BethFromVA

Get OUT, really? That sounds very cool! Never even thought of that! I think I may have some vanilla stuff around here that may work well as my "creamer." Mac, you are so smart. Thanks! :tongue2:

Oh, absolutely. I consider it a public service to all my fellow womenkind. :tt2: Oops, I mean :tongue2:.

Can I just watch? And set up this little digital camera, and video, and webcam? For, uh... research... later on... Yeah, that's it. :tongue2:

Oh, honey, I don't care if they came from happy cows that drank only sparkling spring Water while the sun shone 24/7 -- it's YUCK! lol

AWESOME, Mac!

Ebony, I think it may be time to go on a tactful, professional offensive. So far they have had you chasing your own tail and making you look incompetent when in reality we all know they are moving the bar, management is not on the same page, and not providing proper documentation of how they want things done. They are either THE most incompetent, unskilled, inept management I have heard of in a long time, or this is a plan of th eirs to shove those they don't like/want/need anymore out the door. If they have a policy manual in place, then WHY should they balk at providing what is obviously missing? Bottom line is, it may be time to go on the offensive a bit more, but again, in a tactful, respectful way. You're already starting to do that (double-checking with BB on how he wants something done). Maybe NOW when he gives you a directive, it may become necessary to clarify in writing to him and CC the manager so EVERYBODY can see what's been said and why you're doing whatever you're doing. And when you get bullshit answers like you got today from your manager, do NOT accept that as an acceptable answer to your legitimate questions on policy or how they want things done. That is NOT NEGOTIABLE, imo, to let that b*tch answer you that way and then expect you to, what? What do you do with that?? Polite but strong offensive, my dear. No more tears. K? :tongue2:

Strip, right? :tongue2:

Okay, now this I can get my mind around. It makes sense, as does Nanook's addition to this. It doesn't mean I wholeheartedly fall in lock step with gastric bypass (again, for me), but my issue as well was more about portion control and I can see how the band would help me with that more than going a more drastic route. I still hope the OP uses her own research skills (including asking the doc and other professionals she has spoken to) WHY they are recommending bypass. That is a great recommendation.

Which I didn't put all too succinctly. I think, because this is elective surgery, we should be informed of the differences in each surgery, but NOBODY (including us) should ever tell anybody what they SHOULD have done. Any good doctor would provide you with pros and cons of each surgery and let the patient decide what s/he thinks is best for them.

Well if YOU aren't just the little multi-tasker! :tongue2:

Pushback in what way? Like they will balk at it? Hell, I would say that it is the only way to ensure that you have proper procedures for what is expected of you! I mean, if they TRULY want you to do it right, how on earth could they have issues with providing you with the proper tools??? Unless, of course, they are purposely trying to sabotage you. And frankly, if it was me and you got feedback that essentially said they did not want to have all of this in writing, I would slip that into some form of documentation to them -- that they either have no business whatsoever being in management, OR they must WANT you to fail, which is it? :tongue2:

If it was me, because I'm a snarky bitch, I would probably reply (always in writing/e-mail, of course, so you have your CYA) that, while you appreciate her reply, it does NOT address the specific questions you asked that, if addressed properly, would help you do your job to the specifications she requires -- which could also eliminate any further outbursts in public from her OR letters in your file. That you are trying your very best to make sure your bases are covered, to the point where you asked BB TWICE about what he wanted done in order to do it right, and that her outburst made it very obvious that either HE misinformed you OR SHE is not being clear and concise as to what she wants. That working in an environment where the rules change, procedures are not outlined or very specific, management doesn't agree on policies, and the undercurrent of hostility because of your inability to read minds says that either you are a bad Houdini or SHE is a bad manager (okay, maybe not include THAT part, but I'm just sayin... :tongue2:). I would put it right back in her face. Be... not exactly passive-aggressive, but you know what I mean. Word it in such a way that you are firm without being a bitch, all the while showing that you are TRYING to do what is expected of you and that is why you keep clarifying with management and trying to get specifics of what is expected of you. So long as they don't provide those specifics, how in holy HELL can they hold you accountable for these phantom "mistakes"??

I didn't try them BEFORE banding... certainly ain't gonna start now. lol I DO eat sushi, however. Not quite the same, but I wanted to show that I am brave. Just not brave enough for raw oysters. Blech.

Again, I disagree, HH. I had an OB-GYN who asked me one day if I had considered getting a hysterectomy. Um, NO, and WHY?? I have no idea why she would suggest such a thing since I have had no issues whatsoever. Should I just have listened to my doctor and gotten one "just cuz"? I don't think so. There are also those docs who have recommended I have my breasts removed because I have a strong breast cancer history in my family. Again, WHY? Why should I consider such a drastic procedure when there is no proof I will have issues? To me, the bypass is THE most radical, drastic WLS there is. Has it worked for some? Yes. Has it NOT worked for many as well? Yes. But now you're stuck with no recourse, nowhere to go. Look, if I have a problem with my bunions, I sure as hell ain't gonna amputate my foot. To me, this surgery is waaaay too drastic to consider as my FIRST option. That's just me...

