vinesqueen

hippo-birdies, two ewes!

May the cities in your wake burn like candles on your cake!

I too am an elephant. But I honestly do believe in reincarnation. I've known this is how the universe worked since I was a very small child. I went to an evangelical christian school. I realized that there was no way for someone to attain perfection in the 72 years we are alotted, so obviously we have to come back until we get things right. This horrified my teachers and parents. But ever since I was little, even before I knew what it was called, I believed it.

We went to the surgeon this morning for my mother. Not good. She will basically have a radical RNY, open. They will be removing part of her stomach, part of her liver, pancreas, and a big whack of her intesines too. They will be putting in a feeding tube for a while, while she heals. She's looking at about a week, 10 days in hospital. I'll be going to stay with her, which I'm not really looking forward to doing, for a varitey of reasons. But my sister really cannot handle two little old ladies that need full care.

Call your local chapter of the Small Business Administration, as well as contacting your local uniersity's business college. The SBA is designed to help people start and be successfull with their small business. Your univeristy will typically have people who can provide you with help as well. In some cases, they choose small businesses to partner with to help the business owner, and the university students with real-world experinece.

Sorry, I've learned a while new jargon, and I love my jargon.... One of my failings with my writing, jargon... The UFC tests are urine tests where I have to collect all my urine in a jug and have it sent off to have the cortisol tested. I have to collect 4 different days worth of these tests. Cushings tumors can be in many places, typically in the pititary (brain) or the adreanal glands (kidney), but it can be caused by tumors in other parts of the body such as the lung. So, the surgeon I spoke with on Tuesday explained the surgery if it was my adreanals that is causing my woes. I"m still waiting for the phone call....

And then there is me. I've gained back a net of 15 hard faught pounds, and I've gained it back on 1000 calories.

Well, since I've been banded, I have the most amazingly strong nails, like they were when I was pregnant. I mean, I can grow my nails to almost "exotic" lenth! Before I was banded I had sort of flimsy papery nails that would easily split or shred.

Hi Tina, you also might look at NWWLS. www.nwwls.com My husband had a BMI of something like 80, which is basically a meaningless number. He weighed 600 pounds at the time of his band placement. You will want to go with someone who's got experience with your special needs. The inial banding is only the beginning of the journey. You really need to make sure that you have really good aftercare lined up. I am not familer with the wish centers, so I cannot comment on their aftercare. I wish you the best of luck in deciding what to do.

Wait! What? I go away and have my own personal meltdown and this happen???? I need to search the complications forum for the rest of the story, since that's where I think it will be, right? Oh (((((((Trish))))))))

Thank you so much. You are all such kind and caring people. I am crying as I sit here reading your thoughs of care and understanding. I just started a thread that updates my last two weeks. Maybe I should have called it "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" but that's already been done...

My DH and I both used NWWLS. The whole clinic is great, and Jessie and Debbie, the two fill nurses, are amazing when it comes to fills. I read so many accounts of folks getting fills that I really appricate the care we get at this clinic.

