Lap_dancer

Found her. Now catch the putz who did this.

Love it!!!!!! Thanks for a right jolly ol' laugh.

Find my BOO! He's in there. He loves my tree. Wishing you all the very best in 2008.

Protein, protein protein! I can suggest Gold's Power Bars that you can purchase at Walgreens. About 200 calorie and 23 grams of protein. I typically have one at Breakfast or between a meal. They are soft and go down great in the morning with coffee. If you have superb restriction have half for breakfast and the other half an hour later. Your hair should come back once you replace what your body was missing.

The 13th Mal. I saw Michelle's post. and this is for you: Today's thought from Hazelden is:Even though I can't solve your problems, I will be there as your sounding board whenever you need me.--Sandra K. LambersonThe prize we each have been given is our ability to offer full and interested attention to people seeking our counsel. And seldom does a day pass that we aren't given the opportunity to listen, to nurture, to offer hope where it's been dashed.We are not separate, one from another. Interdependence is our blessing; however, we fail to recognize it at our crucial crossroads. Alone we ponder. Around us, others, too, are often suffering in silence. These Steps that guide our lives push us to break the silence. The secrets we keep, keep us from the health we deserve.Our emotional well-being is enhanced each time we share ourselves - our stories or our attentive ears. We need to be a part of someone else's pain and growth in order to make use of the pain that we have grown beyond. Pain has its purpose in our lives. And in the lives of our friends, too. It's our connection to one another, the bridge that closes the gap.We dread our pain. We hate the suffering our friends must withstand. But each of us gains when we accept these challenges as our invitations for growth and closeness to others.Secrets keep us sick. I will listen and share and be well. ................................................................................. and HAPPY HANNUKAH ............................................................................... I'm going to be posting a new photo shortly. Can't wait to show you all my progression.

well he may have done BOTH. The colonoscopy goes up that shoot and the UPPER ENDOSCOPY which is what I think you are referring to. I'd probably go to my doctor and check for a fill, it's possible the timing coincides with this test.

Hello Friends! Hugs to you all. I have to jump in the shower in a sec it is 2:30 your time in Colorado...smiles...but I'm on eastern time and up for work. Reading all your posts sending out encouragement and good thoughts to all of you for this journey, and for the support you extend to eachother. Natalee at the OR, how cool is that! She is one of those individuals that you could sit and have coffee with and open up yourself to, talking for hours. Definately someone I would love to have there. Michelle good luck on the visit. Hope you get the adjustment that puts you in the zone. I loved that article. Swelling. I too get pitting edema and take Lasix. I replenish with loads of water each day all day. Salt is something that hides in foods we least suspect but my body will show it the next day. I've seen the Big Medicine show and the edema that occurs. I think that I was not too far away from being incapacitated like that. My heart goes out to those who struggle with that food noose. I am grateful beyond words each day for this band. I had a sweet tooth. Here's the difference between then and now. I could have taken out four donuts and a large double double THEN, now it's a small coffee with milk and an order of donut holes. Big Ed, my dog, loves donut holes. I get three or four, Ed gets the rest. If you haven't read the article I posted above on restriction, read it. Being at the best place in restriction makes such a difference. All of you have a grand day! ...and I'm still going to be a grandma, daughter went to the doctor yesterday and had it confirmed. Next is the OBGYN on Thursday. Woo Hoo..here we go.

Thanks everyone!!!!!!!!!!!! YES, this is my first grandbaby that looks to make it's arrival sometime in late summer. ~Patty~

