ReneBean

Try Catherines... sometimes they have nice Holiday type evening wear. (and they fit even the giant blob chicks like me...) I think you can just google them. Good Luck!!

Well, today is the last day of my official "Me Year". Tomorrow I turn 41. I have accomplished the one goal that I had for the year - getting insurance approval for the LapBand Surgery. I had to fight tooth and nail - but Sanity won out over Stupidity, and the State of California told Blue Cross they have to pay. :rambo Yesterday was my pre-op visit with Dr. Louis Fox from the Surgery Center of Richardson. He said no liquid diet pre-op. Yee Haw!! I can deal with South Beach phase I for 10 days. I think I will do some liquids the day before, just to empty out the system. Tomorrow morning I stop by the stab-lab for updated Bloodwork, and that should be all I need! I m pretty excited about the whole thing - but it still isn't REAL to me. Maybe after I start the 10 day pre-op diet... But Today & Tomorrow, it's Carb Central for me... my Celebratory Cheeseburger & Fries will be tonight, I think. I wish my oven wasn't broken... I would bake a loaf of bread. Oh well. The dieting is all for a good cause... ME! I can and will do what needs to be done to make this surgery a success. Even after losing a total of 10lbs since September - I can see my cheekbones, again. Hmmm, didn't I used to be a Babe? Oh, yeah... I WAS a Babe. Of course, I never really knew that until I wasn't a Babe anymore. Figures. Well, this time around, I intend to ENJOY my Babedom - and work it to it's fullest. It's a sad world when promotions are dependent on fitting a physical mold - but I swear it's true. So, I guess I will have to come back and read this entry when I get all whiney and teary-eyed about not being able to eat whatever the heck I want to eat at the time. Every minute of suffering is all for the best cause - ME. Still 40 and 346.5 lbs... for now. I wonder if the world is ready for a fully functioning, fully Babe-Aware Irene? I guess we'll find out....:devious

Hi All!! Betty - I have a pic of Zan's face - but she specifically asked not to have her picture posted on the web. Too many scary people surf the web - basically for the same reason I didn't post the picture of Eileen's DD. If Zan gives permission, I will be happy to e-mail a copy for you - BUT no posting... And Geez! Your interviewing seems to be taking almost as much time as my insurance approval! Hope you hear something good, soon! I'm still crossed... Eileen - you DO have pretty eyes... Not the least bit scary. You should have seen those pictures when I very first posted them - They were off the page huge - about twice that size. You want to talk about seeing pores... I had to edit to make the pictures small enough to fit the screen. Patty - if the flying finger is truly a problem, I will replace that with another picture I got of the top of Zan's head... LOL!~ I just loved the New York-ness of the flying finger. It's so what you expect from those tough city girls - but really not much like Zan was - until provoked. Zan - hope you aren't mad - but your face is covered and you don't have any identifying marks or jewelry... :] There I go, provoking you, again! Cindy - I aplaud you on keeping DD away from the drinker. No kid needs to be endangered due to that. I guess that weakness for alcohol is similar to the weakness for bread and Pasta and chocolate - but, my being fat never endangered any life but mine... Alcohol abuse has ruined so many lives. It's hard not to judge. But I'm working on it... Well, Friends - Another Glorious Day in Mortgage Lending has passed. Only 7 more business days until MY Tropical LB Vacation... I don't think I will be travelling to NY in February - just after surgery and all - but you never know. I will keep you posted. Tommorrow am I have to stop at the lab on my way into the office so I can get new fasting bloodwork. That means I need to get my petute out of here early tonight so I can be fasting for the requisite 12-14 hrs... We normally eat after we go to the gym. Hello to everybody that hasn't checked in. Hope to hear from you, soon! Hugs all round! Irene

****HIJACK**** I wondered... 'bated - short for Abated - another way to say - we're holding our breath waiting... Love the odd word-origin things... ****END-HIJACK***

You get an "A" for Attitude! Work it, Baby!! Lookin' Good! :]

"Pristine" is what she meant. Sorry you have had such a hard time, Erin. Big Hugs!

Well, I have told my entire family and several friends. I felt that it would ease my Mom's mind. She has always been MO - and she feels this horrid guilt because I am, too. She's a quiet worrier - and a deep guilt kind of person - it is bad for her health to worry about me... Of course, she is now worried about the surgery and the aftermath - but it's a hopeful kind of worry - that will go away over time. I am Pro Telling - but after seeing some of the stories here, I think I will only tell those who come asking me what I am doing. I would prefer to wait until after I am all healed up and able to get a fill before folks start watching... But after that, I am telling everyone. :]

Happy Bandiversary!! Keep up the Great Work!! :]

Congrats, Wendy! We are all thinking good thoughts for a speedy recovery! Hugs!!

Grand Babies are the most fun!! Congrats!

All Crossed and Thinking Good Thoughts... Everybody concentrate, now... Good Luck, Penni!!

We are waiting with Baited Breath for the "final answer". Big Hugs!! I hope they get this all figured out so that they can get to work on providing the cure... :] **or is that 'bated breath??

