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Linda, thinking of you a praying for you and your brother.

Happy B-day to Glimmer! Linda, that is too cute about you holding Merry's bne for her. That is something I would do too. She has found a way around that missing leg - YOU!!!! Arlene, I am scheduled for May 19 for just a TT. My PS told me it would be easier on me to do the TT and girls separately. I am all over that! I will do the TT first as that is what really bothers me the most. I may or may not do the girls but I have time to think that over.

I am having a TT done next month. During the TT the belly button is cut around and detached from the skin and then the skin is pulled down. A new hole is made for the belly button and it it reconnected to the skin. Done this way there is no skin flab left above the belly button. Discuss this with your PS to be sure you are getting what you want.

Speaking of diabetes - I am officailly off all diabetes meds! When I started my weight loss program I was on three meds. During the weight loss phase I was taken off two meds. I have finally been able to stop the third.

Good Morning All, Sounds like the changes in the weather is causing a lot of flare-ups of arthritis and FM. I hope things settle down soon for those involved. Apples that is a shame about your FIL. I think you are right about this cutting his independence a bit. Most likely, he will give up driving. He will probably still be able to winter in AZ though; I’ll the ladies in the park he lives in would be more than happy to drive him around. Glad your BIL is there to oversee what is going on right now. Best of luck. Linda, Oh my gosh girl, you had a cooking marathon yesterday! It is a lot of work but it is so nice to have something in the freezer that you can just take out. I was so happy to read that you do not need surgery on your neck. I am sure you are relieved. Joyce, I am glad to see you posting now that you’re healed. Your Cayman trip will be wonderful. It is such a great place. Do you scuba or snorkel? When I visited there I went out with the local bird club. They took me to the bat caves. Awesome trip! We stopped at a local tavern after for beers. One of the best vacation memories. Eva, I agree about the food saver. It is one of the best kitchen appliances I have. My husband does a lot of hunting and fishing. There are years that he gets 3 deers – that is a lot of meat. Before the food saver we lost meat due to freezer burn. Since the food saver we no longer lose any. Jessica, happy new bike and happy cruising! Cheri, Glad you have a good time with the grandkids. With all you have going on you needed a break. Kiskis, a pound it right on track. Congrats on the new size and being called a skinny B!

Linda, have you gotten any information on your neck? Hope you find out what is going on soon. Thanks for the 17 day diet. Cheri, the news about your DD is awesome! I am glad for you and your family. Julie, I can feel it in your posts that you are feeling better. That is wonderful. Maybe it is time to put away some of the Julie that was caused by pain and bring on the new, feeling good Julie. Why don’t you plan your own date night with DH? After two years, it is long over due. Eva and Arlene, all of your talk of gardening is making me jealous. We can’t even think of planting a garden until Memorial Day. That is the official planting day around here. It does work out nice though as mother’s day falls a week or so before – I always ask for flowers for mother’s day. I am happy to report that I have lost 2 of the 6 vacation pounds! It won’t take long.

I have read the PS threads here on LBT but I have not really looked any where else. I picked up a couple of misconceptions from it. For instance, I had read that a 4-6 week recovery time is needed. My doc said no way unless I have the girls done at the same time. He recommends having the two procedures done separately as recovery is much easier that way. When having them both at once you loose some of your ability to get up because both your abs and pecks are involved. By doing them separately, mobility returns quicker. There are trade offs though, it is less expensive to have them both at once; one fee for operating room and one fee for anesthesiologist. I am going to have them done separately. I have read about pain pumps which you can take home but I don’t know much about that. Maybe that would be a solution for you. We will have to ask. I do have a recliner and plan to use it. Now, I just have to find a way to drug Charlie (just kidding), or at least make him understand that he cannot jump on me or lay in my lap for a few days after surgery. For anyone who doesn’t know, Charlie is my 90 pound lab. A sweetie for sure but definitely a bundle of energy. I am considering sending him to the doggie babysitter for a few days to be safe.

