k_podski

Congrats Sarah! That's great! I dont have a scale down here, and it's killing me.. Things are a mess down here. I just don't know which way to turn. We planned on leaving today while things were fairly stabilized, but last night ended up being a bad one. Soooo this morning we are re-evaluating. My Mom and her siblings are meeting with the social worker this morning to re evaluate their options.. God, this is so hard.. Just to make matters worse, my sister, BIL,andnephews are up by my house for the week at camp for vaca... Now we are all the way down here, and it makes me feel so guikty.. Ugh.. Ok... lol.. I need to stop unloading.. I'm having an emotional day, can you tell? Congrats again on the 2lbs lost! I think I may have found them?? I have been eating at weird hours, and not the healthiest stuff.. I'm trying, but there are only so many options. I did get protein vials from the Vitamin Shop yesterday- 42g for one vial?! I'm sucking one down now.. I've been sluggish, and I think I just need some good ol' protein to helpme out. We'll see.. Chat soon Kerri

Hey Sarah, Hope everything is going ok for you? I assume that you've been working all of that OT and are too busy to hop on here:) I'm down in Mass right now.. We got an urgent call yesterday at 6am that my Nana was rushed into intensive care down here, and was not expected to make it the day. It was a horrifying experience.. I called into my jobs and my class, packed a bad, and went over to pick up my Mom to drive her down. She thought she was going to drive herself, after calling me hyperventilating?! So it's been an interesting 24. We don't know which way things are going to go with my Nana. She was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis and Alpha 1 Protein Deficiency last Fall,and things have been horrible since... This time she suddenly came down with not only Pneumonia, but a Staph Pneumonia:( Things aren't looking good at this point, but it's one moment at a time. Theyhave her on a Bi-Pap machine to help her 02 sats.. Yesterday during transport they were at 44%?! Last night they were at 97-100% .. We're playing things by ear, we have no idea which way things are going to go. I am so thankful we were able to make it in time.. Well, sorry to blab, I needed to get all that out:( I hope everything is ok with you! Chat soon ~Kerri

Saraahhhhh!!! Guess whatttt?!?!??! I am officially in ONDERLAND?!?!?!? Yup yup! Not only am I into the 100's, but I lost another 3lbs, which now makes me 198! Yah! I am so psyched!!!! I knew it was coming, but boy has it been a wait! The restriction is still fabulous.. I'm hoping I will stay this way for a while? The liquids do go down slower, but not too slow, just enough to keep me in check. I really have to pay attention to each tiny sip I take, and how it feels going down. Amen for that! lol So mac and cheese, huh?:tt2: Too bad it was boxed, there is nothing like the real thing! The fact that you were satisfied with 1/4 cup is amazing! The liquid mushy thing is definitely hard to get over. It's "safe", but it can make it hard to try new things! Try not making your mushy's so liquid-ish.. If you take a tiny bites, and it goes down ok, go for it! If it doesn't feel like it's going down right, thin it a little bit. I soo know what you're talking about! As for the nutritionist.. Tell them you need to get in there sooner. I did. They actually asked if I wanted to talk with her right then, and evn that was a real big help! I felt the same way as you. They are there for us, so take advantage of it:) Well, I'm off to go vacuum the camp, my sister and BIL are on their way with my nephews for a whole week!!! I can't wait! The lake that the camp is on is 4 miles from me, so it makes it really easy to run over and spend time with them. Yay! I hope everything is going well for you:) Chat soon! ~Kerri p.s. there is NO pizza for me in the near future! lol I learned my lesson the hard way:)

Hi Kimberly, Dr. Trieu told me in the beginning that the chance for a complication (ie; band slippage, flipped port, band erosion..) is about one in 1,000.. Usually if there is some type of complication it is easily reversed. In some VERY rare cases they have to take the band/ port out, which I'm sure you have read in the complications section. Some of the stuff people write in there is scary, but you're right, it's better to be more informed! Good for you for checking into things! I too had the need to know everything that was possible:) I would say that in no way should a hiatal hernia repair get in your way.. It is something that is more common than I realized myself. I would think it's actually better for you, and would make for a shorter recovery period, because it's one less thing you have to heal from after surgery. It is very common for them to do the repair when people go in to be banded. The liquid to solid food sounds scary, but it's just moving along one day at a time, and listening to your body. We may not tolerate some foods after surgery, so it's all about taking things slow, and on occasion, learning the hard way. The band is a pretty delicate thing, but can take a lot more than you would think. I hope some of this helps, and don't be afraid to chime in anytime! That's what this thread is here for. Sarah and I have been the only ones chatting here for a while because no one else has stopped in:) The more the merrier! Support is a wonderful thing, that helps us all get through! Take care~ Kerri

