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About this blog

THE SWEET SPOT My journal on my expedition to Bandlandia and my adventures there. I plan to stay forever (been to Onederland many times, but I never stayed long). Join me!:see

Entries in this blog

 

2/14/09 Happy Valentine's Day!

OK, what can I give you for Valentine's Day? I already gave you Chocolate Man (the PERFECT man). Hmmm…I know! The gift of love! Loving yourself that is! Here for your enjoyment is the Virtual You (MY Virtual Model)! Not only can you see yourself now, but you can see what you’ll look like as you get smaller! I’m telling you even the fat me looks WAY better than the real me (my model has no rolls, dimples or flab)…so she’s easy to love, even at my current fat weight.   OK, some information before you begin…You DON’T have to register to make your models or play with the weights (but you do need to register if you want to save them). I just go and play and turn my models around in their underwear to see me how others do now…and how I will look thinner. It’s men and women but they only go up to 350 and 250 pounds respectively, and the weights don’t change with every pound (changes come about every 10 pounds or so). There is an Adjust My Figure +- tab under personalize that will add some weight.   Click on the Create. Then select the Man or Woman tab. Then try the tabs ontop. -Personalize: Then you get to play with all the fun stuff. You don’t have to enter your name. You can change your shape, your current weight, face, features, hair (always wanted to try a new hair color/ ‘do’, now you can). It’s like a SIM. -Dress Up: The site is actually trying to sell you clothing, so you can try all different kinds of outfits on if you want to from different manufacturers (I’d at least change into something besides the ‘granny panties’ the default gives you). If you register you can keep outfits in your Closet, and Send them to others. -Weight Loss: Now the really fun part…what will I look like when I lose 50#, 100#? Now you can rotate your model (pop ups below model) to see you from all angles. See your butt 100# lighter…Wow!   Have fun! HERE
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3/24/09 Long Weekend

I had a busy long weekend...I remember when 'long weekend' meant I was taking a day or two off of work and relaxing or going somewhere fun...preferably somewhere with a cabana boy to bring me a drink...ahhh, no-longer. DH was out traveling again the end of last week. I picked up DD from college late on Thursday night for her job interview here on Monday, and we loaded some of her things to come home, so we got home really late. Friday we (DD and I- DH plane didn’t get back until really late) attended DS1’s first track meet and then I took the kids + DD’s BF out to dinner for a treat…I ordered the filet/salad and brought ½ of it home…don’t applaud yet…it came with a rich blue cheese crust topping on the meat and I ordered a margarita…sigh…that was just the beginning of my 'feast', but more about that tomorrow. We ran the kids around to all their stuff/lessons (guitar, work, CCD, etc.) over the weekend and spent a lot of time with DD working on filling out her interview information sheets (what year did I start work at...) and interview skills. DS1 started to get sick on Sunday, high fever/throat…into the doc on Monday and he does have Strep Throat (I’ve been washing my hands a million times…I’m hopefully about a week out from my pre-op class so I don’t want to get sick now!). DD had her interview Monday morning and we got her back to school late last night. The good news is she just got a voice mail from the interviewer while she was in class saying she had some ‘good news’ for her…here’s hoping! It’s far from her dream job (sales for the admissions dept. of a group of colleges, so she’d be answering phone inquires/sales quotas...she could get a potato to talk), it’s not a lot of money, but it has good benefits, free tuition if you want to take classes (online ones too, so she could gain some extra skills for her resume), it’s mainly recent college grads working the same job, so it’s a great atmosphere for her, and it’s a job…in this economy that’s certainly something! She interviewed with five other people (their business is growing with the economy and people trying to get degrees for the tight job market so they’re hiring several people over the next month or two). Two of the five were ‘grey haired men’ (she said...I'm sure they were younger than me), the rest were recent graduates like her. She couldn’t get over why men their age would even want a starter job like this and how she felt sensitive talking about how she/others were just starting out when these men had probably (guessing) just lost other jobs (She said if the company is smart they’ll hire them, as I’m sure a huge segment of those looking to go back to school part-time even are their age…very true). I know it made her appreciate the interview and the possibility of having any job even more. She was in a senior level class last week at college and the professor asked them to raise their hand if they had found a job yet…not one hand went up…almost all her friends are staying for graduate school as they can’t find work.   I just got the call back…she got the job! Hooray!!! She’s so excited!!! She'll continue looking for a better job, but is totally thrilled that she’ll have this one to go to in June (if I find nothing better...keep the optimism). I’m thrilled it’s in this city, so we can help her get herself started as she’ll be living at home for a little while and she can save up that way (she was talking about the possibility of continuing part-time work as a waitress somewhere here too). She’s been looking all over the country (wants to work in a major city, dream job would be marketing in advertising), so I was a little worried it would be hard to start out in a new city, new job, try to find roommates somewhere new, find apartments and all that. I’m pretty sure she’ll still be moving away in the future to a bigger city/better job, and I want her to follow her dreams, but I’m thankful that I’ll have her around a little while longer..a nice ending to my 'long weekend'!   Now…add ‘help her find a car she can afford’ quick while she’s away finishing school/big projects to my ‘April list of things to do’…oh…AND that LB thing!
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12/8/08 Pantless until June!

I’m now at my highest weight ever by a few pounds.:thumbup: But I guess the good news (if you can possibly call this good news:angry:) is I’m well over the minimum BMI needed for insurance..yay me (not).:blushing: I HATE tight pants so I always buy a larger size, but I REFUSE to do that with LB in my future. I had a pair of jeans on with a belt this weekend (last notch) and they were hurting my waist yesterday…they felt like they were pinching me…well, I looked this morning and I actually have a little bruise where the belt buckle flipped up when I sat (probably my muffin top rolling them…lovely:glare:) and the buckle was jabbing me in the waist. As if being overweight isn’t painful enough…now I have to put up with “clothing pain”…geez! I wonder if “clothing pain” and bruising count as a comorbidity (hee-hee)? :biggrin:   I counted and I now have the following: 1 pr. Jeans, 1 pr. Dress pants, 3 pr. Elastic Sweat pants…so not even a week’s worth of pants! :wink: Thank God I’m at home and not working! I don’t think they expect me to lose much weight on my 6 mo. diet, but I have to confirm that...So it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to wear other sizes in my closet any time soon. I don’t end my 6 mo. diet until May 10th, so it will probably be early June for my surgery. What the heck happens when it gets hot out this Spring…I don’t think I have any capris/shorts that would fit me now! Maybe I’ll be allowed to lose weight on that pre-op diet? I’ll have to ask how many weeks that is, let’s see…maybe if it’s 4 weeks pre-op diet that would put me into April…let’s pray:pray2: for a cool spring…and that my 5 pairs of pants don’t split/wear out by then! If you see a pantless lady walking around, it’s me:willy_nilly:…I REFUSE to buy a larger size!
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3/7/09 Spring Ahead

