vinesqueen

Hey BRD, I think a blow to the port would only be an issue if it was placed in the sternum, where my DH has his. hmmm, I have a difficult time with the Sun Salutation yoga position, it makes me PB almost every time. But when I was thrown off a horse I had no trouble with the band, only my pride. On the other hand, everyone said it was the most graceful dismount of the sort they'd seen all semester. The only trouble I had while taking tae kwon do, since banding, was I tore my hamstring, but that's a long way from my band or my port. And yes, I believe that baby was wearing a loincloth.

That's excellent news Eileen! As frightening as it is, it really is just temporary, unless you have a metabolic thing going on. It's just simply body trauma, as if that could be described as "simple trama." ((((hugs))))

Adding more protien shakes is not the answer. The band is not desiged to force you onto a liquid diet. It sounds like you have first bite syndrome, where you get stuck after a bite or two. This is NOT you being full, it is your stoma going into spasm. Not a good or happy place to be. Try to have something hot to drink before you eat your meal. Have you tracked your calories, and what are you currently getting in? This will help us figure out what's going on, hopefully. Of course, you could be like me. (yes, I know that strikes terror in the heart of any sensible person...)

I got my resutls from Chris yesterday, before I became a raving lunatic. 7/21 299 7/22 292 7/23 171 7/25 61.2 So, I'm not surprised that I felt so horrible when I dropped. I had a drop of 230 in a matter of days. I have no doubt that I dropped further than that. I am still working out when I'm High. I thought I had figured this out perfectly, but as it turns out, I apperently get really 'roid ragy *just* after I peaked. Previously I've been testing just one day, when I felt I was at my highest, when I was at my most crazy pissed-off lunatic. If this last testing phase holds true, where I tested for several days starting when I thought I was entering my High, then I should be testing before I think I'm High, I should start testing when I'm swinging High. It might be that when you think you are swinging you are actually higher, and when you think you are high, you are dealing with the flood of cortisol in your system. Just a thought anyway. But I also have heard other cyclical cushies say that the thought they were low when they were high. I really think the only way to know when you are where is to test. If nothing else, it gives you a baseline so that you know that when you feel X, your numbers are probably within Y range. Now, as to being a lunatic yesterday. Holy meth-addict Batman! Yesterday morning I still felt really bad, nausious, back hurting like a mutha-fucker. I spent all weekend sucking down phenegrin and vicodin. Well, not so much the pain killers, just power through that pain, but then it got the point of am I nausious because of the pain, or am in in pain from the nausia? That didn't make any sense, how could one be in pain from the nausia, so I figured the pain was making things worse. Anyway. I felt like dog-pooh all weekend. Friday was really bad because I felt like I had my HIGH and Low both together. I felt so bad no WoW for me! :mad: I did manage some PvP in the battle grounds, I lost my Blood Guard rank with Palan, and I really need to work on getting my tier 1 Beastmaster kit. But I ran some lowbies through some dungeons to help them with their quests. Mike was amazed that I was able to one-shot just about everything in the Wailing Caverns. I really want to both work on my Beastmaster Kit, but I also want to drag Karada up so we can do instances together again, where we both will get benifit. :clap2: Ohh, nothing like a little ADD thrown in the mix! Okay, back to yesterday. ... I felt crappy all morning, then about noon I started to feel better, then by 1 or 2 in the afternoon I felt GREAT! I mean, really, really good. I had lots of energy, but by 3... I started feeling like I had almost too much energy, if that was possible. Like I'd had 2 or 3 Red Bulls one right after another. Time seemed to dialate, like I was moving faster than everything around me. I tried to type out something on my Cushing's board, to see if anyone had similar symptoms, but I couldn't type, my fingers were moving too fast, and it was just ... wrong. I had way more energy than I should have. I went for a super fast walk around the block, I was almost running, but power walking for sure. Then I started in on the yard work again. Then I made my son get the presure washer out and move it so I could pressure wash the front and side walk ways. I was completely out of control. I crashed out for a couple of hours, until about 8pm, and then was up for several more hours. I went to bed about 1:am, but I was still buzzing. I didnt' want to get up because Iwas enjoying snuggling with Mike. I missed him while I was sleeping outside.

except for those of us who are getting rid of edema, extra Fluid in the body that is causing harm as opposed to helping.

