Penni60

Although this is accurate there are other reasons for excessive PBing episodes other than being too tight. Eating too fast. Eating too much. Trying to drink with your meals. Eating the wrong foods (like breads, rice, etc) Some of us bandsters have problems with those foods and they can trigger a PB. Just be mindful of "why" you are doing alot of PBing. It isn't always about being too tight. IT can be related to other factors.

I haven't dealt with Kaiser but I live in Van Nuys. We should like you know meet sometime or something. LOL!! We can you know like talk Valley language. Good luck with the insurance issues. I have Pacificare PPO and tried to get reimbursed but no luck.

If you want Jello then mix it up as you would normally but don't let it set up all the way. Let it be really soft. I would even drink the warm jello mix. If you let the Jello set up then take SMALL bites and let it dissolve in your mouth before you try to swallow it. Do not chew it and then try to swallow PLEASE let it dissolve completely.

THanks Donali for keeping us informed about Diane. I am keeping her in my prayers and hoping for a speedy and further uneventful recovery.

Megan I fixed the pics side by side for you. NOW GO post them to the before and after thread. YOU are one beautiful woman.

I already posted these to the before and after but wanted to share them here as well. I will delete this thread in a day or two.

Thanks guys. I needed to hear all these comments. Lisa darlin the eerie green and yellow lights are from taking that pic in the mirror. The shirt is the same as in the other pic. IT is really the blue color. I guess the mirror had a tint to it. I am home from the friend's wedding and heading to beddie bye now. HUGS to all. Getting over a bad cold I picked up just before heading on this trip. I was so miserable in those pics. I was a suffering dog. LOL!!!

Johnathan: My prayers are with you through this difficult time.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Doing the happy dance. Jump up and say HEY!!! NOT YOU CHRISTINA!!!!!!!! LOL!! HUGS girl Penni

I will do a new avatar when I am feeling better. RIght now this one says it all for me. LOL!!

Click on www.johnm.com and then look for the link that says "Click here for John's Movie Trailer". The Hot tub scene is in this trailer.

Here are my updated pics.

This was almost 5 years ago when we filmed this movie. It has taken this long to get it finished. Betty, I am sure we will be coming through your way again, when I know the dates I will let you know. By the way, I got to see the Dallas/Ft.Worth airport yesterday as our plane to Baltimore connected through there. We got off the plane from LAX and ran to board our connecting plane. Nice Airport from what I saw. John and I are in Baltimore for a friend's wedding, which is today at 1p.

Hey girl, Where the heck are you? I know you were banded yesterday. I was travelling to Baltimore yesterday with John for a friend's wedding today. So come and post as soon as you are up to it. HUGS and know you are doing great.

OMG! Kelly you are so sweet. Of course it didn't hurt my feelings. LOL!!! HUGS girl. We were in Dallas, Ft. Worth, Wylie, Kerrville, and points in between.

Kelly that is all it will show. It is only a trailer for the film that is being finished. But if you have problems try this link. www.houseconcertsthehomeinvasiontour.com IT goes directly to the trailer. The film isn't ready for release just yet.

THere ya go

OK some tough love here. IT looks like you are eating the wrong kinds of foods. Too much starch and fatty foods and not enough of the "good" stuff. I will always ask "why is it the bad stuff goes down way to easily while the good stuff won't hardly go down at all." If you want a sandwich then do a wrap. The Bologna isn't the healthiest sandwich meat but if you want that then do a lettuce wrap or a pita wrap. Tuna or Turkey (white meat only - dark has too much fat) as a subsititute is better. Breakfast is the hardest meal for me personally. I usually don't do the breads at all. They just pack on the pounds and convert everything into stored fat. I stick to Protein first at Breakfast like eggs, I have the soft scrambled and then even mush them up and take small bites. Bacon I have ONE slice and that is fried till it is burnt so I can chew it well. Then a cup of coffee. About the hunger. You have to ask yourself is it belly hunger or mind hunger. There is a difference. As bandsters we have to be MORE intune with our bodies. I had to learn the difference. If you belly is growling then of course it is "true" hunger. If your mind is saying "you can't possible be full therefore you must be still hungry". Pay attention to what is talking to you. PB - if you get the golf ball thingy then stop eating and let all that is in the pouch pass through. NO liquids at this point either. IT will only make things worse. Just relax and let it pass. If it doesn't then set back and wait a little longer. It just has to do it's thing. It might come up and it might not. I always try to follow a PB or a golf ball episode with at least 8 to 12 hours of liquids. It gives the esophagus time to relax and not work so hard. Hope this helps.

OY VIE!!! Went to see PCP for regular visit. Told him of my ongoing pain in my Left foot. He looked at the xrays from when I went to Urgent Care in Nashville, TN. GOOD NEWS: No breaks. BAD NEWS: Looks like a bone spur right in the ball of my foot. SIGH!! MRI tomorrow on the foot. To confirm the bone spur. Next Tuesday a Bone Density Scan to test for Osteoporosis. I had a hysterectomy at age 27. Family history of Osteo from Mom and Grandmother makes me a candidate so we wanna rule that out soon. If I have a bone spur he said a podiatrist will most likely inject medicine into the area. He didn't say what kind of medicine but I predict cortisone. OUCH!!! Had that before when I had water on the knee. That mother hurts. The only other option is surgery. OUCH!!! Oh and until I get these tests done and go see the aforementioned Podiatrist I can't do any walking. BUMMER!!!!!!!!!!! I will keep you updated.

OK all the walking I did today with the airport and then walking around this Dolphin Resort was hard on my foot. THink it might be time for a poolside visit tomorrow. What you guys think? Might even hook up wiht one of them thar cabana boys.

Sorry just now seeing these posts and got your emails. I sent you my cell number so call me and hopefully we can hook up.

Went to see the Podiatrist yesterday. OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He put a cortisone shot in my joint. OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a nice little bruise on that area now. Actually he didn't hurt me putting the shot in cause he put enough lidocaine in there for a horse. LOL!! We both think a nerve was touched or nicked when he injected the cortisone cause my second, third, and fourth toes are still numb. He said that will go away in time. The overall diagnosis is I injured the joint in my second toe somehow and caused an inflammation. It has been getting worse over time and he said to stop the process he needed to do the injection. So right now I can't tell a difference. IT hurts like a mother. I am flying tomorrow to Florida to visit family over the Memorial Day weekend so hopefully I can give it a rest. Anyway, that is the update. I go back to see him in three weeks. He said most likely this one shot will do the trick but if not then it might require an additional shot. OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday

I didn't track my LDL but my Cholesterol went from 220 to 187 within a period of one month. SO yes it goes down drastically. It is all about your diet.

US doc for me. I won't let a MX doc ever touch me again. I did not have my first fill till I was three months into this process. You can look at my signature and see what my fills were like. My US doc is very conservative and works with ME to determine if a fill is needed. Simply getting a fill to have more restriction without looking at what you are eating is not a good approach. You can get more restriction and still not eat right and still not lose weight. Fills and diet still go hand in hand. I have not had a fill now in quite awhile and most likely won't get another one. I am at 2.2cc and very happy there. I still gain if I eat the wrong foods. I can easily lose weight at this fill if I eat properly. So looking at the way a US vs MX doc performs fills is only part of the puzzle to obtain success on this journey. HUGS