Yes, I will be getting muscle repair. The PS said it would pull in my waist and give me a little more shape rather that the box shape I have now. Also, he told me he found a small hernia which he will repair while he is in there. I wouldn't even consider doing this without pain meds. You must be very strong. The PS said I will need help the day of surgery and maybe the next day so your plan with DH sounds like a good one. That is the reason I chose to have it done on a Thurdsay. DH can take off Thurs and Fri and go back to work on Monday. My PS said I would need to stay home a week to 10 days. Did yours say anything about recovery? Yep, back on a healthy plan. It was fun while it lasted but I have made too much progress and have learned too much to let it get out of control. LOL, my food monster loves vacation. Don't we all?

Hi girls, I'm back from vacation and just in time too! I am up 5 pounds from the week. Yicks! Good thing it wasn't a two week trip. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted but back to healthy eating and exercise. I did exercise on vacation everyday, walking and Water aerobics, unfortunately it wasn't enough to counteract what I consumed. I am not too worried as I have done this before and believe it or not, actually plan for it. I let my food monster out only on vacation or a very special occasion like a wedding. Time to put him back in his cage. My eating is good today and I have TRX tonight which will burn some calories. Linda, would you please send my the diet that emailed to everyone? I could put it to good use. LOL Jodi, that ruling just does not make sense. I hope you pursue it. The photos were wonderful, both you and Dassi looked fabulous. It is time for your head to catch up to your body. Joyce, I am glad that you have your typing hand back. How is it going with the new doctor? Better I hope. Julie, A pain free day after what you have been through is a blessing. Enjoy it for the moment and let tomorrow take care of itself. Apples, I am getting a second opinion on my TT tomorrow. I have a date set with the first PS but figure it would be best to get a second opinion and price for comparison. Janet, your week with friend sounds wonderful. LOL Phyl and her phone. Too funny. I have to say, I do enjoy the photos she posts on FB.

missavery, As the girls have told you whether or not to get banded is a personal chioce. I chose not to and would like to share with you why. I decided I wanted to be banded and went to the orientation and initial doctors visit. It sounded perfect for me. I especially liked that it was adjustable and that, if needed, it could be removed and my stomach would return to normal. To me, it seemed like a much less drastic move than bypass. My insurance required a 3 month medically supervised diet. I have read posts on LBT about people going through the three months and not losing any weight because they were afraid that if they did their insurance would not approve their surgery. I can tell you, in my case that was not true. I was approved within a week of the office submitting my papers. During my three months I researched the band, the lifestyle changes that the band necessitates and went to my monthly meetings with the doctor, nutritionist and psychologist. I joined lapband talk. I tried to envision what being banded would feel like and tried eating 1-1.5 cups of food at meals (protein first with no drinking) and found that my hunger was satisfied. Now when I say my hunger was satisfied, I mean my stomach was satisfied, not my head. Of course I wanted more but I didn't allow it. You see, I had fully committed to this program and wasn't going to waste my three months I wanted to lose weight now! I figured that what ever I lost in those three months would only be frosting on the cake. I lost 40 lbs in those three months and was approved by my insurance for surgery. I even went through all of the preadmission testing. When I went to my final doctor's visit before surgery we discussed my success and I made the decision not to have the surgery. Before making that decision I asked about my insurance coverage should I decide to change my mind. The problem I saw was that I was now under a BMI of 35 and thought that would disqualify me. The doctor's insurance person came in to talk to me and explained that the approval was good for one year no matter what weight I was. I opted to cancel the surgery and take a wait and see attitude. I am happy to say that my one year has come and gone and I am still happy with my decision. It was the right one for me. In that years time I have fine tuned my eating and eat healthy most of the time. OK girls, I am being bad here in Mexico (the margaritas are the best) but I will return to my healthy eating the minute the plane lands in Chicago. I have made an additional lifestyle change; I now exercise. I am 54 years old and I had not exercised since high school so I was in bad shape. It is not an stretch to say I was very weak and even though I had lost weight I still could not do many of the things I wanted to do so I hired a trainer and got to work. I am now very strong and can tell you that my level of fitness has truly added to my life. I can walk my dog for hours, I can run a 5K , I can clean my house without huffing and puffing. Basically, life is good. I am not trying to influence your decision one way or the other. I am just trying to point out that different things work for different people and there is nothing wrong with exploring your options. What ever your decision, you are welcome here as we all suffer from the same food addiction problem. We will support you either way.

