vinesqueen

Well, I still cannot have coffee, but will be able to once I am off clear liquids. In fact, our neutrisionist recommends a nonfat latte every morning for the calcium

My DH eats popcorn all the time and hasn't had any trouble with it. Of course, you milage may vary...

I'll Succeed (Christina) may have a fabulous oportuntity to audition for a reality show. http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5572 It got me thinking. If you could be on any reality show, what show would it be? I've decided that after I have had my band for a while, I will try for The Amazing Race. That or What Not to Wear. I think the Race would be more fun, but What Not to Wear would be more useful. (I've got no clue about clothes...) My DH is the one who originally suggested the Race... If they didn't have the food stuff on Fear Factor, I would love to be on that show! (heh, they never have people do things I'm afraid of, like walking in a crowd, like, New Orleans' Mardi Gra... But I have to be honest, I sure don't want to be on most of the reality shows I normally watch... I love the true crime shows on A&E... Oh, and can I get my DH on Queer Eye after he looses another 150 pounds????

As soon as I'm a real bandster, and have a halfway decent pix for an avatar... well I'll post my pix.

Ah, but you see Zoe, I'm the only one in exile. My DH and Son live in Seattle. Count me in! One of my very good friends has this very bizare fear, at least I think it's bizare... she's afraid of kittens. It got me thinking about a new spin-off Fear Factor -- based on these types of fears... I have other friends who simply cannot eat some foods based on their texture... so, may I present this edition of Phobia Phactor! The inital group of people would have to .... Traverse a major Shopping Mall ---THE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING!!!!! And BUY one thing that fits at the GAP!!!! Next comes the PHood Challenge! In this case, people are expected to eat half plate of sushi including sashimi! And then!!!! They have to eat half a plate of Korean food!!!! Desert will be a nice flan! (oh the horror!!!!) Next come the Tank of Terror!!!!! You will be given goggles, a nose plug and will have to crawl into a lucite tank that will be filled with ...... PUFFY KITTENS!!!!!!! OH THE HUMANITY!!!!

Christina, for what it's worth, I think you made the right decision. Or at least, I think you made the decision I would have made, so there, you see my bias... I can tell this has been a rough patch, trying to decide what to do. I hope you have some peace now. And don't forget, no matter what, we will be here to support you!

Hey Sharon, I'm sorry, but this doesn't sound right to me either. My DH doesn't think this sounds right either. Here is my DH's advice: The surgeon should be available at the time of the seminar. If he isn't available now, will he be available when you need him? Run, don't walk. You will have much better results from a good experienced laproscopic sergeon than one who is primarily a bariatric surgeon. (DH has lost about 185 pounds with his band so far.) Oh, and one more thing. About the whole "being commited" thing. I have gained weight since my original weigh in. I'd been on steroids for my asthma for most of January, and now I'm on them again. When I went for my final round of tests two weeks ago, they noted my weight gain. But they weren't judemental about it. No "Bad Crystal, no surgery!" They were more concerned that I was able to breathe than gaining weight. They also know I'm on steroids again for my asthma, and know I will likely gain more weight between now and Monday. Again, there is no thought of "Bad Crystal, no surgery!" just, let's get you lthis surgey so you can loose weight so you can breathe better.

Melanie, first and formost, YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! You have lost 60 pounds in 4 months!!!! Yes, you gained a measily 8 pounds, but you had a terrible tragiidy to deal with. Weight loss with the band is slower than the by-pass. But that slower weight loss, I think, lets your body and mind adjust to it's new shape. I believe Donali posted a very important post about the importance of not compairing our journy to others. I couldn't find it, could someone please bump it for Melanie? I truely believe this is a very personal journy. If we compair ourselves against others then we are pretty much garanteed to be disapointed with the results. For instance. I just got a "B" on my math mid-term. My best study-buddy got an "A". Now, I could be terribly disapointed with my grade, but instead I am THRILLED for the B I got and just as thrilled for her "A". Also, from what I understand, you friends with the by-pass have only a short window in which to lose their weight. We can go slower. And don't forget, slow and steady win the race.

