Zoe

Maybe he made it to the small primate wing at the Betty Ford Center.

I don't know if there's a dedicated web site (www.dogcrap.com?), but I have a reliable source for the stuff who will provide it free of charge. Before you go postal, though, Will, figure out an appeal strategy. If that doesn't work, you might have to join the ranks of us self-payers. DeLarla's right; the band does pay for itself after you calculate what you'll be saving on food, medications, and large-size clothing. But first think about writing a letter to your insurance company announcing that you are going to appeal the decision. Please read the insurance forum for suggestions.

Hey, Jack, don't laugh at those broth recipes! I had beef tenderloin broth and sauteed mushroom broth at a Labor Day party right after I was banded, and they tasted great (especially compared to protein shakes). And, yes, egg nog is a liquid (and pumpkin pie filling is a mushy). Good luck to you tomorrow; let us know how you're doing when you feel up to it.

Will, that sucks big time. Strange, isn't it, how suddenly you're "not fat enough" in some actuary's eyes? Please don't let this bad news wreck the season for you. If you're on $8000 of medication each year, there's gotta be a way to get insurance approval. Take a deep breath and jump to the insurance forum here on LapBandTalk. Lots of bandsters had a horrible time with their insurance companies but eventually got approved, and many of them have shared their stories and suggestions on this board. I hope you find the tools you need to fight back.

You can keep the fudge and give me cookies. I'm headed to my mother's on Friday and have got to stay away from the dozens of giant tins of cookies she makes for the whole family. Even though I have her recipes, I can't make any of them as well as she can! I'd love to hit the 220s by the end of the year, but won't see even 229 unless I clean up my act this week.

Dogs and kids are great exercise partners! Lisa, how is Chloe doing? Any change at home? (Sorry, that's a thread hijack...)

Well, I have lost a grand total of (drum roll) one pound since the challenge. (Greg, I will e-mail my exact stats for the last two weeks.) But I feel great. I'm eating a lot -- time for a fill, maybe, or at least a post-holiday attitude adjustment -- but I'm walking for about an hour a day, no matter what the weather, and I'm really enjoying the fattening stuff I choose to eat, instead of wolfing it compulsively without really tasting it. My last pairs of size 20 pants are too big, and my legs are thinner. They still look like sausages, but they're bratwurst now instead of giant salami. We have two more weeks to go in our exercise challenge. Let's kick butt!

Lauri, I agree with everyone else who's advised you to go to a doctor ASAP. Don't start freaking out about MS (or any other illness) until you've been checked over. Do you have a primary-care doc? Or an HMO nearby? Get there fast -- not because you're necessarily in danger, but just to ease your mind. Good luck, and let us know how you are doing.

Darcey, I know a lot of people on this board have great respect and admiration for Dr. Ortiz. How great that your sister can go with you! Try mixing cubes of lime and cherry Jello if you wanna get festive. Desperate times call for desperate measures! Good luck on the 21st -- I'm sure everything will go well.

Whip, your stats are amazing: -51 lbs, 30 of them in the last month!? Congratulations. Twonesia is right ahead. How are you fixed for winter clothes (that fit, that is)?

Me too. I've been blaming holidays and hormones, but it's my head. If I hadn't been exercising, I'm sure I would have gained a lot lately. I can give myself credit for tiny victories like taking three days instead of one to polish off a tin of Christmas Cookies my mother sent me (no, she's not a true saboteur, and I could have turned them down!), but I have been on a major chowfest lately. As long as I'm choosing to eat fattening stuff, I can deal with it... it's just when it starts to feel like the return of unconscious eating that I beat myself up. I'm still eating a lot less than last year, but it feels like a nasty old pattern is creeping back. So many of us are going through a slump. Is it just the holidays? Any suggestions from those of you who've gone through December before?

Infaith, besides checking the "Doctors and Hospitals" forum, you might want to take a look at the "Mexico misconceptions" thread: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=3111 Also, a lot of us have written about our medical experiences with various Mexican docs; check out the old posts. There's as much variation between the standards of care and bedside manner of Mexican doctors as between their US counterparts. If you're going the Mexican route, make sure you pick a doctor that suits you. Good luck!

