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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

 

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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Band_Groupie

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4/22/09 - Blast Off!!!

This is BG's DH.   She made it though surgery without any problems. Surgery took just under two hours. The drugs are working well but she hasn't slept all day so she is a bit groggy. Her drawing was almost too good since the surgeon thought it might be a tatoo. He figured it out and all is well.   Thanks.
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4/21/09 Pics and Countdown...5! 4! 3! 2! 1!

We had a nice meal out for our early Anniversary last night (my 'Last Supper'). Don't worry, I picked the fish and a salad (OK, and a piece of the soft gooey herb bread…the kind that would for sure get stuck) and had 2 protein shakes the rest of today. It's a fun filled day today of clear liquids. I did another anti-bacterial scrub down as ordered and have finished packing packing. I just called in and I need to be there at 5:30am…I hope that means I get to go first…getting excited.   OK, now here comes the reminders…remember my 5th post (2nd paragraph) HERE…WHAT you don't remember? You know…when I went to the initial seminar…the ONLY time I've met my surgeon…and I (accidentally..it just came out!) blurted a joke out in the back of the class that might have insulted the doc…so if I'm not back here my doc must have heard me…and I'm holding you to your promise LOL.   Last item…I drew my porthole (if you missed why read HERE)…I decided to add the words "Port Site" around it, lest the doc not get my little joke and think it's a tattoo that he needs to avoid (that'll be my luck). OK, NO WAY would anyone think it's a tattoo as it's so roughly drawn. Add to that you're my stomach is no longer that tight hard taunt canvas I used to have and it's like trying to draw on pudding (yeah, I thought about using the word Jell-O, but even that is firmer than my tummy...trust me, I've had lots of Jell-O today…blech). Now add to that the fact that I need to breath…oh, yeah!...forgot about that didn't you…so my stomach is going in and out. Good thing my boobs aren't huge or it would have been impossible (I should have picked a lower place for my port!). Why the heck didn't I pick a free form picture…and I HAD to do 3 circles inside each other? I DOUBLE-DOG-DARE YOU to try to make a drawing on your own stomach while the picture looks backwards and upside down…common just try to make a smiley face inside a circle…hey, I'll even let you use a washable marker unlike my permanent one (but no do-overs)…now go look at it in the mirror (hee-hee-hee). I'm sending a pic now because it will probably look (as if it's not shaky enough) even worse tomorrow after my shower/abdomen scrub I need to do. Here's the fatal flaw…I forgot about the "blow up your abdomen" part…you know how cute those little puffer fish look with their fins sticking straight out to their sides twirling around as they float along? Then they BLOW UP and they look all sorts of scary!!! I wonder what my poor porthole will look like when it's all blown up and distorted LOL! I think I attached the PIC BELOW. I've never uploaded or attached...only took me three hours from taking the pic LOL (kept me from getting nervous about tomorrow)...and there's me today...No makeup...not sure I even brushed my hair...oh, well...I wasn't wasting my first attachment on one pic!..just don't ask me how to do it again LOL.   Thanks my LBT friends for being so helpful along this journey. Bandlandia here I come! See you on the other side. Countdown...5! 4! 3! 2! 1!...Countdown to BG's Banding!!!  
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4/20/10 Blog Updates

Sorry, I'm behind on the Updates...too busy this month LOL!   4/7/10 The Chasm That Is Now My Belly Button   4/7/10 The Black Hole 4/8/10 Gen's Request for Monthly Numbers 4/9/10 **PLEASE READ** 4/10/10 Feel the LB Love 4/17/10 I'm Back 4/18/10 Who ARE you People? 4/19/10 Book Input; Your 'Moment' 4/19/10 Book; Why you chose LB? 4/20/10 New Sig   All here: http://bandgroupieth...t.blogspot.com/   *Don't forget, anyone can comment...just use the anonymous button under comments and keep pushing post to get the word verification
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4/20/09 Countdown... 5! 4! 3! 2!...

*Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book   I called my bariatric coordinator this morning because I noticed the post-op diet I received in class didn't jive with what the NUT gave me. Apparently they just revised it and took off fruit and vegetable juice. So, for the first 2-3 weeks post-op the only calories I'm allowed are broth (almost no cal...but the homemade stuff I made is probably got more nutrients than the canned, thank goodness...thank you Voiceomt2002 for the recipes!), and 3 8oz. glasses of skim milk (how many calories could possibly be in 3C of skim milk...I'll have to look that up). I was about to complain that I'll be fainting on only a few calories a day when she said I can add some very low cal SF powdered drink mix to the milk, like SF Carnation (we still can't find that one, so DH just found me another one). I know I won't be hungry the first week, but I'm going to be starving after that...I know...it's all pay-back for the no pre-op diet. Ahh well, I'm not complaining…yet (LOL).   DH and I are going out tonight for our 27th anniversary, since I certainly won't be up to anything but broth on our actual anniversary this Friday.   I've been wildly getting things ready today; called my insurance to make sure the home prescriptions are covered (apparently Nexium sometimes isn't covered, but it is on ours), I started packing for the hospital, made a list of info. for DH, scrubbed my body with anti-bacterial soap as instructed, shaved my stomach and I can't tell the difference...my tiny blonde hairs were almost invisible, but now I can say it's already done when they come at me with the dull dry razor (thanks xavier for cluing me in that it's better to do this at home…and I'm coming after you if I sprout dark stomach hairs this summer), and I drew up my porthole picture on paper…those in-the-know will remember I have a choice on my port site, if not read (Spew Alert!!) HERE. I still haven't come up with whether I need words or not, but I'm a little afraid he won't get it or think it's a badly done tattoo and avoid that area completely. I'll have to do this upside down on myself as DH can't trace a straight line to save his life. If it turns out badly I'll scrap the idea, but if I go for it I'll take a pic for you. Off to finish packing...   Countdown...5! 4! 3! 2!...Countdown to BG's Banding!!!
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4/2/10 Blog Updates