Yeah, sorry Sometimes I MUST poke fun at my situation. When my asthma was really bad, the jokes about being a canary in a coal mine, or the hazmat jokes, the Darth Vader (puuuuhhh-piiihhhhh) resperator noises all helped me deal.

I cannot imagine being actually filled to 3.ANYTHING I found 2 anything way too much. I have something like 1.25 but I am contemplating another unfill because my tumor is making me nausious for days at a stretch.

Thank you for this post. (I always sort of thought it was a satire of the Cold War, but I was only a child.) Unfortunately, family fueds go beyond my undersanding. Fueds of any sort, for that matter, are beyond my understanding. What happened between the two families a millenial ago is irrelevent today. Or it should be. I suppose it comes down to whether we teach our children peace or if we teach them the stories of ancient slights and horrors. Perhaps it is because I have no sense of "honor" in the way it is so often used and miss-used.

Hmmm, The last time I thought I looked good? That would be the night when I joined the new dance group near my home. The night I wowed the entire class, the night I wowed the drummers. I know I looked really good, I felt really good. But looking good and being thin are not the same thing. Some thin people do not look good, and some fat people are beautiful. The first one is from the thread "Pictures in my mind" I think lots of people have a Fat immage of themselves. I know that I was made to look at a "fat" pix of me when I was a teen, in hopes that I would be repulsed by myself. I hope no one has to be raised by wolves. This is before I develpoed Cushing's.

I typically have a bowl of bran flakes for my bedtime snack. Either the all bran flakes or the ones that look like chinchilla food. I like either sliced peaches or berries with it (and milk). Hurray Fiber!

I've had both the numbing treatments and ice packs, and I would have to say, go with the ice packs. I had less pain with the ice packs, and I did no break-out like I did with the numbing cream. The reason I havn't had lasting results is because my tumor, Petunia, wreaks havoc with all sorts of body systems, not just weight. I have never regreted having the treatments.

Hi Paula, I don't have any advice either, but wanted to give you a ((((hugs))))) Crystal

Oh what I would give to have been in that line behind you!

Hu-ray! Thanks for posting this! The NSVs are so very important to show depth and texture for your journey!

Hmmm, I think the only tip I can offer for succes is this: Don't have a brain tumor! :faint: (Stupid Petunia is causing real problems right now)

bumping as requested

there is a longish thread about this in the Lounge. I'll see if I can find it and bump it. You can find that thread at http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=13153

Drinking ads empty calories, and there are some studies that show that it retards your weight loss. Some folks handle their alchol just fine after banding, other people find that they have a greatly diminished capacity for the stuff. Where it might have taken 3 or 4 drinks to get you buzzed before surgery, you might find that ONE is plenty. This might because you have lost weight, the booze sits in your pouch, or you just aren't used to drinking. I don't know of any formal stuidies, but becareful drinking after banding. You definatley do NOT want to be puking for any reason!

Of course you don't have to choose just 10! give us the list baby!

welcome to the Banded Gentry!

Also, if your throid pannel comes back "normal" don't give up. It might be your cortisol levels that are out of whack.