In my area of the U.S., tonight is the night we all lose an hour of sleep. Daylight Savings Time means we all turn our clocks ahead an hour tonight or ‘Spring Ahead’. I officially have Spring Fever. Our seeds are up (under the grow lights in the basement) and we’re having an unseasonably warm weekend.   I thank my DD daughter for that. She’s spent the last week in Florida on her college, Sr. year Spring Break, where it was unseasonably cool. She sent me a beautiful photo from her phone the other day…the sun was setting and there wasn’t a soul on the beach…her text “I’m alone on the beach, and I’m freezing!” She’s driving back today and bringing what I call warm (she calls freezing…well I guess it would be if I was trying to wear a bikini) 69° weather with her...thanks Honey. Apparently, Daylight Savings Time has a mixed effect on health. In societies with fixed work schedules it provides more afternoon sunlight for outdoor exercise. It alters sunlight exposure; whether this is beneficial depends on one's location and daily schedule, as sunlight triggers vitamin D synthesis in the skin, but overexposure can lead to skin cancer. Sunlight strongly influences seasonal affective disorder. DST may help in depression by causing individuals to rise earlier, but some argue the reverse. The Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation Fighting Blindness, chaired by blind sports magnate Gordon Gund, successfully lobbied in 1985 and 2005 for U.S. DST extensions, but DST can hurt night blindness sufferers.   Clock shifts disrupt sleep and reduce its efficiency. Effects on seasonal adaptation of the circadian rhythm can be severe and last for weeks. A 2008 study found that although male suicide rates rise in the weeks after the spring transition, the relationship weakened greatly after adjusting for season. A 2008 Swedish study found that heart attacks were 5% more common the first three weekdays after the spring transition, and 5% less common the first weekday after the autumn transition. The government of Kazakhstan cited health complications due to clock shifts as a reason for abolishing DST in 2005.   So try your best to get enough sleep this week…if you’re feeling blue, it’s normally (please don’t even think about suicide)…and for those of you with heart issues, be extra careful this week. The up-side is that we all have a built-in excuse for being grouchy for at least a week or more. Make the most of it! “I’m sorry I’m so grouchy, but it’s not my fault! It’s this d*#@n Daylight Savings Time!”
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11/7/08 Secret the World Knows

First things first. I had no idea what a Blog was and now I'm writing mine...a "journal", I get it. My kids would be proud of this technological feat (maybe someday I'll figure out how to do those photos online-Avatar...isn't that a Cartoon?)...except at this point I've decided not to tell anyone about this "journey" except my skinny DH, whom I dearly love. Let's face it, if you've never fought obesity for more than a decade (OK, I'll give him the "college fatties" that he soon lost) you just don't get it. He's supportive in his own way (he just sat through two different information seminars with me), but I know him well... He married a 5'9" (I've lost an inch), 132# art teacher who also taught 8 aerobic exercise classes a week. He's watched me go up and down the scale drastically. It's hard, but I can lose major weight (up to 50)...My real problem is keeping it off. Heck, I was 80# lighter just 8 years ago when we moved here and I've been up and down 30 and then 45 pounds of that twice in the 8 years since. His reaction to Lap Band "It's so drastic. Can't you just do Atkins again and then we can get you a gym membership so you can keep it off?" (I wish). Now, I can hardly move around without hurting at almost 250#...I'm sure I LOOK lazy sitting in the recliner with the heating pad on my osteoarthritic back. Ahh...if only they knew how much more WORK it is to be fat...seriously, just think about it...how much time have I spent researching, doing, logging diets and exercise plans...how many minutes a day are spent just thinking about food/diets/self image/my obesity...I wish I could get all that time back to just Live Life! Will everyone I know be surprised if I lose a lot of weight...no, they've all seen me do it before...but they, and I, will be shocked if I can keep it off. That is my secret hope...I just want to feel healthy again...and getting back into those skinny jeans will just be a bonus!!!!     I'll track my progress another time, but I'll tell you in my few months of researching this I've done a 180 on sharing this process, at least for now. I'm known as a "sharer", nothing is sacred...I had my hysterectomy and incontinence sling surgery...everyone knew (yeah, even the husbands in the neighborhood...I can't help that they were at the bus stop waiting for their kids while the Mom's were asking me about it...they couldn't have talked a little louder about "the game last night"?) and I shared whatever anyone wanted to know...if you've never been through incontinence "testing" you haven't lived (and the surgery failed, so I'm starting testing again...wee!...literally). I don't get embarressed by this stuff and I find a sense of support by sharing to whomever wants to know, but I've changed my mind for this process. After reading many others experiences both positive and negative with telling others about their Lap-Band, I've decided for once in my life to keep this under wraps. I think what's left of my self-esteem just can't handle any negativity about this. It's against my nature to not share this, and it's going to be harder on me, so I was glad to find an outlet here for sharing...even if no one ever reads anything.     So HELLO "My Blog"! I'm not really keeping a secret if it's here for the world to read. This will be my place to vent, to plan, to track, and hopefully to celebrate, and maybe find some friendly support along the way! Thanks for listening Blog.
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12/9/08 How many sizes are in your closet?

