StephC

hi friends - got back from the dr today - bad news is I don't get a fill for 2 weeks! He said absolutely no fill until you hit 6 weeks - he says it gives the band time to get scar tissure built up and blah blah blah - seriously I still think he's damn sexy! I know I'm impatient and we talked about my goals and diets and everything I vented to all of you. He said thats exactly what he wanted to hear and he said tell those who ask that first of all you did not have gastric bypass and secondly its none of their business how much weight I've lost. gotta love him! I forgot I had said earlier that I would order pizza for supper - instead I'm having turkey and mashed taters - LOL I'm allowed to eat regular foods and I pick soft ones - BUT wait - I'm making better choices aren't I? NSV!!! Yea!!! I'm working towards my goal! OH and another NSV - when I got home I was really craving something sweet - started reading the little debbie box - omgoodness - don't go there! So I made a cup of madagascar red vanilla tea - a packet of splenda and a dash of vanilla coffee mate and I was satisfied! I learned the hot drink trick from you girls - thank you very much. Kay - I bought myself some mom jeans today at walmart - on sale for $13 so I bought 2 pair - did I go down a size - NO! Still in a 16 but they are so comfortable! They button at my belly button and I love them! I know its kinda stupid to buy stuff now but I had all these gift cards from Christmas, and it was on sale... so I also tried on those jeans that have the tummy control - great idea <--- sarcasm Not a good idea for someone with belly fat - so I pull on these pants get them buttoned turn around and scream! All my fat was pushed up and falling all around the flat tummy band! I couldn't even tuck it in if I had a spatula! The picture on the display is of a girl thats a size 4. So now that you all know I'm insane - I'll leave you and go fix supper. Love you girls.

Llewis - my all time favorite movie is Gilbert Grape - gotta love Johnny and Leo in that one! Dreams - ok so this is really weird but I had a dream the other night I was having sex with my hubby - yeah but thats not the weird part - and my nipples were BOTH pierced! Not like a little nipple ring like these huge rings you seen in a bulls nose! WTH does that mean?

Gerbera - tater tots are kinda like what you might call chips - like fish & chips. Sorry I don't really know how to explain them - you buy them frozen and they are little round potato patty type things. LOL get it?

Hi all - just came back from the doc - I thought I'd get my fill next week (PA made a mistake in telling me that) but I have to wait 2 weeks He absolutely won't do them before 6 weeks because he says the band has to have time to build up scar tissue so it won't have a chance to slip - but the good news is we do it under fluro in xray so he doesn't do a little and then stop - he fills until nothing will go through then he takes a cc out. He said some people get up to 4 cc's the first fill - then I can have more fills every 2 weeks if I need to. Second good news is I lost another pound. Total of 16 lbs. He said don't worry about the weight until you get a fill and then he says to only expect 40% the first year - ugh! Thats only about 3 lbs a month for me! Of course he's trying to keep me in line and not to get too impatient. Its hard not to get impatient when you hear other people moving on but I guess its just like the different food stages and pre-op diets each doctor has his own theory of what works best so we just have to accept it. Luckygirl - keep us informed on how the fill is going - you are a lucky girl! Are you sore where the needles went in? Skinnymom - so glad to hear you are feeling better. And a lesson learned for all of us - warm drinks. OH my 3rd good news - I'm officially on "regular" food! Still the 1/2 cup and no drinking an hour after - but guess what - I had a salad for lunch - it was wonderful! Thought I'd died and went to rabbit heaven.

#1 Javy Lopez (for sex only - used to catch for the Braves, I love those muscle thighs) #2 John Travolta (for love - He's been my FAVORITE actor since Vinnie Barbarino and he seems so nice) #3 is hard - probably Johnny Depp but then it could be about 20 other guys too

Hey Kirsten - I said it on the other thread but its worth repeating - WTG! Love buying a smaller size! Thats great!

