babsyintx

Hi Penni, I have a fill scheduled tomorrow at 11:00 am. I am having it done now so that way if there is a problem, I can have something done about it before Christmas. I want to get the last 20 lbs off once and for all!!! Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/o3

Hi becky, I am trying to start a documentation trail now, so that way next year, I will have at least 5 or 6 visits logged in about skin infection, hanging panne and the droopy thighs! I know that my insurance will cover a panniculectomy, but they wont cover full abdominoplasty. I know they wont cover boobs, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there. They MAY cover the thighs if I can prove it is medically necessary. My plastic surgeon recommended that I get an approval for the panniculectomy and she would do the full abdominoplasty and charge me the difference, which is still about an additional 3,000. But at least my insurance would cover the hospital stay and the aftercare which are pretty much the same for either procedure. Most insurance companies perceive an abdominoplasty to be cosmetic since they are not only removing excess skin, but also doing muscle work and move and create a new bellybutton. The scars are also different for both procedures. The abdominoplasty scar is bikini/crotchline so you dont see the scar and the panniculectomy is just removal of the skin, so the scar is above the belly button and quite unattractive. For the latter, I wouldnt bother. I would rather have what I really want than something halfway. I will let you know more about the hair loss issue as well! Thanks for inquiring.! Babs in TX

Lauri, Lisa hit the nail on the head. Thus the book, "Men are from Mars, Women Venus". Guys dont mince with words and can come across very insensitive about certain issues. Also, having a treat once in a while even when "dieting" wont end the world. But it would probably be better if you had some treats that were really enjoyable to you and easily at your disposal should you have the urge for chocolate or ice cream etc... I love Skinny cow chocolate ice cream bars and sometimes I will have a low carb chocolate bar or some light popcorn. (1/3 bag). This makes it easier to justify the treats (not that u have to...) and stay in a food plan that works for you and allows you to treat yourself everyday. Yes, sometimes men can be insensitive cads.! Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146

Hi Everyone, I am having a miserable time with everything in my life EXCEPT weight loss. Just feel like I want to vent: I am losing so much hair. Globs falling out daily. I will be bald by Christmas at this rate. Actually, I have been losing hair since I was banded 17 months ago. They tested my blood a few months ago and said I was really healthy and do not have Vitamin deficiencies. I'm taking Vitamins but I think it is the stress thats doing me in. My business is tanking. I lost 7 deals over the last 3 weeks and I have no income coming in over the next 8 weeks. Very depressing. My inlaws are not doing well. Went to FL and my father in law (who has Parkinsons) is falling down regularly and my mother in law needs back surgery. She can no longer take care of him, but they refuse to see the logic of coming here to TX. Cant help them now. My relationship is still vicarious. My husband is a great guy, but he has a major ADD issue and started taking meds about three weeks ago. I am still waiting for them to start working. He forgets everything and it really affects our relationship since i have to remind him of everything all the time. The medicine is making him moody as well, so thats another issue. I really cant get the support I need there and have so little to offer him since I am emotionally and physically drained. My house is for sale and it hasnt sold in 6 months. Got a new realtor who informed us the value has decreased by 25K in the last 6 months as well due to Delta layoffs and excess inventory in our price range. We are buidling a new house closer to my son's school which is 35 miles each way everyday. Total 75 miles and costing us 2 hours a day in travel. I keep trying to tell myself I have my health, my children are healthy and we have a roof over our head and food on our table, but all I feel is doom and gloom about our financial future. I feel like I dont have anyone to talk to and I even stopped seeing my therapist a few weeks ago. I stopped going to the gym. i am pretty old school about meds. I dont want to take an antidepressant (never have) but a bottle of wine is looking good right now... I need some stress relief and the nacho chips are calling me..... I have never used food for emotional reasons, (I was just a volume eater) but I can now see how this could happen to someone if they got really depressed. I am tired of always having to be the strong person in my relationship and I am spreading myself too thin now with the extra holiday stress as well. OK, I purged...... Thanks for listening. Babs in TX 334/189/170 -145 6/23/03

