Anwyn

Wow! Look at all these posts and it's only the 2nd day of September. I have to catch up on all of the reading and then I'll do personals. Spent the last 3 days at my sister's house having a garage sale. Woop de doo - $170 split in two. Should have driven the lot to the Salvation Army and taken the tax break. Oh well - at least the closets are cleaned out! We're having a campout in the backyard tonight with a bunch of the nieces and nephews. The women will be camped out inside with a bottle of wine, which suits me just fine. Oh yeah... I got my fill on Wednesday. It took just one poke!!! I exhaled and said "Thank God!" when he hit the port. We both started to laugh - after the debacle last time I think he was more nervous than I was. And guess what? RESTRICTION BABY!! I feel like a new bandster again, and I'm so excited to see the scale heading downward. It's gone up and up since March. I might even set a goal of 199 for New Years. Could be a little optimistic, but we'll see... Hope you're all enjoying your long weekend! Promise to catch up with personals soon! Anne

Hi everyone! Not much going on here today. It's 98 degrees outside (almost unheard of in Michigan) so we're staying inside. So, what's this about a challenge? Count me in! I'm going to lose 10 lbs this month if I have to have it sucked out by a surgeon. Just kidding... I guess I've had enough surgery for a while, eh? Eilene, congrats on getting your hair back! Mine is starting to come in too. Phew! Cindy, have a safe trip dropping your DD at camp. Enjoy your alone time with the DH! Hmm... now that I'm in the new thread I can't remember any of the things I wanted to respond to. WTF? Have to go anyways - I hear the Water on upstairs. Yesterday DD got nekkid and covered herself in a bottle of hair conditioner. Hope you're all having a great day!

Anyone who doubts that food is an addiction just like alcohol or cigarettes should read this thread. I confessed my lifelong binging to my (skinny) mom a few months ago, telling her about how my sister and I would stop at the drive thru on the way home from school the moment we got our licenses, and then eat a full dinner an hour later. It only got worse the older I got. One of my earliest memories is lying in bed at about the age of 7 and fantasizing about ordering a stack of 20 big macs. I didn't want a pony, I didn't want a million bucks, I wanted 20 big macs. What's up with that?! The band is great for bingers once we get the right fill level, but I know that I would also benefit from some counseling. My mind is not working with the band right now.

What a great pic! You can see the love in hubby's eyes. Happy Anniversary!

I went through insurance approval and they sure do make you jump through the hoops! Hang in there - I know how frustrating it is. I thought I would be having my surgery in December and it didn't happen until July. Try to think of the delay as time when you can get your head on board with all of the changes (both great and not so great) that will come with banding. Good luck with your approval!

Well said. Thanks for sharing your story and congrats on your full recovery! :hug:

Hi all, I've been cleaning all day and I'm pooped! I cleaned out the top of the fridge, the laundry room, the coat closet, and gave the kitchen a good scrubbing. My older DS is having a garage sale next week so I'm pulling stuff out for that as well. I haven't nested like this since I was preggers with my youngest. Don't even think it - DH had the snip snip months ago. Sherry, I'm sorry that you had such a tough day. I've never had problems with Wheat Thins... just goes to show how differently our stomachs react to the band. Of course, that may all change when I get my fill next week. Hope you're feeling better now! Kat, I spent my casino winnings on DD's bedroom. She's moving from a crib into a twin bed, so I bought her a really cute comforter and curtains from Pottery Barn. I never would have let myself spend the money if I hadn't had the windfall, so it was a lot of fun to make a guilt-free purchase. :eek: Cindy, I couldn't agree more with you about those posts ruining it for everyone. I was trying to explain it to my sister and I told her that there are two queen bees fighting over the drones - LOL! Also, I really hate that thread where everyone rips on the newbies for asking stupid questions. You don't know they're stupid questions when you're a newbie! I know it's supposedly all in fun, but if I was new I'd never want to start a thread. Sigh... it's just so... highschool (shudder!). Allison, you must work for the same company as Eilene. Is the boss man on your trail? :rant: Betty, they sure keep you hopping at work! They're lucky to have you. Eilene, can't wait till you can come out to play tomorrow. Darcy, have you recovered from the scope? Been thinking of you. (((HUGS))) Okay, gotta get the kids to bed. We've been getting up later and later all Summer, so it's going to be a rude awakening when they're going to bed at 8pm again. Talk to you all soon.

