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Sue, maybe you really should be the official Queen of LBT. Granted, this would take the board into a whole new and bizarre realm, but at least it would get us out of this mess! Nancy

Hi, I am cheering Nolan on, hoping he gains weight. Has there been any discussion of giving him a feeding tube temporarily? My guess is that at some point, he will have a speech and/or occupational therapist to help him with his sucking. They are great at this. I work with children with all kinds of disabilities including Down Syndrome. I second what the others have said. The best advice for your sister is to educate herself about this syndrome and to meet other parents with children with Downs - either in person or online. Best of luck to all of you. Nancy

Amen Darcy and Becky. And Becky thanks so much for having the courage and integrity to speak plainly. Nancy

Good for you! Here are two other tips I used when I quit. When a craving hit I would either brush my teeth or drink some milk. Neither one of those things go too well with cigarettes, so they helped to take the craving away. Nancy

Thanks, Zoe. I picked her up today. She's just the sweetest. She follows me everywhere and likes to sit in my lap. And she's very playful! I think I'm in love. Nancy

Vera, is the fibroid causing you any other problems? Or is it just that you can't get the device? I have a huge fibroid, but I'm told they tend to shrink after menopause. Mine has not really caused me any problems. nancy

Zoe, congratulations on your bandiversary and your weight loss success. I really appreciate having you on the board. I always seem to identify with what you write. Nancy

You can do it! I quit smoking 20 years ago and I'm so glad I did! One thing I did that helped me was to write a list of 100 reasons I wanted to quit smoking. Things like "not having cigarette burns on the carpet, saving money, not supporting the evil tobacco companies who have conspired to make me a drug addict, not having a leathery, wrinkled face when I'm older, not having a smoker's voice when I'm older." There are so many reasons to quit beyond the obvious health benfits. I didn't think of all 100 reasons right away, but within a few days, I had them all. When a craving hit me, I would look at my list. Best of luck to you. You're doing something really important for yourself. Nancy

Dawn, please don't worry. We will respond to you. This has been a wonderful, supportive board for a long time. Many of us have come to feel we know each other. In the last week or two, some very ugly things have been said and done, but we are trying to work it out. I agree with Darcy, Becky, Michelle, and the others who have spoken out in support of Marie, Alexandra, and the other moderators. I do not feel any of them has done anything wrong. However, I have been afraid to speak my mind because I have heard that doing so can lead to getting negative PMs. This is a crying shame. It leads to self-censorship which can cripple the board. I do feel there is one person on this board who needs help beyond what we can provide. And she is ruining it for a lot of people. My deepest thanks to those who have been so supportive, to the moderators for their service, and to Alex for starting this board. Sorry I could not have been more concise. Nancy

My periods stopped at age 48 or 49. But for about two years prior to that I was having some symptoms, especially sleep disturbance, hot flashes, irregular periods, etc. I kept going to my gyn and he drew my blood for hormone tests and kept telling me I was not going through menopause. He actually told me I should see a psychiatrist. Well, for someone who was not going through menopause, it's funny that I am completely post-menopausal only a year later! Read up on perimenopause. Symptoms start prior to menopuase. I guess my former gyn didn't know that. :angry Now, I still have flashes daily or almost daily, but they are pretty mild. Not like my office mate who keeps the temperature in our office at about 65 degrees! My hands get so cold I can't type. It's good that you asked this question. Women don't talk about it enough. I guess there is a stigma in getting older. When I went through it, I really did not know what to expect. Nancy

I love all of you! (((((Hugs)))))) Nancy

Oh, I forgot to mention that I am a news and current events junkie. I also volunteer doing pet therapy in a nursing home. Denise, I'd love to know where you go for political chat. I would probably enjoy that. You can pm me if you want. Nancy

Norma, hang in there. It definitely gets better. I eat considerably more than the amount you mention, by the way. The band is adjustable, so once you have healed, you can have the band adjusted to the level of restriction with which you are comfortable. If you want to eat more, you can have a lower level of restriction. You will lose weight more slowly, but you will still lose. Rachel, keep in mind that any and every surgery will have negative stories attatched to it, but they are the minority. I had a minor throat surgery and had the nerves to my vocal cords cut. I couldn't speak until I had had two corrective surgeries. I work in a hospital and I've seen kids die from a tonsillectomy. I think it is smart of you to ask to hear the negative side of things, though. Just remember they are rare. Nancy

I'm excited for you! Your 8 week program sounds like a good one. Very challenging! Good luck. Nancy

