Wheetsin

What's mac grill? Is it a mushy? If your surgical swelling has gone down, you may not have pain or get full quickly until you start getting your fills and have restriction. Remeber -- the band doesn't work when it's empty. Help me understand this. You lost 10kg, got that, but what is "4m"? You started some kind of pre-op diet (?) March 18th, were banded March 25th, but are still on your pre-op diet April 5th? And now you have gained .5 kg? Why are you on a pre-op diet after your surgery? What you're describing isn't a "cheat" so much as failure to comply with your surgeon's rules, for which there can be very steep consequences. You may want to practice, "out of sight, out of mind"... so whatever it is you're eating that you're not supposed to be, eliminate your ability to get it. Surgeons post-op diets (which it doesn't sound like you're on since you're still following pre-op?) are in place for a reason, and one of the biggest reasons is to ensure that your band has a chance to get situated. When you remove that chance, you probably raise your chances for future complications. Do whatever your surgeon told you to do. Wow, that's quite a reaction to eating. Like I said, remember -- your band can't work empty, and any weightloss between your surgery and restriction should be seen as a BONUS, not a GIVEN. Many people find they gain weight during that period (an initial loss, usually from the pre-op diet, being replaced as you regain your "normal" eating habits as swelling goes down). I don't understand what "2 me ring something dengerous" means... not following surgeon's post-op can be dangerouss, but I don't know what you mean by "ring"... what are you asking here?

I would think you'd want to know total cost before you looked into any options, because perhaps cost would determine which payment route you took. I have a hard time recommending 401k loans to people... have you looked into 0% interest credit offers or low APR? Many cards out there now are about 5% or less.

Go to the FAQ section, or search for a thread called "Abbreviations and what they mean". You will find your answer + much, much more there.

No apology needed. We see enough stories of frustration that it's pretty easy to spot someone who just needs to unload.

It's entirely your choice. If you really don't want them there, make it clear. My parents came, I didn't ask them to - nor did I ask them not to. It didn't bother me, but if someone had wanted to come whom I really didn't want there, I would have made it clear/known. If I was afraid of hurting their feelings, I might've just said something like, "It's my first surgery and I don't know how I will react, I'd rather just see you in a few days when I'm feeling better and not have to be worrying about guests and visitors if I'm not feeling well."

Laurend, if your pay teaching is anything like mine was, then you'll make more at Dressbarn. Plus you post about the stresses it causes, and there's only so much stress you're going to have at part-time retail. So why even consider the summer teaching, instead of just taking the Dressbarn job (They have cute clothes! Think of the discount!) and having one less thing (teaching) to worry about?

Gas-X may help with intestinal gas, but it won't do much for the gas outside, which is what surgical gas really is (they blow you up like you're preggo to make it easier to see/move, kinda). Some people find that moving around helps, or warm/hot showers as allowed. Really it's just a waiting game in most cases.

Shortskinis. I found one with nice, modest length shorts, but not ful l length or swinshort length (and definitely not boy shorts, which do nothing for fat thighs). If you like more coverge, how about a swim top/swim short combo? Or top skirt? They give you the most versatility in actual combination as well as coverage.

Currently PG with #1, got knocked up about 2 years after getting my band.

I didn't need to have one, but since it's generally a medically supervised diet that insurance companies will accept, the proof of it is in medical records.

There's nothing saying you will have to give up either of those foods. I had sushi this weekend, and part of a sandwich (on soft white bread) yesterday.

See this thread, then account for any TY07 changes. What I posted was accurate, at the time. I haven't even looked at TY07 tax changes tho. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/irs-tax-deduction-weight-loss-surgery-32327/

Miralax dissolvable powder. Avoid bulking agents for now.

This actually sounds like it should, but I'm not a surgeon nor do I play on one tv. There might not be a significant pouch, especially if you aren't filled. It's palced right around where the esophagus and the stomach connect, about 2.5cms below if I remember correctly... an area referred to as "very top of the stomach" and "very bottom of the esophagus" (colloquially). I tend to refer to it as the bottom of the esophagus because when you say a band around the stomach, people picture something binding the stomach in half.