3/22/10 7 Habits...Or Maybe 70... 3/23/10 Namaste 3/24/10 Tell All 3/24/10 I Died 3/25/10 I'm Coming Back Home (Parent's Move) 3/28/10 Prepped and Ready to Go 3/29/10 Surgery Update 3/30/10 A Bouncing Baby GB   3/31/10 b***h and Whine 4/1/10 Up 19 Pounds...and NowI know Why!! 4/1/10 Stiletto Award 4/2/10 My Crossover Addiction   All here: http://bandgroupieth...t.blogspot.com/
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4/2/09 The Nitty Gritty

Well, as you know, yesterday was one awesome day! I want to capture the details of what happened here (and there are some ‘points for learning’ for you newbies…if I didn’t scare you off yesterday). Let me unravel my story...(K)nitty gritty...unravel....moving right along.... First, my ‘many messages’ I left at the surgeon’s got through finally and I received a call Tuesday from Marlene (saying Patti was in clinicals all day). We went through my papers again and I asked again if the Pulmonary paper (from my visit in FEB.!) showed up and it had (take matters into your own hands…I’m glad I called them directly). Suddenly, the Sleep Lab results weren’t in my file (I faxed these myself in March and I had already confirmed they were in my file). So it pays to go through the whole file more than once, as this was the third time. We hung up and I got a call back from her saying Patti had just dropped in and she was to tell me if I got all my papers in tomorrow, then she’d call me with a date (so she got that phone message too…I’m probably on the ‘favorite patients’ list by this point).   So on to yesterday. I was at the PCP office a little after 8am and was taken in. I had a new smiling nurse! She weighed me and I’d lost 3# since the last visit for a total loss of 9 pounds over the 6 months, which was perfect (aiming for 5-10#).   Then something amazing happened! The nurse turned to me and said “Are you getting excited for your surgery…do you have a date yet?” I told her I’d get my date today and she said “You know I had the same thing done?” Holy Cow…not a big deal for most of you I’m sure, but it dawned on me that she was the very first person I’d met in person who has the LB! I was SO excited! She told me her experiences and must have said 10 times “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done!” Without asking, she lifted her shirt and showed me her tiny scars (the only one that you’d even notice is the port one). She was babbling on and I was lapping it up when another nurse knocked for some help from her and she left me with well wishes, an offer to call her if I had any questions or needed help, and a big hug! Those few minutes made my day! …and what a difference from my Nazi Nurse friend LOL. My usual CRNP I’ve been seeing for the weigh in’s was next and she was over-the-moon excited for me! She had one piece of bad news…the Letter of Medical Clearance and Necessity wasn’t ready. Yes, the letter that I’d given a sample of with my information already filled in to the other CRNP at my 5th visit…then called 2 weeks later to make sure this CRNP knew about it and would have it ready for me at this visit (and she said it was already in my file). Well, the letter had been done, but they used their own form letter for this and my name was at the top, but they’d left another ladies name in the body. She was so apologetic as she told me there weren’t any doctors in until 9am to sign it. No biggie, I’ll wait the 40min. (NO WAY was I not getting my date today!). Well, 9 came and went (I tried not to pace in my head) and about 9:30 she brought it out whispering apologies and that the doc was late…I didn’t care, I was so happy! Newbies…I should have had her fax me a copy when she told me it was in the file. Oh, and anyone who gets migraines, I got a non NSAID prescription just in case.   I flew home and sent my fax to the surgeon with the three last attachments (monthly form, the PCP letter, and the sleep study-again). I called Marlene as she told me to just to make sure it came through, and she told me that Patti just came in to get my file so she must have it. A torturous hour later I finally got the call from the elusive Patti….my heart was beating SO FAST…and then it happened….. We were a few words into the call and….SCREEEEEECH! HUMMMMMM! I’m thinking ‘What’s that sound?!!....a fax machine?!...Why won’t it stop?!’ She tries to talk SCREEEEECH! HUMMMMMMM! Oh, Dear Lord! I LEFT THE FAX MACHINE PLUGGED IN!!!! As I’m running upstairs and down the long hall I’m trying to yell ‘HOLDON!’ between all the screeches. I hear little words from the other side that make me think she’s getting irritated when I yank the plug. I tried to make a small joke…something about not obviously not using the fax machine often…nothing, not even a peep (I’m thinking now I’ve made it to the ‘Patients Hall of Shame’ bulletin board in her office). After a pause she goes into her schpeel as I’m frantically running back down the hall and back downstairs (trying not to pant too loudly…didn’t know I could still run that fast) where I’d lain out my calendar with all the events and dates DH is traveling (I was wondering why the fax machine didn’t go off when Marlene called back that second time…probably because it was only a few seconds call…and why did I forget to unplug that stupid thing for an important phone call….then I slapped myself back to focus on her words). She asked “When do you want to get this done?” I wasn’t prepared for that (I thought she’d just give me a date and I’d say whether it worked or not). So I stammered something about “How long is the pre-op diet?”…pause, she must be so done with me…“or isn’t there one?” “No, there’s no pre-op diet.” “OK, why don’t I give you the dates that don’t work and we can start there.” I mentioned the bad dates the next two weeks (which left me with 4 dates) and she came back with a date in the third week ...well it worked, so I’m thrilled! She told me she’d send to the insurance today and told me the nurse would call me to set-up a physical. She was about to hang up when I asked about the pre-op class. “You haven’t taken that yet?” “Well, no.”…they told me I couldn’t until you set my date…no, I didn’t say it…didn’t want to press my luck. So she told me when/where to come next week and I didn’t let her get away without profusely thanking her…probably a little over the top, but…my approval is still in her hands.     So the rest you can guess…there was dancing and merry-making involved on my part! I called the only person I’m telling, DH who was so thrilled, but also told me he’s not really celebrating until the insurance approval…party pooper (he just doesn't want me to get dissapointed)…God love him, he’s a worrier. So I called my LBT friends right here! Party at my house!!!!
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4/17/09 Countdown...5!...