So glad to have helped. You made the right choice; the doctor is always ready to answer any questions, no rush. Don't pass by Natalee's office without picking up a card for your pocketbook. It's about how you should feel and when to gage if you need a fill or not. ( I got to know her my last visit out there and found her to be an exceptional resource for diet, and kind of a "go to" person). She gave me this article: Think You Need a Fill? THINK AGAIN By Nikki Johnson Do you remember that feeling you had when you first had your band placed? For a while, everything was great. You didn't experience hunger, you felt satisfied with a small portion of good food, you had more energy, and you were thrilled with your initial weight loss progress. If you are like most people, your experience changed over time, Some of those feelings of hunger returned, and you stopped losing weight. You knew you needed something, so you went to your surgeon's office and asked for a "fill" right? If so, you might be surprised to learn that it is your thinking about your band, and not the band itself, that needs adjusting. The LAP-BAND Bad Word Paul O'Brien, MD, FRACS, is a skillful, compassionate surgeon and a foremost expert on the LAP-BAND System. he was involved in its design in the early 1990's and placed the first band in Australia in 1994. Since then, he has treated thousands of patients and is recognized worldwide for his expertise. When his patients utter that worst of four-letter words, "fill," in his office, they are asked to throw a dollar in the Red Cross donation bucket--a reminder that, according to Dr. O'Brien, thinking about a "fill" is just wrong thinking. How can a concept that we hear about so constantly be so very wrong? Dr. O'Brien's answer is simple: "Any adjustment to the band is something that only takes place in the context of clinical consultation--part of a relationship of trust, honesty and communication between patient and surgeon--that is much more key to the success of the patient than the precise number of milliliters of fluid in the band. This concept of partnership is the central theme of Dr. O'Brien's new book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership of Weight Loss. Patty's Note: Available on Amazon.com ISBN#9780522854121 Like many people, you might assume that weight gain or a sustained plateau means an incorrectly adjusted band; in fact, you may be right. But you may be surprised to learn that weight gain sometimes results from a band that is too tight. This is part of the reason why the "fill" concept is so misleading. If your surgeon determines that you are not losing weight as you should, then discovering why that is happening is crucial. Sometimes adding fluid to the band will only make matters worse. Life in the "GREEN ZONE" Most people who have the LAP-BAND operation will have an amazing feeling of disinterest in food for the first week after surgery, before any adjustments are even made to the fluid in the band. According to Dr. O'Brien, that lack of interest in food is referred to as satiety. A related but different feeling is satiation, or the feeling you get as you are eating, precisely at the point that you don't need any more food to eat but you do not have an uncomfortable feeling of fullness. These two feelings--satiety and satiation--are what the properly adjusted band helps you achieve, allowing you to maintain your new healthier eating habits. Your careful observation and truthful sharing of your feelings and eating behaviors, combined with the expert care and training of your surgeon and his or her staff, can make the very individual determination of whether your band is properly adjusted much more accurate. In order to help create the most effective partnership between themselves and their patients, Dr. O'Brien and his colleagues at the Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education have developed a concept they refer to as the "Green Zone". When patients are in the green zone, they experience satiety, satiation after properly-sized small meals, and satisfactory weight loss or maintenance. However, there are also yellow and red zones, both of which indicate that the band is not optimally adjusted. If your band is too loose, you will not have the benefits the band's hunger-controlling mechanism. If your band is too tight, you will have trouble eating properly and may actually gain weight because the foods you can eat more comfortable, that tend to be liquid and calorie-rich, like ice cream and chocolate, do not provide the proper nutrition. Learning to recognize when you have the feelings and eating behaviors that signal a problem can help you give your surgeon the information he or she needs to help you keep the band optimally adjusted. Thinking Adjustment Once you have eliminated the concpet of "fills" from you Lap-Band vocabulary, you will be able to let go of much of the conventional thinking connected to it. Perhaps you have heard talk about the "ideal" amount of fluid in the Lap-Band. While it may be helpful to have some idea of how much fluid is in your band, Dr. O'Brien says there is no magic number. No perfect amount of fluid will provide the best results for everyone. He says, rather, that "whatever volume of fluid is needed to achieve the [feeling of non-hunger] is the correct volume." When you notice that you are feeling hungry or are not losing weight, your body is telling you it is time to revisit your partner in weight loss -- your surgeon. your success absolutely depends on this relationship. So rather than thinking "adjustments," adjust your thinking, and, in partnership with your surgeon, find a lifetime of health! For more information about all of the themes discussed in this article, please see Dr. O'Brien's book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership for Weight Loss, which is available fro Amazon.com. We also invite you to visit LAP-BAND® System Forum - Home for more information and supportive resources. You should ADD FLUID Hungry Early Big Meals Looking for food You are OPTIMAL prolonged satiety Small meals satisfy satiety Satisfactory weight loss or maintenance You should REDUCE FLUID Difficulty swallowing Reflux - hearburn Night Cough Poor eating behavior Regurgitation

