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.

Checking in everyone. Went for a fill this morning and asked the doc to check out my pouch, since it was under fluoro. He said everything is fine and said I could stand a tiny tweak, so he ended up giving me about .4 ccs. Hopefully this is the one! We'll see!

I'm on the way to the other hospital now to get the additional mammo done as a follow up to what they found two weeks ago. Prayers, guys! I'll follow up when I get home later (and need to catch up on everyone again LOL).

--K xo

I'm almost done with Day 9 of 14 pre-op OptiFast, and I have all things complete re: blood work and tests and seeing doctors. The next time I see my surgeon will be in surgery next Wednesday! I'm HUNGRY, did I say I'm HUNGRY? Where's Betsy's dog, mine's too small????

I shall manage I shall manage I shall manage, yes I will...

Wow, Leigha, I hope your stress lets up soon. It's so hard having to come down on people.

Karen, I send hopes your way for the magic fill and a clear mammogram.

Katie, good luck with soft foods. What I would give to be in your place right now!

Lee Anne, you have the right attitude, and I'm sure you're going to be very successful!

Cristl- Here's to the magic fill for you!

Edited May 21, 201016 yr by AnneGG

Okay, so stress is the general theme for all of us right now. I've had to join the party and start meds (lexapro)...I wasn't sleeping and was essentially obsessing about my "issue" day and night. The lexapro is definitely helping but I just want "the issue" to go away so I can get back to being in control of my life....::

Anyway, there is a definite connection between my period and how tight I am. I've spent the last 3 days living off liquids in the am. and mushies in the p.m. with essentially no solids then wham, today "she" showed up (about 5 days early to my surprise) so, weird, would have never expected hormones to have such an impact but apparently, for me at least, they do. I realized today that in the 2 months since my third fill I've lost 25 pounds, that averages out to 3 pounds a week. I knew I was losing significantly but the math just astounds me! Six pounds to go before I hit the half way mark and start the down hill slide! WOOHOO!!!

Hope you're all doing well and the stress just magically goes away for all of us!

Katie, Don't be scared to eat, it will be fine. Just remember even if you don't have restriction, pretend you do. Only eat small portions, cut everything up into very small pieces and chew, chew, chew. The sooner you learn these habits the better it will be. I relied on cottage cheese a lot during that stage. (Make sure thats on your Dr's list first)

Shammah--Don't get me started on the sad state of our education finance situation in this country, we would have to move to the rants forum for that my liberal side gets really bristly when I think of how we treat our educators. My stepson is a teacher and my other stepsons wife is a principal and between the budget cuts and the assorted BS I don't know how y'all do it.

Crystl--I hope your situation resolves itself soon. Stress sucks.

Today is going to be one of the worst days I have had in a while. I do 2 things to support myself, I have rent houses and I have a small car lot where we sell cars but we also have a rent to own program for people who can not get financed.

Well I have a young couple in one of my rent houses who started the month with a hot check, then it was I will pay you tomorrow, 2 more days, my bank account is messed up my husband gets paid Friday and so on until yesterday when I finally said no more, then the girl tells me that her husband moved out, she has no job, no car, her family lives 2 states away, and she has 4 kids under 5 years old, no money and has nowhere to go. And today I have to go and give her the eviction papers. I cant afford to let her live there free, I still have to pay the house payment, taxes, and insurance. I cant support me and her too. :cursing:

Then I have a girl in one of my cars who's insurance is due to cancel today, because of the way the cars are titled if she is in a wreck and someone is hurt they can sue her and us so insurance is vital. I could literally lose everything if someone is driving one of my cars without coverage. I have been calling her all week and she wont return my calls so I have a feeling that she isn't going to pay so if not I have to go and pick up her car tonight. I like what I do because in East Texas there is no public transportation and we help people who have no other options on getting a car but when it comes down to this it really sucks. :mad2:

So basically I have to be an ogre today.

OMG Leigha--how are you holding up? I can't even imagine, girl! We rent out another house too and luckily my mom is in there now, which isn't always the best scenario, but at least I know I am going to get my rent. I'm so sorry you have to de" with this. TRULY every landlord's nightmare. Please let me know how you managed today. I'm thinking of you.

What are we all in sympathy stress mode or something? I was up half the night last night too! The up side is that I got to see the replay of Oprah and caught my man Bret Michaels on lol. Guess I was worried about today.

I think this fill may be the one. I won't be able to tell for sure until Sunday when I go to soft foods (liquids until then blech). Mammo results are NORMAL!!! Yeah I'm okay! Thanks for all your positive thoughts and prayers! Deep down I knew I was okay but there is always that part of me that says, "you never think it will happen to you".

Yay, Karen!!!! Very happy for the news!

Leigha, no fun, I feel for you, wah. I hope everything goes ok.

I am home and back to work, blah. And I am still a quart low, BP rarely over 100. What fun, but Sedona was beautiful!!

Anne, keep up the good work, you are getting closer!!!!

