the best me

Yay Becky! Glad to see you back, and I hope Tellymelly comes here to see your post. Too fast is not healthy! Welcome home. Mr Alex (Mr LapBandTalk) is the one who started all of this, and we are ALL grateful. Good to see you back! Any news from guitarman? How's he doing?

Awww shucks. Thanks.

Praise The Lord!!!!!!!!! Wow Karen! This is the news that makes MY day, so I can only imagine how thrilled you are! Yay! Double Yay! and Wooohooooooo!!!!!:clap2:

Here's my latest. I didn't come out looking near as slender as I felt in this outfit, but here's me last weekend in the mountains of beautiful Virginia. With my sweet daughter, age 6. I weigh 182 there. Could someone side-by-side the before pic? The before was taken in 2000 at my high weight, about 240. Same daughter

I like the Sweet and Spicey flavor the best. Very yummy, but I have to wet it some. I usually add a TBS or two of Italian dressing and that works and tastes great. Oh, and I'll munch it with Wheat Thins...mmmmm. When's lunch?! :hungry:

Wow, is that yours? Geez, the pressure is on now. How do I get my little 3 stems to grow into that?! It's beautiful!

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 420 calories?!!!! And NO nutritional value whatsoever, unless you consider caffiene nutrition (I do) but still!

Jenna! Look how great my Jade plant is looking! Arent' you proud?!!!

I weighed 181.2 this morning. A new low for me. Yay!

Now THAT is so cool. I'm inspired, and encouraged that my band journey has been just about as positive as yours has, if I would only look at it that way. Thanks for helping me focus on the positives. You rock! :rockon:

Update: tinkle in the potty is going great. His pull-up or undies are almost always dry, and he pees like a champ regularly. Yay! Poop is still an issue. He just doesn't want to do it! Yesterday he needed to poop. I knew it, and he kept grabbing his fanny. (so cute and funny) so I put him on the pot, and he tinkled, said he was all done, I tried to get him to stay on and poop but he wouldn't. So I didn't put his undies back on. He ran around for the next 2 hours holding it in, begging for a diaper, watching TV, me eagle-eyeing his angst so we didn't end up with poop globs all over the floor. It was agony! Funny, but agony. He wanted a ball from the grocery store last week and I told him when he pooped on the potty he could have one and I've been holding it over his sweet little head ever since. So finally! he sat on the potty and pooped. Not because he tried, but because he couldn't hold it any longer. He pooped despite himself. But when Daddy got home, dadgummit if we didnt' drive up to the darn grocery store and buy him a ball! He was so excited. He loves that $2.99 red ball. OMGosh. I'm dyin' over here. The progress is slow but steady. He really is better about the tinkle, and maybe we will get him over this poopy hump soon. Arrrggghhh!! Is everyone else doing better than we are?!!!! LOL

BigPaul always makes me feel really good about myself. He's funny and silly but really smart right when you need him to be. DeLarla TellyMelly keeps me motivated on days I think I want to slack and theres always a smile on my face when I'm talking to her, she just keeps me laughing. She brightens my day! Cutiern reminds me of my daughter. I love how she is young, independent, and willing to make financial sacrifices to change her life. Dawg is a great husband. Selfless and supportive. He lives a banded lifestyle, without the band, so that he may succeed along side his wife. Pennie always seems so level-headed and diplomatic. I really admire that. Jack cracks me up with the use of his warped sense of humour in the manner in which he offers practical advice. Humour and practicalilty...great match and I always appreciate his input. (I also like his avatar!!) The best me (Kathy) has one of the most loving and tender hearts I've ever seen. She is always caring and giving to others even when she's needing support for herself. Her love of God and her desire to be a better servant shows in every post. Paula is my sweet Band-daughter and I'm so proud of how genuinely sweet she is and how her caring heart and love of God shows by her actions towards all others Iluvharleys has a good heart and is always so thoughtful, kind and caring always thinking of others in their time of need. NJChick (Eileen) Cracks me up!!!! She brings a smile to my face no matter what the topic. Bandland would be a boring place without her : - ) VinesQueen reminds me never to give up no matter how bad things seem at the time and encourages me that I should dance my heart out no matter whos watching~and I wish she would hurry up and get back on LBT!!! Michelle, without a doubt the most inspirational person to me. Even while having her own family problems, she finds time to come here and offer her help. She's a great person! Susan (PhotoNut) is one of the most supportive and knowledgeable people I've ever known. EmileeKaye is the sweetest, most genuinely nice and wholehearted bandster and online personality I have ever met.. and I have met quite a few. The sun shines on her goodness and it feels really nice to surround myself with people like this. K@t has been my friend and support since the moment I joined this group. She listens and gives without asking in return and makes me feel anything is possible. DeLarla is my vision of independence, strength, wisdom and trust and has always been a person that speaks her mind and has gained a tremendous amount of respect from me as an intelligent and witty person. StrawartS is smart and funny, and she has the strong personality I admire, yet she's kind. Plus, her screen name is a Palindrome. It's spelled the same backward and forward. Very Cool. Kathy (best me)

Pictures please!!!! Congrats. I'm so happy for you!!!!!!

