Kat817

I was once told it is not a question of "IF" you will hit plateau's....but "WHEN" will you hit them. For me, the answer is now! I know I am working out (light weights, assorted exercise, Curves 3-4X a week) and I also walk daily---so I may be building some muscle, and my muscles may be retaining fluid due to the exercise I am told. Whatever the cause, my scale is not budging!!! I am however still dropping some inches here and there, in fractions. BUT....I am not hungry, I am not gorging myself, I am eating pretty much what I want when I want it...and I am not doing my usual "diet" thing, and starting to gain it back. Someday the scale will move again. Until then I intend to continue to work out as I can, and be ready to hit it come Spring when we can be outside again....I can hardly wait!!! Plus there are all those smaller Spring/Summer clothes I need!!! Hang in there----this too shall pass!!! Kat

Hi! Welcome to LBT---you have found a great site to conduct some of yoru research! If you will scan through the different sections and threads in them, you will find an abundance of information. Now that being said, let me also say, you will see a large amount of people with some scary complications. If you will look at the numbers, the percentage of complications is actually very low, but most of those who are trouble free, are off living a new life, and those with problems, are here looking for support and help. Which is why it looks like a bigger amount than it actually would be. I would suggest mentioning to your PCP when you make the long awaited visit, that you are considering this, and have it on record, along with weight, diet attempts etc. It will all be needed for insurance coverage, if you do decide to do this at one point or another. Documentation is VERY important to insurances! Most of us have tried WW, Atkins, Jenny Craig, and countless lesser known diets. And most of us had success on at least some of them, then, like you, we ALL gained what we had lost back and then some. It is so common, the term yo-yo is now referred to more in dieting than as a toy! I think taking control now while you are young, and your child is young is perfect. I only wish I had had the option of doing this years ago. I cannot begin to explain how this has changed my life! I feel like I have my life back! My husband (you will see them referred to as DH...Dear Husband, Darling Husband, Damn Husband...whatever the mood!) was wonderful as well, never making me feel shamed by my weight, that was a self inflicted emotion. He loved me when I was at my highest weight which was 289 pounds. He loves me now at just over 200. I don't think he loves ME more, but he loves the things we can now do more. We go and do things, that I had hung back from doing due to my size. He had put up with my highs and lows emotionally from my success and failure with various diets. He ate whatever diet I was on without complaint. If anything, he complains some now that I am going to make him gain weight, because he finishes so much of my food!! I was banded April 24th 2006. I had my first "fill" (adding saline solution to the band to tighten it) in June, and from then I seldom felt hunger. I had a second fill in July, and have literally not been hungry since that time. I think I am hungry---I am in my head, but as for my stomach, if I stop and think about it, I really am not hungry! It allows me to make much wiser choices in what food I am choosing to eat. When I was ravenous all the time, I ate whatever was close at hand, and huge amounts of it! Now a small amount of anything satisfies me. I try to make smart choices, and eat my nutritious food first since there is not much room in there! But if I want something sweet, I eat it. One piece of candy is enough now, not the entire bag. With banding you can cook and eat normal foods with your family, without worrying about supplements. It is not a malnourishing surgery if you eat properly. It is something that allows you to dine out, and eat with friends and family in a normal fashion. As you begin to lose weight the desire to be active again returns. I babysit for my 2 year old granddaughter, and I will tell you, a year ago, there is no way I could have kept up with her! She too was a little preemie--4 lbs. 14 oz., as my DD (Darling Daughter) also suffered from pre-eclampsia. Please don't beat yourself up, thinking that the weight was all the blame. My DD is tall and thin, but suffered with it anyway. It happens...not your fault! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away---you can ask in open forum, and we will all chime in, or you are welcome to PM me anytime. I have not had much luck with the chat room, but I do have yahoo, if that would work better. Researching is the best thing you can do---going into anything educated puts you ahead of the game! Good Luck, and again....Welcome! Kat

