Iluvharleys

Welcome to bandland Pat! :banana I am glad the surgery went well for you! Remember to do some walking, that will help you heal faster. The good old heating pad is good for the shoulder. I also had to have my hiatal hernia fixed. Don't be surprised if you get a bill for that, I had my surger done in Oct. and yesterday I got a $4300.00 bill for the hernia! Needless to say I wasn't too happy! Sip lots of Water, I also liked drinking the Propel tropical citrus, I felt like I was having something special. Get some rest and visit with us when you feel up to it.

Congratulations! That first step is the hardest!

Mary Belle You might want to post under the introductions thread so people will see you and know who you are. Not everyone looks under the Texas thread. Welcome aboard!

Steve - Glad to hear you are doing so good. Once you get to solids, it will be much easier especially when eating out. You can even have a glass or two of wine, if you like it. I have learned that if I push my food around on my plate a lot and just play with it, most people don't even notice that I am not eating it. You can also say that you are doing portion control right now, as you will be losing weight at the same time. While I was still on liquids I had a party to go to, and I just pushed things around and not one person noticed! I actually thought they would because I am famous for trying a little bit of everything. I am also a closet banster, and at Thanksgiving, everyone noticed the weight I lost and ask me what I was doing. I told them South Beach diet and walking, and it satisfied them. Please keep us posted on your progress. Men lose a lot quicker than women, so we can pout as your scale goes down, but be very happy for you at the same time! I was one of the lucky ones that lost weight during the liquid phase, but everyone doesn't. Don't worry about it, this is the time for healing. Once you get to solids, you will start losing.

Yes, I agree, my doctor didn't exactly follow that guideline either. I also was allowed jello right from the start in the hospital. Each doctor certainly has their way of doing things.

Zoe you look great! I love your new avatar too! You can really tell a difference in the pictures.

FROM THE DESK 0F S. CLAUS I regret to inform you that, effective immediately, I will no longer serve the states of Georgia, Florida, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas on Christmas Eve. Due to the overwhelming current population of the earth, my contract was renegotiated by North American Fairies and Elves Local 209. As part of the new and better contract I also get longer breaks for milk and Cookies so keep that in mind. However, I'm certain that your children will be in good hands with your local replacement, who happens to be my third cousin, Bubba Joe Claus. His side of the family is from the South Pole. He shares my goal of delivering toys to all the good boys and girls; however, there are a few differences between us: 1. There is no danger of the Grinch stealing your presents from Bubba Joe Claus because he has a gun rack on his sleigh and a bumper sticker that reads, "These toys insured by Smith and Wesson". 2. Instead of milk and cookies, Bubba Joe Claus prefers that children leave an RC Cola and pork rinds [or a moon pie] on the fireplace. And Bubba Joe Claus doesn't smoke a pipe. He dips a little snuff though, so please have an empty spit can handy. 3. Bubba Joe Claus' sleigh is pulled by floppy-eared, flyin' coon dogs instead of reindeer. I made the mistake of loaning him a couple of my reindeer one time, and Blitzen's head now overlooks Bubba Joe Claus' fireplace. 4. You won't hear, "On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen" when Bubba Joe Claus arrives. Instead, you'll hear, "On Earnhardt, Andretti, on Elliott and Petty 5. "Ho, Ho, Ho!" has been replaced by "Yee Haw!" You also are likely to hear Bubba Joe Claus' elves respond, "I her'd dat!" 6. As required by Southern highway laws, Bubba Joe Claus' sleigh does have a Yosemite Sam safety triangle on the back with the words, "Back Off". . 7. The usual Christmas movie classics such as "Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life" will not be shown in your negotiated viewing area. Instead, you'll see "Boss Hogg Saves Christmas" and " Smokey and the Bandit IV" featuring Burt Reynolds as Bubba Joe Claus and dozens of state patrol cars crashing into each other. And Finally, 8. Bubba Joe Claus doesn't wear a belt. If I were you, I'd make sure your wife and kids turn the other way when he bends over to put presents under the tree. Sincerely yours, Santa Claus

Good Luck Doug, please post and let us know how your surgery went.

