Hi everyone--I thought I'd listen to some advice from one of the other monthly groups and start one master thread in which we have an ongoing discussion/updates. I don't know about you all but I certainly spend most of my time on these boards on the pre-op forum and the general forum, not here. It would be nice to have just one thread to go to once in this forum.

We can maybe start out with introductions?

As for me, I'm going the "online privacy" route for now (paranoid that people I haven't told about this will somehow stumble across me on this site I guess, which is crazy, I know) but I can give you the big picture:

You can call me Penny, I'm 27, single and live in the Washington, DC area. I have a background in politics (which is why I live in DC) but now I'm a librarian which is much cooler and way more fun (trust me on that). Oh, and there's no "Marion the Librarian" thing with me either. One of the things I hear most frequently (besides the cliche "you have such a pretty face") is "but you don't LOOK like a librarian", which is another one of those bizarre backhanded compliments that you never really know how to take.

Personality wise, I'm kind of dorky, big into public radio and books and popular science. Oh, I'm also a little on the paranoid side (as you may be able to tell from earlier in this post). Beyond that I'm just kind of silly and friendly, VERY much so into traveling and I'm an aspiring "green" domestic diva (but that's not going so well).

Congrats to the ladies with losses this week! I am not due to weigh till Wednesday, so we shall see:-)

hi, I'm joining in, banded 7/24, I get so caught up in the post op thread... I forget to visit, gosh everyone is doing so great! Were awesome! :thumbup:

I'm down 13 lBS since I got banded... Kinda down I didn't lose any weight at all this week, I try to Remeber the first few weeks is about healing...

Well just wanted to stop by and say hello, keep up the good work!

CONGRATULATIONS! Doesn't it feel great!!! :thumbup:

Absolutly! I haven't been doing to terribly bad on the eating thing, keeping it semi inbounds. But I know the majority of the weight this week was due to moving the lawn with the push mower while the hubs was out of town LOL. Good incentive to start this week though!

You know when I went to the Pysc. eval. she had the most awesome excercise routine. She picked 3 days a week that it didn't matter what or where she doing or was at that she knew she had to get thirty minutes in. So for instance if her days were Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Then Tuesday she found she was out of town and in a hotel, she knew that that was one of her had-to-do days, so she would walk around the hotel, or climb the stairs, just be consistly active for thirty minutes. It really dosen't matter what you do, as long as you move. Then when you get your three manditory days in throw in a day that you find to be convenient at that time. Like shopping at the mall on saturday (hello AC) But with the mall you can't stop to shop during the 30.

The thing is finding those 3 days a week where you know you are usually able to exercise. Like I can't on Wed. Because of a full day then Church in the evening. But overall it works for me cause I am a great excuse maker of why I can't excercise today.

Just thought I would share and maybe help some others like me out there!!

Hope you all start the week with strong minds and lets do GREAT! TOGETHER!

Michele:smile2:

Testing the ticker

Hi all!! I turned 41 on July 1st and was banded on July 2nd. I am 5'7" and at the time of my surgery I was at my highest weight of 280. I am a single mother of a 7 year old son. My insurance paid for everything so the surgery did not cost me a dime. The day of my surgery I was in pain but went home the same day. I was banded in New York. It has been almost 6 weeks and now I feel good. I have occasional discomfort still where the port is. I needed a good 3-4 weeks until I felt back to normal. It was a slow recovery for me. I had my first fill 2 weeks ago and it was uneventful. I did not feel a thing. I have lost about 30 pounds in 6 weeks but there have been a few weeks when I lost nothing so dont be discouraged. Some weeks are great and others nothing. I take a multivitamin and calcium everyday and eat a lot of protein. I do not exercise because i hate exercise. If there is anything you want to know just ask. Hope I can help.

30 pounds is fantastic! Congratulations!

Orea

Orea - I had to smile when you talked about your hairstyle change. I'm gray and I'm trying to convince myself to color my hair, but I'm petrified. In some ways that change is harder than having surgery (lol)!

Yes, it does take courage. But I must admit I look lots better (and years younger) with my old warmer hair color back and the gray (which was mostly right in front!) gone. If we were neighbors, I'd come with you for moral support. I asked my visiting sister to come with me for the first big haircut. :-) If you can do surgery, you can do this!

Orea

Thought it would be good to try motivate each other to reach some goals. I have started a new thread HERE for us to log these goals.

We need each other no matter what part of the world we´re from we´re all fighting the same flab war.

So I finally get to start "soft" foods on Friday! yippee!!

Do you guys have any suggestions? I like the idea of scrambled eggs (but I will be sure to stay away from the bacon!)

Let me know some good ideas! I'm open to trying anything!

PDX, it may not sound that good but this is what i look forward to these days:refried beans w/lowfat cheese and lowfat sour cream on top, i can only eat less then 1/2 a cup, but it keeps me full for awhile. I also like crabcakes w/o the breading, i bake them in the oven and just pick them up carefully. jimmy dean cheese omlet 4oz. good luck

laurst2, glad to have you join us not so good on the exercise myself but i'm trying. i'll be glad when i can go back to curves, somehow that just doesn't seem as bad once i finely get through the door.

Hi All,

I just came back from my first fill and was wondering if anyone had any of these things happen. The Nurse Practioner tried to find my port with the needle and instead hit a pocket of fluid. She tried three times. She had me stand up and lay down. Finally she called the Dr. in. He said it was just healing fluid and drew off a couple of syringes full. Nothing to worry about.

My port was actually to the left and higher up. It took him one try and he put 7cc's in an empty 14cc band. Can you feel the fill going into the band? I felt sort of a vibration I guess you would call it. The water they had me drink went down okay, but gurgled some. Is all this normal?

Thanks!

PDX, it may not sound that good but this is what i look forward to these days:refried beans w/lowfat cheese and lowfat sour cream on top, i can only eat less then 1/2 a cup, but it keeps me full for awhile. I also like crabcakes w/o the breading, i bake them in the oven and just pick them up carefully. jimmy dean cheese omlet 4oz. good luck

I put enchalada sauce and sour cream on my refried beans. I've also mixed a little refried beans, Boca crumbles, enchalada sauce and topped it with a dab of salsa and sour cream. Tastes like chili. Boca crumbles are great, 13 grams of protein for 1/2 cup of crumbles (when cooked it turns into 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup.)

canned chicken mashed with a fork and mixed with Tostito's Creamy Spinach Dip...yum!