I posted this on another thread so I'll share: Think You Need a Fill? THINK AGAIN By Nikki Johnson Do you remember that feeling you had when you first had your band placed? For a while, everything was great. You didn't experience hunger, you felt satisfied with a small portion of good food, you had more energy, and you were thrilled with your initial weight loss progress. If you are like most people, your experience changed over time, Some of those feelings of hunger returned, and you stopped losing weight. You knew you needed something, so you went to your surgeon's office and asked for a "fill" right? If so, you might be surprised to learn that it is your thinking about your band, and not the band itself, that needs adjusting. The LAP-BAND Bad Word Paul O'Brien, MD, FRACS, is a skillful, compassionate surgeon and a foremost expert on the LAP-BAND System. he was involved in its design in the early 1990's and placed the first band in Australia in 1994. Since then, he has treated thousands of patients and is recognized worldwide for his expertise. When his patients utter that worst of four-letter words, "fill," in his office, they are asked to throw a dollar in the Red Cross donation bucket--a reminder that, according to Dr. O'Brien, thinking about a "fill" is just wrong thinking. How can a concept that we hear about so constantly be so very wrong? Dr. O'Brien's answer is simple: "Any adjustment to the band is something that only takes place in the context of clinical consultation--part of a relationship of trust, honesty and communication between patient and surgeon--that is much more key to the success of the patient than the precise number of milliliters of Fluid in the band. This concept of partnership is the central theme of Dr. O'Brien's new book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership of Weight Loss. Patty's Note: Available on Amazon.com ISBN#9780522854121 Like many people, you might assume that weight gain or a sustained plateau means an incorrectly adjusted band; in fact, you may be right. But you may be surprised to learn that weight gain sometimes results from a band that is too tight. This is part of the reason why the "fill" concept is so misleading. If your surgeon determines that you are not losing weight as you should, then discovering why that is happening is crucial. Sometimes adding fluid to the band will only make matters worse. Life in the "GREEN ZONE" Most people who have the LAP-BAND operation will have an amazing feeling of disinterest in food for the first week after surgery, before any adjustments are even made to the fluid in the band. According to Dr. O'Brien, that lack of interest in food is referred to as satiety. A related but different feeling is satiation, or the feeling you get as you are eating, precisely at the point that you don't need any more food to eat but you do not have an uncomfortable feeling of fullness. These two feelings--satiety and satiation--are what the properly adjusted band helps you achieve, allowing you to maintain your new healthier eating habits. Your careful observation and truthful sharing of your feelings and eating behaviors, combined with the expert care and training of your surgeon and his or her staff, can make the very individual determination of whether your band is properly adjusted much more accurate. In order to help create the most effective partnership between themselves and their patients, Dr. O'Brien and his colleagues at the Australian Centre for Obesity Research and Education have developed a concept they refer to as the "Green Zone". When patients are in the green zone, they experience satiety, satiation after properly-sized small meals, and satisfactory weight loss or maintenance. However, there are also yellow and red zones, both of which indicate that the band is not optimally adjusted. If your band is too loose, you will not have the benefits the band's hunger-controlling mechanism. If your band is too tight, you will have trouble eating properly and may actually gain weight because the foods you can eat more comfortable, that tend to be liquid and calorie-rich, like ice cream and chocolate, do not provide the proper nutrition. Learning to recognize when you have the feelings and eating behaviors that signal a problem can help you give your surgeon the information he or she needs to help you keep the band optimally adjusted. Thinking Adjustment Once you have eliminated the concpet of "fills" from you Lap-Band vocabulary, you will be able to let go of much of the conventional thinking connected to it. Perhaps you have heard talk about the "ideal" amount of fluid in the Lap-Band. While it may be helpful to have some idea of how much fluid is in your band, Dr. O'Brien says there is no magic number. No perfect amount of fluid will provide the best results for everyone. He says, rather, that "whatever volume of fluid is needed to achieve the [feeling of non-hunger] is the correct volume." When you notice that you are feeling hungry or are not losing weight, your body is telling you it is time to revisit your partner in weight loss -- your surgeon. your success absolutely depends on this relationship. So rather than thinking "adjustments," adjust your thinking, and, in partnership with your surgeon, find a lifetime of health! For more information about all of the themes discussed in this article, please see Dr. O'Brien's book, The Lap-Band Solution--A Partnership for Weight Loss, which is available fro Amazon.com. We also invite you to visit LAP-BAND® System Forum - Home for more information and supportive resources. You should You are You should ADD FLUID OPTIMAL REDUCE FLUID Hungry Early prolonged satiety Difficulty swallowing Big Meals satiety Reflux - hearburn Looking for food Small meals satisfy Night Cough Satisfactory weight loss Regurgitation or maintenance Poor eating behavior

