Orchids&Dragons

Congrats on your successful weight loss and, even better, maintenance! You look awesome.

Try your liquids in various forms: cold water, warm decaf tea/broth, frozen popsicles. You can add a bit of protein shake to decaf tea/coffee to imitate lattes. You will probably find that one temperature suits you better than the others and it will change as your stomach heals. Don't go too hot, yet. That can cause discomfort. Hope you feel better soon.

Congrats on your surgery and glad you're doing well! Welcome to the boards!

There's a support meeting in Mansfield tonight and one in Arlington next Tuesday if you're interested. I don't know where in Dallas you are, so I don't know if these would be at all convenient. I'm going to both of these.

I'm a red-head, too. 100% Irish, grandparents from the "old country" Used to try to smush my freckles together, to no avail! Now my skin is a permanent ruddy tone - from years of sun damage. Dermatologists love me - I walk into their office and they start thinking about summer homes on the beach!

So ask him "so, why haven't you?"

We used to get bats in our attic in New York.

Nah, we're up near Fort Worth. Enjoy the tubing!

Yes, I was being light-hearted!

Long drive from Houston, just saying . . . But you're welcome anytime. We can actually watch bats fly between the trees when we're in the pool. We definitely do high-SPFs, but especially when the kids were little, it was just so hard to keep them totally covered. And anytime I missed a spot, the burns were horrendous.

Fluffy, do you still limit your quantity to 1/2 cup or have you eased up on that as you increased calories?

Oh, man! You are just rubbing salt into the sunburn of those of us who are melanin-challenged! All my fat is unhappy fat! Fish-belly white or bright red are the only choices I get My natural skin color is closest akin to a fluorescent light bulb! Since all the public pools close at sundown, we put in our own pool so that the kids could swim after dark.

I make 1/2 serving of oatmeal (with hi-pro milk), with cinnamon & splenda and add a little applesauce for flavor. I can't eat the whole thing, but really enjoy what I can manage. Good luck!

How terrifying! I'm so glad you were able to recover! Best wishes for smoother sailing from here on out!

And they thought taking a drug that can have major cardiac side effects was better than surgery? Holy cow!

Hope all goes well MIZ60!

No, I live closer to Fort Worth. But she helped me find a meeting close to me and was very nice. But feel free to contact me if you'd like!

And on the upside, you probably won't get stretch marks when you do!

Dallas Methodist Hospital has one. Contact MistyStroud-Martinez@mhd.com

I'm down 47# since mid-February, so I'm thrilled. Still can only eat minuscule (.5 oz) portions of solid proteins (like chicken) but tolerating everything else ok. I've been exhausted for the last month and for the last week had dizzy spells, so the doctor has sent me back to the cardiologist that I saw before surgery. He thinks my blood pressure is maybe too low. I'll see the cardiologist tomorrow and see what he thinks. So far, no-one who didn't know I had surgery has commented on my weight loss, either, but I'll assume that they don't want to go where angels fear to tread!

So happy to hear that! Good luck!

That is wonderful! Thanks for letting us know. I'll keep you both in my prayers.

Honestly, since I'm hardly eating any "real food" I've got to be chock full of chemicals. Between protein shakes, protein water, sugar-free non-fat yogurt, Crystal Light, turkey bacon, light mayo, high protein snacks, etc. I'm not sure that I'm actually eating "healthier" at all

You are amazing! Thanks for sharing the inspirational pics!

That is sabotage.