IZVIN Indignant Zealots Voice Irate Nonsense! HBCRA

BELLA Bet Everyone Loves Lapbanders Appetites! CARES

Hi everyone! I had a great day!!! A friend and I went to lunch, we met here at the house, and walked to lunch down town, ended up sitting sipping tea for over 2 hours, just talking. Come home, got my house cleaned up (no grandbabies!!), and was supposed to meet DH in town to go visit a co-worker in the hospital, but he has problems at work, so is going to be late, and I don't have to go to the hospital!!! OR cook dinner! He isn't working hard, or I'd feel bad, he is just stuck waiting for some things to get done. I just finished 30 minutes on the elliptical, so combined with my walk to and from lunch (about 3.25 miles round trip) I got my time in today--even if the challenge has been met! Birthday dinner went great...I ate bad things, but they tasted good, and I did not eat a lot of them!! I sent all the cake home with my brother, and all but enough left overs for DH's lunch. I know myself well!!! Thanks for being there to listen to me. It is hard to discuss with my Mom, she just gets sadder...and of my 2 best friends here, one just lost her Dad, and everything makes her cry (understandable), and the other, her brother was killed not long before mine was hurt so bad---so she knows I am the lucky one. Helped to just vent some! Wow Julie----does he miss having friends or do I miss them for him? Well based on him prior to the accident, he was quite social, had a group of buddies. But he has never actually said he missed having friends. He HAS said things about wishing he had a woman in his life---but based on his age level, what teenage boy doesn't want that??? He is very busy work wise, and mostly he works for 2 men in my Dad's age group. One owns a bunch of rentals, and he does general upkeep---he treats my brother good--- in actuality he likely is a friend to him as much as an employer. He is a rather crass old guy--but one who's sense of humor would make my brother laugh! The other guy he works for owns a large farm/orchard. He is a professor, and quite a religious man, he treats him like a long lost son, the gifts he gives him come Christmas, make us pale in comparison---but he challenges Bob to be a good person. Besides the 2 of them he does work for assorted others, this is just a slow time of year. He has no shortage whatsoever for people to work for. He also has a pet cat, that he dotes on, special foods, special houses---the whole 9 yards. Your question, made me feel much better!!! I think I was projecting my own feelings on to him. I am very dependent on my friends, on my husband, and on my kids. Not quite sure what in the world I would do without them! But in his CURRENT frame of mind, he would hate having anyone with him all the time...and as an adult, he really does not know what he is missing---this happen his senior year of high school--so you don't miss what you never had I guess. OK---where have you been all these years??? I feel much better!!! Clear perspective---gotta love it! And as for you guys all saying how special I am for doing these things, I'm really not! He is my only sibling. My DH is one of 4, but only he and a sister (the one I was banded with) live here. So when things need to be done---it is us it falls to. I do not always do it graciously or happily!!! It is kind of like TAG you're IT....and there is no one left to chase!!! While it is nice you all thinking how nice it is....to be honest.....sometimes I don't take doing it all nicely!!! Roberta---take care, hope you don't get too down with the bad weather coming. It has been clear and cold here. Dawn---way to go---You made the challenge, we will blow Feb. out of the water, even if there is only 28 days!!! Amourette---where do you fly to after Japan?? Even if it really IS boring---it sounds like all kinds of exotic fun!! Betty---did the antihistimine help your DH? Bee stings can be deadly---they are scary! Good Luck in your tournament! Win BIG!!! Boo---WooHoo!!! Girl you are the runner!!! I know the feeling of having to do something--amazing now it is something besides eating! Good Job Girlie!!! Bluehill---You must feel so lucky those baggy drawers did not fall around your ankles as you exercised---that is a lot of sizes to drop!!! I am so proud of you! Well I am off to start a makeover on the guest room!!! We did away with one of our bedrooms, and turned it into a mini gym---where we can leave the weights out etc. So all of the "stuff" in that room, got shoved into the other. Now I have it to clean, and no good reason not to be doing it!!! Wow---long post---I wrote a book. I dedicate it to you all!!! Kat