Howdy:) Yup, I'm feeling some restriction! I was soooo stupid last night... I don't even know if I want to type this lol.. I'm an idiot, and must be responsible for my stupidity, so I guess I'll share lol.. So I was very very tight yesterday. I could only take tiny sips of water, and even my protein shake felt too thick. So anyhoo, my DH asked me to make him pizza for supper, so I did. And boy did it smell good! I was starving, but fought back the urge to nibble. So fast forward 3 hours.. I was getting ready for bed and my DH hollers out "hey can you heat me up a couple pieces of pizza?" Sure, so I did. And it smelled really good again. So not only did I take a big bite, I took 2 bites, thought I chewed it really well, then swallowed a little bit at a time. BIG FREAKING MISTAKE! Ugh, I was so mad at myself, thinking why do I do this?! It was definitely stuck. So I hovered over the toilet for 20 minutes or so, nothing came up, but I almost wished it had.. I was so uncomfortable! I brought the garbage can in to the bedroom with me, propped some pillows up behind me, and lay there miserable for another hour and a half watching Dateline lol... So yah. I'm a jack*ss and totally learned my lesson! Today I stayed on liquids again just in case, and tonight I had a bit of milky mashed potato. It all went down fine, I just hope I didn't do any damage. So, I see you're sneaking in some chocolate? lol. I'm sure it wont be the last time, we all need a little treat sometime! Isn't it great to be satisfied with such a small amount? I'm not a big sweets person, but I do have cravings time to time. Usually just a taste is enough now:) I can't believe you're 3 weeks out already?! Wow! After mushies I was eating softer proteins and veggies. The first thing I ate was chicken salad, of course the chicken was blended to a pulp, but it all went down fine! I was psyched to have food with real consistency. I can't remember what the binder gave for examples? It's in my car.. I look through it tomorrow and see what I was eating, I have my logs in there from the first 6 weeks. Well, I'm going to stop rambling for now. Tonight I am playing D.D. for a "boys night out" Yay for me. lol I'm going to go pick them up, and hopefully get some sleep tonight. Hope all is well! :)Kerri

Hi Sarah! I'm just getting home after a very long few days. The fill went ok. I now have 7cc's in my 10 cc band. WOOT! Also I think my interview went really well. Guess I'll have to wait and see? I found out that a Chemist applied, as well as a guy that's working on his PHd?! I don't know why they'd apply for an assistant administrator, but ok? To each is own, right? Just wanted to pop in and let you know I'm alive:) But EXTREMELY exhausted. I can't even type right. lol.. I'll write again soon. :)Kerri

Congrats Kimberly on getting your PCP to approve! I know some folks have a hard time getting their PCP to agree to the surgery. You sure are lucky! Best of luck to you on your journey~ :)Kerri

