Kat817

First, I read that, and thought----what are those numbers??? Kids birthdays? And all these momentary thoughts bouncing around, and then I read what they were, I laughed out loud literally!!!! Luluc--tell me more about your rusty barbed wire!!! Sounds amazing--but we have 2 strands of wire---about 20" each---and they are worth more than his truck and my car put together!!! All because I was looking for a cheap---fitting decoration---for an old ranch house. No pics yet...... Kat

Busywoman---if you feel a need to tell him, but don't want him to know, you just have to word it right then..... When I was in labor and pushing out baby Joe I weighed _____--- but during the middle of my period I weigh_____!!!! He will never hear the #!!! Men---gotta love 'em!!! 'Specially the ones who love us---ALL of us! Kat

Put a dining room chair---a hard backed steady type of chair---next to where you sit and next to your bed. You can use the seat like an end table or night stand, and it gives you something to leverage on to get up, and balance with as you sit. Helped me, hope it helps you! Was a tip given to me right here at LBT!! Congrats on your journey into bandland too Texgirl!!! Kat

Isn't it amazing how we find we do things like this?? My surgeon lucky for me did not have an issue with us using straws, I do much better with a straw. The best advice I have for you is just to maybe get you a bottle with the sipper top----then tip it til Water is at the opening, and then take a tiny sip....and just keep sipping away. The air will just make you uncomfortable I think.....I don't believe you can swallow enough air attempting to drink, to hurt you. If anyone knows different, I am sure they will eventually see this and respond. It gets easier as the days go by, Til then....try the bottle and see if it helps at all. Sorry it has been rough for you! Bloating is normal, and will go down. Whatever you do---just keep sipping, you need the Fluid, do NOT get dehydrated---you will only feel worse! Sip, sip, sip.....then sip some more. But hey------YOU ARE BANDED!!!! Welcome to bandland!!! Kat

MY DH wants to tattoo his open heart scar. My Dad was recently in the hospital and one of the patients there was a gall bladder surgery patient, but he was telling us he had a kidney/pancreas transplant years ago, and showed us his scar with a totally realistic looking zipper tattooed on it! The pull on the "zipper" even looked like the tab was chipped and broken! DH and I collect antique barbed wire---we have a small ranch in Texas, and we found a bunch on the ranch, so just kept collecting it, and we have talked about tattooing his like barbed wire wrapped around it holding it closed. I anxiously await seeing some pics here!! Kat

Everyone is different, but most times stretched skin will stay loose, it does not usually have the elasticity to tighten up. How you carried your weight will have a lot to do with it! If you are evenly heavy, then you will have looser skin, but still just be smaller overall. In a case like mine, where 90% of my excess weight was in my stomach---there is no way it is going to every shrink enough to not be a problem. You are younger, and if you carry your weight overall, it might not ever be a necessity....there is just no way to know how we will look until it is done. If excess skin is a medical issue---as mine on my stomach is at this point---skin tears, and infections in the fold of loose skin---then oftentimes insurance will cover it. Same as a breast reduction due to back problems is covered where implants for cosmetic purposes are not. If you begin having issues with sores from loose skin, or breakdown of skin---have them seen by your Dr. and documented. They happen frequently on the stomach (pannus) under hanging breasts, and on the inner thigh. My PS said they can often times show a medical necessity in these cases. I was given a comparison of a balloon that had been blown up and then the air let out, would never go back to the original balloon size----but----being like the the balloon without air, is still better than being filled out!! Some people swear by lotions and oils---I have no idea if any of them actually do anything---besides keep your skin soft though! Kat

Isn't that funny Angelyco---how people who don't have a weight issue have no guage of what others weigh. My Aunt who has always been bigger than me---even at my high weight of 289---mentions frequently that she HAS to lose weight she weighed in last time at a horrifying 225 pounds! And says it like she is so ashamed of that. In actuality she is likely dropping it by about an even 100 pounds---maybe not quite, she is very out of shape, so there is little muscle---but 75-100 pounds less anyway! So when I mentioned that I was down to 220 pounds several months ago, in front of her and my Uncle, he looked at me, and said "You mean that's where you started?" I told him no that was almost 70 pounds lost, he just looked so lost!!! No clue! Ironically---my Aunt is one of the only people who has NEVER mentioned a word about my weight loss---other than to say she could never live with as restrictive of a diet as I eat. I eat everything---just in a lot more moderation! And I no longer have dessert after every meal, including breakfast!!! Hang on to your Honey and give him a HUG----good men are hard to find. Sure glad I have mine!!! Congrats on the upcoming wedding! Kat

