Wheetsin

3 is too tight, 2.5 is a bit loose. I'm at 2.75 (I think) and doing fine.

I need to do something like that (consignment). I've been saying that for like a year. I have 10 sizes' worth of wardrobes because I bought all new everything for each and every size I lost. Including shoes, jackets, etc. We have rented a storage shed and - I'm not joking - at least 80% of it is full of my clothes. My husband has a full-sized truck and it took us 13 trips, piling the bins & bags in the back, to get everything there. And I STILL have about 8 bags here around the house. I used to know the count, but I'm going to guess there's the equivalent of 35+ large "lawn & leaf" bags of clothes in there. I'm a total clothes whore and didn't worry about saving money, it was my celebration. So my question is - selling consignment - never did it. Do I just drop stuff off, they pay me one price (like a bulk purchase), then resell it higher to make their own profit? Or do I get a percentage as each item sells? I wonder if there's a limit to how many things I could take at one time because I pretty much have a whole boutique.

I love my spanx. I'm not going to need plastic surgery because I'll just keep wearing 2 sizes too small, and my clothes will act as a compression garment - squeeze that skin right back into place. That's my plan anyway. I like the spanx "higher power" panties but I don't like that, if you pull them high, and then have to bend over, they'll roll right back down. At least mine do. And I like the ones from LB that look kinda like 80s biker shorts and have rings of rubber in the leg to hold them in place, BUT when you wear long pants under them and have fat thighs like me, they give you the thigh's version of muffin top. Loaf top? And spanx keep your butt from eating your underwear. My new thing are tummy tuck jeans. Kind of an all in one package, and they feel good on. And usually I have an issue with jeans having "crotch bag" (the folds and folds of loose fabric in the crotch area), and these fit nicely.

This is why I love my job's flexibility and telecommuting. It doesn't matter when I start work or quit, as long as my job is done. If I'm in the office, I'm in whenever I want to be, usually by 9:30. If I'm not, I'm working at home in my robe - usually available around 7:15. It has been several years since I've had a job that required set office hours, but I seem to remember not having any problems. I always liked getting in early & being able to leave early, so traffic was never a huge issue. Just not liking to wake up.

It doesn't mean the shirt is too tight, it could be the way it's meant to hang. It's hard to tell. For me, I let how it fits in my arms/neck by the gauge. If something is really baggy in my armpit area, it's also going to be baggy in my neck. As for something more objective... The key way is the shoulder seams. The shoulder seam should start at the end of your shoulder. If it hangs below, it's too loose and if it's up higher or tight in through the armpits, it's too small.

If you can't keep your own saliva down, seek an unfill. I was there for about 6 hours and couldn't take it any longer. You don't want to go the whole weekend this way, especially since many places are closed Mon. See if you can get some out.

Moving to the lounge. This topic is not surgery-related. :eek:

How does drinking barium show a leak in the band? I need someone to help me understand this. I've read it many times, but it doesn't make sense to me. Barium shows on xray and can help your organ & organ boundaries be visible (soft tissues dont play well with xray), hence a pouch that is hard to see is clearly visible when full of barium, and barium going through the stoma can be seen. That part I understand completely. But to me, if barium were to be used to detect a band leak, it would have to be injected into the band (obviously talking hypothetically) and they could then observe where the barium exits the band. How does seeing organ structures, or mass inside my esophagus/stomach help a doctor find the point where saline is exiting the band?

Some people (based largely on self-report or observed reaction, but also backed up with brain activity scans) can focus away from the pain so that while the source of the pain is still there, they are not effected by it or are able to trivialize it (think of some of the meditationists who are able to do amazing things with little/no pain as well as little/no bleeding). Think of how easily the brain can create the perception of pain. I won't get into the "is it a real diagnosis or not" debate that you see with things like fibromyalgia, but lots and lots of medical conditions are being cured with mindstate treatments, which makes you at least consider how physical they were to begin with. And LOTS of physical conditions are caused by mental abnormalities, and can likewise be fixed. When I was a kid, I would imagine myself shrinking down until I was the size of a tiny bug, kind of like in Innerspace. Then I would imagine myself going down my own throat, into my stomach, and pulling out a laser gun and shooting myself in the stomach with it, and no kidding - I would begin to have a very small burning sensation in my stomach. I could do something similar to alleviate small pains, but not major ones. Really it's no different from controlling any other body output. Most people can fluctuate their body temperatures about 3 degrees just by thinking of either a very hot or very cold climate.