I can't believe I'm only five days away *jumps up and down giggling*. The 6 months took forever, but now everything is speeding up...super fast motion!!! SOMEONE PLEASE PUSH PLAY ON THE REMOTE BUTTON! OK, that's better...I'm getting a little panicky (go figure!)...I don't think it's the surgery so much (probably way more than I know), as it is about everything else like; 'not' telling the kids (they'll just know it's a stomach/hernia type surgery...I think I'll tell them this weekend), and then there's getting better in time to get everything ready for all the company coming for the graduation dinner on the 1st...you know how it is...I'll scrub the house before surgery, but then there's a week and a half for the family to trash it again (it's a boys club here right now, remember?)...and DH is out of town the 3 days before the event...yikes! My OCD tendencies to have the house spotless for company will be kicking in long before then.   OK, so in 6 months you think I could have come up with something more clever than the countdown of the space-shuttle to send myself off...phallic symbol and all that...well, it's big and heavy and it needs this giant 'Crawler' to get to the launch pad (at least it fits on it...I'll probably be hanging off the gurney), and it sheds unneeded sections!! It was either that or the New Year's crystal ball...and that's a 'downer' (hee hee)...it's the best I could do this week...I'M FLUSTERED, remember?!! Get used to it peeps...more space shuttle on its way! I'm finally on my way to *Hits the high note 'AHHHHHHH'* Bandlandia!!!!! I wonder what it looks like 'on the other side'? No, don't tell me, I want to be surprised! Now, countdown with me... 5!...Countdown To BG's Banding!!!
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4/16/09 Where the Sidewalk Ends

I was at my pre-op physical downtown at the hospital by 8am this morning (I’m so glad I don’t have to drive in rush hour traffic daily anymore…poor DD will be doing that route soon). The physical was basically a huge list of questions and a short bit of the usual listening to your heart, say ahhh stuff.     Oh, and I did find out that the overnight hospital stay is because of a law here...interesting. I asked how the office was holding up under the stress of their head Dr. leaving. Well, of course that opened the floodgates…they’re all really hurt that he left without a word and many of them had been working closely with him for a decade (they really loved him and are both mourning his loss and are upset at how it was handled). Apparently, they did have to reschedule some surgeries last week, but my doc is now handling the load just fine. We chatted about all this for awhile and I’d made another new friend in the office by the time I left.   I went on to give my gallon of blood (had to point out my best vein as usual...I have 'bad veins')... ...and then on to another department for a chest x-ray (didn’t have to do the EKG since the cardiologist had already done one). So, as long as ‘no news is good news’ from my pre-op physical, this long and winding road has finally come to an end and I'm all set for next Wednesday!!! (Tell Shel Silverstein I finally found it!)
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4/15/09 Off with her head!

I’ve been working on getting down another 10 lbs. before banding. I actually went down 1 ½ lbs. below the 10 lbs. last Thursday, but I knew I’d have to face a weekend of big meals and Easter candy with my family back home so I didn’t want to celebrate my goal too early. As I told you yesterday, I ate pretty healthy and had NO candy (very hard for a chocoholic), but I still gained a pound with all those family (high calorie) meals. There were many temptations ‘Drink Me!’ ‘Eat Me!’ and I only faltered once. I ate a sliver of the ‘Tart’ and I paid for it with a one pound gain. I’ve been back on my pre-op plan and after three mornings back home I feel confident that I can report I’ve officially lost my second ten pounds. So, I’m screaming ‘Off with her head!’ and knocking another Ten Pound Head off my Ticker.     Go to the Head of the Class-Trivia Question: What movie is coming out March 2010 that relates to my post?   Tim Burton is making Alice in Wonderland with live action and animation mixed. Stars: Johnny Depp plays the Mad Hatter, Anne Hathaway plays the White Queen, Helena Bonham Carter plays the Red Queen, Alan Rickman plays the Caterpillar, Crispin Glover plays the The Knave of Hearts, Stephen Fry plays the Cheshire Cat, and even Christopher Lee is in it, too. Let’s hope it’s better than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (not my favorite version).    
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4/14/09 Foodie Family

I had an interesting Easter weekend. In case you’re not caught up, we went to Ohio to see my family. We had a really nice time, but it was a smaller crowd…just my folks and two of my sisters/families (I have 4 siblings)…and one of those sisters/family I only saw on Sunday evening as they were returning from Spring Break in Florida.   The interesting part was the ‘food’ aspects. I wasn’t expecting what I got, partly because I knew that Mom and the one sister who was around all weekend have been enrolled in Weight Watchers for several months now. Sure, I was expecting Easter candy, but I became acutely aware of how much of our family time revolves around food (reminder here that I’m the ‘thinner’/'same as some' sibling of the 5 of us and Mom and Dad are only little overweight). My Mom shows her love for us through food, and let me just say here she’s recovering from foot surgery (still wearing the ‘boot’), so there was way less home cooking than usual. We even ordered out dinner one night…blasphemy for Mom. As bad a cook as I am, Mom is that good. Sure, I’ve been on a myriad of diets around my family before, but I must have cheated around them way more than I realized, because this time was SO different.   I arrived to find a box of dark chocolate covered raspberry sticks on my bedside…my two favorite flavors together (Mom’s a sweetie)…I felt bad doing it, but I left them there…I had to…no way would they have been safe at my house. Yes, I could have thrown them away, but I figured maybe I needed to send the message…don’t tempt me. I took my protein shakes for breakfast…Mom was up every morning before me…gourmet coffee made, bacon sizzling, homemade preserves and apple butter laid out, croissants and pain-au-chocolat (which had risen overnight…also my favorite French food) baking in the oven, Krispy Kremes in my favorite flavor-raspberry filling, DH’s favorite glazed, and eggs made to order…my kids were in heaven! DS2 made up a song for my Mom years ago entitled “Bacon and Eggs” and came down singing it (his grandmother ‘makes the best eyeball eggs ever!’…fried in bacon grease). I told her that I’m dieting and took out my protein shake to drink…I know she was disappointed and I felt bad that she had prepared all my favorite things.   I stuck to the protein shakes for breakfast, but we had pizza and Chinese for dinners and lunch at Olive Garden (soup, salad, - the breadsticks, but still probably a ton of calories)…I tried to eat the healthy stuff. Sunday morning I had my shake and then Mom had everyone over for brunch after church. I ate a little of the egg casserole (with bread stuffing, sausage, cream and cheese…hmmm) and some fruit (until I remembered it was sugared). The Kringle did me in though…if you don’t know what one is they’re an enormous flat oval Danish treat covered in soft yummy icing and filled with anything you can imagine from fruit to nuts. My sister was sitting next to me in the family room and commented on my small plate of food. When I told her I was dieting she even said ‘But it’s Easter!!!’ I looked at her and said ‘Stop the Satan talk…please don’t tempt me!’…she protested a little more and then gave up (I get it…I never liked to see someone dieting as I was stuffing my face either…misery loves company). As everyone was later munching on their Easter basket candy I stole back in and took just a sliver of the Kringle before it was gone…I immediately felt awful.   I suddenly realized then that in the past I’d usually made ‘excuses’ for holidays too…it’s a holiday, a vacation, we’re out to eat, a trip to the family, there’s nothing healthy so I have to eat it. I heard both my sister and mom make those excuses on why they weren’t following their Weight Watchers diets…I don’t say that to blame them, it’s just that it made me realize that’s what I’d usually done in the past also. My one sister, who has diabetes, high blood pressure, and has had two mini-strokes, joined us for our last dinner. There were margaritas, honey baked ham, beans slathered in butter, potato casserole (with cornflakes, cream and tons of butter and cheese), rolls and a carrot sheet cake that could have fed 4x as many people. It was hard to just choose the ham and beans and insist we didn’t need to take home any carrot cake. I got home and found ½ my Mom’s enormous homemade lemon butter pound cake in a bag.   I reflected on the food frenzy of the weekend coming home. In the past I wouldn’t have thought much about it at all (even on a diet) because I’m so used to it, but this weekend was like a smack in the face…a wake-up-call. I’m glad my family saw me eating less and drinking protein shakes. It will make it easier to explain things post-op since I’m not telling anyone. I even announced that I’d lost 20+ pounds since they last saw me so they wouldn’t be shocked when they see me next. No one had noticed the weight loss…my youngest sister said ‘That’s nothing, I’ve lost 40# before and no one’s noticed…the fatter you are the less you can tell!’ My family is used to seeing me lose major weight though…what they’re not used to is me KEEPING IT OFF!
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4/13/09 Go To The Back Of The Class

