Great2BThin

Good evening. Sorry Meredith on the house issues. A trick that DH tells me over and over again each time we buy a house in our many moves is to not get emotionally attached to a house til it's our's. Easier said than done. usually when I find 'the' house, I've already got the furniture moved in in my head, painted the walls, etc. But if you can do it and remain emotionally unattached it makes the process a little easier. I've heard that short sales take months and months to go through. The banks just don't care about things like deadlines etc. when they are in that position, they hold out hoping for higher offers etc. I hope 'the' house is out there and works out for you in the timing and all. Apples is right, all men can be jerks sometimes. I suppose they say the same about us. LOL When DH & I look at homes we don't even look at the same things, he goes for basements and garages, could care less what the house looks like otherwise. Apples, how ungrateful of your friend. When my kids were little, I gave a bunch of baby clothes to my SIL she never thanked me and ended up sellng many of them at a garage sale. Heck, I could've sold them too, after that I never gave them to her again either.

If you went to your pre op class at Rose before Oct 5th on a Wed. morning I mightta met ya. I volunteer for Kim Delamont in the Rose Bariatric office. I've not been in all this month though due to my knee surgery. I volunteer every Wed. We are practically neighbors I am very close to Henderson.

I'm in Denver area. Who's your dr? Mine is Dr Snyder at Denver Bariatrics, I had my surgery at Rose Medical. He is great. Good luck to you!!

I didn't go to the airline job fair. I guess I considered it because it's what I know. Airlines are really my only jobs throughout my adulthood. I feel I have no skills for much of anything else. I like my little job at the rec center but sometimes think if I am going to be tied down to a Mon-Fri job I might as well work more or make more, plus I get tired of getting up so freaking early. I do have that to go back to on Dec 1st. I've applied for many hospital jobs and not once have I even gotten an interview which only reinforces to me that I have no skills for much else. Though they compliment me all the time on how well I do and learn at my volunteer stint and they have all written me glowing letters of recommendation for hospital jobs. I like the freedom of not working, I also like the freedom of extra money when I am working. Anyone want to pay me to not work??? I know I said how easy I was going to take it today but I went out to the grocery store. I got panicky about the snowstorm they are talking about for tomorrow. I didn't feel comfortable going out in the snow with my cane. I needed somethings for the church group that meets here tomorrow night and also will have guest for dinner on Thurs. that I needed supplies for, so out I went. I think everyone was at the store ahead of this storm. Watch now it will fizzle and be nothing of a storm, which is fine too. Seems as soon as they talk snowstorm everyone goes to the store for milk and bread.

Oh I love Daylight savings time and hope we always get to go back to that in the spring. I love the extra daylight in the evenings. Don't care how long it stays dark in the morning. I find myself looking so forward to the time change in the spring. Kindda dread the fall one but it also makes it seem homey and cozy in the evenings in the winter I guess. Speaking of winter, guess we are supposed to get a snowstorm move in here tonight or early tomorrow morning. We've had some dustings of snow but sounds like this one will be bigger. Guess it won't matter to me as I don't have to go out anywhere in it. Forgot to mention in my last post, therapy went well yesterday. He really pulled and twisted the ol' knee though and it was rather painful. My bend went up but only 2 degrees this time. He's impressed with my strength in my leg, so maybe the working out before hand did something after all. I had been doing those P90 videos for months before and improvised when it came to knee movements. I hope to be able to go back to them as I saw such good results from them.

Good morning!! I love reading long posts! I do find them easier to read though if they are broken up into paragraphs or spaced every so often instead scrunched together all in one paragraph. Heck, though, I make paragraphs but there's no rhyme or reason or grammatical sense to them. :cursing: Today is officially a take it easy day. I think I've been overdoing it the past few days and the past few evenings I have felt really yucky, and with some pain. Not sure if the yucky feeling is from being worn down or what but promised DH that I was going to take it easy today. I even had a very small fever last night. I slept 11 hours last night and feeling better this morning. I am going out tonight for dinner though. Every Tues. in Oct has been $2 burrito night at our favorite Mexican restaurant and this is the last Tues. of Oct. so I must go. :cursing: We are meeting other couples there. I had thoughts of going to a Southwest Airlines job fair today, but after working for many years and many airlines decided I don't want to do that again. Too many odd hours, holidays worked and worst of all getting yelled at. People just aren't nice anymore when they travel. yes some of it is the airlines fault as it's difficult anymore but to yell and take it out on the agent when you are late for your flight, or flights cancel due to weather is just not nice! The talk about clothes may I'll go see if I can thin some more from my closet. Funny I saved all these clothes for years in case I lost weight. number 1, most of them are now too big, but number 2, I don't like them and never wore them. Why did I hang on to them all this time??

