Cocoabean

Ticker tutorial: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/40540-ticker-tutorial-with-pictures/ It is based on the old LBT. So now to get to your signature, go to "Signed in as" on the upper left corner, click "My Settings" then profile. Then you'll see a link to change signature. That is where you paste the code for the ticker. Do NOT click on "My Profile" you need to click "My Settings" then profile or you cannot get to the signature page.

Leigha, you'd think a fellow bandster would know to leave you in peace, right? She probably felt like she'd found a kindred spirit. At least your day was memorable! I got stuck the other night. We had lasagna, which is always dicey for me. The odd thing was that while I was sliming, I got extremely nauseous. That doesn't normally happen when I am stuck. So, up it all came. Then yesterday, the back end exploded. I am blaming it on the underdone turkey at MIL's. Elfie, I had egg nog yesterday. All 8 bagillion calories. Yummy. Gave me a whopping headache, as almost any alcohol does these days. Our chicken came out excellent! Yay!

Here is the ticker tutorial: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/40540-ticker-tutorial-with-pictures/ It is based on the old LBT. So now to get to your signature, go to "Signed in as" on the upper left corner, click "My Settings" then profile. Then you'll see a link to change signature. That is where you paste the code for the ticker. Do NOT click on "My Profile" you need to click "My Settings" then profile or you cannot get to the signature page.

After nearly 3 years, I still want to eat everything I put on my plate. Even though intellectually I know I won't be able to. I also put much less on my plate than I did 3 years ago. If my band were gone, my portions would go right back to where they were pre-banding. Yep, I'll need some form of surgical intervention to keep my weight down for the rest of my life.

My doctor has said that infection at the port site is a sign of erosion. The pus from the infection at the band/stomach follows the tubing and gathers at the port for some reason. Whenever I see my PCP he checks my port over.

LapNYC, if you hover over the topic, you'll see a little icon on the right. Click that and it will load a preview. It is slower than the old hover, but you don't have to go into the thread to see it. See attached screen shots: Thread Preview.doc

In my opinion, we are not the healthiest group going in to surgery. Especially for the super obese. This fact alone puts us at a higher risk for complications. I've seen on some documentaries about bariatrics that some surgeons will not operate on people with high BMIs because the risk of death during the op or immediately post-op is too high. The surgeon's feel the risk to benefit ratio is too high for them take on a case like that.

Oh, how was Tangled? Previews looked good. Sorry to hear the pain is back. I do hope they find the problem with the surgery. Yes, dinner today will be yummy! Doing a chicken for us with all the trimmings! Many years ago my mom (rest her soul) gave me her Betty Crocker cook book. I made the stuffing recipe. It came out just like my mothers! I told my mom, she says...where do you think I got the recipe??? My MIL is as sweet as can be, but soooo frustrating. It's like dealing with a child, not an adult. Not too long ago I told her that if she doesn't want to take her medication, don't take it. But also don't go back to the doctor asking for help, because they cannot help you if you refuse medication. Death won't be as painless without medical help. Last week they diagnosed COPD. So now she has an inhaler, which she doesn't want to use, either. They gave her an antibiotic for this round of bronchitis. DH got it filled and took it to her. It was about 11:45am when he got back to her house. It is once per day dosing. He says, Ok, so you can take this one at noon every day, and writes it on the bottle, then hands her one. She says, "Oh, then I don't have to take it now." Then she pushes it away! So, he made her take it. But damn. I mean, if you don't want medical help, I understand. You are 95, maybe you are done with it all. That's great. But don't go to the doctor. I certainly can't say she is a complainer, because she isn't. But I truly believe that she is afraid that when she dies, the family will not come together any more. Which is probably true. It is the way of families that as generations die they split off and form their own families. She has one daughter (62 years old) who lives in a second house on her lot, was rent free until FIL died, now she "pays when she can." We are talking $250.00 a month for a one bedroom single family home in San Diego. Normal rent would be about $1200-1500 for that. Which we suspect is hardly ever. Well SIL went to MIL complaining because BIL said that she could not stay in the house after MIL passed away. Yeah? And? The property is to be sold....what did SIL and MIL think was going to happen? Besides SIL can stay there..if new owner is willing to take her on as tenant and she pays full rent, EACH month. Then MIL starts looking at sibblings to take SIL in. Nah, sorry, just because you are an enabler and co-dependent with her, doesn't mean we are. It is her problem. She's stolen rent from you for 46 years. Let her figure it out. MIL asked DH who would take over Christmases when she is gone. She forces everyone (4 generations) to gather at her house on Christmas day for gifts and a meal. She thinks she can create the "magic" for her children, the youngest of which is my DH at 56. He was honest and said no one would. Her grandchildren will be able to start their own traditions and her great-grandchildren can have Christmas mornings at their own home with their toys as they want. The GGCs are aged 18-3, and one more was born yesterday. But she selfishly wants everyone at her house for the entire day. I mean, what 4-6 year old wants to go to their great-grandmother's house when they have fresh Santa brought toys at home? She can't see that, never could. One year we decided to go to Florida for Christmas to be with my sister who has a severe case of Lupus. I never know from year to year if she will be around. DH and I were both air traffic controllers at the time and we got lucky enough to both be able to get a week off at Christmas. So we decided to go back. We'd spent the previous 15 at Mom's house. When we told her, she was so angry with me for opting not to be there! She tells me, DON'T let it happen again. Yeah, well, I'll let it happen as many times as I want/can. It was the last year my sister's children were all at home before college. It was a great Christmas. I refuse to feel guilty, thank-you-very-much! Ok, rant over for now! I am thankful for my DH, love him to pieces. And for my dog, Butters, who is sitting next to me with loving eyes.