Ticker updated.. AND..... DRUM ROLL PLEASEEEEEE!!!!- I have lost another lb this a.m., which brings me to 202lbs, -40 from surgery, and -50 from pre-op! WOOT! I am so freaking excited! It's about time the damn scaled moved:) Along with my fill on Thursday, I will reach my goal (FINALLY!) of being under 200lbs in no time! I am so psyched! Ha! Just had to get that out:) Now on to you... Your first day back was a 12 hour day huh? Then a 2hr workout?! You are truly a woman on a mission! You must've been exhausted last night! The OT deal sounds great, everyone loves time and a half! Summer is a great time to earn extra cash, because there are so many more ways to blow it! We are going to Water Country with some friends the weekend after the 4th. Me, water park? Cha! I am stoked! I haven't been since I was a kid. I am so glad that I can feel confident, I just want to get out and do things! On to the stomach growling- boy does it make some strange noises! If I am truly hungry, my stomach sounds like a monster is coming out of my abdominal cavity. It feels like it, too! It doesn't hurt, but I can almost feel it doing back flips saying "feed me!" lol So last night I tried the melatonin. I slept like a baby. Boy that stuff was wonderful! I even woke up feeling good. I was shocked. I will NEVER take the OTC sleep aids again. That stuff is horrible! Oh yah, one more thing to blab about lol.. (sorry, I'm hyper today, and on a mission to get to work..) Today is day #2 for me, quitting smoking! I am using the patch again... I quit 2 years ago for 9 months, until a dear friend passed away suddenly from an unknown heart defect, at 21 years old:( I kind of lost my bearings, and turned to my bad habits for comfort:( Ugh, no good. So anyhooo.. The guy that did my psych eval suggested that after I was well on my way after surgery, I should plan on quitting. So here I am. -50lbs, and hopefully smoke free for good:) This will be quite a trial for me, but I know I can do it. Well, enough rambling for now. I am off to work until 9am tomorrow.. Yay. lol I hope you had a good day at work! Chat soonish:) ~Kerri

Hehe!! This amused me:) So how did they day go for you otherwise? You must be exhausted tonight? I hope you thoroughly enjoyed that 1/4c of cottage cheese.. Mmmmm lol I DID love cottage cheese until I lived off it for 3 weeks. It was just a "safe" food, easy to prepare, and hey, it's got protein:) I sprinkled mine with finely chopped chives for a little more flavor, it was getting old quick! So yah, a fill on Thursday at 11:15!!! Yah! I am stoked! I hope they get me in and out, I have an interview for a new position at work at 12:45. It'll be cutting it close, but I think it will work out. Today I started my new class. It was great, but for a first day, they didn't take it easy on us. The homework is insane! Luckily we only meet once a week, so I've got time to work on it. After class I went to Wally world and stocked up on SF popsicles, slim fast lo-carb, and SF dark chocolate pudding cups- Man those things are good! I just had one actually with a dollop of cool whip free. Mmm They taste like the real thing:) Oh yah, I bought some melatonin (3mg) too. I was confused because all of the different brands have different dosage instructions.. One was 150mcg tabs, take one or more tabs at night, don't exceed 5mg. One was 5mg, don't exceed 2 tabs. The one I bought was 3mg, take one tab. It was kind of in the middle, so I figured it would work. We'll see:) Well, glad you survived your first day back at work! Have a fabulous day tomorrow- It's supposed to be SUNNY?!?!? and hot! Woot! Summer weather in June? I'm confused?! lol Chat soon~

wow, that's a longgggggg post. My bad. I guess I had a lot to say about nothing? lol :grouphug:

I was soooo going to write back last night, but the dh was hanging over my shoulder, telling me to let him use the comp for once:) I went to use my laptop and the stupid thing wont connect to the internet through my wireless.. Again?! Ugh. I'm sure it's the wireless box itself, as it's happened like 4 times prior. I have to call an 800- number, talk to someone who doesn't understand English, and try to explain the issue. Usually they say "ok, me understand. Your laptop have problem, you need contact laptop maker" I'm like.. er, no! You fixed this problem last time, you're going to fix it again. It's like a 15 minute process of typing in numbers, letters, and dashes on my desktop, and *wa-lah*! Internet. I get sooooo frustrated with this junk! lol Holy guacamole... Complain, complain, complain lol sorry.. So back to work today?! I hope everything goes well for you, I know you're more than ready! How awesome that your scrubs are loose on you:) The one thing I always hated about them, is that they have NO stretch! Do you think any coworkers are going to notice your strange eating habits for the next few weeks?? It must be hard to explain lol.. I was at home for all of mushies and liquids, which was great. I was so afraid someone would notice me eating bizarre stuff lol. When people notice that I've lost weight, they're like, "wow, how are doing it?" I always brace myself for that question.. I always say that I'm watching my portions, eating high protein, lower carb, and exercising.. I guess it's the truth, right? lol Well I hope you had a lovely time chatting with DBF last night, and aren't too sleepy today:).. You rebel! lol Oh yah... I'm going to pick up some Melatonin today. You're like the 4th person who suggested the stuff to me:) It must work! Hope you have a great day back at work! P.S. The scale moved this a.m.?! I have finally lost 1lb in five weeks of waiting?! lol. I am 203:) 3 flippin' lbs to go, I am so close I can taste it. Maybe I'll just drink water all day, and wake up in the morning and be in ONEDERLAND:) Ok, just kidding, I would never have the will power to drink just water all day, but it sounds good. I am going to do a little extra drinking, walking, and less eating though.. I can do this! Happy Monday! :)Kerri

