NancySmiles

Blossom is our own sweet beautiful ANGEL in heaven watching down on all of us and smiling.....taking care of us and keeping us healthy in her own way.....

I am STUNNED....absolutely stunned!!! What a horrible tragic loss of a young beautiful life. Even though we have never met each other personally, I feel we all share a special kinship with each other...going through the same things, feeling the same emotions....and I know you join me in deep prayer for her husband in his time of pain. It's comforting to know that Blossom felt no pain, and was working on a lifelong dream as she fell to her death. We know she died doing what she loved best....LIVING her life to the fullest...full of hopes and dreams. We should all reflect on this and remind ourselves how precious a gift life is...and just as easily as it was given to us, it can be as quickly taken away....Rest in Peace beautiful Blossom....You are in our hearts and minds forever.......

I ordered some "virtually hull-dree" popcorn from a well-known home shopping network and it was NOT hull free...do not buy this !!! Nancy

Christina! I read your first post and now your last and a few in between and I have to say, I totally agree with the choice you made!!! I would have done the same thing at your age, especially if I had your beauty, brains & personality!!! I have always said you are gorgeous gal, both inside and out, and deserve the BEST in life! You are a NATURAL!!! You are young, beautiful, talented, intelligent, outgoing, ambitious, funny, and so much more!!! I always say that EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON...and you shouldn't look at it as a negative thing! Maybe since you have had so many questions and concerns about HAVING the surgery, you were actually trying to find an excuse NOT to have it....An ALTERNATIVE maybe....but you didn't have one...at least not until NOW!!! Remember I told you it took a while for my insurance company to approve, and that I was TOTALLY ready and prepared for it when it finally happened. You are still questioning it a few months later, so maybe THAT is the sign that you should wait. And usually they give you a deadline when you have to have the surgery....find out the date and at least you would have that as backup! As someone said earlier....the band will ALWAYS be here. This opportunity in the acting business doesn't happen but once. And when opportunity knocks, you should answer the door! Do it while you're young!!! You have to at least TRY!!! I can see you in a few months if you don't...you will be wondering why you didn't at least give it a shot. Who knows? Nobody does...that's the whole thing! Talk to your friend....get on the show if you can...try your best....if you succeed, then AWESOME...if not, then what better way to prove to the insurance company that you need the surgery?!?!?!?!?!!! What more proof would they need than that of millions of viewers??? :glasses I say GO FOR IT GIRL!!! Look at your name......I'LL SUCCEED!!!...and I KNOW YOU WILL....no matter what you do!!! Keep me posted.....Remember me when you become Thin, Rich, and Famous!!! I am always here for you!!! And I would love to be able to say I knew you when!!! Because I do!!! And if things don't work out....which, how could they not work out???...I am still here for you...whenever you need me!!! HUGSSSSS & Fingers Crossed!!! Nancy* :banana

Right into the DANGER ZONE (from one of my favorite movies - Top Gun). I have been soooooooo FOCUSED since surgery. NOTHING was going to stop me from reaching my goal!!! And right now I'm halfway there; but need your help to get back on track!!! I am falling back into my old habits....falling off the wagon fast and I think I know why! Now that I know the WHY, I need your help to find out HOW to stop it!!! Is anyone else is in the same boat. Is this typical after about 6 months? The answer to the WHY is that I have lost between 60-70 pounds in the past but have always gained it back. I was at this same point many times; but then people would say "oh how good you look", or "you don't need to lose more weight do you??", or "you're starting to look too skinny"...and slowly I start to slip back into my old habits. Slowly the pounds I've lost start to find me again. This time it HAS TO BE DIFFERENT!!! I have lost 69 pounds and am at a standstill. Is it happening again? Am I doomed yet again to gain it back slowly? I know what I need to do....I need to start over again from the beginning...back to the basics...back to the beginning the 2 weeks before surgery. Need to push awway these demons again as I did in September while preparing to be banded the following month. I NEED YOUR HELP!!! Have you gone through this? Are you going through this??? What did you do to get back on track? I CAN do this because I've priven it!!! Don't let me be swallowed into the trap of mindless eating, nibbles here and there, bad food choices, wring portions, we all know what the pitfalls are. We're not perfect and it didn;t take ups overnight to get here. Take me back to September of 2004, when I was bound and determined to not let it happen to me again! Wh said it would be easy? Who said we would NEVER gain weight? I haven't so far....HELP me keep it that way!!! Email me, post here, call me, whatever you can do to slap some sense into me!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nancy