Morning all-- First, I want to thank all of you for understanding my need to get all that out. To talk to my family about my brother is hard, they have the same sorrows I do over it, and I hate making them even sadder---y'all are the BEST!!! I agree, it is very strange that just among us, 3 with very similar injuries---and here at least for now, he is so alone. Not that I would wish this on someone else just to have him company---that sounded bad! Luv2blab---WELCOME!!! You have found the best, most supportive bunch on this entire site here! You and I started at about the same place (except age---you will be so glad you did it younger!!!). I am 46, 5'9", and beginning weight was 289. Within the next few weeks...months...soon I will hopefully drop below 200. I have been banded almost 9 months. I like Beannie said, made it through the original hunger issues, just like you do with any type of diet, which like you pointed out, you have done!! Then once the fill process began, I have never felt hungry again. It is such an empowering thing!! You can choose what to eat instead of being assaulted by the frantic "gotta have food, and gotta have it NOW!" feeling. It was not a decision I made lightly to be banded, but I am oh so glad I did it, I cannot tell you!!! We will be here, and we will try to help you through the bandster hell of having an empty band. But when the weight starts dropping, you find within yourself a drive to keep it up...you CAN do this!!! I mean, I know we are ALL remarkable women, amazing in every way----but hey if we can all do it---so can you!! I am going to lunch with a friend today who wants to have the surgery but finances are in her way---sometimes she wants to brainstorm it, others, she doesn't. So will let her set the tone. I am going to shower while the little one sleeps, will get back to do my personals while my hair (what there is left.... dries. Kat

You sure is!!! Look at those eyelashes on you girls too----not fair, not fair at all!!! You look like you had a great time, I hope you did, even if I AM jealous!!! Love it---get any more pics? Kat

Hey everyone!!! Keeping up with my workouts despite having finished the challenge. Scale is still refusing to move. So I am ignoring it for minimally a week...I'll show it who is boss!!!! Don't have a lot of time, today is my brothers birthday, and we are having dinner here at the house. So I should be busy!!! I also need to get some wood in, by the time DH gets home it is dark, and that is no fun. My brother turns 44 today. When he was 18 he was in a car accident, that left him with fairly severe mental and physical handicaps. He lives alone, and supplements his SS by working odd jobs, for several people, he is such a perfectionist, he is in quite the demand! He however has the reactionary level of about a 13 year old. Everything is cool, his entire home ( a 2 bedroom mobile home he bought himself), is decorated like a teenagers room. Now those of you with older kids, think back to exactly how argumentative and stubborn 13 year olds can be, and there you have him. He is a loner, partly by choice, and partly because of the mental capacities. He relates to other kids, he tends to irritate and anger adults, same as a teenager does! Mostly by arguing and questioning every word they say!! But he IS afterall 44, so it is inappropriate for him to hang out with kids, and then they grow up, leaving him behind. We live in a small town, and many know what happen. He is active in the church, he keeps the grounds tended at the church, to the point of hand picking up cigarette butts out of the curbs on the street. No one thought he would live through the accident, let alone this long. I do this every year I guess, marvel at what he has gone through! He was a passenger in a head on crash, and crushed his entire face, every bone turned to mush, and fractured his skull, sending bone fragments into his brain. He also shattered his hip socket, causing the thigh bone to slam into the pelvis, breaking it, and severing the sciatic nerve in his leg. So he has no feeling in the leg. The Dr.'s left him improperly tractioned for too long and the tendons in the back of his leg shrunk, andhis foot dropped, so his leg is in a sitting position all the time, he cannot straighten it. He has a boot built up to allow him to walk in a more normal way. He lost one eye, and all of his teeth on one side. Not to mention the multitudes of stitches, and small bone breaks...he was a mess. The car they were in was an old '69 Cougar, and had a wooden inlay on the chrome steering wheel, and the wood shattered, ripping through his throat, cutting his throat in 2 places, just like someone took a knife to it! And he lost the windpipe between the 2 rips. He was in the hospital for over 5 months, in a coma for 19 days. No real reason to drag you all down with this, sometimes like today as I gripe about having to cook and clean and get ready for this---I have to remind myself....my life could be SOOOOOO much worse. I can walk, and see, and most of all, I have my facilities that allow me to visit and share, and support, and recieve all the same from you guys. If I could give him one thing back, he would have to limp through the rest of his life with one eye, but he would find life with friends so much fuller. My DH, is such a great guy, he puts up with him, moody, and all, he bought a motorcylce so he could ride with him, he found him a truck and fixed it all up for him to do his yard work out of. And I know my brother appreciates him as much as he does anything, but...I do wish he knew how wonderful having friends, be they in person, or on line can be. Thanks for being there for me! ((((hugs to all))) Kat

Hey everyone!!! Don't have a lot of time, today is my brothers birthday, and we are having dinner here at the house. So I should be busy!!! I also need to get some wood in, by the time DH gets home it is dark, and that is no fun. My brother turns 44 today. When he was 18 he was in a car accident, that left him with fairly severe mental and physical handicaps. He lives alone, and supplements his SS by working odd jobs, for several people, he is such a perfectionist, he is in quite the demand! He however has the reactionary level of about a 13 year old. Everything is cool, his entire home ( a 2 bedroom mobile home he bought himself), is decorated like a teenagers room. Now those of you with older kids, think back to exactly how argumentative and stubborn 13 year olds can be, and there you have him. He is a loner, partly by choice, and partly because of the mental capacities. He relates to other kids, he tends to irritate and anger adults, same as a teenager does! Mostly by arguing and questioning every word they say!! But he IS afterall 44, so it is inappropriate for him to hang out with kids, and then they grow up, leaving him behind. We live in a small town, and many know what happen. He is active in the church, he keeps the grounds tended at the church, to the point of hand picking up cigarette butts out of the curbs on the street. No one thought he would live through the accident, let alone this long. I do this every year I guess, marvel at what he has gone through! He was a passenger in a head on crash, and crushed his entire face, every bone turned to mush, and fractured his skull, sending bone fragments into his brain. He also shattered his hip socket, causing the thigh bone to slam into the pelvis, breaking it, and severing the sciatic nerve in his leg. So he has no feeling in the leg. The Dr.'s left him improperly tractioned for too long and the tendons in the back of his leg shrunk, andhis foot dropped, so his leg is in a sitting position all the time, he cannot straighten it. He has a boot built up to allow him to walk in a more normal way. He lost one eye, and all of his teeth on one side. Not to mention the multitudes of stitches, and small bone breaks...he was a mess. The car they were in was an old '69 Cougar, and had a wooden inlay on the chrome steering wheel, and the wood shattered, ripping through his throat, cutting his throat in 2 places, just like someone took a knife to it! And he lost the windpipe between the 2 rips. He was in the hospital for over 5 months, in a coma for 19 days. No real reason to drag you all down with this, sometimes like today as I gripe about having to cook and clean and get ready for this---I have to remind myself....my life could be SOOOOOO much worse. I can walk, and see, and most of all, I have my facilities that allow me to visit and share, and support, and recieve all the same from you guys. If I could give him one thing back, he would have to limp through the rest of his life with one eye, but he would find life with friends so much fuller. My DH, is such a great guy, he puts up with him, moody, and all, he bought a motorcylce so he could ride with him, he found him a truck and fixed it all up for him to do his yard work out of. And I know my brother appreciates him as much as he does anything, but...I do wish he knew how wonderful having friends, be they in person, or on line can be. Thanks for being there for me! Kat

A friends son did a similar thing, only he was messing around with firecrackers, and old blasting caps a friend found in his grandfathers garage (from working on a railroad over 40 years ago!). It was highly unstable, and it went off and burnt Chance pretty badly. He too like Pinkylee's Mom, lost eyebrows, eyelashes---he had to have skin grafts, and worst of all, he was blinded, in both eyes for about 2 months, then they finally managed to get the retina repaired in one eye, but the other not only remains blind, it changed from brown to blue!!! He had skin grafts on his hand...he was in bad shape. But today, he has lashes, and brows, and only minor scarring on his face. He wore a pressure mask for several months, and it made a huge difference! A friend of my oldest DD, was cooking (frying) chicken when her 2 year old, come running by with a plastic bag from Walmart, playing like it was a parachute, and the handle caught the frying pan handle and dumped the hot grease on her, melting the plastic into her. She had 3 different grafts, and also wore the pressure bandages. Now other than an area on her head that will grow no hair, you would not know it had happen! So do not give up hope. He needs your support, and will rely on your confidence. Boys that age will be mostly concerned over their looks, and it will likely look worse before it begins looking better. BUT it can and likely WILL get much better. It was a lesson hard learned. I will say a prayer for your brother---and for you. Hang in there.... (((hugs))) Kat

