FunnyDuddies

We have a smooth coat border collie named Cosmo, and a tuxedo cat named Elwood. Cosmo is a little over a year old, quite the handfull, and still a jumper. He doesn't get to spend much time with the kids because he plays too hard. We are hoping to send him to training after my banding is done. Then he can get some outside help that we can't provide. Elwood is about 8 now. Elwood is what i call my "little fire kitty" because he came and alerted me when our house was burning down and I was in the shower. If it wasn't for him, I would not have gotten out. I still have the scars on my chest from him digging his claws in and hanging on. We had two dogs and nother cat at the time, and he and I were the only ones that got out. DH was at work. Elwood has since had his claws removed. LOL Now he is my fat tub of furry love that I will never lose. He made the cross country trip with us and did so well. He is loving and a snuggler. He has this weird thing that he does that when he gets really relaxed and is snuggling he drools. A lot. it is really gross, but funnier than hell. He is huge too. He stands on his hind legs and can open doors if it is a lever handle. Even if it opens towards him, he knows tograb it and walk backwards. We have to keep a lot of the doors in the house locked so that he doesn't open them all. The funniest is when he does that to someone who is in the bathroom and doesn't realize. He will just open the door up and come on in to run on your legs. Another weird thing he does. And y'all are gonna think I am nuts. But if he comes in while you are going to the bathroom, he will come in and rub on your legs, then get into your pants as they rest around your ankles. and just sit there and purr. If they are not pulled down far enough he will paw at them till you lower them. OK TMI I know but it is hilarious!!!

I am also going to be banded by dr. sanchez. I know that they do not require a preop diet, but i plan on doing one anyways, just to make the surgery easier on dr. sanchez. Anything I can do to make things go smoothly, I am all for it. My plan is a liquid diet of broth, protein drinks, cucumber and pineapple drink, and lots of water and green tea for two weeks before the surgery. That way my liver will be nice and shrunk, and my body will be well detoxified.

Kristin I am worried sick. Get better girl!!! I want to see a post as soon as you get home telling us you are all ok LOL You have a bathing suit to wear!! Yesterday was an interesting day. As some of you know, with the illness I had last week I lost a lot of work time and money. Not to mention the fortune we paid in presriptions (god those narcotics are expensive!!). Yesterday I spent 2 full hours just going over my budget to make sure that I can still cover my apron removal surgery. The good news!! I can!! The bad news...I am not sure how!! LOL Sounds strange right? The weird thing is, DH and I get paid on the day of my surgery. I will be in Mexico though. LOL And a small (albiet much needed) portion of these checks need to cover the last part of my surgery. Pray for me that I figure out a solution. LOL I am rippin my hair out over here. The other good news...I actually will have enough left over so hat when I get home I am going to do a spa day for myself, hire the housecleaners to come in once a week for two months, and buy me some new down pillows. I figured I would really treat myself after the surgery LOL Any other suggestions on what I should do for myself when I get back? New clothes? some jewelry? (costume of course) that hunky plumber from desperate housewives? oh...might not have enough money for that one. hmmmmm.

i started this process a long time ago. maybe 7 or 8 months ago. I really only started dieting since I started posting on this site which was around january. I have lost 34 pounds, but have been up and down and all around with the weight. ITS HARD TO DIET ON YOUR OWN!!! LOL But I am determined to lose as much as possible before the band is put in. I really want to be below 300 when I am banded. Then I will never see 300 again. I do plan on going on a pretty serious liquid diet right before the band is put in, so that my liver is as small as i can get it to ease the surgery, even though it is not a requirement.

HEy you guys, LegallyKristin needs our prayers!! She was throwing up blood last night and this morning, and has been dealing with pain and an overfill. Her unfill was scheduled for tomorrow, but it seems her tummy is jumping the gun. Her last post was that she was trying to figure out if the ER was covered. I am really worried about her and paying a ton for her. She has done so well, and is a bright and shining star. I really hope that she is healthy and ok, and secondarily that her band is ok and that she did not slip or tear or erode or anything bad. Poor thing hasn't even been able to keep gatorade down lately, and she must be dehydrated. After just going through that, my body just hurts thinking about her in that pain. Dear God, please keep her close to you and help her through this painful moment. Take care of her and please please please keep her healthy, with the strength to get through this moment without further troubles.

Mary this had me barking outload with laughter. It seems evil in a way! LOL Find the biggest gosspi monger in the family, tell them, and in a day the whole family will know more about your medical history than your doctor does. LOL I think that is brilliant! :heh:

I know your unfill is scheduled for tomorrow, but would your surgeon see you today because of the complications?? I hope you are alright girl!!! I will be thinking about you a lot today.

wild - I do not want to hijack the thread, so I will keep this brief. Apron surgery is like a tummy tuck, only it focuses more on removal of skin and fat and less on tightening the muscles. I am doing this before hand because I have a large overhanging lower stomach that causes me problems. Most people wait till they are at or near goal to have the surgery done. My cost is 4200, and that includes everything but hotel and airfare. I do not know how much Alice's cost, but I would be interested in finding that out as well. As for choosing the doctor in mexico, I choose Dr. Cardenas because he came highly recommended by my lap band surgeon and by others who have gone to Mexico. I choose my lapband surgeon (Dr. Sanchez) cause he is one of the veterans in this business. He has done over 5000 lap band procedures, and works out of one of the nicest hospitals on the planet. All pluses for me. Having my surgery done in mexico does not scare me. Its just like having it done here. there are good hospitals and bad hospitals. and there are good doctors and bad doctors.

oh i am so glad it has gone well for you!! I go down to meet with him and have my surgery on the 7th of july!! It is getting closer, and I am so nervous!! Can you share any pics, even just in email? I would really like to see some before and after work of his. I am just now going by word of mouth. I am so glad that things went so well for you and that you are healing well.

:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: YAY!!!!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: Good to hear you are home and healing!! Take care, and rest up! You will be healthy and slim in no time!! :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1: :biggrin1:

Lins this is one of my downfall times too. I like to have a small protein drink, or some small protein rich food around this time. The protein helps to keep me feeling full, and it does not cost me valuable calories. I also drink a lot of water during this time. The water makes me feel ful, as well as the running to the bathroom constantly keeps me out of the kitchen LOL

I am curious. They stated Laproscopic Bypass (LapBand) but this is not a Laproscopic Bypass. It is Laproscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding. BIG difference!! Just make sure they approve you for the correct surgery! You don't want to work really hard at getting an approval for Lapband and then find out you are only approved for laproscopic Gastric Bypass. Good luck!!!

Welcome Jucyc!! Hope you do well with the challenge Lins, I stopped keeping a journal cause nothing changes LOL I should get back into the habit of keping one. Kristin I think a halter top would work well too. Or maybe a tankini. If you do not like your back, cover it! And I think something that plunges in the front may help to camoflage any flatness you feel you have. Also, go for a solid color. Prints make us look heavier. Nothing wrong with a little black bathingsuit

yeah lets keep it to just the GFG. Deadline for the contest will be the 1st of July. I leave for Mexico on the 6th of July. I spend a week there, so the winner can be announced when I return. I think we should put it up to a vote...2 categories or 1. pounds removed is the definite. But we can do inches removed too. What say you all? Also, pounds will be lipo and the skin and fat removed. Pnut, you can grab the pic I posted in the other thread and post it again when we open it up for the official bets. Goodluck everyone on betting on my fat white ass!! LOL :clap2: :clap2: This will add to my already excited state!

WELCOME GRANLADY AND STYLER96!!! It is never too late to join us! We are so glad you are here! Granlady, how long have you been banded? Maybe share what you have been eating, and your workouts, and we will see if we can help ya!! We are so glad you are here!

your doc lets you eat all of that 9 days out from surgery?

ok, got this months pic of me on my scorecard. this time next month i will be in mexico gettin my apron removed. Maybe get my FUPA worked on a bit. LOL Pnut, do we want to do the betting pool in this months challenge, since we won't have a lot of time in next month's challenge. If so, start setting it up. I will possibly do another round of pics and we will take our bets. Winner gets something cool from Mexico. Yeehaw!!

Ok, I keep forgetting, so I jsut went back and took them all out. But we want everyone to keep their signatures out of this thread...unless it is pertinent to your post. There is a little check box that you can click, and that way your signature does not show in this thread. The reason behind this idea is too make the thread not become pages and pages and pages long and a long load time. And also to make sure that it is easy to navigate. We all post on this thread multiple times every day. Lets keep the visuals to a minimum for those who have slow connections.

you can get them in cases online, but i would go to GNC and get some different flavors first to see which ones you like best

isopure is (in my opinion) the best protein drink out there. it is clear, fruit flavored, and has a ton of protein in it. plus...it is carb free :girl_hug:

God i love Isopure. Today was really hard to keep the perfect score so far. Our neighbor brought over these sugar coated homemade cookies. OMG they smelled so good. I forced emily and andy to eat them all as soon as possible LOL Just so that they were not around to tempt me any longer.

how many calories are you taking in a day? you maybe in starvation mode if you are under 900 calories a day. Doctors and nutritionists like to keep weight loss patients between 900 and 1200 calories per day for optimum weight loss. Starvation mode can cause you to stall in your weight loss until you up your caloric intake. Some have even been known to gain! Good luck!!

I told very few people as well when we first started researching sna deciding. Now I tell everyone that I am having the surgery. I am crazy about the band, and can't wait to have it. And I can't wait to be skinny, no matter who knows how I am doing it. I have been close mouthed about going to mexico because there is such a prejudice against having surgery in that country. People think I am going to texas. Others think I am having it done locally. My mom and one friend and DH know that i am going to mexico for it all. Aside from that, everyone has been excited about it...except for the little episode that my mother in law had when we first told her. She has had 4 friends die from GB. She is deathly afraid that this is the same thing, no matter what I say, and that I am going to die from complications.

I have to agree with Diane. Thank you all for this very thoughtful discussion without any wars or attacks or bashing. I was worried, but I really feel good about this all.

I can't wait to get to mexico for my apron surgery!! And then my lap band after that. I am using them as vacations LOL A chance to get away to a beautiful country without the kids, and some time to just DH and I.