On the OTHER HAND... Your daughter immitating mommy and what mommy says and does shows you that you must be a great mommy because she wants to be like you, talk like you, act like you. That's normal behavior for a child. ( and I've seen pre-schoolers in the living room play area pick up a plastic phone and yell into it *&^%$) so in the grand scheme of things, I think your daughter is in a good place. The same way you gave her dialogue of " I need to lose weight" give her dialogue like "I'm making myself yogurt and one half a banana because that's a good choice"; " I don't think I should eat the cake because too much sugar isn't good for my body, fruit is better."..and "walking makes me feel strong and my legs are getting stronger muscles so I don't get so tired". Same coin, different side.

three before we hit the glory place.

Marcy post some pics of that cruise!! ....................................................... I have great news!... I'm going to be a grandmother! ME...my daughter is three weeks pregnant. ((smiles))

Hello Friends! Thanksgiving was a piece of cake. Hope you all enjoyed the fellowship of friends more appealing than food. Wow, what a feeling to not be so focused on food. I find myself still THINKING that I can eat a few things or portions. Greetings and well wishes to you all. How was your Black Friday? I stuck to my TJ MAXX and two other stores, avoided the malls, was in for the walking and less about sales and spent some quality time with my "daughter" (former foster child) who we've absorbed as part of our clan. She is married now and came up to spend the night. Great time. Wishing you all healthy choices. I'm in a good place, I've got great retriction. THE BEST. I think I should have been here months ago but who knew??? The band reminds me of getting married. New things, new way of living. Time to find the zone. Signing off today with this from my OA group. For years I thought the worst thing that could happen to a nice person (guy) like me would be that I would turn out to be coe (alcoholic). Today, I find it's the best thing that has ever happened to me. This proves I don't know what's good for me. And if I don't know what's good for me, then I don't know what's good or bad for u or for anyone. So I'm better off if I don't give advice, don't figure I know what's best, & just accept life on life's terms, As it is today especially my own life, as it actually is. AABB, 3RD EDITION PAGE 450 ... ... ... These very wise words include the rooms of OA. ... It is better that I allow other coes their personal experience including their mistakes without judging their shares. ... I have made this mistake many times until I came to realize that personal shares no matter how sick are part of someone elses journey. ... My best response is not to react; only to set an example of acceptance while keeping my shares in the soul-u-tion. ... Here is a story I would like to tell you about making judgments. ... There once was a family that lived in Astonia, near Poland, & there was a couple with one teen age son living there. Now, Astonia was a very small country & it was surrounded by countries that were at war. This family was very poor because of the war, & they had little food to eat. One day a beautiful white stallion came running into the family's corral. The son went running in to tell his father that there was a horse in the corral, & he said, "Isn't this a wonderful thing father? Now we can use the horse to go into town & get some work to buy some food!" And, the father said, "Well son, I don't know if this is a bad thing or a good thing, we shall see." Two weeks later, the boy was riding this big white horse & he fell off & broke both