I hate it when people post just to post.....

[ThePoolGirl 1]

Kat, thanks for the update on G4E. She and her family will be in my prayers...I would also love to send a card if that works out.

RM and KC, nice posting.

Heartfire, so sorry for what you're going thru. Hope the un-fill helps until your doc can figure out what's going on.

Take care everyone and TTFN

[krtork 0]

Ebony~ WTG! That is so awesome that you hit onederland! I bet you are flying! Keep on running!

Kat~ Thank you for keeping us posted! Let Paula know that we are all pulling for her. An address would be great - would love to send a card.

RM & KC~ Love the stories from kindergarten! Awesome - I was that girl too. Don't pick on kids, old people or animals, I will come unglued!

KC~ Love the fact that you took that mom on! She deserved it. Poor girl, those ugly words will stick with her forever!

Heart~ Sorry about the unfill! Hope you will get to feeling better. Keep us posted.

PJTP: I have been absent and busy and trying to catch up! Wow! I hope this can all get worked out, I love coming to this thread and chatting with this group. I would hate to see people go and not return.

On another note: So you know I dropped DD at OSU (go beavs! - right back at ya Brandy!) Her phone died as we were leaving so we got her a phone and told her to put her SIM card in it. Well, that didn't happen and we have not heard from her since Sunday and have no way of contacting her. I am sure she looked at the phone and saw that it said prepaid on the package and figured we grabbed her a prepaid phone and did not listen to her mother, when she said, "put your card in that phone and you are good to go!" Kids! Adding stress to my life! I miss her and just want to hear her voice.

Ok, done whining!

[Kat817 19]

Heart---I was totally unfilled when I had my TT. My band Dr. is 6 hours away---and the fear was if I suffered any nausea post op, with an incision the size of the TT incision, and such a long drive---along with the travel/blood clot issues following surgery, it was thought to be safer to do a total unfill. I never went back to get filled! I managed my weight just fine, ate like I did when I was banded---and all was well. For a year----maintained without issue, actually even lost a few more pounds.

Then STRESS come on in major ways, combined with steroids, and in the blink of an eye---almost 40 pounds jumped back at me! LOL So off I went and am back with a small fill---was actually done late Spring I think. And most of the added weight is gone, but it is much harder this time it seems like!

So....unfill does not mean automatic weight gain. I have heard lots of people say the unfill allowed them to eat healthier Proteins and raw veggies etc.

We'll be here to help keep you in line!

If I get an address from Paula or her DD tomorrow, I will send it out in PM to those who want to help cheer her. My heart breaks for her.

When I was dealing with my thyroid tumor I know I lived in mortal fear of coping with chemo again---to actually face it is more than I can comprehend. I am a fighter and would fight it again, I just know the crushed feeling she must be facing now. And she has let us in on the hardships she is facing financially, and her back----her plate is REALLY full right now.

Ya know IF I had been born independently wealthy rather than so startlingly beautiful (LMAO) I would be right there helping.

I am off to bed, I have an earache from hell.

[*susan* 1,709]

Heart, sorry to hear you are having problems. When I was having problems with my band, it was just like Kat said. Prior to getting the complete unfill, the only thing I could tolerate and keep down was ice cream. I got so sick of it and was just craving healthy foods. When I got my unfill, I found myself going after all the veggies and healthy foods, they tasted so good after being able to only eat junk. Hopefully things will get straightend out quickly and you can then slowly work yourself back up to proper restriction again. I know you can get through this.

Kat, please pm me with Paula's address as well, thanks.

[krtork 0]

She called! Relieved mom. She had to throw her old phone at the wall to break it open and get out the SIM card. Anywho! She had fun on her Engineering hiking/rafting trip and is back in her dorm. She met her roomie and they seem to get along.

I can now breath and move on!

[BethFromVA 5]

She called! Relieved mom. She had to throw her old phone at the wall to break it open and get out the SIM card. Anywho! She had fun on her Engineering hiking/rafting trip and is back in her dorm. She met her roomie and they seem to get along.