HH, I have to say this is one of the rare times I disagree with you. First, I don't know that I feel comfortable with ANY physician/psych/dietician telling me WHAT procedure to have. No matter what procedure we have, it will not specifically address the mental or other psychological issues that made us fat. I personally feel that some docs out there who have adamantly pushed for the bypass do so because they get paid a lot more for it. The fact is (and you know this), the bypass is permanent. The OP doesn't know if the band would or would not work for, any more than she knows whether the bypass would. I have known people who have gone through the very permanent bypass operation, only to regain the weight or never completely lose it because of the choices they were making and/or the psychological issues involved. I have also known people struggle with the band and losing weight because of the choices they were making and/or the psychological issues involved. However, the band, as we know, is NOT permanent and can be revised to a sleeve or bypass at a later date if one finds it necessary. I personally can find no good reason for a dietician or psychiatrist to dictate WHICH procedure they feel would work best. Maybe I'm missing something -- but the fact is, the behavior modifications and other things we must do to make ANY of these procedures work have to be applied almost equally across the board, regardless of the procedure. You can cheat with all three. You can gain (or not lose) weight with all three. With that being the case, WHY is one procedure being pushed for more than another? I personally can't think of any good reason. Unless I hear WHY this procedure is being pushed by these people, I personally feel that the reasoning is more financial on the part of the people involved. The bottom line is, it's her body and her decision. We see all the time when people are told by doctors that they have some incurable disease or cancer which will result in the loss of a limb, and the person either researches themselves or gets a second (or third) opinion and come to find out it was curable after all without the loss of the limb. Though we look to doctors to help us, they are not infallible. We don't know that for some of these people, one WLS is no different from another (which WE know is not true). If they do the LapBand for X amount of money but could do the bypass for X amount MORE, a doctor who sees no difference in the overall procedures (not necessarily unscrupulous, just indifferent) might choose to go for the one that will make him more money. And it's not unheard of for them, especially if THEY are the ones providing lists of dieticians and psychiatrists, to supply names of people who will also support his WLS of choice. Just my .02, for what it's worth. OP, do your OWN research and go with what YOU feel comfortable with. Don't let anybody ANYwhere (even here) tell you what you should do (and this isn't towards you, HH, as I respect your experiences and opinions).

They're VERY pillowy, but I think I'm too fat for them. The roll of the sole flattens out when I walk... :tongue2:

Exactly. If I didn't think it would backfire on her, I would recommend a formal complaint for THAT little ditty. Seems the manager can't manage properly if she feels that is proper. Then again, I'm SURE they will use this against Ebony anyway, so she may have nothing to lose. I will be interested in seeing what response she gets from the manager to her e-mail.

Yeah, I know... :tt2: Here lately I've been drinking coffee in the morning and it really stunts my appetite. I was a good girl and had lunch today, though -- yogurt and a salmon patty. :tongue2: OH, and I got me some Skechers! Let's see if them suckas work.

It's the $64 million question. I could never imagine going through all of this just to cheat. What's even more stupid are those people looking for validation AND those who give it because "they did it too." It's aggravating and shows the complete lack of self-control that some people have. We all know we got the way we did due to that lack, but c'mon... if you can't even give to yourself when you put yourself under the knife in this way, then you deserve whatever slip or problems you get. Harsh, I know. Don't care.

Absolutely agree!

WTH?? I think when you compose yourself, maybe you can (as kindly and politely as you can) tell the manager that she may want to discuss with BB what it was that HE told you to do, and how you clarified it with him TWICE... that if there is any issue in how you did what you did, it came from HIM. If this isn't a set-up, I don't know what is. THAT is also the reason I hate having more than one person to answer to -- because we, the underlings, always seem to get caught in the crossfire in this very fashion. (((((HUGS))))) to you, my friend.

The one is oblong AND has a leaf and six chairs and is in my dining room. The other has a leaf, but when it's not in, the table is round. It also has six chairs, but the two armchairs are in the basement. It perfectly fits my smallish eating area in the kitchen. Thankfully it worked perfectly because I really love the wood on that one. I've re-covered the seats that I use in the dining room. They had already been re-covered by somebody else before me, so I don't know if they did like I did and simply cover over what was there. Right now I have black fabric with slubbing, and it goes well with the red, gold, and black I have in there. The seats for the set I use in the kitchen are brown leather (or leather-like) and the seat portion is bolted down (unlike the other set which sits into the frame of the chair). I'm not crazy about the brown "leather," but I don't dislike it enough to take the chairs apart.

G4E, tell the kids not to knock yard sales! There was a woman who brought a table onto Antiques Roadshow that she had bought some 20-25 years before, spent about $25 on it (the people were asking $30 but she only had $25), and it is a rare Chippendale (I think) that is worth $250,000! I think the guy who appraised it said it was only the fourth one that he knew of in existence. Wait, I found the story. It was appraised higher, and look what it sold for! In 1997 in New Jersey, a teacher's $25 garagesale table turned out to be a rare, Federal-style card table made by John and Thomas Seymour of Boston in the late 1700s. It was appraised at $200,000 to $300,000, and subsequently sold at auction for $541,000.

What she said. My mom and HER mom both had it. My mom survived it. Hers did not. My sister had also shown signs of pre-cancerous cells some years back. So for this reason, the doctors keep a close watch on me. Which reminds me, I am overdue for a mammo.

Okay, THIS is some of the scariest shit this thug has put out there to date: Call For Informants: If You Oppose Obamacare, Even in ‘Casual Conversation,’ the White House Wants to Know About It - Jeff_Emanuel’s blog - RedState So... for those who think this is a red herring, I pulled up the White House site to see if it is truly there. It is, right under Linda Douglass' video: The White House - Blog Post - Facts Are Stubborn Things Big Brother wants to silence the TRUTH.