Kat817

TracyinKS and I were just wondering the same thing on another thread...we both enjoyed her posts, and how she shared her progression. She responded to everyone with such a positive attitude, and we need that around here!!! I too hope she is alright. Kat

OUCH!!!!!! I hurt my neck nodding so hard in agreement with Wheetsin and BJean!!!! Keep on going! You both put thoughts into easy to read, easy to understand written word! I find myself agreeing, without ever having thought about some of these things in the first place!!! I learn from both of you... Kat

I totally and completely agree!!! We were banded the same time, and have never seen eye to eye on how to deal wiht our bands!!! She threw up multiple times daily, and has eventually ended up with what she has self diagnosed as kidney damage from the length of time she went dehydrated, before returning to our surgeon for an unfill. He only did a partial unfill, so she had this other family member remove the rest, they are now in the process of filling her again. They are convinced their way is right, as she is at goal. She is at goal through sheer starvation, and malnutrition. She is not only risking her band, but her very life. They will not get anywhere near me, I don't care how simple and easy they say it is. I'll pay my Dr.!!!! I agree, I have had a total of 2 fills, never messed with my band in any other way. I have had 2 serious PB's...the slime, the pain in the chest/esophageal area. Both times were MY fault, not the bands!!! And yes I learned from them! I am not now, nor was I ever a perfect bandster....but feel I do benefit from at least a smidgen of common sense, which I am begining to wonder about in my inlaws!!! It scares me, I want to be angry with them, but the overwhelming feeling is of fear!!! I want to be angry because they are doing it without Dr. supervision of course, so if and when something goes wrong, it will affect the band statistics, unfairly. Biasing the ones out there researching the band for themselves. It just seems incredibly selfish. Kat

Before I can go to bed, I need to say that I think your approach is the best you can do Pamela. I know it goes against the grain to not go above and beyond---but there are times it is just not in the best interest of anyone. Giving yourself the ability to finish your doctorate, will allow you to go that extra mile in the future. Maybe you were "given" this group of kids at this time just so you CAN finish. I hope that makes sense.... And yes we will support you in any way we can! And Michelle---how lucky we are to have you as one of our sisters. Opening up your home to Amanda (easy name for me to remember, my oldest DD is Amanda!), understanding how she will need the support. You are a good friend, and I am glad to count you as one of mine! You too Jenn---I love how this group runs to help one another, makes me feel ever so grateful for each of you.... Kat

Forgot to tell you what a mean Granny I am. Today after lunch, Kinsey's plate was sitting on the counter, where she eats in the kitchen, and I had gone into the LR. I hear the plate drop into the sink. I hollered at her for it, telling her "Kinsey I told you to leave things alone, now there is food all over in the sink, that was not a good girl!" Voice raised! I walk back in the kitchen and here is this tiny little blonde with tear filled big blue eyes looking at me, holding her little fork. I reached for a paper towel to scoop food out of the sink, and when I lifted the plate, there was nothing! I look on the floor, nothing. "What happened to your food?" I ask her...her baby bottom lip is quivering, and she says "I putted it in a trash" I look, and sure enough, she has scraped her plate, and put it in the sink.....just like her Mama taught her. I had no idea, she is 2!!! I picked her up, sat her on the counter, and apologized, told her Granny shouldn't have yelled, she did a big girl job, and was good, that Granny was wrong, not her. Her tears are spilling over now, and she tells me.... "But Granny you breaked my heart!!!" Feeling was mutual!!!! I kissed her heart better! She is so sweet.....and I broked her heart girls---I am so bad! Kat

Welcome Chantay---great group you found here!!! I will be glad to add in birthdays if everyone wants me to...in fact Terry's, Tracy's and mine are there as of now!!! Went and had cake & ice cream with my FIL tonight, was ok. My niece was there, telling me how much saline she added to her Moms band....just freaks me out! Scary business! I keep thinking, what if she gets an infection? Can you imagine being responsible like that? I mean her Mom is asking to have it done, it is not against her will, but still I would feel such guilt! Well I am off to the shower then bed. I am exhausted. One more day of early rising, then I get to sleep in, til like 6 or 7 even!!!! I will talk to you all tomorrow--- ((((hugs))))) Kat

So glad things are going well for you!!! Just because you had the revision, don't take off, hang out and let us know how you are doing!! Kat

