Positive people unite! This thread is being created for the sole use of positive people to give positive reinforcement to others in the group that we care about. We know that we may disagree on some issues but we will offer constructive criticism, objective suggestions, we will always give kind support even when delivering the occasional (but necessary) kick in the pants.

Sorry for the abandonment but I am hopelessly addicted to a stupid game.

I just read 3 pages and tried to catch up.

Aside from the addiction to Farming, I am doing great. I'v been cutting the dogs walks a little short to get back to the farm. So, you aren't the only ones seeing less of me.

My farm is as big as it can get and there isn't a lot more challenge left in the game. So, hopefully the addiction will wane.

Dotty and Shammah rhymes with mama, I will add you on Facebook and send you the link to the others just in case you don't have them yet.

Stacie, your incident sounds just like mine last week in a japanese restaurant. I don't know about you but that is exactly why I got banded. I needed something to pull the reigns in when my eating got out of control.

Damn, I just lost the post I spent the last five minutes typing!

Welcome back to your long lost friends, Bob! We did miss you! Hey, sashimi would probably work well with a band- I has it last night and it was so good. I've never liked it before.

Bobbie, good luck with your interview! Way to go with your attitude, too!

This will be quick because I'm about to go on a hike in the desert and mountains of beautiful Tucson- I'm here visiting an old friend I used to backpack with all over this country and Europe in my younger fitter days. Actually, he's my ex-husband- we make much better friends than we did spouses.

I'll write more when I get a chance.

Went to the doctor's off yesterday for a fill. I thought I only gained 1.8 lbs but really gained 5 lbs. on my vacation. I ate a lot and ate a lot of bad foods so it was to be expected. I earned it...if ya know what I mean. Anyway, he kinda scolded me and I started to cry. I told him I started with an empty band and I know my weight loss hasn't be great but he really made me feel bad. So, he decides to draw allll the fluid out of my band to "check how much is really there". I thought I had 6.5 ccs. Come to find out I only have 5.4 ccs. So he gives me an additional .5 ccs and acts like this is a lot. I'm to go back every two weeks until I hit my sweet spot. I know he had my best interest at heart but has anyone else experienced this with their doctors? My doc keeps statistics and this may have something to do with what happened. If his patients gain weight then his stats go down.

Dottie,

I have to say this irritates me to no end. Doctors seem to forget that we pay them. I have never been shy about telling a Doctor, I am the customer, I pay you, that makes me the boss. I wouldn't care about "his" statistics at all. If you chose to lose 10 pounds a year for 5 years that is a success. This is your journey, this is your life, just because you hired him to implant a device in your body, I doubt you agreed to give him full control over how you use it, just so that he can have good statistics and sell more.

I am going to qualify this with the statement that obviously we don't want to gain 5 pounds on a regular basis, but I really don't think that is what we are discussing here. Don't get discouraged and just get back on track. Hugs.

You go Leigha!!!

I feel the same way about Doctors. They are technicians. Not gods... And remember that 50% of them graduated in the bottom half of their class!

Today, information is so readily available on the internet that most intelligent people can have access to a tremendous amount of information about their specific concern. Remember, a Doctor usually has to deal with 20 to 30 patients a day and deal with all their issues, You only have to deal with your issues and can spend all day researching. I believe this makes you an equal partner in your health care decisions. You also pay the bills. Would you allow a decorator to do whatever they wanted to your house, or a chef to send you whatever food they though you should have? Of course not, you pay the bills, you get final say.

That said, you cannot install your own Lap-band. For that, you need a technician. And a hospital with the right equipment. So you pay for that. Advice and guidance? YOu are as much a part of it as the Doctor, as you have to live your body, he or she only sees you once every 6 weeks or so.

I really try to use common sense and research over adhering to strict Doctor instructions. Fortunately, my Surgeon is rather pragmatic like I am, and we click. I was only on Liquids a week, mushies a week and then I eat whatever I want. He is happy with my 3.2 pounds a week weight loss, and I am happy he is not a dictator!!!

This board is a wealth of information, and most likely a lot of doctors do not have all the knowledge contained in the experiences of all the successful bansters here on the board.

Listen to you Doctor, of course. But you are allowed to question and use common sense on your body. It belongs to you. Not them.

Good luck to all of you!!!

TJ

Hey Everyone!!

I just have to share a NSV from this week.

We had a ham on Monday. Hubby cooked it, he did a GREAT job.

As I was making my plate (I took one of our larger plates, as I sometimes do, sometimes I use a smaller one to remind me to take smaller portions). I looked at my plate and it looked so sad and empty.

I muttered something about how I REALLY need to keep using the smaller plates. My hubby asked if I was piling it too high, as I usually do, bigger or smaller, it doesn't matter.

I said, "no, look at this thing, it is so pitiful looking, I actually put tiny portions on it, OUT OF HABIT THIS TIME!"

First time in 2 years and 2 months I have not had to THINK about my portion size, I just naturally put a small bit of each dish on my plate. :thumbup:

I asked the nurse at work today if she had time to take my pressure, she said yep, come on down.

So I popped on down, and she had the doctor in today (I work at a large air traffic control facility--he was doing physicals for the controllers). She asked if he would check me over. So he did.

He thinks it is related to my thyroid and that I need a full panel run. I don't have a thyroid as I had an overactive non-cancerous tumor several years ago. So, I already had an appt scheduled for Friday. I'll be sure to talk to him about this episode. I'd not be too upset if I had to up my metabolism a bit :mad:

I also gave the doc (he is an ER doc by trade) a little band education and let him feel my port. I told him he might see someone who was overfilled some time. He decided if he did he'd call and get advice about how to exactly access the port to withdraw fluid.

Bob! My goodness, HE LIVES! Glad to have you back!