Hi Again, Lisa: I wasnt offended at all. I have a warped sense of humour. Thanks to all who gave me some great advice. I am off to the doc this morning for my tests. I will keep in touch with everyone once I have more information!!!!!! Babs in TX

Hi Lisa, With all my recent woes, I missed this post. There is good news and bad news all wrapped up in one!!! I sincerely hope you can keep your band and that your wound heals once and for all. And 66 pounds is nothing to sneeze at. You have done really really well despite all the of issues you have had to deal with. All I can offer you is cyber hugs and some love from TX! Hang in there! Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi ya Nancy, The current average range for women in the US is 30% body fat. The suggested rate is about 23-26%. For men, it is about 15-22% suggested, but most guys in the US are in the mid 20's. I started out with over 50% body fat and I am now in the high 30's. I doubt that I would ever get in the 20's. Too much excess skin. The problem with the Tanita scale is that it shows you what the possibilities are and what you currently are, but it really doesnt take into account someone who has been morbidly obese their whole life. My surgeon has a Tanita that costs about 6,000 and is a very accurate tool for assessment. I try not to let this Tanita influence my ultimate goal weight. Last time I went this summer, the Tanita says it is possible for me to get to a weight of 146 with 29% body fat ratio. I say dream on !!! I'll be happy if I get to 165 from a starting weight of 334. Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hi Again: Leatha: Thanks for the positive words. I am more afraid to take the anti depressants because of weight gain at this stage. Unfortunately, I can't change schools for my son. He is extremely gifted and the school he goes to is for kids at his IQ range. This is one of 8 schools in the country that handle what they call "duel exceptionality" which is gifted coupled with some other issues like ADD spectrum, emotional immaturity, social integration for the gifted etc... There are only 22 kids that his school and it is run by a doctor and his wife. They have what they call an 'autonomous learning model" which works well for kids like my son. Thats why we are selling the house and moving closer! Theresa: I have found that blood tests dont mean anything to test for certain deficiencies. My blood tests came back normal months ago and I know I eat better now than I have before. I have a list here on my desk that outlines what kind of tests to ask for to make sure that they dont waste my time checking for the wrong things. Atkay: Thanks. I am sure that I dont have Alopecia. I am not losing in Patches. (Thank God!). I believe my problem has to be hormonal or Vitamin related. I know it will grow back, but watching gobs fall out is scary. I am losing more in the front, but all over evenly. I still have hair and luckily my hair is very thick to start with. I am feeling a lot better today know that I am taking action! Babs in TX 334/188/170 -146 6/23/03

Hey Lisa, Rogaine does work for the middle description, which means it would help me if to grow back new hair. But they need to find out what it causing it, so whatever happening will stop and the new hair can grow. I will have the blood drawn on THurs and I have a band adjustment scheduled for Friday, so we shall see how things go!!! Babs in TX

Very interesting thread. My father was a functioning alcoholic who would sell anything to make a buck when he needed money. At first it was cars. I dont remember my family owning the same car for more than 6 months. A few times a year we had a different car ranging from VW's to station wagons. Then my father decided he wanted to breed toy chihuahuas. So he brought home Peppy and Lulu as a Christmas present. They stayed with us for about a year til they were old enough to breed. Apparently Peppy was a homosexual because he did not have any interest in Lulu. I came home from school and the dogs were gone. My father traded them for a new color TV. My father also would make us change price tags on items at the grocery store and K-mart. This was before scanners. He figured that if we got caught they wouldnt do anything to Kids! ONe time, my dad went on a binge and came home in the middle of the night insisting that another man was in the house while he was gone. He had shaved and found whiskers on the sink and insisted some other guy had moved in, shaved and then left before he came home.! Every weekend, my father wanted to go RV shopping. Unfortunately we did not have the money to buy an RV so this was an activity of futility! So off we would go on road trips to RV dealerships so we could sit inside and fantasize what it would be like to own an RV. Totally ludicrous. Next episode: Crazy grandmother who still believes it is 1920. ( She is 94 now and alive) Uncle who got run over by new york subway trying to save the fare, other grandma who has 12 children and never got married to any of the 3 men she was with (my father's mother). I have a whacky family tree! Babs in TX 334/189/170 -145 6/23/03