Hi girls - I'm trying to post both places and seems like I repeat myself. I answered skinnymom over there - its all cool. I don't think she threw up - just had that feeling like she'd feel better if she did. You know I can't believe I've never felt sick or stuck and I know I haven't eaten the way I should at times. Heck I've eaten shrimp several times and of course I chew about 100 times but I've not had a problem with anything. On the one hand thats good and on the other hand I wish I had something that would tell me hey wait a minute you're not eating right. Unless of course I have eaten right (other then the candy and cakes that you all know about) - guess Dr.Dreamy will either be disappointed in me or say alls well. I haven't eaten anything batter dipped and personally don't plan to - if I don't change anything else I am changing that, no white breads or batters - and I've even switched us to whole grain pastas (which btw no one knows the difference) - I really would like to live and eat healthy - I've said this before and I'll probably say it more then once - I don't want to diet anymore! I want to change my eating habits and eat healthy food forever. I'm so afraid if I look at the band as another "diet" I'll just lose the weight and gain it back - like every other diet I've been on. So I'm not journaling, or counting calories or protein - don't get me wrong because you know I'm very aware of all of those things and its important to know the nutrional content of the foods you eat and I think my dr will have me journal this week to see how I'm eating and if I'm ready for a fill but I can't live the rest of my life like I'm on a diet. I have already begun to change my food choices and when I get my fill I hope that it will help me to change my portion sizes - and then with the love and support of you and my family - and exercise - the weight will start to come off. Ok you're all like where the heck did that come from? Well it started when I went in to work yesterday - remember I only told my buddy Charlie I got the band - well first thing he says to me - how much did ya lose?:welldone: I screamed - DON'T ASK ME THAT! I'm at a stall! ok so I got over it the rest of the day went ok. Then laying on the couch last night watching tv with the old man and mother in law calls - talks to her son - wants to know how much I've lost - I said about 17 pounds - hell I don't know! I think 15 but 17 sounded better - hubbster hung up and I said THAT is why I didn't want to tell anyone. :yell: Dang it! Why do I feel like everyone has these great expectations for me - I explained to people I won't lose fast, it isn't gastric bypass, why do they think I'm going to be thin tomorrow? And I've explained to them that until I get my first fill I may not lose any weight at all - and it all just goes out the window of their brains - so I'm laying in bed thinking maybe if I lose slow enough those people will forget I had the band and then when it suddenly becomes noticable to them they'll go - oh yeah thats right Steph had that band surgery wow she really looks good - but for now I vent to my dear loved bandsters. Sorry for the rant.

good morning bandsters! Skinnymom - hope you're feeling better today. I wonder if it wasn't the greasy-ness of the oring that got you feeling yukky - I haven't ever had a problem with anything I've ate and I've made some mistakes too - like taking a bite of a sloppy joe - I made them for lunch one day and everyone was eating and I made myself one just like I would have done pre-band, took a bite and tasted that soft white bun in my mouth and went OMGoodness! I can't eat this! So I threw the bun away and ate the ground meat inside. I'm at the point where I think I could eat anything without it being a problem - I go in to the dr today so I'm anxious to find out how soon he'll fill me. Gerbera - tuna hot dish :welldone: Did I mention that when I went on mushies that was one of the first dinners I made that I could actually sit with my family and eat? Its one of my daughters favorites so I try to make it now and then anyway - I also made tatertot hotdish, its just ground burger, cream of mushroom soup, peas, onions mix it up and top it with a bag of tater tots. Its pretty mooshy,mushy - my mushy stage was slash soft foods which included casseroles so the family got a few of them this past month. New Me - wow how scarey to have your liver nicked! My dr explained to me about how delicate the liver is which is why we want to shrink them with the pre-op diets, but you're the first I've heard that actually had something happen. Good to hear you're feeling better. (and welcome to the bandsters!) VAbandster - :clap2: yeah for you and a smaller pant size!!!! You're doing great! Have a great day everyone! Aren't you glad the holidays are over?! Life is beginning to get back to normal.

I can't believe people think they can't be here - too dang funny! Bk - too cute! You look great! Sweethot - bummer about the fill... I go tomorrow to see Dr.Dreamy and he better tell me something good. If I have to wait 2 more weeks for the fill I'll scream! Seriously its almost as bad as waiting to hear from the insurance company to say they'll pay. I can't believe they didn't weigh you! I think I would've said hey wait just a minute - let me get my butt on that there scale before I leave. Speaking of insurance companies - I got the "bill" from the hospital today - $19,000! and then some! That wasn't the dr. bill - remember my dr has us stay in critical care over night - wowwsa - good thing insurance is paying - and then if they don't pay all of it I have hubbys as a secondary so hopefully I won't have to stress over it. Nat - I'm feeling for ya girl - I was lucky enough to be a stay at home mom until my youngest went to 1st grade but I remember my sister living out of state and having no one to help her and my neice crying every time she left her at the sitter - it was horrible. And if he's not feeling well on top of that.. ah poor baby. But it may just be because its someone new and after a few days he might be ok with it. Everything takes time and adjustment. In the mean time it sucks. (took me a minute to figure out fuggerz and then I was rolling!) It must not be the day to talk with sales people. So I ate my shredded wheat - still liking that for some reason. then I did go into work for a while. Did what I had to do... had to run a couple errands and I'm starved so I'm thinking what can I eat when I get home - I had some crab meat and I'm salvating over it all the way home - I get home hurry up and make it and it was like I don't want this - don't know why - just couldn't eat it so then I'm rooting around and finally fried a half cup of hamburger and onions - don't you know I get on and Nat has her buffalo chicken mix on here! WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT! I have everything to make it and I eat burger instead!

