enjoylife

WARNING – this might get gross and will definitely be long….:thumbdown: Be very careful of what you ask for – you just might get it. My goodness, I just posted that that yesterday and already I have been blasted twice. Here’s the real kicker – I wanted restriction – oh boy do I have restriction. I may be too tight. I have no clue how to determine this. Yesterday I got 2ccs added to my band. That makes for a total of 5cc in a 14cc band. My surgeon said, “If this doesn’t do the trick, the next one definitely will.” Yesterday was horrible. I was hungry – I forgot to eat before I got my fill – actually I forgot that I could not eat for three hours before my fill. I tried to sip water on the way home – it was not going down smoothly at all. I called and left a message at the surgeon’s office. I got home, made some cream of chicken soup, but decided to wait until after I cut the grass to eat it. So I cut the grass, took a show and sat down to savor my soup – WRONG!!!! First of all I stupidly took an orso (sp?) pill (for gall stones). I did not crush it – I bit it into pieces. I also took a pill to keep me from throwing up – but I got that right after surgery so I though it was tiny enough to not have to bite. Well let’s just say that soup was not going down smoothly. AND it tasted like cream of chicken and pill soup. I eventually gave up on that – the lump in my throat should have deterred me sooner, but the growl in my stomach kept egging me on. I tried to lie down and get some rest – or at least fined a comfortable position. That’s when my five year old bundle of joy decided she needed some Mommy time and came to plop down on my stomach. Well I finally got her in a position (off my belly but still cuddle close) that SHE was comfortable with and was able to nod off. My slumber was abruptly interrupted by a horrible burning sensation in my nose and a retched taste coming from my throat. I immediately got up and called my surgeon at home (Yes I said I called him – no between man answering service. Isn’t he wonderful?). My surgeon asked me questions about coughing and saliva. He then told me to try to sip water and if I didn’t feel better tomorrow (now today) to come in and he would take some of my fill out. I then walked around and tried to calm my nerves. I got my bed all comfy like and slipped in the finally get some sleep – WRONG AGAIN… Within 4 minutes I was up and heading to the bathroom. I knew it was coming – I could not fight it so I simply prayed that God would make this as gentle on my stomach as possible. I usually throw up from my toes – but this time was much milder. I got foam, bile, and a few retches but no soup. I think those pills were sitting on top of my stoma opening. Afterwards I felt much better and was able to sleep. Today I am doing better. I have been able to get some water down and I even had black bean bisque for lunch. However, my surgeon’s nurse wants me to go back to clear thin broths for the rest of today and to sleep with an extra pillow so that I get a little assistance from gravity tonight. For once gravity is working in my favor (this does not make up for what it is doing to my breast). Hopefully the worst is over and my band just needed some time to loosen up. If I am not feeling back to normal by tomorrow I will be making that 2.5 hour drive up there and back. There’s no way I am going through this weekend feeling like crap. That’s my soap opera… what’s your’s?