Well, last week I had my week's work-up at OHSU. My PIC line closed off, and the tape they used ate the skin off my arm, so I've been fighting an infection there. It really chewed up my arm, but it finally stopped hurting. I got my famous jugs yesterday, so I'll do the first UFC tomorrow. I'm so wound up tonight, that I'm probably high.... Heh, any where else, in any other context, that would sound bad. So, I didn't perform at the bellydance party on Friday, like I was supposed to. There will be other solos so I'm not really upset. I just couldn't face the questioning looks with the way my arms ended up being chewed up over the week. It would have just been too hard dealing with the questioning looks. Too hard. Sunday afternoon I got a call from my sister. Our mother had been having some serious health issues, and the doctor called her on a Sunday, and told her that's she's got pancreatic cancer, it's verified. So now I have to deal with that, and with my rotten brothers. Sunday night my Spudboy started throwing up with diarea, so I spent all night in the ER with him while they pumped him full of IV bags, pain medications and anti-nausia drugs. I think I got about 15 minutes snooze time in the ER. Monday, after we got Spudboy home, and socked away in my bed, I think i got about 90 minutes of sleep, I was too wound up. I had a job interview at 3:00 and had to find and print my resume. Had to get the printer out, the good paper, and all that stuff. Road constrction in addition to not being sure where I was actually going for my interview added to the stress, but I arrived in plenty of time. I WOWed him. It was only an informal interview, to see if either one of us wanted to set up the full and formal interview loop. A full loop is an 8 hour loop, and is quite the endurance test. Anyway, I WOWed the guy! He's off for a 10 day inspection of one of the facilities in India, but he wants me to think about where in the organization I think I would fit best, what I would like to do most within the organization, where I want to focus. Yesterday I had a partial unfill. I "only" had 1.5 cc in my band, but it was too much. I was getting tighter and tighter, and we decided that I should have .25 removed. I have had every meal without pain or PBs or slimes. Heaven! I'm hungry, and I know I'm eating more than I should. Funny, only a Banster would think that an entire chicken breast was too much food? I'm not tracking my meals, which is added stress I don't need right now. NWWLS has a new surgeon who's joined their practice, and he's an experienced neuro-endo-surgeon who's apperently one of the leading docs in the area, both subject and geography. He quickly outlined what the surgery would be in I had to have the adreanals done. So, tomorrow I get my test resutls from Dr. L. I am excited and scared at the same time. I don't know what time he's going to call me. And I'm sitting here, wound up like a top.

Well, last week I had my week's work-up at OHSU. My PIC line closed off, and the tape they used ate the skin off my arm, so I've been fighting an infection there. It really chewed up my arm, but it finally stopped hurting. I got my famous jugs yesterday, so I'll do the first UFC tomorrow. I'm so wound up tonight, that I'm probably high.... Heh, any where else, in any other context, that would sound bad. So, I didn't perform at the bellydance party on Friday, like I was supposed to. There will be other solos so I'm not really upset. I just couldn't face the questioning looks with the way my arms ended up being chewed up over the week. It would have just been too hard dealing with the questioning looks. Too hard. Sunday afternoon I got a call from my sister. Our mother had been having some serious health issues, and the doctor called her on a Sunday, and told her that's she's got pancreatic cancer, it's verified. So now I have to deal with that, and with my rotten brothers. Sunday night my Spudboy started throwing up with diarea, so I spent all night in the ER with him while they pumped him full of IV bags, pain medications and anti-nausia drugs. I think I got about 15 minutes snooze time in the ER. Monday, after we got Spudboy home, and socked away in my bed, I think i got about 90 minutes of sleep, I was too wound up. I had a job interview at 3:00 and had to find and print my resume. Had to get the printer out, the good paper, and all that stuff. Road constrction in addition to not being sure where I was actually going for my interview added to the stress, but I arrived in plenty of time. I WOWed him. It was only an informal interview, to see if either one of us wanted to set up the full and formal interview loop. A full loop is an 8 hour loop, and is quite the endurance test. Anyway, I WOWed the guy! He's off for a 10 day inspection of one of the facilities in India, but he wants me to think about where in the organization I think I would fit best, what I would like to do most within the organization, where I want to focus. Yesterday I had a partial unfill. I "only" had 1.5 cc in my band, but it was too much. I was getting tighter and tighter, and we decided that I should have .25 removed. I have had every meal without pain or PBs or slimes. Heaven! I'm hungry, and I know I'm eating more than I should. Funny, only a Banster would think that an entire chicken breast was too much food? I'm not tracking my meals, which is added stress I don't need right now. NWWLS has a new surgeon who's joined their practice, and he's an experienced neuro-endo-surgeon who's apperently one of the leading docs in the area, both subject and geography. He quickly outlined what the surgery would be in I had to have the adreanals done. So, tomorrow I get my test resutls from Dr. L. I am excited and scared at the same time. I don't know what time he's going to call me. And I'm sitting here, wound up like a top.