Great NSV Penni! You look fantastic! I just love looking at the before and after pictures. It sure gives us newbies motivation!

Shelly you look fabulas! You certainly look like you weigh a lot less, let me till you! Thanks for sharing with us!

Great NSV Zoe! It's a great feeling when someone notices!

Hello Everyone! Want to thank all of you who have taken the time and trouble to send me your damn chain letters over the past two years. Thank you for making me Feel safe, secure, blessed, and wealthy. Because of your concern.... I no longer can drink Coca-Cola because it can remove toilet stains. I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans. I no longer drink anything out of a can because I will get sick from the rat feces and urine... I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave, because it causes cancer. I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS. I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a Water buffalo on a hot day. I no longer go to shopping ! malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me. I no longer receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise. I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our Americans troops. I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a stupid number for which I will get the phone bill from hell with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.... I no longer eat pre-packaged foods because estrogen's they contain will turn me gay.... I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers. I no longer date the opposite sex because they will take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice. I no longer have any sneakers--but that will change once I receive my free replacement pair from Nike. I no longer buy expensive Cookies from Neiman-Marcus since I now have their re! cipe. I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's novena had granted my every wish. Thanks to you, I have learned that God only answers my prayers if I forward an email to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes. (Geese, the BIBLE did not mention it works that way!) I no longer have any savings because I Gave it to a sick girl who is about to die in a hospital (for the 1,387,258th time). I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program. Yes, I want to thank all of you Soooooooo much for looking out for me! I will now return the favor. If you don't send this e-mail to at least 1200 people in the next 60 seconds, a large bird with diarrhea will crap on your head at 5:00pm this afternoon and the fleas of a thousand camels will infest your armp! its. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend, of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in -law 's 8th husband's 2 cousin's 5th husband's ex-wife's mother's beautician!! Confidentiality Notice: The information in this message is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, or distribution of the message, or any action or omission taken by you in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. Please immediately contact the sender if you have received this message in error. Thank you.

Thanks Laurie - I swell up too if I don't drink enough water. I have a tendancy to hold water anyway, and since they took me off my water pills, I have to make sure to drink lots of water.

Great job girls! No loss again for me, but no gain either. I am really looking forward to my first fill on Wednesday! I have been exercising alot, but not seeing the benefits right now.

Michele - Good luck with your appointment, please post and let us know how it comes out.

Wow, such fantastic pictures! Thank you so much for sharing. You look beautiful!

Nope, still waiting, they told me it would be shipped over a week ago!

Welcome! There is a ton of information here on these boards. Take some time to read all the older posts too, you will learn a lot from them. Good luck in your journey to getting the band.

My thoughts are with you Greg, taking care of older parents/relatives can be exhausting, but also rewarding. I took care of my Mom and Dad, and worked too. I can honestly say though that I have so many good memories that I wouldn't have had if I wasn't the one holding their hands and caring for them. You will not regret one minute of it later in life. I will say a prayer for all of you!

Whoooo Hoooo! Congrats on the loss, you have been through a lot, and still have come out on top! :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana This must be the week for all good things to happen! So many of you have had such good things this week. Lisa - My Mother always said "good things come to those who wait". She also always said "what is meant to be, will be". I think those are both appropriate to say in your case. I wish you all the luck in the world with being able to keep your band and get a new port. I am hoping that you just had a really bad infection from a stitch, wouldn't that be wonderful? I will keep my fingers, and my toes crossed for you, and say a little prayer too! Good Luck!

What a beautiful baby! I know you are smiling ear to ear!

Well, I finally got my tree up and trimmed! What a busy day! I went shopping first thing this morning, then I cleaned house, then I put the tree up and trimmed it. I am tired! Now it is time to think about cooking supper! I still have a lot more stuff to put out, but enough for today! I think I got lots of exercise in today! lol

Whoooo Hoooo Leatha! Boy, when you decided to exercise, you really do it good! Great job!

Fantastic! You have done amazing!

I believe everything happens for a reason. You might not know that reason, but someday you will.