I’m home from our long weekend. I took DD back to college this morning and I’ve got an hour here before I start running the boys places. I typed this up on our way to Ohio, but couldn’t use my computer there, so here’s my blog from the pre-op class last Thursday. 4/9/09     Class was interesting, to say the least (read the end paragraph for the interesting part). It was evenly split with LB and RNY patients. We (bandsters) picked up literature depending on which type of band we had chosen (LB or Realize, I’ve chosen LB). I’ll only list the key things I learned that are different between my procedures and what I’ve seen from most others. Pre-op
Diet: There is no specific pre-op diet although they do ask you to cut back on fat and sugar for one-two weeks prior. Others here were interested so I did ask why there is no ‘shrink the liver diet’ and if it only pertained to those of us with a low BMI. Apparently no one (regardless of BMI) is required to do a specific pre-op diet and they have never cancelled anyone’s surgery (or closed them up) because their liver was too large. They’ve had no problems with large livers, but she did mention that if you do eliminate most of the fat and sugar for liver shrinkage before that it can help with reducing the post pain/trauma to your body later...smaller liver is easier to move. She couldn’t believe that some docs refuse to do surgery if your liver is too large (I asked this). They are getting ready to implement offering Bariatric Advantage products including the shakes and vitamins, but this is geared more for right after surgery and will still probably be optional before.
Day Before: There is no enema. Only procedures are using antibacterial body soap for two days prior in the shower and the clear liquid diet/nothing after midnight that everyone else seems to do
[*]Surgery/Hospital Stay Catheter: There is no catheter for the LB procedure (it seems like many others do have this).
Fill: My doc does not put any fill in the LB at surgery (I was bummed about this, but apparently they do this because some never need any more restriction than the LB itself being placed; no fills ever).
Incisions: Mine will be closed with only steri strips & glue (no stitches, staples like some have). The strips can come off at one week at home.
Gas X: It’s fine to bring this and use it at the hospital, but again they say that it does no good for the air that’s pumped into your abdomen, it will only help the gas in your digestive tract (I’m bringing it anyway even if it’s a placebo, it can’t hurt).
Overnight: My docs require a one night stay for the LB procedure and insurance covers this. The only bad part about this is that you don’t get to do the barium swallow/x-ray test until the next morning…so only the ‘wet swabs’ (blech) in your mouth until the next morning.
I will get a Doppler test on my legs the next day to check for blood clots. I’m not sure if I’ve heard anyone mention having this done.
[*]Post-Op Meds.: They’ll send me home with Rx for a pain med (liquid Roxacet (sp?)/like Percocet) and Nexium for the stomach, no anti-nausea meds. unless you have a problem in the hospital (I’m going to insist on getting something (I know my stomach, if anyone will puke it will be me).
Schedule/Fills: Mine’s a little different than some. I see the doc post-op at 2-3 weeks and then the first fill isn’t until 6 weeks. Then every 4-6 weeks as needed for fills.
Diet: Liquids only for 2 weeks (this sounds like the longest I’ve heard, but I guess I’m paying for the no pre-op diet LOL). I’ve stated this before, but I will again since it’s different than most docs plans; my diet past the first two weeks is never to include protein drinks (protein should come from solids and that’s the purpose of the band to keep you full with food, not sliders. She did mention adding whey/protein powders to your food if you need extra protein.). The 2nd phase goat a little confusing as she said that we are not to make/use pureed foods. The doc would rather we chewed soft foods to an almost liquid stage ourselves. I had to ask several questions to get to the bottom of this, but apparently they feel pureed stuff will slip through too fast and leave you hungry…hmm (I get this in the final stage, but mushies?). Pulverize with your mouth or a blender, I don’t see the difference. I told her I’d already made some pureed/froze them and she said to go ahead and use them (hey it’s 2 weeks, no biggie). After that, the diet is the same as others except you can drink black coffee as long as you compensate by drinking extra water, and you can drink diet pop as long as it has gone flat.
Exercise: No lifting, pulling, pushing or treadmill (hadn’t seen anyone mention no treadmill before) until you’ve seen the doc post-op.
Other than that, everything was pretty much the same as everyone else. Now here’s the interesting part. She finished with the presentation and took a few questions and then said “I’m sure that you’ve all heard that Dr. XXX has left the practice.” WHAT? HUH? There was a unanimous “NO!” She meekly comes back with “Yes, we were all surprised too, apparently he just turned in a letter on Monday and has gone to OTHER HOSPITAL” (She was obviously not happy and somewhat stressed by this).Dr. XXX was the senior partner of the 2 man practice and is very well known in the area. They scheduled surgeries side by side and did them together for more difficult cases. Like I’ve mentioned before, my docs get a lot of the cases that the other hospitals (OTHER HOSPITAL sent them patients all the time) in the area won’t take (i.e. Hard revisions, super M. Obese, etc.). Pittsburgh is well known as a strong medical city and I had 3 Bariatric Centers of Excellence within a few miles of each other to choose from (and there are several others in the surrounding area). OTHER HOSPITAL is the big conglomerate in the area though that has been buying up the smaller hospitals…apparently they offered him a bundle. Well, all hell broke loose at that point (quietly, but it was so tense you could feel it), it was a mixed period of stunned silence and occasional questions blurted out. I’m perfectly comfortable with my Dr. (the 2nd doc, and I met him at the seminar), he’s been doing laparoscopic procedures for many years and has done hundreds of bandings, and he’s well know as pioneering some of the cutting edge laparoscopic procedures (like the DaVinci robot that is run from a different room…actually more precise laparoscopically than by hand, so they use this in difficult cases). But I’ll have to tell you, that even I was thinking through…What if he needs help? There’s no one there! Then I’m thinking, what if they postpone my surgery…how can one guy handle the surgical load of 2? The worst part was that we didn’t know this before the class…poorly handled. Some people were asking tons of questions (had never even met the other Dr. and especially with an RNY, I’d be worried too!). She offered to set up meetings with the other doc for people who hadn’t met him. Here’s hoping my surgery doesn’t get postponed! The class left on a pretty uncomfortable note…not the way you want to feel a few weeks before surgery when you’re already nervous.
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4/1/11 Friday Facts