Kay - 4 more days of liquids - I think you've out done our b-man on this! WTG girlfriend! You did great! Whats your next step? Mushies, softs, regulars - when do you get a fill? I should be at work - but I'm not. I just need to get the mail and fax some stuff to the accountant - and email some stuff to the treasurer - but can't seem to get out of the jammies today. I have just spent 2 hours online with cingular - I was getting pretty pissed by the time I finally finished. All I wanted to do was upgrade our phones and contract - and cancel one of the phones (son got married last summer so he's paying his own now) so you can't just do all of them at the same time - which took 4 calls to cingular and an hour to figure out - I had to do each phone seperately - of course we all picked different phones - but still - UGH! Really put me in a crappy mood. Kay that was too cute about your little runway model! Geesh I love em when they're little. My girls played dress up for YEARS! On Christmas eve we had friends over and the little girls went up stairs looking for some dress up clothes - not that we have much left but boy were they ever eyeing up the prom dresses. Are you guys posting on the yahoo site? I still haven't checked it out - guess I better go sign up. BTW- my butt isn't little - its just a good pic - I'm not very tall so I'm pretty round - I qualified for lapband surgery because my bmi was over 40. ok -so I guess I better go to work - lazy me.

kimmy - we aren't 'exclusive' - we just have been together for a while now and have become friends - doesnt' mean we aren't friendly. We are really just a group of women who have found each other and have come to love and care about each other. Please feel free to pop in and ask away! I think you may be drinking alot more calories then you realize BUT this is normal. You probably should be trying to get something with more substance to make you feel full longer. I went to the creamy Soups - made homemade potato Soup, strained it then pureed the potatos and dumped it back in, same with bean soup and also add 1/2 cup of cottage cheese to your soup- it'll give you Protein and make it yummy. As for fills none of us has had ours yet - we're soon to be getting them. I don't think you realize this isn't a miracle band - you will have to work with it and they should have told you that on average you will only lose 1-2 lbs a week. Don't expect anything too soon. Good luck

Gerbera - Tuna Mornay is just a fancy name for tuna hotdish! LOL I make it now and then but don't add the corn, and I use egg noodles instead of rotini. I find this so funny because I work at a private golf club where the members are all very wealthy and our chef is always putting these crazy sounding things on the menu and then when he makes it - its like oh yeah chicken and mushrooms in wine sauce. I don't mean in disrespect I just found it funny. BTW - I'm the office manager and sit on my arse all day and everyone knows I love food so I have been the official taste tester for the past 5 years - ugh - that'll stop this season. Even the golf pro brings me in Breakfast sandwichs, donuts - anything fattening - I've only told one person at work about the band so I guess when spring comes I'll have to deal with it. NAT - I see you've changed your name. I've always wanted to tell you that I don't know what adams was but that was my moms maiden name. Maybe we are cousins - hu? Gerbera - Hope you don't need surgery - ouch! I guess my knee cap was just cracked not seperated so it healed well. The walk yesterday was a bit hard on me last night the backs of both of my knees were hurting. Siyah - loved your story! wow you've had an interesting life.