Hi everyone! Wow - I'm a little overwhelmed at all the catching up I need to do, but I'll do my best! Our trip up North was a lot of fun. Turns out we didn't have internet access after all, so we were really roughing it. Okay, so it was was a fully furnished condo, but for a princess like me no internet is roughing it! We spent most of our time down by the pool or playing putt putt. We got a sitter one day and went to the casino and I won $1500!! They have to report big wins to the IRS, so he asked me for me license. Well, I didn't have it! I had left my wallet on the kitchen table. So, I told him I'd be right back and I walked out to the car and returned with my twin sister's military id. I kept waiting for Homeland Security to take me away for a full body cavity search! Thankfully, they bought it. Darcy, my DH had to drink that nasty orange stuff last year. He's only 33, but he has a family history so his doc wanted to get a baseline. The nurses wouldn't let him leave afterwards until he could pass gas. There was my hubby in the recovery room with ten men in their 80's, all doing their best to fart. I was laughing so hard tears were running down my face. Hope it all goes well for you today! Beanie, enjoy your vacation! And then enjoy the vacation from the vacation. :confused: How old are the step-grandkids? When will you hear about the new job? Will you still be traveling to NY if you switch positions? Can I ask any more questions? Pat, it's so good to see you posting again! Get that new girl trained so that we can talk to you more often. Any news on your friend's family? I'll be sending healing thoughts their way. Eilene, tell your DD that I'm wishing her a very happy birthday! Is she starting kindergarden this fall? My little guy turns 6 in a few weeks so I'm working on sending out party invites right now. What is your daughter into right now? it's ALL about Spongebob at my house. Darn kids are growing up too fast. :drum: Dianne, so glad that you and DH enjoyed your night away. Happy anniversary! I look forward to seeing the pictures. Cindy, you are doing just awesome with the weight loss! Something tells me you're going to make that Christmas goal. What grade is your DD in this year? Is she excited to go back? Patty, my honest opinion is that you should dump your "friend". She sounds toxic, and you deserve better. (((HUGS))) Mary, it sounds like things are going well with DH's recovery! I have to say - I really felt for you with the whole birthday dinner thing. Let's just say, I can relate. Did you hock a loogie into the potato casserole? Just kidding!! Donna, where are you chickie? Hope everything is going well. Allison, your son is absolutely beautiful! Thanks for sharing the pics. Betty, how's the foot? I hope it stops giving you so much grief. Has DH started his new job yet? On a purely random note, I've always wondered... do you Texas gals live near each other? I know Texas is a monster of a state, but I was curious... Okay! I hope that I haven't forgotten anyone. If I did, here's a big (((HUG))) for you. Have a great night all.

Sherry, you don't just look thinner, you look 15 years younger! You really can't see the weight loss?! It's really apparent in your back, shoulders and face. Beanie, I see a big difference in your hips and your chest. Keep up the great work guys!

Hi everyone! I'm just catching up on the posts, but I'll be back for personals soon. We leave for vacation today, but I'm pretty sure we have internet access. If not, however will we pass the time?! Traveling with my sister and her family to a condo. Should be lots of fun - there's a huge pool and lots of stuff for the kiddies to do. And I promise to post pics of my new haircolor after the trip, but I didn't get as much of a change as I wanted. It's just brown with a small hint of red. 3am - yikes! I should head to bed. Hope you're all having a great weekend!