LaMadam: You're right!!! We've come too far.....to let this get us down!!! Thank you again for your encouraging words. We all know what we have to do....just need some reinforcement every now and then!!! Pat: This is the part I was worried about when I was banded....making good food choices always.....I knew I had too since I am diabetic and had to keep a close eye on meds and diet. But you reminded me exactly why we need to make them!. Donali: Your words made so much sense!!! We ALL know all this; but sometimes we need to be reminded that this is indeed FOREVER!!! And that it's DIFFERENT from all the other weight loss efforts we made before. It's always the case....just when we think we are going through the worst time, someone else has it worse than us!! I am not sure what I would do if I had to have my band removed...and here you are....you are the BEST!!! Hang in there!!! And thank you for your wise words! Rica: Not gonna crash and burn either!!! You're right! Keep the faith! Debbie: I too still go to my WW meetings. I NEED to go....for the accountability and support just like you! We do exactly the same...stay in the background about our weight loss....it's not fair to the others..but we're all there for the same reason! Thanks everyone!!! I knew I could count on all of you for support....always have...I am so glad we have each other here! And remember that I am here for you too!!! Thanks again for being here and putting it all back in perspective....just gonna take one day at a time....just as Betty reminded me....and that is as it should be! Hugssssssssss Nancy*

Found more in my stack of sticky notes! What to eat after banding GERD Behavior Modification Affect on sleep Apnea Exercise Ideas Changing Old Habits Eating Slowly Portion Control Surgery Fears Holiday Problems Dealing with Family Pressures Lack of Support Medication Adjustments Psychological Impact Plastic Surgery LBSG Welcome Wagon Meal Planning Falling back into Old Habits only months after surgery Will let you know if I find more! Love it! Need some more ideas! Nancy*

Sorry it took me so long to post! Had to ook at my notes from the last couple meetings Some of the topics we talked about discussing are: - Support Group Welcome Wagon for new banders - Meal Planning sessions with a weigh in separate from appts. - snacking, the best thing about the surgery, the worst thing about it, - like to hear more from those that have lost. where we set our goal weight and why, meal planning, eating out and - Examples of good breakfasts, lunches, dinners and Snacks that fall into "good" band foods. Maybe talking about dealing with eating out and how to select "good" food choices. after the regular meeting, even by email, of people who would like to share their menu plans, work together making new ones, making a menu plan for a month at a time or a week, just to get new ideas from hope this helped!

awwwwwwww young love......it's so cool....good luck to you Megan.....just enjoy it one day at a time....don't think so much! Nancy :-)

LOL....thanks Kathy.....hope Greg is not offended....it's a job hazard!

Not to be critical...but if you are going to make a pledge...at least use SPELL CHECK!! (corrected here) Sorry....Administrative Assistant habit.... I Pledge Not To Be Involved In Any Open Forum Threads That Violate The Guidelines Set By The Owner Of This Board. Nancy

WOO HOO JAMIE!!! It'll go by faster than you can shake a can of Ensure!!! I always say everything happens WHEN it is meant to happen!!! Do you do the 2 weeks on liquids before the surgery like we do??? GOOD LUCK!!! Nancy

I LOVE NEW YORK!!! Been there twice and it's just never enough! Went once 9 months before 9/11 and then last May....beautiful both times!!! Have some very eery photos of me on the ferry to the Statue of Liberty with the Twin Towers behind me. Wasn't eerie then; but now it's a constant reminder, not to mention priceless photo. Let's do it!!! I think we could fill up a weekend VERY easily!!1 One of the best things I did both times was to sign up for a bus tour. First was a Day and Night tour of the city, since it was my first time, and it was AWESOME!!! The second was the Sex and the City tour based on the program....visiting all the sites that the 4 ladies did!!! It was INCREDIBLE!!! Even got to sit on Carrie's front steps of the brownstone!!! Anyway, I could go on and on....but YES!!! SIGN ME UP!!! Nancy*

is the total amount of fill still in there when your doc adds to it? Just curious as I was one of those who had 2/3 of the fill dissapear the last time. Not real sure how much is left. Scheduled for another on 3/14/05.....if it is warranted.

....does anyone here regret having had this procedure done? It was the best think I have done for myself in my ENTIRE life!!! Was it harder or easier than you expected? I can honestly say now that the surgery was the EASIEST part .....it's following through after the surgery and making allt he lifestyle changes that's the tough part!!! Was the procedure itself painful? Was a piece o' cake..!!! sugar free and fat free of course! How often do you experience any discomfort now after the fact? None at all! Would you do it again? In a heartbeat!!! No regrets whatsoever...oh, maybe just one......that I hadn't done it sooner!!! I wish they had had something like this available when I was in grade school.....it would have saved me a lot of heartache through my teen years. It would have made my life totally different. But I say everything happens for a reason and it happended when it was supposed to happen! So don't waste another minute...of the rest of your life....do it now!!! Good Luck to you! You will never regret the choice you made to have this surgery....

