Penni60

OOOOOHH DONALI!!!!!!! That sounds scrumptious. I will have to try that. Gotta make a run for the store tomorrow. Too late tonight. LOL!!!

Ryan: with such profound writing as you possess there is a way for you to write this book. You could interview each of us that would want to participate and incorporate our stories into a book of each of our struggles to "get healthier with the LAP BAND." This will allow you to write the stories and if you choose to add parts of your own story however little or however much you want we won't mind. Right ladies? I for one would be willing to share my story if I thought it would help someone else. This is a struggle every day I wake up. I know the food is there. I know I must eat to maintain my health. I must choose wisely the food I take into my body for nourishment and not for comfort as I have for the last 30 some odd years. So write our stories Ryan as you so eloquently write here. Just a suggestion.

Jennye: HAPPY BIRTHDAY miss young person only 28. Hope this day was all you hoped for and more. Wishing you lots more.

LOL It just dawned on me that this was the same person. LOL!!!

CELL PHONE is usable as well.

I always crave Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino's. I almost have to have one every day. It is crazy. Lately I have been trying to avoid them but I do succumb on occasion. If I want a cookie or a bite of ice cream or a milk shake I have one. I don't feel guilty about it. I think WOW I would normally eat the whole back of Cookies, or the whole container of ice cream, or have more than one milk shake. SO, to indulge in some cravings are NOT a bad thing in my book. It is when you take it to the next extreme that is not good. That is where the control comes in to play. We should set up a hotline for us all that when we get on a binge there is someone we can call to talk us down. I would be willing to give out my phone number to anyone that is in that position. And I am willing to accept a collect call from that person as well. Who better to understand what we are going through than another person that has been there. Love all you guys.

Janis: WHOO HOO CONGRATS keep up the good work.

YUP!!! Sure do!!!

I put neosporin on this for one night when it started that weeping again. I decided to just deal with the weeping instead of all that neosporin. IT looks much better today. It is still red and irritated but that is from the glue they used to stitch me up instead of stitches. I forgot to tell Billy that I was allergic to the glue. IDIOT me was so enamored with him that I got all tongue tied. OOPS that was drooling problems I had actually. LOL!!! I just put a light layer of hydrocortisone cream on the area and it is drying up nicely now. Still itches every now and then but for the most part it is great.

Jes I do wanna mess wid joo! Hmmm that cake would be good this weekend. I have my daughter and her three kids visiting. They would make short order of that cake. LOL!! OH let's see Otis Spunkmeyer can deliver some day old Sugar Cookies can't they??? pizza Hut, Papa John's, and Domino's all deliver as well don't they. HMmm?? Bring it on woman. I am loaded for bear. Love ya

Me port is fine me darlin. The area is somewhat sore and a little bruised (yellowish in color). But other than that it is great. Go for a check up with Dr. Hunky er Dr. Billy that is on August 10th.

Hey, I just had this port revision surgery on Friday the 23rd. My port was not flipped but it was tilted and made it difficult to access and on top of that with the port being tilted it pushed the tubing outward. It never protruded through my skin but it came awfully close. So on Friday the 23rd I underwent the easiest surgery I have ever had. I went into the OR at 12noon and was home resting by 5pm. I have One incision. My surgeon used the same scar from the initial port placement. For all the aggravation of having a port out of position I highly recommend getting it relocated for easier access.

NO it sure doesn't Lisa. Eat up!!! Enjoy!!! Someone brings you a cake eat it all!!! NO CALORIES!!!