Awesome job Jessica! Sometimes we (and I mean myself included) don't give ourselves enough credit for our accomplishments. You should be proud. Cheri, thinking of you and your daughter. Hang in there girlfriend. Apples, oh my gosh! You are going to beat me to a flat stomach. LOL, good for you. I have my surgery scheduled for May 19. Arlene, what is an earth box? I must have missed something. I am on vacation in Cancun and I am having trouble falling to sleep so I quickly read through the posts to catch up a bit. I will be coming home next week. I am with friends while DH is home taking care of dad and my Charlie. I am such a lucky girl to have him. When the opportunity to go on this trip came up he told me to go, relax and enjoy myself. I am doing just that. We haven't done much in the line of touring but we have walked and have done Water aerobics each day at the pool. And of course we have done a lot ot gabbing.

LOL! Too funny, I thought you meant Tanker too.

Eva, The gem show sounds great, espiecially if it is held during winter. Any excuse to get away from Chicago winters is a good excuse. Thanks for the good wishes, I leave in the morning.

Good Morning Everyone, I had a really nice weekend with DH. My dad’s friend come to visit with him so DH and I were free to go out on Saturday. My sister met us at a German restaurant. We had a very nice time. Being able to go out with DH (without bringing dad) is such a treat these days. It is our time to reconnect with each other as a couple. I am meeting my trainer after work for one last “butt kicking” session before I go to Cancun. I leave in the morning for a week with friends. DH will be at home taking care of dad and Charlie. Speaking of Charlie – Apples, he is doing well. It is hard to believe that we have only had him since July. He had really come a long way from being the hyper, get into everything, nervous adoptee that he was. He has settled into our home well. Of course, he is still a lab so I don’t think the hyper part will ever go away. LOL. Sorry yours is being a poop head. Give him a few extra hugs and kisses. He is probably just readjusting to being home after his trip to AZ. Just like people, a change in their schedule is stressful – even if it is good stress. Hugs and kisses to Tanker and to you too.

After I had lost 50 pounds I started C25K. I tried for 4 months and I just couldn't do it. I am 54 and I can tell you that 30 years of being a couch potato had taken it's toll. I was just too out of shape. So, I hired a personal trainer and within 4 months she had me running a 5K. Ok, it was slow at 46 minutes but I jogged the whole way. My point is, if you are having too much touble doing the program don't give up! Maybe you are like me and you need to build up your fitness first. My trainer worked me on circuits where I ran laps mixed with weights. Obviously she knew what she was doing and I am grateful for her help.

I just flipped through 500 photos of the destruction in Japan. Heartbreaking. It is so wide spread, recovery is an incredible undertaking. It is hard to comprehend the magnitude.