OK, after noting my lack of pants that fit yesterday (see previous blog) it got me thinking about how many sizes I’ve kept over the years. I decided to go check (in hopes of being able to wear a few someday:bored:). We’ve moved seven times since we’ve been married (I was a bean pole then 5'9"/132#...I've lost and inch and gained a ton), and yep, I got rid of clothes every time we moved …and yeah, my college daughter has permanently borrowed some of my better skinny clothes…and yep, we give clothes to charity every year…so WHY do I still have so many sizes?:cursing: OK, I’ve done the yo-yo thing for decades (obvious from my closet) and, let’s see, the lowest I’ve been in this decade was 160#, but even then, I wore a size 16 on a skinny day. So WHY do I still have size 10’s hanging in my closet??!!!:blushing: I actually have at least one pair of every size between 10-2x (that’s 14 different sizes). OK, I try to buy “Longs” when I can find them, and they’re so hard to find I’ve had a hard time giving them up (saved mostly a few dress ones or jeans)…but GET REAL, size 10’s!??:biggrin: Do you know how much DUST:blushing: was on the top of that pants hangar? I’ve always carried my weight in my lower half…I think I was barely in a size 10 when I was 130#! So there’s my new end goal…I’ll even settle for a 10/12 with an elastic waistband…wow, doesn’t seem even possible! :thumbup: Well, at least my pants are all sorted by size now…next year I plan to start working my way down that rack!:wink:
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6/25/10 My Wrinkles

*Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book   Come on...sing it with me!!! Cracking open the 'box of wine' for you all now...there's no such thing as too early...hold those glasses still GF's...happy weekend! OK, now you're singing...and dancing...WHOOT! YouTube - Wrinkled Ladies
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8/22-27/09 Vacation (Part 1)

Details of Part 1 of my vacation   5:15pm Monday- I'm sitting pool-side on vacation right now...all I need is a drink with a little umbrella, but they don't have them at this pool. I know, I know…no sympathy…YOU'RE ON VACATION! …but I WANT my umbrella drink!   We've had a busy week….got up around 4am on Friday to take DS1 to PSU (college) for his big move in day (but I'll save the details as I wrote a blog for that one, but didn't get the pics loaded yet, nor did I have time to finish it). We got back home around 5pm (about a 4 hour drive from his college) and started loading the van again (and this time the car top carrier too) for our vacation (didn't I JUST load this van?). Saturday we were up early again and on the road for about 12 hours drive down to here (Seabrook Island, SC).   The in-laws own a place here so we vacation here sometimes. Sunday was DD's 22nd Birthday and we spent the day on the beach and then out to dinner for her birthday. The waves were as big as I've seen them here because of the hurricane going up the East coast. I made DS2 (age 14) wear a life jacket, after many protests, because there were rip-tide warnings in effect and there are no lifeguards here (surprisingly the beach patrol was sitting and watching the area, which is the first time I've seen them do that here…no lifeguard, so I'm not sure what a gal in clothing would have done if someone was in trouble)…luckily this is a mostly retirement age group now as most areas have started school because if there had been any other teen kids on the beach DS2 would have stayed out of the water vs. wearing the life jacket. Today we went swimming early and then into Charleston for lunch and shopping. *Pic attached DS2 and I at the Charleston Market (don't know the other dude).   6:30pm Monday- OK, that's as far as I made it in my blog when my in-laws came out of the Community house (the only place around here with internet access *end note-we never got back there, so no internet) to sit with me (DH and they were checking emails on their computers sitting inside in the AC). My ancient laptop battery died while we were chatting so I didn't get to post anything. I'm back at the place now and we're heating up chili we made at home for dinner tonight. It will be interesting to see how much weight I gain this week. I'm not eating huge amounts, but just not the better choices I usually make. MIL made waffles for breakfast (I thought I was eating OK, but had to run to their bathroom 2 steps away to PB) and I ate an appetizer for the lunch in Charleston…two small crab cakes on a tomato and corn chutney…not a lot, but VERY rich. No internet here, so who knows when I'll be able to post this. Anyway, I now have my glass of wine in hand so things are good. In-laws are here (we're staying just down the road as their place is a 2BR)…GTG   12:00 Tuesday- DD went for a horse ride on the beach this morning. She's done that a few times here and always enjoys it…they walk the horses on a trail to the beach and then gallop up and down the beach and in and out of the surf (just a little way in). We were at the pool again (the close one next to us- no internet building) and now the kids are fishing and crabbing with DH on the dock…these places are on the marsh side of the island with a view across the marsh and toward the inlet where the shrimp boats go in and out every day…it's a beautiful view. *Pic attached: Horses way down the beach in the am.   10:51 am Wednesday- Just got back from watching the gang play tennis…a few sun showers, but they cooled everyone off.   3:21pm Wednesday- More crab cake appetizer for lunch at the ocean club here. I've had a relaxing afternoon just lazing around.   9pm Thursday- We took my in-laws out to a nice place for dinner last night (The Sanctuary, at Kiawha Island). I had the Shrimp and Grits. The chef sent over some steak tartar appetizers and I had a few of those while others ate the wonderful breads with flavored butters. DD wanted to switch plates with me, so that worked well …although the ½ bottle of wine didn't help.   This morning we went to the Magnolia Gardens Plantation early. This was DD's one request here as she remembered the gardens there…except in August not much is blooming. We took the tram tour and then walked the gardens.   *Pics attached: Alligator in the old plantation rice fields, Butterfly & Live Oak Tree.
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3/21/10 Blog Updates

3/15/10 Funky Chicken 3/15/10 Porthole 3/16/10 Celebrities in WL Denial 3/17/10 Sugar Doll Award 3/18/10 Weekday Dish 3/19/20 Enquiring Minds Want to Know 3/20/10 7 Fun Questions 3/20/10 Welcome Spring! 3/21/10 Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants   All here: http://bandgroupieth...t.blogspot.com/
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1/8/09 Support and a Silver Lining