- I've decided to start dieting to get these last pounds off (Atkin's as that was my most successful diet, several times). YAY...all the bacon and cheese I can eat!     *Portion of Post Deleted For Lap Band Book   - You know that first bullet up there...April Fools! And no, I'm not making fun of those that follow Diets with the Band (do what works for you). Hey, I knew I couldn't pull the pregnancy card again.   - I started work on our Study I showed you (and DD's old room). I love blogging as it often helps me think things through and get new ideas (many from you)...I decided to "go shopping" in my own home and moved out two big pieces and moved in four smaller ones. DH got home late Saturday (poor guy/geez work...and it's a Sunday return this week), so Sunday I put him and DS2 to work moving all the furniture around to see how we liked it. When DH saw everything and where I was setting the small old TV (note here; this is not our main 'TV' spot-we have a nice flatscreen in the great room and a huge big screen in the basement), he decided he wanted to make his stamp on the 'new' room and went shopping.... I swear if 'She who dies with the most fabric wins!', is the women bumpersticker, then just replace 'Fabric' with 'TV's' for men!   I've got lots of furniture and shelf painting ahead of me, but I'm excited about the final plan (pics to come when it's done).   - My 'Martha Moment' this week: Remember the lamps for the Study I made, and that I noticed that the dried sheet moss had faded over time to a 'dead looking' brown? Well, I went out and bought new moss, but it wasn't as green as I wanted. I decided to try dying it with green food coloring in water...it worked...I started out covering (glue gunned on the moss) these topiaries that are also for the Study. I was dreading the lamps as I'd have to take all the glued on moss off the Styrofoam and replace it...and I wasn't sure how that would go (aka I was feeling lazy and knew it would be a ton of work). Then I had an idea...dye the faded moss that was already on it! A foam brush to dab on the solution...and voila! Think outside the box! (I wish being a 'green thumb' was always that easy!)   - I've been 'Spring Cleaning'; kids rooms and my art closet for the past month...have a huge pile for charity, but I let my kids decide what they wanted to keep and box up (mainly toys they aren't using anymore). I think they all got the 'hoarder' gene from DH and I. I now have boxes of trophies (that they'll never look at again, but don't know it yet) and sets of their favorite toys...hey, it's a small price to pay not to be 'that Mom' (the one that threw away all their things). I've still got lots to finish up.   - My middle Sis and her family are arriving tomorrow for their 'Spring Break' (I've been busy getting DD's empty/now 'guest room' back in order...shopped my house again and moved some furniture in)...'cause doesn't everyone want to vacation in Pittsburgh for their Spring Break (not much 'green' in sight herd, but hey my Snow Crocuses are blooming, and it's snowing...now who's playing the April Fools joke...snow in April?!!)? And no, I didn't know they were coming when I started the 'Spring Cleaning' so my house is a wreck and I'm cleaning like a wild woman. I'm so excited to see them!   - Had a 'drinking girls' lunch yesterday with a neighbor (somewhat like a 'working girls' lunch, but without the working)...no, I only had one glass of wine...I SO needed the break from the housework and DH doesn't get home until early Sunday morning, so no help in sight LOL! Back to work!   - 156 lbs., down 1 (again).   Happy Weekend Fools! I'd recommend the rubberband on the kitchen sprayer (if you have a separate one from the faucet)...lined up just right...gets 'em every year!
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4/1/10 Happy Bandiversary Bunnies!

WOW what a year we've all had! Can you believe this is our Bandiversary month already?   Remember all the nightmares of insurance approval, and no sleep the night before LB surgery because we were so excited; It was almost heaven taking that first shower after surgery! We had some work to do, learning how not to be a couch potato anymore. Then we had to learn how to eat right. and prepare healthy food; but pretty soon we were losing weight and had to buy new clothes; Sure there were a few unpleasent changes, like bathroom schedules; but also nice ones, like being able to wear a bathing suit again; Happy Bandiversary Bunnies! It's going to be one wild party; and watch out for all the candy at Easter!
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4/1/09 I'm an April Fool!