It takes much longer to load than the old hover did. But it is there. I prefer the old one that didn't take any time. Just some feedback for the admins. Indiogirl, you can get to the subscribed threads under My Content from the "Signed in as IndioGirl55" link in the upper left corner of your screen. See the attached file. My content.doc

Amazing changes! Keep up the good work!

Jackie great to hear from you! Welcome back. Elfie, wow, you've been on the roller coaster, woman! Was very surprised to read you got a fill. You have used this whole experience as an education about yourself, that is very inspiring. You could have curled up and given up, but you didn't. Way to go! Is the pain the same with or without the fill? Is it better with the refill than before? I am curious if the band might have moved around a bit without the fill and the pain has improved a little bit....a sign that the exploratory surgery will help. Warning....I need to vent! As for me...I had an excellent object lesson as to why I did not tell my MIL about my surgery. We had our T-day with the Fam on Sunday. MIL has been sick again and DH took her to the nurse practitioner last week. MIL is almost deaf and very hard to tallk to. So, needed SOMETHING to say, DH told her that this NP was the one who lanced a boil on my butt nearly a year and a half ago (thanks, Hun). So, on Sunday, we got there early. DH's brother was the only other one there. DH sat down to talk with Bro. 95 year old sick MIL insisted on cooking the meal--so that left me to go into the kitchen to try to help (not that she will accept it). Anywho...we sat down for a few minutes and she proceeds to ask me all about my butt! Wanted all the details! I am like, uh, it was a year and a half ago, she lanced it, I am fine. Mom says, why did you get it? Will it come back? What causes those? Can they kill you? OMG!!! This is the woman who would not ask someone else to cook the stupid turkey because she has bronchitis and feels like crap. Won't tell anyone she feels so bad she can barely breathe. When SIL took her to the ER last time she was so sick with the cough, the doctor asked her what brought her in, she said, "oh, I just feel yucky." Great diagnostic help there, Ma. She's pissed at the medical community because they won't make her feel like she did 50 years ago. They, "don't know what's wrong with me." She doesn't want to take the medications they prescribe, because she's never had to take them before and they are why she feels so bad. A response of, "you are nearly 95 years old" is unacceptable. Well, if you won't tell them what you are feeling, they can't help you. If you won't take your medications, it can't help you. And I am sorry, but the fact that you will turn 95 years old on Saturday is acceptable. You are NOT going to feel like you did 50 years ago!! You won't wear your hearing aids, people are going to get frustrated with you continually saying, "pardon?" DH took her to the hearing doc the other day, they fixed her aid and cleaned her ears. She said it was much better. So, yesterday he gets a call from his Aunt that she had called Mom and was worried because she couldn't get ahold of her. So DH calls, gets her on the line. After 5 minutes of screaming, she says she can hear better, but can't make out the works..oh well. Then she said "today is the worst day yet." DH asks if she meant the cough. No, the cough was OK. Are you tired? No, not tired. So he asks what she meant, she says...you know, just yuck. Great. Most likely it is the anemia hitting again. She was so pale on Sunday. After the turkey was out of the oven, she went to bed. Yeah, it was a great day. The turkey was underdone. She's been cooking them for 80 years, and she asked me what temperature it should be cooked to....I dunno, I cook chickens for Thanksgiving! So she said well the food network said it should be cooked to 161 degrees. Yes, that is one hundred sixty ONE. Why one? I don't know! She had the thermometer stuffed I don't know where. So I put it in the thigh. Well, come to find out, most websites say cook it to 165, Butterball says 180. We took it out at 160. At least the breast meat was done. The drumsticks and thigh meat, not so much. I could hardly get it off the bone. I can't eat breast meat. I put one bite of thigh in my mouth, bit down, it was like rubber. Spit that baby out! SIL made potatoes, used her kitchenaid to whip them, but somehow they came out lumpy. MIL puts olives in her stuffing, I hate olives, but everyone else loves it. So, I had a meal of corn souffle, lima beans, and cocktail weenies. I've never come home hungry from T-day dinner before. Especially since being banded. But it happened Sunday!