January seems to be the time for all kinds of cutbacks…cutbacks of the calorie kind and now, in this economy, corporate cutbacks. Like many of you, we’ve also been hit by that fear. DH knew that the company he works for wouldn’t be immune and changes were coming soon. He’s in a key position so we’re hopeful, but we also know to plan. We talked through all the possible implications for us and yes, I worried silently, and perhaps selfishly (yes, this is the new selfish me, I’m finally ready to put me first this year, and yes, that’s still guilt you hear), that we won’t have the same great insurance when it comes time for my surgery this Spring. All my plans may be for naught. I’ve been trying to keep the stress levels at home at a minimum, but with 3 teens, that’s sometimes easier said than done.   DH's company announced yesterday that MAJOR cutbacks are planned and we’re talking MAJOR, not many details, but the amount of $$$ that will be coming out of this is huge…fear is reality. He’s been talking about what a grim atmosphere it is at work. I can relate to what he’s experiencing. I made it through a period of major layoffs about 15 years ago while working for a Fortune 500…at company headquarters where employees families had all worked there for many generations going way back…layoffs for people like that was more than grim, they felt betrayed; like their family was turning them out…it was painful. I also know that change is inevitable and life brings tests for us sometimes and ‘what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger’. You see, DH was laid off once before, shortly after we were married. I worked two full time jobs for over a year while he looked for work and worked part time. It was hard, but we made it through. DH reinvented himself in the world of business, as did I (from teacher), and he worked hard to get his MBA over 8 years at night. Like I said, tests can make you stronger…so no matter what is to come, we’ll make it through.   Now DH is obviously thin as are my kids, so relating to my level of desperation that has led me to WLS is hard for him to truly understand. He’s seen me lose the weight and gain it back, more times than I can count…he’s seen my struggle. I’ve shared with him as much as I can about my journey and I know he understands how important this is to me, but other than coming to meetings, he’s had a hard time knowing how to support me in this. Well, he came home tonight and told me of the latest updates at work…we should know what will happen with jobs in February...He had gathered all the information on the severance package (just in case) and we talked through all the details…but do you know what came next? All I can say is support comes in all kinds of packages..and I love my DH. He had also looked into what would happen with our insurance…he announced that no matter what happens we’ll still have our same insurance when it’s time for my surgery…my new-oh-so-selfish side was so happy!
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4/6/10 Blog Updates

4/3/10 Easter Crazy 4/4/10 In My Easter Bonnet 4/5/10 The Secret To Weight Loss 4/6/10 OK You Scale Whores, Get Out your Spreadsheets   All Here: http://bandgroupiethesweetspot.blogspot.com/  
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1/9/09 Insurance is Inept

Today I called my insurance company for the first time in order to confirm/ask for clarification on my benefits. I spent some time gathering information and preparing for this call here, and on other sites. Let’s just say I wish the insurance people were half as prepared. I really only had a few questions; 1) I wanted to confirm my policy hadn’t changed this year. 2) When exactly can I apply for approval, so what exactly is 6 months/diet (is it a certain no. of days? Is it 6 weigh-ins or 7? I’ve heard all these answers on the web.). 3) What will my costs be- deductable, percentages, maximums? And how are fills covered? 4) Do I need to remain above the minimum 35 BMI until approval? Is it too much to ask for some clarification? In a world such as insurance where everything is supposed to be black and white, why is there so much gray? I play fair (OK, except the bulk up)…I get that they need minimum BMI’s and can’t just arbitrarily approve people…I won’t whine about the rules. I’m a girl; I don’t mind reading the directions, but, for example, what the heck is up with just listing examples of some comorbidities, etc., dot, dot, dot. Why not just list the specific list of ones that will gain you approval so you know if you should apply or not? Why do I have to decipher after many hours on the internet that only 5 of the obesity related comorbidities really count at all toward approval? If there are specific rules why the @%&* aren’t the rules to this ‘game’ spelled out clearly? It’s like trying to play a game that your kids made up and the rules just keep changing. I was sweet as pie on the phone…we weren’t making any headway until I told the rep. that I had a copy of last year’s policy…OK, there we go #1 down…no changes. Then came the 6 mo. question and I explained it further. She put me on hold as she asked her supervisor. When she came back she told me it all depended on whether I’m outpatient or inpatient as different departments handle these. OK, I’m in, so WHAT DOES 6 MO. MEAN? I know you’re all screaming at me, better safe then sorry, just do the extra mo., but this is a major difference in BG-land. My kids are both graduating the next mo. so that will be dicey with ceremonies, company and parties. We skipped to costs and they were what I expected ($1000 max), but she had no idea what a fill even was. At that point she transferred me to the pre-authorization department. The rep. that answered was immediately p.o.’d when she found out I wasn’t a Drs. office and all she would tell me was my Dr. would fax the papers to them for approval…she couldn’t answer anything else. Frustration. I took a deep breath (sigh) and decided not to sweat it as I have my surgeon’s consult next Tuesday. I’ll be meeting with the insurance expert from the surgeon’s office as well as the surgeon. She seemed to be very aware of my insurance co., so I’m hoping she has my answers. OK, here’s my real rant…My last job being in business process improvement, this part burns me…I’m not mad at the rules, I’m mad that if there are rules, no one gave all of them to me and this is plain stupid. How can this not lead to more costs for insurance? I get that by being vague they might be able to deny a few more people at the end, but weigh that against all those who wouldn’t have ever embarked upon this process if they knew they didn’t meet the qualifications…how much money is lost on them? How many people go through months of PCP visits, pre-op visits with psych, NUT, etc. (how much does that cost?) only to get denied for something the insurance co. should have spelled out to begin with. As difficult as diets have been for me in the past, it doesn’t begin to compare to this insurance maze. I just don’t get the game, or even more, why there’s even a game to begin with…and I’m just starting.
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1/10/09 Top (Healthy) Chefs