I DID IT!!! Challenge met---and days left over, I can actually be an overachiever this month!! Although, I may not exercise for a few days---I fell on the ice today. Such a thin layer, looked like it was just wet, and down I went. New neighbors moving in---I made a wonderful first impression! We finished my in-laws wood today--and had an absolutely great day prior to my dive on the ice! Rick (DH) was kinda goofing around on the 4 wheeler (ATV) after we finished, and somehow my son and I come up with the plan of an innertube and a rope---so we spent the next 2 hours pulling each other around the pasture. The granddaughter laughed til she gave herself the hiccups! We were very safe, we went slow, we were in a field, so there were no vehicles, it was a blast. I cannot remember when we had such fun as a family--all of us ended up there, from my in-laws, to my grandkids. Fun day. I pulled a sled around with kids, until my legs felt rubbery from trudging through the snow! I know if this had happen last year, I would have been on the side lines with my inlaws, video taping, and watching, I would not have been participating. I cannot tell you how thankful I am to have my life back. Had a major scare yesterday. I didn't originally say anything, because Rick was here, and he was not happy about it---didn't want him glancing at my screen and me yacking about it! Poor guy. We woke up to snow...again. Not that the last was gone, this is just a fresh layer. But we decided to go to town to have breakfast anyway. So we took the SUV, and we went, it was so pretty, white, quiet....pristine. We got to the little diner without issue. We were sitting there eating, and Rick reached across the booth and grabbed me, and made a motion that he was choking! I freaked out! We jumped out of the booth, and I tried to grab him to Heimlich (sp?) him, and he pulled away, I thought he was going down, and I hollered at a family at the next table to please help me! (One table ignored us--thought we were fighting!) He finally got into a corner and let me grab him, and I squeezed him once and nothing, and I got a better hold, and squeezed him a second time, and for a fraction of a second nothing happen again, and about the time I started to squeeze the 3rd time, it popped loose, and he choked, and coughed, even vomited a little. 2 men from nearby tables were right there, ready to grab him if I let go. But I was so scared to squeeze him, with his chest having just healed up again. It didn't affect it at all. He was embarrassed...it was a small place, and he was the main attraction! Well to everyone except employees, none of them even mentioned it! One of the men followed him into the men's room to check on him and make sure he was ok. Even told him about when it happen to him. Then the man brought paper towels out and cleaned up the little mess Rick made, while he was in there trying to settle his stomach. Such a nice man. We bought his families meal when we left. Rick has been having problems with esophageal spasms, ever since he had the GI bleed, and they left the balloon in his esophagus for all those days. They said if he continued to have problems they would prescribe something to help with motility of the esophagus---I think we are going to have to try that. This was too scary. We went on and had a wonderful day---but the thought is still there, that what if he has one of the spasms while he is alone. He sometimes has a snack bar in the truck on his way to work--too many times he may be alone--so this is something we have to get fixed, if they can. My scale is just stuck, not moving...period. I have dropped a couple of inches, but no weight! I don't know if it is muscle conversion, with the weight lifting, or maybe fluid retention due to it. I am not eating badly, or too much...I do not gain, I just sit at the same number! Now DH's weight is up and down and normal---one day he outweighs me, the next he is under me by several pounds! It is just stuck for me! But as long as it is not going up, I am not going to panic!!! I also think the hair loss, may possibly be slowing down just a bit. One can only hope!!! Thanks for being there everyone!!! Kat