Don't know how to break this to you, but you are 100% right on target....normal!!!! Most of us went through the wide array of emotions. In my case, the depression was similar, it was shocking to me that I had allowed myself to get to a point I required surgery! I was worried about not having food to fall back on. I worried about what others would think of my decision. And as you say, it IS surgery afterall full of its own risks. In the end, excitement won out!!! I would look through the before and after thread, and just marvel at the changes...fill myself up with a new dose of inspiration! Was it worth the emotional roller coaster? Oh yeah!!! I love my band, would do it again in a heart beat, and can only tell you that yes, you ARE normal!!! Leaving behind the way of life we knew and our old eating habits, is a type of mourning....let it happen. Soon you will realize what a love/hate relationship you had with food, and will find you no longer have the guilt associated with the overeating we always did. Hang in there, log on, and find one of us who understand the emotions---most of us were there! We'll do whatever we can to help you through the nerves as your day approaches!!! It is a GREAT decision you made to take control of your life back!!! Welcome to LBT! Kat

Tooo cute Mandy!!! Abi looks so much like you!!! Lucky girl, lucky Mommy!!! You have done such an awesome job!!! Kat

Awwww Lunasa---I am sorry you are facing this...it is hard to deal with stuff like this, when you know you did it to yourself, it is doubly hard. So much nicer when we have some unknown someone to blame things on!!! Know I will be thinking of you, and hoping for a compassionate judge. Many people react differently to alcohol following the band---I have never really pushed it to know, I am not a drinker---I sip this or that only occasionally. Your willingness to share this with us, shows me that you are still, and always will be a Violet. We show/tell everything, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And we will be here to support you and worry with you, and celebrate it being over with you. Hang in there you wild woman!!! My house looks like a tornado hit, and I am getting wierd pm's from someone who has never posted to the site. The messages are not wierd, but that they have never posted once, and suddenly pick me out of the 1000's---seems wierd to me!!! I have to get something done, so we can go do cake & ice cream with my FIL so that he does not know about the surprise party later this month. I am meeting Rick there after work, then after we eat that, we will come home and eat dinner---anyone else see the flaw in this???lol!! Talk to y'all in awhile! Kat

Wow---I miss one early morning, and come home to WONDERFUL news!!!! TracyK---I am SOOOO proud of you!!! I had no doubt you would make it, but you bucked off the depression, and made it---you have done so well. Since the nanners have all danced, I will just leave it!!! You will never be over 200 pounds again....wooohooooo...WTG girlie!!! Tracy---Happy Birthday my friend!! I missed the morning check in, because Rick and I took his Dad to breakfast!!! We thought that way we could sneak some time with him, without the crowd (aka--family), then I picked up my Dads gift on the way home, and met my brother over there to drop it off. We will go to lunch with our DD tomorrow. Anyway, hope your day is as special as you are, and that it brings you lots of happy surprises---you deserve them. Happy Birthday!!! I miss seeing our DD today....but... When she married into this family, they ALWAYS come first. We mourned it for awhile, and did the get mad, but in the end, if she is ok with it, there is not much we can do. When she sees us, she is happy, and acts like her old self...with a shadow!!! Rick's son in law is a strange fella!!! Actually, he is what I would consider a germaphobe in many ways...and yet in others he is as far from it as possible. We are not clean enough for him. He actually left a bbq we had in our backyard one day, went to Sonic and bought a burger and brought it back---he won't eat our food either! In fact he seldom sits. If we make a scene he usually will, but he prefers to stand at Abbeys side, and will do so---for hours! He only eats cheeseburgers, and cheese pizza....and some breakfast food. He will not drink from a glass in our house. If we go out to eat, he uses no less than 12 napkins prior to the meal coming cleaning the table. He will empty the jelly rack, organize them and restack them. Empty the sugar/sweetner, line them up neatly. He always cleans a spot on his plate edge for the waitress. I can deal with all that, but he also orders tons of extra food, so he can examine it all when it comes, and maybe just maybe eat 1/4 of it! He uses a napkin to touch ANYTHING! Uses about 6 straws, as they have to be changed, if the waitress leans across it to fill someones tea or something...he is a wierd one. And super quiet. But then he will be talking, and burst into using an accent---like I say RICK's SIL is wierd!!! But he is not clean at home. They have animals, and critters, and their house smells like it! They have 2 dogs, and 2 cats, sugar gliders, scorpions, hedgehogs, a chinchilla, and a hairless rat. And 3 HUGE fish aquariums, one salt water. In HS Abbey had this best friend, Ashely who was extremely different, even for Abbey, who is a different child herself. I always wondered how they remained friends, Abbey is loud and off the wall, chattering non stop....Ashley is quiet, and very self contained. When Abbey got married, Ashley come back from Phoenix with her new husband to be in the wedding. Ashleys husband is like a male Abbey, and Abbey's is a male Ashley!!! This DD has no kids, and I wonder if she ever will, they might be too messy for Rhett (SIL). Sorry, I just wanted you to get a picture of this guy!!! Pamela, I wonder about names too!!! I will try to remember and add them to our master list thing---so they can be included in our Christmas greetings at least! Well I need to go fix miss Kinsey some lunch, she had donuts at GGma & Papas. Doubt she will eat much!!! Will check in later on you awesome acheivers!!! Kat

