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).

OK ladies, come on in. It's called July Butterflies. Click on the Chat Rooms link, once there, click on the down arrow button at the top of the tab next to the tab labeled rooms. You will see our room which you can then click to enter.

For some reason clicking doesn't let me enter. Grrr.

Orea, coming on?

click on the tab that has the room name on it and it will bring a drop down box and you will see our room on there

For some reason clicking doesn't let me enter. Grrr.

You must have been close because a window came up with your name on it while we were talking.....try again tomorrow. Missed ya!

I'll try again. I've never had this problem before.

Orea, I sent you a PM with my phone number. Call me and we'll do it together so you can be ready the next time we meet online.

Let me know if you decide to try one in the evening. I work weekdays and go to night school Tues & Thurs until 10pm. But most other nichts I am open after 7pm central time. I would love to chat!

Let's add 8:00 PM Monday nights.

I finally broke 195! Even if only by 1/2 pound. My goal this month is to break 190.

I finally broke 195! Even if only by 1/2 pound. My goal this month is to break 190.

WHOOHOO!.....YOU GO GIRL!:thumbup::thumbup:

Thanks, Charlene.

I had one hell of a drive home today. I left the office at 5:00 (work in the Galleria area) and I didn't get home until 9:00. I live in Fall Creek (a new subdivision located a Beltway 8 and 59 North). All the exit ramps were flooded, I had to wait it out in parking lots. I was very stressed out which may be why my band feels so retricted. I was soooooo hungry when I got home but I couldn't eat anything comfortably, not even mush. Even liquid is pausing before going down. I had a .5 cc fill yesterday so maybe it's finally kicking in or maybe it's the fill AND the stress. Anyway, I wanted more restriction and I have it but I want to be able to eat, too.

Well, maybe I'll lose another couple of pounds this week.

I'm having such terrible acidy stomach problems. I don't have reflux, but I have extremely overactive acid pumps and I've had so much stomach pain in the last two weeks; I think I'm going to ask if I can have an unfill today to maybe help facilitate some healing. I have mixed feelings because I don't yet have restriction and was hoping that I'd feel some with my next fill. On the other hand I don't have restriction now and I'm losing at a comfortable rate so taking the fluid out of my band wouldn't change much.

I am taking a quadruple dose of Prilosec and have felt no improvement. I hope that the doctor has some kind of solution that can control this ongoing problem. I've always had an overly acid stomach, but I've never felt so much discomfort.

Thanks, Charlene.

I had one hell of a drive home today. I left the office at 5:00 (work in the Galleria area) and I didn't get home until 9:00. I live in Fall Creek (a new subdivision located a Beltway 8 and 59 North). All the exit ramps were flooded, I had to wait it out in parking lots. I was very stressed out which may be why my band feels so retricted. I was soooooo hungry when I got home but I couldn't eat anything comfortably, not even mush. Even liquid is pausing before going down. I had a .5 cc fill yesterday so maybe it's finally kicking in or maybe it's the fill AND the stress. Anyway, I wanted more restriction and I have it but I want to be able to eat, too.

Well, maybe I'll lose another couple of pounds this week.

I have noticed that anxiety and stress seems to make the band tighter. When I PB'd the other day I had just brought in alot of heavy sacks from the grocery store. I sat down and ate a Lean Cuisine of fish. Two bites into it and it was stuck.....lasted for an hour. I usually eat the whole Lean Cuisine without a problem. So, maybe rushing around, lifting, and being stressed does have an effect on the band. And flooded Houston streets during rush hour is STRESS!

I'm having such terrible acidy stomach problems. I don't have reflux, but I have extremely overactive acid pumps and I've had so much stomach pain in the last two weeks; I think I'm going to ask if I can have an unfill today to maybe help facilitate some healing. I have mixed feelings because I don't yet have restriction and was hoping that I'd feel some with my next fill. On the other hand I don't have restriction now and I'm losing at a comfortable rate so taking the fluid out of my band wouldn't change much.

I am taking a quadruple dose of Prilosec and have felt no improvement. I hope that the doctor has some kind of solution that can control this ongoing problem. I've always had an overly acid stomach, but I've never felt so much discomfort.

sorry to hear of your trouble, hope you can resolve it soon