements only to find out that I was DENIED!!!! Now get this...they said i as denied b/c i didn't have documentation of 6 months non surgical weighloss, (duhhh i saw dietician for 6 months) and also b/c i only have 1 comorbid (high blood pressure) When i 1st started on this journey, the dr assured me that it wld be no problem for me to get approval with a BMI of 35 and HBP...What am I to do now??? PLEASE SOME HELP ME.....

Ouch! I hope you're doing better in the morning! /P2P

I got my band. In all it was a very easy process. The only problem I am having is my left lung partially collapsed at the bottom due to a cough I had they said. Its very hard to breath so they are having me stay overnight to watch my oxygen. It's around 89 until I they have me take deep breaths. The surgery was a cake walk. It's my breathing that is really hard. They are concerned it could turn into pneumonia.

Thanks, inday. I look forward to that as well! /P2P

Welcome, Pioneer.I won't be banded for several more months, but I look forward to the day when we can all see your face and your newly found confidence!

juliebug,

I, too, am uncomfortable with the way Facebook arbitrarily revamps their privacy settings. True, you can tweak the settings, but what's been exposed before you get it tweaked?

I was thrilled to find this forum with a little more privacy? If I have to rely upon Facebook, I'm afraid I'll have to pass.

/P2P

WannaBe:

Right, exactly. I see the value of bonding with those who have had their surgery in November, but I'd also like to have a more experienced person(s) to use as a sounding board. You know... someone who knows the ropes... someone who can point out the pot holes so we're not all recreating the wheel... someone who has a little success under their belt?

After I posted the mentor thing, I found a thread dedicated to the whole mentor topic (duh) and I'm about to read that stuff right now. There's a lot to digest on this forum (no pun intended).

/P2P

Just wanted to introduce myself. Surgery scheduled for 2011.Nov.03. I'm terrified about not having a mentor. Would love to bond with fellow November Bandsters as well as some more-experienced folks.

Here's what I wrote about myself in "My Story"...

//

I’d like to say I’m a yo-yo dieter or a roller-coaster, but, for me, this has pretty much been a one-way trip! It was a long journey from 150 to 200 pounds, but 200 to 250 pounds was a quick ride and all uphill. Boom -- what happened? Suddenly I’m on all this medication... I feel terrible... I’d rather stick a pin in my eye than shop for clothes...

I’m so embarrassed by my weight that my social life is non-existent. I dread informal gatherings, holiday family affairs, travel and anything that takes place outdoors. I’ve become one of the great indoors-man of my generation; my exercise regimen consists of a morning jog from my bed to the bathroom.

I don’t want anyone to look at me. I don’t "do" Facebook; I don’t even want to put my picture or list my doc on my Lapbandtalk.com profile... it’s like I live in a self-imposed witness protection program. I’m the girl in the plastic bubble (albeit a very large bubble).

I’m not ready for Deepak Chopra (and he’s not ready for me), but I liked this quote from someone else’s profile:

“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask yourself if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.” -Deepak Chopra

I like that quote (that’s why I stole it). I no longer wish to be a prisoner of my past. I’d much prefer to be a pioneer of my future. That’s why my UserID is “FromPrisoner2Pioneer”.

(Wish me luck!)

I seem to be one of the senior members of this forum. As usual, I’m a day late and a dollar short. But, now that I’m here, I’d love to hear from anyone willing to give me a shout-out.

/P2P

Updated 10.26.2011 (7 days before surgery)

I'm November 3rd. I feel totally unprepared. I still have no mentor, which really bothers me.

On a positive note, I finally figured out how to add the ticker at the bottom of my messages. The peer pressure was really getting to me!

Hi Ducks. I'm not a young guy, but I wanted to wish you the best of luck tomorrow. I'm scheduled for surgery in 7 days and it kind-of scares me that I don't really have a personal mentor yet. Anyway, best of luck & keep us posted!

/P2P