Betsyjane

Er, good question, Suzanne. I'm game for after Tai Chi this Monday, say 6 or 6:15 ish at Humble City Cafe...... or I wouldn't mind soup & salad at Olive Garden...or somewhere else.....

My dr had me on solids only within 2 weeks after surgery.... Go with what your Dr. says. There's a wide variation in recommendations.

Nicely put, Tekila4red.

Regarding weight gain... I understand your concern. Most of us have failed at keeping weight off in the past and have regained more than we lost most times. I want you to know that the band requireds hard work on your part. The difference with the band is that the hard work pays off...A first for me! Even when I've royally screwed up a day of eating, I either plateau, or lose anyway. Quite a change...... I've sometimes wondered if I would have enjoyed gastric bypass more----that sudden big drop inw eight that happens almost in spite of yourself. But I know that there's something about working and succeeding at wieght loss that is so good for my soul. I've needed that experience all of my life.

Remember, you aren't restricted yet. So you technically aren't living the bandster life yet, my firend. Now is the time to focus on learning everything you can about your future life as a bandster, and practicing and pretending you feel restriction, whenever you can. You are still really on your own until you are restricted. I went through exactly the same thing. Work on eating mindfully, taking a deep breath before eating, getting smaller plates and utensils, eating without the TV on, chewing a lot...whatever you can whenever you can. Try not to beat yourself up....We're so good at doing that...and know that your journey and learning have just started. New behaviors take time, especially since you haven't had a fill. Enjoy any small successes. In 14 days you've lost 8 pounds. That's cause to be tickled. You'll get there.

One of the bandsters in my support group wear one and loves it. I'm tempted too. My only concern would be if the added support will weaking my tummy muscles.... Seems like I heartd somewhere that any kind of girdle does that.

Oh, that's hilarious. And any bandster who doesn't Tia Chi and joins us for dinner will have to deal with the embarrassment of being with us. Lana, bikergrammy...come join!

I found a nice protein powder---not a shake---just a colorless tasteless powder, that I can add to salads, sprinkle on anything, and add to my protein intake considerably. I got it at GNC, called Any Whey.

Great news, Brandy! You're already being persistent. A good sign for a future Bandster! One hurdle jumped. They're nice over there at the Surgicenter, aren't they? Hi Jean. You've sure picked a good doctor. You might want to also find a local fill guy, in case you need a quick unfill sometime. I don't know how well Drs take to having more than one guy follow you, but just in case.... or at least look for a local support group so you have resources up there if you need them. Enjoy Dr. Spivak!

That's nice of you to notice about the evening posts. My tiredness comes and goes during the day without any schedule...probably because I'm not out at work like you are. Some nights I'm awake with good energy, but more often I just can't sleep due to pain. Ha! Right now, I have little doggie campers all around my feet because of the thunder. I look like I have very big fuzzy slippers on my feet. Great! Let's walk after we get Tai Chi organized and it quits raining. I went over to sign up this morning. They only open at 1PM, so don't go early!

Happy Anniversary back at you all. I may grumble, but I'm so happy to be banded!

Are you taking a multi Vitamin? sublingual B-12 helps me. Diet Cokes used to help....Sigh.

Did you see the video of the Akon concert where he got a little girl out of the audience and started humping her on stage, and threw her around? I don't know why she was there anyway, but it was darned near rape in my opinion. I'm so sick of rappers degrading women and promoting crime. I'l all for music being renegade and out there, but I'm not for this lowest common denominator sewer stuff. I don't want it banned. I just want people to stop buying it. And now Verizon Wireless is co-promoting with Akon. I'm all for scrapping Verizon's services too. This is ridiculous. I was watching a show on TV interviewing some rapper...don't remember who...about promoting no snitching. If you see a rape or a murder, don't tell and don't call the police. So they interviewed kids who said that indeed, they'd never snitch. Just inviting crime without consequences. So they interviewed the rapper, and he pretty much said he doesn't live like that, but he doesn't want to disappoint his fans,a nd it's all about business. So his fans are his chumps. I'm sick of it.