Originally Posted by vinesqueen Hi there! I'm not the spokes model for the Turtle Tribe for nothing... Turtle Tribe? Well, I'm spokesperson for the Honu branch of it (look up meaning of honu if you don't know it) Here at LBT, the Turtle Tribe only refers to the Slow Losers, those who lose much less than the 1-2 pounds we are told to expect. I know there are Native American traditions where the Turtle has a specific spitual meaning, but here it's just the slow losers. You might even find that you will need to increase your calories to lose weight. Yes, I know that doesn't make a lick of sense, but that's why I recommend seeing a specialist, and not just internet souces. Well, the "going into starvation mode" stuff, if that's what you mean, is nonsense. You have to be in a serious calorie deficit for several weeks, at least, for your body to hit "starvation mode". It is still calories in vs. calories out. That's physics. Exercise helps in many ways. I used to have a yahoogroup called bandsterworkout, but since no one ever wanted to post, and I was tired of doing most of the posts, I killed it. Yes, I'm a gym rat, and am taking three classes this fall in "PE" (now called Kinesiology Activity). Actually, here I was talking about some people need to increase their calories if they are working out. I know that when I was working a different program that the nutriionist didn't want anyone to go below a certian amount of calories. I know that I had better restults when I was eating more than 1200 calories than if I was eating less. Unfortuantly the "calories in vs caloires out" does not work for everyone. There are certian metabolic and hormonal conditions where it doesn't matter what you eat. I personally am breaking the laws of thermodyamics daily. So, if on the other hand, nothing is working, and the band really isn't working for you, then it is time to start demanding answers from your doctors. Do not let any one push you away and tell you that you need to eat less, especially if you are already eating less! Demand answers from your doctors, DEMAND them I say! The only thing you can "demand" from your doc is a proper fill. And most US docs won't give you one right away...they'll "sneak up on it", as opposed to the MX docs doing it right the first time. My clinic likes to give a good big fill right off, and then they back it down. If fills are not working, then you most certianly can and should demand answers. If you are not losing at any rate, if you are not losing at any calorie intake, then you most certianly should demand answers. I don't think you need "tough love." I'm not a big fan of that approche myself. I don't buy into the "I hurt you because I love you." To me, that is abuse. Anyway.... Tough love isn't abuse or hurting. It is telling the truth without candy coating or whining or other nonsense. If someone is eating a pint of ice cream every day and wonders why they're not losing, welll....duuuuhhhh. And I'll remind them of that, and be polite about it. I'll never use harsh language or rude words or anything like that....but I will point out where people are rationalizing behavior that is counterproductive. You do know that "rationalize" means "rational lies"? And, yes, I've done that myself. Well, a lot of folks like to be harsh and cruel, under the guise of "tough love." I was raised by wolves, so I have a different take on things. cheers dan Be kind to yourself.