Whimsy my dear, you may just be starting your band journey, but it is gonna take a lot bigger pocket than you got to fit me in!!!! LOL I too had a very restrictive diet as compared to some, but I stuck it out! I actually moved on to mushies one day early with my Fill Dr.'s approval!! Due to timing, he wanted me to see how my eating would progress in relation to when we were traveling to see him. There were days if I had waited one more second to get out of the house, I would have been licking Doritos!! I was banded in the early Spring, so I was able to get out of the house and go for a walk when it got really bad. Not long after that my DH had some health issues, and as part of his recovery he had to take 3 walks a day----so we ended up walking A LOT, and had good tans too! Hang in there---you are off to a good start!! Everfriend/Melissa----in my case, my Dr.took us from mushies onto a regular diet after 2 weeks. He told us to use common sense, and slowly add things, that had a bit more texture, and work our way back to a full diet, but to of course be VERY careful and chew well especially the hard Proteins. He would not do a first fill until we could eat hard Protein without issue. I keep saying we---my SIL and I were banded together, and went for our appt.'s together as the Dr. is 6 hours away. The amount of food you eat really won't change much---or shouldn't, the biggest difference is the heavier food will remain in the pouch for a longer period of time, and keep the hunger at bay for a longer time. Harder protein, will keep you feeling full a lot longer than say mushy carrots. You will notice a difference I bet! Are you losing the 1-2 pounds per week? It might be one of the guidelines your Dr. uses to guage when to begin the fill process---most (but not all) require 6 weeks post op anyway. ssdown----like I say---everytime I figured out the ticker they changed it---now it is there and I just update it!!! Nothing to feel stupid about! Now you got 'er whipped! Susan---kind and eloquent as always! Kat

Will be thinking of you as you go through this Mary--best of luck, let us know you are ok, when you get back!!! (((hugs))) Kat

Awwww Betty----that is so miserable----I sure hope you feel better soon!!!! I am doing ok, as long as I leave the torture device out----not sure what that is going to hurt---something I am sure!!! Oh well---it hurts to friggin' bad!!! Rest, relax and hope you get past this soon Betty---will be thinking of you!!! Kat

Well Suzanne---ours are not all Harleys-----but we are at 7 motorcycles and counting!!! Well we didn't find a salad bar----we did chinese!!! Rick and I shared the Mongolian triple....mmmmmmm BBL~~ Kat

I know I am so excited I can hardly wait!!! I do not know when, he said it could be up to 4-6 weeks to hear from insurance. So ASAP as far as I am concerned!!! I have a vacation planned mid May, so hoping to get it done before then to be honest! I am anxious, but also not really wanting to wear the compression garment all summer long in 100+ heat!!! Sounds a bit un comfy!!! I am like you, I do not technically diet now----I eat all things, just less of them, which is what I wanted. I love the way I can eat right now. I am able to maintain without worrying about it. I forget to eat if I get busy---I never EVER would have imagined that! If I could be rid of this stomach----I would be happy right where I am. If I lose more weight with the TT---I would not complain....but I am not going to work towards that. I am able to buy clothes in most any store now, I accomplished my biggest goal, which was to regain some of my health and get off the meds I was on for blood pressure, and blood sugar, cholesterol---I was on 'em all, and now take zero prescription meds! So...I feel successful----and really happy, but I seriously want the belly GONE!! Kat

Yay Tracy!!! Got my glasses, I see better, but now that I see better, not so sure I like the frames!!! Oh well--seeing is the important part!!! Shopped a bit with DD, and am now vegging at home with Rick. We are planning dinner with Becky & Gary---Becky wants to go somewhere with a BIG salad bar she said, she wants some salad!!! OK---should be easy enough! Will spend some time hanging out at home first---thinking of going and putting on my sweats!!!! Getting kind of cold out already, really overcast....yuck! Will check in with y'all in awhile....Tracy, I don't even feel guilty that all my stuff is not done----well ok, maybe a little bit!!! LOL Kat

Hey jb, Head hunger to me, is when I am not physically stomach hungry, but my head thinks something in particular sounds good, or I simply want to snack to have something to do. So much of my eating was habit, boredom.....a way to comfort whatever I was feeling. I was not always hungry in my stomach----in fact I seldom let myself go long enough without food to actually get real true stomach hunger. It would also hit me in the way that I would see a commercial, or think of something--say a Big Mac......and it would be all I could think of--wanting a Big Mac....starving for a Big Mac! When in actuality I wasn't hungry--------------but until I satisfied that type of head hunger the thought of that Big Mac was never far away. Most of mine was habit. Grab something to snack on while I read, or when we watched the game....or whatever----eating for a reason other than when your stomach is actually empty and wanting food. It is much easier to control the physical stomach hunger than it is to control what we refer to as head hunger..... Kat

Julie, I am 5'9", and currently sitting between 184-188. I just cannot lose anymore and it come from where it needs to--we checked!!! I am sure there are those that will say I could, if I did enough exercise, and cut calories---but even then I am going to have all the excess skin....so I together with the surgeon decided this was the time. I am hoping with the medical issues of the torn skin, and I have had a torn stomach muscle for lots of years from an abusive ex husband--so hoping all the documented years of that might help. I have never been at a weight that fixing it was optional, and yeehaw I am now! LOL I have seen 2 different surgeons, and made the choice of this one---I am going to have a full Tummy Tuck, with lipo of the upper stomach area, as well as the pubic mound ---------he had all the names----I am just telling you what I call it! He explained to me the procedure he will do to lift the excess skin after the lipo of the pubic area. He is not going to do any lipo on the flanks which is usually something he would do of that area, but I am pretty thin through there now----all my weight now is in front of me, between being large chested, and this belly----it is all here! So he is leaving what little curve I have in the flank. The costs I got betweenthe 2 Dr.s for this if my insurance won't cover, is between $7000. & $8500., that is his fee, hospital all inclusive. DH says we are doing it either way---I am just hoping with all my might insurance comes through for me! Right now I am comfortably in a size 14, but I have excess room through the seat, and thighs, I just have to have the size to go around my stomach, and encompass the apron of skin and residual fat hanging down.....sooooo gross!! So figure it will put me into a 12, and I am good with that! I am not asking to be a size 7 again--I am closer to 50 than 40---and I am comfortable with that--I am a Granny! I'm just not wanting to hide in the Granny gowns anymore! Kat

I agree with Mary---although she said it in a much more intelligent way than I would have been able!!! When I do something new and discover a muscle that has apparently laid dormant for years (!), and end up soare, the best thing I can do is use it a little bit each day until the soreness eases enough for another full workout. My most recent was a new weight lifting method and I had these muscles in my shoulders to center of my upper back, that were soooooo sore! I did the exercise the next few days with just the dumbell bar, and no weight, the muscles always felt better after I did it and loosened them up a bit. Then in a few days I was able to begin adding some weight again. Now those obscure muscles are showing a bit of definition back there!!!! I know it hurts, but isn't it a good hurt, knowing you are doing something good for yourself??!!! Hang in there!!! Kat

Hi Julie--I met with my PS several months ago, to discuss the pannus---and then went in again last week. At that time, he noted my weight loss, and took pictures, took close ups of some skin tears I have....and got things ready to submit to insurance. My first visit, he examined me, told me he would like to see me lose another 10-15 pounds to see if any of the weight come off of the stomach area....so he did some measurments. When I went back in, I had actually gone down 16.5 pounds frm my first visit, and my ab measurement had not changed a bit. My legs got skinnier, and my butt flatter!! I am at a point I am having issues working out, or exercising much. The skin is so loose, yet heavy with residual fat in there, and it moves so much it tears in the fold. If I use compression, I get heat rash. A damned if you do and damned if you don't scenario. So we submitted. My first PS appt though was mostly discussion, and he did have me put on a robe, and look at my problems.....and poked and prodded, and lifted and moved---all the really fun stuf(!)....but most of it was talk back and forth about how things could be done, and what to expect out of PS, he showed me some pictures. We discussed how many procedures of this type he does, and he showed me pics of the EXACT surgery I am having that he had done. Discussed where he does it, what the stay in the hospital would be etc. Was not traumatic. Let me know how your appt. goes!! We will make it yet!!!! Kat

Snow shoes baby.....snow shoes!!! You will make it to surgery!!!! I am hoping to make a motorcycle ride later today, glad we don't have any snow on the ground at the moment! Kat

Sue when my DD was little she was drawing a picture of my Grandma---her great grandma---and she kept telling me she didn't knowhow to draw her stripes! She meant her wrinkles. So now I have stripes on my face and lines on my hands!!!! Love it!!! Kat