Hi Guys, Went to pick up my son and saw all these wonderful messages from my bandster buddies! Thanks. Michelle: I am back in the office now. I will try to call you. Lisa: You are right. Can I jump on a plane and hug you? Airfare is cheap to Vegas so I will be going again in the near future. Sometimes it is tiring being Mary Sunshine all the time. Especially when you are going bald! LOL Betty, I get enough oil in my diet, so thats defintely not it. I was doing some research on the internet about hair loss. It is NOT related to stress at all according to the hairloss web sites. FOr women, hair loss falls into three categories: Female Androgenetic Alopecia Female Telogen Effluvium Female Alopecia Areata I have ascertained that mine seems to come from the middle description which is tied to either hormones, nutritional, meds or systemic illness. They have outline what tests I should ask my doc to do to determine root cause! (double entendre there!) I basically feel crappy and run down as well, so this is adding to my depression. I am sure that things are going to get better, but WHOO! The wind has been knocked out of my sails and I just feel drained. Thanks for all the positive inspiration. It is appreciated. Babs in TX

Hi Michelle, Missed the new pics. You look really great!!!!! I may have the chance to meet with you in January. I wil be heading to Knoxville TN to visit one of my clients and then on to other exciting locales. Maybe, just maybe we can see each other!!! Hugs, Babs in TX 334/189/170 -145 6/23/03

Hi MS Penni! You are looking great!!! Keep up the good work lady!!! Babs in TX 334/189/170 -145

Hi Hilary, I trying to think of the little insignificant things that bother me. The only two little things are the fact that I burp a lot and my throat makes a lot of noise when I eat too fast or swallow too much air. Now that I am getting closer to goal, I do feel like I am dieting more to get to goal . The first 100 pounds were relatively easy for me and now I have to work a little harder. Other than this, It has been a great journey. Yes, its work, but the rewards definitely outweigh the annoyances. Good luck and feel confident that you are making a good decision. Babs in TX 334/189/170 -145 6/23/03

Hi Everyone, I finally made the 180's!!! SOunds so much better than the 190's. ! I am scheduled for a fill next Friday and hope I will have that extra little tweak to get me to goal. ONly 19 more pounds to go......!!! Babs in TX 334/189/170 -145 6/23/03

Alex, You made the right decision for your family and mothers usually put their needs on the back burner. Any good mom would do that and you are a good mom so dont forget it! I am a recruiter and own my company and my real dream is to be back in television production. But that would require I move to CA and I dont think that would be wise for my family. So although I am not miserable, I am not happy either. One day........ Babs in TX 334/189/170 -145 6/23/03

Hi Guys, What I really like about this thread is people either wanted something band related or things that dont cost money. You guys have the true spirit of Christmas.!! All I want for Christmas is for my house to sell. Its been on the market for 6 months. Babs in TX 334/189/170 -145 6/23/03

Hi, Hate to be crude, but I can clean all my nooks and crannies with ease in the shower. When I was at my highest weight. I had trouble wiping myself properly when toileting. SO yes, life is much better now! Babs in TX 334/189/170 -145 6/23/03

Hi Lisa, Let me give you my take on this: I am gonna get real scientific here! (LOL) I think certain foods irritate the esophagus and the slight swelling causes us to feel more restrictive. But the higher level of restriction caused by the slight irritation doesnt necessarily affect us until way after the meal and isnt noticed til the next meal. Other things that cause the irritation or swelling can be hormonal changes, how much fluids we drink that day, how fast we eat that day etc... So restriction varies a lot based on all of these factors. So what feels like good restriction one day could be caused by the swelling and environmental factors like the weather, allergies acting up etc and then we go back to the normal restriction level and it no longer feels like it is enough and we need more. I hope this makes some sense to you. I offer the following example: I had a fill to my band taking me from 2.5 to 2.6. It was fine for two weeks and then I had a bout of allergies and all of a sudden the restriction was too much and I refluxed. Under normal circumstances, I would have been able to handle the restriction, but adding the scratchy throat and a little mucus to the mix and suddenly it didnt work for me anymore. Sometimes when I have my time of the month, my band tightens up quite a bit and a few days before I am wide open. SO I guess there are so many things that can affect restriction levels that it is hard to trust that it will be the same everyday. As you get further along in your journey you will find that your body also gets used to the restriction and what you perceive to be a big quantity of food is far less than what you used to eat at a sitting. Last week at Thanksgiving, I was sure that I ate a horse. But when I really thought about it, it was really not as much as I thought it was. I am sure this information has not helped you one iota! Babs in TX 334/189/170 -145 6/23/03

