Failure

Umm... lots of places! Kind of depends on what I'm doing with them.
I have ones that coordinate with my dinnerware - I bought those at Target (even though my dinnerware didn't come from there). Sold per piece, not as a set.
I have some clear plastic ones - I use those for more casual meals, or to hold ingredients I will be using as I cook/bake. Those are from BBB. Also per piece.
I also have some black plastic ones that look like mortars - I use those pretty exclusively for holdoing salsas or "Mexican dinner" toppings (diced onion, cheese... for fajita night!). Also sold per piece.
I also have some pyrex ones for baking, from Target. Sold as a set of 2 or 4, can't remember.
And some ceramic ones from a local kitchen store. Sold per piece.
I guess I like my ramekins...

Honestly, if you eat things slow enough and chew well or liquify them in your mouth more before swallowing there isn't much difference in the two stages other than "full liquids" are technically still liquids. I added more water to mashed potatoes to make them more watery and used them during my full liquid stage. I'm on pureeds now and I usually have tuna with mayo, ricotta with marinara, refried black beans, and greek yogurt for my main foods. I thought that cottage cheese was considered a puree, but a friend said our surgeon told her it was a full liquid. It's so weird how different people classify things into the different stages. I definitely notice restriction and fullness with the pureeds more than I ever did with the full liquids. Just go slow and try adding one new thing a day and see how you do with it.

Ingredients
Egg
Fresh Onion
Fresh green pepper
Fresh garlic
Cali flower
Grits
low fat cheese(of your chose)
1 scoop of unflavored Protein powder
Cook what needs to be cooked...
Do not add any salt...
=]
and then blend....
yummie
sounds nasty but its veryy good ...

I like this in star shape actually because I can pour soup into my mouth easily when it gets low and spoon won't pick it up. Is actually super convenient. I already tried one lol.

Congrats on your surgery! I hope everything goes smoothly for you.

Congratulations! You must be so excited!

Unjury in chocolate spender & chicken soup. I add it to healthy choice soups.

I cannot wait for that! I have gotten the.." you have such a pretty face and awesome lips and eyes". So that means the rest of me is ugly? lol Thanks

Holy cow, Really? I mean Really? So your friends & family decide to pay you a compliment (keep in mind these are the same people that you probably complain about your weight problems to) & instead of taking it at face value you have to twist it to have some underlying backhanded intent. Really? Sounds more to me like somebody has self esteem issues.
If you tell someone that you are considering/having WLS, and they say "you're not that big" why not respond with something like "It's so nice to have people in my life that accept me the way I am." then maybe mention a few of the things that your weight has caused or maybe what loosing the weight will mean you can do.
Thinner people that have never been big don't understand the damage even 100lbs can cause, and admit it, us big folk don't want to be left behind. But I can say when I've told anybody that I have sleep apnea(which shortens your life), borderline high blood pressure, damage to my right knee, my back hurts after only walking about 100 yards, and my achilies tendons can cause me to be down for days at a time. And all of this can be cured or minimized by losing 150lbs+- all of the sudden they become very supportive. Knowledge creates understanding.

I'm going to be the odd one out, but I don't think the people saying this are meaning to offend, for a number of reasons. 1) Americans are generally large. The "average" is overweight. That skews the perception. 2) The general thought of many people is that WLS is for the super morbidly obese. People tend to assume that if you're ambulatory, that you don't fall into a category of a WLS candidate. 3) A lot of us carry our weight well. When I was at my heaviest, my husband DID NOT BELIEVE ME that I weighed that much. Not because he's uneducated or unintelligent, but it "hides" well.
I wouldn't read too much into it. Let comments, specifically the ones directed at you, roll off your back. I'm not getting worked up and raising MY blood pressure just because of an unfortunate comment.

I've been told that exact statement many times. I've also had other colorful backhanded compliments such as, "Wow, if you lost a little weight you'd be smokin'" or, "If you lost weight you could be a model!" Really!? Really!?
Most recently, I had some people tell me that I don't have nearly as far to go as some other people do, and it will be a piece of cake for me because I'm not "that big." Mostly, it just made me feel uncomfortable.

Reminds me of something similar. When I tell people how much I weigh, or weighed, and they say "you don't look that big." Like I wasn't big till they found out how much I weighed. Now I'm huge.
They think it's a compliment but really it's an insult. It's kinda like talking to someone on the phone, and then when you finally meet them in person and find out what they look like, saying "you don't sound that ugly."