I'm not a believer in signs, I think our brains are good at making connections, but sign or no sign, you'll know the decision that's right for you.

Right now chewable prenantals, but when I'm not PG I take Centrum chewables. The prenatals are Rx, but the daily Vitamins I buy OTC. I've tried liquid vitamins and didn't care for them. The chewable centrums aren't like desert, but who cares, it's 4 seconds of my day. For calcium either chewable Caltrate (I think it's called) or the ones that are like little chocolates, or Tums if that's what I have handy. Or an extra glass of milk or soy that day. Outside of these I take ppotassium as needed, a liquid purified fish oil Omega-3 supplement, and folic acid (PG).

Airlines are fine if you pack food, even liquids. It's carry-on (or rather, carry thru security) that's the only challenge. And even then it's fine, if you're at an airport that vends within the gate areas and you have a vended product. What they don't want you doing is buying a bottle of water at the gas station, then trying to get it through security. E.g. I last flew in Feb. I couldn't bring a bottle of water through security (I knew this), but I could buy a bottle inside the gate and take it on the plane with me. I could put a 36-pack in my checked luggage, it doesn't matter.

Split a full meal with your kids? There's a card some surgeons give their patients. It states you've had AGB surgery and the portion size you can eat. (the "official" one anyway - some variants also request the holder be allowed to eat off the children's menu). However, it's not a discount card, it's just an information thing. It's each restaurant's discretion whether or not they look twice at it.

It's a permanent thing once they do it, your hair is straight. But the new hair is still curly, which is why you have to get the roots touched up. A girlfriend of mine does this. She went once 3 years ago and had it done (at Penny's when they had a half-price perm sale, which applied to this even though it's not really a perm), adn she has gone back about 4 or 5 times to have her curly roots straightened, but the bulk of her hair is still straight. The day she got it done, she went swimming. Got out of the water, and her hair dried completely straight (she has uber thick, kinky curly hair). When her roots need to be done, she uses the straightener until she can get into the salon. Other than that, all she does is blow dry or air dry. I think it was ~300 for the big treatment, and 50ish for root follow-ups, but it beats having to straighten every day, worry about humidity, etc.

When we went to Disney, and other theme parks, I had grilled chicken/pork, beans, vegetables, chicken fajitas, pickles, grilled fish, lots and lots of water, etc. If you've not been to Disney before, they have regular restaurants, not just food carts.

Cloucster, there's a Chi (and others but I know Chi has one) straightening treatment, it's like a 6 hour thing ("thermal reconditioning"), but even ringlet-curly hair comes out beautiful and shiny and straight, and stays that way, even when you let it air dry. You have to get curly roots touched up, maybe twice a year. It's not cheap, but if I wanted straight hair I'd do it in a heartbeat, the results are so awesome.

I can eat it if I want but there's no way it's worth the sugar to me. I know many people who find it's one of the things they don't tolerate. You're in for trial by error, I guess.

Dummies, you don't need to worry about hairloss. Just go buy $50/bottle shampoo and slather it on because we all know that when your hair falls out, putting stuff on it helps... then take a bunch of vitmains and supplements you're probably not even deficient on (but you might want to hope taking all the supplements when you don't need them doesn't put you into a dangerous state of excess). Once you do that, eat more protein. Crimeny, only 180gm/day? Don't you realize that's going to make your hair fall out? You need at least 300. And the less of it you burn, the better, or you'll just lose more hair, so you better lay on the couch and watch TV. Then in 3 months when your hair cycle shifts and you notice all these 1/4" hairs popping out of nowhere, you can come post so the rest of the hair LOOSERS go buy your $50/bottle shampoo, and swear to the next generation of bandsters that all of the above REALLY DID HELP! Oldie noobs. I'm so outtie.

See these threads for more answers: Help setting goal Total Loss Goals - how did you decide? There are more out there.

I started off blogging. I thought it would be a good catharsis. In the end, I was just lazy about it and didn't want to take the time. I managed an extraordinaly detailed account of every minutia around my surgery (glad I have that one), and recovery during the first few days, and that was about it. Once I could really get out and move again, blog went byebye. I don't commit to things like that very well.