Blossom, I totally understand about avoiding this thread because you miss your babies. I was doing the same thing. The love of my life, Niko, died 10 days ago. But now I'm back because today I am getting a new dog. I surprised myself by wanting a dog so soon, but I guess Niko had been sick for so long (over a year) that I did a lot of grieving and getting ready even before he died. The new dog is a rescued poodle. I'm naming her Annika. I'm so excited! Nancy

Great question. I work. I put a lot of time and energy into caring for my animal companions. And I love to read. True crime, mysteries, and novels. True crime is my favorite. Nancy

Oh, please keep us posted on this. I'm interested in having some work done. I'll say a prayer for you. Nancy

That top is so pretty and sexy! Isn't it fun? LOL about the black flowing thing, probably with some sparkly beads. I've worn more than a few of those! Nancy

Way to go, Pat! Tell us how you are doing it! Nancy

I was formerly a respiratory therapist so I can explain a little. Obesity (and it doesn't have to be morbid obesity) is a risk factor for sleep apnea. The extra fat in the throat causes compression when all the muscles are relaxed during sleep and the air passage is obstructed. You are trying to breathe, but are not getting any air. Your oxygen levels fall. In some cases this happens hundreds of times a night and the person is unaware of it. But the low oxygen over time causes right heart damage which can lead to right heart failure. People with this condition have a higher surgical risk. Not to mention, it needs to be diagnosed so that it can be treated, preferably before heart damage occurs. The most common symptoms of sleep apnea are snoring, daytime sleepiness, and morning headaches. Nancy

The clothing size thing is very individual and has been a source of mystery and frustration to me. Michelle and I are the same height and almost exactly the same weight (I weigh 187 today). Yet she is wearing a size 12 and I am in a size 18 and they are kind of tight. It's not just your weight and height, I don't think. A lot depends on your age, shape, muscle mass, etc. I am big around the middle, so while my legs could fit into a much smaller size, my waist won't. But no matter what size you end up wearing, it will be smaller than the size you're in now, that's for sure! Nancy

Sorry about your date being rescheduled. It's hard when you've been anticipating something and then find it moved farther away. I stayed zero nights in the hospital. I dont' like hospitals, I had no pain and I begged to go home the same day. I was glad it worked out like that. Nancy

I've been struggling lately with eating junk, not exercising, gaining weight. So my response at this time is a little more subdued than the others. Would I do it again? Absolutely! No question! The surgery itself was very easy for me. I've lost 63 pounds, but that is in 18 months. I'm a slow loser and it's my fault because I have not really been able to stick to the program consistently. I've lost 63 pounds that I would not have lost without the band. But no matter how many times I read, "It's just a tool," I guess I didn't really believe it. Believe it. After getting banded, you will still have to focus on eating right, eating healthy food, not eating junk. If you want to call it a diet, you wouldn't be far off the mark. You will need to exercise. But you will not be able to eat as much or as fast as you do now. Read the past threads on this board and notice how many of them have to do with needing to regain control, motivation for exercise, etc. Understand that you will be doing a form of "dieting" or "sticking to an eating plan" afterwards, just as you have before. Sometimes the band makes it easier, sometimes it doesn't. It's a tool, it will help you lose weight, and it's pretty safe. But it's not magic. Make sure you understand that and really believe it. Then, if you still want to do it, I say "go for it." I'm glad I did. Nancy (on a hard day)

I've posted twice in different threads that my dog was very ill and dying. I had him put to sleep today. He was feeling good today so in a way it was the perfect time. He had very bad heart disease and we had been battling it for over a year. I had to give him ten pills a day. I know everyone thinks their dog is the best and I am no different. I thought mine was the best. He was so smart, so mellow, so gentle with children and old people. He was so affectionate that he brought a lot of pleasure to many people. All the neighborhood children ask if they can pet him whenever they see me. And he was a pet therapy dog. I belonged to a pet therapy group. The dogs had to be tested to make sure they had the right temperament. Niko and I visited a nursing home with other owners and dogs. But there were several residents that only looked forward to seeing him. "Where's the poodle?" they would ask. I'll never forget one very special time. Niko was sitting in a resident's lap, licking her face. She had Alzheimer's and I had never seen her have a visitor. She looked at him and exclaimed, "Oh, you love me! And I love you, too, honey." She seemed so happy in that moment. I love animals and I've had and still have cats, but I've never loved an animal as deeply as I loved Niko. He was my everyday companion. Well. I just felt compelled to post this as a little memorial to him. You guys are part of my family, too, now. I know I'll be OK. I am OK. Just very, very sad. Thanks for reading this far. Nancy

Vera, I hope you are feeling well. Nancy