My husband is the same way. He sees everyone as a potential friend, and treats everyone just like he would his best friend. Sometimes he's too easy-going for his own good. Just as I'm sometimes too reserved for mine. He truly is my yang. :thumbup:

If someone has a physical or mental handicap to the effect that they are filthy, it's usually no surprise that they are handicapped and I think most people would understand the situation, even if they could not recognize it. This is not just a roaming generalization. Of course there are exceptions, but this is based on a lot of work & education in the field. If someone does something to offend me, I neither have respect for them nor treat them with respect. And having to smell someone is one of the worst offenses I can think of. With me, like I said - you don't just get my respect because you're alive. It may not take much, but it isn't a handout. People start around a "C" with me, maybe a "D" by default, and can work their way up or down from there. If you've been around for our peronality typing discussions, this is no surprise and fits my type perfectly.

Moved to the lounge for you. :thumbup:

Call your insuranse company and ask them if it would be covered.

Moved this to the lounge for you. :thumbup:

Now that your PB episode is over, it's really important to be careful and gradual when you resume eating/drinking. I would suggest that you stick to thin liquids (broths, Water, juices, etc.) for a day - maybe two if it feels off. If you are having any troubles with those liquids, limit your intake to hot liquids such as hot cider, hot tea, etc. This will give your esophageal area time to heal. Right now you're more prone to getting stuck again because of the swelling from your prolonged PB encounter - swollen area - same rsult as tighter band even though the band isn't filled any more. Over the course of a few days, work your way back up to regular foods. So - once you're confident with the liquids, go for thick liquids - drinkable yogurts, creamy Soups, etc. From there back to mushies, then soft solids, etc. You don't have to take a full day for each stage, maybe just a meal to make sure you're tolerating it. Soon you'll be an old pro. :thumbup:

It's not judgmental to be disgusted by having to smell someone's odors. I don't necessarily agree (or do it). If someone is just being a gross slob, I will not respect them very much. I don't respect people just because they're alive. It doesn't take a whole lot, but such an obvious lack of decency -- doesn't gain my favor.

Moved out of Introductions for you, you'll get more visibility here. :thumbup:

Knowing how men can be, sounds harmless to me. As has been a topic of discussion today -- men really just don't think the same way we do. Notice how your first reaction was to want to insult him because you felt insulted? Guys don't react the same way. First thing - As I was eating some lasagna he says "You aren't suppose to eat that much. Are you?" :smile: I would think this could come from him not understanding what your eating guidelines are, or not knowing what your portion was. Harmless, IMO. 2nd thing - Wow! Nothing to drink? You use to drink 15 glasses of soda during dinner. :thumbup: Believe it or not, I could see this being meant as encouragement and compliment. A sort of "Wow, you're really making progress is changing your behaviors!" Maybe I speak Guy better than I thought! Besides wanting to say "Um, You aren't Stone Cold Steve yourself, Chubs." I was wondering if I've became wayyyy too sensitive with this surgery... Well, you definitely reacted definsively/critically. I'd say your surgery is definitely a deeply emotional experience for you, but not necessarily "too sensitive". How are you and your peeps (significant others) handling the new lifestyle? I'mf ine with it, I've adjusted well. My husband sometimes forgets - understandable, I don't make a daily thing of it. He personally adjusted fine. He really tries to support me in his own akward way, which is sweet but... good thing I'm not the type that needs much support. Where's the support coming from? Hmm - not sure I can explain this since I think we have different approaches. I don't really need a lot of support outside of what I can provide myself. I appreciate it when my husband makes a decision with my band in mind (although sometimes it annoys me), but if he neglects to consider my band, it's not a big deal. I don't need a lot of "atta boys" or compliments. I just need to see myself making an amount of progress I'm satisfied with, or look introspectively to see what I need to change. From there I either change it, or consciously acknowledge to accept the consequences. Lastly - Good luck gals :crying:- We've worked really hard to get to this point... :smile:

I'm thinking - a camera is only good if you're giving me a sex toy, and then we can... nevermind. I wish I could do massages. I have a group of girlfriends who do a monthly massage club thing at one of the spas here, and they keep bugging me to go but I don't like people touching my fat. But I may have scored anyway. He just emailed me that he wants to up the visits from our housekeeper. That's a win-win, right? Twice the visits from her is half the work for me, somehow in math land...

