Ms. Vicki

I dated a man that weighed 600 lbs before I met and married my 130 lb husband. The reason we broke up had nothing to do with his (or my) physical appearance. Truth be told, he broke up with me. Physical appearances can definitely give a clue to underlying emotional issues, however I have always stressed to my kids that they should look further than skin deep before judging a person or making a choice to accept their friendship. I almost missed meeting the "man of my dreams" because he was too short and skinny. I was very guilty of prejudice, just for the opposite reason.

My list is the same as Sugarplum's with the following exceptions: I CAN eat steak fruit (except bananas) I CAN NOT eat white-meat chicken but dark is okay tortillas

I fell in love with the absolute OPPOSITE of what I was looking for physically in a man: I wanted TALL: my DH is 5"0" I am 5"6" I wanted Muscular: my DH was 130lbs soaking wet (when we married) I weighed 275 lbs when we married I wanted a man with lots of thick dark hair: my DH is bald I had short blond hair when we married I wanted a white collar man: my DH has been disabled since birth. I work in a white collar world I wanted an older mature man: my DH was 29 when we married I was 35 yrs old when we married I expected a divorced man: my DH had never been married I was divorced I expected a man with kids: my DH had never had kids I had 2 children What I got was a match made in heaven (which I resisted at first). My DH is the most wonderful, kind, caring, honest, God-fearing, gentle, thoughtful, humorous, sweet, considerate, smart, SEXY man I know. If I would have allowed my list of requirements to narrow my views on choosing my mate, I would still be looking. A fellow I was dating at the time (not who I married) told me I was searching for the PERFECT man and that he doesn't exist. I proved him wrong. Okay, maybe I didn't prove him wrong, but GOD proved that the perfect man for me DID exist.

I am so excited for you and so very PROUD!!!!!! Way to go! You are such an inspiration. Keep up the great work...... We want PICTURES!

When I was a "newbie" I COULD eat ANYTHING, just not as much as I did prior to banding. Not that I DID. I could even eat sandwiches, pizza and breads up until my last fill and occasonally I did. I must be getting closer to my "sweet spot" because now I can not eat any bread, pizza or sandwiches. Even one bite makes me miserable. I have found (for myself) that this band is strictly a TOOL. It is very possible to eat "past" the band. It makes it much easier to control the quantity of food that I eat, but it is entirely up to me to control what I put in my mouth and how much exercise I get. You have to work at making the band successful.

DonnaB - we sound like twins. I am the world's worst (or best) Pack Rat. My family throws a party on the RARE occassion that I clean out a closet or shelf.

You could have knocked me over with a feather when the nurse told me to wait 15 between each pill. I have been banded for 7 months, take literally a handful of pills in the morning and afternoon and never had a problem until last week. I do swallow a couple of times with Water between each pill, but have never waited so long between each pill. I'd be taking pills all day. Ever since this episode, I can only eat a few bites before filling full. I was on the verge of calling to get another fill, but it's definitely not needed at this point. I am still very cautious with what I eat now. I'm guessing my esophagus is still healing..... Thanks to all for the responses

I feel a connection with all of you. I have been taking anti-depressants for more years than I can count. My house is a wreck and out of control. I am so (too) busy with activities outside the home between work, church and kid's activities that I don't see how I will ever get my house in order. My DH tries to help but it is never the way I would "do it" if I had the time. He is disabled from birth (hydocephallusy) and his perception of things is a bit skewed. Bless his heart, he tries and gives 150% effort. If I try to "fix" or re-do anything he has "cleaned" he gets his feelers hurt. I think the messy house is a big part of my depression. ANYWAY, please know you are not alone in this. DO get medical intervention. Depression CAN be treated with medication and really makes the situation much better. I wish I could be of more help to you, but just knowing that you are not alone hopefully will make you feel better. We are always here for you.. Take care of yourself.

I have a deadly fear of chairs myself. It's the first thing I inspect when I go into a new place. When I went to the dentist the other day, the treatment chair wobbled when I sat down. I was afraid it was going to fall off the pedastol. I sat VERY, VERY still and survived. Dr. Spivak has nice roomy (almost like loveseat) sized chairs. I love him!