of his legs! All the townsfolk came to see the boy, & said, "This is a very bad thing that this horse came into your coral, because now your son has broken both of his legs." And the father said, "We shall see, I don't know if this is a bad thing or a good thing, we shall see." A week after the accident, the militia came marching through the town & took every young man to join the army. Now this army was going right to the front of the fighting in Russia & these young men would surely die. So all the folks came to the father and said, "Now this is a wonderful thing that your son fell off of the horse & broke both of his legs, because now he does not have to go to fight at the front where he would surely be killed." And, the father said, "I don't know if this is a bad thing or a good thing, we shall see." So, the moral of the story is, DON'T JUDGE IF THIS IS A BAD THING OR A GOOD THING. ... Many times I have thought that being a compulsive overeater is a BAD thing, ... Today, just as Dr. Paul experienced, I find it was the best that could happen to me. ... So many situations in my life, I could continue to react to like dysfunctional parenting & childhood abuse. ... Today I see them as stepping stones to maturity. ... Then there was difficult pregnancies & widowhood at 26. ... At first, these paralyzed me, with the application of the 12 steps, I find them to be powerful gifts. ... Finally, I watch my parents face aging & Alzheimer's with compassion & a discerning attitude. ... Their gifts have become my gifts too! ... GOMU has taught me patience in making decisions. I choose to slow down, watch,learn, practice discernment. ... Speaking of discernment, most of all, every day I practice the discipline of counting my blessings!!! ... My disease of coe comes with a solution for living life on life's terms!!! ... Just for today, I have a life that truly is not only beyond my wildest dreams; ... I simply couldn't image choosing not to coe let alone the other blessings I've been given with unlimited possibilities. ... B4 OA, they told me to get a life! ... Well I did, & it isn't worth trading for one morsel nor even a binge full of extra food. ... ...

Hey! Welcome! The Best Western Gateway is by far my favorite place to stay. I did like the Holiday Inn across from the surgery center but prefer the Best Western for its closeness to so many things. I've gotten to know that area fairly well in Aurora. I travel from Florida and am so very pleased I did so. I've never been disappointed at all with that decision. Dr. K is a great doctor, his staff is fantastic and GREAT communicators, which I find, aside from his skills as surgeon, is his greatest attribute. He communicates like a good teacher.

I did very well. I had less than 2 oz. of turkey...moist but just not happening. Some lovely italian cheeses mixed into the mac and cheese, melted quite nicely. No bread, that is for sure not happening. Baked apples were nice but only had a half if that. The best was the baked zucchini and yellow squash, also had a stuffed portobello. By far one of the best Thanksgivings. The focus was less on food, more on who we were with and sharing that moment. Still decorating for Christmas. The tree is beautiful this year.

Call the doctor again. And call every two hours until he calls. meanwhile it sounds like you don't have enough nutrition. Hoping fluids are going down, I'd start with Propel which is Water but with some OOMPH to it. Until you get to the doctor focus on getting some hydration and Protein into your body. Ensure liquid Protein at Walgreens or CVS is good. Keep drinking fluids. If anything you don't want to dehydrate. Never heard of this. You should get to the doctor.