I've had complications too (covered by insurance) and in my opinion a self-pay needs to consider not whether you can afford to pay for ONE operation out of pocket, but whether you can afford to pay for TWO operations. If it's going to put you on the street, then it's a much tougher decision. But if you want this and you can afford to pay if complications arise, I say go for it. I would absolutely get my band again, and even with my complications I don't regret it at all. Good luck with your decision!

Donna, I just went to have my hair cut and colored today and the stylist was showing me where all the new hair is coming in. It takes a while, but it will come back. Hang in there! I agree with NJChick - so long as you're eating your protein and taking a multivitamin with biotin I don't think there's much you can do but wait.

Yup, if I were any of you I would be getting an unfill ASAP. Better to have them back it off a little bit than risk a slippage because you're throwing up. Even a small unfill can provide immediate relief. Good luck everyone!

You have got to get this book! I saw this author on Oprah, and not only is he hilarious, he makes some really good points about relationships. It's called He's Just Not That Into You: The No Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys. If I wasn't married it would be my first purchase. Here's a link to it on Amazon: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/068987474X/sr=1-1/qid=1155086814/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-2793803-9521559?ie=UTF8&s=books]Amazon.com: He's Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys: Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo: Books[/ame] Basically, he tells you when to cut and run, and when it's worth persuing. Good luck to you!

Hi everybody! We went to my sister's house to visit with the cousins and decided to stay overnight. SO, first things first... HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY EILENE!! I hope you had a nice day. I'm proud of you for throwing out the leftover cake. Here are some beautiful roses for you that I grew myself. If you stick your nose on the screen you can catch a whiff. LOL! :huggie: :huggie: ;) :( :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: Kat, I'm so glad to hear that DH is home safe and sound! It sounds like he went through quite a procedure. Still tough times right now I know, but hopefully he'll improve a little bit each day. Great news about your mom and daughter too. Cindy, I had no idea you were back to work so soon! Sounds like quite a meeting. If that's the way they treat the teachers I can see why you're counting down every day. By the way, I make Eilene's spinach dip too (and it's sooooo good). Try adding chopped Water chestnuts if you like them. Darcy, what happened to your tree? Did it go down in a storm, or was it just old? It's so sad when one of those big old trees dies. Sherry, has the blood pressure medication helped with the vertigo at all? I sure hope so! It's hard to concentrate on much of anything when you're dizzy. Dianne, good luck getting that last advertiser locked in! Betty, sorry to hear that your foot is still giving you trouble. Has the boot helped at all? (((HUGS))) Beanie, have a great trip to NY! I hope work is slowing down for you and you can stop in and say howdy. I went to get my hair cut and colored today. I went darker than usual and asked for a hint of red. I've never had any red put in my hair before, so I was nervous, but I think I like it! Now maybe people will stop asking me where my kids get their red hair. Quick story... My son was painting with some new paints today but he was having trouble getting the paint onto the brush. He made me paint the entire picture all by myself under his supervison. When I was done painting he said "Oh wow, it's so beautiful. Dad's going to be so proud of me!". LOL! Everyone says he's going to be an engineer, but I think management might be his calling. He sure loves bossing me around at any rate! Time to get the kids to bed. Talk to you all soon!

Mary, you look great!! Thanks for sharing the pics. :scared: www.babycenter.com is a great website if you're researching pregnancy. I always headed there when I had questions.

I'm glad you're on the road to recovery! Not to trivialize what you went through, but I'm glad it was your gall bladder and not a band slippage! In some cases, slips can't be fixed and the doctor removes the band and either makes you wait 6 months for another band surgery or tells you that you can't be rebanded at all. Hope you feel better soon!

I just had a port revision a few weeks ago (mine was tipped and they couldn't access it). Mine is right on the waistline, so I'm no help to you there, but I wanted to reassure you that it's a pretty minor operation and I was feeling great within a few days. They didn't use general on me, it was conscious sedation (they give you something to relax you through an iv, but don't put you out). I don't remember a thing. As with most things, it varies from doc to doc. Some will do it with a local right in their office. I was happy to be put down - less nerve wracking if you ask me!

