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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

 

2/10/09 Somewhere, Over the Rainbow...

Well as far as I know, as of today I’m now done with all the “other doctors” pre-op stuff. It’s been a ‘long and winding road’ and it’s not quite over yet…I’m still on this yellow brick road to Oz and apparently I’m playing all the parts (that’s OK, I always loved dress-up)!       Remember that Shoe Fairy I put up a wanted sign for HERE? Well she answered and brought me some ruby slippers when I crushed the Wicked BMI/Comorbidity Witch my first weigh in (even if I did pee my pants HERE doing it).   I got my award of courage for making it through that claustrophobic 45 min. closed MRI for my heart HERE…so I’m the not-so-Cowardly Lion!   I just got clearance at my visit with the Cardiologist this afternoon, and my heart MRI from last week and my EKG today were fine. So contrary to my teenagers thoughts sometimes…I do have a heart…I’m the Tin woMan!   I found out this fall from the brain MRI for my migraines that I do have a brain…it’s “unremarkable” as the docs report said, but it’s a brain…so I’m the Scarecrow!   If I can make it past the Wicked Witch of Insurance Paperwork with two more monthly visits at my PCP then they’ll send it all in for approval to the Wizard…let’s just hope he’s “Wise and Wonderful”. There’s no place like Bandlandia...
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6/10/10 Century Club! *PICS*

*Portions of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book   Sorry I'm behind here, life has just been so busy at the end of the school year, but all my kiddos are home and school ends tomorrow for my youngest.   Now, on to the good news...I'm in the Century Club...100 lbs. lost!!!   Here are some pics (left to right); Before--------------1/13/09 = 244 (-4 lbs.) Start 248 lbs. About 1/2 Way---8/2/09 = 195 (-53 lbs.) 1/2 Way=50 lbs. Almost 1st Goal---1/30/10 = 163 (-85 lbs.) Goal=90 lbs. Dream Goal!------6/3/10 = 148 (-100 lbs.)     Thank you all for helping me get there as I wouldn't have been able to do it without all of you keeping me accountable!   8 Blog updates including book questions, my introduction, and a vlog are all here: THE SWEET SPOT
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3/21/09 Weight Loss 'Tools'

Our great-grandmothers, grandmothers, and mothers were on to something...they were using 'tools' for weight loss long before the era of 10,000 diets became popular. Too bad their 'tools' weren't as successful as the LB!   GOT CANKLES? Newspaper clipping from 1924. I'll bet these were comfortable, and gee 'there's nothing to rub in or massage'. I wonder if blue feet were popular then? A DAY AT THE SPA SOUND GOOD? This photo from the 1960s shows French women sitting in "slim-down coveralls" while being served low-calorie meals.   The attached text reads: "10 May 1961, Paris, France --- Weighting Game. Paris: Shedding pounds while getting new hairdos, Parisian girls relax in slim-down coveralls underneath the hair driers at a local beauty parlor. In addition to the coveralls, customers get low-calorie meals to help with their slenderizing. Idea was originated by Parisian hairdressers Roger Pasquier". NEED TO GET RID OF FAT AND CELLULITE? This just looks painful! The device was made by Battle Creek Equipment in Michigan, US. You sit front, back or side and the rollers 'break down' fat. LIKE YOUR MARTINI SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED? Now THIS looks like a fun 'banding' experience! I hope my support group meetings are this fun! WANT A 15" WAIST? Frankly Rhett, I don't give a d#*n! ...Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) being laced into her corset by her Mammy (Hattie McDaniel) in Gone with the Wind, 1939.
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12/2/08 Consult Scheduled!

OK, since my seminar I’ve been putting off calling to schedule my consult with the surgeon. I found it interesting that AGH (Hospital) leaves it in your hands to call them to schedule if you are interested and you can see the surgeon as soon as you want to. :biggrin: The other two hospitals I went to say they’ll call you to let you know if you are “accepted” into the program or not, and you can’t consult with the surgeon until a certain point in their programs. So I could see the surgeon right away…nice, right? So why was I putting it off?:scared2: I think I felt like I wouldn’t get many of these visits unless there was a reason for more (maybe just one, not sure), so I wanted to have all my questions in line (I’m anal about researching things). I kept saying “I’ll call tomorrow”.:biggrin3:   As we are literally walking out the door to leave for Philly for the Thanksgiving holiday the phone rings. My DH-Mr.SA says (trying to mumble) “It’s Allegheny General for you.” Mind you, I’ve decided not to tell anyone but DH-Mr.SA and here were my 3 children standing in the kitchen, ready to get in the car. I think my oldest, DD home from college, may now suspect something since I left LBT up on my computer and she used it to check her emails :car:(and I over reacted when I saw her on it). I don’t really mind that she knows, I just don’t want her to be disappointed in me if I don’t succeed. So I turn bright red:blushing: in front of the kids and grab the phone. “You attended our seminar about a month ago and we were wondering if you were interested in setting up a consult appointment with the surgeon?” Now I’m grabbing my calendar and running to the other room.:thumbup: He had an opening Dec. 23, which at first pass sounded awful because I know I’ll be busy with Christmas prep, but after a second I realized it’s also a day DH-DH is off so he can go with me.:wub::wub: If he’s my only support then I guess it’s good he knows what to expect after. Plus he was traveling and didn’t make the AGH seminar, so it will be a chance for him to meet the Dr. So…Consult scheduled…now back to my list of questions for the surgeon (why am I so nervous about this?)!:party:
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5/11/09 Proms and Moms