Dottie: That totally sucks that you got treated that way. My goodness, you were on vacation. You are allowed to relax your vigilance! Plus you had less fill than he thought you did, so he can stick it up his nose!

But yes, they do keep stats and heaven forbid we skew them.

You know, I heard the doctor from the show Big Medicine on Sirius Radio one morning saying that he has lost faith in the band, and his sister has one. That was kind of off-putting to me. But, I already had mine, so I am going to work it.

Denise-Congrats on the NSV!

Bobbie-How did today go???

Dottie-Sorry your doc was a turd!

Bob-Welcome Back! FB is evil and very addicting and where you will find me most of the time...although I do not farm anymore...mostly Treasure Madness

Me-I am always on Facebook--Stacie Kudlac Pfender..I am sure I am the one and only :thumbup:.

I read somewhere on here (maybe this board) how you have alot of problems with finger foods. Call me crazy, but I am soooo much better with finger foods! I am a very visual person and I can take a teeny tiny bite if I don't look at it (aka the finger foods), but if I have to cut it up with a knife and fork it looks so lonely and I take too big of bites. When I am home, as caveman as it sounds, I don't cut my meat I pick it up with my hands and eat it if I can :sad:. I know I know---weirdo :mad:

I just got an email from my boss with a new exercise routine. I'm getting started on this one ASAP! LOL, it's a funny one I thought y'all might enjoy.

Here's a link:

YouTube - Ross sisters - Solid Potato Salad (VHS quality)

Denise, I'm glad you saw a doctor after what happened the other day. Thanks to all for your words of support. I am back on track now with my eating and was just spouting off about what my surgeon did. Still don't think it was right. But maybe I overreacted too. I am a very sensitive person and cry easily. Get my feelings hurt easily too. So maybe it was more me than him. It was just his approach that was a little mean. Besides that I have been very happy with everyone from his office and the support groups. Sorry about the fact that my text is all running together. No more paragraphs. I'm using this new browser and it runs the text altogether. Well have a great day everyone and thanks again for the support. I couldn't do this without you!!!!

I just got an email from my boss with a new exercise routine. I'm getting started on this one ASAP! LOL, it's a funny one I thought y'all might enjoy.

Here's a link:

YouTube - Ross sisters - Solid Potato Salad (VHS quality)

Wow! What a video! Almost creepy what these chicks can do!!! Too much!!!

HB--I was completely mesmerized by that video!

Hey all :-)

ok, heres what went on yesterday and today ...

I went to my "interview" and was given an application to fill out. Thats it. When I talked to the guy last Friday, He said they were opening up a full time position, and that he'd like me to come in and talk to him. Then yesterday, he says he's not sure there will be any openings now, but he should know in a week or two. So he gave me an application, talked to me for 5 minutes, and I was on my way. :smile2:

So today I went and applied for food stamps, and housing assistance. Neither sounds too promising yet, but will find out next week. I also won't receive any unemployment until April 23!! 2 people who got let go at the same time as me have already found jobs. GOOD jobs. I'm feeling totally useless right now. And a bit worthless. I rarely ever feel like this, but for some reason today the feeling is hitting me like a ton of bricks. I'm sure it will be better by the weekend or so, but today???? <heavy sigh>

Is everyone else doing ok today??

And HB???? HOLY CRAP!!!! LOL

I couldnt take my eyes off the video! I mean, I've seen some of the things they did before, but some of that defied gravity and the laws of human nature!! Especially all in one family - SHEESH!

Thanks! :-)

Hey all :-)

ok, heres what went on yesterday and today ...

I went to my "interview" and was given an application to fill out. Thats it. When I talked to the guy last Friday, He said they were opening up a full time position, and that he'd like me to come in and talk to him. Then yesterday, he says he's not sure there will be any openings now, but he should know in a week or two. :mad: So he gave me an application, talked to me for 5 minutes, and I was on my way.

So today I went and applied for food stamps, and housing assistance. Neither sounds too promising yet, but will find out next week. I also won't receive any unemployment until April 23!! 2 people who got let go at the same time as me have already found jobs. GOOD jobs. I'm feeling totally useless right now. And a bit worthless. I rarely ever feel like this, but for some reason today the feeling is hitting me like a ton of bricks. I'm sure it will be better by the weekend or so, but today???? <heavy sigh>

Is everyone else doing ok today??

((HUGS)) Bobbie. I'm sorry to hear the interview ended up not being an interview :smile2:. I can't imagine how you must feel right now. I just wanted you to know that you're in my prayers that you find something that's even better than your old co-workers and FAST! Hang in there, doll. And in the meantime, vent or cry all you want to us! We're here for you!!

Tanks for the Hugs !! :,-)

HB-That video is creepily beautiful lol! Is creepily a word??

Bobbie-Sorry to hear it didn't go quite as you had hoped. When a door shuts a window opens.

Me-I really need to vent so sorry..apologizing in advance..and I am not looking for sympathy. I just keep asking myself can I DO THIS?? I have eaten crap, not exercised like I should and I just can't seem to get myself on track. There is no motivation and willpower at the moment and it is honestly breaking my heart. I hate that food is where I turn to. My feelings just make me want to run to ice cream. I used to smoke...that was my escape. Quit that for food. Gained lots and lots of weight (so who knows maybe I would've been healthier a smoker!). I don't deal with stress and anxiety well. There is alot of stress & anxiety in my life right now and I just can't deal with it...and now I am feeling like a failure on top of it :smile2:. I have an appt with my PCP, but soonest I could get in on an evening is the 22nd. I don't know if there is anything he can give me for anxiety/depression that doesn't have weight gain as a side effect. Also seeing him because it seems my exercise induced asthma is in full swing again (which is not helping with the whole weight loss thing). GRRRR....Isn't there just a skinny/happy/life is perfect pill??