okay, I feel better now, took some ibuprofen, and took down my heavy ponytail that I slept in OUCH! Well, anyways, back to to trip to San Diego then Mexico for surgery august 28th 2012. My friend Donna is going! She was banded 3 years ago and lost a significant amount of weight and looks awesome...we work together, we're both nurses, what could be better than having an experienced bandster and nurse with me on my surgery trip? Nothing! I enjoy her company very much, besides one other friend I have and my husband, I can't think of anyone else I would want to take with me. My husband is going to Sturgis SD the beginning of August and couldn't take off at the end to go with me... We plan to rent a car on the 29th in San Diego to go do something before we head back home the next day...That was Donna's idea, I would just as soon use the shuttles, taxi's to get around. She'll be driving probably so whatever...She bought her plane ticket a week after I did, but we still got a good deal for her on KAYAK.com, 433.00 for round trip from western KY. not bad... Mine was only 333.00 a week earlier! We were able to get her seat next to me even...YAY! Neither of us have flown on a commercial flight before. I'm more worried about missing my flights than I am having surgery.I didn't think about the fact that you have to arrive at the airport 2-3 hourse before your flight, until yesterday when I was reading airport tips/facts. Glad I noticed that! We could've been left behind, I would die if I missed a flight...

Well, as far as family & friends' responses to my upcoming surgery, I have mostly heard:" You don't need that, you're not that big". I weigh 185 and 6 years ago I weighed 125. That is 60 pounds, and my whole family is very obese, like 300 lbs and such. I don't want to wait until I already have HTN, and diabetes to do this... And I know I'll keep gaining, I've tried pills, Nutrisystem, everything without success.. If I did lose some weight I would gain it back. I have a ferocious appetite the past few years. And I have to absolutely starve to death to lose and maintain. Guess I'm just getting older. My thyroid, and other hormones are all WNL. I've had to give this little speech the past few months when I tell someone about what I'm doing, the last time I heard "you don't need to do that"! I just replied, "i'm doing it!!!" "I don't care what you say, so don't waste your breath. I know you may mean it as a compliment, but it doesn't feel like that, it feels like you think I'm stupid or something for doing this", that is exactly what I'm going to start saying, I left the woman speechless, it was a coworker at work (also a nurse). I know alot of you have heard the same responses, you might try my little:" Nip this in the bud" speech.... It worked awesomely, she shut right up, right after her mouth flew open for a few seconds... haha It felt good, I'm tired of hearing negative remarks, I haven't even told my parents yet,, they'lll say the same thing, I know them very well... But they also know me and knowt that I don't care what people say, but it does still get in my crawl when I don't get encouragement when I reveal another "hair brained scheme" as my dad calls it. HAHA Thanks alot for taking time to read my jumbled thoughts...