I had a great busy weekend. DS1’s Prom was on Saturday. It’s a mixed blessing to see your kids growing into adults…you’re so proud of them, and yet you’re sad that you’ve lost that small child that was so dependent on you. I missed not helping to pick out the outfit like the ‘great prom dress hunt’ DD and I enjoyed 4 years ago. It’s different with boys…he took his date to the tux shop and she helped him select something complimentary to her dress. For his first dance I’d gone with him to pick out the flowers, but this year he went with a group of his friends to the florist, and he did a great job (and he bought me a beautiful flower arrangement for Mother’s Day). It’s hard sometimes watching them become independent adults. We had fun watching him getting ready (I did get to help with a little hair gel-40-50 mph winds) and then meeting at a friend’s home with about a dozen couples going for pictures. We took pics for about an hour and then off they went to dinner and then the ‘Grand March’ (televised march of each couple being introduced under an arch, indoors because of the wind) before boarding the buses for prom. He had a blast! *Pic attached minus faces, since I don't have their permission. Mother’s Day was wonderful! We cleaned out our small pond/waterfall I built out back…my least favorite job of the year (involves netting the 2 dozen goldfish, emptying the pond and waterfall, cleaning all the muck, repotting all the stinky pond plants, and then putting it all back…a huge job), so it was great to have help. We actually started this Sat. and didn’t finish until Sunday. The kids pitched in Sunday on planting all the flats of annuals I’d bought too…another big job. It was the best Mother’s Day gift of all to have them all happily helping with something I usually have to do on my own. We finished early afternoon and then the kids took me to a movie matinee, Star Trek (BTW it was a great movie, we all loved it).   I did splurge with some refried beans/salsa DD made me for dinner (mushies-a day ½ earlier than I should have). I can tell you that although my band is wide open I either ate them too fast or too much because I definitely got that ‘hurt’ feeling in my chest that I had right after surgery. It was a good reminder to take things slowly and measure everything. I go to the doc tomorrow morning for my post-op visit and to get cleared for mushies for the next 3 weeks.   It was the perfect weekend!
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11/5/09 14's!

DD's been busy so last night DH insisted on taking me out to get a new pair of jeans for our trip this weekend (off to see DS1)...apparently my old high-top relaxed fit Mom jeans are baggy in all the wrong places. The kids have been telling me daily that my pants are too big. Finding a perfect pair of jeans is hard these days!!! Do you want waist-high, mid-rise, low-rise, curvy, skinny, tummy panel, stretch, straight-leg, boot-cut, and don’t get me started on all the colors, wear marks, and decorations. Then I had to decide on length…I’ve lost an inch (down to just under 5’9”) so now regulars are too short and longs are too long. Well, I sent DH on to the other store to pick up a prescription while I got to work. He was back about the time I finally decided what I was looking for and I knew I had work fast and be out within 30 min. (he didn’t get the shopping gene). I took about 8 pair into the dressing room…all too big? I tentatively came back out and sent DH to grab some 14’s…THEY FIT!!!! OK, the size 14’s now are more generous than when I last wore 14’s many moons ago, but THEY FIT!!! My 16’s, I’ve been wearing, I’ve been back into twice in the last 10 years, but 14’s…I believe that was several children ago. Size 24 to a 14...awesome. I ended up with some dark blue (no wear lines on the front- the horizontal lines across my hips and thighs made my widest part look wider), plain pocket (I don’t need decorations on the back pockets drawing attention to my bum), mid-rise (no more ‘Mom Jeans’), straight leg, 14L’s (hope they shrink a tiny bit). OK, they’re not the coolest pair of jeans, but I’ll have plenty of time to look for those…maybe, just maybe…when I reach a size 12!   The nicest part came as we got back in the car (within 30 min. I might add). DH said ‘You’ve been working so hard to get the weight off, you needed a pair of jeans that fit you…you look great!’ A nice NSV... Well we're off tomorrow to PSU to see DS1 and I can't wait to see him. We're all going to the big game (OSU-PSU Look for us, we'll be the only ones in Red as it's a PSU White-Out) and yes, DS1 and his buds have been tenting in Paternoville all week (he says he's freezing). It's been killing me that the fraternity has kept him there on the weekends we had planned. If it wasn't for DH I would have packed up and gone out there just to see him between classes...I know, I know...time to let go a little. Saturday is my Blogiversary...so stay tuned!
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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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10/20/09 Farmageddon