Hi Michelle, Glad everything has worked out for you and your band is doing fine. I am much like you when it comes to my band. I would rather be safe than sorry and you know your body better than anyone else does, so you did a smart thing to go down and see him.! Babs in TX 334/190/170 -144 6/23/03

Hi Everyone, Trying to get through the 100's of emails both bandster and business related!! I seemed to have missed out on a whole lot of activity here.! Well, I defintely need a fill and plan to go and get one. My eating this last week has been out of control and I put on 4 pounds. I am sure that some of this is Water retention, since my rings on my fingers are struggling to come off. Its really hard being on a road trip. I resorted to eating pistachios in the car the whole ride there as well as tortilla chips and other assorted junk food. And lets not even talk about Thanksgiving. I ate my way through a buffet table that had everything from crabs legs, turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, prime rib, ham, shrimp etc. And the dessert table had slabs of cake like chocolate, key lime, cheesecake that could easily feed a small family with one slice. So yes, I am sick of food and glad to be home where I can easily control my portions til I get a much needed fill. I will be drinking gallons of water over the next few days to flush out all the food toxins in my body!!! LOL I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and now back to the business of losing weight.... Babs in TX 334/190/170 -144 6/23/03

Hi Everyone, I am going on a road trip to FLorida and leaving today with my family in evening. First to Santa Rosa Beach in the panhandle and then to St. Augustine. I will be gone a week and will miss everyone here!!! Anyone in FL that I can see? I have not been able to break the 190's. Now, this week for Thanksgiving I am absolutely sure that I wont make it. Yes, I am going to eat with no remorse.!! LOL I have an addiction to pumpkin pie and real whip cream. I will be back on the 28th and will miss everyone!!!! Babs in TX 334/190/170 -144

Ryan, Good luck tomorrow. See you on the banded side!!!! Babs in TX 334/190/170 -144

Hi , Looks like you guys had lots of fun!!!! And it looks like a great house to spend time in. Maybe next trip..... Babs in TX 334/190/170 -144

Hey Everyone, I got a coupon in the mail for the Avenue store. If I buy 75 dollars worth of stuff, I get 30 dollars off my purchase. So I went there yesterday because I need a new coat for the winter and I figured that would eat up the dollars. I also dont own a sweater, need pants etc. Truthfully, I dont have anything for that matter and I have been too cheap to buy clothes. I tried on a 14-16 coat. It was a little too big, but I figured if I put on heavy sweaters underneath it would be fine. It was the smallest size in the store, so it wasnt like I had a choice anyway except to leave. I know that this will be the last year I will be able to wear it, but it was cheap and cute. At least I will be able to wear it between here and goal next year. I tried on shirts that were size 14. They were all too big and falling off my shoulders. I picked up a pair of size 14 pants. Holy cow, they fit!!!! This is the first size 14 I own since 1983 for pants since I am bottom heavy. So it seems like I am officially out of plus size stores!!!!!! On top, I went from a size 26 to a woman;s large or size 12, and on the bottom I have gone from size 28 and I am now a 14 (Gasp!) and sometimes 16. It was clear that some of the women that worked there thought I was nuts jumping around both in the dressing room and at the cash register. I still cant believe that I have gotten this far. No more AVENUE OR LANE BRYANT ever again. This was my last trip there and I am so excited that I never have to go there again! Babs in TX 334/191/170 -143