Sparkplug, it looks like your ticker is where your avatar should be.... ???

IndioGirl, you can find it under "MyContent" upper left, under the drop down, signed in as IndioGirl55. That will take you to your subscribed threads. My content.doc

Thanks Alex, I know the ads are needed so as to not have to charge us for the use of LBT. They do get annoying though.

Diva, yes, that is what I meant by my thanks. I found what you were talking about with your directions. When I first saw the notificiations, all I found was a link to turn them all off. Your directions showed me how to get to where I choose which ones I can turn off. Thanks bunches!

Depending on which computer I am on, I can't see who is posting, it is totally obscured. And the posts only post on the right half of the screen. The left half is blank. I tried switching to mobile and back, didn't work fo rme. The site also crashes often when I try to go into some of the threads. I've tried different settings on my computer to make it look better, no go. I am not crazy about the mobile version, I cannot see tickers or avatars, I like those. I hope they get the bugs sorted out soon. I went into withdrawls not being able to get on for 4 days...I missed everyone!

Thanks, Diva! All I saw was the link to Turn Off Notifications. Not the steps to choose which ones to turn off. I am also having problems with the web site/browser closing when I try to go into threads. It happened 5 times in a row just trying to get into this thread to say thank you. I understand it is glitches the admins need to fix, but if they don't get them addressed soon they are going to lose people. I've done some reading on the site you spend time at (I don't post there as I don't have anything to add, but I read to learn). It does work much better than this one has so far, but I like the old format of this one better than that one. This has been so frustrating over the last couple of days, I feel I am starting to lose interest and that would be a shame. This is where I come for my support.

Stoopid stoopid site! I had a response typed out and tried the spell check and lost it! Sheesh...I could log it, but kept getting a message that LBT was down for routine maintenance for 48 hours. That went on for about 3 days. It said I could not post. I could not see any new posts after 11-16. I got a message today that someone had started a private conversation with me. It was a notification that I had been quoted. Yeah, sort-of nice to know, but don't really care. But if I turn the notifications off, will I then no longer get notification of private messages? I'd sure like to know when I get those! I do like the idea of the spell checker though! If only it will alert people to the proper use of "losing weight" vs. "loosing weight"! Cleo's Mom, I am betting Alex's PM inbox is raging full right now!

WW is a fantastic program. I've done it. Maintained a 40 lb loss for 2 years. It was a LOT of work. The band is much less work than that for me. The band has allowed me to lose weight and maintain the loss without the agony of severe hunger. Do I get hungry? Yes. Do I still want to over eat? Yes. But I don't have the raging battle with my appetite going on. February will be 3 years since I was banded. I decided not to journal my foods. I eat until I am satisfied. I make healthy choices, and forgive myself if I make an occasional unhealthy choice. This is the longest I have ever gone losing and then maintaining my weight without agonizing over the scale and yo-yo-ing up and down. If you feel you haven't given diet and exercise it's full effort, by all means, give it your best. Surgery should be your last resort.

I am not liking it much either.

Well, on my home computer, its isn't quite so odd looking. Must be a setting. Christie, yes, we are that shallow, to a degree. I doubt we'd all want to admit it, though. I am betting you have changed a bit during your physical transformation, and you don't realize it. I'd bet you have more self-esteem and confidence. I'd venture you carry yourself differently now. I think the dynamics of interpersonal relationships are very complicated. People make snap judgements, you react a certain way, they interpret your reaction, then react..yada yada.. I've become more assertive and self-assured. People don't look past me any more. Our culture values thinness and looks at obesity as a sign of laziness. Those perceptions are deeply rooted. It is a sad statement. But yeah, we are a shallow lot. And you are HOT!

Well, I have 2/3 of a page blank at the top with advertising on the side. I know it is an ad supported site, but my oh my! Having to scroll that far to get to content? Please! I hit "go to first new post" and it took me to the first post. The poster's name is hidden behind some other stuff, so I can't see who posted what. I haven't explored much yet..but navigation seems not so easy, we'll see. Anyone else go through withdrawls?

I read it as "soggy" booty! Was wondering if bands cause people to pee their pants. Elfie, adjusting your goals during this time is a great idea! I AM going to see Harry Potter, took the day off even! Have tickets already. Life is good!

Owie! Thanks for the update! Glad you are feeling better.

Oh my gosh! I got stuck on a croissant in a moving motorhome! Was really fun urping into a moving toilet...NOT! Sometimes we never learn..... :blushing: