Elisabethsew

She obviously replied to the email with a snide response for the sole purpose of pissing you off and that's exactly what happened. I would not acknowledge her email at all... through writing or verbally. If you don't add fuel to her fire, she'll need to let it die out.

If you're vomiting any blood, you really need to see your surgeon ASAP. It could be a minor problem but there is no way to know without an exam and possibly some testing. Stay on clear liquids and call your MD.

You really do look wonderful... THIN! Thank you for posting an update.

It looks like a few of us are shift workers. I'm an RN and work 12 hour night shifts. I'm working the holiday also.

Rosie, Paris, Brittnay, Lindsay, Nicole, Tom & Katie, Brad & Angelina, Imus, Howard Stern... the list goes on. LOL.

It sounds like the psych evaluator needs to be evaluated. I'm so sorry you got such a run around but at least you got the approval and can check her off your list... forever!

I hope everyone has a happy and healthy Memorial Day weekend. Let's keep in mind all of our soldiers over in Iraq and hope they return home very soon.

I have a family member who works in the fashion industry. They use 15 pounds as the "standard" between 2 sizes but that only applies up to size 14. I know my clothes were VERY tight when I was 351 pounds and I was able to wear my 4 x tops and 28-30 pants for quite some time. I'm down about 80 pounds now and wear a 2X top and a 22-24 pant. I read something quite interesting about the weight loss "people" you see in the magazines. Many times, the before picture is actually the "after" and the after is how they began. Companies pay "models" to gain 30+ pounds for those before shots. Because the models are natually thin, they lose what they gain fairly easily. It's similar to movie stars who gain weight to play a role and then lose it once filming is over.

Best of luck to everyone staying on plan. It's the official start of the summer season and I'm hoping this will be my final summer wearing a skirted bathing suit. LOL. The reality of me in a bathing suit should be excellent motivation for me to not eat off plan. Happy Memorial Day!

I'm in my mid-40's. What specific questions do you have?

I have never been to a tanning salon but there is a lot of research that shows being exposed to bright lights lifts one's spirits and OTT lights are used to combat depression in countries that experience long periods of darkness. I've been spending hours out in my yard. In a moment of insanity about a month ago, I decided to relandscape the backyard myself. It's been an intense workout but I saved tons of money and it's looking really good. The bonus is being out in the sun where I am productive, using all my muscle groups, and not thinking about food. The time outside passes very quickly and I often have to remind myself to go inside and get some lunch. I wouldn't recommend a total relandscape job but creating a garden area or a container garden really can work wonders. I still would not be caught dead in a bathing suit. LOL.

At 4-5 weeks out you'll be able to tolerate a soft diet with no problem. You can eat fish, soft potatoes and cooked veggies, etc. Cake will go down with no problem. Once you start getting fills, you'll begin to feel restriction but most people get no restriction with an empty band so you should be able to eat at the wedding with no one questioning you.

Elisabeth is my name and I too like knowing the first names of people I share a support group with.

Denise, have you tried the 100 calorie microwave bags of popcorn? About the only food I can't tolerate is pasta. It's strange that I can eat a huge salad without difficulty but pasta will NOT stay down no matter how much I chew or what kind of pasta it is. Interestingly, I can keep rice down without difficulty. Most people can do "junk" food without any problems. My surgeon warned me about that on the first meeting. He suggests the bypass for junk food eaters and lapband for high volume eaters.

Fills don't hurt anymore than when they prick your finger for blood. It fast and esentially painless.

Here's what I had today: Breakfast: 1 cup of special K cereal with 4 oz skim milk Snack: 2 graham crackers with coffee Lunch: Deli sliced turkey on toasted rye bread with lettuce and a teaspoon of mayo. I brought home half the sandwich. Dinner: Breaded thin sliced chicken cutlet, one cup of steamed green beans, 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes. Dessert: 60 calorie jello-o pudding and tea

Congratulations on an amazing weight loss week, Tann. Losingjustme, don't feel bad. I can go up 5 pounds when my period is due as I retain a lot of water. Stick to your plan and you'll see a loss on your next weigh-in. You're doing wonderfully... chin up!

I think there might be some truth to the swelling. I can eat a huge salad with no problem. However, every single time I eat pasta (spaghetti, ziti, rotini, etc.) it comes right back up after just a few bites. I tried loading it up with tomato sauce and chewing it to death but no matter what I do, it's one of those foods I just don't seem able to tolerate.

I can relate to the stress and the lousy fill. My last one did nothing so I'm forcing myself to count ccalories and make healthy choices. I'm also on a deadline to have the first 3 chapters of my PhD dissertation done by 6/15 and I'm waaaaaaaaaay behind. It's funny the things we can and can't eat. Salads and carrots go down fine. Pasta is a no-no... no matter what kind. I can't keep it down. Hang in there! Better days are coming.

Maybe the original poster just wanted to vent or offer some wisdom based on her own experience, and is way past having her condition re-analyzed by other people, or explaining her conclusions, diagnosis, treatment plan. Maybe she didn't want any help or medical advice. Venting belongs in the rant and rave section. Offering wisdom requires sharing experiences and answering questions to help others help themselves. I am an RN and have seen too many people harmed by reading something on the internet, taking the advice posted, and suffering negative consequences because they failed to consult a professional or do research to confirm what was read. While I sympathsize with what was written by the original poster, I can't place any value in it if he/she won't answer questions or reply to a thread he/she started.

I work 12 hour night shifts so I try and weigh in on the morning after a night off to get an accurate picture of how I'm doing. I found a "new" item in the produce section of the grocery store that I love... a 3 pack of 3 individual portions of carrots and dip. It's a total of 70 calories and really feels the void when you need a snack.

July 4th Challenge Week 5 Name...................Starting…...…..Current….…......Goal….......To Go losingjusme............317....................305 ..................295.............10 tann.......................257....................245...................232.............13 juliegeraci...............232................... 232...................220.............12 Josette...................340................... 333...................315.............18 Inner_me................306....................298 ..................280.............18 Elisabethsew..........281....................273 ..................260.............13 Waterlily1072........ 278................ ...269 ..................252.............17 Libra..................... .230................. ..222...................205.............17 Lapbandit……… .… 208………....…...206……..…..... .185…… ..….21 RidinMyHDDream.. .281....................276 ..................256..............20 FaithMD................ 341.5.................328...................310.. ...........18 I'm down 2 pounds for this week! I hope the trend continues.

If you're not getting in enough calories, protein, and staying hydrated, you need to call your surgeon. Try sipping constantly throughout the day rather than sticking to a meal time. I hope you feel better soon but give the surgeon a call.

Why some injection areas bruise and other do not has to do with technique in giving thee injection as well as proximity to blood vessels. You might have hit a small vessel (capillary) and caused it to leak blood (no big deal) which caused bruising. Your surgeon did not give you complete info. Very few "stomach" surgeries require anticoagulant therapy. The decision to use it is based on how obese the patient is and the level of activity the MD expects the patient to tolderate.

I love jewelry and have a large collection but it's all the real deal and that's what I prefer. Currently, all of my money goes to PhD tuition payments so vacations and spending on unnecessary items has been on hold.