I am scheduled for fill #2 today. It was originally scheduled for the 21st, but my surgeon added another surgery so the office had to change my appointment. I'm not complaining; I would want someone to change their fill date so that I could get the band. I'm just glad that it was moved up instead of further away. I seem to be stuck. I am hungry. When I'm hungry I eat. I try not to eat too much, but I'm not one of those people that can walk around hungry. My stomach has a notorious growl - its so embarrassing.... I received 3cc during my first fill. I'm hoping for at least another 3cc this time. That would put me at 6 cc in a 14 cc band. I hope this offers a lot more restriction that I have now. I'm getting a little desperate - I am 2 months (on the 24th) post op and I am only down 1 lbs - heck I lost those 18 lb within the first two - three weeks post op. Since then I've been struggling to maintain. I'm glad that I am not gaining - boy am I happy about that - I just want to lose more. My goal was/is to be 280 by June 13th. That may not be possible at this point. If I lose 2lb a week from now to then that would put me at 288 lb. I guess that will have to do. I'm going to have to buckle down - really monitor what goes into my mouth so that I can drop those 8 lbs by June 13th. Then I'll start working towards my July 4th goal - originally I wanted to be 270 lb by then. I'll settle for 278 lb. I'm putting this in writing here because I need some accountability to someone other than myself. No one (except my immediate family knows about my band) so there's no one to push me to try harder (and no one to monitor every morsel of food I eat or whisper about me doing this the easy way - which is why I have chosen to keep this to myself). There are a few people here who have had the band - the conversation that some people have about them is ridiculous. I just don't choose to open myself up to that kind on intense scrutiny and ridicule - I feel like a gay woman whose afraid to come out of the closet - but then again I guess not - I have no idea what that kind of pain feels like and I don't want to compare my petty problems to that. Anyway.... If you guys don't see my ticker going down soon - BLAST ME!! Since that's the last thing I want to see here I will be doing my best to make that dag gone scale move! NSV - I have officially left size 4x behind. I had a peasant blouse that I waited all winter to wear. I put that gorgeous thing on and I was swimming in it!!!! My coworker - who is losing weight, gave me a brand new linen peasant shirt that she is now too small to wear (size 3x) it fit perfectly :thumbs_up:. WHOOO HOOO!!!! That’s right - I'm celebrating being a size 3x. Do the happy dance, do happy dance - spin it around and shake your body down - doing the happy dance ! __________________

I am scheduled for fill #2 today. It was originally scheduled for the 21st, but my surgeon added another surgery so the office had to change my appointment. I'm not complaining; I would want someone to change their fill date so that I could get the band. I'm just glad that it was moved up instead of further away. I seem to be stuck. I am hungry. When I'm hungry I eat. I try not to eat too much, but I'm not one of those people that can walk around hungry. My stomach has a notorious growl - its so embarrassing.... I received 3cc during my first fill. I'm hoping for at least another 3cc this time. That would put me at 6 cc in a 14 cc band. I hope this offers a lot more restriction that I have now. I'm getting a little desperate - I am 2 months (on the 24th) post op and I am only down 1 lbs - heck I lost those 18 lb within the first two - three weeks post op. Since then I've been struggling to maintain. I'm glad that I am not gaining - boy am I happy about that - I just want to lose more. My goal was/is to be 280 by June 13th. That may not be possible at this point. If I lose 2lb a week from now to then that would put me at 288 lb. I guess that will have to do. I'm going to have to buckle down - really monitor what goes into my mouth so that I can drop those 8 lbs by June 13th. Then I'll start working towards my July 4th goal - originally I wanted to be 270 lb by then. I'll settle for 278 lb. I'm putting this in writing here because I need some accountability to someone other than myself. No one (except my immediate family knows about my band) so there's no one to push me to try harder (and no one to monitor every morsel of food I eat or whisper about me doing this the easy way - which is why I have chosen to keep this to myself). There are a few people here who have had the band - the conversation that some people have about them is ridiculous. I just don't choose to open myself up to that kind on intense scrutiny and ridicule - I feel like a gay woman whose afraid to come out of the closet - but then again I guess not - I have no idea what that kind of pain feels like and I don't want to compare my petty problems to that. Anyway.... If you guys don't see my ticker going down soon - BLAST ME!! Since that's the last thing I want to see here I will be doing my best to make that dag gone scale move! NSV - I have officially left size 4x behind. I had a peasant blouse that I waited all winter to wear. I put that gorgeous thing on and I was swimming in it!!!! My coworker - who is losing weight, gave me a brand new linen peasant shirt that she is now too small to wear (size 3x) it fit perfectly :thumbdown:. WHOOO HOOO!!!! That’s right - I'm celebrating being a size 3x. Do the happy dance, do happy dance - spin it around and shake your body down - doing the happy dance :thumbup:! __________________