Tonight I spent cooking. Yes, I said cooking. Stop laughing! I know you are tuned in by now to my dislike of cooking. I outed myself with my funny stories (HERE). And yes, like I’ve said, I CAN cook, I made a whole turkey dinner for Christmas with many side dishes and it was perfect. I just choose to not cook unless I have to. I think the only reason I love to bake is because the baked goods last longer than a day. I hate when you spend hours cooking a meal and then it’s gone…over and done with in mere minutes…sometimes to an appreciative audience, sometimes not. Maybe it’s the artist in me…when I create something, besides the enjoyment of the process, I’ll have to admit it’s the appreciation of all that hard work that makes it worthwhile, and in art that appreciation can last forever. Call me selfish, but I love a little appreciation. I want oooh’s and aaaah’s. There’s too little of that with cooking…lot’s of time, not much enjoyment of the process, little appreciation, non-lasting…that just doesn’t add up for me.   So tonight when my daughter suddenly decided we had to cook something special for her last home cooked dinner before returning to college, I inwardly groaned. When she started looking up recipes online, the groans became a moan in my head…there was no way she’d pick something with ingredients I already have. That meant a trip to the grocery store, in the midst of a snow/sleet storm. We braved the slush and went out, returning to my ‘Boys Club + the boyfriend’ all enjoying football on the couch.   DD had picked the recipes for her favorite meal at Olive Garden; Parmesan encrusted tilapia, steamed squash, and linguine with garlic butter. Yes, it could have been harder, ie. Lasagna, but since DH eats no seafood (his parents never had it at home, so he never developed a taste for it), we also had to make parmesan encrusted chicken breasts. Now get this, I actually had fun with the process! Yep, standing there being my daughter’s sous chef was actually fun. I poured the wine, tied the aprons, drank the wine, got the water boiling, drank the wine, chopped the squash, drank the wine, prepped the meats, drank the wine, poured more wine, and watched as she coated the meats. We had a good time, and a lovely meal.   I love that my kids like to cook. Like, I’ve said before, my Mom hated us being in the kitchen. Who can blame her with five kids running around. As great a cook as Mom is, her 4 daughters and 1 son suck at it. Three of us hate cooking, my brother loves only grilling, and one sister is an OK cook, but only because she does cook all the time. Anyway, I’m not sure if my kids like to cook because I hate it so much they had to learn to fend some for themselves, or because I’m just a great mom and I let them dabble in the kitchen from a young age. I’m choosing to believe the latter. From the time they were little I always let them help with cooking, especially baking. I’ve ‘let them’ make their own lunches for school as they got old enough. Or maybe it was actually when they got embarressed by my lunches with those notes I always wrote on their napkins, and the puzzle cut PB&J sandwiches (like I’ve been saying, I have to be creative, no ‘cut in fourths’ sandwiches for MY kids).   I did teach them, as has DH, all the basics of cooking. But I’m the one who passed on my love of fine dining and giving everything a try, at least once. I’m a foodie, or more accurately an eatie, because I love good food, but not the cooking part. Besides no seafood DH won’t eat anything on the bone (also passed down from his parents, I don’t get that one as they are a Dr. and a nurse so it can’t be gross to them, but maybe that makes it grosser to them…who knows?) and he also has some issues with textures of some foods. We also had to buy leather couches with no cording/piping because of that texture on his legs (try finding them, I dare you…about the 10th store I started calling him ‘the princess and the pea’), so I think he has lots of ‘texture issues’…it’s just weird.   It’s fun as they get older, and my two oldest are becoming adults, to watch them do the things they enjoy. My kids love all kinds of food; they can all crack a crableg like nobody’s business. DS1 ordered the seafood platter in Normandy and I watched with interest and pride as he attacked about a dozen kinds of ‘critters’ including the usual crawfish, muscles, etc. and even a sea urchin. DS1 has also taken on my love of baking. I’ll randomly find him in the kitchen baking a cake or cookies to take to school to give out to all his friends (makes him a very popular friend). He would secretly love to go to culinary or pastry school, but after selecting engineering I consoled him with the fact that he can always take cooking classes for fun. In Paris I had set up his taking a pastry class at the Ritz Escoffier (better thought of than le Cordon Bleu to Parisians) for his 18th birthday…he had a personal translator and he loved every minute. DD loves to cook and proudly says she’s the best and healthiest food cook of any of the college girl she knows. DS1 is just starting out, but he’s gotten very good at eggs…he loves my mom’s sunny side up eggs and has gradually perfected her technique of the perfect temperature and slowly basting the yolk. He’s also working on my ‘Willie May’ scrambled eggs…she was the cook at my sorority house in college and I watched her closely every morning as I sat in the kitchen while she cooked her wonderful eggs; butter first, pour the hot butter into the eggs and mix in, more butter in the pan, then finally pouring the mixture into the frying pan to cook them up…what’s not to love with all that butter. I’ve promised next weekend to make my Mom’s famous egg casserole with him (sausage, bread crumbs, you get the picture).   I hope their love of food doesn’t ever become a weight issue for them as it has for me (they’re all super thin). Hopefully, my getting thinner will be a good example of having a normal relationship with food, even good food. I think that’s why at this point, I don’t intend to be one of those who eats the rest of my life like I’m on a horrid diet. That doesn’t mean we won’t try to eat healthy, but I don’t intend to be one of those banders who’s eating mostly protein drinks three years later. I know that works for some, but I know that won’t work for me, it hasn’t in the past and I can’t live that way forever…and what kind of example is that for my kids…personally, I think that could cause them to have more food issues then seeing me fat. I’d rather eat way less of something good, then more of something awful. I want that normal relationship (albeit way smaller portions) with good, healthy food.   I know with this banding process, it will be up to me to take the lead on healthier choices. I’ve already been collecting ‘bander’ recipes here and there. Like I said, it will be fun to watch what kind of cooks they become when they’re adults. Maybe I’ll be going to their homes for dinner…my Top (Healthy) Chefs.
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3/27/09 Do you measure up?

Does the sight of this lovelly belt send shivers down your spine? But it says 'You can add extra holes.' And look, I think it goes ALL the way out to 15"! Thinspiration? And for my metric friends, they have your size too... Hey, why stop there...let's place it around the hips! Quiz: What's the scariest part of this picture? A. The tape measure belt? B. The fact that this person has no belly button? (I'm guessing tummy tuck and they didn't want to pay the extra moohla for a new button?) The "Anna Rexia" costume with a tape measure belt...that's just so wrong! Now MAYBE once my pants are this baggy and if I don't have a buckle... And for my friends in our Bunny Bandsters April group... OK, I could totally wear this bracelet. My wrists are tiny...but that's the only thing on me that is! What's next...shoes with digital scale displays ontop?!!
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1/11/09 Packing B***h!