Christian! Wow! What very interesting place to be! I would be sorely tested to figure out which one I would go with. Instead of focusing on the negative, ther is a lot of positive to the show. If you are chosen to be on the show, you will have the oportunity to work with personal chefs and trainers, and you will be able to take this knowlege with you FOREVER. The band will always be there, but will this oportunity to be on the show always be there? The pictures of you are so beautiful, it is plain that the camera loves you. But never forget, no matter what you decide, WE WILL BE HERE FOR YOU. We will exult in your choice.

About 10 years ago, before the dean of our college would sign my for my graduation, he made me swear a solemn oath that I would only use me powers for good. Talking to several people from my program, NONE of them had to take the same oath. Anyone else have a similar story?

oh, well, we all know how fond I am of quotes.... "I could never respect a man who could only spell a word one way..." Mark Twain

I find lifting my 20 pound book bag seems to go the trick for me... I just have to remember to use alternating hands to lift...

how have the last two and a half weeks treated you? I know that Jack has provided us with a wonderful and inspriational running commentary about that week's NSV. How are the other members of the 12/21 posse fairling? How is your weight journy going? Have you hit any unexpect things in your way? I know there are several of us going in the next few days/week, and I know it would be benificail to see how you as a group are doing.

thanks for the update Penni!

yeah, I'm on a one woman campain to make "grovey" cool again. It's so retro, I might be able to pull it off...

Hey Christina, tell us where you're being banded (besides your tummy) and what time! Woot! got me a band buddy!

Thanks everyone! I fly home tomorrow, so that will take up a big whack of my day. Then, my DH, being the born consiurge he is (or maybe it's just because he's a Virgo...), has my weekend totally planned out. I'll be in surgery Monday morning at 8:30 PST... Your thoughts and well-wishes, prayers and white-lights are recieved so greatfully.

okay Megan, I can't say this any bigger... You deserve a great guy! But no making out with the fridge, isn't that what lead us here in the first place???

uhm, wow. I only had three I could answer yes too, but they are hard ones. Although I supposed any three would be hard one if they are yours.

oh, I didn't mean to give y'all the impression that all religous folk I know are insensentive or pushy. I know many fine folk of all persuasions . (Dang I wish I could spell...) If my friend and neigbor Chuck didn't care for me, he wouldn't have been so stong in his caring. That is how he knows how to share his love. And I'm grovey with that.

thanks Paula! Nope, he totally respects my belief structure, and I respect his. I had these really great neighbors, and naturally they were concerned for my mortal soul. Chuck was working on becomming ordained as a Baptist Minister... Chuck was always trying to get me to convert, but I always resisted, and I never tried to convert him to my way. One day we were driving to the grocery store, and as usual, he was being concerned about my soul. Getting a little tired of constantly being saved, I made the simple statement "since God is part of everything, everything is part of God." He flat out disagreed with me. I let it got for a few minutes. ... So I started a conversation about art and great artists. He agreed with me that the true Masters left part of themselves in their work. So we chatted about various Masters for a while. "Look at that sunset! Don't you think that God is the greatest of all artists?" Chuck agreed with me whole heartedly. Then I went in for the kill. "So, since God is the greatest of all artists, and you agree that all great artists leave some of themselves in their work, everything is part of God?" Chuck promptly agreed with me. Then it dawned on him. He didn't talk to me for a whole month, and then once again he went back to trying to save my immortal soul...

The very first place I historically lose weight is on husbands. After that it is my face, followed by a general all over loss. With the band, we shall see. Of couser, with the band, gain, the first place I lost weight was on my husband...

Marie, to achieve something first your mind must concieve it. So, yeah, thinking about it gives you partial credit. When I go skiing and have difficulty with a particular run, I think about the run and how it feels. Then I think about how it would feel to make it better. (mind you, I'm a blue skiier currently, no ribbons for me! Unless they ahve the fair-to-middlin' olympics! Then I'm so there! )