Nat - too funny as always! A few years ago we went from a queen waterbed to a king regular bed and OMGoodness it was horrible! Me and the hubbster took turns on the couch the first few days. Finally I went to walmart and bought the egg carton foam. It still took a few weeks to get used to it but it helped - infact I still use it. Ive been eyeing up those feather mattress thingys on overstock.com - might get me one. Back to the new kingsize mattress - it was horrible for the sex life! Seriously it was so big we didn't touch - and believe me hubbster is one of those men that you just need to rub your leg against his leg and he's up and ready! So theres suddenly no leg to rub my leg against. It took us a while but we got it figured out now. The other night he tells me he woke up in the middle of the bed. I said yeah I know you do that alot. He said no I was in the middle of the bed - I said yeah I know - he just looked at me like what chue talkn bout? Ok ... enough about beds. Except for Dawn - get to bed! Poor Belle - which btw - love that name! I hope she's doing better. Stressed spelled backwards is desserts - gets me everytime. I'm excited to hear from the new fill peoples. Please please let us know how it goes! I need a fill so bad! I don't know what to do anymore. If I eat 1/2 cup of food I'm ready to eat and hour so 2 later - but when I was eating a cup or more it was lasting me 4 hours. And I'm really trying to make good choices but its been hard. Today I ate a small peice of banana bread for breakfast (bad choice, I normally have shredded wheat or scrambled eggs) a couple pirogis, sloppy joe without the bun (not a lot just a couple bites) and salad (against dr's orders, but again only a couple peices of lettuce), lunch stayed with me for over 4 hours - then for supper I ate 1/3 cup of tuna with about 1/2 T of lite mayo, tomato slice, and 1 slice of toast - 2 hours later I was hungry again! and I ate a half cup of lasagna, and just now I ate a sliver of cake with skim milk! UGH! I too feel like I'm on a diet! And I made the cake and banana bread for everyone else - I'm giving it until morning and then its all going in the trash! I want to respond to everyone but I'm just too tired - will talk to ya tomorrow.

B-man - I don't know how to attach another thread so I'll just tell you. Go to the Lounge - and thread is Joke for open minded people. Totally made me think of you!

good one! I LOVE dark beer - since banding I stick to merlot and only 1-2 glasses. The other day I noticed hubby drinking a Yeungling and had to smile - he must have forgotten I can't drink beer and decided to drink it himself.

Kathy - I sent you instructions

Offerocker - you aren't still on liquids are you? We were banded the same day.

Annie - ohhhhh - I use vit.E - I had the capsles already so I just cut one open and smear it on - I'm not too worried about showing my belly. My goal for next summer is to Water ski in a one peice suit. We are lakers - spend every free moment at the water BUT I haven't even tried to get up on skis for about 5 years because its so hard to pull your weight out of the water - when you are overweight you have to have strong arms and I'm just not strong enough... but this year I will. Gerbera - did I read a fractured knee? I broke my knee 11/8 in a car accident, had my surgery 12/11 so I was in a brace until Christmas. I have just started walking this week. Doing 10 minutes at a time on the treadmill but then in the evening my hip aches so I think I must still be limping. I actually went for my first real walk today - I walked a mile but I live in a valley so I have a hill to climb either direction - it feels more like 4 miles! I was ok until coming back down hill my knee started hyper-extending but it was great walking again. My 2 dogs loved it - I told hubby they acted like I had taken them on a field trip they were so excited to be out walking. I'm going to do the mile a day until I feel I can double it. (Corn doesn't digest well so they say stay away) Skinnymom - everything gets better everyday. I can't believe I'm already 4 weeks out as of tomorrow and I feel as if I never had surgery. If I press I can feel my port but its not as if I'm aware of it otherwise. And I feel like I could eat whatever I wanted too - I'm on soft foods so that lets me eat almost anything I want. Of course I haven't tried steak or things that I think might get stuck and I try to make healthy choices first. I don't eat white breads but whole grains go down well. I'm at the point where I'm VERY ready for my first fill. I see the dr on Tues, they'll have me eating regular food and chart it and they said if all goes well I should be able to get a fill the following tuesday. Siyah - I've seen all the snow you've been getting! wow! This is a really weird year for PA we've had very little snow and temps in the 50's and 60's - its beginning to scare people. Its either coming soon and hard or we'll have a lousy summer. My dil bought my son a snowblower for christmas and he's ready to turn it in for a dirt bike. For those of you on liquids - Soups you can melt some LF cottage cheese in it to thicken it and it also adds Protein, bean Soup - strain the Beans - blend them up and re-add to broth and its a good thick soup, I did the same with homemade potato soup - just a hint to get you past the "I want to eat!" phase.

Dawn did you get a fill?

Annie - what is melderma? Does it make you tan or something? Protein shakes suck. I haven't had one in 2 weeks! I don't care how you try to make them, after 4 weeks of drinking them I can't even think about them anymore. I think I said before that at my last visit the dr said as long as I'm eating mushies/soft foods ok I shouldn't need to drink them - they go right through the band so I was like - ok. sure. you betcha! I also can't stand Vitamins so had to resort to the flintstone gummies - I know I'm a big baby - my hubby cant believe that vit. C chewables gag me but they do! Ok - off to walk.

