kwindham

Oh, lordy, I am in a blended family as well. However my dh has no kids at all and I have 2 teenage boys who are quite a handfull.. We married when they where 3 and 5 so we have been together most of there lives, one is almost 14 and the other is 16. My dh was raised with not much love in his household, no support, etc and I was raised by 2 loving parents (happily married 39 years now) so we definately have different backgrounds and that proves to be a problem on occasion. His dad yelled at him when he did something wrong, and mine sat me down and explained to me why it was wrong. Dh then wound up in jail at an early age for DWI, and I have never been in trouble. DH now struggles with how to relate to teenage kids, because he was never given a role model, but he doesn't want them to end up like he did either, so he tends to be overly strict. I on the other hand tend to be overly lenient, until they have committed something that deserves a grave consequence. Example, it makes him crazy if their rooms and bathrooms aren't cleaned, it doesn't bother me, the boys have the 2 floor all to thereselves so as long as I don't have to see it, it doesn't really bother me.. Finacially, dh has never put boundaries on what I spend on them. He bought the oldest a nice used truck for his 16th bday, but expects him to get a job and buy his own gas (as do I). My point is, blended families are HARD!!! It is a constant give and take to find out what works and what doesn't. Sometimes one partner has to give more than the other. I buy for his family (parents etc) for holidays, birthdays, etc simply because he works so hard to provide for us I don't mind. And I honestly feel sorry for him (or anyone else for that matter) that is raising someone elses kid. I would not want to do it. It has to be hard to figure out where you as a step parent fit into this kids life. Life is hard enough without added drama. My question for you is this, (there is no wrong answer so don't be offended) How will your conscience feel if you stop doing for this child? or buying for him? Didn't you say he was only 5? If you keep seperate finances from dh, maybe a compromise would be to tell him you need X amount $ and you go and pick up the holiday gifts etc? Once again, please don't be offended, I am just offering ideas and mean no hard feelings.

The upper GI showed a small hernia, Dr says he did not see one when he was doing surgery so it is either very small or new since surgery. Also showed reflux (duh I didn't need a test for that, LOL) But my reflux is SEVERE and he said as Im down 55 lbs and only 45 lbs from a healthy weight it should be getting better, not worse. Makes sense to me. anyway, I have to go for a gallbladder ultrasound followed by a hida scan at 10 am tomorrow morning. When I went monday to get my upper gi results he palpated my abdomanal area and some areas where very tender to the touch. Although I haven't had any "classic" gallbladder attacks, both surgeon and my primary care Dr are leaning towards gallbladder problems causing all this. Both parents and both brothers have had their gallbladders removed, my youngest brother at 17yo. I am the only one remaining with an intact gallbladder. However, over the years I have had countless gallbladder ultrasounds and they always turn up negative, so these symptoms I have seem to come and go over the years. I am scheduled for surgery Aug 6, if the gallbladder testing is negative, he is going to do a scope into my tummy to get a better view of whats going on. If gallbladder testing shows something, he will take it out. If he cannot get to the root of whats going on he said the only thing that would decrease the stomach acids other than the meds I am on is to convert to bypass. And yes, he saw the look of horror on my face!!! So I guess at this point its all still up in the air. On aug 6, I will either have my gallbladder removed or a scope done, that is the only thing I know for sure at this point.

I take ambien as needed without any problems, but I prefer lunesta. I wake up from lunesta feeling so rested and full of energy. I sleep fine with the ambien, just rest better with the lunesta.

What a wonderful goal to have! Miranda Lambert boots! I love it! Mine is to wear a swim suit on the beach without a neck to knee coverup. Doesnt have to be a bikini, just cute and where everything is not falling out of it! I am most definately a beach girl and my weight has always dampened my fun! LOL

Im from central LA but had my surgery done in Alexandria.

yay!!!! I can only imagine! LOL

Ive been taking prescription strength prevacid for many years now. I don't know why the box says that unless it is just to cover there fannies for insurance purposes, but you really should ask your surgeon what you should be taking. What works for me or is good for me might not neccassarily be good for you. Good luck!

Happy Birthday Sheila!!! I don't know if anyone saw my post on postop forum but I started having a bit of a complication. Dr thought I had stricture but testing showed hiatal hernia and ulcers starting back up. He changed my ppi on friday and I see him today. Wish me luck, this hernia is no laughing matter!

Am almost 3 months post op. never had any complications or issues until 3 days ago. I woke up in the night feeling like I needed to vomit, mouth & throat full of saliva. Never vomited but the watery mouth has been constant since & the nausea comes & goes constantly. I have no pain. Also feels like my tummy is jammed full of air. Gas x doesn't help. My tummy feels swollen. I don't even want to drink water. Called my surgeon & he suspects stricture. Gotta be @ hospital @ 8am Tom for upper gi & possibly scope. Anyone have any other ideas on this? I'm terrified

Update~~~I got my results yesterday afternoon. No stricture! Yay! But I do have a hiatal hernia and the beginnings of ulcers again. He changed my 2x daily prevacid to protonix 2x day and reglan and I see him on Monday. Thank the Lord no stricture!!!