Today’s the day. I’m sad, I’m gloomy, and I need some comfort food, which is why we ate homemade lentil soup for lunch. I know, soup can no longer be the comfort food of choice post-band…slider and all that, but it’s perfect on a cold, snowy, bummer day like today. DD just left with DH to take her back to college. It’s been a fun three weeks of coloring hair, going to the movies, renting chick flicks, lunch out- just the girls, shopping, and yes, cooking. Now it’s all over…back to my ‘Boys Club’ here at home. Waaah!     The only thing that always makes this parting easier is that she’s a ‘packing b***h’ like the generations of women in my family. We’re a little OCD and like everything ‘just so’ when we’re packing. We’re not the type who could even fathom just ‘throwing a few things in a suitcase’ and hour before leaving for the airport. Therefore, we get very stressed out when packing to leave for anywhere and it brings out the absolute worst side of us.   I remember from the time I was tiny my Mom fighting with my Dad every time we left for a vacation. My Dad would always be sitting in the car with all of us honking the horn while my Mom was vacuuming her way out of the house. She would finally come out, angry, red faced, and with the last few items she’d thought of for Dad to fit in the already overstuffed car. Like me, a few minutes into the trip she was fine…I could hear her loud sigh and I knew everything was good. My Mom has always had everything we could possibly need when we arrived (usually for a camping trip-one huge canvas tent with all seven of us in it) and I marveled even then how organized she was…I guess with 5 kids you had to be. She always had everything we needed.   I got the ‘packing b***h” gene…in spades. Even worse, I also got the gene from my Dad that compels me to write everything down and pigeon hole things to the nth degree (a deadly combination). Yes, my Dad danced a jig as he saw the birth of the sticky note! He has to have a certain kind of calendar every year, because it fits the tiny sticky notes perfectly…I’m not quite that bad, unless you count the fact that I have labels for every row of food in my walk-in food pantry…OK, I’m that bad (the Doc ought to have a feild day with me at my Psych pre-op tomorrow huh?). I’ve had a packing list on my computer since our first vacation; I update it, print it out for every trip, and check each item off as I start packing weeks before a trip (thanks Dad). I am a total grump, OK ‘packing b***h’, the day before and day we’re leaving (especially if we’re leaving somewhere I want to be)…DH now knows just to steer clear of me, keep the kids out of the way, and ask me if I need help every once in a while. My house is never so clean as when I leave for a trip (thanks Mom)…what if you died and company had to come to your house…would you want them to see how messy you left it?...Mom’s words. Yes, I am my mother. Like my Mom, I’m fine once we’re on the road…I let out that sigh and I’m instantly on my trip/vacation/whatever. Even better, once we’re there I AM Mary Poppins as my extended family has dubbed me. Ask me for anything, I dare you to, I’ll have it. Once we were sitting at one of those Japanese steakhouse places at WDW. My nephew put his hand on the grill in front of us even though they’d warned us 100x that it was hot. My sister, who didn't get either of these genes, asked if I had anything as she was planning a frantic trip across the park to the first aid station. Did I have anything?!!! I had tissues to dry his eyes, antibiotic wipes to clean it, I had antibiotic lotion WITH the pain anesthetic, I had bandages of every size, I had pain reliever pills for Jr. kids even…after the ice, I hooked him up and we were good to go…Mary Poppins! (thanks Mom & Dad)   DD has definitely got the ‘packing b***h’ gene…I went in her room this morning to chat and started helping her put the clean laundry on hangars…I wasn’t doing it right…then I wasn’t sorting them right…when I turned off her TV to pack it up all he!! broke loose. Eventually I was asked to leave the room so she could ‘just get packed on my own’. ‘Packing B***h!’ It’s OK, in fact it makes the parting easier for her…she’s leaving us, I get it, I’ve been there. As she was giving me a long hug goodbye she whispered in my ear ‘I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier Mom.’ and then with a kiss it came…the sigh…it was all good…she was ready to get back to her life at school.
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4/23/10 My Bandiversary vlog and Updates!

4/21/10 152 (lbs.) 4/22/10 Happy Bandiversary! (my first vlog...come 'see' me!) 4/22/10 HEY WORLD (best LB day EVER) 4/23/10 Thank You Note (a thank you from my Band/Port for attending the party)   All here: http://bandgroupiethesweetspot.blogspot.com/   Happy weekend all! -BG
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2/2/09 Super Six-Pack!

Holy cow Batman!!! What a game! My head still hurts from all the stress …and maybe those Steelertinis. I have to leave for my 4th monthly weigh-in in a few minutes…great timing, I know…I’m an emotional eater, so what do you think I did last night with all that Steeler food? Well, here’s hoping I don’t show a gain (and thank goodness there will be no breathalyzer test…just kiddin’). Well this town was rockin’ last night…and this morning…and for the next year!!! What a game…oh, yeah, I said that…but WHAT A GAME!!! Mr.SA loves games where they just trounce on the opposition (he can hardly stand watching if we’re losing)…not me…I LOVE games like last night…edge of your seat, heart in your throat, hyperventilating, biting those Steeler fingernail tips off games! So I was in my element last night…Terrible Towels were waving so fast we had ‘liftoff’…or maybe it was that last touchdown that had me off the floor. Can I just say Ben is the Man and Santonio Holmes…well he played at my alma-mater, Ohio State University, so of course he deserved that MVP…what a catch!!! Steelers now have the most Super Bowl wins of any team…goodbye ‘One for the Thumb’…hello ‘Super Six-Pack’!!         Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes (L) keeps both feet in the endzone as he beats Arizona Cardinals safety Aaron Francisco to catch the game winning touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter of the NFL's Super Bowl XLIII football game in Tampa, Florida, February 1, 2009. REUTERS/Brian Snyder (UNITED STATES)
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3/11/09 I?m a Graduate

Today I graduated from PT. I’m feeling really good about it. Not just because I’m not in as much pain anymore, but even more so because I’ve completed something successfully and it worked. I needed that right now, more than you know. As you know I haven’t been having very good luck with health things being successful (respiratory problem for 12 weeks with many, many failed treatments; then hysterectomy/bladder sling surgeries failure, etc.) and I was beginning to wonder a little if the LB would be a failure too. My cup is half full attitude was beginning to buckle slightly when it came to medical issues.   So this was ‘just what the doctor ordered’/I needed right now. I had two long standing pain issues and they were both greatly helped by PT; way better than my expectations even. I’m no fool though, I now know where/how severe my osteoarthritis is and there’s no ‘cure’. I’ll be doing my follow-up exercises at home, and try to watch the wear and tear on my body with all the home improvement projects I do (yea right, who else is going to do it?).   And then, there’s always ‘Plan B’ (another one of my evil plans). I took a ton of assorted muffins and juices into the staff at the PT office this morning for their breakfast on my last day, much to their delight. I told them if I come back bent in half this spring after shoveling mulch and resurfacing my patio before the big graduation parties, they’d better be kind and not scold me.
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2/23/11 Ode To My Band (and Other Posts)