KELLY Kids Expect Lots & Lots of Yelling

NSV = Non scale Victory A "Way to go girl" kind of thing that makes you happy but does not involve the dreaded scales to enjoy......

I collect cookbooks. I seldom go to a store, flea-market, garage sale or any other venue where they can be found without adding one or more to my collection. Surprisingly, I read them all at least once. I used to collect cups and mugs, but that got out of hand. I also collect angels. I display them on top of my antique upright piano at Christmas alongside my nativity set. I make my own "Herald of Angels" My family will declare that I collect "junk". I am an admitted (or should I say COMITTED) "Pack Rat".

Bra.............otherwise I bruise my knees. LOL Pen or pencil

Out-laws (unfortunately) coffee - strong and black or smooth and creamy

I never needed to spit until after my second fill.........sorry, don't mean to discourage.... Have a great day to all!

I never thought of a spit cup, but I head fast as a bullet to the restroom and spit. I've pulled off the side of the road when driving to spit. One time, I didn't pull off fast enough and got choked. I spit all over myself and really made a mess. Yep, I'm a spitter too.

Congratulations to you and your hubby. May God bless your union!

Welcome Aza! :welcome: BTW, there are NO silly questions...feel free to ask whatever you want. You won't be made to feel silly here (I hope)

My brain is sore......

I was banded by Dr. Spivak in Feb '06. He is awesome and so is his staff.

I can so relate to Mom of Many.....I have a reputation of being a really good cook. I love to cater parties and will go all out to please anybody and everybody, with the secret thrill of being able to "test" each item on my own body! I've have loved to cook and EAT for as long as I can remember. My passion is collecting and reading cookbooks. I must have at least 500 so far and will buy any new one I see that has just one recipe I want to try. I could watch the FoodNetwork 24/7 if I didn’t have other things to do. I love to watch others enjoy eating my cooking and telling me how good it is........I don't mean to come across as a self-centered person (just the opposite of my true self), but my insecure self "feeds" on this need to be accepted for something. I don’t always hide the food, but will hide MYSELF when I am eating food. I will wait until my family is out of the house and then go to the kitchen to see what I find/fix good to eat. No, not because I’m hungry, just want to enjoy the experience of eating. I’ll stand at the kitchen window and watch for them to come back and eat until they return. Then I’ll go and sit in the recliner just like I was when they left and they are never the wiser. Of course, I have to push any food wrappers to the bottom of the trash can so they don’t find the evidence. I must admit that even though the band is helping and I'm so glad I have it, I frequently eat "past" the band. I should be stopping after I feel "satisfied", but don't just because I enjoy the taste and texture of the food. I guess that is what having an addiction to food is all about, and why I am and have always been overweight. I need to find a way to get past the addiction and conquer my demon. In the beginning (post-banding), I could eat a few bites and not feel hungry. I could even watch others eat and not feel deprived. I would walk away from food with not problem. Now, when I get “full”, I just wait a few minutes and am able to eat again. Maybe I just need another fill. Does getting to your “sweet spot” with the fills abolish the “want” to eat? I have spent too much time, money and effort on the Band to let it be a failure. Too many people are watching me and waiting for results. I need a kick in the pants (or something) that will get my brain back into the proper mindset. What’s it gonna take? Still searching………..

SAFETY....DOORKNOB! Don't ask me what that means....my kids just yell this as immunization against the "stink" when they have a fart war. :painkiller: :painkiller: :painkiller: :painkiller:

Dr Spivak is the greatest thing since sliced bread (even if I can't eat it anymore). LOL

I have lost a LOT of hair, although I'm the only one that seems to notice. No one has EVER commented about it. I can tell because with long hair, I put it in a ponytail quite often. The thickness of my ponytail is about half of what it was pre-surgery. I am about 6 1/2 months post-op. They say it will grow back........and I'm a-prayin' it will. :nervous

I love it! My son is in the Coast Guard, making a career of it. When he first got in, he got several tattoos....and they were not small, on his back and calves. I hated them and have teased him unmercifully. I have grown to like them though, but have not let up on the teasing. When I get closer to goal, I'm going to have a butterfly done on my upper "hiney" and surprise EVERYONE. Your sunflower is adorable. I want to see a picture of you whole lower leg so I can get the full picture. Congratulations!