Jessica, WTG on the 5K and the grades. You have really put it all together! Charlene, I haven't been doing too much running it is still to cold here. I run a mile or so inside at the gym as my warm up before exercising but I haven't done a 5K since November. I will pick it up again in April. My goal for this year is to finish an 8K jogging the whole way. My trainer says I am ready to take an 8K on. I have been doing TRX and kick boxing over the winter. It has been fun and a nice change of pace. Once the weather breaks I will take to the streets running. My trainer is going to be doing an outdoor boot camp beginning in May so I have already signed up for that. How fun that must have been getting the filler and botox. That must be a real pick me up. Cheri, best of luck with the party. I am sure everyone will have a good time. It sounds like you throw some great parties. I went for a manicure and pedicure this morning. What a treat! My daughter had given me a gift card last mother's day that I finally took out and used. I can usually do my nails pretty well but I can't even come close to getting my feet the way they do. I should really make a point of doing that more often. I guess I don't because I feel guilty about spending so much on myself when I am already spending quite a bit on having a trainer 2 times a week. I just need to get over the guilt and take better care of myself. I had a fun day. I went to the jewelry store to try to find something to spend my store credit on. I found a beautiful tacori amethyst, silver and rose gold necklace and earring set. I don't remember if I told you all about selling my old gold jewelry so if I am repeating myself please forgive me. The jewelry store is buying old gold and the price of gold is pretty high right now. I went through my jewelry box and collected all of the stuff I no longer wear (some of it went back to the 70's) and took it in. I was more than shocked when she told me I could either have 800 cash or 1600 in store credit. DUH, of course I took the store credit and it has been burning a hole in my pocket ever since. DH went with me to the store and we spent a lot of time looking before I decided on the set. It is beautiful. I can't wait to wear it. I had no idea that that old stuff I have pushed around for years was worth so much as scrap. Hummmm, maybe I should clean more often. Janet, I have to say that your outlook on eating is exactly what I have found works for me. I don't cut out carbs or fats. I find that too restrictive. I have learned in the past I can only follow a restrictive diet for about 6 months and then I can't do it any longer. What happens at that point is what we have all experienced I gain it back. What I follow is something my doctor told me she does. I eat half. I eat everything I normally eat but I take half of what I used to eat. For example, for dinner tonight (we went out to eat) I was served ½ duck, baked potato and spinach. I ate half of everything and took the other half home. This way I don't feel deprived. I had the duck, which is a huge treat for me but I didn't over do it. I even had 2 forkfuls of my DH's chocolate cake. Now, I don't eat that rich everyday but when we go out I like to indulge myself. I still follow the half rule at home. I will eat half of a chicken breast or half of a steak. I have either potato or rice most nights but I only take half of what I used to take. This system has worked well for me and I just thought I would share that. It may not work for everyone but everyone has to figure out for themselves what works for them.

Melissa, Good for you! Starting a dialog with DH is right where you need to be right now. Things will never change if we don't ask for it. Give him a couple of days and try to discus it again. Your glucose seems to be in tight control. Way to go! I expectred much worse because of the way you describe your eating. I saved your email address. Mine is frankc223@comcast.net. Since we are the only diabetics we won't junk up the board with talk of sugar levels. I hope to hear something about Julie soon. Arlene, getting those fills is so exciting. I hope you can post some pictures. I don't know if I mentioned it but my TT is scheduled for mid May. I am getting excited. If that goes well I may look into some face and neck work. Cheri, you described me to a T. The only thing with me is after I do for everyone, I get angry at myself and the situation. That progresses into guilt over the anger and then depression. I know the cycle well. Now.............if I could only break it.

Prayers and hugs Julie!!!

Melissa, I am glad you are not taking offence to our posts encouraging you to take better care of yourself. I was wondering about your diabetes (I am diabetic too). How often do you check your glucose? What are your results fasting and 2 hours after eating? What was your last A1C? It sounds like sometimes you are watching what you eat and sometimes not. Unfortunately for people like us, inconsistency can cause glucose highs (which can damage our organs) and lows which can cause us to bottom out (equally dangerous). This inconsistency makes dosing our meds very difficult. I would like to help if I can, so please don’t take my probing the wrong way. Since I have gotten my eating under control and started exercising I have been able to go from 3 diabetes meds to 1 and my glucose levels have become stable. For us it is about more than the weight, it is about protecting our feet, liver, kidneys and our sight. I would like to help you get things under control. Consistency is the key. First get consistent with your eating so your meds can work for you the way they should and then make small changes. All the while we have to monitor our glucose so we can, with our doctor, make appropriate changes in our meds. I love that you are going to talk to someone. You can talk to me too. If you want we can do it by PM or email.

Linda, I had symptoms similiar to yours but my pain level in my arm was off the charts. It was a nerve that was compressed between C6 & C7 vertabrate. They did a laminectomy (sp?) and I am doing great! If yours turns out to be the same we can talk further. Let me know what the doctor has to say.

Happy Birthday Arlene!!!:party: :party: :party: Apples, I am so glad you had that nice break in AZ so that you could let it go for a while. Now that you are back I know you wil deal with it and put it behind you. You are in my thoughts. Cheri, you are in my thoughts and prayers. You have a lot on your plate right now. Stay strong. Melissa, Janet is right. It is time to assert yourself and tell DH, in no uncertain terms, what you need. Tell him to keep the crap out of the house! My DH is a candy lover too; and I am diabetic. He keeps it in his truck so it doesn't tempt me. Take a stand. Let the people in your life know what you need.:seeya: Joyce, what is up with your elbow? Has your struggles with eating gotten any better?