WARNING – this might get gross and will definitely be long…. Be very careful of what you ask for – you just might get it. My goodness, I just posted for folks to blast me yesterday and already I have been blasted twice. Here’s the real kicker – I wanted restriction – oh boy do I have restriction. I may be too tight. I have no clue how to determine this. Yesterday I got 2ccs added to my band. That makes for a total of 5cc in a 14cc band. My surgeon said, “If this doesn’t do the trick, the next one definitely will.” It must have done the trick because this does not feel like a treat. Yesterday was horrible. I was hungry – I forgot to eat before I got my fill – actually I forgot that I could not eat for three hours before my fill. After my fill, I tried to sip Water on the way home – it was not going down smoothly at all. I called and left a message at the surgeon’s office. I got home and made some cream of chicken Soup, but decided to wait until after I cut the grass to eat it. So I cut the grass, took a shower and sat down to savor my soup – WRONG!!!! First of all I stupidly took an orso (sp?) pill (for gall stones). I did not crush it – I bit it into pieces. I also took a pill to keep me from throwing up – but I got that right after surgery so I thought it was tiny enough to not have to bite. Well let’s just say that soup was not going down smoothly. AND it tasted like cream of chicken and pill soup. I eventually gave up on that – the lump in my throat should have deterred me sooner, but the growl in my stomach kept egging me on. I tried to lie down and get some rest – or at least find a comfortable position. That’s when my five year old bundle of joy decided she needed some Mommy time and came to plop down on my stomach. Well I finally got her in a position (off my belly but still cuddle close) that SHE was comfortable with and was able to nod off. My slumber was abruptly interrupted by a horrible burning sensation in my nose and a retched taste coming from my throat. I immediately got up and called my surgeon at home (Yes I said I called him – no between man answering service. Isn’t he wonderful?). My surgeon asked me questions about coughing and saliva. He then told me to try to sip water and if I didn’t feel better tomorrow (now today) to come in and he would take some of my fill out. I then walked around and tried to calm my nerves. I got my bed all comfy like and slipped in to finally get some sleep – WRONG AGAIN… Within 4 minutes I was up and heading to the bathroom. I knew it was coming – I could not fight it so I simply prayed that God would make this as gentle on my stomach as possible. I usually throw up from my toes – but this time was much milder. I got foam, bile, and a few retches but no soup. I think those pills were sitting on top of my stoma opening. Afterwards I felt much better and was able to sleep. Today I am doing better. I have been able to get some water down and I even had black bean bisque for lunch. However, my surgeon’s nurse wants me to go back to clear thin broths for the rest of today and to sleep with an extra pillow so that I get a little assistance from gravity tonight. For once gravity is working in my favor (this does not make up for what it is doing to my breast). Hopefully the worst is over and my band just needed some time to loosen up. If I am not feeling back to normal by tomorrow I will be making that 2.5 hour drive up there and back. There’s no way I am going through this weekend feeling like crap. That’s my soap opera… what’s your’s?

I am scheduled for fill #2 today. It was originally scheduled for the 21st, but my surgeon added another surgery so the office had to change my appointment. I'm not complaining; I would want someone to change their fill date so that I could get the band. I'm just glad that it was moved up instead of further away. I seem to be stuck. I am hungry. When I'm hungry I eat. I try not to eat too much, but I'm not one of those people that can walk around hungry. My stomach has a notorious growl - its so embarrassing.... I received 3cc during my first fill. I'm hoping for at least another 3cc this time. That would put me at 6 cc in a 14 cc band. I hope this offers a lot more restriction that I have now. I'm getting a little desperate - I am 2 months (on the 24th) post op and I am only down 1 lbs - heck I lost those 18 lb within the first two - three weeks post op. Since then I've been struggling to maintain. I'm glad that I am not gaining - boy am I happy about that - I just want to lose more. My goal was/is to be 180 by June 13th. That may not be possible at this point. If I lose 2lb a week from now to then that would put me at 288 lb. I guess that will have to do. I'm going to have to buckle down - really monitor what goes into my mouth so that I can drop those 8 lbs by June 13th. Then I'll start working towards my July 4th goal - originally I wanted to be 270 lb by then. I'll settle for 278 lb. I'm putting this in writing here because I need some accountability to someone other than myself. No one (except my immediate family knows about my band) so there's no one to push me to try harder (and no one to monitor every morsel of food I eat or whisper about me doing this the easy way - which is why I have chosen to keep this to myself). There are a few people here who have had the band - the conversation that some people have about them is ridiculous. I just don't choose to open myself up to that kind on intense scrutiny and ridicule - I feel like a gay woman whose afraid to come out of the closet - but then again I guess not - I have no idea what that kind of pain feels like and I don't want to compare my petty problems to that. Anyway.... If you guys don't see my ticker going down soon - BLAST ME!! Since that's the last thing I want to see here I will be doing my best to make that dag gone scale move! NSV - I have officially left size 4x behind. I had a peasant blouse that I waited all winter to wear. I put that gorgeous thing on and I was swimming in it!!!! My coworker - who is losing weight, gave me a brand new linen peasant shirt that she is now too small to wear (size 3x) it fit perfectly. WHOOO HOOO!!!! That’s right - I'm celebrating being a size 3x. Do the happy dance, do happy dance - spin it around and shake your body down - doing the happy dance!