Will be hoping for good news from you Jessica! I need to take Mandy's advice, and do some ebay cleaning out---just to eliminate some junk, but so far, I have not done it. Rick keeps me pretty busy parting out bikes on there!!! Betty, Cindy, your Fall weather is up north a ways---we have it! I actually have the Water disconnected to my cooler already, for fear it would freeze. We covered the tomatoes, for some stupid reason---freezing would not be the worst thing for them, I am sick of dealing with them!! We went out and plowed the potatoes up, before it froze them in the ground....Now we have a barn full of legs!!! We hang the potatoes and onions in old pantyhose, from the loft ceiling. Then you can open the toe area, and empty what you want out, and close it up. It stays cold enough to keep them, yet the hay keeps them from freezing. Good thing they do not count on me for pantyhose, I have not worn them since I don't know when!!! Finish with the tomatoes, and the garden is history, that I hope is not repeated for several more years!!! I had a fire yesterday morning it was cold in here. Sunday our high is not supposed to get above the mid 60's. The color change in Colorado is going on, and it is gorgeous!!! I should hear from my Dr. today. If not I will be pestering the heck out of them tomorrow, I will not wait all weekend knowing nothing. I am trying to mentally prepare myself---you know the old prepare for the worst, and hope for the best--thing. Will let you know when I hear something!!! Going to go add some veggies to the roast I have in the crock pot---catch y'all later!!! Kat

Tracy, joins the herd of birthdays at my house tomorrow. I must say you are in good company, between the Dads and DD----must have been a great day to be born!!! Kat

Pamela, NEVER, EVER, not once, did I think being a teacher was an easy job!!! I ran a day care---I KNEW better!!! And middle school? That my friend is what my nightmares were made of!!! I tell my cousin that all the time. I think she is mental....middle schoolers and Algebra? gotta be a head case!!!!! Nope you deserve so much more credit than you can possibly get---teachers as a rule. As in ANY field, there are Great teachers, average ones, and truly poor ones, who should do something else. I think you have to experience one of the really BAD ones to appreciate the truly good ones. And the teacher who says it is all pretty all the time, and she never questions her decision in a profession---is not being 100% truthful...IMHO OK gotta go meet the crew for dinner. BBL Kat

If you look into it, many surgeries the price comes down, after it is not as experimental (for lack of a better word.) My friend had laser eye surgery several years ago when it was new, and she paid cash insurance was not covering it yet. Last year, her DH had it done, and now insurance covered it, but she ask out of curiosity, and it was over $3K less!!! My Aunt was just saying last week that she now pays less for a full set of dentures than she used to pay for uppers alone. Look how our prescription costs vary, some go up, some actually come down! Part of the reason for that is when the equivalent for a patent on the drug goes off, and generics can be made, the overall cost comes down. I have read several posts lately about another brand of bands....when competition comes along, prices go down. With that in mind, many of the original band Dr.'s have likely lowered their costs, to compete. They know patients can go to MX and get it cheaper, and now they see where they can go to Colorado or any number of other US cities and cut the cost, so they have to adapt. I too was self pay, and it seems unfair that the cost is going down!!! But, would I change it...postpone it? Not a chance!!! Kat

You do indeed mourn food....what you do not miss however is the guilt that always snuck in after a binge, or after eating something you told yourself you would not. You don't feel the shame, for being unable to stick to your diet..... So while you kiss your lover good-bye, be sure to leave the door open for your friend food. It is much better being on a friendly basis, than having a secret lover....nothing to hide. No secret stash of Halloween Candy! No late night all alone with the TV binges. Food is now your friend, you bring them out in front of everyone, and neither one of you abuses the other anymore!!! A much healthier relationship awaits you!!!! While I understand the fear, and the panic at leaving food behind....I truly believe what I said----soon you will realize how much guilt and unhappy feelings you tied into food as well....and you will be much happier!!! By now you should be over into bandland....welcome! Kat