Allie, Good to hear from you. Sorry about the sprained ankles. I can relate to being laid up though with recovering from my knee surgery. I bet you are excited for the ps I have boot envy in you pic! I can't get boots to fit over my fat calves. Love the dress! You may need all new clothes after ps though! Are you still losing or have you stablized??

I'm afraid only you can answer if or why you should do the surgery. The answer is individual for all of us. For me I got the surgery because I knew in the past I could lose the weight, but I have never been able to keep it off. I felt the help of the restriction my band gives me that would be the answer for me. Also, I wanted to lose the weight for my health and to feel better about myself. This is the 2nd post in over a year that I have read that someone was afraid of choking. I am not really sure where that fear develops from, but I can tell you I have never felt like I was going to choke ever. I've had food stuck but it's not a choking feeling at all. And for me when I have gotten stuck it has come right back up. I didn't have to do a pre op diet, so wish you luck with that and that you get the answers of whether or not to get the surgery and you feel good about your decision.

Nope clocks didn't change this weekend, but one of ours did as well. WE have the kind that set themeselves automatically, trouble is that DH's is older than mine and was set to automatically change on the old dates. A few years ago the dates that the clocks change, changed. I believe it is next weekend (1st Sunday of Nov) that they change for real. AM thinking of buying DH a new alarm clock for that reason. Busy group posting today, I love reading about everyone's day, shopping, turtles, etc. Clothes, I love quality items for my more classic pieces that won't go out of style next year. For me they last longer and wash up better. But if I want something 'trendier' I go for cheaper. Jewelry, love sterling silver and specifically Indonesian silver a popular (but expensive brand is John Hardy), QVC has some they just call Indonesian silver and that was my biggest weakness when I worked there. Hats, own none. My knee is doing well but think I overdid it yeserday and it's more swollen today. So I am taking it easy today after we got home from church and lunch.

Oct, looking good, what a difference in the photos! Also love your view, I especially like the purple bush. Yep I got to go shopping still. I got a new sweater and showed DH lots of ideas for Christmas. He let his deer 'rest' while we went shopping and to lunch. He's out in the garage working on it now. His dad is a retired butcher so imagine he will be out to help him cut it up to steaks etc. when he gets to that point. DH usually hunts with his brother and DS but they both bagged out on him this morning and now are wishing they went.

Good morning. Looks like a gorgeous day here today, the calm before the storm as I think it's supposed to turn bad tomorrow. DH is up for one last try for that deer hunting this morning, he went close to home and will be back by noon. Then he is taking me shopping and to lunch. He had said before my surgery when I was up to it after he'd take me to Ann Taylor shopping and to lunch, I think today might be the day. It's at one of those outdoor shopping malls so we can park right in front of the store so not much walking. Otherwise don't think I'd be ready for a mall or anything yet. 1Day, you are going to conquer this. As Dr Phil always said, you can't change what you don't acknowledge and you are acknowledging the problem that you are slipping into bad habits and are willing to look at ways to fix the problem. You are half way there! Good luck with the 5 day pouch test, I would think after that you would have a good idea if you needed a fill or not. julie, sorry to hear about your shoulder. Hope it gets better. That darn PT seems you gotta put up with the pain for it to get better. At least for me and my knee that is. Laura, are you home yet? I bet you got the biggest hugs and smooches from those guys of your's. Janet, bummer about the ol' alarm going off on a Saturday morning but sounds like you are putting the extra time to good use. Update: DH called while I was typing this and he got his deer. He's very happy. That should tie him over til we go to SD next month for more hunting. His hunting used to upset me, but it makes him so happy and he is a firm believe in he eats everything he hunts. He hates goose but he loves goose hunting and he eats everyone. So gotta give him kudos for that. He says it saves on our grocery bill but I'm not so sure on that when you add up all he spends on licenses, gear, and gadgets to get these critters.

