Merry Meet,

My name is Tracy nickname Gretchen Noel and I am a very spritual pagan. I am 37 years old and the daughter of a Southern Baptist Minister. I live in a different state and my parents, though they know I'm different, do not know of my spiritual beliefs. I have been kitchen/nature witch since I was 25 and do not follow any certain path in particular, but gather differnt things from all faiths and make them my own. I and my husband, for the most part, are solitary (he follows the budda yogi path) but we do have a small 'family' that gathers 8 times a year for holidays.

I think all of our prayers,energies and spells all go to the same place and that no one religion or denomination is the 'correct' one, just that it takes different things for different people and situations.

I am being banded on Tuesday Feb 27th and I am both excited and anxious. I was a size 12 in jr. high and a size 14-18 through high school. I went through a date rape situation when I was 19 and ballooned up to 240. I have been over 200 since I was 19, over 250 for about 12 yrs and over 300 for about 6 years.

I 1st attempted to have this very procedure four years ago but I had health spring and was denied without any hope of an appeal. Last year my company started offering BCBS along with health spring. I didn't change anything, then I found out last fall that there were 6 other people in the company that had switched to BCBS and sucessfully had the procedure SO, I switched this year and as you will see in my signature.. was approved!:clap2:

I am so excited about what lays ahead for myself and my husband. I LOVE to be outdoors and being my size is REALLY a hinderance.

I look forward to hearing from others of alternative faiths or, No faith in particular.

I have created a poll, thought it would be fun. I know there is NO WAY I have remembered all of the different paths so if yours isn't listed..VERY SORRY. Example.. right after I created the poll, I realised I left of NORSE. ANYwho, I'll add it if you ask me to assuming I can figure out how to make changes to the poll. I'm kind of technically challenged.

Blessed Be,

Tracy/Gretchen Noel

I don't know what it is out Sundays but I am having another fabulous day. I am moving around BETTER than I was pre op. I topped out at 339 in January and am at 319 and holding. I don't expect to lose anymore until after my 1st fill.

It's another GORGEOUS day out, got the sage burning, all the windows open and I am.. get this.. CLEANING! I'm also going to do a batch of tie dye this afternoon... feeling creative. It'll will take me about 3-4 days to finish this batch but it's nice to be in the biz again. Doing some shirts and undies for my in-laws that are going to Disney for their spring break. I made a big ole pitcher of Green Tea and I've got my ABBA gold album blasting.

It's so nice to feel good and optimistic about my future. YAY!

I still have the weird numb/pain on the surface of my tummy but it's tolerable.

Todd(DH) is having outpatient surgery for his deviated septum one month to the day of my surgery and I know that by then I'll really be feeling great.

I think I may even dye some eggs on Tuesday (Ostara holiday for me) I did this last year using all natural dye stuff. I boiled all kinds of stuff experimenting like spinich, coffee, tea, blackberries, strawberries and then I used cheese cloth and wrapped different plant leaves like carrot tops, rosemary and lavendar and they came out REALLY neat. I think my favs were the blackberry and tea ones.

I have found that post op my meat preference to be fish.

Well, I'm just rambling now.

Later

Tracy

tie die is fun. I have some tie die type tights I am rather fond of and some other really bright ones I got from www.welovecolors.com they really pop with a black dress or denin skirt or anything actually... nice for the end of winter, beginning of spring. Thats one thing I am looking forward to as I lose weight-- more stockings and stuff available to wear. I want some good thigh high fish nets. Of course that means I should get a garter belt too as we all know that thigh highs can be a pain without one...

My adventures for the day include getting dressed and then going to the walk in clinic so someone can test my urine and get me on an antibiotic. Fun times here... And then telling my DH he needs to clean some stuff. I opened my cymbalta into a pudding today (the lowest sugar and fat kind) and I feel decadent eating it... Who wouldn've thought...

:cry well, I visited the website.. v. pretty website, but i'm so frickin HUGE that I'd have to lose 130 lbs just to order her largest size:cry Her large tights are listed for max 180 lbs

I'll visit next year I guess....sigh

they come in plus sizes... I wear their 3X. http://www.welovecolors.com/Shop/Tights.htm

Plus size is for their colored solid, color splash and metalic splash only though.

Its one of the categories near the bottom of the page.

Hey Laurend,

Well, Yesterday we did it. We went out there and my DH uncovered and bagged/boxed up Peaches. He is resting on the family farm now.

Thanks

Tracy

That's great!

OOOOO Thanks!

Tracy

they come in plus sizes... I wear their 3X. http://www.welovecolors.com/Shop/Tights.htm

Plus size is for their colored solid, color splash and metalic splash only though.

Its one of the categories near the bottom of the page.

I just placed an order with them for a pair of tights and some knee socks. I can't WAIT for them to come in!!!!

T

Isn't your banding tomorrow??? My thoughts are with you.. I know you must be excited and anxious all at once!. Kyethra, sorry you are having a rough time of it.

Tracy

first of all....happy ostara to those that celebrate (and happy tuesday to those that don't :nervous)

and second.....i'm in bandlandia!!!!!!!!!!

i was banded yesterday in port huron by dr mc-do-me (he is yummy) and all went well. I am having trouble today, though, knowing when i am full. i don't want to eat too much and too quickly and suffer, but i don't want to starve either.

i also can drink more than an ounce at a time. is this something you did, too? those tiny 1 oz cups are making me batty!:welldoneclap:

i am soo forward to this journey!

bless goddess for helping me through the surgery and giving me the strength to do this.

demme

HOORAH HOORAH! What a fabu way to start the SPRING!

