Lucky2behome

I attached a couple of pics & they came out life size! Can anyone help me learn how to import in a small size? Thanks, Lucky

Body Art!

This is tooo funny…<o:p></o:p> I LOVE my skin care products! (Dermalogica!) I really think using those products on my sutures have helped them heel very quickly and comfortably! While inspecting them, I thought about how I have always loved doing dot to dots! A lot of people talk about their scars being like a dot to dot! So I drew the scars from my gall bladder surgery in November and my new (3 week old) lap band scars on a piece of paper I tried two different directions and came up with this! Cool, huh?!? I don't know how to get my picture in an http:// format so have added it as an attachment?!? <o:p></o:p>

I am seriously committed, and very mindful of my responsibility to my body. I owe it a lot for putting it through all of this! Not just from the trauma of the last month, but for the last 20 years of it having to cope with lugging around an EXTRA 150 LBS it was not designed for! I owe this old bag of bones a huge (huge being the operative word, here!) debt<st1></st1>!!! I am going to need to be sincerely repentant to expect that we can have a long, healthy relationship for many years to come!!! Maybe it's a little like dealing with a cheating spouse... (Stay with me here!) My body and I need each other, but we have a lot of bridges to mend! I have done an awful lot of thoughtless, hurtful things to my body over the last 5 decades, (and I'm not just talking about the 60's! LOL). I owe it an apology, a long term sincere apology, (like at LEAST 20years), worth! It isn't easy giving up instant gratification, and selfish indulgences, but I owe it to me! So I try everyday. In as many ways as I can think of, I try to be kind to my body. (But I am still, occasionally convinced that what it really needs is just a littlebit of something sweet!!!!) LOL<o></o> This kind of mind set helps me go to the gym, when I would rather play on the computer, and take an extra 2 minutes to fix up some good food instead of grabbing the quick and easy snack. Sometimes I slack, but, it's like going some place with my husband when I would rather stay home, (or visa versa!) I usually try making the accommodation to show respect for our relationship. (For the record, it was just ananalogy...neither my husband, or I have ever cheated on each other!!!) But I have cheated my body out of a lot! Can I hear an AMEN?!?! :omg: Love, Peggy Lee

Hello to all! I'm with the Band! (Cute, huh?!?) :bandit (Get it?..."Bandit" similes?!?) Ok, obviously, I am a witty wannabe. (Some would say dim witty!) I am a 52 year old dead beat Mom, (and wife!) We have one perfect daughter who is a senior at an excellent Christian University in Southern CA. She is majoring in Computer Science (because it is so easy!) And has just completed a summer session, taking 8 credits so she can get her minor in Math! She is beautiful, kind, and has strong moral values, and ideals. My husband is also brilliant. At work he is a senior project engineer for a huge security company. For the past 10 years he has been researching and developing every kind of security device (from personal to industrial) this company can imagine. At home he spoils our daughter and me rotten! (Actually I’m the only rotten one!) LOL. He is a great cook. This has been part of my developing weight problem throughout our 26 year marriage and 30 year relationship! (Not his fault, mind you, just part of my problem.) He has done virtually all of the shopping and most of the cooking during that time. The most common thing he says to me (besides “I love you”) is, “What sounds good to you for dinner?” (or Breakfast, or lunch). He has always been skinny, but he has developed a little belly within the last 5 years or so. I am an unemployed (over a year, now) sales, customer service, computer trainer. I have dreams of being a writer, but I haven’t had the discipline or courage to make it happen yet. I have done more writing, posting about Lapband surgery, (which I started in February) then I have in several years, when I began a biography. (I’m planning one for each personality, [or age group].) My friends would say, (few and far between as they may be!) that I am crazy, fun, intense, and up until now, morbidly obese. I'll keep you posted as my journey progresses! Love, Lucky