Orea, so glad you came back and told us what is going on. how awful. Glad you are on the recovery side of things and hope the rest of the year is good to you.

Trisha, How wonderful for you to get to share this journey with your daughter and follow her lead. The support she would've been offer to you as you prepared for surgery must've been awesome. I loved shopping at Gap for their jeans. They had a fit Essential that I loved. Of course, I can finally shop there, find a fit I loved, and what did they do? Discontinued it and they told me didn't replace it with a similar cut. I was so bummed. I did find a size 10 on a clearance rack and got a steal on them, but I am so afraid of wearing them out and not being able to replace them. I don't get why some docs are so conservative on fills. The band is designed to be filled. Of course, one must be careful and not get over filled but the quicker you can get to that sweet spot the better. My doc was very assertive and after my 6 week post op I could get them as often as every 2 weeks. It took me 7 fills during the year that I lost my weight.

When we moved here, I had to leave our new washer and dryer in our house in Delaware so needed to buy new ones. I begged DH for the front loaders, just couldn't convince him of the need for the extra cost. Maybe next time! Do they really take longer to wash?? I'd love to have those and stack them.

Good afternoon. I drove today!! Decided to go to Walmart and stock up on disinfectant to get my daughters flu germs out of here. LOL And DH offered to meet me for lunch. Think he was concerned about my driving alone and wanted me to be sure I made it and could drive me home if need be. I did great though. Odd I thought it would be easier to get in on the drivers side of the car since it's my left knee but it was harder. Once in I am good. I am exhausted now though and took a pain pill and ready for a nap. I am enjoying the day to myself to kindda reflect on things that have been bugging me (mainly my family LOL). Apples, I love your house. How do you keep your floors so clean? When I've had vinyl in the past I found it so difficult to keep looking nice so have shied away from it in recent homes. Maybe I didn't have a good quality of vinyl or something? I think it's the 2nd post of pics and the last photo there's a red chair at a counter with a computer, is that where we can envision you 'talking' to us?? Well I am supposed to go to a volunteer training thing at the hospital tomorrow for 8 hours. Not sure I can handle 8 hours so just emailed to see if it was okay to come for part and if so which part, not sure I am feeling up to that or not. It's not for the whole hospital but for Bariatrics where I volunteer and usually kindda fun too. Wish it wasn't on a Saturday though when DH was home.

Good morning. I was up way to early this morning, think a nap will be in my future this afternoon. My knee was so sore it work me up. Considering I usually wake up in the night for pain pills and didn't last night til early this morning that was good. So I am needing them less and less but do still need them. Then the toilet clogged on me today and I had to manage the steps and go to the basement and find the plunger. GRRR But I did it, my first staircase! But it brought on my dizziness/low blood pressure thing I have going on. It's about gone, but is worse in the morning. They said I lost a lot of blood in surgery, was borderline on needing a transfusion though they didn't give me one, and that it takes your body about 3 weeks to replenish the lost blood, that will be Monday. For the first week after surgery, I could hardly get through a shower w/o almost passing out. So I am resting a bit before I go tackle that shower this morning. Today is my first day totally on my own too, my folks left Wed. and yesterday DS came by to take me to therapy and then a dear friend came and visited all afternoon. I am concerned about my daughter, she's 28, and seems very sick, I am worried it's the Swine flu. This is her 2nd week of a new job and no matter how much I tried to get her to stay home, she went in, I am praying they send her home. She's w/o insurance til the 1st of the month too if she ends up needing to go to a dr. Plus I am worried to death of catching it myself. Might go to the store for lots of santizer! Some things you hear say to just let the flu run it's course, then of course there's the media scaring you half to death and those freakish complications that make me think she should get in to the dr anyway. Feet: I got fat wide ones too, so don't have many cute shoes. They just don't look as nice on a size 10 or 11 Wide foot. And my shoe size didn't go down that much it seems with the weight loss. Apples, how's the eye this morning?? Laura K, enjoy your girls weekend Laura, hope all goes well with the port placement today and you are on your way home tomorrow. As for your sister, I hope she learns to change her eating habits. I think that is an advantage the band has over bypass. Sure bypass loses faster, but in the beginning they lose regardless and many folks don't learn to change their eating habits and then end up gaining it back (I know people that did that), with the band we have to change or we have the pb and getting stuck issues so I think (at least for me personally) we are forced to learn a lifestyle change sooner after surgery and if we can get that can be more successful in the long run. At least that's been my personal experience. Eva, for me the sweet spot didn't mean I got stuck all the time, but definitely felt full faster and that 'one more bite' would always get me. I still have to fight that one more bite syndrome, as many times I take it and then I end up PBing or something. Well have a great day everyone! Off to that shower now.