Yuppers, the dh made it home safely. He rides a Harley.. I was brought up around them, so it's only natural I'd find me a Harley man lol. He didn't get in until 9 last night, aching, soaking wet, and exhausted. But alive:) Which is great lol As for your scale OCD issue.. I have the same freaking problem. I think most of us do. We want results, and we want them now! So soft mushies, eh? Interesting concept. Wouldn't that be like thick liquids:lol:? Yah I'm freakin' hilarious.. Tonight I am feeling over worked, under payed, and over tired. Ok, and a little silly too. I haven't been sleeping good for the last 2 weeks, and I can't take it anymore. I tried a couple of the OTC sleep aids.. They sure do work great to put me out, but then I can't wake up in the morning, and I'm in a fog all day. Argg So goes life. I'm off to do a load of laundry, then hopefully to sleep:rolleyes:. Chat soon~

Glad to hear you're plugging along alright! Sounds like yummy soup, even for someone who isn't on liquids:) Yup, I had a tea in my hand.. lol.. Not the healthiest kayaking trip yet, but the teas were fun. I only had 2, but still, the calories are around 110 per drink. EEK! I love the river, so I try to get out any chance I can in the summer. The water is way up from all of this rain, and there were some pretty serious waves. It was amazing! We didn't even have to paddle most of the time, the current was so strong it carried us. One thing I love about the Sandy River is that it gets deeper than 6-8 feet in only a very few spots. You can see the bottom for miles of stretches at a time. The water is crystal clear, and the bottom is all rocky and sandy.. No muck and black scary water here! lol.. I have issues with dark water, or water that is so deep I can't see below me.. Must be those horror movies I loved as a kid. I wait for the hand to reach from the depths of the murky water to grab my ankle lol.. Anyhoo, I'm off to take a bath and wait for my hubby to get home from Laconia. He went with the guys for the day to check out the end of the bike week festivities. I hate it when he rides at night.. Ugh! I'm hoping the bath with help me relax and forget about it for now:) Chat soon, ~Kerri

Sarah!.. So you how are you feeling today? I know that liquids totally suck.. So I'm going to attempt a few ideas to help you get through it.. Could you try jazzing it up a bit? Maybe try adding some pureed fruit to a shake? Strawberries and bananas in a vanilla shake is really good.. Or even some chocolate, strawberry or coffee syrup (<<my fav!:redface: added to milk? I just found new milk that had 10g of protein, 90cals, and only 12 carbs, per cup. It's called "Hood Simply Smart".. It's skim, but has the taste of 2%. I don't know if that helps any? I use it to help get protein in because I am so sick of shakes. Also, I have some sugar free International Delight Mocha instant coffee.. I don't even know if you like coffee flavored things, but I make chilled Mocha with the above for a yummy treat! And it doesn't have crap for calories, or sugar. I just used a tiny bit of hot water to dissolve the coffee, then top it off with cold milk with a few ice cubes. Mmmm, I'm drinking one now lol... I've seen a lot about the Campbell's Selects. They are supposed to be a thicker, heartier soup base that is band friendly. I like the butternut squash, but it's also the only one I've tried. And one more... Campbell's healthy choice tomato soup is good with a few low cal Ritz. The crackers add some flavor and thickness to thicken it up. I hope these help you out in some way:) Liquids are hard to do anything with, so I just wanted to share a few of the things I've tried that seem to help..Are you waiting til Tuesday for mushies again? Well, I hope you aren't totally starving tonight.. I've been thinking of ya today, and feeling bad that I didn't take sec this a.m. before I left to check in on you:) I did some more kayaking with some friends, and my younger sister while shes down. My camera battery died at the beginning of our escapade, so I only got a few pics, but I'll share the silly one I like:) I look like an ape, although I was trying to do the "hulk thing" lol Hope things are ok for you! ~Kerri