Yikes! All I am going to say on the subject is....MY NAILS HAVE NEVER LOOKED BETTER!!! Nancy*

I haven't been involved in deleting and un-deleting threads; but my feeling is that ONLY the ADMINISTRATOR of the LBT site should be able to delete a thread, and ONLY at the request of the person who posted it. This has got to stop! What do they say about "too many chiefs.....", "too many cooks..........", etc. etc. Can't we all just get along? We're all here for the same reason....anyway...that's my 2 cents.....leave it to me to be a week late on all this....I'm always the last to know~! :nervous

Would love it!!! I've done so well but have been making some wrong food choices lately... Our doc sets our goals at 1-2 pounds per week, so I would like to lose at least that and get back on track too!!! Wanna get a bicycle in the spring!!! Sooooo.....I would like to lose 1-2 by then which would make it 12-24 pounds. IS that unrealistic? I will be happy with 12, excited with 18, and ecstatic with 24.....so count me in.....!!! How do we do this??? Report every Monday? Friday? Saturday... It's your challenge...so it's your call! Thanks! Just what I needed! Nancy*

That is soooooooooooo COOL!!! Congrats to you both!!! Now if that isn't the best example of TOTAL support...I don't know what is!!! Good Luck to you both and keep us posted!!! Nancy

WOO HOO!!!! WE ARE AWESOME!!! Thanks!!! Nancy*

can't see the pics...Greg...got another link?

I LOVE SNOW TOO!!!! I have tons of photos that I have taken EVERY time it's snowed since I got my camera last year!!!! I try to get other views and different angles and get creative with different effects...but I am just a practicing amateur! I can imagine how thrilled you were to see the snow!! Living in Michigan, we get snow every year...so I am used to it...but still LOVE IT!!! Beautiful pics too! Cheers! N*

After my 2-week checkup the doc said to start exercising for 30 minutes every day. DO anything, even just walking, weights while you watch tv, anything MORE than what you were doing before. I love Water aerobics and have been taking it for the past 3 years. I love the water and the exercises are so low-impact that it's great therapy for anyone with back problems, arthritis, etc. I couldn't go until the scars healed and there were no scabs. So, I did something i had NEVER done in my life. I signed up for 10 sessions of Weigh/Strength Training with a personal trainer, who I also knew as my ex-WW Leader. It's really expensive but she was running a half-off sale and I NEVER pass up a good sale!!! So i signed up and she was very thorough. I had to complete a medical history, she took measurements, and tested me the first session to see what I could handle. Each time we alternated upper and lower body workouts, etc etc. Anyway, it was the best thing I did to get me started. I also walked the treadmill and got a few walking tapes so I wouldn't get bored. When I was able to get back to water aerobics around the holidays, it was great!!! And now that I have lost almost 70 pounds I want MORE!!! More of a challenge!!! LOL I've asked for a bike for spring and one I can get a stand for to use in the winter. Several people along with myself have the Walk Away The Pounds DVD which is a great in-home workout. Some people like Curves. I was there for an intro but it was too hard on my knees at the time....maybe now it might be better...but I liked the other machines at the gym tour i went on. Just heard about a place called Fitness 19, and you can check out their website. As the weather gets warmer, I plan to do more painting, cleaning, outside work, etc etc...now that I actually CAN!!!...and as my good friend says "I'LL SUCCEED"

Yikes!!! I thought my hair loss was slowing down...but it's just as bad. I get it trimmed every 6-8 wks to freshen it up and keep it from being frizzy. I've read on the boards that extra Protein is the only way to help this problem. Any other suggestions? Vitamins? Doctors? HELP!!! I have been researching on the net....not much luck.... Nancy

I know someone who was banded by both Dr. Boutt and Dr. Bhesania; and they can't say enough about either one!!! I hear they are both awesome and I knew Dr. Boutt when he did his residency at St. John Hospital, I worked with him in the ER and he is/was AWESOME!!! I know someone from work who was banded by Dr. Bhesania and he says the same about him too! So together they make an AWESOME team!!! I have not met Dr. Bhesania; but always hear great things about him. I also went to Cori when I was first looking into any kind of Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) and, in fact, had all my paperwork complete and was only waiting on the insurance approval for the Gastric Bypass. Something told me to wait, check further; I was just not comfortable with all the cutting and re-routing. I had heard of the Lap Band and did some research on it; and then heard that a surgeon at St. John (where I work) was going to do the lap band there. It must have been fate....that somethig made me hesitate. I am so glad I waited. I hav lost almost 70 lbs since my banding on 9/24/04 and feel great! Not sure my recovery would have been as good with the other. I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason...and happens as it should. I've never physically been to Cori; everything I completed was done by phone, fax, mail; so I couldn't say that they tried to push the RNY on me because I have never been face to face with them. Hope the info about the docs helps! Please feel free to email or message me with any other questions. Our Support Group at Dr. Hawasli's office, who by the way is the BEST LAP BAND SURGEON I've ever met!!! is on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, and our Lap Band seminars are on the 1st Monday of the month. Good luck on yoru Quest for info!!! Nancy*