Come join us. We are bandsters without a local support group, and we're going to meet, say hi, and chat about possibly starting our own group.

We are meeting this Wednesday December 13 at 6:30 PM at Humble City Cafe near the SE corner of the intersection of 1960 and 59, on Main Street.

Let me know if you're coming and I'll make a reservation in the name of Bandsters.

Had a normal night last night and tonight. I've been on Soup and soft food, nothing spicy. Maybe the worst is over. I am going to cancel my unfill appt tomorrow at the surgicenter. Maybe I've turned a corner and at least can go easy for a couple of weeks and lose a few pounds. I'll need to decide if I can go to Charlotte for the weekend of 8/10 this way to my neice's wedding. If I don't eat I should be OK! I know how to do that because of my IBS I was used to not eating foods that would give me problems.

Hope everyone is doing well. I haven't been to Tai Chi or Curves this week. I'll start again next week and hope to be more devoted. Where are we going on Monday for dinner? No chinese and no tex mex. How about black eyed pea or somewhere that has good soup/salad choices. Even IHOP works for me. Remember I'll be in my black PJs so nothing where I have to look decent.

I haven't been to Black Eyed Pea for awhile. That, or anything, would be fine with me.

Another good place would be the Olive Garden. I can have soup and salad. Its good there. I'm fine with either place so someone decide.

I'm doing better and hopefully I'll continue. Ate a little more solid food today. Let's hope it continues.

Where is everybody? Hope all is doing well. I've had my moments, but most of the weekend I've done OK. I didn't go for an unfill so I'm still experimenting with this fill. I'll see how this week goes before I make up my mind.

Are we on for dinner Monday? Let me know if we are and where. I'm going to try and go to Tai Chi so meeting at 6:15 works for me.

Well, why don't we skip it tonight. I'm not in great health and dragging still, and everybody else seems to have flown the coop for this week.

For whenever everybody gets back, anybody want to try some upscale restaurants sometime? Maybe quarterly, go someplace fancy?

Bstsy sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. I think all of this rain makes us all feel down. I know it does with me.

As for as dinner anywhere anytime is good with me just let me know. I need a reason to get out of the house.

I like our dinner get togethers. It keeps it real for me. If we go out to a "fancy" place then I would want to go with DH. We could go on a Friday or Saturday night. There are several new restaurants in the area I would like to try, including the new ones on the water at W. Lake Houston.

I would like to go eat on a sat night sometimes so Michael could meet you guys. With him working nights sat would work great. It would be nice for me to put a face with your names for him.

I hope everyone is feeling better today. It is going to be a great one.

I'd like that too....a couples night....

Well, my health is crappy. My cracked back seems to have precipitated a Lupus attack, so I have to be on the heavy duty drugs that make me gain weight AND that weaken my bones...hence my cracked back. In addition, I possibly have some dead bone, which is not a good thing at all, but comes with the territory. So I hurt, I'm grossly fatigued, can't concentrate. So what to do...Road Trip!

I had cabin fever. So I offered to take my 90 year old mother down to Central Market in Houston to get fresh fish, which she loves. Now, mind you, I'm thinking I have JUST enough energy to accomplish this trip.

So we drove and shopped. On the way back, at 60 mph, a belt flew off my van and I had NO steering! Luckily the highway was straight. Well, having played dodge-em cars and having wrestled my car to the side of the road, I then got the car towed to a repair place. Now our concerns were 1. getting a working car back, and 2. what to do with all the fresh fish that needed to be kept cold. So the repair guys put our fish in the back side of their coke machine, and drove us back to Central Market to wait for them to fix the car. We were there for 5 hours. Me in my health, and my 90 year old mother in hers. Meanwhile, having had a near death experience and the threat of spoiled fish, we proceeded to giggle our way through the day like a couple of drunks. A thousand dollars to the repair guy later (!), we were back on the road and then back home. :-)

Whew Betsy you sure don't lack for excitement! I have a good laugh at your stories while feeling sympthay as well. Maybe its the way you tell the "bad" things.

I'm doing well this week. Back to able to eat way too much. I went to Tai Chi Monday and Wednesday. Yeah for me. Now I need to go to Curves a few times.

Hope everyone is doing better. Lana are you all moved? Suzanne how are you and the potassium count? Betsy I hope things even out for you soon.

Glad you got a kick out of it, Barbara. My life is usually so mundane. Nice to have a good story once in awhile.

Congrats on getting back to Tai Chi!

Hey girlies, I would just like to introduce myself in hope of getting to know you all better. I'm Dee McGallion, I live in Huffman with my wonderful husband David. I have been chasing the lap band surgery since early Dec. To make a long story longer I finally got approval from my insurance in June and promptly got a blood test that indicated an iron deficency. Whaaaaaaaaa, so for the last month I've had a colonoscopy and an endoscopy which both showed no problems. Tuesday I swallowed the camera pill (which will show the small intestines) and will get the results next week. Soooooooo, hopefully I will get a postive report and can get released from my PCP to go forward with my surgery in the next few weeks. Now having said all that, I am sometimes overwhelmed at how much I don't know about what to eat, how sugar effects your pouch, protein drinks and bars and on, and on, and on. So if anyone ever needed a support group, that would be me. I hope it's ok to jump on this bandwagon and ask some questions occasionally (or maybe a lot). While I know everyone is different, it's always good to hear things from those who have already had the experience. By the way my Dr. Is Michael Storey in Pasadena. He took out my gallbladder in 2002 so we already had a relationship and he was highly recommended by my PCP. Really looking forward to meeting you all soon.:confused:

Welcome Dee. Glad you found us. Two of our members live in Huffman. I live in Atascocita Shores and BikerGrammy lives off of 59. We have another one that lives in Crosby. We try to meet every two weeks at a nearby restaurant for conversation, support, and a little food. :confused:

Hope everything checks out and you can join us in bandland. Ask away. We'll try to answer questions as best we can. We all need support and help along the way.

Welcome to the journey! You've been persistent...a great sign for your future success with the band! I live in Huffman, not in The Commons...if you've been on the road that has lots of miniature horses, you've probably been by my place.

Do you know what your pre op diet will be? Will you stay in the hospital overnight or do the surgery as an outpatient? Do you have the instructions for your post op diet? Every doctor is a little different....

Maybe we can do an initial discussion about Protein drinks....

I started out with Muscle Milk because it tastes so amazingly good, but it was higher in carbs and calories. I now switch back and forth between Slim Fast Carb Control and EAS Carb Control. The EAS only has 110 calories, for, I think, 20 grams of protein.

I'm usually really restricted in the mornings, so I often have a shake for Breakfast. Sometimes I add a scoop of Any whey (100% protein, no carbs, 70 calories), some fresh and frozen fruits, my chewable Vitamin, my chewable Calcium, and ice and hit the blender. That way I've gotten my fruit, pills and much of my protein worries out of the way for the day.

I actually do have some guidelines and suggestions for the post op diet. Right now My concerns is with the pre op diet because I know I will be drinking some Protein drinks and I don't like milk or drinks made with milk. If there was no other way I'm sure I could choke it down but I've heard of nectar Protein powder that is flavored and there are those who recommend it for the taste (not milky but fruity). Just wondering if anyone has tried it.

I also do not live in The Commons, but not far away. I live in Huffman Hills. We moved up here about 4 years ago, at least it will be four in November. I don't know the road with the little horses I guess but it couldn't be far away. Huffman's just not that big. lol:)