EEK! I'm so sorry that happened to you:( That must've been awful and scary! Maybe they need to update the info in the binders?! Look at it this way.. You may be hella hungry for the next few days, but you'll surely lose a boat load more of weight! I hope you are feeling better tonight.. And always remember: This too shall pass:) It seems to be the common theme around here.. ~Kerri

OH NO, SARAH! You're a blood sucker! lol.. I am petrified to have blood drawn.. I always mess with the people drawing my blood, asking them how they can sleep at night lol I may have a few tattoos and piercings, but get me near a needle for medical purposes, and forget it! Haha.. I don't know what my issue is?! So have you tried any new foods yet? Anything with flavor? lol.. Just think.. 4 more days and you can start eating real foods! Yay! I go for my 2nd fill next Thursday. I am soooo ready. I hope that he will be aggressive, and give me another 1.5-2 cc's? Guess I'll have to wait and see. All I know is that I have NO restriction, and am waiting to feel something:) Well, I'm off to do some shopping. I am in serious need of shirts.. All I have for t-shirts are my "just my size" 3x from summer last year. They are not in least bit flattering at this point lol. They look more like a night dress. EEK! I need something with style;) Hopefully I find something around here. There aren't many stores to choose from.. Reny's, Wal Mart, and well.... That's it besides thrift stores. Uhg. Hope all is well! :)Kerri

Hi Kimberly, I haven't met any of the Doc in Portland, but I hear they are good. I'm assuming that the hospital you are going through has a web page? If so, I'm sure you can find some useful info about the Doc's there, and the specific requirements about surgery. If you haven't already, you may want to call the office and get a date that you can attend a seminar. That is generally the first step.. Also , they will already have you in their data base as well:) Best of luck to you! ~Kerri

How was the ricotta and sauce? It was one of my fav's that I still have on occasion:) I also had a taco type thing I made for mushies- fat free refried Beans with a little taco seasoning and cheddar mixed in, cooked it in the microwave for (I think) 45 sec,and added dab of sour cream, and some salsa "juice" dribbled on top.. Yum:) The salsa juice was just the watery stuff in a jar of salsa. It really helps get some flavor in! Congrats on the new earring! What a neat idea! It's like making your own little scrapbook of your life journey:) Someone in the shrinking shamrocks group was going to get a tiny four leaf clover tattooed over their port incision. I thought,huh, what a neat idea. Always a reminder of where you've come from:) For work.. Lets see.. At my first job I work with adults with developmental disabilities. I work part time on the floor, and part time as administrative assistant, dealing with exciting office duties lol.. (Actually I do enjoy the second part more.) My other job is just 1:1 home health, working for a family who is trying to keep their Mother at home. I also do respite on weekends for people that I work with, that have clients living with them. I give them their break for the weekend:) I also am taking some classes and trying to get my butt back in school for nursing. I am taking the classes through the local adult ed. It's called a "college transition course". I am hoping at the end of the 4 week session I can be enrolled in CMCC for some Fall classes. We'll see:) What do you do for work? I think you've said you work in a hospital?? Well off to work I go. Have a fab day.. I'm hoping to see the sun poke out again? I dread these rainy days! I could sleep allll day! ~Kerri

Shame on you for not writing back sooner?! Hehe.. It's alll good. I do the same thing. I could swear that I replied, yet that reply is no where to be found. Once and a while I type on here, and then go to post something and lose the whole darn thing. Just *poof* and it's vanished. Then I have to type it all out again. lol Dang computers. The pup is doing well. He had his rabies booster, heart worm/ lyme disease test (haha I just corrected my typo.. I spelled it "lime disease lol) and a thyroid test. Gosh I have expensive animals! The labs and shot alone were $145, then I had to get more Frontlinefor the dogs and cat- $60, and I had to get more of my cats prescription food and antibiotics.. Another $48 + $32. EEK. Needless to say, I pulled out the plastic for that one lol. I wasn't planning on half of that. It seems as thought the cost of EVERYTHING has gone up, but my paycheck is holding steady. A little birdie whispered in my ear at work yesterday that we may be finally getting a cost of living increase. How helpful that would be! The cost for necessities has literally doubled in the last 2 years. Alright, enough complaining for now:) How's everything going for you? Back to work Monday, eh? Are you nervous? How is MUSHIES?! Yay! You must be happy to be getting some flavor and real foods in? I had my whole days worth of meals planned out for my first day of mushies lol.. Scrambled egg and cheese for breakfast, cool whip free with pureed strawberries and banana for lunch, and ricotta, spaghetti sauce, and parmesan cheese for supper. MMMM.. The last one sounds good. Maybe I'll do that for lunch today with a few meatballs? Well, I'm off to class. Busy day. Yay. Hope all is well! And sorry to bore you with my long rambling post. I'm seriously over tired from the overnight! hehe Peace out~ :)Kerri

