lo2us

Lisa, you're more than welcome to come mow MY yard too!

Yeah Lisa and Go hippmom!

Joe Smoothies is on Summerhill in somthing Oaks shopping center. It's a most across from Cat Fish King. It's where Weight Watchers is located. Ceinman - I had all of the same fears you did, but I came to a point where I was thinking like this. "I HAVE to do something about my weight, I'm 31 and I feel terrible. I'm dying, and I know it. I don't believe in surgery for weight loss, but this is my absolute last stab at trying to lose weight...IF it even works." I researched everything I could find and met as many folks with lapband that would talk to me before hand. I watched Sugarbear go through her surgery on here. I learned of all the terrible things that could go wrong and it came down to this...is it worth saving my own life and facing my days with better quality life to risk all the bad stuff? Could I handle having to have addition surgeries IF something goes wrong??? I guess you know the answer, huh? It was SO worth it. I'm only halfway to my goal weight, but I feel so much better than I did this time last year. I would sweat and be short of breath when I got out of bed, but now...a little less that 12 months later...I can RUN 3 miles in 30 minutes! I don't have to rest or take naps throughout the day either! I enjoy keeping up with my 3 year old! Even if I don't lose another pound, it's been so worth it. Even if something goes wrong, it been worth it to have a whole year of not worrying about my weight (in the sense that I need to do something) and dying every day. I met the one lady who our Drs. had to remove her band because of erosion (the worst that can happen to us) when I donated blood in Feb. I asked her is she would do it again and she said she was scheduled for surgery if she can afford it in June! That was so encouraging to me. Sorry to ramble, but this was the best decision I've ever made...even if something bad happens and they have to fix me.

Down 4 lbs! Small fill yesterday! Weight lifting's working!

We're suppsed to get in 40-60 g of protein each day. I've been taking in a little more since I was on a pleateau and that's what Dr. H said to do with working out so much. The test tubes @ joe smoothie are about 46g per tube and they are $4 a tube. Just remember that you can get 2 doses from them though. Joe Smoothie is on Summerhill in the shopping center that has something OAKS in the name and is across the street from that fancy car wash. IF you get to Cat Fish King you've gone too far. EAS drinks have 17g and are about $3.75 for 4. The EAS drinks only have 110 calories too, so they aren't a good meal substitute, but a great snack! I like the pure protein bars too, they are about $5 for 6 and they each have 20g protein, they make a good breakfast. I broke 3.19 miles in 30 minutes on the elliptical! That's the best I've ever done! I'm exhausted, but I can't believe I can actually move now, especailly after the horrible shape I was in this time last year!

Girl, You look fabulous! Keep on rockin' it!

I use the EAS drinks they have at Walmart and those little test tubes, but I got mine @ Joe Smoothie. Theirs has twice the protein of the one's the docs sell, so I only have to take 1/2 at a time. I take that after a workout. I use the EAS when my band is too tight or I don't have time to eat. I met Kelly, from their website last time I got a fill and she lost 180lbs! SHe told me that other than really working out like I'm doing she drank milk to fill in the calories. I've tried that the past 2 weeks and I've started losing again! I'm the lightest I've been since Christmas! 2lbs to go and I can move that danged ticker!

Gus is doing better this morning. He actually got a whole night's sleep without coughing. His tempeerature seems to be going down too. Man, this was a rough one for him. Double ear infection, throat infection, sinus infection and pneumonia! He's been an angel through it all though! I'll know more tomorrow if the meds are working. Glo, I plan on going every 6 weeks until they get me in non-plus sized clothes if they'll have me! That's 3 sizes to go. I'm shooting for a 12 since I'm 5'9" large framed. I've never been below an 18 though.

I am a teacher and I've let everyone who asks know about my band for this reason: If it helps me, and will help others I want them to know about it. If it hurts me and might hurt others, I want them to know about that too so that they can choose not to have it done. It's how I would hope to be treated by anyone else. I have had a couple of folks make the easy way out comment. I kindly remind them that I ACTUALLY paid $15,000 to do this along with all the "fun" side effects that come with it. I think we can all agree that there's nothing easy about paying off a loan! They usually chage the subject, but I know they'll thing twice about the easy way out before they say it again.