Well we finished cutting and stacking my inlaws wood today, it is supposed to snow more tonight, in fact the 4 corners is supposed to get hit pretty hard. Fun fun fun!!! When we finished the wood today, Rick was kinda playing in the snow with the 4 wheeler (ATV). One comment led to another, and soon we had an innertube, and he was pulling us around behind him. Now we are not stupid, we were on private property, actually in a pasture! We did not go fast, just cruised around---it was so much fun! I held the grandbabies, and I am telling you the 2 yr. old was laughing so hard, she kept giving herself the hiccups! Then she proceeded to throw a full blown fit when we made her go in because she was getting red cheeked from the cold. We all quit, but she did not want to! We laughed ourselves silly! It was nice to have FUN...sometimes it feels like I am just getting old to doggone fast! Then we come home, and where the new snow had melted off the roof, it had splattered up on the edge of the porch---unknown to us---until I stepped up and busted my butt!!! I actually tried to keep from falling, and ended up hitting my knee--I am hoping it is ok. My knees have always been my downfall. No pun intended!!! Well ok maybe I DID intend it--- I am trying for humor to dull the pain! Mandy--hope the foot is healing well, and that you are not hurting too much. Sorry about your friend, and the family is on the prayer chain at Aztec First United Methodist Church, as well as in mine. Patty--hang in there, it won't hurt the boys to help with dishes--it didn't kill us as kids!! Hope you hear good news, that makes you want to fly off to Disneyland and celebrate!!! Isn't Sherry just a sweetie, always there to help. Darcy--I need to change my signature, to show my exercise/walking. I don't think the scale is ever going to move again, but.....inches are changing so I refuse to be discouraged!! Cindy--enjoy your time with the DD today! Cassie--glad your scale is moving---wanna trade scales???? Mary--can I borrow your sister? Maybe she could deliver Cassies scale!!! What a sweetie, I am so glad you have her! Betty--I too have ended up with bags left at Walmart, it ticked me off to no end!!! I had to drive all the way back, and like you re-shop. Some cashiers help you load bags, others just let them stack up---not very well organized around here, I have got to where I spin the bag rack and check it. Sherry---tree is down?!!! Woo hoo!!! Dianne-- I Hope MIL is improving. Will keep your family in my prayers. Eileen--missing your posts--danged ol' boss!!! Beannie---did I miss you? I can't scroll back---so did you decide whether to buy the elliptical? We started to put this one together, and decided to wait until we can assemble it in the room, there is a sharp turn in, so would be simpler to just do it in the room. But I am waiting for the DD to pick up a desk, and some of her things she left behind...will likely not happen until Wednesday. Hope we use it enough to justify it. Maybe it can help me add to my hours/miles for "Darcy's good idea"!! Anne--getting ready to go to work? How are the kids taking it? After your special letter at Christmas, I feel like I know them! Well, I am going to go get some Tylenol---my knee hurts, and I really want to go to Curves in the morning.... If I missed you, it was not intentional---I'll get ya next time--just keep in mind who you are dealing with!!! Take care all!!! Kat

Hi all! Well the computer seems to be behaving for the time being. Hope it stays that way. I am so computer illiterate, I am lost, so rely on tech support---and I ended up doing just what Betty did--asking for someone to speak English clearly enough for me to understand. I told the guy on the phone, that I meant no offense, but that I was already struggling to follow the directions, since I am not computer literate, but to add the language problems, it was just too much for me. so they gave me to a guy who spoke much better---and I am up--still have some questions, he didn't answer, but not looking a gift horse in the mouth just yet! We woke up to snow, and it is still snowing---several more inches to add to the stockpile! We braved it and drove to breakfast...we enjoyed the quiet white of it. We got to breakfast, got our food, and were eating away, when Rick reached across the table and grabbed me, and motioned that he was choking, we both lurched out of the booth, and I tried to grab him to heimlich him, and he kept moving away---in the end it was that he was trying to move away from other tables---I was just panicked! I finally got him to stop. I had hollered at this table with several people, including 2 men, to please help me---but I got my arms around him, and I squeezed him 2 times, and it finally broke loose, just as I squeezed a 3rd time, and he started choking and coughing, he vomited a bit. Scared the absolute hell out of me! I was afraid of him choking, but I was also afraid of squeezing with his chest----I cannot tell you how shook up I was. The men jumped up to help me, and when Rick went into the bathroom to clean up, one of them followed him in to check on him. I know I overreacted, but like I told him, the "losing him" thought has not left yet---it was scary! We went from there to buy me a new toy---I bought an elliptical trainer---not a super fancy one---but one we can use, and hopefully get some good out of. I had no intentions of buying one (unlike Beannie!!!) we went in to look at a new weight bench, and Rick climbed on the elliptical---and next thing I know---we are buying one! Now I have no choice but to finish cleaning out the bedroom, and getting it ready. I would much rather play on here, chatting with you guys! I hit Curves yesterday--and Thursday we hauled 2 cords of wood for my inlaws ( I swear they burn 3 X what we do!!!). We spent the day hauling it in in log form, from 3 to 8 feet in length, then sawed it up, and split it, then stacked it. I was so sore-----I have no idea how it counts for our walk---but I worked my butt off!!! Then last night we took the kids (not the babies) to a Monster Truck/freestyle Motorcycle show. The guys were interested in the motorcycle part of it. It was noisy, but a lot of fun, watching the guys---they all turned back into little boys!! It was held at a local arena, out by a local casino. We decided to go into the casino and hang for a little while so the traffic would clear up. We ended up winning $160.00. Which was a good return on our $5.00 bill we put in!!! Ok well we are off to go put this damn exercise machine together! Wish me luck! (((hugs))) Kat