For me it wasn't particularly violent, but instead of just bending over the sink like I normally do, I actually had my head hanging down. (I was tired/exhausted/ready to be over it already). That extra angle was all it needed.

Thanks so much for the responses. I just got back from the bathroom again. OK...here's the situation...it did have thick saliva looking stuff and some chewed food. However...it also did taste and smell like normal vomit. Then it was more than a "PB" because a PB happens at the esophagus. Kind of, but you get the idea. :mad: I would imagine it could happen that you have to PB, and - especially if you have astrong gag reflex - the PBing could incdice some vomitting, much like sticking your finger down your throat would. I'm very confused. I dry heaved again before it came out. I have also heard of some PBs coming from people's noses. This all came out of my mouth. Long story short -- all of your tubing in the area is connected, it is kind of like a tree trunk with several connected braches, so anything (regardless of PB/vomit) that comes up the trunk has the potential to get to one of the branches, e.g. your nose. It's no different from when you're congested and the mucus can make its way down (yumm). I have had PBs (once) come out of my nose. It was weird. Kind of like spitting out of my nose. But didn't hurt the way vomit can, and didn't burn (no acid). I don't feel any discomfort right now, (aside from the normal chest pressure from throwing up) but then again I just got back to my desk (oh what fun...I'm at work right now). If I did PB, I don't understand. I ate the same thing that I ate yesterday for breakfast. What could have caused it? You will learn -- "this aint' got nothing to do with nothing." You could eat something 5 minutes ago, be fine, eat it now and have to PB. Look at how many variables are involved: Degree to which food was chewed Quantity swallowed at once Random fluctuations of your body effecting the tightness of the band What might already be in your pouch Whether or not Saturn is aligned with Mercury And so on Being able to eat something one day and not the next, or even for breakfast but not for lunch, is "life with the band." Oh well...I certainly hope it was a PB and it's all over. I absolutely HATE this. Also...I have read where some folks PB at a table at a restaurant. I can tell you one thing...there is no way in this world that I would EVER do that in public, if I could help it at all. Yeah, that's what I don't get. PBs really hurt me. I have a very high pain tolerance, and the pain leading up to my PBs can double me over. Plus all the sliming... I'm sure they're reporting their truth, but for me, something like that would be impossible (so far). Let me ask this...with a PB, can you hold it back? Like...if you feel it coming, can you delay it? Yes - I can. This is another way it's different from vomitting. I've been at a restaurant, tried to PB there, couldn't get anything out (sometimes I just dry heave, which causes more pain). The girls I was with needed to go, so I went, and it was either hold it or yak there in her car. So I held it. It hurt, a lot, and it was kind of like when you really have to pee -- you don't want to hit any bumps... but I held it the entire drive (~15 minutes). The only time I've not been able to hold it if needed was when I was virtually closed shut. At that point, I couldn't pass my own saliva to swallowing made me have to PB. Even though I didn't actively swallow, saliva is still running down, and I couldn't do much else with it. I felt that I could delay this a bit until I got into the bathroom and everyone cleared out of there. Sorry for so many questions...this is new to me. Thanks! No problem, hope this is helpful to you.

Lechon Asada (Cuban pork roast dish): Pork roast, shoulder or some other pork "chunk" meat. Mojo Criollo (a marinade, I buy the Goya brand). Adobo (a seasoning kind of, I buy the Goya brand). Some kind of vegetable, I usually do sliced onion. Just chuck in the meat and add about 1/2 bottle of the marinade (it's wine bottle size, which I think 750ml, so about 365ml) and the veggies and cook on low until the meat falls apart. When I've had this on my trips to Florida it has always been served with fried plantains, so I usually make those as a side dish.

BTW, at the time of my surgery my BMI was... over 50. 52, 54, 56. One of those. I have no comorbidities, and I was approved and did not have to do anything else. So there's nothing in your husband's condition that would automatically exclude him generically, but you will have to talk with your insuranec company to really know anything.

General qualifications are BMI 40+, or BMI 35+ with 2+ comorbidities. In addition to those basic medical requirements, most insurance policies have their own additional requirements such as competion of a medically supervised diet, additional testing (stress tests, sleep studies, etc.) Surgeon's don't really deny too many people unless they think it's a significant health risk to do the procedure. Insurance is where the denials come from. Your best bet would be to call your insurance company and ask them if it's covered, and/or what the requirements are. From there, if you're cool with what they require, you begin the search for a covered surgeon.

I know two women who were FDA trials (not pre, just regular) which was - I believe - 2001.