I’ll have to say I’ve paid more attention to the flu this year than any other…well, except the years we’ve gotten it. How can you not pay attention…it’s been on the news for almost a year now. I knew that the Swine/H1N1 flu was going to be worse this fall (because the news told me so), but how much can you really do to ‘prepare’? I’ll have to confess that I’m the one in our family who’s best at the medical stuff…I don’t freak out, but calmly go about treating minor things or running to the ER for major ones… DH…not so good…remember that whole ‘parents that are a doctor & nurse’ syndrome…and remember how he was suddenly ‘having flu like symptoms’ each time I went into labor…yeah, I caught on the third time…strong man, but medical stuff…not so much. Need a patient advocate?…I’m a good one…given time, I find out the right questions to ask, I don’t waste the docs time with things I can find out on my own and I’m an informed Mom who feels better about what’s going on because I know what’s going on…DH…not so much…I had to give him the short list of questions to ask when I woke up from my LB surgery…only because I was afraid I wouldn’t remember talking to them.   The one thing that secretly (shhh!) freaks me out a little bit medically…pandemics…I blame it on that movie ‘Outbreak’. Ever since I saw that I’ve been secretly (shhh!) afraid that it’s going to wipe out the human race…and hey…boo-boo’s I can see...I can butterfly and steri-strip a deep cut like a pro (I had a nurse mom too)…but germs…I can’t see those. Now I don’t want to add to the mass-hysteria…I’m not overly freaked about this flu…just aware.       DS2 and I both have Asthma…we’ve both had pneumonia…him; several times and me a half dozen. I’ve had some major respiratory incidents; notably a 12 week continuous BAD cough that had me about ready to curl up in a ball in a padded room from sheer exhaustion. DS2 has had some weird (not severe) auto-immune things in the past. He seems to get sick easier than the rest of us now…and he’s not a complainer, so when he gets sick he’s usually really sick. So hearing that this flu strain can have rare severe respiratory problems associated with it made my ears perk up. I’d been calling our Internist, the Pediatrician and the Doc I set up for DS1 at his school since early September trying to schedule all our shots (we always get the seasonal flu shot). The Ped. won and got the seasonal flu shots in first and DS2 had his at least 3 weeks ago. DH got his seasonal one at work last week. I believe DS1 had his already as well (I forget the schedule I sent him). I’m going this morning for my seasonal shot as they finally got it in...and DD, well she's off traveling again so she asked me to make an appointment today...airplanes and flu...yikes. and this is how we all got Swine Flu   I picked DS2 up at school yesterday afternoon for his annual physical, PFT (breathing test) and H1N1 shot and stood in the office listening to all the moms there to pick up their kids from the nurse. Apparently, the Swine flu is now rampant at the school. DS2 greeted me with an ‘I don’t feel so good.’ Uh-Oh. The lastest celebrity victim...as if there's any question 'who done it'.   Off to the Ped. we went. The huge waiting room was as full as I’ve seen it. Coughs and sneezes were sounding off everywhere. Darn, I wished I’d bought those masks that Dad recommended we get (he’s got lung problems too). Side note: At last year's neighborhood Halloween party I went as the Stock Market and DH went as a banker wearing a golden parachute. This year, I'm SO making the next one (maybe add a curly tail?...or maybe I'm still too fat and someone won't 'get it?!! Might be risky!): They were so backed up we had to wait 45 min. to get in. DS1 was about to kill me by the time we got in as I was using the wait as a 'teachable moment' reminding him not to touch anything, not to touch his face, how long/best way to wash your hands, how the kids weren't using their elbows to cough/sneeze into, how many MPH a sneeze comes out at and how far it goes...and I threw him some hand sanitizer. So we went through his long 2 part PFT testing…no problems (and no fever…whew)…and then I made sure we got in his H1N1 shot before leaving; we had another appointment and so we rescheduled the physical for Friday morning (it was now 1.5 hours past the appt. time). I asked her if they could do anything for all those kids here with the flu and she said they were only seeing the ones with severe respiratory problems…hmmm. Well, here’s hoping he got that vaccine in time…and that I didn’t infect him by taking him to the Ped’s! He was complaining of a headache this morning, and the slight sore throat is still there but no fever so I had to send him (I'm waiting for that call from the nurse). Stay well everyone…I’m off for my seasonal flu shot…
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12/10/08 One Down, 5 To Go...Oh NO!

I had my first month’s weigh in with my PCP this morning. I came out 2 pounds lost (from my eat and drink fest last time), but at least I wasn’t water-logged/bladder bursting again so I could actually have a nice discussion and pay attention this time. My PCP visit went well and we discussed my building a support system (talked about online and the Healthwise Company support program I enrolled in). I’ve been having more trouble with my osteoarthritis in my lower back…not sure if it’s because I’ve just about eliminate the almost daily pain relievers since they started me on migraine medicine. I was afraid to start any pain relievers for my arthritis in fear of the migraines coming back (the arthritis is nothing compared to the migraines). She said it’s OK to start some Tylenol as needed, so we’ll see what happens. It’s also likely that I’m having more pain now that I’m exercising…my body saying “Exercise??!!! What’s that?!!” I’ve had some toe numbness on one side, so she’s having me get an x-ray just to be sure the discs are still OK.   I was so frustrated at the beginning of this process with learning I’d have to do the 6 mo. diet (Diet?!!! Been there, done that…if that worked I wouldn’t need a LAP-BAND®!), but after spending some time researching the LB I began to think 6 mo. was a good thing. There’s so much to learn and to prepare for. For example, this month my “Education Task” with my PCP was doing research and putting together my questions for my surgeon consult coming up. I’m actually amazed that even after 3 different hospital seminars how many questions I still have. I’ve been thinking about this and it’s because this isn’t like most procedures. Heck, when I had my hysterectomy & bladder sling it was pretty much textbook, no choices, standard procedures, I knew what would happen (except the failing part). With this I still have a million questions not only because every surgeon requires different pre & post-op testing/care (let’s not even get into all the differences in fill schedules/procedures/amounts)…but even with the surgery there’s differences….ie. I have a choice of which type of LB and a choice of where my port goes…and look at all the other differences we hear about on LBT: 1 incision or 5?, catheter or not?, CO2 heated and removed or not?, overnight or out-patient?, on and on. So having 6 mo. to research and prepare isn’t all bad and I know now I’ll be more successful afterwards because of what I’ve learned…   My only problem is…I started researching this in summer so I’m ALREADY almost at 6 mo. of preparing/researching…yep, when I look at it, the past 6 mo’s. went fast, but these next 5-6 months are going to be longggggggg! Help me make the time go faster...tell me a story…....anyone have a good joke?
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12/11/08 WANTED- Shoe Fairy

Since I’ve been rummaging the closet for pants the last few days, it got me thinking about shoes. Pre-kids I was a size 7 1/2-8 and now I’m an 8 1/2W-9W. I always thought that I gained sizes because of pregnancies and because of that ol’ “your feet spread as you get older” thing…you know…the same thing that makes you buy uglier and uglier shoes the older and fatter you get. When I worked and was thinner, I wore beautiful heels every day…stilettos some days even, but now I’ve got those stay-at-home-soccer-mom-who’s-let-herself-go shoes. You know the ones…almost always plain black…flats or a low huge chunky heel (who could balance on stilettos at my weight?)…sometimes an ugly square toed boot…tried those beautiful long pointy-toe ones…you know “witches boots” but I about killed myself tripping over those beautiful pointy-toes (yep, obese & balance aren’t a good mix). So anyway…I’ve been reading that people lost shoe sizes as they lost weight…seriously? This is good news indeed! Pretty shoes again…seriously?!!! Uh-oh…no, I mean UH-OH!!! I gave all my old ones/sizes to charity!!!!…Used shoes you say? Who would want those, you say? Well, my “collection” wasn’t just any old used shoes! My MIL worked for years (no longer) at a fancy boutique shoe store and twice a year when the seasons changed, I, and my SIL, were the recipients of the “shoe fairy” (usually got 3-6 pr. at a time). She was able to buy the out-of-season shoes for next to nothing for us…and these weren’t just any shoes, oh no!...these were “drool on yourself” “Carrie (Sex in the City) would be so jealous” shoes…all the best brands …some of them originally hundreds of dollars even “way-back-when” ...the kind that even made my short stubby almost-a-Wide feet look pretty…and I had so many…barely broken in! Now I’m no label snob at all…my daughter wants to turn me in to “What Not To Wear”…Shhh-do you think she’s noticed yet that I’ve only got 5 cruddy pants that fit (see “12/8/08 Pantless until June!” blog) I ask you, WHO wants to clothes shop when they’re fat?..Ahh the shoe-fairy...I can’t BELIEVE what a great deal it was…and now I can’t BELIEVE I gave them all new homes and I may be that size again! I didn’t even give/save any for my daughter that I could steal back…her feet are longer and narrower…Dang my DH giving my daughter the long pretty skinny feet gene (He’s a 14B, she’s a 9-10Narrow)… even SHE cried when I sent the last batch away…I remember, she tried to play “Ugly Step-Sister”…you know…trying to cram her size 9.5 feet into my size 7.5 Cinderella shoes…but no go. So I’m looking for a new Shoe Fairy…and hanging out the “Wanted” sign…after all, pretty shoes may be in my future!
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3/26/09 Pipe Dreams