The decision is a very personal one to make. Only you can decide which surgery fits your personal needs and lifestyle. I can tell you MY reasons for going with the band. I am a cancer survivor, if I were to have a recurrance, I can be unfilled to up my nutrition intake. Nutrition is an issue with bypass, you lose weight because of lack of absorption of the food you take in. When you are ill, you need good food to heal. That was a biggie to me. The same reasoning holds if you were to decide to have a child. Unfills during pregnancy assure the baby proper nutrition. The studies of pregnancy following bypass were kind of scary to me, to be very honest, I just glanced over them, it was not an area pertinant to me at the time!!! The studies into obesity and WLS's are growing by leaps and bounds. With the band being totally adjustable, as well as removable, if one of scientists out there, discovers a magic cure, I am eligible! For instance, right now they are testing a new band that is tightened by remote, eliminating the need for ports, and saline....no needles. If this shows to be the better band, I can have mine changed! There has been no re-routing of my intestines, everything is still there. I had serious eating issues. I too love sweets, but felt I could deal with limiting them better than being told I could not have them period!!! I wanted to eat cake with my grandbabies on their birthdays. And I do. I am just happy with a very small piece , I do not want the whole cake. But I would have not dealt well with not being able to have sweets period---the dumping involved was a HUGE turnoff! Many say they can eat unlimited sweets even with their band, I cannot---the desire is not there, too much---is just too much! I hope that the lessons I am learning from eating with my band, and the proper nutrition I am learning from studying how to eat healthy, will be lessons I have for the remainder of my life. If something should happen and I were to lose my band---I want to have learned something. I do not want 5 years down the road, to just continue to take supplements, and suddenly realize I can eat a full meal again the super sized kind. I want to do my part, and learn while I lose. Learn proper portion size, and what foods to fill up on....food, not pill supplements. That was a little too much like an episode of the Jetsons to me!!! Those were my big decision makers.....not that they mean anything to you---only YOU know what type of life you want to lead, and how your eating got you to where you are today. Research lots, and you will figure out what works for you!!! Good Luck!!! Kat

Oh yeah, it was quite possibly a bullet, size is undeterminable without dismantleing my dash to retrieve the shot! Ummmmm NO!!!! He said he doubts it to be a hunting rifle shot, but possibly. Didn't act to concerned. Did zero paperwork---total waste of time and gas! Should not have been surprised---Colorado Law Enforcement, and everything related has never done anything but let us down!!!! Oh well---can at least get it fixed now! Maybe I should go after one more load before spending $$$ to get it fixed...... Kat

Well my first concert was a biggie!!! I went with my Uncle to Denver when I was 14 and saw ZZ Top!!! Then the very next month we went and saw 3 Dog Night, and he got 2 speeding tickets coming back, and we didn't get to go again for awhile!!! Laura, of course you listened to it with your Mom----you ARE younger than all of my children!!!! Our youngest DD will turn 25 tomorrow!!! She turns 25, my Dad turns 74, and my FIL turns 80---all on the same day! My Dad is teaching a class tomorrow night, so we are taking him to dinner tonight. I must say I remember some of the original MTV videos, but I was so busy with kids, and life then, that I seldom saw the old videos that way. I know they smashed guitars a lot, my nephew was pretending a plastic shovel was a guitar, and smashed it over my DD's head, resulting in her first stitches!!! Kept me convinced MTV was not for children!!!! Kat

I would not classify myself as a "flirt"...I do however find myself making eye contact, that I had avoided for years. When you are fat, you get horrible looks of derision from complete strangers! Now I might have imagined some of those looks, but the feeling I got from it was just the same. So I avoided eye contact. Not so anymore! I meet their eye, and smile back. I am treated differently by both men and women....but not just in a flirtatious way. Although men DO without a doubt react differently---and I still have a ways to go!!! Kat

The best compliment lately come from my 2 year old granddaughter who refuses to believe the fat woman in the pictures of her when she was born are me!!! She shakes her head and tells me "Dat not you, who's dat with my Papa?" She is too young to understand lying about those kind of things---so I take it to heart....a soaring heart!!! Kat