Yes, it's frozen over. Have you seen my 6 mo. Diet Ticker lately? Well, I’m done! DONE I TELL YOU!!! The 6 months of dieting is so over!!!!!! Newbies, cover your ears just a sec….All you LBT’ers who posted that “The 6 months goes so fast!” I want you to know I have all your names and I learned how to Google Earth my way to your houses and yes, I’m letting this one slide, but if I find out this ‘restriction thing’ that you also posted about is yet another LBT Urban Legend I’m coming after you!!! This has been the l—o—n—g—e—s—t 6 months of my life!!! Well, it didn’t help that I started looking at this last May, and it took me most of the summer to decide, and until September to get in to my PCP, and then I couldn’t do anything constructive to make the time fly by, …and so I past the time by (whining about) blogging every gory detail of my (dys)FUN(ctional) life and bored all my new friends on LBT until they were so tired of my incessant (whining) blogging about my 6 months of (misery) dieting that they too, (wanted to throttle me) were counting down the days until my 6 months was over, (Just so they didn't have to listen to me anymore) but it was still a LONG 6 months! OK, my friends, here’s your reward…yes, I said reward…you’ve earned it…you were always there for me laughing, crying, ranting, (whining), and yes, peeing. You’ve come along on my magical ride and now here’s the pay off…     …the 6 months are over.   APRIL FOOLS!!!   No, I wasn’t lying and now you have to suffer through more months with me, the 6 months ARE over, but that’s NOT your reward…bet you can’t guess?..........time’s up!!! I got my Band Date!!!!! (No, NOT April Fools!) Isn’t that great!!! What a reward!!! You were just calculating how many weeks of (whining) blogging about waiting to get my date you’d have to suffer through, and there will be NO (whining) blogs about that!! Good news for everyone! Here it is, served up on a silver platter just for you….drumroll please……my Band Birthday is April 22! April is going to be the best month ever…April 22, my new shiny band…April 24, our 27th Anniversary (guess that won’t be a wild night)…April 27, my big 5-0 Birthday (Broth for everyone!), April 28, DH’s 50th Birthday! Wow, all within 7 days! Then I have the 29th and 30th to get the house cleaned, party decorations up and meals made (maybe catered now) for all the company coming on May 1st for DD’s Graduation! Now here’s the ‘cherry on top’…wait for it…………..there’s NO pre-op diet! Yep, I won’t be (whining) blogging about that either! Just a pre-op class next week and a physical with the nurse there sometime before banding and I’m golden (oh, and that approval thing…I should know within 72 hours, submitted today…she said ‘no worries’, so I’m not).   Let the ROASTING begin…. I can hear it now…. BG- Thank GAWD it’s over! BG- If I had to hear one more word about your suffering with having to gain weight and your ‘non diet’ while we're all out here sweating and counting every blessed calorie… BG- Whine, whine, whine... BG- I thought you were banded years ago!   OK, maybe not that last one…I’m off to blog the (boring) nitty-gritty about my day.
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3/9/09 Barbie (and I) are turning 50 this year!

Today is Barbie’s 50th Birthday (Barbie Millicent Roberts that is). We were born the same year…1959. I figure if she looks this good at 50, maybe 50 isn’t going to be so bad (and she does have about 6 weeks on me). Say what you want about her creating a bad image or stereotype (interesting info. below) for our daughters, I love Barbie. What girl doesn’t have wonderful childhood memories of playing with her Barbie?   My 3 sisters and I got a lot of hours of creative play out of our Barbies. Sometimes we’d steal the Ken Doll and the Johnny West Doll (He was a Cowboy, complete with chaps and hat…think ‘Marlboro Man’…dreamy) out of my brother’s room (much to his annoyance). I remember making furniture out of cardboard…a long tissue box was the perfect bed, and with a few tissues you had sheets and a comfy pillow (4 girls, 4 tissue boxes with tissues everywhere...Mom was mad). My Mom used to buy actual patterns for Barbie outfits and sew them up for us as gifts. Back then, other than hair color, you had to give your Barbie her personality with clothing, accessories and by styling her hair…it required some creative thinking to decide what mood your Barbie was in that day…evening gown with the silver clutch purse, or mini dress with the fishnets and go-go boots? Some of my best sister memories are with our Barbies.   My DD was born in 1987 and by then Barbie clothes and accessories were now cheap and readily available. I relived my childhood again…my DD had the pop-up playhouse, plastic furniture, a bathtub that ran real water and a car with a remote control. She loved playing Barbies as much as I did. When my two DS’s came along they got their Ken dolls, and a jeep, fire truck, police truck and even a Baywatch Boat that they loved taking to the local baby pool when they were tots. What’s not to like about Barbies?   Here’s the interesting comparison of Real Women vs. Barbie     Real Women Average woman's height is 5'4"
Their weight is approx. 140 lbs.
They wear a size 14 dress
Their bust is between 36" and 37" (B cup)
Their waist is between 30" and 34"
Their hips average between 40" and 42"
Barbie (as a human) Barbie's height would be 7'2"
Her weight would be 101 lbs.
She would wear a size 4 dress
Her bust would be 39" (FF cup)
Her waist would be 19" (same as her head)
Her hips would be 33"
Her shoe size would be a 5 (some say her boob size and small feet would make it impossible for her to stay standing.
Her neck is twice as long as the real women
Poor Barbie has also been the source of some controversy lately. Apparently she’s getting some new flack for coming with stick-on temporary tattoos now. Parents are upset that this is the wrong message and that Barbie’s wholesome image is now changing to compete with other products (OK, I hate those Bratz dolls too). They're calling it her midlife crisis. It’s OK Barbie, I can relate. Just like you, I’ve always been considered the girl next door…and no one ever believes I have a tattoo either! Happy Birthday! Totally Stylin Tattoo Barbie
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3/8/09 Ticker Update Time!