Welcome Nana! I was self pay too. They told me that no bariatric surgery was covered because the employer didn't choose to buy that coverage. It's probably packaged along with other "optionals", I would guess. I was told to do all sorts of things for the shoulder pain, but I tell you, it was a lot easier to just medicate it. I walked, did a heating pad, but mostly just ate chewable Tylenol. GasX didn't help me at all. Tylenol did. It's a sharp pain but you live through it. Small price to pay for a life of losing weight. Spivak is great. The operation itself for me was amazingly quick. My husband and I went in, and Dr. S had arranged for a bandster with Lupus to be there to talk with me. I have Lupus. It was a nice touch. Then knocked out, fast surgery, and woke up sick to my stomach for a short while. Drank Water to make sure it went down, and then home to rest. I dozed much of the afternoon, and then steadily got better. Gas pains lasted about 3 days, progressively better. I had no restriction until my 3rd fill though, so it took awhile to be able to live like a bandster.....

I think it's different with the Surgicenter. Their number is 713-796-9666.

OK. so that probably means that Spivak's fee is set and the Surgicenter is the one who dropped the price. Of my $15000, I think $5000 was spivak's and the rest was the surgicenter. I'd call the surgicenter and ask. It couldn't hurt.

Can you tell I get ADD this time of night. I never used to be so unfocused before I got Lupus. Can't consolidate my thoughts to one post. This is true...There's a sign on my fence that says "They used to think I was ADD, but... Hey look. A chicken."

Maybe a walk around The Commons or old Humble...... I'd like to walk around Summerwood sometime too.

Sensitive to fills.... Doctor Understatement. If you ever feel like going for a walk on the trails in Kingwood or anywhere else and want company, call me! Or come over in grubby shoes and walk around the ranch with me. I'm not sure it's good exercise because I go slowly on uneven ground, but it's something. We can go wander and pet the mini horses. sure, it's across the lake, but just on a visit, you probably won't catch anything......

I so want my substitute to be exercise. I know it won't be alcoholism. In the 60s I know what it would have been, but that was then and this is now. Stealing doesn't sound appealing....maybe compulsive shopping on ebay...... :-)

I guess I'm remembering Dr. Spivak saying that on average banded people lose half of their excess weight. I want to beat the average, so I guess now is when the harder work comes in. Whatever problems I have to tackle, the effect right now is that I can eat exactly the right amount at each meal, feel full, and then have an urge to snack within 2 hours. A BIG urge. So I figure it has to be habit that I have to tackle. I get the fullness feeling during a meal, right on schedule, and it's strong. Does that sound like it must be a habit problem?

OK. Apart from how you felt :-) What do you think about his advice? Just curious.....

I just joined OA in order to work on the behaviors and thinking stuff. I'm not going to tell them I'm banded. That's not the stuff I want to work on with them. Also joining a Tai Chi class next week for more exercise and for peace.

Yes, it is hard. I don't envy others for being thin though. I figure everybody has their cross to bear. Mine just happens to be visible. Everybody has to live life and get sick, rejected, embarrassed, ill, grieve...you name it. I figure I can have empathy for their pain because I have my own. Besides, if I am trying so hard to spend my energy on me instead of on bitterness. Not trying to be preachy---just trying to remind myself to take the high road when I can. It's too easy for me to be sad or angry about it...and then eat about it. Right now, I just don't want a fill. I want to work on me. I rankly think I HAVE enough of a fill....... But I'll keep it in mind if I keep screwing up on the other stuff......

I live on a ranch and I see animals engaged in mostly heterosexual behavior, but also very naturally in homosexual behavior. Seems like the drive to procreate will keep heterosexuality dominant, but not exclusive. Sex and relationships among all us animals has to do with a lot more than procreation. And when it does, it should be honored.