WARNING- If you don’t want to hear more about my incontinence problems…STOP READING…NO, REALLY…I’m going to pee on you!!…Alright, you’ve been warned. If you haven’t heard about my past issues I’ll sum it up by saying having three kids did my body in…I didn’t have migraines or osteoarthritis and I certainly wasn’t obese or incontinent until I had children. It’s all their fault…not buying it are you? Well, the incontinence IS probably from childbirth…that and genetics, Mom has had two incontinence surgeries (she’s had 5 kids), one of my sisters is on “urgency/bladder” pills (she’s had 4 kids), and DD, yes my 21 year old DD just started the same medication this year (no kids yet…she’s doomed…but that’s our secret…k? I want to be a Grammy someday!). Three and a half years ago I got fed up…it was just before I got diagnosed with adult-onset asthma…extreme coughing and incontinence together…it’s not a pretty thing.   So I swallowed my pride and brought it up at my annual OBGYN exam. Before I knew it I was tested, retested, scheduled, and in for surgeries…not one, but two…a hysterectomy and a bladder sling (both solely for incontinence) back to back with two different surgery crews. The surgeries worked!...I was even contemplating buying some cute underwear, maybe even a thong, now that I was sans mega-pad! Fail! Yep, starting just a few weeks out and before the next year I was back in my mega pads…DS2 calls them ‘dia-pees’…lovely…and no, I’m not in diapers, yet…groan. My coughing/sneezing/laughing pee problem stayed cured, but getting to the potty in time…I’m like a 2 year old starting potty training (lots of running with clothes flying off...good thing I'm now at home and 10 steps from a bathroom at all times)! After another 2 years I got up the courage to go back to my Urologist for more fun testing (read Urodynamics- HERE and Glamour Shots... HERE if you haven’t had enough already), let’s just say he was baffled as I’m the only patient he’s had that the surgery has failed…don’t I feel special…yep, I’m a mystery. So he sent me to another Urology Specialist. I had to wait four months to get in (I took that as a good sign that she must be magical), but today was finally my day! Whoo-hoo…I was expecting more Urodynamics and maybe some new fun testing. The nurse brought me in and asked me about a million questions…some that got me thinking about what testing might be in store for me; things like… ‘Have you ever had your Urethra dilated?’ I have no clue what that means but it sure sounds painful and visuals of balloons up my hoo-ha were forming!! I, of course, divulged that I would be having LB surgery next month (just in case they couldn’t get all their testing in by then). (*Side note here: After exclaiming ‘You don’t look like you would need WLS!’, she spent the next 5 min. asking me all about it). I gave my usual lemonade sample and waited on the table…in came the doc and I told her the same story/issues I’ve been having…she gives me a puzzled look…I’m thinking, here we go again…but then…wait for it… ‘Did your Urologist put you on medicines?’ Me ‘Nope. I know there’s stress and urgency incontinence, but he always said I only have the stress kind and meds wouldn’t help me.’ More frowning…I’m thinking the testing list is getting longer… ‘You DO realize the surgery doesn’t cure any of the urgency problems you’re still having?’ Say WHAT?!!! After that I believe there was some diagram drawing and discussion of the different causes of incontinence, but my head was spinning. Stirrups up and a quick exam and I was given some pills to try out…ARE YOU TELLING ME THE LAST THREE YEARS I COULD HAVE BEEN TAKING A SIMPLE PILL FOR THIS??!! I’m on VESIcare (Yep, I'm now one of those annoying pipe people with leaky pipes, faulty internal plumbing, and drippy spigot- genitalia until I get my pill...maybe I need a gauge) and I ‘should notice results immediately, or there’s about 5 other pills we can try!’ (so I might be one of those 'gotta go, gotta go, gotta go RIGHT NOW peeps). She wants me to go in for a bladder and kidney ultrasound, just because I’ve never had one, but that’s it….NO MORE TESTING! WOOT! Thongs may be in my future yet…maybe when I get a skinny ass.   If this works I'm so buying my new Fairy Godmother one of these lovely note holders...hey, I'm appreciative...and look...oooo shiny!   The rest of our time was spent chatting about the Lap Band, obesity, my family history…yadda yadda…we got along famously. I got the obligatory “You don’t look like you need WLS!” about 3 times out of the doc…another nurse came in for my exam and the first thing the doc said was “She’s having LB surgery!” Nurse “You don’t look like you need WLS!!” Other than DH the only people I’ve told (besides all the WLS docs and pre-op docs) are 4 other doctors and 5 nurses now…and I get the same initial words every time (I must be an expert fat camouflager). They went on and on and I had to justify why I was doing it, my years of yo-yoing, my BMI, and my family history of terrible comorbidities I’m facing. The nurse even asked me how much I wanted to lose…I said I’d be really happy with 80-100 pounds, but I would be happy if I could lose 60-80 and KEEP IT OFF. Her reaction… ‘Well, you could diet and try to lose that!!’ Hadn’t she just heard my history?... ‘Well, I HAVE lost that much before, many times…I need something to help me KEEP it off and help me not feel like I’m starving.’ They just couldn’t get over that I would need WLS…it was a very friendly conversation but it got to the point after about 10 min. of this (as I was sitting with ‘the sheet’ over my lap) that I finally laughed and yelled ‘OK, I’m a lot skinnier on my top half than the bottom half…just take a look at my fat ass when I walk out!’…I was NOT getting my naked butt off the table to prove my point…interesting that they were gathered in the hall as I changed and walked out. My follow-up is in August…I’ll show them! I’ve got to say every time this happens, I’m not embarrassed, or upset, it’s just exhausting to try and justify why I need this and I don’t think I’ve convinced one person yet that I need this…and they’re all doctors and nurses who have heard my health issues and the family ones I’m facing…HOLY C*@P, if I can’t convince someone in the medical profession I need this, I’m SO glad I’m not telling my friends and family!!!
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1/31/09 Steelers Nation and a Funny Song (link below)