Hi all- sounds like you are doing great!!! I have been having computer problems---makes me nutso! And now DH is off, and we have been on the go. I have made my daily exercise--between Curves, and hauling wood, and cutting it (in the snow no less). My in laws, let themselves get low on wood---I had no idea they burned so much wood, they have been through 2-3 times what we have!!! So it was a necessity. We thought we were through for the year. Oh well--was good exercise. Also spent 40 minutes this morning on the elipitcal---was planning another 5 minutes, but the youngest DD showed up, so I quit early. I will get my signature updated. Glad everyone is doing so great....a normal among us!!! and 100 pounds---wow, I am so impressed by y'all!!! Keep it up--- Kat

Hi everyone---will try to catch up later--I am having computer problems---eerrgghhh -----I HATE that! No email--and tech support sucked, I could not understand her---not meaning any offense, but she did not sound like she was speaking English, so I gave up, will try again later, she messed with my MSN connection, so it is all trashed. I managed myself to get it back on line, but nothing in my email. So anyway.....I did my Curves today, and I walked as well. This weekend DH and I are going to convert one of the extra bedrooms into a mini gym---put our weights, and treadmill in there, so they are not in my LR!! Will be back when I can---everyone try to stay warm---it is supposed to make it out of freezing tomorrow, then another storm is due Friday!!! Kat

Welcome everyone!!! You will find this site to be invaluable as you proceed through all the necessary obstacles to finally be banded!!! It is full of kind, knowledgable people, willing to answer any questions you may have. I cannot say enough good things about my band---it has been a true blessing! Please stick around, read through some threads, and feel free to ask anything! Once again, welcome to LBT! Kat

Hang in there 2boys---there are some serious Disney Addicts on this forum---they can answer your question!!! I know a couple of friends from here, that go with regularity, and are both getting close to goal, and have had no adverse reactions from going. As for your port pier, I would discourage direct bouncing on it, let it be sure it is healed good and strong in there. But also as you lose weight, and it is closer to the surface, your kiddos will be growing up, and less likely to be bouncing on you----sad as it is! As for your direct question about rides--if you don't get much response--try reposting it with "rides" or "disneyland" in the title. A lot of people will see silly question and think someone is wondering about PB's again!!!! And while they need to know, some bypass those questions! Have fun in Disney, and enjoy those little ones while they are little!!! They grow fast! Kat

Let's see---looking for the silver lining---as we too are snowed/iced in, in New Mexico. OK, just think of what a great start all the moisture is going to give the ground come Spring---it should pop up green and beautiful! And---it is time for work, and you are logged into LBT!!! And the #1 thing I can think to say right now Stephanee---is that we are not having to watch poor Carlene's dead birdsicle!!! Sorry Carlene--not laughing at you, hopefully just with you. I mean I know birds die, and I guess they just fall where they fall---but I never thought about it!!! We are sitting at a big 8 degrees right now, and are not supposed to go above freezing again today. But tomorrow we will---and then another storm is due on Friday---aarrgghh C'mon summer!!! Enjoy your kids, drink lots of warm broth if it is something you are allowed. Just keep busy, it will help keep your mind off of it! Good luck on the upcoming surgery---you will be so glad you did it! Kat

Made it to Curves late this afternoon, lifted weights with DH and did a mile and a half on the treadmill tonight---and I am done, calling it a night--check in with y'all tomorrow! Kat

Made it to Curves this afternoon, lifted weights with DH tonight and walked a mile and a half on the treadmill---and I am calling it a night! Will check in with y'all tomorrow!!! Kat

I have been told (and learned to believe) that it is not a question of IF you will hit a plateau, it is WHEN you will hit it. I have bounced the same 5 pounds since Thanksgiving---I will lose 3 regain 2, lose 1 gain 2---it is constantly fluctuating. I have tried lowering the calories I take in, even raising them (which usually works the best for me, even now), and have increased my exercise...all to no avail. I have good restriction, I will admit my eating habits have fallen---and I am eating some of the wrong foods---so I DO have room for improvement!!! Many times it takes 2 or more fills to reach a good restriction, so where you are is not uncommon. Have you begun any exercise program? I slacked off on mine through the holidays, and that's when I slowed my weight loss down---I am back to picking it up again---and hopefully it will help. I do notice my body changing even though the weight isn't. I lose inches, even when my weight in numbers does not change, it is like it rests, and settles, then gets started again!!! Hang in there---we will get started again, it is just a pause! Kat