Cheri, I am happy for you and wish you and your daughter continued health and success.

Meridith, I use turbo tax too. It worked well for me last week. Give it a couple of days, I bet they will have it fixed. If not why don't you try tax act. Either way it is much less expensive than using a tax service. Hugs on all of the family illnesses. I am thinking of you all. Kelly, I have the lapband cookbook. I agree with you that it uses many unusual spices and it is costly to add them to your cooking however, do yourself a favor and buy one or two new spices each week. The new flavors will amaze you and open your eyes up to a whole new way of cooking. The scallop recipe is to die for. One thing to think about is that when eating a 4 or 6 oz portion of something expensive like scallops or filet it is still less expensive than eating than what we use to eat in the quantity we use to eat. Treat yourself a bit, you will be glad you did. I don't get to eat as much as I did before so I make sure what I do eat satisfies me and is worth the calories, I have become a much more refined eater and am definately pickier about what I chose to spend my calories on. Just my thoughts, no worries if you don't agree.

Good Morning! I have been keeping up with reading everyone’s posts but haven’t posted myself lately. I have been rather busy but it has been a good busy. My Dad is pretty much back to taking care of himself. He still comes for dinner every night but that has been the arrangement since my Mom passed 8 years ago. The only thing he can’t do is drive and quite frankly, I think he should just give it up completely. Time will tell. My DH had his knee scoped on Thursday and he can’t drive for a week or so. Because DH was the main person driving Dad to PT, the doctor ordered home PT. Wow, what a relief! I know now that if Dad ever needs PT in the future that you just have to say the magic words – he lives alone and has no means of transportation. Live and learn. I am just putting it out there in case any of you run into a similar situation. We took my daughter, sister, niece and my nieces 18 month old to the Wilderness Water park in the WI Dells this past week. What fun!! Such a great place to take kids of every age, even my DH had a blast (of course he qualifies as a kid). They had a huge area that was 6 inches deep for the little ones with lots of cascading or spraying water. For the big kids there were water slides that took you, in what I describe as a hamster tube, outside and then brought you back in for the final splash. I went down one with DH in a raft built for two but I have to admit I am not much for rides. It was a great way to spend some time with family and have some fun. I have been exercising three times a week and I am feeling good. I meet with my trainer on Mondays, TRX class on Wednesday and I have kickboxing class on Saturday. This has been working well and is a nice variety. I have only been doing classes the last month or so and I am really enjoying them. Ha, who would have ever thought I, Ms. couch potato, would ever say that. In another month I will have to start thinking about running again. I have been doing just enough of that indoors to keep me strong but let’s face it, winter in Chicago is not good for outdoor running; I really prefer to run outside. Cheri, hugs on your situation. I have been thinking about you. Do enough for you to stay strong. It is hard to take care of yourself when others are hurting but you must be sure to save enough time for yourself. Charlene, it sounds like your mom is doing well and that you are too. I am so glad. Thanks for asking about me. Everything is fine, I have just been enjoying life lately and haven’t posted. Apples, it sound like you had a wonderful time in AZ. I am glad you and DH were able to find a place to call your home when the winters in MN get to be too much. Your FIL sounds like such a sweetie. I know it must be hard to leave him but the women in his RV park will look out for him. I wish my Dad were more social and would consider going to senior or assisted living. I think it would be so much better for him to be around people. Safe driving on the way home. Janet, you are on top of things like always. I enjoy reading your posts. You can cut through the crap and get to the hearth of things like no one else. Good job on the shopping. I wish it was easier to post pictures here so we could see you in your new stuff. Linda, I enjoyed Merry’s pictures on FB. She is a joy. What can I say about your SD situation except hugs. I have a SD too and completely understand what you had to say about having to step back at times because we are not their moms. It’s funny, my husband has always said I should treat her as my own but there have been times that I realized that while he said the words, his actions told me to back off. I have a great relationship with my SD, she is now an awesome 24 year old woman but I know what you mean. It is a fine line we walk sometimes. OK, gotta go, Charlie, my Labrador is trying to push his way in to my keyboard area. That tells me he needs some attention.