Holly Cow!!!! Pittsburghers sure know how to party! It’s serious business here; with a smile! I’ve lived in several big cities with NFL teams, but Pittsburgh fans are Diehards with a Capital D. Mr.SA and I both graduated from Ohio State University, and although OSU fans are VERY loyal/we are (OSU is always rated as the fans most likely to travel with their team), I think Steeler fans take the cake in the NFL. Like I said yesterday, this isn’t a very transient city, so it’s mostly generations of Pittsburghers going WAY back. You don’t just see Steeler’s gear on people during the football season, although the face paint and nail art come out in full force then. Anytime of year here Steelers gear on people surrounds you (in LARGE amounts, not just here and there)…and I’m not just talking about the usual T-shirt, coat, hats, and flags…oh no, you’ll be sitting at the pool and suddenly notice you’re not properly dressed for the occasion. Steeler towels all over the grass, bathing suits in Black ‘N Gold, and that woman laying on the the lounger next to you with the nice pedicure…she’s got Steeler flip-flops on her feet, and yes, they’ve got bling…so do her Black ‘N Gold (‘n diamond) earrings.   Did you know that the Steelers have the most women fans of any NFL team?...and these gals can cook!...they can make a tailgate look like a 5-star buffet!...I never knew so many food come in (or can be turned to) Black ‘N Gold (*hint- bring a small toothbrush/paste in your lovely Steeler’s purse to any Steeler’s party or after you’re done eating your teeth will look like the kid who ate all the black jellybeans). We’re, of course, attending a SB party tomorrow night and I can’t wait. We attended the same party a few years ago when the Steeler’s won, so I was told we must be there (apparently we’re the non-natives who are now ‘good luck charms’…nice!). I’ve got my three appetizers planned…no food coloring, sorry, but the corn/black kidney bean dip certainly has the Black ‘N Gold thing going on.   Every channel has been Steelerfied since the last game and this week every broadcaster has Steelered there studio and their clothing. There was a ‘Cage the Cardinals’ rally dahntahn yesterday and swarms of people were packing the streets just to party together…OK, it’s Friday, there’s no game, no team in site here, but we’re getting together just so we can start the party early (it reminded me of those pep-rally bonfires at OSU the night before a game…only I don’t think they had a bonfire dahntahn, but they did throw eggs at a cardinal (no, not a real bird). This morning all the hospitals are wrapping the babies in their nurseries in Terrible Towels (boy did that look cute). A fact that any good Pittsburgher worth his weight in Pierogies knows, is that Myron Cope, a commentator here invented towel waving…1975, he asked fans to bring yellow kitchen dishtowels to the game to wave…they won…so the Terrible Towel was created the same season.   New songs have been written this year; as if there aren’t enough already; fight songs, rock songs, polkas (you hear them on the stations year-round). Yes, some are slow and sound like we can’t remember more than a few words… “Here We Go, Steelers” now rinse and repeat over and over and over, then add every now & again “Pittsburgh’s going to the Superbowl!” (best one to attempt after you’ve had a few IronCity beers), but others are in true Pittsburgh fashion (remember all that fast-talking smushing words together lesson from yesterday?) well this one’s got it all in spades…and you can sing it even after many Steelertini’s…it’s only one word long! It’s a tribute to the super-sexy Troy Polamalu (listen to the background singers trying to correct the Pittsburghese of the lead singer). He calls him; and this is the title…and ALL the word(s) “Puhlahmahlu” Click to sing it with me in your best Pittsburghese (it still cracks me up)!   Oh, and I forgot...Mr.SA won the 'Steelers Basket' of gear at out local bank today. I take that as a good omen for the team as we never win anything!
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4/30/09 I'm Domestically Disabled

Today and tomorrow morning are my last days to prep for the graduation party. DD is now home from college and (sorry to ask her) will be helping me prep for her own party. DH has moved most of the heavy things and did all the laundry and the boys have been helping out too. We’ve really only have vacuuming, dusting/surface cleaning, fridge, bathrooms, and some food prep to do. Hoping we’ll get things under control today. I wish I could close off the upstairs, but I’m always working on home improvement projects and no one has seen the latest decorating reno. I completed; the Master Bath decorating (nothing major; paint, new trim, some added tiling, curtains, and lots of accessories). I’m feeling pretty good if I’m sitting and am on meds…problem is I need to be up cleaning and I don't last long; we’ll work it out. Everyone is staying at hotels (I just can’t sleep 20 more people here, but some of the cousin kids will probably stay over). I’m also enjoying the fact that I’m having this catered for the first time so this one should be a piece of cake! Oh, DEAR LORD! I forgot to order the cake!!! I’ll be making that call soon! D#*N these meds…I’m brain dead! We also have to prep some meals (Fri.- Dinner, Sat.- Breakfast, Lunch, Appetizers and Desserts for Dinner, and Sun.- Breakfast). My Mom called yesterday because they’ve left a thousand messages for my birthday. They don’t know about the LB and I was back in the hospital on my birthday (I thought about calling back from there, but on the cardiac floor there were so many beeps, hospital noises, nurses taking blood all day, and that silly 'no cell phones on this floor' rule that I thought better of it...I'm sure my roomie who got a pacemaker appreciated that). Mom was "WHERE have you been? I've called your house phone, your cell phone..." She also wanted to know if she could come early to help me get ready for the par-tay, so I told her about the catering and how easy this party would be). Complete silence, then “You’re doing what?!!” I was expecting this. Remember my mom is a great cook and shows her love for us with food. So this is pretty much food blasphemy in her book! DH's family have all catered, so no big deal. We don’t need to spend the extra bucks right now with another kid off to college They should all just be grateful ‘the bad cook’ isn’t cooking for them. I’m just going to enjoy it (not the food, remember I'm on liquids, the 'having it catered') as I’ll be working my bum off for DS1’s party coming up. Wish me luck that no one notices that I'm not eating.   Back to work! Why am I so tired?
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12/12/08 Glamour Shots...(and "Telling Others")