Welcome Trisha and congrats on your progress thus far. I was banded a year before you in June of '08. I lost 126 lbs in a year. Just curious why won't your hospital do a band if you have more than 100 lbs to lose? That seems odd, at 100+ lbs to lose I needed the help of my band. Best wishes for continued success for you!

Back from therapy and I am in triple digits!! In my bend that is, I improved to 105 now. I was 93 on Monday and a week ago was 70, so he said that was fantastic improvement in two weeks. I moved up to an 8" step and increased all my exercises. So feeling good about the progress. My parents left last night. Usually I handle their visits much better, but this one really, really got to me. I am not sure if mom was just so much worse in her negativity or if I was just weakened to it due to my not feeling well and pain pills etc. but she wore me down. DH said she's like Goldilocks. She complains about my furniture every time she comes but so much worse this time. She hates my couch, my chairs are too soft, my kitchen chairs are too hard, only my recliners in the basement are 'just right'. Well DH moved one of those recliners upstairs and it's where I've been parked since surgery, it's easier to get my knee/leg up on the recliner than it is to pick it up and put in on a footstool, etc. She complained constantly about how much my furntiture made her hips, her knees, her leg muscles hurt. Sometimes she'd go sit downstairs by herself. Then in the car, she didn't like the back seat. Well I can't bend my knee enough to sit back there. They were even trying to come up with ways for me to get in the back so she could sit up front and my dad drove. I told her she could drive and dad sit back there but she wouldn't do that either. Then when Dad would take me to therapy or the dr. she didn't want to stay home alone but she didn't want to have to wait in the waiting room so we'd always have to drop her someplace else. GRRR It was all about her and I guess I was thinking maybe, just maybe, it would be a little about me. After all she was coming to 'help me' out. ha ha. It just wore me down and I got some serious soul searching, thought and prayer to do, to decide how to handle my family relationships going forward. I love them, I want a relationship with them, but it can't remain as it is. Thanks for letting me vent this past week. Floors, I have had them all, carpet, tile, wood, laminate. I love tile as far as durability goes just be sure to get a darker grout, but if you have those shifting soils or not a good solid subfloor be careful. Wood, love it but it scratches and with a lot of wet stuff may not handle that too well. Laminate, handles all that well and there are some really pretty ones of that. Carpet, gets so dirty. This house I have wood most everywhere and carpet in bedrooms and down the stairs to the basement. My basement is acid stained concrete and looks beautiful it's my husband's 'man cave'. Purse: Sure 24 isn't the right number? Isn't there always room for one more??? I have a particular weakness for Coach but don't have that many. Clothes: like the classic lines too for my standard pieces. If it's something trendy or 'different' I don't tend to spend as much on it knowing I will tire of it soon.

Good morning, Just got caught up on reading but not much time to post. DS should be here any minute to take me to therapy. I got cleared to drive yesterday but he was already planning on it and I'll take a morning with my son any day. We are going to lunch afterwards. did want to be sure to say Happy Birthday to Julie, sorry I missed it yesterday, never got here to post. Will post after my therapy today. Got a great report from the doc yesterday. I don't have to wear the TED hose anymore YAHOO!! Am healing great and she said my scar was looking fantastic. The past day or so the pain has really started subsiding and I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel! Hope I get more bend today at therapy and that continues to improve.

You and I are one Janet!! Qvc, Coach, ok housekeeping, starting to like more outdoor stuff (think I always did but I let my weight keep me from enjoying it) and all the girly girl stuff. My closet is more organized now than it's been, unless you count in the past when I had al my too small stuff on one end of the closet and the few things that fit on the other. Now I love to go in there and know everything fits and have so many choices in what to wear. And I am learning to love shopping. We drew names in my family for Christmas while my folks were here. My mom got my name. She keeps asking what I want, I keep telling her the same thing, an Ann Taylor gift card! LOL Heck, I figure with the after Christmas sales I can get so much more for the same money and she doesn't have to figure out my tastes LOL. Good luck to you Liliana!! Your life is going to change so much for the better as you embark on your new banded journey! It's the best thing I've ever done for myself. I love the fat chick trying to get out analogy. I had heard teh skinny chick trying to get out when I was overweight, but never heard of the reverse. I gotta keep that fat chick locked up!