Hi everyone! I'm a little blue... DH left for California so I've been lonely today. Of course, all week, whenever he was irritating me, I would think "just make it to Sunday, just make it to Sunday". He will be gone to CA for a week, then we go on vacation for a week, then he leaves for another week. His side of the bed is going to get lonely. I'm fighting with my DS (as much as you can fight with a 5 year old, lol). He asked me to draw him a 50 square hopscotch on the driveway. I did, but there was a mistake on it - so he refused to play on it!!! I almost killed the little bugger. And now my back hurts. Grrrrrr Well, the pizza is here so I have to go. Did I say pizza? I meant to say that the broccoli and brussel sprout casserole is done so I'd better go pop it out of the oven. Yeah, right. :scared: Hope you're all enjoying your weekend!

Congratulations! 28 lbs - that's quite a loss! I'm not surprised they noticed. Wow - just noticed that you're not even banded. Way to go!! :scared:

Those are too cute. I love Enzo's - they're so comfy! Unfortunately, I wasn't born with the "walk in heels" gene... Your feet will definitely thin out as you lose weight. I always thought my feet stayed really skinny when I was heavy, but then I put on a pair of shoes that I hadn't worn in a while and I was swimming in them. Don't worry - you'll be strutting in them before you know it.

:preggers: :preggers: Mary, I'm so happy for you and your DH! CONGRATS! :preggers: :preggers:

Hi everyone! Finally, we have a nice day here. I just scrubbed out the little kiddie pool so the kids are happily playing outside. I don't have any plans this weekend. DH is going out of town on Sunday, so there will be the usual rushing around to get him ready. I'm so proud of myself. I've been workout out (very lightly) every day this week, and it's starting to show on the scale even though I've been far from perfect with food. I've lost 7lbs since my port was fixed and filled 3 weeks ago. Dianne, congratulations on you new ad accounts! I think that cake account counts as 2. :eek: It sounds like your hard work is really paying off. Betty, have a safe trip this weekend! I sure don't blame you for getting a new washing machine. I was without one for over a month a little while back, and it was no fun. Beanie, I was just wondering where you were! I'm sorry that things have been so crazy at work. I was looking at your signature, and it looks like you're now down about 50 lbs from your all time high. That's gotta feel great!! By the way, I've decided that nobody else is allowed to slip/erode/etc because I've already more than satisifed the 3% complication rate for our little NJ Chat group. Wasn't that considerate of me? LOL Darcy, I'm glad you were finally able to get down some semi-solid food! I'll bet your scale will reward you after so many days of liquids. Sherry, I hope you feel better soon! Let us know what the doctor says on Monday. Try to have a good trip to NY! Your inlaws sound a bit like mine. They think they're being funny, but usually they're just hurting my feelings. (((HUGS))) Mary, what's up? Haven't heard from you in a while. Hope you're doing well! Eilene, you finally went to the gyno!! :clap2: :clap2: Good luck getting TOM under control. Any big birthday plans this weekend? What kind of cake are you having? Don't forget - 42 is the new 32!! Heck, Christie Brinkley is 52. Cindy, have you finished with DD's room? When do you pick her up from camp? Boy, is she going to be surprised! Patty and Pat, hope you're both too busy having fun to hang out on LBT! I know this is a little premature, but I was thinking it would be fun to have everybody's home address for Christmas cards this year. What do y'all think? You could PM me your info and then I can send everyone a list. Have a great weekend everyone!

Wow Celeste, I think I would have broken down before I cleared customs to enter the country. You are an amazing, brave woman. And how many people are able to say that they actually are helping to shape a nation? It has to be hard with your friend gone, but we're here for you! (((HUGS)))

I think you should go for it! I was a girlscout for a few years and I don't remember any religious stuff at all. I remember lots of crafts, camping, and eating lots and lots of girls scout Cookies. You can always go through the 2 hour training and see if it's a good fit for you. Keep us posted.