Nope, no “Afters” or even “Befores”. Remember?...I know I told you!?:wink2: I went back to the Urologist yesterday (See my “12/5/08 Urodynamics” blog…if you want to sing a wacky Christmas Jingle with me) for my “Glamour Shots” (Yee Old Tiny Camera up the gazoo photos).:eek: I wonder if I can get a copy for my fridge?:biggrin: After all that (again) my Urologist comes in and says they didn’t find any problems:confused: from the original surgery so he’s going to send me to a Specialist at Magee (Specialist?:glare: I thought you WERE a specialist!). Oh, and he gave me a reassuring “Don’t worry…you won’t be leaking the rest of your life.”…what am I, a faucet? :sad:Sigh. I seem to always be the “exception” or have the weirdest medical things happen to me that the Doctors can’t/take forever to figure out.:out: Just ONE example of many; 2 years ago during 3 months of a TERRIBLE no-sleep literally-can’t-leave-the-house-because-I cough-so-hard-I-vomit:puke: constant cough, it took 5 Doctors and 2 Specialist and about 5 different diagnosis of everything from hand-foot-mouth disease to small pulmonary embolisms:ohmy: for me to finally get a “we think you have adult onset asthma…that was aggravated by…”…who knows?:rolleyes2: The good new is, none of my problems have been terrible things that I know so many have to deal with…Hey, if the worst thing that happens to me is peeing every time I laugh, which my youngest just told me I do way to often :laugh:(the laughing, not the peeing, although that's true too), then I’ve got a lot to be thankful for! Asthma for me is like being obese and the many comorbidities it causes…you just get tired of it, tired of not feeling healthy.:frown:   I think one of my first questions for the new “Specialist” will be “Is there a chance this could improve with weight loss?” I asked my Urologist that (after also telling him I was getting the LB) and he said “Not for you! That only happens with people that are huge-morbidly obese…You’re not that overweight!” :sosp: Yeah…us low BMIers hear that from anyone we tell :rolleyes3:(I’ve only told 3 Doctors and 3 Nurses and ALL of them have used those same 4 words…You’re not that overweight!:glare: To which my immediate reply is always “I’m 100 pounds overweight!”:mad2: I was surprised how that just came out the first time and how defensive I felt about wanting to get the LB.:huh2: Some of them came around and eventually said positive things once they saw I was serious about it, but it was a weird conversation even with these medical “strangers”. I felt like I had to give a list of what a failure I’ve been at weight loss and all the terrible things I’ve let happen to my body because of that in defense of wanting the LB. What negativity…not me.:hand: It reinforced my decision not to tell anyone but DH-Mr.SA (and of course the WHOLE WORLD on LBT). So come on World…get behind me on this (just don’t make me laugh).:lol2::yikes:
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11/12/08 "Before" pics