Patty I was laughing my butt off over your treadmill episode! That sounds like something I would do! I had my daughter take the pics this morning. I haven't taken measurements but those pants I'm wearing were stuck in the closet because they have a zipper and I was too uncomfortable wearing them, now they are very comfy. I have my start weight at 226 but I was actually about 10 heavier at one point so I was wearing the elastic waistbands. I told my jean story - my bellybutton is pretty low (look at my scar page) - so with my big belly its really uncomfortable to wear jeans that are 4 inches below my bellybutton - maybe if you have a flat tummy its ok but dang its hard to buy pants that fit! I've always had a hard time even when I was thin I wore a size 5 in the butt and a 9 in the waist. Anyway all my weight is in my upper body - big arms, shoulders and belly. I ate some salad today - I was so hungry for fresh greens! I didn't eat much lettuce but it was so good and so far its sitting ok in the pouch. I need to start charting my food. So has anyone gotten their fill yet? Carol are you first? I'm really getting anxious - I know I'm eating things I shouldn't be and yet I keep thinking that I know its definitely not in quanity. And I also don't snack between meals .... well if I only eat 1/2 cup then I eat more often but I don't graze like I used to. So I have to be eating alot less. I think I will take a walk and then a nap - now that the kids are all gone. Hubbys in front of the game so its a good time to walk.

and this is the barrel belly - I know its hard to believe but I'm actually sucking in.

ok this is for kay - my butt - not a shelf butt.....

hi everyone! Well the kids are gone - whew! Maybe life will get back to normal now. For those of you who don't know - when I say kids I'm talking college age kids. Its been busy this weekend, I didn't realize I haven't been on since like Thursday! I think I'm doing ok - seems the scale is stuck but I hope to get my fill in a week and then maybe things will start moving again - downward. I'm really trying to eat 1/2 cup, no Water for an hour after... all that jazz. But I feel like I eat more this way then when I was eating a cup at a time. I ate salad at lunch today - very little of the lettuce - I hope its ok. They said stay away from lettuce since it tends to ball up in side but I chewed very well and I feel ok now so we'll see. Kay - I was checking out the list - I put Shanksville - thats where I'm from but I had my surgery in Windber, PA. Just thought I'd tell ya, I guess it was my mistake.

I'm baaaaaaack! Wow you girls can talk! I had about 6 pages to read! Bk - tell me your story, I read everyones posts about adoption and went back to read your story and couldn't find it - pm it to me - please. I burp. Not alot but every now and then this LOUD burrrrrrrrrrrp comes out of the pit of my stomach on up through my band over the esphogus and out of my mouth telling the world it is free! Kids have been here all weekend - I guess to some you youngster they would be your peers. So I'm mom - made lasagna, cake, banana bread - all that shtuff. I had my first at 22 and now he's 22 and married and kids in college , kids in high school - its great not to have to worry about potty training. Now its just about weddings, and education, boyfriends and sex. Lets not go there. I haven't had time to check out the Dec. bandsters - but I'll go over and post. I hate to hurt feelings - (like I did with KarenAR) - but it was getting so confusing. And I kinda felt like we were going over the same stuff again and again, although if I were one of the later banded ones I would want to be where I could learn too. Just wondering why they didn't join in at the beginning tho. I've been doing my 10 minutes on the treadmill. I ate a very small amount of the lasagna - couldn't have salad - but I did eat a few olives and feta, onion with a little dressing. I miss salad. I go tues so maybe dr.dreamy will let me eat salad. I go on regular food then. I've been trying to eat 1/2 cup amounts but seems like I'm hungry all the time that way. When I was eating a cup it was sticking with me 3-4 hours. I'll be sooooo glad to get my fill! I gotta get a shower - get ready for church. My daughter and friend are doing service today. They are going on a missions trip to new orleans in March so trying to raise money. Its sad how we forget so soon. You know they still don't have water and still rebuilding - still need to be remembered. I love the reunion thing - money is usually an issue and doubt hubby will ever let me go to europe without him! But NYC is cool. Guess we have a while to think on that one! I'm a size 16 - almost a 14. I'm 5'3" and my first goal is 150 - been a long time since I saw that one and my ultimate goal is 130 - haven't seen that in 20 years! I wasn't fat until after I had #3 - she broke me. We were just talking about what we gained when we got pregnet and I gained 50 lbs with #1 and still only weighed 162 when I delivered - 143 when I went home! OMGoodness! To be there again! The last time I felt attractive, or comfortable at my weight was around 165 - so big change in the head! Rambling - shower - later!