I have family members experimenting with fills and unfills done at home. The one doing the needle work, has MINIMAL experience medically, as a phlebotomist(sp?), other than a brief stint with UBS doing that, her experience medically would be knowing how to code the procedure. They will not be getting their hands on me, and all I can do is sit back, watch, and hope for them that all goes well. They are both banded, as well as another member of the family---do I think eventually she will be doing this for all of them? Yep I do. I will remain the black sheep!!! Kat

You bet your shaking booty that dancing for 4 hours counts, Denise!!!! My brother was a HUGE Alice Cooper fan, he listened to it non stop, so I too know all of his music!! We are taking him to a Halloween Concert with Alice on the 30th. He is really excited! He is handicapped, and several years ago he was front row at an Alice concert and had to be "rescued" over the front barricade. The crowd had pushed so hard, as to deprive him of air. The security allowed him to stay in front of the barricade, and be off to the side of the stage. The gave him a back stage pass, but he was with friends, and did not want to miss his ride, but right as Alice Cooper was going off stage, he come down and shook his hand and ask him if he was ok---he replied he was, and about that time some crew member come up and give him a Tshirt, and CD. Alice signed his backstage pass, and went on his way. To say he was a fan before is nothing, he thinks he is REALLY special now!! He listens to his radio show all the time. I dated a guy once and his Dad and Alice Cooper "share" a lake, in Arizona. Their houses, are on opposite sides, of this man made lake. His Dad was on like his 9th wife at the time, and it made me laugh that of the 2, Alice Cooper has the horrid reputation, and he is still married to his original wife!! Of course I never heard anything about his Dad biting off chicken heads, or having a stage full of "dead" babies! The original Shock Jock!!! You should have seen the shock on my DH's face when he realized I could sing along with almost every song Alice Cooper sang----pretty funny!!! Glad you enjoyed your concert!!! Pamela---maybe these meeting are exactly what you needed to appreciate even this years kids!!! Works in strange ways like that! Tracy--glad you are feeling better. Save your time off for fun things! Jenn---I could not agree more with Terry. Most people like your cousin, and the way you describe him, tear others down in an attempt to build themselves up. After all these years, I am sure he knows you are an easy target, and take his crap without dishing it back in his face. I am not recommending you start a massive fight in the house with your Aunt ill, but I would do my best not to let something said by someone like him hurt me or upset me. Instead of stressing, come bitch to us about him. I am glad you got rid of the headache, and that the excedrin didn't cause problems! TracyK----enjoy those uninteresting days!!! Spend some time with your DD, and enjoy the lack of chaos---it will be made up for another day I can almost guarantee it!!! The holidays are headed our way!!! What is your little one going to be for Halloween? My dinner continued to sit in my belly all evening, I finally went to bed, and at some point it must have chose to digest, I feel fine this morning. I am wondering if I just didn't eat too much, and not have much room for working it through. Note to self----QUIT pushing it!!! Well I am heading out to Durango here shortly. Then I can take the truck in and have the windshield replaced. The glass companies used to offer specials where they waived your deductable, but they said on the phone the other day that the insurance companies put a stop to that....figures, now it will cost me a hundred bucks. Will let ya know what they say at the Cop Shop! BBL Kat

I began using mine for 5 minutes at a time with no added resistance. I now do the pre set programs that vary the resistance up and down as if you were walking up a hill, and down. There are 5 presets lasting 20 minutes each, and 4 lasting 30 minutes each. I do at least one of those a night. I listen to books on CD while I exercise---if I am involved in the story line, I pick a medium level of resistance, and ride it for awhile longer until I get to a stopping place in my book. If I am on a plateau, I will sometimes do a program in the morning, then my usual in the evening as well. I also do light free weights for upper body work out---upper body is my problem areas....the elliptical works out my heart as well as my legs!!! Keep it up---you will master the machine!!! Kat

Just stopping in to say good night, I am off to bed. If Rick ever finishes transferring all his music to the external hard drive, then I might get my computer back---yep MY computer!!! I had pasta for dinner, was actually able to eat more of it than usual, not necessarily a good thing!!! But I have burped it all evening, and it still feels like it is sitting there, not moving, but I have no pain at all....hmmmmmm I'll see y'all in the morning, before I head off to Colorado...I'd really like to sit at home and do nothing!!! Nighty Night Violets!! Kat