On to more pressing matters…I’m nervous about my last seminar tomorrow so I’m being lazy and spending most of the day on the computer. After lurking all over LBT today I’m now feeling the need to take my “Before” pictures or find some. I’m even thinking I might even attempt the insurmountable feat of creating an Avatar soon (isn’t that a Cartoon show?).:angry_smile: Heck, I’ve now got a Blog and I didn’t know what that was a week ago! And BTW what the heck is a Vlog people are mentioning “I love vlogging?”?? I’ll have to Google that one!   I’ve found there are very few recent pics of me…I hide from the camera, shove my youngest in front of me, or it’s in my hand…I wonder why. This is a somewhat scary proposition. So…I’ve been perusing everyone’s Before/After pics (wow you all look so different! You know I’m talking about you! What an inspiration!:cursing:) …do I wear the jeans; nope…I’ll NEVER be able to get that pic where I’m standing in one pant leg!:cursing: I’ve got the jeans for 160# still hanging in my closet and they’re not ½ the size of my current ones...hard to believe I was there less than 8 years ago (for the umpteenth time!). Do I just do the face shot…nope; unfortunately I still have a very oval face with a double chin only when I smile. Let’s be real…It’s not my face carrying this weight…I’m a pear and the skinniest part is still at the top, my head. Do I dress myself in my finest (aka full camouflage of the weight)? Or do I let it all hang out (I saw one in her underwear belly fat roll in hand...I’ll cut her a break, maybe she doesn’t own a bikini; I know I don’t!:cursing: BTW not on LBT…we have standards here!) I think I’m opting for the middle ground. I like the ones that wear the same outfit so you can really see the differences…so I guess I’ll need to wear pants I might keep…oh, wait, I guess that only leaves my spandex sweats and a tank…not so pretty…that’s one step away from the underwear lady! But maybe that’s the motivation I need!:cursing: I don’t know about you but I know I don’t see myself the way others see me…while I’m disgusted by the site of me and what I’ve done to my body…I know I still don’t see myself as fat as I am…Why is that? And when I was 70# lighter when we moved to Pittsburgh, I remember being in my youngest sisters wedding and feeling SO fat…I hate my photos from that day. Maybe Technicolor photos will help me gain perspective. So I’m gathering my courage to have my DH photograph me…I’ll let you know how it goes.:cursing:   Now I’ve just got to ask…WHAT’S UP with all those Avatars of people’s faces taken from above their heads? :cool:They are beautiful and interesting, but I started to ask myself why? Why no face pics from below…OK…looking up anyone’s nose wouldn’t be pretty! Above- Is it so no one can recognize you? Do they all have disfiguring goiters on their necks:eek:…I’m not making fun…I’m just curious. I’ve finally decided they all have double or triple chins (I’m a double) they’re hiding. I’ll have to keep this in mind when I finally figure out how to do an Avatar…I wonder how skinny I’d look from up above? But then I'd have to dye my gray roots! For now I’ll just work on the “Before”… :cursing:
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1/29/10 This Week's Blog Updates

- Finding Common Ground - Groundhog Day - All The World's A Stage - Ticker Updates & Note To Followers   Come take a peek. http://bandgroupiethesweetspot.blogspot.com/   Happy Weekend All! -BG
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12/13/08 Dashing through the Doctors...

Last night: I feel like all I’ve done is go to the Doctors/Dentist this month!:rolleyes2: My youngest came home from school today with a high fever and a sore throat…then he vomited on the carpet…then the kitchen floor:puke: (yes, I'm not an idiot...I had already given him a big barf bowl, why he didn't take it with him as he ran to the bathroom, I don't know:glare:) so into the bathtub and a call:phone: to the nurse for advice and an appointment in the morning. He’s resting now, so I just sat down to look at my calendar and put in his appointment (yes, you know me well…my very-anal-color-coded-by-person-calendar…I’d be lost without it:wink2:). I counted up 18 Dr./Dental appointments for the kids and me this month…and the only 2 LB ones were my PCP visit and my upcoming my surgeon consult. Who knows how many visits Mr.SA has, he keeps his own calendar. So take out Christmas holidays and what is that…more than one appointment every weekday!:glare: Boy, it sounds like we any unhealthy bunch…and the rest of the family are all skinny as rails! I won’t share my families medical issues- just mine (Mr. SA is the opposite of me about sharing that kind of stuff with anyone), but let’s say we’ve already reached our family prescription deductible. Oh well, all those waiting rooms have given me time to actually read the book I started this summer…halfway now…I never find time to read anymore. I guess it’s also a good prep to for all those LB appointments I’ll have next year! :biggrin: Oh, he’s awake…got to go push the fluids…   Today: After 6 more “vomit session” :puke:and me steam cleaning the carpet DS finally fell asleep last night…fever still raging. He was all better this morning but we kept our Dr. appointment anyway so they could do the strep test. So we went “dashing through the snow” :driving:again today (our Doctors office was closed, but the one in Richland was open). Rapid test negative:thumbup:…here’s hoping the longer one is too. He’s got 2 exploratory procedures coming up this Wed. (no surgery, nothing serious) so I’m hoping he’s well for them. That's life.:rolleyes3:
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9/3/09 Home Alone

Yes folks, it’s that time of year again! School started today and finally…I’m home alone! DS2 went off to 8th grade, DS1 is safely tucked in at college and is having a blast, DD and DH went off to work. I don’t know what to do with myself! Sure, there’s the pile of supplies and stuff we brought back from DS1’s college move and the pile of stuff from our week at the beach that all needs to be put away. My white tiled kitchen floor (I must have been in a coma the day we picked white tile for a kitchen floor…one suggestion…DON'T) looks more like my lawn right now. The laundry is done only because DS2 made me do all his clothes yesterday because he needed everything to select from for his first day of school (I’m guessing all those girls who were texting him day and night last year are going to be a big distraction this year LOL). I have a pile of mail to catch up on and the bathrooms all need cleaning…but what to do?!   I’m making it a fun first day alone. I think I’ll start with painting the lights I want to make for my god-daughter (I’ll post my catch-up blog from two weeks ago on DS1’s and her move to college tomorrow, which will explain the lights). Then I’m going to bake some cookies to include with small gifts we bought DS1 on vacation. I’ll mail both their college care packages off tomorrow. But right now…excuse me while I run naked through the house…weee....
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