Whoo Hoo! I can finally update my Ticker! One “ten pound head” (with my fat face) gone and nine or so more to go. I think I win the award for slowest weight loss pre-band…actually, probably not as I’ve run across quite a few others here who also weren’t allowed to lose much on their Six Months of Lingering Torture. I know, I know, you’re saying what’s so torturous with not losing much weight??!! Gee I REALLY feel sorry for you BG! I’m telling you if you’ve come to this point in your life where you feel desperate enough to get WLS, then you’re ready to make the change, and you want it to start happening sooner, rather than later. I’d describe my feelings much like an alcoholic would about ‘hitting bottom’. For me, and I think many others, we had some sort of turning point, or ‘moment’ where we hit bottom and decided to consider WLS (I’ll share my moment another time). It’s actually been hard while you’re researching and learning all this not to be able to put it all into practice. I swear it's made the time go slower too, probably because you don't have as much to do (tracking calories, exercising, planning/cooking diet meals). If you’re someone like me (professional dieter) who is always either gaining or losing it’s been weird staying about the same weight. I haven’t stayed about the same weight this long in I don’t know when!   So ‘breaking’ my plan, and actually starting my stricter diet this last month of the Six Months of Lingering Torture, has been a great feeling. I started my dieting last Monday and haven’t really been cutting the calories too drastically yet (I’m planning to step things down) as I didn’t want to lose a TON of weight this month. Well, you can all call me an ‘April Fool’ if I mess this whole thing up and get denied! Time to update my Ticker tomorrow…FINALLY!...I hope I remember how!   Me, Summer 2010: “Lost Weight? Me? Thanks for noticing!”
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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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3/6/09 That?s the Way the Cookie Crumbles (and Artificial/Replacement Sweeteners)

Report from the Pittsburgh Tribune News GS Cookie Sales Crumble Nationally, cookie sales are reportedly down 19 percent from last year. Regionally, the outlook isn’t as dire. "I think the economy has something to do with it," Vance says. Since the cookie sale is the primary fundraiser for troops each year, Vance says decreased sales may hold girls back from great experiences in the coming year. My cookies have arrived, from not one, but two different Girl Scouts. I have no idea what my family ordered (remember I avoided that HERE) because I didn’t look. But I think my family help with the Regional Outlook being better…I’ve been told there are many boxes on our shelves…I’m staying away.   This got me thinking about how I’m going to deal with my sweet-tooth as part of my lifestyle change. I’m a huge chocoholic and as you’ve heard me say so many times I’m all about starting into this change as a lifestyle change and not a diet, so it’s all about being able to make better choices without feeling deprived. I’ve never cooked/used many artificial sweeteners, but I’ve started some research on this. I’ve got some sugar free Russell Stover chocolates, individually packaged that work for me, so I thought I’d like to learn about artificial sweeteners, possibly even in cooking/baking.   *Note I’m no Dr. or Nutritionist, I read a lot of articles and this was the gist of what I found out, I don’t claim to know what’s truth, and experts come down on both sides of the safety issues on all these.   I started with the LB; What I’ve turned up so far is that several people have blamed band issues on artificial sweeteners…one declared that it was a major contributor to her band slippage, and many people have said their docs have told them not to use them (some say they cause sugar cravings).   There are two types of sweeteners available on the market, nutritive and non-nutritive.   Nutritive sweeteners provide sweet taste and a source of energy (calories). Their sweet taste comes from the presence of natural sugars glucose and fructose, alone or together, as sucrose. They are higher in calories than non-nutritive sweeteners, but they are all natural. Exceptions* - Common examples of nutritive sweeteners include typical table sugars (both brown and white), molasses, honey, agave nectar, and syrups such as maple and high fructose corn syrup. - Erythritol/Polyols, energy-reduced sugar alcohols: Slightly less calories than true sugar. Often called sugar replacements, these sugar alcohols are derived from natural sugars- fruits or produced commercially from dextrose. The most common include: sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol and maltitol. Products are Organic Zero, Zsweet, Sun Crystals. Gas and laxative issues. - Stevia: almost 0 cal. New product. Truvia*(Rebinia), PureVia* (*some say both have artificial additives), or raw/natural Stevia. Some say has a bitter aftertaste and causes gas (I’ve actually grown this plant in my herb garden before). - Whey Low: 75% less cal. than sugar. Fairly new product. Made with different sugars-sucrose, fructose, lactose; studies not clear on calorie absorption-they claim 75% less calories because of the way the combination of sugars acts to not be absorbed in the intestines. The only studies were done by the company. Some say more studies need to be done on this product.   Non-nutritive sugar substitutes offer no energy (calories) and sweeten with little volume. Non-nutritive sweeteners include: saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium and neotame. For many of you who drink protein shakes, almost all of them contain these. - Saccharine: 4 cal./pack Sweet ’n Low- thought to be dangerous was almost banned by the FDA, but public outcry kept it as it was the only substitute at the time, and it used to be labeled ‘cancer causing in lab animals. Made from petroleum based products. - Aspartame: 2 cal./tsp. Nutra Sweet, Equal, Spoonful- some studies show that aspartame is dangerous/cancer causing and is considered dangerous by most, by law has to show PKU (disease in infants) warning. Found in Diet Pepsi/Coke, SF Jell-O/Pudding, and Crystal Light. - Splenda/sucralose: Says 0 cal, but it's NOT calorie free-has 4 per serving, which can add up if you’re baking with it, i.e. coke zero has 4 calories. FDA rule- they can claim 0 if it’s less than 5, the same is true for all packaging; i.e. they can claim something is 0 carbs if it is under 5 per serving. Splenda has sugar: maltodextrin & dextrose/corn syrup and sucralose, the process changes the sugar molecules and turns some atoms to chlorine (other chlorinated products include pesticides). So, although it’s made from natural sugars the process changes the atoms. Remember that everything is ‘natural’ it just depends how you define artificial vs. natural. Most consider this the safest low cal. nonnutritive sweetener, but there have been no outside studies. - Acesulfame K/acesulfame potassium: 0 cal. sold as Sunett, Sweet One- thought to cause cancer (no new studies underway). It’s found in Crystal Light, SF Jell-O & Pudding. - Neotame: Newer product. From amino acids- Clabber Girl Sugar Replacer, Domino Pure D’Lite. Many consider it to be much more dangerous than even aspartame, which was considered the worst. Used in many gums, Herr's pretzels.   The bottom line of what I found out was that although there are opinions on both sides, one thing that most everyone can agree on is that even if artificial sweeteners aren't bad for you, they aren't good for you either. I'm no health food/organic nut, but even I was appalled at the lack of studies on these products and the role of big business in keeping these on the market (ie. Saccharin is only still on the market because Congress passed a 2 year moratorium against any ban of the product by the FDA when they wanted to ban it in 1977, which Congress has continually extended). Even Cyclamate that was banned by the FDA in 1970 is currently being reconsidered (I lived on TAB in my teenage years...no wonder I was so skinny).   I don’t have time to read every nutrition label and I’ll probably still chose to eat some things with the non-nutritives like SF puddings (let's face it, obesity will kill me sooner than aspertame caused Cancer). As with most things…all things in moderation. I do plan to limit my intake of Crystal Light, which I have always drank to excess on every diet, and just up the water intake. I don’t intend to start baking with any of the non-nutritive, although I might look into some of the nutritive ones more. I think this will turn out to be like the rest of my theme for my ‘lifestyle change’ …I’ll be using real sugar, and just like other bad foods…in VERY small amounts. Besides, I love really DARK chocolate…Like Hershey’s 70%, which are lower in calories and higher in the good aspects of chocolate like antioxidants (cocoa has more antioxidants/flavanoids than green tea)…a tiny bite satisfies my chocoholic cravings.   The cave woman got most of her sweets from fruits, which were seasonal, so she bulked up in the summer and fall to survive the long winter. So stick mainly with the natural sweets...nature knows best!
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3/5/09 Blonde Moments