I might be able to attend in early April, but I won't be able to be a hostess then. Besides working, I'm in grad school (nights), and the new quarter will have started. But if there's a weekend meeting or dinner for the Spotlight group, I'd give it a shot. I still think a late July Chicago bash might be a good idea... Leatha, let's see what we can work out while you're in St. Louis. Maybe instead of a full-blown bash we could just have a mini-party, and DeLarla can sneak inside Penni's make-up bag.

Actually, the 30th-31st works better for me, too. And I think it will probably be easier to book hotels that weekend; lots of people come into Chicago on the 4th to watch the fireworks at the lakefront. Anyone else for July 30-31? Fran, it was great talking to you! It's nice to know another local bandster. Does July 30-31 work for you? Just think how thin you'll be by then!

We've had a great response to this thread. Anyone up for the Fourth of July weekend (Sat. - Mon., July 2-4)? Or else maybe July 30th-31st?

Here's an idea for the new year that I tried a couple of years ago and plan to do again. Get yourself a cookie jar (or dig out the one that you hid away after you got banded) and put three dollars in it every day, without fail. No cheating. You can use the jar to make change, but do not borrow from it. By the end of the year you will have over $1000 to spend on yourself! I used mine to go to Italy. Next year's stash will help buy a new wardrobe in January 2006, I hope.

My brother from LA is coming to Chicago on Friday, and I don't know how he'll cope. (It's about 15 degrees F today, wind chill -2.) One good thing about the cold -- it's a motivation to walk faster!

No way! You're an effing inspiration! I can only imagine the further transformation this next year will bring you. Happy Christmas and New Year from your Yank admirers.

Michelle, we can all learn a lot from your experience and through your example of speaking up and taking care of your band (and yourself). Thanks for posting your story.

What a great present to give yourself! Let us know how the surgery goes for you, and how you're feeling afterwards.

Theresa, good luck to you and your sister. Remember that the first couple of days after banding are the hardest. By the new year, you should be feeling much better, and ready for your fresh start in life! Welcome.

Y'all want a Christmas song list? Check this out, Buttcracker Suite and all: http://www.comedy101radio.com/playlists/pl121400.htm

Amen to this thread. The only caveats I'd issue to anyone considering surgery in Mexico are: 1. Line up your aftercare before you get banded. Lots of US band surgeons won't care for other US doctors' patients, much less those of us who crossed the border. If you're thinking Mexico, check old posts on this board for aftercare options. Inamed has lists of doctors sorted by state, but you'll have to call each one in your area to see if they'll take you as only a follow-up patient. Your surgeon may have suggestions, too; that's how I found my fill doctor, who was one of Rumbaut's proctored students. 2. If you don't speak Spanish, consider travelling with someone who does. Most of the doctors and their office staff that I've read of here seem to speak English (Rumbaut's fluent), but the hospital nurses responsible for your basic care do not. ¡Buena suerte a todos!

That's a good one. I don't have any songs or cat stories, but I can report that my Lab mix has been up to her usual standard of holiday naughtiness. I had a huge dinner party on Saturday, and did a lot of cooking for about 24 straight hours. Every time I left the kitchen, Sophie Dog stole some of the butter-wrapping paper (you know, with tablespoons marked on it) out of the garbage. When I moved the garbage can on the counter to outsmart her, she just knocked over the can, and I still found little pieces of translucent paper shredded all over the rest of the house, plus I had peelings, shavings, bones and miscellaneous crap knocked all over the floor! At least the butter's good for her coat -- if not for her padded Labby waistline. As the guests arrived, Soph worked her canine mojo, and managed to hypnotize at least six people into giving her slabs of roast beef. She wolfed down all kinds of handouts with no trouble. I hate it when the dog eats better than I do!

Just three more days! A lot of us went kind of stir-crazy just before the surgery, finding it hard to think of anything else. That's normal. And just think how different you'll be a year from now, twelve months into your band journey. I hope you can relax during the next few days, and that you have a quick recovery.