Good evening. Having a nice quiet evening at home. The folks are at the Nuggets Basketball game with my sister tonight. DH & I went out to dinner to our favorite Mexican place for their special of $2 burritos every Tues. in Oct. YUM!! Ate the insides of half a burrito and was very satisfied. Also, having a good knee day too. Tomorrow is my doc appt and am anxious to hear what he has to say. Janet, sorry to hear about the furlough, at first when I saw that I thought you were totally losing your job. Glad you still have it but sucks they are taking stuff away. DH has had to give so much vacation back to as a 32 year employee. Linda, sorry to hear about the DGD issues. hope that she realizes she has a child to care for and needs to take better care of herself. Arlene, LOVe QVC, I don't think I made much money when I worked there. I spent it all I especially love the artisan crafted silver from Indonesia. Glad I didn't know it was on.

Teach, hope you get your fill. Sounds like a run around. The new doc shouldn't charge you a new fee either. Apples, I have the same range too, ceramic love it! Good taste in ranges LUcy and Apples! LOL

Janet, I'd like to give my family the benefit of the doubt that they didn't invite me because didn't think I was up to it (though that isn't their decision) but they've done it many times before. I should be used to it. But since my resolve of the other day, they aren't affecting me as much as they were. Plus it helps DH is home from hunting and there to help. Today is the best my knee has felt. The doc told me after 2 weeks I'd feel much improvement and today is 2 weeks and 1 day. Hope this is the start of something good and not just a fluke! Tomorrow I see the doc or PA again am anxious to hear what they say this time. I weighed myself this morning and I am only up 1 1/2 lbs since before surgery. Not too bad considering the lack of exercise and few treats I've allowed myself. I am okay with that as it will come off when I am more active.

You guys are right, I really didn't want to be at that 'family' dinner, but it hurts to be excluded. I guess I've always wanted that family that you see in the Norman Rockwell paintings, and the reality is my family is not that family and they have no desire to be. I am so grateful for my hubby and kids and poor all my efforts and love there and have a close family that way. My kids want to spend time with us, they choose to go on the camping trips etc. and come for dinner often. I'll take that any day. Phyl, therapy went well today I improved 8 more degrees in my flexion I am at 93 today. The therapist told me to relax I was progressing wonderfully and to stop listening to my mom. LOL Idid some stairs at therapy today, some gentle bouncing and stepping on a mini tramp, some rocking the pedals on a stationary bike since I can't make a full rotation, then he manipulated my knee cap around and pulled on my leg. The pulling felt wonderful. he also told me to remember I am relatively soon out from surgery at only 2 weeks today. I have a doc appt on Wed. and will see what they have to say. Oh and I graduated to a cane from one crutch. He said to practice around the house with the cane a bit before taking it out. I'm still not driving though, am afraid to tackle that. I am covered this week for appts and such so maybe by next week.

Good morning. Getting ready to leave in about an hour for some more PT (could be physical therapy could be pain & torture LOL). My parents are taking me, then we are going to try and shop a tad at Bass Pro shops. I offered to go as they want to pick up some things for Christmas gifts while they are here. There's lots of benches in there and if I have to sit I will sit. But usually after PT my knee is feeling pretty good for some odd reason. They were gone at my sisters last night for a family dinner. ha ha It was my 2 sisters, my folks, my grandma and my sisters boyfriends, just missing one daughter and her family, we weren't even invited. That's my family! Meredith, we just had some good friends buy the house behind us. They had been trying to deal on some short sales before that and it was such a nightmare. The banks just drug their feet on approving htem and then after months wouldn't etc. I guess it is not an easy process. Good luck to you. It's so hard when you find the 'one'. DH is always telling me when we are house shopping to not get emotionally attached to the house until it is our's but I do every time. I envision all my stuff in the house, how I want to arrange it, etc. Florida trip, there's a slim chance my Isreal vacation might not happen, seems some issue with the travel company they booked it through. So if not, perhaps it will work out. Not sure when I will know though.