Well I did what I had to do yesterday and I was reminded of something that I always struggle with. "Not everyone thinks like you do". I always react to these situations as "OMG what if I had to move or someone came and got my car" but people are not all the same. When I went to give the girl who lives in my house the eviction paperwork, she was like "oh thats OK I am moving in with my mother in law and she will help me with the kids and it will be a better situation anyway" So I was more stressed about it than she was.

Denise-- I'm glad you had a good trip. Wouldn't it be nice if you could just have some salt, sounds like it would work, if you have high BP cut down on salt if its low, have some.

Karen-- Whew! Boy thats a load off your mind isn't it? I'm so glad for you. I hope this fill is the one for you, remember to be patient, it took 10 days for my last one to "kick in" but after it did its perfect (Knock on wood)

Christie--WTG on the 3 pounds a week! When you get halfway are we going to get some new pics? We should just have an online party when we are all up during the night, I hope the Lexipro helps. Not sleeping sucks.

Anne-- 5 days to go. You can do it. I had to tell myself during that time that I can be hungry now if it will make the future better and it did. I get hungry now but now it goes away when I eat, before I was banded I was hungry 24/7.

Well I guess I am going to go back to bed now and try to sleep some more. I have to run day 3 of week 3 on C25K tomorrow morning before I go to work. I am doing pretty well with it, I just wish it burned more calories! Maybe when I get further into it and I am mostly running it will. Oh that reminds me of something, did y'all see the new studies on high intensity interval training? (I think that is what its called) I will find it and post it later today.

Leigha, I'm glad that your situation unfolded nicely--that must've been nerve-wracking.

I bet the young woman DID think like you---she was just fortunate to have found a good solution. Until she did, though, I am sure she was thrown for a loop.

Katie, you say

Ultimately I am a rule follower and so it shall be.

Hooray! This means you'll have great success!

I had fill #4 on Wednesday--not terribly dramatic, but more restriction, it seems. I was down 13 from my last visit, and 45 total (now 46.6)...doctor and I both were really pleased.

Now I have to get ready for a dinner party for 20 tomorrow---fun!

It sounds like everyone's situations are working out well ! It's so hard to keep the stress level down when things happen that we feel no control over for awhile.

I have an SV! I have lost 90 ! That last .1 fill has helped. It is strange how just a little drop can make a difference.

Hey, everybody! I've been quiet, because there's not much to report on my end. I got my fourth fill yesterday, 1cc, and am now at 6 ccs total. The surgeon and nurse were talking about how much to give me, a whole or a half, and they said, "Ah, it's Thursday, give her a whole." Then they laughed and said, "If it were Friday, you'd get a half." I replied, "Yah, the service station is closed for the weekend!" Ah, Lap-Band humor.

I'm still flirting with the same two pounds. It's aggravating, but slow and steady wins the race, this I know. I told my doctor I don't want to rush things, I'd like to slowly sneak up on the green zone, and he said, "That's why you're going to win this battle." I'm sure they get a lot of folks who push, push, push for quick and voluminous fills. I'm happy to take what they tell me every four weeks. They're the experts here, I'm just one patient. They definitely listen to what I'm saying and make judgments accordingly, so I'm pleased to have 6 ccs after 4 months post-op.

Oh, and did anyone see Grey's last night?!?! OMDog!

Good Morning!!

It sounds like everyone is doing allright today :-) I can't believe that for the first time in a long time, I'm NOT the one stressed beyond belief ! Not that I'd wish it on anyone, but it's been kind of nice. i'm just sorry you all are going thru it this week. Maybe next week will be amazing for all of us !!! :-)

I still suck as far as my "diet" habits go, but at least I'm not gaining... I'm not sure why, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around things again. I need to kick start myself, and get in the right mindset, but I just can't. not sure why ??????????

Work is going SOOOOO well !! I just LOVE it here . the people are awesome :-) and we're only a group of 6 !

Have a great weekend, and I'll be checking in on and off ...

Bobbie, that is GREAT news about your job! I'm so happy for you

Update ! 91 pounds! It took 91 pounds before my husband (together 24 years in June) said something! All these months we have talked about things like what I can or can't eat and stuff like that, but not one word from him about how I look or my size ...... nothing about noticing the weightloss.

Last night he said, "Are you going to dwindle away to nothing? One of these nights I'm going to roll over and put my arm around you and Poof! you'll be gone." Awww, aren't those just the sweetest words you've ever heard.....lol.

I said, "I wasn't sure you really noticed because you never say anything." He said, "Oh, I notice."

Crystl, that is simultaneously sweet and infuriating! LOL

Mark's not big on stating his observations, either---so I can relate. This was both good and bad as I was gaining weight--he never commented, even once, about my weight. I guess I should have expected much the same going down, though he does surprise me with a compliment now and then.

You have done an ASTOUNDING job!

Thanks Betsy.

I was pissed for a few months, but told myself not to blow up when he finally said something. He really is the best man in the world in my eyes, but geeez dude, tell me I look thinner, tell me I look hot!, tell me I look better...... something! I think I kept my cool well.

Crystl, you did better than I could not asking him for feedback. Husbands are mysterious characters, they are. 91 Pounds!!! Good for you!