I can now breath and move on!

That's great news, mom! :tongue2: Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.

[krtork 0]

Thanks Beth! It is not just a transition for the kids, but for the parents too! We have done so much together between the horses and sports I really didn't realize how much I would miss her. I am trying to be conscious of not putting food in my mouth to fill the void.

OMG I am one of "those" moms - it has only been two days! Jeez!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Wow.. where have I been.. O_o

That said, G4E - major prayer to you. Yes, there are real humans behind the screen names. I really hope you will be okay!

Slim!! Congrats!!

HF, I feel you girl.. I'm going in for MORE unfill in two weeks.. I hope I can hold out.

Kat, you rock!

Restless, nice post. I hope it will be taken seriously.

Good night everyone, I hope we can wake up and realize we are all here for a common purpose (or we were at one point or another).

Also, I wonder why I get the feeling who the bully is everyone's talking about? And that's really sad.

[Fanny Adams 7]

Hi again, everyone. Sorry I've been MIA for a while now. I have been popping in to read but haven't had time to post and I'm so far behind in all the action that I think I'll just wave to everyone and catch up later.

Things have been ... interesting ... in my life (and yes, that is in the Chinese curse sense of the word, hehe). On a good note, I have FINALLY had confirmation of the buyer's finance approval for the sale of my house and we have an actual settlement date! Yippee!! If all goes as planned, we settle on 13th October and will be making the move that week. I can't believe it has taken NINE months to get this deal done!! I am SO looking forward to my new house...

On a less fun note, the contract that I took to be in Perth for the last half of this year finished 2 months earlier than planned. Normally, this wouldn't worry me a bit, because I know I can get more work quickly (our economy is doing quite well comparatively speaking). However, timing-wise, this REALLY SUCKS. I need to have a week off between 10th and 17th October to move house, so that pretty much rules out taking any work from now up until after the move. Then afterwards, I have only 7 weeks available before my PS operation, which will put me out of action for at least a month, probably 6 weeks. So I have to try to find piecemeal work over the next couple of months, because I REALLY can't afford to take 4 months off work AND have the operation (paying cash for that) AND move house and do all the renovations I have planned... something's going to have to give and it's NOT going to be my operation!!

I have a couple of irons in the fire and am fairly hopeful of getting a few weeks worth of work here and there until January next year, when I can get fully back into the swing of things. If I get really desperate, I will go out doing temp office work in the 7 weeks between moving house and the op, even though that will only bring in less than 1/4 of the rates I can earn doing my "real" job. Still, it would be better than no money at all.

I'm really annoyed at the last company that I worked for, for cutting the contract short. I know times are hard and all but I turned down a contract up at Argyle that would have seen me working through to the end of September anyway, and earning a lot more through more hours, in order to take the Perth-based one, because it was supposed to take me right through to the operation and avoid all this awkward timing. Oh well... that's the nature of contracting, I guess. They pay higher rates because there is NO job security and normally I don't have a problem with that... Just gonna have to suck it up.

Other news - I got bored changed my hair completely! Had it cut short and dyed it BRIGHT copper and I mean BRIGHT!! It was meant to be apricot with blonde and dark copper streaks but I got muddled in the explanation and kept saying "brighter" when I meant "lighter" so it ended up irridescent orange!! I loved it at first but I'm over it now, so I've been washing it like mad to dull it down a little and I'm going back tomorrow to get a whole heap more blonde streaks put through it, to try to tone it down a little.

Lastly, for those of you who have been having bad PB problems lately (Heartfire?), before you get an unfill and before you let yourself get to the emergency room stage, ask your doctor to give you some anti-nausea wafers. My doctor gave me some when I had the band op 2 years back and I keep them for emergencies. If I have a PB, I'll try to stick to liquids for the rest of the day, but sometimes I'll get hungry and keep trying to eat and end up PBing more and more throughout the day as my stomach gets more and more swollen and sensitive. When it gets to that stage, I use the nausea medicine and it stops the PBing cold. The brand name here in Aus is Zofran Zydis which contains Ondansetron 4mg. I would advise all of us to keep some in the medicine chest for the really bad days.