I have BCBS PPO - my surgery didn't cost me a dime. IS THE BAND WORTH THE cost for some and and the hoops you go hrough to get it? I believe it is. At least is for me. Good luck on your journey.

For the record - Rugman is right. How much protein your body needs depends on how much you weigh and how tall you are. I need 79 grams. I'm not a big meat eater - when I eat (or drink) more protein my weight loss is so much faster than when I'm getting little or no protein. Go to http://www.unjury.com/reg/calculator.shtml to calculate how much protein you need day. After you do that, try getting that amount for one week - I'm sure you'll see a change. Now if I could only take my own advice consistently...

I'm not sure what's going on. I got 3cc in a 14 cc band. I'm scheduked for another fill on May 21st. I don't really feel like I have restriction - all the time. Yesterday I ate a six inch Subway cold cut (bread and all). Today I could barely finish a cup of school cafeteria chicken and veggie Soup. Go figure. JDUB - I'm not sure what your doctor is doing. I know that my doctor will not charge me for any visits for 90 days post surgery. I suspect I will be there every two weeks until I hit that sweet spot point. I agree with everyone else - you should be politely more agressive with your doctor. You had the surgery so you could have help losing weight - if your band is not helping you, then its his/her job to help it help you. I think I felt that golf ball today. I can't figure out why though. What did I eat? oh - some french fries - half of a small order.

Okey Dokey, I had my fill today! I now have 3cc in a 14 cc band. The fill ws really easy - a tiny little piece of a pinch that lasted a millisecond if that. The worst part was me thinking that the poke was the end - I went to sit up and there was a needle sticking in my belly. I almost passed out - just from the sight of the needle - it was not painful at all. I can only have liquids for today and tomorrow - that's exactly what I need in order to get rid of those two pounds I have gained. I'm scheduled for another will on May 21st. April and Cathy - how are things with your mom (April) and brother-in-law (Cathy)? I hope that all is well. I am keeping you all in my prayers.

MY APOINTMENT/HOPEFULLY - FILL WAS MOVED UP TO TODAY AT 11:10. I'M scared. I HATE NEEDLES... BUT I REALLY NEED A FILL - SO HERE GOES...