As usual, I'm behind sharing (here are my last three blogs, also here http://bandgroupiethesweetspot.blogspot.com/[/url] ), enjoy!   *Portions of Posts Deleted for Lap Band Book   It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood... I've finally done it! I've met my first Blogger friends in person! My Pittsburgh neighbors! Here we are at lunch today.   We were talking about how we started our blogs and how we found each other...I remember back when I started my blog on LBT (before I really knew what a blog was) and I thought it was just a spot on LBT for me to keep a little journal. I was so surprised to soon find friends there that I instantly had something in common with (on the scary internet of all places!)...our weight battles are such a connecting and bonding tie to each other.   Having only met one LBer before in person (a nurse at my PCP...side note: It was great to finally meet Judi and thank her, as her blog was one that I had poured over when I started researching the LB (she's the perfect model for a textbook LB journey...no complications, no unfills, no Gallbladder out even...she's worked her Band perfectly...I, on the other hand...well, as my friend says 'It all happens to you so you can write about it for everyone else! These ladies are as fantastic in person as on their blogs and it was so fun to meet them...let's do it again soon!   On to other news...   Urologist Specialist check up today (yes, I was in the stirrups before going to lunch...yay)...and what did the Nurse and then my Doc want to talk about?....my LB of course. Last time I saw them I was about 60 lbs. down and today they were each full of compliments and questions.   We're off to Philly tomorrow evening to stay with DH's sister/family (they have 2 kids about my kids ages) for the long weekend...DS1 can't go as he has a charity event this weekend at PSU ('Thon'), but DD is driving herself and meeting us there (she doesn't have Monday off and will come back early Sun).   We need to get out there as we haven't seen DH's parents in awhile (remember, they had to cancel vacation with us this past summer...her hip). DH's sis says they've stopped driving at night, so I'm not sure if they're up to driving out to us anymore or not, we'll see...it's hard to find time for us all to be together and make the trip, now that the 5 teen/older grandkids are going every which way with schools/jobs, so we'll have to grab moments when we can, like this.   Have a great weekend all...enjoy this heat wave (60's here YAY!)! Happy President's Day!   Extra-Long We had a great extra-long weekend. We had an easy trip out as the sun was shining and the snow was almost all melted. We stayed with DH's sister/family and just relaxed, did some crafting with the girls, and visited. DH's parents live about 30 min. away and we talked a lot about their upcoming move to a retirement condo (a double like my parents moved to). At least they haven't started building their phase yet so we have about 1.5 years to recover from my parents move before another 'big move' begins. They took us to their Club (an old DuPont mansion is the Clubhouse) for dinner Sunday night: We left fairly early on Monday and coming back through the mountains on the turnpike we ran into the deepest fog I've ever been in. We were afraid we'd get rear ended if we slowed down too much, so it was a delicate balance driving less than 40mph with flashers on (and there was no pulling over to wait this out...just get down the other side of the mountain). We were white-knuckling it for awhile and I was helping to 'spot' for DH as I leaned forward (yeah, like that would help) and bugged my eyes out. Here's a pic after it cleared a little, but even here you can only see a few car lengths ahead. Thank goodness we left early as about 1/2 hour from home the rain, then snow started and it was accumulating fast. By morning we had about 10 inches on the ground. School was cancelled yesterday due to all the snow, so it was an EXTRA-long weekend. I've got a physical this morning (and DS2's is this afternoon) with my PCP Doc and I haven't seen him since my visit with him in 2008 when I first discussed the LB (I saw his CRNP's for all my LB visits). I'll remind you that he didn't give me the warm fuzzies about getting the LB then, so I'm super curious to see what he says today. As promised, I'll ask him about long-term use of a PPI for reflux (no, I haven't started using my Nexium again).   The scale is very slowly moving (just as it should be this close to my maintenance weight) and I'm seeing the 150's again some days...sweet Goddess of Restriction! Let's hope I'm back to stay!
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3/29/09 New Weight Loss Trials

Searching through WLS information I've run across several procedures I'd never heard of (VSG, DS). I'm sure you've heard that they are already doing single incision LB procedures (in through the belly button). Recently, I've heard of some new trials and have run in to people online who are participating in them; like TOGA. The procedure is incisionless and is done by going down the throat with a tool that opens like a book (that has staples sticking out of the pages), vacuums stomach tissue into the crease of the book and then closes, this is repeated several times to create several 'folds' that make a pouch near the entrance to the stomach. See article and video HERE.     Just this week on the news there were two stories on WL trials. The first is taking place at the hospital I'm going to in Pittsburgh, Allegheny General. The first woman in the trial previously had RNY surgery and it didn't work for her. The new procedure that she had is deep brain stimulation. They use a similar procedure already approved for controlling Parkinson's disease, turrets, seizure disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder and Dystonia.   The procedure is safer than the RNY surgery she already had. They insert electrode wires into the brain, which stimulates metabolism and decreases appetite. Small stimulators (similar to pacemakers) are placed under the skin and the doctor can continue to adjust it with a remote. She's now losing 2 pounds a week. You can watch the short news clip HERE.   This week the Today Show had a piece on three new prescription weight loss drugs that are in the final phases of FDA approval. The FDA has tightened their requirements since Phen-fen was taken off the market, and these three drugs have been in prolonged human clinical trials. All three new drugs work on the brain to decrease appetite and increase metabolism, and all show good promise. They are combinations of drugs that are already on the market to treat other things; Wellbutrin (anti-depressant), Topomax (seizures), and part of the Phen-fen drug that is still on the market. If you want to view the Today Show piece click HERE. I'm certainly not waiting for these to come on the market, but I find these stories interesting. There's another good thing about the LB; it can be unfilled or removed if a miracle cure comes along. Keep dreaming!
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12/15/08 Glimmer of Hope