It was great to meet you too. You know, I forgot to ask a couple of questions- about being pushy with fills, and about eating something "bad" to break a plateau.. My next fill is next Thursday, guess I'll wait til then. I can't freaking wait?! I am eating 1- 1 1/2c of food?! At the beginning of all this I couldn't get a 1/2c in me. I hope the doc will be understanding, and let me help call the shots when it comes to fills. It's hard to go so long in between. I'm sure the amount I'm eating isn't helping with the plateau either:( I could snack allll day. It's healthy snacks, but it's just adding more calories. (to make me not feel as though I'm starving I have to snack, which I never had to do before my fill). Well, hope you have a great day! I'm taking the pup to the vet. I hope he gets a good report. I'm questioning hypothyroidism:( Guess I'll have to wait and see.. :)Kerri

In case you don't recognize me from my pics- I will be wearing a green/ tan columbia pullover jacket, dk blue jeans, and I have very curly brown hair:) Yup.. that's me lol

Hey girl.. I just got the address off the Maine General website, and did a mapquest search.. I think I've got it!:biggrin: I come from the other side of Augusta, by the Market Place at Augusta. Just before there I'll hit the Interstate, and it's only a couple miles out. A lot easier than all of the in town traffic I usually have to beat, and the rotary.. See you tonight! It's exciting to finally get to meet face to face:)

I may try the meeting tonight.. What time is it? Do you have the directions to the new place in Hollowell? I know I didn't spell that right lol.. The nutritionist told me that broths and protein drinks count toward your daily fluid intake, so it seems that you are right on top of things! I was also told by the nurse that the first week it's hard to get everything in, and not to worry if all goal weren't met. 12 freaking lbs?! That's fabulous! You must be psyched! I can't remember what I lost in the first week, but I know it wasn't near 12... I'll have to check back in the chart on my ticker.. Last night I was looking through the Christmas pics that we sent out this past year.. It kind of gave me hope. I was 252 at Christmas time, and now I am at 204... It sucks to have the scale holding steady, but to look at those pics made me pretty happy. I'll have to post up a few, and one of my kayaking adventure on Saturday.. Sometimes it makes me feel better to compare, and realize that I have lost.. Well, I'm off to work, then hopefully bring my poor dog to the vets. He has an embedded tick on him:( I feel soooo guilty.. I called the Auburn emergency vet yesterday, and they said it would be fine to hold off until today.. I spend nearly $60/ month on Frontline so this won't happen.. Grrrr... WTH?! LOL.. I'll stop complaining now. If you can get back to me with the address in Hollowell, I'll see what I can do. I'm hoping the vet gets me right in so I'll have the evening off, and I'll be there! yay:) Hope you're amused by reading this rambling post lol.. I know the boredom issue killed me too! Chat soon~ Kerri

Hey girl! How's everything going? Sorry it's been a while.. It's been a busy few days, and now I'm back to work tomorrow.. Ugh! I can't win. So how is everything going for you? Have you been able to stay off pain meds? I think as of day #3 I had no pain meds except for once and a while at night time to ease some discomfort... I see that your ticker now says -34, you must've lost more since surgery?! Holy crap girl, you must be feeling fabulous! You've caught up to me! I better get my butt moving:) Are you craving real food yet? Do you have to cook for the kids? That was the worst for me.. When I started feeling better, and was cooking for my husband, the smell of the food got to me. Well, I hope everything is going well for you! Congrats on your loss. I'm still stuck at 204.. And anxiously waiting for the scale to move! Chat soon:) ~Kerri

Wow, Tess! Looking fabulous! You can see a huge difference in your face! You look 10 years younger.. Loving the new hair too:) Keep up the good work!