Cathy, this is the place to celebrate your victories, lament your slips, vent your frustrations, spill your guts, get encouragement to push on through, tell somebody what's hurting you. Otherwise, what's the point of this place? Most of us aren't here just because we're fat, had the same surgery, and need some one to talk to. We're here for support because crap happens and that crap and our responses to it affect us and our weight. That's the only reason I'm here - for the support - otherwise I'd just write about my LB experience in a private journal. We come here to get and give support, so if that's what you need; take all that you need. I'm sorry to hear about your brother-in-law. This has got to be difficult for him, but fortunately he has you to help him through this. It sounds as though you all have suffered quite a bit in the last twelve months. Hold on and keep the faith. I pray that he has a full recovery and that you all come out on the other side stronger, closer, and happier. Now to all of you that are struggling with the same three or four pounds. Be grateful dudes cuz I have gained 4 pounds. It has been sitting here on my bones for a week now. If one more person tells me that muscle weighs more than fat I will scream. I have barely lifted anything since surgery (except a spoon and fork) I will try to walk at least a mile everyday and I do make sure that I get my protein in, but I don’t think I’m doing enough to have built any muscle mass. On the bright side though, my body seems to be shrinking. Today I put on a pair of size 24 pants. Last year I was buying 32s and 28s. Yesterday I work a blouse set that I have not been able to wear for a quite some time (over a year)! So, I’m gaining weight but getting smaller? That makes no sense at all….

Special K – thank you for the encouraging information. I did not know that a normal first fill was 4.5 cc!!! I’m hoping my doctor follows that same practice! :smile: Fenton is right. I am sure that most of us are doing what we should and therefore, should expect to see that infamous scale move eventually. Laying off my scale has made me less edgy. It also may have made me a little lax in eating properly – but then I’d place the blame for that anywhere other than my own lap. I have not exercised since Saturday. That’s four days of laziness. Today may make five because my baby has a recital after school/work and I have too many things to do between getting off and getting her to the recital on time to get my walk in. I guess I should pledge here and now to set up my Wii tonight. Maybe if I do that and get in a few games of tennis I can count that as exercise. Anyway, I actually like my NSV almost as much as seeing the scale move. That lowering, hovering, (or in my case – rising) number is so concrete. But that concrete-ness could not compare to the feeling I got wearing those black jeans yesterday. I was looking good! One of the regular delivery guys went out of his way to come over and talk to me. I got the distinct feeling that he was flirting with me!!!! Ok I may be making more of it then it really was, but he reached out and touched my arm twice. He has never touched me before; and in marketing we know that people touch what they want. But even if I am wrong, I don’t care. I care that I was able to get into those jeans and I looked good. I care that I had to race for the door and I wasn’t winded. I care that I had to walk the length of my building several times yesterday I it did not make me tired and I did not cringe at the thought of having to make the walk. So I will definitely be out there walking tomorrow and I will be playing me some Wii!

Lisa - I'm sorry to read about your landlord freaking out over your dog. I had a landlord that made me give away a kitten once. It was heartbreaking but I did find him a good home. Unlike you, I didn't have a leg to stand on. My lease clearly stated NO PETS. OF course what could I do when I walked out of work and he was there motherless and mewing by my car? I stooped down and held out my hand and he waddled right onto my palm. Hell I was hooked. I left work and went straight to the store to pick up everything he would need. He was content to sit in my purse while I shopped and had the good sense (or the empty tummy) not to poop or pee in my purse. Anyway... I love animals. If my baby wasn't allergic to cats and dogs I'd have one of each. I may still get a cat - she's been asking for one. Fight for your baby boy Lisa. Get the vet to write a note and get it notarized. See if you can get any neighbors to write letters stating that your dog has not been any trouble, and I am with Busy - the burden of proof lies with the landlord. If they want to use the pit rule, then they need to prove that your dog is a pit - fat chance of that happening. Hang in there. Now on to me... The last time I weighed myself was yesterday morning, before that it had been a week or so. Anyway, yesterday morning the scale said that I had gained close to 4 lbs. I was ok with that because it’s that time of the month (sorry Fenton). I have crap restriction. I really do, until you consider the fact that pre band I could damn near eat a large pizza by myself. Pre band I could eat a five piece chicken dinner from Popeyes by myself and still make room for at least one more piece (if only it were in the box). So I can eat more than a cup of food. At least I don’t eat all day. I don’t do the four or five little meals. I just don’t have that kind of schedule. I am looking forward to my first fill. I’m praying that my doctor will be aggressive. If I have to take a half day off from work, drive 2.5 hours there and back (in HEAVY rush hour traffic) I want more than a .5 cc fill! I want a 3 cc fill maybe even a 4 cc fill!!! Ok – I know that’s wishful thinking. But I have a 14cc band. Putting a .5 cc fill in that is like giving a Tic Tac to a whale. But I have to wait until May 12th for that so there’s no need in me stressing myself out over it until then. Trust me that day will be plenty stressful because I not only have to convince my doctor to load me up with saline, but in addition, I HATE NEEDLES! If I were a diabetic, I’d be in serious trouble. So while I wait for my fill day to arrive, I will stay off the scale and enjoy celebrating my NSVs – like the one I am celebrating today… I am currently wearing a pair of jeans that I have not been able to wear for over two years. Yippee Ky F-ing YEA!!!! Now that deserves a Happy Dance – cue the music…