Yesterday- I hesitate to share much about my kids here, except the good stuff. So lest you think I have the “Leave it to Beaver” family, you can be assured I don’t. We all have our issues don’t we? With 3 kids between 13 and 21, let’s just say we’re majorly going through those “teenage funk” years. My middle one, DS, is 18 and has been in that distant teenage funk for awhile now. When he's not working or doing homework, he can usually be found in the basement- his cave of video games from which he rarely emerges (except under protests from Mom)...He's turning into one of those cave fish...pale skin and I swear his eyes are bulging from sitting in the dark playing video games. Some days I curse the person who invented them and wish they'd spend eternity in video game hell...yep, I'd tape that guys eyes open and make him watch that first video game for eternity...what was it? Oh yeah...PONG...even better (think about it)! This weekend he brought up a board game from the basement for us all to play and I about fell out of my shoes...DH and I looked at each other in disbelief…WHO IS THIS CHILD??!!…Can I keep him…no, really…I’m NOT giving him back! I'm calling it my Christmas miracle!
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1/13/09 Psych and Surgeon Consult

It’s been a busy two days. Yesterday morning I had my Psych pre-op visit. Now, I’ve been a little nervous about this one…probably because I’ve never been before…or maybe it’s because of that somewhat dysfunctional family (or was that fun family?) I grew up in. Anyway, I Map Quested the directions downtown and I set the GPS up in the car. Even with all this technology I realize I need to start asking for landmarks. I turned on the final road, which happened to be a one way square with four lanes of traffic (about a block long on each side). The GPS is yelling at me that my destination is on the right, I’m looking for the address to no avail. About the third time circling around the square I’m feeling like a lab rat in a maze…is this part of the Psych test? I’m not going to find it…so I call (fun to do while you’re in the giant circle of traffic). Landmark “church”…NOT on the right…stupid GPS…and NO address on the front of the building…it’s on the side facing the parking lot…OK, by the time I know which parking lot to pull into, of COURSE I know I’m at the right address…stupid signs. Glad I cushioned my time to get there…my Psychiatrist looks like he stepped right out of a Psych book…Brown hair with a beard, dressed all in brown with a brown tweed coat...all he needed was a pipe. Yes, he had a couch, but I chose the chair. We signed a few forms, he showed me the form he’ll send to the surgeon, I waited while he filled some more forms out (are you asleep yet…maybe that’s what that couch is for?). He asked me a list of questions for about 20 more minutes, I answered honestly (luckily he didn’t ask too many hard ones) and we were done…it probably would have been quicker, but I tend to babble when I’m nervous. Piece of cake…whew! It was ALMOST disappointing that he didn’t bite on anything, not even my labels in the pantry, apparently NOT OCD. I think it’s good you now know someone to call if you’re having issues after the band, especially for someone like me who wouldn’t know where to find help.   Today was the surgeon consult. Mr.SA took the day off to go with me, and since they rescheduled it, unfortunately it was a noon appointment. We arrived early and by the time I was done completing paperwork and waiting it was 45 min. later. Mr. SA noticed that most of the waiting room had loveseat size chairs, and many there needed them…I count myself lucky I’m getting help while I can still barely squeeze into a regular chair. More deadpan nurses (Does no one enjoy their job these days? Better than 'bedpan'! Ha!) and I’m on the scale…wow…it’s a huge scale…whoops, I’ve lost a few pounds, I’m only 5# from the minimum BMI, with shoes on. I didn’t lock my knees completely and I made the 5’8” easily (I’m shrinking in my old age). More waiting in the exam room…I took this opportunity to babble endlessly to Mr.SA, as I do when I’m nervous. He asked me how they fill a band that’s already in you…Was he not at two of the three seminars I attended? Maybe he was just trying to keep my busy…so I humored him and explained the port…then I explained how it feels to be heavy…imagine someone strapped 10, 10# bowling balls to you and asked you to carry on. About that time the surgeon (Dr. Colella, which was good, so now I’ve met both of them), the woman (Susan I think) who runs the pre-op class (I’ll need to attend a few weeks prior to surgery) and the head resident came in. After a few greetings he asked what questions I had about the surgery…the woman commented on my typed and highlighted sheet of questions (a little OCD…I’m telling you) and that she liked it. I rapidly went through my questions and he confirmed I could chose the LB, and we confirmed my port site being slightly to the left, between my ribs and belly button line (the default, if you don’t care, is the right)…he acted a little surprised that I cared (I’m right handed, I sleep only on my right as my left shoulder is bad, I care), but he had no problem placing it anywhere as long as it’s not too far from the band. He listened to my extreme nausea with anesthesia issues and will give me preventatives as I had with my last surgery (actually, the resident will handle this with the anesthesiologist). He’s asked me to do a cardiology MRI and then I’ll see the cardiologist for clearance, so two new things to schedule (I’m not sure if this is routine, or if it was because of all the heart issues in my family history). I just realized I forgot to tell him about my allergy to surgical tape (the adhesive actually) so I’ll have to call about that. It was a good, positive meeting and he gives you complete confidence that everything will go smoothly.   If you’ve made it this far without falling asleep, I applaude you my friend, as I wanted to remember the major points. So now, for the great part!!! The insurance lady, Patty came in next to go over my questions. I asked if I could lose more than the 35 BMI min. and her answer was "If you weighed less than the 35 BMI then you wouldn't need the surgery now would you?" Got it...nuff said. Apparently Highmark PPO Blue is the ‘cadillac’ (her words) of the insurance companies in our area. She confirmed that my insurance will cover their percentage of everything, and my doc even includes 6 fills (I think ins. will cover them as well). When I discussed all the extra work I’d done with my PCP; my own form, education every month, and then asked if I could supply a personal letter to the insurance co. she told me if I had another ins. co., that might be needed, but all I needed to do was have the PCP fill out the very basics on their form and it would be fine for Highmark. She said they usually get back to her with approval within 72 hours. Then she confirmed my wildest dream that I truly only have to do 6 visits with my PCP, not 6 months/7 visits. That means if I can get all the cardio visits done I could have everything into the surgeon by early April. She said I might even be in for surgery by the end of April! Hooray!!! With two kids graduating (college and H.S.) this spring, an earlier date is so much better! Hey, I might even make my original goal of having this done by my 49 7/8 birthday (yes, and holding) on the 27th! Whoot!!!
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