Anita...step away from the cookie dough. BAAAAD news. Sugar can send me to the moon. Enjoy the parade. Dee I love to be called a loser. Friends I posted a photo of me just now, no makeup, hair up so you can see my fleshy neck is fading. WOO HOO

1. I can tie my shoes without losing my breath. 2. My eyes don't shut when I smile. 3. My big hips have less bruises. 4. I can see my feet. 5. I can see my cheek bones. 6. I can walk much further without getting tired. 7. I can cross my legs. 8. I can shave my legs in the shower! 9. I can get out of the bathtub without 911 on speed dial. 10. I can bend over and..... GET BACK UP!<!-- google_ad_section_end --><!-- / message --><!-- sig --> 11. I'm not snoring like a bear anymore. 12. I can get out of bed in the morning,stand up and walk without having to first sit on the edge of the bed and get balanced, reach for the headboard and pull myself up.<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Seems to me like you don't have enough restriction. I would make an appointment with your doctor and add a fill as a possibility. Describe exactly what you told us to the doctor and you should get some direction there. As for the bypass, I would exhaust all my remedies with the Lap Band. It may just be you need a fill, change your diet, and additional surgery may not be necessary. PB is an inidication that something didn't go down 'the pipe' as it should. From my own experience, it was either too much of a bite, too much food, too fast to swallow, or the wrong food to eat. I had a large piece of turkey about two months after my surgery and it was only one bite but I ate it too fast and the next thing I knew my body took over and began gagging and slimeing up that piece of meat. Your body will tell you so much if you learn to listen to it. Best to you! and remember to be patient with yourself. We are all still learning each day. I'm glad you love yourself enough to care about getting the weight off and are willing to go to additional measures. They just might not be necessary.

Dear strong and amazing woman~ This isn't about you it's about him. The guy has issues. What? he could not see you were no size 2 by looking at you? Did he have to actually strip down, get naked, slide between the sheets with you just to make sure???? It's so disappointing to click with someone only to find when you finally get down to it they are lousy lovers. I'm guessing like most of us you were reflecting upon a really great memory of better times in the sack that made you yearn for that once again...atleast I've learned that about me... and I learned too that sex starts before the act. A great guy will sex you up long before you connect. There are better times on the horizon. Chalk this one up to lesson learned.

Dee best wishes to you in crossing over to the band. You will feel awesome. Fills are $15 Who can't love Colorado? It's like a vacation every time I go out there! I paid $300 locally for a fill and that's a ticket to Denver plus one night's stay at a local hotel for me. Yeah, I'll take that trip anytime I can. RR looked so great you made me yearn to go there!!! I'd really love to make a meet up with you in Feb. If you didn't catch the first time I posted, I have my reservations for the 13th to fly in early in the morning. That's a Wednesday. My appt. is on Thursday the 14th ( BECAUSE I LOVE MYSELF SO MUCH ) ...smiling...

Make33 there is always someone who says what others might be thinking. I was thinking that same thing. And you know it's okay if you aren't ready. Really. You have to decide what is right for YOU. I think you should remember you researched looked listened and then went on to decide it was the right thing for you. GREAT. Timing is a hard time for me to peg. I can tell you this...my surgery date, April 17th, is the anniversary of the death of my father. That was just a sign from heaven for me. I had enough of being fat, scared to gain even an ounce more too! Recovery is not that bad at all. You CAN walk to the car. You will need someone to drive you because of the anesthesia. Otherwise I could have driven myself back to my hotel. Make yourself a priority!

True! If they had reputation points to give I would rep. you for this one. ................. I think we find hints of what we experience when others are talking about it and it hits home.

I have a 10cc band and had 7cc's after my first post op visit. Great restriction. Then I got 1/2 cc from the fill center locally. Not so great restriction after the soreness and nausea wore off. I stayed like that for four months until I went to Colorado last week. When Dr. K unfilled my port to see how much was there, it was 7cc's. It was also discolored and had kind of material floating around in it. All of that was flushed out and fresh was put in. I now have 8cc's plus a pinch (not sure exactly how much over the 8 mark). I have awesome restriction. You know how they call it the "sweet spot". I'm at the sweet spot. I can still eat solids, not too much, no nausea, tight feeling as in TIGHT feeling but not overboard. Between meals I do not crave food and I am full with a small meal. I'm not searching the cabinets for what else to eat. I now understand what people have been talking about.