I was banded on March 24th. I hope to have my first fill on May 12th. I have a 14cc band so I am hoping to get a decent fill - like 3 or 4 ccs.

Chica – My arm twin. That was no typo. I started at about 11:00 am, and finished at about 4:40. In that time I ate 5.5 bun-less hotdogs. My only saving Grace is that I did not have chips, Cookies, brownies, or soda. K-pod – everyone one is right. You went into what could have been a disastrous situation with a plan, which you stuck to and came out victorious. I understand your being steamed and wanting to vent. That’s probably why your sister chose to tell whoever would listen about your chips and dip encounter. She’s steamed and wants to vent. You said yourself that she does not have the option to have Lap Band. How would she know that unless she looked into it? Why would she know that unless she’s considered lap band? It could be that she’s just as frustrated as you are because she can envision you reaching your weight goals but cannot envision herself reaching hers. My advice (as if you asked for it) would be to not mention the incidents to her. Just continue to do as you have been doing. She will eventually have to recognize your weight loss and lifestyle change achievements. Good luck to you!

Fenton, those statistics helped me make my decision to be banded. I lost over 90 lbs once. It was great while it lasted, but it didn't last long. My sister kept telling me, "You can lose the weight without surgery." I kept reminding her that I know, I did it before, but statically, it was a waste of my time. I was not willing to go through the struggle losing all that weight, only to 1) regain it all and then some and 2) find that the insurance companies have made it even harder to get the lap band through them two years from now. I almost 2 years ago, my co-worker had the lap band and she was not required to do the 6-month diet. Had I followed through and gotten mine then (she went to seminar with me - she chose one surgeon, I chose the other) I could have avoided the 6-month wait and be well on my way to Thindom. Instead, she's down 89 lbs and I'm just beginning. WOW!!!! Do you guys know what today is? It’s my ONE MONTH BANDIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!! YIPPEE KY YEA!!!! I wish I had remembered that yesterday when I spent my work day tossing back 5.5 bun less hotdogs. That's not including the breakfast I had. I am worthless around a bar-b-q grill. So other than my protein shakes and a SF Popsicle, I had nothing to eat yesterday past 5:30. At least I did get my mile walk in. But I am back on track today. I actually think I am down around (or close to) 20lb post op. My mini goal is to be down (post op) 25 - 30 pounds by May 12th. That's when I have my next appointment. That is when I will get officially weighed. So, to all my fellow March 24th Bandsters - HAPPY ONE-MONTH BANDIVERSARY!!!!!

Harley - I think I may need to start talking to myself. I really blew it today. Thank God for the support I get here and the knowledge that tomorrow is a new day... heck the next minute is a new minute and I can get back on track right here and now.

Kpod - thank you for the exercise link. I just printed them off. I'm going to keep them at my desk at work. The gym teacher gave me two of her bands so guess I can get started. My upper arms are huge. Mine are too fat to flap like wings. They just look like a shank of meat with a lot of fat or something. Hopefully these exercises will help. I'll start slowly - one rep between classes. Carrie - give the candy to your students. If you're anything like me you cannot be around chocolate and practice any kind of self control. The best thing is to just get rid of it. trashing them would not help me because I'd have to unwrap them to ensure that I didn't change my mind later. So either give them away or get rid of them in a disgusting way - like opening them in a public restroom and dropping them in the toilet - no going back there... and if you open them in a public restroom, you won't be tempted to take a bite before tossing them. On Music - I love Journey!!! Steve Perry's voice is incredible! Don't stop believin' - hold on to that feelinnnnnn....