Jess - Rock On!! You are doing great. You will have that other five pounds down in no time!! Keep on Keepin' On! :]

Like fine wine, Baby... Revel in the flavor of experience!! :]

The time is off on somebody's computer. The post reads whatever time your computer says it is - adjusted for time-zone. So, if somebody's computer is set 5 minutes fast - then when you post close to another person - your answer post will appear before the question. Keri - your computer is fast - or Nana - your computer is slow... :]

:Banane30: :Banane30: :Banane30: :Banane30::peace: :peace: :dance: :target: :target: :whoo: :whoo: :whoo: :whoo: :whoo: :rockon: :rockon: :wow2: :wow2: :wow2: :becky: :becky: :nod: :nod: :cheer2: :banana :banana :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :cake: :cake: :cake: :cake: :cake: :cake: :cake: :cake: :cake: :cake: :cake: :not_ripe: :not_ripe: :cake: :cake: :cake: :cake: :Banane44: :cake: :Banane42: :cake: :cake: :woot: :woot:

So, Zan won't let us post any pictures of her to the internet. She has a thing about that. Besides, she is a little camera shy... we had a hard time getting a good shot...

Hi Guys A little more time, today - but not much!! Dang this Working business, anyway! Went to my doc today for the pre-op consult. I have a tentative surgery date for 2/06/06 and I have scheduled that week off work. Now all I have to do is stop by the lab for new bloodwork and get that date confirmed! PLUS, I lost another 1.5 lbs since the last visit in November. (now, think about that - Thanksgiving, Christmas, no band, no diet and a 1.5 month gap in my exercise schedule... ). I am pretty psyched about the whole thing. I guess my Thyroid meds and the exercise I have been doing are helping. Pat - I tip between 2-5 dollars a day - depending on how flush the old wallet is feeling. This trip, my boss wined and dined me, so I was bucks ahead. But then, I will probably be back there again in the next month or so, so it might pay off. Somebody told me to tip daily, since the staff isn't the same for your whole stay. *Way to train the DH. Sherry - I don't even want to THINK about frilly underwear! Geez... DH chases me around when I wear the Granny panties... Anything provocative would strain his heart! And what a Babe you are! How did I miss seeing that picture on the first go-round? I am thinking good thoughts for you and the insurance thing. Eileen - my lunch was in no danger... Kids farting is as natural as gray hair... you get over it. I probably just looked funny because I couldn't hear what she said so I was running the tape back in my brain to see if I could figure it out. (I could). Betty - you wild biker chick, you...What is a Burn Out? Congrats on the extra pounds gone!! Woo Hoo!! I guess we'll have to call you "Little Betty", now... Cindy - I haven't gotten as far as the Journal, yet... I guess I will start while I am recovering... Patty - sorry DexH is being such a (insert expletive here)! I hope you get the Disney issue settled soon. I feel your pain on the request just sitting there... My PCP took over three weeks to write a stupid letter... which she then charged me $25 bucks for... Uh Huh. Ira - Congrats on FINALLY getting some resolution on this life insurance thing!! Nice to hear that a couple of companies are somewhat sane, or well informed enough, to insure with the Band. Yee Haw!! But you had better not die for at least 6 months... Most policies have that restriction, don't they?? :] Dianne - how did your doc visit go? Any leak? Great work on the crunches... I am only up to TEN of those full body lift crunches at the gym. Too much body to lift, still!! Well, here is the picture of Eileen and Irene. I won't post pics of the DD based on the fact that she is adorable and there are scary people on the web.

Happy Day, Angie!! Hope it has been great!! (and do you guys really know what TIME you were born?? I guess I am lucky to know the day. lol!)

Yes, but I think deep in the psyche of many people, we haven't done the proper penance for our sin if we get WLS. We get the weighloss "without suffering" (and sin requires suffering prior to redemption). We have somehow managed to get off without the required number of Hail Mary's or something. I think it really has to do with people's mis-perception that WLS is the "magic pill" that everyone has dreamed of, and that once you get it, you get to lose the weight without any effort or pain. That we "get off easy" or something. Little do they know... And then, there is the jealousy thing... crazy world, ain't it? Keep on spreading that Good Karma to all - it will come back to you. :]

Woo Hoo! I went to my Pre-op consult today. I have lost 1.5 lbs since November 8th. (No band, not dieting) My NSV is that I have exercised enough to lose weight OVER THE HOLIDAYS, eating everything I wanted.

Happy Birthday, Kimber!! All the cool kids were born in January... :]

Welcome! We can never have too many Smiles, here... :]

Stress? Air Travel? Check in with your doc. Maybe a partial unfill is called for. Good Luck!

Hey Guys, I am alive and well - but no time right now to give you any details. Lunch on Saturday was FAB-U-LOUS and I loved meeting Zan and seeing Eileen again. And that DD was ADORABLE. I will get the pics posted and fill you in on all the dirt asap. Hugs to all!! Irene