Paula dear, why would you get slammed? That is a perfectly resonable question, if you ask me. Unless you mean by slammed by information... hehehe My parents were both raised atheists. Both sets of Grandfathers were American Communists in the 1930’s and were heavily involved with the early labor movement. So they were both atheists. Then comes along this little girl with long brown hair with curls who taught herself to read at the age of 4. Public schools wouldn’t take me for another year, so my parents sent me off to alma Heights Christian Academy, affiliated with Pillar of Fire Ministries. Talk about your culture shock. At school they told me that my parents were going to hell or alternately, that they would be smitten by God. At home, my patents told me that the teachers and staff were misguided and there was no god. my mother also told me later that she wanted me to make up my own mind about things. When I was about 7, I had this major epiphany during Thursday Chapel. The sermon had to do with the number of days a man has on earth, and how no one can enter the kingdom of heaven unless they are perfect. Right then and there, I realized that reincarnation was the only way things worked because there was no way for anyone to attain perfection in such a short amount of time. I figured it would be sort of like repeating a grade because sometime you don’t learn all your lessons and have to come back and learn them again or better. In 1967, this was a radical idea, especially for a little girl going to a religious private school. My parents thought this idea of mine was just one of my little flights of fancy, ranking right up there with my imaginary friend China. (I met here while I was digging a hole to China in my backyard….) I was forever getting in trouble during prayer because I would not bow my head. I only wanted to look up to heaven to see Jesus. I was told repeatedly that God would smite me dead. Of course, that prompted the question “but I thought you said Jesus was all loving?” and then they would wax joyously about the eternal love and joy of Jesus and God’s love.” To which I would replay, so why do I have to bow my head. “He’ll smite you dead.” At which point I had to point out their fundamental logic flaw. I was eight. The next step came in 1972 when my parents decided that they needed some sort of spirituality in their lives. They discovered a group called Mind Dynamics (http://perso.wanadoo.fr/eldon.braun/awareness/mind.htma). This really saved their marriage, and stopped the brutal fights they were constantly having. Wolves, remember. After they went through the seminars, they decided that all five of us kids should go through the program as well. It was amazing, given my religious background. I learned about Krishna consciousness, some Buddhism, some Zen, some Taoist philosophy. About the same time I was learning about these alternative philosophies, I was becoming less and less happy with the teachings I was receiving at school. I was told that I could only be a Mommy, a teacher, a secretary or a nurse. There were no other jobs I could do. And If I wanted to be a mommy, I couldn’t do anything else. I knew these were lies because my Aunt was a doctor and my mother worked with computers (mainframes) and she was still my mommy. I also got sent out of math class because they were teaching the boys how to use slide rules. Since I was a girl, I was never going to do anything technical anyway, and it would have been a waste of time teaching me that skill. (Hah! Showed them!) One of the other things they taught me, that I knew was a lie, was that angels literally lived on the clouds in the sky. And that if you could go up there, you would see them. Because I was an airline brat, I flew all the time. And no one I ever spoke to had ever seen an angel on the puffy white clouds with wings and a harp and a night gown. Ever. Although I do firmly believe that I met an angel when my sisters and I got bumped off a flight in a strange little town. This man in a brown suit bought us dinner and then just walked away. Anyway. It was the combination of the eastern philosophies and the strict Christian doctrine that helped me form my own belief system. I’ve been a neo-pagan for my entire adult life, even before I had a term for it. My husband is a Christian, by the way. He doesn’t really think I’m a neo-pagan, he’s convinced that I’m more of an animist, because I believe that everything has a soul and in the divinity of everything. If one possesses a soul, then one is touched by the godhead. If one is touched by the godhead, then one is divine. The basis for animism is acknowledgment that there is a spiritual realm which humans share the universe with. The concepts that humans possess souls and that souls have life apart from human bodies before and after death are central to animism, along with the ideas that animals, plants, and celestial bodies have spirits. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/religion/animism/beliefs.html

Okay, my surgery is in a week. I’m a wreck, just a nervous wreck. I’m not sleeping, I’m pacing, my asthma is threatening to flare. I’m trying to keep myself distracted, but it isn’t working. Night is worse for some reason. I’ve tried to focus on other thing, like tomorrow I start my horseback riding class, and Friday I go home (a temporary reprieve from my exile). I have a dark chocolate bar softly whispering my name oh so seductively. It is probably lonely. That same bar has been in my fridge since October, so I’m not really in any danger. And I have a gi-normous math test on Thursday. You would think that would capture my attention, given my l33t m4th skills… (as if) I wish I could be dancing like jubilant Jamie, dancing around her living room, shaking her booty. But I can’t. Instead I sit with tears. I’m not sure what I’m mourning.