BigPaul always makes me feel really good about myself. He's funny and silly but really smart right when you need him to be. DeLarla TellyMelly keeps me motivated on days I think I want to slack and theres always a smile on my face when I'm talking to her, she just keeps me laughing. She brightens my day! Cutiern reminds me of my daughter. I love how she is young, independent, and willing to make financial sacrifices to change her life. Dawg is a great husband. Selfless and supportive. He lives a banded lifestyle, without the band, so that he may succeed along side his wife. Pennie always seems so level-headed and diplomatic. I really admire that. Jack cracks me up with the use of his warped sense of humour in the manner in which he offers practical advice. Humour and practicalilty...great match and I always appreciate his input. (I also like his avatar!!) The best me (Kathy) has one of the most loving and tender hearts I've ever seen. She is always caring and giving to others even when she's needing support for herself. Her love of God and her desire to be a better servant shows in every post. Paula is my sweet Band-daughter and I'm so proud of how genuinely sweet she is and how her caring heart and love of God shows by her actions towards all others Iluvharleys has a good heart and is always so thoughtful, kind and caring always thinking of others in their time of need. NJChick (Eileen) Cracks me up!!!! She brings a smile to my face no matter what the topic. Bandland would be a boring place without her : - ) VinesQueen reminds me never to give up no matter how bad things seem at the time and encourages me that I should dance my heart out no matter whos watching~and I wish she would hurry up and get back on LBT!!! Michelle, without a doubt the most inspirational person to me. Even while having her own family problems, she finds time to come here and offer her help. She's a great person! Susan (PhotoNut) is one of the most supportive and knowledgeable people I've ever known. EmileeKaye is the sweetest, most genuinely nice and wholehearted bandster and online personality I have ever met.. and I have met quite a few. The sun shines on her goodness and it feels really nice to surround myself with people like this. K@t has been my friend and support since the moment I joined this group. She listens and gives without asking in return and makes me feel anything is possible. DeLarla is my vision of independence, strength, wisdom and trust and has always been a person that speaks her mind and has gained a tremendous amount of respect from me as an intelligent and witty person. StrawartS is smart and funny, and she has the strong personality I admire, yet she's kind. Plus, her screen name is a Palindrome. It's spelled the same backward and forward. Very Cool. Kathy (best me) Jenna (princess n thep) is always honest and straight foward. And she is a great booty dancer. Kathy was kind and gentle with me when I was cursing over my first PB. I was shocked by her generous spirit at first, but now I see that that's how she treats everyone. And her baby is pretty cute. And I don't even like babies. The NJ Board: I can't chose just one person because so many have come to my rescue. They give their heart and soul and they do it with compasion and love. *Cheers NJ Board, I Love You ALL* Since I have known Mychevygirl (DeAnn), she has shown incredible inner strength, focus and determination in the midst of extremely trying times. She has kept a positive, happy attitude in spite of the stresses she has endured, and she has a smile that shines through her words because it comes from her heart. FunnyDuddies is a beautiful, intelligent, loving woman who's quit witt and sense of humor is a blessing to those around her. She makes me smile, and I feel so bless to call her my sis. She has also earned my respect and admiration for showing a deep inner strength during times of adversity. MoOrless is another one of my personal inspirers. She has lost weight all on her own. Reading her posts have been a great eye opener, showing me that weight loss is nothing more than willpower and self-control, which she displays very well. She cheers me on as I do my wild goose chases with myself and she keeps me motivated, letting me know daily that every goal I set for myself, no matter how outlandish it may seem, is very possible and attainable. I thank her for believing in me, (a complete stranger). Alex is the best thing ever...he has given us this board as a place to learn, laugh, commiserate, cry,...pretty much whatever we are in need of!! And...he just keeps making it better!!! Thanks, Alex!!!!!!! I have to have a second go at this! MoOrless keeps me going in ways I never thought I'd need. She is working and trying so hard to lose the weight on her own as well as coping with health problems. She finds positive ways around her setbacks that put me to shame and motivate me all at the same time. Kind words and thoughts for others come easily to her and she makes me smile. Alexandra seems to always be there when a thread gets hairy. She has the ability to listen with an open mind and heart, to sympathize and give a reality check in just a few short lines. I have noticed that she remains detached, but flexible. Harleynana (Pat) is one of the smartest, kindest people I have ever met. She talks like a sweet southern belle, but she's also a tough cookie who is generous and supportive without fail. And to all the NJ Chat gals who welcomed me into their midst even though I live in Michigan - your support and friendship has meant the world to me. I love this board. It makes me laugh. It makes me think. It makes me mad. It inspires me. It give me good ideas. It gives me advice. Most of all, it makes me feel I am not alone in this struggle, that I am part of a community with one goal... to reclaim our health and our lives... to live better, and be better. We may not always see eye to eye, but we are all better for knowing each other. mini_me is :first: in my book! Nana~ (aka "plunderbunny") inspires me with her carefree attitude. Because of her, I wore my Pirate gear when we went to see the new Pirates movie. Your style and panache inspire me to be me.

Very pretty! And there is no rule saying that you have to use all the furniture in your room all at once. But putting your bed on an angle might work well. No, I think you can go dark. But white walls makes your wood look flat. I have my mother's antique walnut sideboard and table, and they look amazing against my dark green walls. When these pieces were at my mother's place against her white walls, the pieces looked dark and almost featureless. Here's a couple of pix of my kitchen. The first one has my spinning wheel and a corner of the buffet/sideboard, the other is a pix of the prep area. Btw, I have a HUGE kitchen, my table seats 16 with all the leaves pulled out. With both leaves pulled out, it is 9'5" long. Most of my other furniture is still flat-pack or cast offs from other folks.

Congrats Mandy! Now, post your top ten NSVs!