JustWatchMe

She wants to go to St. Louis (where he lived) Friday with an unrelated friend driving her, and stay there at a hotel for the wake and funeral, coming back to Chicago Sunday. She doesn't want me or her sister to go with her. She's angry and nothing I say or do is right. "Mom, I need to process this without you. Corinne didn't know him and she's not emotional, so she offered to drive. Just let me grieve my own way. And help me book the hotel." I'm worried, but leaning toward agreeing to this. Not that there's much I could do to stop her. She navigated Europe without me for five months. I believe her girlfriend will get her to and from St. Louis safely (a 5 hour drive) okay. She didn't know the boy so she's just offering to take her there as a friend. It's so hard not to jump in and control her life. I can't. And I mustn't. As for counseling, I will suggest it, but I imagine that it will be met with the same anger I get when I suggest counseling due to my divorce and the horrible relationship they have with their father. "Leave us alone and stop trying to make us out to be sick." She had to go back to work today. I'm still on vacation. The change of focus will do her good I think.

I am beyond helpless tonight. My 19 year old daughter found out via social media that her close male friend from college with whom she studied in Spain last semester committed suicide today. She is inconsolable. They spent nearly every day together for five months and were really close friends. I have never seen my child in so much agony. She has finally fallen asleep after hours of crying. We are on the last night of our mini vacation. As I head back home tomorrow to face a week of divorce $#it waiting for me, I am reminded that my problems are temporary and manageable. My heart is sick. This 20 year old boy recently broke up with his longtime girlfriend Kaylie. Or rather, she broke up with him. He didn't want the breakup but seemed (to my daughter) to be handling it pretty well. He hoped for a reconciliation but sounded level headed to my daughter two days ago when he told her he was going to "see how it went" as friends. My daughter keeps saying, "Poor Kaylie. How is she supposed to live with this?" There are no words.

No kidding, Debbie. I'll never take breathing for granted. I love not huffing and puffing and wheezing. My knee hurts but I'm not keeling over. It's amazing.

I know that getting my band at age 52 had motivations I didn't have in my twenties. The comorbidities were ruining my life and I felt like an old, slowly dying woman. The first thing to happen was I got my health back. I got better mobility and a pep in my step. Then I got my self confidence back and got out of a toxic relationship. Now it's about looks. I want to look good. Not to get a man. Just to feel pretty. I've spent decades feeling like a dowdy dumpy drudge. I want to look pretty.

Liz, you win the internet today. This is awesome!

Oops I went back and corrected my post. My recent fills are 0.10 not 0.01. Sorry.

This is my fill history. Fills 03/31/2015 0.10 seventh fill 07.80 02/17/2015 0.10 sixth fill 07.70 12/02/2014 0.10 fifth fill 07.60 09/02/2014 0.25 fourth fill 07.50 0.25 third fill 07.25 2.50 second fill 07.00 4.50 first fill 04.50

You may be on the edge of green. I'm getting tiny tiny fills now. 0.10 each. Small meals and 3-4 hours satiety is the goal. (Edited for fill correction)

This is always my fear with LapBand. I think I am in the green but have stopped losing with fifty left to go. I may get another tiny 0.10 fill this week at my appointment. Yet I fear not being able to swallow pills. I got strep throat this week and have to take big penicillin pills for ten days. They go down, but will they if I have another fill? I'm feeling like my band could be working just a little more for me, but I'm so scared of overfill. It's such a tightrope.

Here's the Fitbit stats from a day of hiking at Starved Rock state park. As you can see, much of it was vertical. I'm pooped and my knee hurts, but all I could think was, no WAY could I have done this a hundred pounds ago. In 90 degree weather.

Paige I hope you feel better soon.

I like to color mandalas while watching tv.

Let the haters go. God is in charge and knows the deal. Praying for you both.

Bander here. Lost 100 pounds in 7 months and have been at this weight for about 8 months now. I want to lose fifty more. That fifty will take much more work. The band (or any WLS) only does so much, and the rest is dependent upon good habits and discipline. I'll get there. Good luck!