The next TXARKA meeting is on the 14th. Man am I stressed, I had to leave work early today and get Gus to the doc. He has the beginning of pneumonia and I'm glad I took him. Doc said he should be feeling better by Wednesday, if not bring him back in. I'm so stressed I can hardly get liquids to go down today! Geez!

Thanks Dr. H, I think the root of all my problems is too little protein. I do okay when I do take those supplement...but they sure get old after a while. I like the test tube thingy's too. I will do a shot of protein next time I feel chocolate calling to me.

I'm right there with on the sugar, Julie. I do know that once you can get off it, it's not so hard to stay off it, but once you get off it again, it's harder to get off it the 2nd time, at least for me anyway! Here's a question for all y'all: Have you noticed that you crave foods you weren't particularly attracted to before now that you're banded? I crave pecans and chocolate, actually now I'm a chocaholic now and I didn't even really care about it before surgery!

We're okay here in Fouke, but I think a few people's window were broken by the hail. I know it came up right beside us!

If you've recently been banded, then I would think you need 2-3 months to build up nutrients in your system since you'll be healing for a good 3 months. I've donated twice since being banded in June, once in December and once at the beginning of this month. I will tell you that BOTH times I have been weak/no energy for about 7 days afterward and that has NEVER happened to me when I donated pre-band. I mentioned that I had just given blooda day before at my last fill and the doctor didn't say much about it. Nothing negative.

I would schedule a complete physical with the PCP, discuss everything with her while you're there, even your inexperience with insurance, and even you lap band hopes and especially the thyroid probelm. The after all your tests come back and everything is ironed out, then you'll be ready to start the band process.

Dang, I rechecked that ceral and it only has 7 grams of protein, but if you make it with skim milk, that should up it to 15 grams of proteing and like 210 calories. Still a pretty good breakfast on both counts. It tastes just like oatmeal, but smoother. For some reason I have a hard time with oatmeal in the mornings, but this stuff does great!

I found a band friendly breakfast food I've never had. I bought some hot wheat bran cereal at Albertson's yesterday. It has 150 cal and 17g protein per 1/2 c serving. Yes, I said 17 g! It goes down much easier than oatmeal for me (not much goes down until about lunch time.)

Welcome back Vlynn! Mylap, you sound extremly similar to me at the beginning of my banding. I was sick from the beginning. It doesn't have to be that way. I have very little time to eat too, I only have 20 minutes at lunch. Dr. H told me to get what I could slowly during that lunch and then have a Protein shake an hour or so later. That's helping a lot! Don't be uncomfortable...take it from me, it took me 6 months to realize that it should be so hard and hurtful before I really got on them to take some out.

Preach it sister!

Will that arnica montana work on old scars?

I want to know if you REALLY do get treated differently because you're fat. I want to be able to play with my son and not worry he will get away from me. I want to shop for clothes outside the plus size section. I want to be the arm-candy my husband deserves! and...I think I MIGHT want to try a mini-marathon.

I couldn't swallow cottage cheese and found out I was too tight too. Call and get some out if you can.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Taylor family. Well the strength training is slowly working, I'm down 4lbs from my fill weight. If I can get off one more I'll say goodbye to that dang 5lbs I've been gaining and losing since Christmas! I guess I've been working out all wrong at the gym. The personal trainer helped me last week and I've had 3 of his workouts and have been pooped at the end ever since. Not to mention a little sore. Sugarbear, I hate to hear about that hernia. I know you're TIRED of having surgeries! Hopefully they can do it laprascopically (spelling?) and you will heal faster. Lisa, I KNOW what you're going through! Hang in there! TP when they finally get the fill amount just right, it's amazing how comfortable you are and you get full with just a little food. Being too tight is awful compared to how I feel now. Before I was always uncomfotrable when I ate no matter how slow and small I chewed. Now I don't worry about feeling bad at every meal. I just eat and get on with my bad self!

I didn't pull a lot out, but some of my glue from my incisions was expelled. It looked like dry skin and felt like plastic. I came out for weeks after surgery in pieces and finally got all nice and smooth.

I would think the running in place you aggrivate the heel spurs. Maybe you can skip that part. I have a bone spur in one of my knees too, and as long as I don't over do it, I do okay. My doc told me no walking or running, but I do what I can on the elliptical and bike, and sometimes I try to walk too and haven't had too much problem.