Karen, I am waiting and waiting for the thread by you titled "I'm approved!!!" and to see the hope back in you. sigh. I haven't lost steam, so you can't either!!! Kim, Endo's at Dr Kuri's are $250 (about) plus the airfare that I think I can get for another $250, plus another $100 for whatever, so $600 buckeroos in MX, or $2500 plus? for one here...my health insurance is 100% coverage with no co-pay for well-care. Everything else has a $5000 deductible, including medications, anything health-related (it's an HSA) so I'd have to meet the $5000 deductible first or it's out-of-pocket. The HSA is only for emergencies and "big" stuff. My costs in MX can go toward the deductible if needed (I'm pretty sure) so MX is my first stop. I'm super comfortable with Dr Kuri doing an endo. But, I won't go to MX for plastic surgery. Too much recovery, too much risk for infection and problems, drains, etc so I'm staying close to home for that. Wavy, we know your "real" name isn't really Jill. It's Rhonda, or Leslie, or something, but that's okay. We'll pretend it's Jill for you, since it makes you feel better. But don't flinch when we still call you Wavy. I still call Starr, er, Starr, even though her real name is...hmmm, I forgot! LOL Melissa, you know what I had last weekend? A Starbucks Grande Mocha Frap. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Those things are pure evil. It could get waaaay addicting! I have avoided one since...so far! Jen, I can't wait to see you. Are you coming to lunch on the 20th? You really need to. I wanna see!!!!!!!!! Dianne, my transmission on my old red van is dying. I need to call this morning to see about fixing it. I hate to dump money in it, but if it can give me another 50 thousand miles...in addition to the 218 thousand I have on it already...okay, okay, I'm pushing it, huh? I need to go used van shopping. Are you having your repaired? Okay girls. Where's everyone else? Happy May. And thanks for the Bandiversary congrats, but switch gears, cuz my birthday is next week (May 9) so I want my own whole birthday thread with happy birthdays from everyone, okay?!! Kidding! You can post a happy birthday here and I'll be happy! LOL I love you guys!

Paula, what's the Aveeno stuff you are using? As I type, I have night, what? 2? of Olive oil on my face. Oh yeah baby! Feels so good! Okay, it's a bit greasy if you pile it on too much, but once it sinks in, it's very silky and nice, and my skin looks good in the morning! I think it may be helping my pores to stay cleaned out? Like, what would end up being a whitehead or blackhead is not piling up in there? Maybe the olive oil keeps my skin so moisturized I don't over-produce and get trapped? Or what gets trapped in my pores slides on out with the olive oil? Who knows...but I like the olive oil. Go figure! Thanks for the tip! So I have a little medicine cup on the bathroom counter with the olive oil in it. I'll keep you posted on the progress!

Ahhhhh, that's so nice!

WOW!!!! You look sooooooo beautiful! I LOVE the hair, AND the face, the smile, the pretty little feet! Avatar please!!!!! Well done, Sarah!!!!!

Yes! What do those mean? What tests did you have and what are the results? Speak plain for us plain folk. It's so good to see you posting. I have been thinking of you and missing you. I'm really sorry about your Mom, too. ((((((hugs)))))

Okay, due to evil dial-up I have avoided this thread, knowing I couldn't wait for the pics to show up. But today...I looked! How funny! Those fellas looking on with the silly grins...I'm not sure they know what to think, but they like it! You are too funny! Great pic of you and Chris. I agree. He's hot and ya'll make a great looking couple! You look wonderful!

OH! Gosh, it's been so long since I've seen the movie I can barely place her....I don't know!! Anyone? Hi everybody! Ya'll are doing so great! My son (3) want sto see the emoticons...here goes. :faint: :help: :hungry: :notagree :clap2: :kiss2: :sick that's Boom, writing, supper, sleeping, clapping his hands, lips, and a "sticky bomber?" huh? crazy kid LOL

Okay, malice...your next assignment is to join a club. The Gone For Good Club is great, but there are a few Challenges on the board, so jump on in. Welcome back on the bandwagon! You can do this!!!

telly, the firey brunette is Debra Winger. No change for me this week. I can feel it coming though...I just KNOW I'm dropping. darn scale. OMGosh! GREAT avatars, girls! Amy and Susan, well done! You are both fabulous!!!!!!! I had 5 pages of new posts to read on this thread. I'm sooo tired and need sleep. What a week. No Calgon in sight, either. None, I say! I just want to sleep till noon ONE more day before I'm 50. Not gonna happen. 'Night all!

Hey, Palindrome-girl, yer cool. Any news yet, teresa? Have you called the doc?

Jello doesn't HAVE to be sugar free...but why eat/drink the extra sugar? Most folks do SF popsicles and jello. I won't tell if you keep the sugar, though! ssssshhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

I just want you all to know that I read this thread regularly, and I pray through each request. God bless each of you, whatever your heart's concerns are. People are praying. Thanks for this thread. (((((HUGS)))) all around!