I’m losing it…really. My kids call it ‘old-timers’, DH calls it ‘brain-farts’, I call it ‘blonde moments’. Now that I’m back from the Dark Side HERE, I swear I lost brain cells going back from my first venture as a brunette to my natural blonde (OK, maybe a few grays are under there, but I’ll never see them). I was on the computer most of the day yesterday, not here, well I did check in often, but I was on a tracking site for diet/exercise re-entering all my foods and info. ‘Re-entering’ you ask? OH yea. I set up my account for the site at the beginning of January (after asking on LBT which site is best), then my computer broke and I also found out I didn’t need to track anything, and since I didn’t have to lose weight (grr insurance #248 x) I hadn’t been back.   Since my decision to start dieting this week, I went to my bookmarks and went back to the site to start tracking. My account had been deleted so I had to set a new one up, I was guessing they get deleted after a certain period and it had been months. OK, now on to tracking! Quaker Oatmeal for breakfast…hmm, not there…on the one day I used this in January, I thought I’d entered that. Where’s the help button? Can’t find ‘help’, so I’ll go to those message boards…the people there were really helpful setting up my account in January. Can’t find the message boards…and there are all these ads to upgrade your service to the PC or even higher level Premium Version …for a cost $$$. Hmmm…I wonder if you now have to buy into the first level at least to get to the message boards. So I spend the day entering my information, exercises, goals, and had to custom add each food in, which took FOREVER when you’re entering everything on the box nutrition information and dividing out the amount you ate. After day 2 of doing all this extra work, I got SO frustrated with it all that I posted a thread on LBT asking for help from site users talking about the site changes and my questions. I didn’t get any replies.   I was getting ready to start entering info. yesterday morning when I decided to find my original thread on LBT where I’d asked which tracking site is best. My plan was to PM some of the people who had recommended that site and ask them my questions (again, no one was replying to my new ‘help’ thread on LBT).   Dear GAWD, major blonde moment! You got it…for two days I’d been on the wrong site *cheeks burning with embarrassment*. I’d been on Fitday and the site I wanted was MyFitnessPal (which I hadn’t bookmarked). Yep, my account was still there, the message board hadn’t disappeared. I’m losing it.   Click [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xYkiN4-gl8]YouTube - America Still Appreciates A Good Dumb Blond Joke[/ame]
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3/4/09 LB Picasso

The men aren't actually reading this, so for you ladies...As I’ve told you, I have the option of selecting either band type and I also have the option of selecting my port site. I told you about my surgeon’s consult in Jan. where, after doing my research, I told my doc that I’ve selected the LB and then we discussed my port site. I’ll remind you I selected a left of center, between my belly button line and my ribs…no third boob for this gal…3 boobs worked for Picasso, but not me…with my C-cup boobs, it would be the only one left at goal weight.   So on our way home from the consult I announced to DH that I intended to mark my port site on my tummy before surgery…he just chuckled…he’s used to ‘my kind of crazy’ (But now I have those papers from the Psych saying I’m not! So there!). My doc doesn’t get many requests for a different port site but it’s important to me (bad left side so I sleep on my right, and I’m right handed) and his default is the right side, so I don’t want him to forget (I have enough trouble with sleep). I’ve been thinking on and off about my tummy artwork (that’s what we artists do) and how I could make it funny without insulting my doc that he’d forget (he DID tell me to remind him).   I was reading some blogs lately that got me thinking; Banded Ben’s surgery date and trying to come up with a joke on the operating table so he could escape…too late, he was out. So, I was thinking maybe I could write a joke, or a funny poem on my belly to point out my port placement…welcome to ‘my kind of crazy’…yes, this is what goes on in my head. Wendytip’s post yesterday about people’s incision photos on LBT (I agree, eeewww), got me commenting about making different ‘connect the dot’ pictures with my incisions and washable markers and posting them here (NOT). But maybe I can do a dot picture for my port site?   So, why am I making this confession and sharing this now? I had second thoughts…what if the Sharpie isn’t sterile, or it messes them up and they refuse to do surgery because I wrote on myself? I’m not crazy enough yet to call my surgeon and ask. Today “The Doctors” was on as I was doing the laundry…the plastic surgeon on the panel was talking about how a Sharpie is his best friend for surgery! Hey yea, we’ve all seen those Dr. 90210 shows where they’re marking all over the woman’s bodies with a Sharpie. I’d forgotten about that! So I ran to the TV to listen. The question was about whether a Sharpie is sterile or not...WOW…my very question! Apparently Sharpie’s have a lot of alcohol in them, and even if they weren’t sterile the Betadine they smear all over you sterilizes everything. OK, I’m going for it! Now I’ve got artwork to plan! My practical jokes always backfire on me, so I hardly ever attempt them…they’ll either think I’m nuts or laugh…we’ll see what happens…if I wake up with a third boob, it backfired.
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