Love my wii fit!!! Even tho im down 52 lbs, still not ready for the gym and the (perhaps imagined) looks I would get at the gym. I live in a very small town and there is only one gym, and so anyone who works out goes to that gym. Ill do my exercise in private! lol

peacequeen~~~did you get your results?

Had the upper gi run yesterday morning and am now waiting on the results. dr said he would get them sometime this morning. Sitting on pins and needles here waiting. lol The more I think about it the more I think its not a stricture but my ulcers have come back. I have battled gerd and ulcers for years. I had to have a scope 2 days before surgery to be sure they had cleared up before surgery and they were, but now I think they are back. I don't seem to have as bad a problem getting solids down as. I do liquids. ANY liquid feels like pouring acid into my stomach.

Thanks guys!

I also would like to know what an expanding vein is? Already had appt with my pcp today and went ahead and went despite the surgeon seeing me in the am. He said same thing surgeon said, sounds like stricture but could possibly be gallbladder. Advised me to get to my 8am appt in the morning for my testing. I was really hoping pcp would say I have a stomach bug/virus/etc but no such luck. I am soooo upset over this. Almost 12 weeks with not so much as a hiccup of a problem and now this. I have been crying like a baby all morning.

OMG ppl are cruel! I have a couple tales to post later when I have time but it just sickens me to see how cruel ppl are! Young kids don't always mean it maliciously but teenagers and grown ups? Just wrong in every way!!!

My surgeon is in the camp of ~~~it wont stretch your tummy and its ok in moderation (diet only) after X weeks depending on how you are healing. I have been drinking diet coke since 6 weeks. I always pour it over ice to release some of the fizz in it. Sadly and weirdly, it is the ONLY thing I have found that does not give me raging heartburn/reflux. Even plain water gives me heartburn. But always do what YOUR dr says!

I was terrified. What if this is a mistake, what if I dont wake up, etc? But I was determined to have a healthier life, the one I was living was misery. I couldn't dig my own holes to plant my flowers without losing my breath. I remember pasting a huge smile on my face when they where wheeling me from preop to surgery and telling my parents as they wheeled me out "see you on the losers bench" but I was scared half to death. Being scared or doubtful is human nature, its a defense mechanism. But ultimately only you can make this decision. Weigh the pros and cons. Do you want to struggle with your weight the rest of your life or do you want to permantly lose it? Deep inside is where your answers will come from. Good Luck!

I have battled heartburn and reflux for years. When I was pregnant with my oldest I craved Water but could barely drink it because it made the heartburn so bad.. All these years I have thought it was either in my head or I was just looney, but I finally asked the dr about it, totally expecting him to laugh at me. Needless to say, Im glad its not unheard of. In the last 5-8 years I have really battled heartburn and reflux, ulcers, bleeding unlcers, etc. I was really hoping this surgery would cure it but apparently not. I am up to 2 prevacids a day 1x am and 1x pm plus a pepcid in the afternoon to keep it under control. I love sf koolaid but cannot drink it. But hey, it this is the only negative Im good. I have never had vomiting, dumping, extreme pain, sliming etc. I have been lucky! BTW, I made it halfway to my goal this am! WooHoooooooo!!!!

It horrible about that fire. Praying for everyones safety. Joni, my dr cleared me for diet coke at 6 weeks. Sadly it seems to be the only liquid that does not give me raging heartburn and reflux! Crazy huh? When I told him at my last post op that I knew he was gona think I was crazy but Water (plain or flavored) was giving me terrible reflux, he said it was actually fairly common. I dont drink my diet coke straight out of a bottle or can, I only have it over ice, seems to dissapate the carbonation some. When I tried it from a can I got an air bubble in my tummy and it didn't feel to good.

I have been busy too. Just got back Monday from taking the kids to Pensacola Beach for a week. Got home and the grass had to be cut yard work done, unpack etc. so busy busy. Im losing slow too. And I can eat more than I could a month ago. Im still having probs getting the Protein in, but other than that no problems. I am now in a large shirt and a 14 shorts. Seems like it still soooo far away from the sizes I want to be but Im getting there slowly but surely. We all will!!!

:D

No didnt have one but you can request it be taken out before you are awake if you want to. Most drs will try to accomadate a patients wishes. My dr wanted me up walking the halls within 2 hours after recovery, so leaving a cath in would have been pointless.

my doc said 2 weeks, and trust me, I was counting down the days to jump in my pool. He cleared me at 4 weeks for beach swimming in Hawaii.

I had a total hyst at 30 and have been a burning inferno since, but since the weight started coming off the symptoms are going away. Talked to my surg about it at my 8 week and he said don't stop the hrt yet, talk to my gyn but it was okay to half the dosage. Sooo excited about this side effect of vsg! :~)