Pamela---know you have someone suffering right along with you---Rick was feeling no pain last night, and lots this morning!!!! We went to Ed & Lori's---ladies this house is amazing!!! It is over 6000 square feet. The entire lower level is done in African design---they spent 3 years in Africa---DH & I were only there for 6 months! They are practised hosts----and showed everyone a great time. They served steak, which was about 2 inches thick---but VERY tender! Tiny bites, and I managed some. I made this call, that I figured everyone would be talking and eating---and I could always kind of talk with my mouth closed more than usual, because we were eating, so I went to the bathroom, just before sitting down to the table (table sat 18---and was formally set---but with HUGE colorful mexican platters) and removed the spacer partial---and ate fine without it. Then when they were bringing dessert in, I excused myself and put it back in---and refused dessert. It hurt so bad, I was able to avoid the chocolate cake!!! I'll tell ya---I use a salad plate at home all the time, I have not used a full size plate at home since surgery. When I go out to dinner the plates always seem huge. These last night were monstrous!!!! I looked at my plate with this HUGE steak, and loaded mashed potatoes, and fresh steamed green beans, and salad, and garlic rolls, and thought to myself, I used to would have been embarassed to have this much food, and I served myself tiny portions! But always before I was the fat wife, and thought everyone was thinking---she does not need to be eating---but I would have easily eaten all that food, and my dessert. As it was I ate meat, and a few little bites of everything else. My plate looked almost as full when they took it b ack, as when I filled it, but I was waaaaay full! Was a fun night, lots of laughs, lots of drinks for some of them. I was not drinking. #1 I was driving, and #2, I never knew if I was going to need pain meds when I got home from eating. So I feel wonderful this morning. Rick, not so wonderful! He was told, it looks like he will be offered the position when his boss leaves. Which is good news. It is an easier position, more people to point to and tell what to do!! I tease him about doing that now! This step up will likely be his last, he is not interested in going further in the company, he does not want to try a DM position, he is not of the right personality. He does not like going on game hunts, and entertaining clients--he is fine in the background, that is where Rick prefers to be. And he is good there. He will probably stick there, and retire in 5 years. Unless the oilfiled tanks, and he will work for lots more!!! LOL Well my glasses are in! I am going to go get them today. Now maybe I can see to drive at night especially! Jenn--hope you continue to feel better. Yes, Terry go floss and brush, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat! He actually told me if I had not take such excellent care of my teeth this one would not have lasted broken as it was for the decades it did!!! So what you really need to do----is avoid being backhanded!!! Sad but true. Oh heck DD is on her way over so we can go pick up my new eyes---better run!!! Hugs! Kat

Mine have gone from a size 10, to currently being a 7.5, I have removed, them and wear a simple band...which is now getting way too big as well. The design of my ring is going to make sizing a challenge, and will only be able to be done once without ruining the design--so I am waiting until I am at a size I am comfortable with for a few months to get it done. I opened the jewelry box last night looking for a right hand ring to wear to a dinner party, and almost cried looking at my beautiful rings!!! But I keep thinking how nice they will look on long thin fingers as opposed to how they looked on the sausages I used to call fingers. Unfortunately....my hands show my age much more than they used to----anyone else notice this???? Kat

Lonestar--I too smiled when I read the word demons, in Jaime's post---many times I see the little angel vs. the little devil--like they used to have on the Flintstones, when comparing what I should eat, to what I ought to eat!!! Oddly enough over time, many of my tastes have changed to where I prefer the healthy items now--who woulda ever thought that would happen??? Some of the stuff I used to eat all the time, is literally gag inducing now. Not too long ago I had my granddaughter here, and she come in with one of the little Debbies oatmeal cream snack Cookies, she held it up for me to take a bite. So I did. I chew as a habit now, no matter what it is, it gets chewed well. By the time I chewed that--probably no more than 10 times, it began feeling like I just had a mouth full of grease, it felt like it was coating my teeth, and my tongue, it was nasty!!!! I imagine the numbers of those things I ate----instant cholesterol!!! Now the smell of them turns my stomach. And I no longer buy them! We make cookies together, that I can control. Now if I could keep her Mom from buying them!!! Kat

Thanks Grace, I am feeling a lot better. Survived having the tooth chiselled out---not fun! All is not well yet, but I feel almost human again!!! Yay! Finally got a shot yesterday, not sure if the antibiotics reacted differently in liquid form, or what, but they made me soooo sick, I tossed everything, within 30 minutes of taking them. Finally the dentist called me back, and he was worried I would dislodge the clot, so had me get in touch with my PCP, about an injection, and just not being nauseated 24/7 has me feelin' happy again!!! And I also got to a point I could remove the temporary torture device....aka a temporary partial! Yeah Grace, I lived to tell about it!! Feeling MUCH better now! We went to dinner with the District Manager of DH's place of work last night, and they had steak about 2 inches thick....but it was very tender, so I managed to eat a few bites of it, and did fine! So I guess it is back to life as it was! How are you doing? Kat

ssdown...when you get to the area with the codes. Highlight the first one--the top one. Highlight everything within that box, then click to copy---usually a right click or ctrl c. Then come back here to LBT, and go to Edit Signature. You can find it in the column of options under Members area on the upper right hand part of this page. Click edit signature. It will show you 2 boxes, the one on top shows what the signature is like now. The one on the bottom is the one that will allow you to "edit". Go into that box, pick the area you want your ticker to be, and click---then right click and click on paste--or ctrl v. The code should show up. Go to the bottom under the window, and click on preview signature. They should change to show the actual ticker. If you want to add anything go into the lower window and type it in---for instance your banding date....then click save signature. It should be there. I'm hoping it is there!!!! I created mine back before many of the changes, and now just update the weight....hope these work for you!!! Kat

Gonna put the torture device in my mouth and head to dinner---wish me luck!!! Check in with y'all laterz! Kat