Hi, Welcome to LBT--we are glad to have you here, and your experiences will help us all! My Sister in Law (SIL) had the pretty much the same thing happen-she actually had a minor slippage, and was unfilled, until it seemed to right itself, and she began the refill process. She has had 2 fills, and got fair restriction from the 2nd one, but says as soon as Spring hits she is going for another. We live like 5 hours away from our fill Dr. and there are several Colorado mountain passes between them and us! So we are sitting still until the snow stops flying. She too gained about 20 pounds while she was unfilled, but is begining to lose it again---that is the great thing about the band, now that it is filling up again, she is right back on track, just as I am sure you will be. Was it something not band friendly that stuck or just because you had been sick? I would be interested to know! Had you lost pretty well prior to the illness? I look forward to chatting with you---and learning from you! Welcome! Kat

I am so sorry Dianne--it must be hard on both FIL and your DH---which in turn makes it extremely hard on you---I will pray for a resolution. Please don't forget to take care of yourself. Aren't you glad you are doing all this weighing so much less?! My energy level was nothing in comparison! Hang in there Hon, we are all thinking of you. Anne-good to see you!! I must not have been clear---he will start my car if I am leaving, but most of the time it is his own he is out starting, I stay home!!! We had a '96 Explorer as well as the one he is driving now. In fact we bought the '96 new, and it has 177,000 miles on it now, or it did when we gave it to our son. He seldom drives it now, has a full use company truck---but he needed it at the time! I used to hate that car--it is bright, bright blue---but it grew on me! Mary--my best friends husband has terrible problems with hemmerhoids, he has had surgery for them, but he just develops new ones. They now have him crushing and applying nitro glycerin tablets!! Like you use for heart problems. Something about them dilating blood vessels. It is not a first resort obviously, but she says it is working for him. So hopefully they can give your hiney some relief. People laugh, but that has to hurt! Sometimes it is fun being a pain in the butt---but not fun having one!!! Kat

Sounds like everyone is doing great! As I told you on another thread Eva--it is great having you back--hang in there, they banded our tummies, not our entire emotional states!!! We think that by losing weight everything else will fall into place, and it doesn't always work that way. We will be here and help in any way we can--or at least commiserate! Julie--sounds like a good size. I just wondered, I mean I have seen them take large houses and turn them into 2-4 apartments, and then I have seen the HUGE complexes---was just trying to picture what you were moving to! Dawn--where are you going on vacation? How exciting!! We are talking about a couple of quick trips at this point, but have nothing big planned. We have a family reunion in Washington state the end of July. And are thinking of a trip to CA late spring sometime---just depends on work schedules and all. Betty--glad you are enjoying the snow--ours is still about 8 inches in the yard, but it is solid ice now, nothing soft & fluffy about it. We finally made it into the double digit temperature wise just before noon. It sounds mild compared to Dawn---but I am in New Mexico for goodness sake---this is cold for us! I know what you mean about the goal---I need to drop another 3-4 pounds to lose the obese label, and drop into being overweight (who would have ever thought we would be cheering to be overweight!!!). Then another few pounds from there, and Onederland for me. BUT I am banging my head against the wall, and the scale seems glued to 208.5!!! It is pathetic! I am noticing my new bras, the band seems loose already, and a couple of my jeans, the 16's had to be retired, I could take them on and off, without unbuttoning or unzipping!!! So I guess things are just settling, even though there is no weight reduction. I will take what I can get. I know our moving more, and my new eating lifestyle is healthier, so it is alright, the rest will come. I am just impatient! Susan---let us know how the back is---hope you are feeling much better! Roberta--glad you are breathing a bit easier, hope the damp doesn't set you back. Asthma is so unpredictable. Did you have it as a child? Well my dear sweet DGD, just grabbed my book off of the end table and lost my place----little darling that she is!!! Guess that means she wants my attention, surely she doesn't really want my book!!! TTYL Kat

I was just thinking about this thread the other day and wondering what they did---did it get reported, find a new Dr., go on with the old needle----time to read up!!! Kat