The thing that seems odd to me is the temporary nature of the balloon. I've lost weight many times without WLS. Once I lost 130 pounds. But I never could keep it off. It just sounds so much like another temporary fix. How many WLS patients have had success keeping weight off after surgery reversal (like band removal)?

I love reading your inspirational posts! Congratulations !

I'm a bander, but yes, hunger returns. However the satiety with smaller amounts is still there. It's up to me to still stop. We formerly fat humans tend to push the boundaries after the initial high of extreme weight loss is behind us. They tell us over and over and over again that this is only a tool. Well it's true. And that's what it means. Keeping it off is up to us. It IS easier than it was without surgery, but it is not without sacrifice. You can do it. I can do it. So let's do it!

I've heard conflicting opinions on why we shouldn't drink with meals. My surgeon days don't so I try to follow that. But I'm curious why. I've heard the washing through thing. But I've also heard that the food needs to slowly go through, simply because the pressure of the food on the walls of the stoma stimulates the nerves that tell the brain you've eaten something. Liquids speed up the food's travels and the food doesn't pulse through the stoma the same way as it does without liquids involved. Take a look at the links on @@Bandista signature. There's a great explanation of how the band does its magic.

Protein first. No drinking liquids from first bite until 20 minutes after the meal. No carbonation. Chew to mush. Stop the meal at 20 minutes. Wait 3-4 hours between meals. No snacking. Protein, veggies, then small amount of carbs if still hungry.

On message boards, OP commonly refers to Original Poster, or the person who starts a thread.

Whenever something like that happens to me I wonder, is that how naturally thin people behave? Seems like it, no? Thanks for the uplifting post. I've missed your presence here. Glad you're back.

Julie you are beautiful! Inside and out.

If you go for a plastics consultation, be prepared for some blunt talk. People on these boards have posted about plastic surgeons coldly pointing out every flaw in great detail. Not necessarily intentionally mean, but some have crappy bedside manners and they approach a body as a flawed canvas that they can fix. It can be hard to hear, even from highly skilled people. That said, I think you should only go if you are seriously considering surgery. It's a huge step and many here are thrilled they did it and have no regrets. But it's really a big emotional investment and requires a toughness when your body is openly analyzed and critiqued before carving. I hope someday to get at least a panni. My bariatric team has a plastic surgeon who lectures at the support group once a year and I've met her twice. She works a lot with bariatric patients and has an empathy for us that comes through. She has lots of photos and explains the pros and cons in detail. If I get something done I will probably go to her. She also said make sure whoever you choose is a plastic surgeon. If they do not have that specific title they are not certified in plastic surgery. It is not the same as cosmetic surgeon. You're smart and strong and I know if you do this you will do it for you. Just be ready for the blunt talk.

Strep+arthritic flare-NSAIDs = Ow So I woke up at 2am with my shoulders, particularly my right shoulder, in excruciating pain. I could not get comfortable. I tried sitting in a chair, laying flat, laying propped up with pillows, walking around, etc. I rubbed some BenGay in, and took some Arthritis Tylenol. An hour later I was able to doze back off. Because my rheumatologist is off on Thursdays, I decided to go to the urgent care center and have the shoulder looked at. It was so bad that I could barely move my arm. While I was there I mentioned that I have had a sore throat most of the week. So they decided to swab me for strep at the same time. Guess what? Positive for strep. During the time that I had a sore throat this week, I didn't think it was strep because I had no fever. I also didn't particularly have much of a soreness in my throat. Instead, it felt like I had swelling in my throat (almost a blockage) and my voice was very hoarse and raspy. The doctor said that although it is not certain, strep may have contributed to the arthritic flare and joint pain. My shoulder x-ray showed moderate degenerative osteoarthritis, which I already knew I had. Although I have been working out at the gym, this week I've only been doing leg work and walking on the treadmill. No arm work. So trauma to the joint wasn't an issue. Anyway, two doses of penicillin for the strep so far and I feel so much better. It's truly a miracle drug. Today was the first day since my LapBand surgery that I was disappointed in not being able to take NSAIDs for pain and inflammation. Thankfully, it looks like I won't have to. Saturday through Tuesday my girls and I are taking a little mini vacation to Starved Rock in Illinois. We are planning to do some hiking. I hope I'm back up to speed by then.