Here is my take on the binging episodes. In sayng the word "WE" I include myself in this. When we were larger we almost were in a comfortable state. We didn't have to keep up appearances that we were changing our lifestyle. Now that we have made a decision to change our lifestyle we have a different kind of pressure to keep up the work. The whole reason we were not successful in our previous attempts at losing weight and maintaining the loss was is because it was easier and safer to continue like we were. IT is hard work to maintain the loss or keep the loss. I for one see it as a struggle every day to NOT binge or revert to my old habits. I have eaten a bag of Cheetos since being banded and then immediately felt guilty and thought "Why did I get banded if I am just gonna eat like I always did?" Once I was honest with myself I was able to get past the guilt and move on with my changes. Being large you have this feeling of being isolated and protected by that isolation to getting your feelings hurt by cruel people. Now that we are all losing and people around us are noticing it scares the heck out of us. We no longer have that protection of our fat to hide behind. We are OUT there for the world to see and appreciate that there is a PERSON under all that fat. That scares the heck out of me at times. It means we have to interact with other people on a small scale. It also means we are more vulnerable as well. So the binging is a way to sabotage the work we have accomplished thus far. You have the power ladies and gentlemen to change the habits. You took back the control from food when you were banded. Take it back now once again and hold those reins tight. Yeah it will buck and try to throw you off again and again, but hold on tight. The end result will be a smooth ride and a glorious one. Ok that is my rants and ravings for the day. Take the musings and use them if they apply. If they don't then chalk it up to remnants of some good drugs from my surgery. LOL!!! I love all you guys and we are awesome and brave to have travelled down this road.

WHOO HOO!!! I just had someone make one for my daughter's bridal shower. It was a blast. Wait a min I have a pic somewhere. I will attach it.

WHOO HOO GAME ON!!!!!!!!! I currently weight 252.5 lbs as of today. What is your weight? We can weigh ourselves on our own scales the morning of the 8th. Then report to the group who has lost the most when we sit down to dinner on the night of the 8th. How is that??? The group gets to pick the prize for the winner. You know what I am game for anyone to enter into this competition with Lisa and I. The more the merrier!!! NO diet pills. Just eating right and following your exercise routine as planned. Drinking your water. You know all the stuff we would normally do. HEE HEE HEE!!!!! See you in October. So, what am I gonna win???

Bet on ME of course. LOL!!!!!

Jenn: I remember that pain. I found out that if you walk as much as you can endure then it helps tremendously. IT also helps walk off the gas pains as well. CRUSH THOSE pills if you can. Like Darcy said some might not be able to be crushed. Once you crush them mix them in some OJ or Gatorade or something to mask the taste of the pills. Welcome aboard. WHOO HOO

I know exactly where USC NOrris Cancer center is located. So if you wanna just meet there for lunch or something then let me know.

Hey I live about 45 min North of L.A. Not sure what you are gonna be in the area for but if you have time it would be cool to meet and do lunch or something. If you are gonna be in town through the night of the 20th which is a Friday then you could come and hear my sweetie sing at a coffeehouse. Let me know. You have my cell phone number so call when you get in town.

Get the band catalog number and serial number from your Doctor either before or after surgery. Ask him about a little card you can carry in your wallet stating that you were banded. See you on the flip side there sweetie. CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!

Here are before pics of me.

Heck, just take one he will never know what it is for. I am taking a pic of Dr. Billy when I go in for my checkup on Aug 10th. I would have taken one at the hospital before my surgery last Friday but I never saw him till after the surgery.

Michelle: I was busted again. I forgot that I was only supposed to weigh myself on Mondays. But again I weighed myself this morning since that is my WID for Fitday and Ediets.com along with my measurements as well. So, I am down to 252.5 lbs which is a total 43.5 lbs loss so far. And down 1.5 lbs from last weigh in last week. OK Hand is sufficiently smacked.

Marie: John loves the new ME. Very attentive and grabs my every disappearing ass every chance he gets. LOL!!! I said to him the other day, "LOOK at this! My boobs are even disappearing!" He jerked his head around and said, "STILL LOOK GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT TO ME!" OH my gawd. I laughed so hard. He is a sweetie. He is so supportive and understanding. I have lots more energy these days and love to go out and do things now. I wasn't like that when I weighed 296 lbs. I wanted to just stay at home and hibernate. I am enjoying life now. For all the minor set backs I have gone through it was STILL worth it to get my life back.