You could tell him/her its a tumor - but that's not sexy at all... :glare:

Fenton - that's wonderful news. I'm with Harley, I love to read and I love words. I just may be going to Amazon.com to purchase your book. It would be a nice diversion though I will have to put off reading it until after next May. If I am to graduate on time I cannot let anything distract me. In fact I have been trying to cut back on me being on LBT because I get so caught up that time flies by before I realize it. I'm sort of sick of school, but I know that if I simply buckle down, I can be finished and moving on to my next goal - whatever that may be. I've been in school for so long, I'm pretty sure it won't be me taking any kind of serious classes. In fact, I have said that after this, I am concentrating on my baby's education. On another note, I broke down and weighed myself at work. Last week it had me up in weight. Today It has me down past where I was when I weighed in with my doctor. Who knows what that means - except both my home and work scales went down. i can't wait until 5/12 when I can weigh in with the surgeon. I'm not changing my ticker until then. NSV - I retired my first pair of pants. They truly are sagging and too big - that may be mostly because they were cheap - but heck I'll take any victory I can legitimately get! Teri and Fenton – Congrats on your weight loss this week! I feel my port too. I usually feel it when I am walking – like after I have walked past my comfort level. I just push through it and keep going. The pain usually doesn’t last long or becomes so dull that it’s not bothersome.

I was banded on March 24th. I have a five-year-old and I felt just like you. I was afraid. One thing to remember though is that inorder to get insurance approval, you've got to go through a slew of medical clearances. If you sucessfully made it through those without fudging anything, you have nothing to worry about. You will be fine. Trust in God, have your surgery, and go on to lose the weight that's keeping you from doing all that you want to do with your children (if that's the case) and may keep you from living to see them graduate high school or college (if you are as obese as I am). Take Care and remember - PRAY!!!

Hopeinapril, thanks for responding about the gall bladder medication. I guess this means that I’m at risk of needing surgery too. I need to learn to ask more questions when I am sitting in front of my doctor Scrappy - this is for you... skip click skip click, tap tap tap shimmy shimmy, and shake! That was me clicking my heels and happy dancing to celebrate your 5 lb weight loss!!!! WHOOOO HOOOOO I am still walking. Today I walked by myself. Well I was on my cell phone. It was ok. I am sore and happy. Fenton, thank you for the invitation to the men's room! I've never been there, but I'm going today - or maybe tomorrow. Don't worry I won't post there; I'll just review the body bugg chart and duck if I see any guys coming. I did not read far enough to know that there is a $100 yearly fee. That's crazy. I mean if you've paid for the equipment you shouldn't have to pay so much to use the site. What is this about Nike having a piece of equipment? Is comparable to the bugg? Does anyone know the name of this device? I'd love to check it out. Let me know if you come across any info on that. Well my homework is screaming for me to get to work! Later fellow Shamrocks!

HAPPY BANIDVERSARY March 18thers!!!! That’s fantastic. My date is fast approaching. Amazing – it seems like a week ago. I really want that Body Bugg. It is ridiculously expensive, but if it will be a constant reminder and motivator for me to do the right thing, then I may invest in one for my Mother’s Day present. Those Shamrocks that already have one, please keep us posted on how it is working for you. What I would really like to know is if you think its accurate – especially when monitoring your food intake (of is it based on what you input in the computer) and your calories burned. Is it comfortable? Is it motivating you to stay on track? I mean if I had something that indicated that I had to walk one more mile this week to make my weight loss goal – I’d be in business. Is that how it works? Has anyone else here been instructed to take medication for the liver or gall stones? I have take this stuff for six months…