Ok, so I go to my surgeon's support group and last night someone said something that struck me emotionally. A lady was talking about how she wants the sleeve and her husband, who was with her, was against it. After she was done talking another lady, who also didn't have the sleeve yet, said ".... but you're not that big".
Seriously???? We're at a sleeve support group and you bring that out??? Yes, the lady who said that was larger than the one with the unsupportive husband, and I think that maybe this lady was just trying to make the other feel better (compliment??), but I got so emotional and had to call the lady out on what she said.
I was told alot by friends and family that they didn't think I was big enough. I'm sure they thought of it as a compliment but really it hurt because I could never talk to them about the sleeve beyond their accusation of my size. I was 290 before I got sleeved and had tried and tried and tried and wanted to be able to diet and exercise SO BAD but I couldn't do it mentally. I came to the conclusion to do it for ME because I KNEW I needed a tool to help me, and asking for help is NOT a sign of weakness. Its a very personal decision that everyone makes to have it, and to hear someone say "you're not that big" now not only hurts but pisses me off.
So I guess what I'm saying is for people who may not be 350+ or who wear it well, don't listen to the ignorance when people try to tell you you don't need the surgery when you know in your heart that it is the right decision for you.

Propylene glycol is non toxic, the only antifreeze it is used in is the newer envirmentaly conscience type (non-toxic & biodegradable). The more traditional toxic antifreeze uses ethelyne glycol.

I forgot who said it in someone elses post about how their friend was being unsupportive and rude, but in not so much reference to that; you're losing the pounds so why not lose the people/situations that aren't supporting that positive thing in your life?
Not suggesting you should get a divorce, but LET HIM KNOW that his unsupportive behavior is not cool and that he should try to be more understanding of where you are coming from instead of being such a jerk about the whole situation. Tell him you don't have room for all that negativity!

I forgot who said it in someone elses post about how their friend was being unsupportive and rude, but in not so much reference to that; you're losing the pounds so why not lose the people/situations that aren't supporting that positive thing in your life?
Not suggesting you should get a divorce, but LET HIM KNOW that his unsupportive behavior is not cool and that he should try to be more understanding of where you are coming from instead of being such a jerk about the whole situation. Tell him you don't have room for all that negativity!

I haven't had surgery yet. It's scheduled for August 23rd. So no pounds coming off yet. But yes, while I'm changing, either his attitude can or his address can!

Thank you all so much for your kind thoughts, words of encouragement and prayers! I did manage to get some sleep (about 4 hours) before surgery but had a minor panic attack in pre-op, so much so that they had to give me a sedative.
But, for all of that my surgeon said I was an easy and pleasant subject My nurses were SO supportive, and got to know me and my husband personally. I got to leave the hospital today! I haven't eaten solid food in three days but I'm not hungry--and no heart burn! It's magic I tells ya!

I forgot who said it in someone elses post about how their friend was being unsupportive and rude, but in not so much reference to that; you're losing the pounds so why not lose the people/situations that aren't supporting that positive thing in your life?
Not suggesting you should get a divorce, but LET HIM KNOW that his unsupportive behavior is not cool and that he should try to be more understanding of where you are coming from instead of being such a jerk about the whole situation. Tell him you don't have room for all that negativity!

I'm going to play devils advocate because....well I always do lol
I made my partner swear to secrecy as well - for a long time. I let her tell her family when I decided it was time. The truth? She needed them.
I wrapped my life up into having surgery. Every free day was spent at doctors appointments, making sure insurance was doing things properly, and I was completely consumed. I made life about me....and therefore I made my partners life about me too. WE focused on getting me healthy.
I didn't realize until after surgery how scared she was - How worried she was for my health and how our children would react to it. She needed people like her family to turn to in her difficult moments.
I am not saying what he did was right - because I would have been angry as well. I'm just speaking from my experiences.

I've had and continue to have very little issues with gas after surgery day. However, when I do have an issue, 2 Gas X strips do the trick. Hope you blow your hubby out of the house soon! :-)

I bought the Gas-X strips and Beano (never needed either). I bought beef and chicken soup base (more flavor than bouillion). Spicy Top Ramens (prepared as directed-gave away noodles drank broth). Apple Juice/White grape juice. Tons of finely crushed ice (some people have trouble with ice after-but i didn't). Jello. I don't do artificial sweeteners but if you do then Crystal Light's are nice to have around. Herbal Teas. My doctor started us on Soft foods very soon after surgery-so I bought some soups I could puree easily and also refried beans.
I did buy some ramekins to cook/heat/serve smaller portions of food in. Prepared or served in regular bowls makes it look like you are being deprived. I did use baby spoons for a day or so then switched ot regular.

You will find great support and suggestions on here.. good luck and keep up the good work!! the more you loose pre op the more easier it will be to enjoy your new life!!

medloanfinance.com is 11.99% but has no interest for 6-21 months special or some crap. Care credit has a program that if you pay within 6 to 18 months you hav 0 interest but other repayment plans are 14.99% interest. Surgeryloans.com is 5.9% to 18.9% depending on loan amount, credit check, etc. I think all of them probably are based on amount needed and your credit and how long you want to take for the repayment.

My first SIP wasn't painful just nasty! It was that ink for the upper GI test.
I had the drain while in hospital, they removed it before discharge.
Went back to work a week later, two week anniversary today and feeling great!
Follow the plan and WALK...it gets better