Hey Gang, I'll be spending a week at OHSU next week for my Cushing's work up. Not sure where I'll be staying, other than close to the hospital. My DH is the self-designated the tour planner. I thought I'd ask for some referals for some cool things to do, maybe we could get together for something, coffee, dinner, tours of the city... I also was hoping to get some info on the bus system, since I'll be without a car. Which isn't a bad thing, given that I can't see in the dark... anymore. Anyway, I'd really like to meet up with some of the Merry Bandsters.

Just out of curiosity, is someone pulling a Delarla by deleting large number of threads?

Are you discouraged with your band journey? You can give up.... AFTER I DO. Lately there have been several threads where people are discouraged after a few weeks, a few months or even several months out because they are not losing like they want to, or think they should. So, you wanna give up? I hearby give you permission to quit. But there's a catch. You can only give up after I've given up, you can only give up after you spend as much time as I've put in. Are you a winded wabbit? Well my sisters and brothers, catch your breath and dust yourself off, and get back up on that pony. Just new and not filled yet or filled for a couple of weeks? Give that fill time to work, or make another appointment for another fill. I gained 5 pound last night. 5 pound on 1200 calories. But I'm not giving up. I'm not giving up on my band and I'm not giving up on myself. I know that the doctors will be able to treat me so that I too can finally lose the weight and bulk. I have to believe this. I've lost 15 pounds since April 05. If I haven't given up, neither can you.

I give up.

Oh Kelly, you look amazing. I am so proud of you, you have done so well.

I'm at 13 months out, so close enough I guess. Let's see, for my activities for a typical week, now that I'm home. ... I've spent 5 hours doing serious heavy yard work, including pruning hedges and trees, 2 hours belly dancing, plus pilaties and walking, and unpacking bins and boxes from my move home. My food is about 1200-1400 calories, since it doesn't matter how much I eat. coffee, high Fiber cerial, 1/2 a sandwich, sensible dinner. Glass of milk at night. Right now, I'm down a total of 25 pounds from my surgery. Sux to be me.

I've been thinking about this thread for the last couple of days. Two rudes do not make a polite. Civility is the glue that holds society together. Just because someone is a bore doesn't give us the right to be rude in return. I find nothing wrong with being conditioned to be polite. I know it drives my mother bonkers, but I'm pathologically polite. I had such difficulties when I was exhiled with the general level of rudeness. To me it sounded like she was sincerly trying to be helpful. There are somepeople that are pathologically helpful, even when their help is not wanted or warrented.

Well, Kare, of COURSE we want to see pix! You posted some pix of your garden on the Artists and their artwork thread, BEAUTIFUL. Oh, and if I dont' give up, neither can you! In the last 3 weeks, I've gained 15 pounds, on 1200 calories, I gained 15 pounds.

Well, we have voted time and time against censorship, and when someone deletes entire threads because they don't like where they were going, they effectively censoring the board. I sould have every right to remove my content, but I do NOT have the right to delete what other people say. And when someone leaves in a fit if pique, that makes it worse. No matter what we post, we are contributing to LBT, even if we start a conroversial thread. And when someone removes entire threads, they are doing increadible damage to us all. I know that Leenerbups put in a lot of work for the veggie thread. Is she going to be inclined to duplicate that effort knowing that someone, one a capricious whim will delete that thread and all her hard work? How many people will put any effort to a large project, say compiling all the mushy recipes, knowing that it will be deleted? I know that more than once I've been so bloody pissed off and angry because I cannot lose weight that I've been tempted to delete every single post and thread I've started. Would this be fair for me to do the next time I get angry because I'm a failure? Would this be fair for Paula to do, or Alex, or anyone else to do, after they have contributed? How about when Kathy decides to move on that she just delete everything she's contributed? But not just what she's contributed, but what everyone else has contributed as well? I've put a lot of work and effort into LBT. I take it personally when someone removes entire threads on a whim. Not only have they taken something of value, but they also reduce the level of trust we have here. Why should I bother to spend 30 minutes of my life replying to a thread? Why should I bother to even consider issues worth my time? why should any of us?

congrats on your new job!

I think the poster should have the right and option to change their posts,but what other people have contributed belongs to the whole board.