DeLarla

Teresa, please stop planning and just do it. I need to be an aunt or uncle. Didn't someone around here just have a healthy band baby? That's so darn special, isn't it? A Band Baby. Makes me happy. Makes me wonder why the heck Band Baby pictures aren't posted yet! We need baby pics.

I ate bread, brocolli and asparagus at lunch today. I think when doctors say "no" to certain foods, they are basing that on items that give most people a problem. I say that because asparagus can be stringy, and that could hurt really bad. Same with celery strings or anything that can't be chewed. I really don't have a problem with anything; if it's on the list of things that are hard to get down, I just take baby bites and chew really well. One thing I can't give up is a soft salted pretzle (just fainted thinking of one.) It's a rare treat considering they don't sell them many places, and there's no way I can eat a whole one, but I nibble on them just fine.

Okay, I'll be nice. I don't want to join cuz the pressure gets to me, but can I be Head Cheer Leader?

BLAH! You act like this is a weight loss support group.

Am I the only one that loves a good old fashioned pain pill? I have Lortab left over from my surgery. In the past, I put so much fried food, sugar, fat and crap in my body that I ended up over 300 pounds, so why is taking a pill so harmful (gotta laugh.) Drugs to me are safer than food, so when I have pain, I take pain pills. If I don't have Lortab I take 2 Tylenol with 1/2 Xanax for headaches, which works wonders.

I can eat 1/2 to a whole piece if I eat really slow. Bread is one of the things that sticks with me the longest, so I try to have 1/2 a piece with dinner. If I don't have it I get hungry faster.

Add plain old aspirin to the list of stomach-irritants to avoid.

Damn, damn, damn! I was gonna eat my tiny band lunch when Shelly (my gal pal) with her darling daughter. They took me to Marie Calendar's, where I did not make nice choices. But at least I got my dairy in by sharing cheesecake with McCall. DOH!

Penni and I should buy a truck and some animals and do a circus tour. We get to laughing over the stupidest stuff - it's infectious.

Vine, is this the same Lisa that was on the talk show? Is this the original article? I don't have time to read it but will tonight. Thanks, D!

Kat, thank you so much for posting. I'm a huge advocate of letting people know how bad things can get since I think it's only fair that people see the whole picture before jumping into this. I asked before my surgery of all the possible complications, and nobody ever mentioned anything like this. Then again, they never mentally prepared me for a port infection, either. I've had two ports removed and appreciate this post. I hope you're doing well. Thanks again. P.S. I'm in Vegas and hope to meet you some day. Keep me in the loop on Reno events. My best friend lives there and I owe her a visit. I would love to meet your surgeon, too. I'm glad he found the problem. If you were banded in Mexico.... YIKES, let's not go there.

Just your regular blood pressure, listen to the ticker, maybe a lil blood work for cholesterol n' such. Nothing to be afraid of.

Betty, you don't make a very good plus size gal by saying yuck to food. It's food! How can you not like ricotta when that's what's in lasagna? I missed my morning yogurt so anything sounds good right now.

Sounds like Heaven to me. Take pics!

Daisy, keep the pic big, that's beautiful. Same with Road Queen, look at that beautiful shot with all the green grass and shinkey bike! Keep 'em coming.

Absolutely. When I have good restriction, the first place I feel it is my throat. I had sore throats every day for a long time after surgery. They're gone now. Funny that I forgot all about it till you mentioned it.

It's just like any other surgery where they prep you first, then take you into surgery, then put you under. Soon you are awake in another room with no memory of the surgery. For the band, they normally have you put on these tight stockings to help prevent clotting, then they put an IV in you till they're ready to wheel you into the surgery room. I always go in with a sense of humor, which helps tremendously. I ask for Tequila in my IV bag, and that gets the team laughing, which decreases the tension. All you see are masked faces. Soon the anesthesiologist is standing over you, then you are awake. Sometimes they have you count backwards from 10, but you're out by the time you get to 9.

No Kitten, I don't want to hear this. Will it ever stop? You've been through too much so I'm coming there and having the surgery for you. What's your address?

I have to get some Ricotta. Kel, how do you eat it? I just bought a frozen soft yogurt and ice cream maker, but I sent it back before I opened it because I read the recipes and there was too much prep work. What machine are you talking about? The one I got actually wanted me to cook in a pan, blend in a blender, then chill the mixture for 30 minutes before putting it in the machine. I just wanted to toss all the ingredients in and walk away!

I need mental help. I can't concern myself with your horrible PB experience cause all I can think about is a baked clam. I don't even know what it is, but I must have one. But honestly, most of us know your pain, and it's horrifying, and it's not very pretty. It's definitely not girly. Are you feeling better now?

I know you can't see this, Kelly, but I just did a birthday tap dance in my office for you. They all think I'm a lunatic anyway, so I hope you enjoyed it. Happy Birthday!

I think the close up of Penni is one of her best shots. She's got beautiful cheek bones and no wrinkles even though the #$^@ is a year or NINE older than me snort snort. She's gonna throw a shoe at me as soon as I see her!

It's only been a couple days, and yesterday I broke down and had half a Diet Coke. My problem is 3:00 p.m. It's like Amityville Horror where the creepy guy wakes up the same time every night with demons talking to him. I don't like 3pm. Then there's the whole set of night time demons. Maybe I don't need a Band. Maybe I just need an exorcism.

The back underside is brunette. I've always wanted to go blonde-blonde once in my life, but I've always been too, what's that word you used? Chickenshit! This is my first step towards going blonde. Maybe. Scared. (Flapping wings again.)

Me & Penni making nice... John trying to be cool.