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'm not sure if i should be worried or not... i have a weird rash over most of my body - arms, upper legs, chest (including the girls!!!!), neck and stomach. its of little tiny red dots and some of them itch. i know it can't be anything i'm eating because i'm NOT EATING ANYTHING. (LOL) i use the same EVERYTHING - detergent, lotion, body wash. if it gets worse i'm going to the doctor tomorrow... :cry

anyone have any ideas? :help:

Are you drinking plenty of water?

You need to drink enough water until your urine is clear.

If you need an interim treatment steep some colloidal oatmeal and either add it to a bath (making sure you get the surface oils in the water) or rub the surface water over the affected areas. The oils released from colloidal oatmeal work wonders (Aveeno products use this, so you could also buy their treatments if you can't find the oats). At the very least perhaps something like witch hazel, hydrocortizone cream, or calamine can give you some temporary relief.

Caladryl is also great. It is Calamine lotion and Benedryl.

I would go to the doc just in case. It's amazing what can be contracted in a department store or grocery store. I normally don't think about all the germs coating everything but I do know they are there, most of the time harmless but I would go to the doc. In the meantime all the above lotions are great. We use Aveeno in our house. And oatmeal really does work!

My name is Derick, I am a practicing Classical Deist :girl_hug:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism#Deism_today

is it monday? i think it has been all week. i feel like i'm in that groundhog day movie. LOL. :embarassed: :paranoid

i think i figured out why i am so.damn.hungry. i'm not getting enough protein. d'oh! so i upped my protein and my calories and so far, no gnawing hunger! hoorah! :high5:

i was going through my paperwork from the doctor and it doesn't say when i can go to the gym. all it says is no crunches or abdominal exercises for 3 months. huh.

how is everyone doing?!! :dance:

I was told I can only walk for the first month, then I can start weights and whatever else...so I dunno, every doctor has different ways anyway. :girl_hug: I went to the gym last night, but only walked on the treadmill....embarasingly slow...lol. :cake:

I was told I can only walk for the first month, then I can start weights and whatever else...so I dunno, every doctor has different ways anyway. I went to the gym last night, but only walked on the treadmill....embarasingly slow...lol. :woot:

My doctor said "no weights for 6 to 8 weeks", but that I could walk as much as I want and as fast as I want (not power walking), but no jogging.

My surgeon said walking was good and encouraged but no strenuous exercise for the first 4 weeks and no concentrated ab work for 3 months (until the port healed and was snuggly attached to the abdominal wall).

The day I hit 4 weeks I was at the gym and tried to do ab work and about died and thought I felt the port pull away. I think the wait on the ab's thing was said for a reason;)

thanks for the suggestions!!! this is why i love this site!!!

i've been slathering on the oatmeal hypoallergenic lotion and haven't been using the body wash on the rash areas, just in case. i was going to go to the doc today if it was worse... but it looks like it is slowly fading away.

and i DO need to drink more water. crazy thing is, before banding, i was a water-a-holic. my car is littered with empty bottles. LOL. but since banding, i just don't feel like drinking. i'm at about half of what i should be. :paranoid

anyhow, thanks again!!!

I took the one pill that is pink that you take by mouth on Tuesday but the symptoms where already there. Trust me I have learned my lesson. If any one prescripbes antibiotics I will tell them I need soemthing to prevent yeast from taking over.

thanks

Tracy

I never took any antibiotics for banding, but you need to call your physician ASAP. They have one single pill that could have prevented this.

Welcome Derick. When were you banded? How are you doing? I love that you included a link for Deism.

Tracy

My name is Derick, I am a practicing Classical Deist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism#Deism_today

Was banded on Feb. 19th by Dr. Tersigni in Coos Bay Oregon. Thanks I get tired of people asking me what Deism is so I have gotten in the habit of including a link with all info.

I took the one pill that is pink that you take by mouth on Tuesday but the symptoms where already there. Trust me I have learned my lesson. If any one prescripbes antibiotics I will tell them I need soemthing to prevent yeast from taking over.

thanks

Tracy

Whenever I take antibiotics, I eat a couple of yogarts (with active cultures) each day. I eat the no sugar added, fat-free kind.

Good Morning Everyone,

I have been away from my computer all week. I work in the development department of a non-profit agency that takes care of abused, abandoned and neglected kids. We are having our annual charity golf tournament on Monday, so this past week has been major hectic for me. This is the first chance I have had to get on the computer.

I have fallen off the wagon a bit. My weight loss has stalled a bit too. Entirely my fault though, between work and my father's health problems, I have allowed myself to fall into some old habits of eating junk to feel better. But, I am determined to get back on track, and get back on lapband talk because everyone here really does motivate me. I am off to the grocery store now to buy some healty food to help me get going again.

Talk to everyone soon!

4 days until i can eat real food. not that i'm counting or anything. :heh:

can i tell ya'll a secret? i'm SCARED to go back on solids. i'm afraid of chewing and swallowing. i'm afraid of pbing, slipping the band, sliming, all that stuff. i'm terrified i'll gain the weight back! as much as this liquid phase is driving me UP THE WALL, it's becomming my security blanket.

*sighs*

anyhow, i got a call from the pug rescue that i am involved with and they are getting in a 3yr old girl and i get first dibs! *wiggles* my furbaby might be getting a sister! this really thrills me to no end. :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1:

happy saturday to all you in bandland (or almost in bandland!!!)

I understand where you are coming from, after being on liquids for so long the idea of going back to solid food can be scary. Just remember that it will be a learning process. When I first went to solids, someone on here told me a good way to learn the right size bite to take was to use baby utensils. I did that for a couple of weeks and it really did help. As long as you are careful and follow the standard bandster rules, chew chew chew and wait between bites for a minute to make sure everything is going down ok, you should be fine.

You are getting a pug, that is awesome! I think they are so cute. I have been wanting one for a long time, but we already have a chocolate lab and a long-haired doxy, so hubby says no more pets right now. But, I think my next pet may very well be a pug, I love their little squishy faces!