I never had trouble drinking not even the day of...

T

first of all....happy ostara to those that celebrate (and happy tuesday to those that don't :nervous)

and second.....i'm in bandlandia!!!!!!!!!!

i was banded yesterday in port huron by dr mc-do-me (he is yummy) and all went well. I am having trouble today, though, knowing when i am full. i don't want to eat too much and too quickly and suffer, but i don't want to starve either.

i also can drink more than an ounce at a time. is this something you did, too? those tiny 1 oz cups are making me batty!:welldoneclap:

i am soo forward to this journey!

bless goddess for helping me through the surgery and giving me the strength to do this.

demme

Congrats on your band demme!!! and I had to laugh at dr-mc-do-me!!! LOL

Lilnena... surgery was today... How are you????

xo

T

Well my surgery was the first day of spring. I was supposed to come home Thursday but wasn't cleared to drink liquids until after noon. They finally brought me fluids around 1:30 which is when I found out I could only drink about 2-3 oz at a time, and then found out I couldn't leave until after I was able to keep down 32 oz of water. I wasn't able to do that Thurs before 7PM so I stayed an extra night!

The pain has been a lot more intense than I originally expected. My port site was the most painful up until last night. As of last night the incisions all have toughened up and don't feel as tender, but I think I overdid it last night with taking a walk at Walmart

I'm having an intense pain on my right side about 3 inches from my belly button incision and about 5 inches down from my port site. I called the surgeon's office and spoke with the on-call doctor who believes it is perfectly normal to have the areas of pain change as I get more mobile and do more, so he wants me to go back to taking 2 percocet every 4-6 hours instead of 1 like I have been doing.

I'll see how that goes tonight.

I also have found that there is NO WAY I can sleep in my bed. After 2 days of it, and having to get up every 3-4 hrs to urinate, I need to stay in my chair with the recliner which I find easier to deal with.

I also am unable to bend around to wipe myself without excruciating pain, so my wonderful husband is helping me out in that regard. Nothing shows true love like your husband being willing to wipe your butt for you :roflol:

Ok, I think I've had enough sitting up for now, so here is my story so far

I also am unable to bend around to wipe myself without excruciating pain, so my wonderful husband is helping me out in that regard. Nothing shows true love like your husband being willing to wipe your butt for you :roflol:

You know, I remember someone who used to be a member here recommending tongs as something to have on your list of items available after surgery. When I asked why, it was specifically for the problem you mentioned above, although I am not sure how they would help. Fortunately, or actually unfortunately as it turned out, that was not a problem for me because I was major constipated for 3 weeks before anything finally "moved". Oh, and you have an awesome husband!!!

It was a week before I had a bm and I was slightly constipated but no problem. Then a few days after that my butt exploded LOL. I pooped my pants, honestly. Can't remember the last time I did that... I was sitting and watching tv and then I was sprinting to the bathroom. I cleaned the damp area of the upholstry with my turbo bot and its fine. And I took immodium and that took care of me.

In a completely unrelated topic, I got a new microderm abrasion system. Its Water resistant so I can use it in the shower. I use it all over and I pay special attention to my breasts and my thights and my but and my upper arms and I will do my tummy once the incisions and the blisters are more healed. And its kind of funny. As I massage those areas with it I give my body a pep talk. I tell it you are young and firm and elastic. I remind my skin that it wants to shrink with me. I figure it won't hurt. And my breasts were super smooth afterward :bolt: And I also have some firming lotion. I also hear Vitamin E is supposed help and retinal A. I already have loose crepe like skin on my upper arms so I figure that area might be a losing battle and my nipples get closer to my waist every day, but I figure its important to try and do some damage control here.

I'm healing pretty well. I have class this friday and I feel like I can handle work this weekend (for me it involves sitting and talking, but sitting can be difficult). I swear I have weak butt muscles or need a special pad or something because if I sit in my office chair for just a while my butt starts to hurt. If I sit too long I get knots! In my Butt! When this problem occured I do not know. But I feel its pretty funny although slightly tragic because it is rather uncomfortable. I also wanted to make sure my surgical pain was gone before I tried to work so I could focus on work and not be distracted.

I think this comming weekend I have my women's group meeting again. I think our topic is Herbs. I'm going to bring some of my ginger altoids. I love the things. They are good for me when I go to grocery stores and get innudated with food that all looks good. They are strong flavored and I love ginger. And ginger is good for the tummy unlike mint, so they are a happy thing for me to have on my weight loss journey (I'm a huge fan of ginger in its various forms).

I woud like to be able to take my NSAID again, but I know it is too soon. I can take my opoid, but thats stronger than I need (I have fibro) on a regular basis and I hate to build up a tolerance. But I have these stretches and stuff I am supposed to do that my podiatrist gave me for my high arches cause they hurt when I walk but the stretchs give me cramps and stuff and I'm supposed to use a NSAID or something while I do them and get used the new arch support and it really is painful adjusting but it is supposed to help more long term... we'll see. That is all that is new here. I'm just glad it is spring like outside. I need DH to make me an alter.