This is a test to see if I can make the weight loss sticker work. Do I need to cut & paste it in each time I post? Which one do I use? Can it be a part of my signature? Thanks for your help. <a href="http://www.choosing2lose.com/"> <img border="0" src="http://www.weightlosstickers.com/Tickers/44978ad58998c/weightloss.png"></a> <a href="http://www.choosing2lose.com/"> <img border="0" src="http://www.weightlosstickers.com/Tickers/44978ad58998c/weightloss.png"></a>

Thank you for responding. How do I get one of the cool line graphics to show how much I have lost? Lucky :bandit

My journey began when intense abdominal pains lead me to gallbladder surgery last November. My surgeon who is brilliant, kind, and caring, said that even though I don’t have many of the serious medical consequences of most obese people, my sleep apnea, arthritic knee & ankle pain, and now gallbladder surgery all indicated that my excess 130lbs was taking its toll. He referred me to our local Scripps weight management center. I had been there 3 years earlier and was very put off by the arrogant Dr. there who prescribed appetite suppressants and told me to get off my ample sedentary rear end.<o></o> <o> </o>But I took my wise surgeons advice and made an appointment in February, asking for anyone but Dr. pompous! I was dead set against by-pass surgery because my best friend had done it a decade before. She told me that she quickly found out she could only eat a small amount of “real food” before she threw up, but she could have a tiny bit of sweets, and feel full! She quickly lost close to a hundred pounds, and was skinny for the first time in her life! (We have been friends since we were 15 years old!) She had her tummy tucked, boobs lifted, and arm wobble removed, then began to gain it back! It was heart breaking!<o></o> <o></o> The wonderful Dr. I got an appointment with asked me if I knew about the Lapband. He also prescribed appetite suppressants and asked me to read a booklet comparing the various bariatric procedures available. This information convinced me I was right about bypass surgery. My conclusion is that it is nothing less than barbaric! I am empathetic with those who have made that choice, but I decided the Lapband was the most respectful thing I could do for my body. Since the surgery was almost identical to the laparoscopic gallbladder surgery I had recovered from so quickly, I agreed to do everything that I had to do to make it happen.<o> </o> I quickly and diligently followed the specific requirements Scripps laid out for me.<o></o> I attended:<o></o> 2 support group meetings An exercise education class<o></o> A pre-surgery orientation presentation by one of the two surgeons (not mine). A post surgery diet class (twice!) I had a private meeting with the clinical dietitian<o></o> I kept eating logs I chose to have my psychological evaluation done by my own Dr. who is treating me for what he believes is Bi-polar Disease (Manic-Depression). In the past (since I was 15 years old) I have also been diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), OCD (Obsessive, Compulsive Disorder), PTSS (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome), PPD (Post Partum Depression), and everyday old depression. My own PCP (primary care physician) was very supportative and conducted all lab tests, EKG, wrote my insurance company a referral recommendation. Everybody at the clinic predicted that my Health Net insurance company would deny my approval, and it would take about 6 months for me to complete the requirements and the appeal process I completed all of the Scripps requirements in March. My <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Scripps Clinic Dr.</st1:address></st1:street> released me to my surgeon. I had lost 21lbs at that point. On April 13^th my surgeon agreed to submit my authorization to my insurance company, even though he wanted me to get in more cardio workouts. He also warned me that I would be denied, like the other dozen Health Net patients there, and it would take months for the appeals to go through. He told me to come back in a month with an exercise journal. The insurance specialist at my medical clinic was outraged that I had been told that I would be denied! The same day that she got my auth #, she personally took it upstairs to their medical review board, and called me back that afternoon, before she went home; to tell me I had been approved! By the time I met with my surgeon, the next month, I had my surgery date of 6-5-06! I went on a 5 day clear liquid fast. When I checked into the hospital, the morning of my surgery I had lost a total of 31lbs. Almost everything went like clockwork, and here I am almost 2 weeks post-op! Less than 4 months, from, “Do you know about the Lapband?’ to an old timer! Just one of the reasons I sign off: Love, Lucky