three sixty six

that is what i do!!! ok, what firm where you with?? i'm at elzufon. that is so funny!!!!!!!!

yes, finals are already happening! my first final is a brief and it's due tonight. i was up until 3am finishing it.. i cannot wait for summer!!! my friends are pushing me to take summer classes with them and don't understand why i can't.. you see, i haven't told anyone but my mom, sister and brother-in-law (that's a whooooole 'nother thread), and boss (out of necessity). keeping this to myself for the past six months has been excruciating, but now that it's getting close, it's incredibly harder! i'm probably going to tell friends eventually, but i'm not ready. after the negative experience i had with my sister (too much detail to go into here), i am wary of telling people. lynn, glad to see your first days back at work have been pretty good! hopeinapril - 8 pounds is a LOT!!!! congrats!! delaware: does the Isopure Protein Water help with the shakes/feeling like you're eating zero calories? hey fairy! good job with the exercise. you can move it, move it :biggrin2: last but not least, hello to Paige!! welcome to our little thread!! tell us about yourself...

me too! primarily defense work. my department handles environmental and general lit defense.. i'm downtown.. are you? that would be pretty funny!

i could have written this! in preparation for my surgery, i have taken up a couple of hobbies. i just learned how to knit because i figured i need a television distraction.. y'know... other than popcorn!! i'm also taking up scrapbooking.. what better subject than my lapband surgery! another thing i'm doing in anticipation of a walking routine is exploring new music. i have a zune and a monthly pass to all the music i can listen to, so i am trying new bands and filling up my player. i won't want to stop walking when i have tons of new tunes to listen to!

i'm with you - who is that girl?? you look like a different person! i bet it feels amazing. CONGRATS!!!!!!!!

hey Allison, glad things went well with your Mom. telling family members when you can already expect opposition (or at the very least, hesitation) is really difficult - I've totally been there! I'll be threading about my experience with my sister soon. you hit the nail on the head, though - educating those who are unsure of what you're doing is the very best thing to do. I think people who are not sure of what you're about to do are the most reluctant to be supportive. the more they know, the more they will be able to understand. whether or not they exercise that ability is all up to them.. anyway, just wanted to congrat you on your difficult convo. doesn't it feel better getting it off your chest? :tongue:

hello hello! it was great meeting you tonight! let's keep this thread going, ok?

i love these logos! i'm gonna get creative when i get to my laptop.. i'm at work now and prolly shouldn't be here :ohmy: side note -- HI everyone!!!

how many of these lil rice cakes can you eat (when you're properly restricted)? ...

i just took some "before" shots yesterday. i've been avoiding it like the plague. i had no idea how emotional that was going to be! it was cathartic, though. needs to be done - everyone should take some! it's an eye-opener, that's for sure....

I nominate Brandy's new pic for the apple-witch-girl replacement!

:purplebananna: holy CRAP Brandy, these pics are AMAZING! you look like a movie star! send 'em to playboy!!!

i don't smoke any more, but my surgeon's office will postpone your surgery if you don't quit 2 months before surgery. you can quit!!!! :purplebananna:

hey, Delaware! glad to hear everything went well. from what i've read, the gas just takes time to either get absorbed or expelled. sounds mighty pleasant! :regular_smile: sam is great. i love how he always talks in the third person. "Sam thinks you should not be eating that." haha... how are you feeling otherwise? do you feel the band? can you tell something's there now? curiosity has the better of me. glad to hear your SFH experience went well. they don't call 'em Centers of Excellence for nothin! (i hope)... update us when you can.

Ali's book is on my nightstand right now :biggrin2:

I'm probably going to be self-pay.. I want to negotiate with my surgeon to pay what insurance companies will pay. Can anyone tell me what their ins. billed vs. what was paid? Thanks!!

I've come to terms with the fact that my employer (big local law firm) doesn't pay for the WLS rider and that I'm on my own to be self-pay. I've had to get adjusted to that, but the seething has subsided and I've accepted it. Fine. NOW, after I find out that my surgeon wants me out of work for two (and not the one I originally planned on) weeks, I emailed HR about taking a medical leave under FMLA, as I think I just about have two weeks' vacation in the bank for the year (and always travel home for Christmas between semesters, so there's about 5 days' worth right there). I find out today that I can't use FMLA/medical leave UNTIL I exhaust all my vacation and personal time. What?! That means that b/c of my surg, I will be out of all vacation time for the year. This STINKS!:wink_smile:

May 30, 2008 is the date, and surgery is the game! I'm originally from coastal NJ (the Shore), living in Delaware. Full-time law student at night, work for a law firm during the day. Been fat all my life. Never been a healthy weight. My pediatrician used the word "obese" for the first time when I was 8. I'm 25 now and my 25th birthday was the "epiphany" I was afraid would never come. I'm single and ready to mingle, baby! Can't do that as well as I want to until I've swapped shells. Looking forward to chatting with you all!

Lynn, how did everything go????

My surg date is tentatively set for 5/30/08 (I hafta wait until the semester's over)... and I knew giving up soda would be hard, soooo On Ash Wednesday, I gave it up. I've been without soda (ALL kinds, diet, reg, clear, even seltzer) for a whopping one month, three weeks, and change! Woot, woot! On a similar note, I gave up straws two weeks ago. That's been harder than soda!

I guess it was easier b/c I LOVE crystal light iced tea (and I'm -gasp- starting to love water!). the funny thing is, I am more of a "gulper" w/o straws! I take bigger gulps, rather than small sips. I wonder just how much of a difference there is..

FINALLY SCHEDULED!!!! My new "birthday" is May 30, 2008. woot, woot!!!!

I never thought I'd have an "ah-ha" moment. I was scared that it would never happen, I'd never hit rock bottom, and I'd be destined to be 800lb and die before I'm thirty. My "ah-ha" came with my 25th birthday. All my life I thought that by 25, I'd be an attorney, married, and living in a house with a picket-fenced-in yard. My life hasn't been on track (still in school, didn't marry the guy I thought I would, still single, living in a condo, no fence!) and I thought, by God, change what you CAN! I vowed to be my best self.