Edited September 23, 2009 by Fanny Adams

[*slim* 2]

Kat-thanks for sharing the info about G4E. I will be keeping her and her family in my prayers.

Heartfire-I am sorry you are having a complete unfill. Hopefully this will allow you tummy time to heal completely.

Fanny-I am so glad that it finally looks like your house is going to sell. I know you have been waiting for that for quite some time. By the way, I actually like the hair color. It looks good in the picture.

krtork-I know that you are sad that DD is gone to school. I have no experience (other than being the daughter that left) to offer anything to help ease the sadness that you must be feeling. I'll be thinking of you and your DD while you both deal with the "new" stages in your lives.

[*susan* 1,709]

krtork, glad you heard from your daughter and she is well. My son started college this year too. I always heard parents saying they couldn't wait until the kids are grown and moved out. I don't know how they say that. I miss my son so much. We talk every day and he sends me texts all day long. I don't know what I will do when my daughter goes in two years.

[Kat817 19]

For many years I raised my DD as a single parent, she and I were extremely close---happy to say all these years later we still are-but anyway.....

She hooked up with this kid, and I liked him ok in her sophmore year of high school, and she was with him from then on out. He was a year ahead of her, and had enlisted his junior year, to go to the Army upon graduation. This was late 90's----pre 9/11. She decided her junior year to pull her credits and graduate early! She still amassed a pretty good amount of scholarship $$$---then she come to me and told me she had to get married.

We had that talk!

In the end, they found out he was headed "overseas" and the only way she could go was if they were married. So they married.

His overseas draw ended up being in Hawaii! They were there for several years. She used most of her scholarship money, and got her education.

Point being.....while this was pre 9/11----it was also pre pocket size free long distance cell phones. Pre on line banking for the average Joe Blow. There was internet---but this was a poor newlywed couple living in a horribly expensive place---and they would NOT accept help.

I went from having her as my daughter, and best friend, by my side, and in my face every single day to not seeing her again for a year!

With outreageous phone bills we survived it, then things worked out at DH's job, where we could actually go see her.

I feel your pain. I remember it!

I followed a little sportscar home from work yesterday with the license plate reading MTNESTR.....

took me a few to figure it out, empty nester. I did not buy a sportscar. I bought plane tickets as often as I possibly could!!!

Glad to have her close again.....but miss the vacations!

Another FREEZING morning here! Well almost, it was 33. And will get into the 80's before the day is out. I never know how to dress! Thankfully this time of extremes is short lived!

Better go paint my face!!

[krtork 0]

Kat~ Wow, now I feel like a wiener! You are so strong and seem to get through so much! You are my hero! We have been having really cold mornings too. It was 32 the other morning with frost on the fields - brrr! However, it has been about 80 everyday and is supposed to be 90 today!

Fanny~ I love the hair. I have always toyed with going red, but have never taken the leap! I agree with Glouc, it seems like the bright colors always fade to that mousy brown.

Hope you all have a great day! I had a couple minutes to check in this morning and will try to get back this evening! Hopefully no grading!

[DivaStyleCoach 89]

PJTP...Busy morning, but of course, here I am in PJTP...

Ebony----girl I am soooo proud of you! Onederland! You have worked so hard at it, and succeeded in spite of the problems you are dealing with in your home life, and work life. What an accomplishment!!! I am so happy for you!

Thanks a bunch, Kat - I am thrilled!

I just got off the phone with G4E's SIL---and from what I could understand he said the tumor was cancerous---but it was a little difficult understanding him, his accent and mine did not mesh!

He said his wife, G4E's DD is in the shower and would call me back with info on her Mom, and I will be back and post it.

Oh gosh...there are no words...

Tell ya what tho----I have had the DX of cancer, and if she is dealing with it again, my heart goes out to her----and it puts all this in perspective for me.

And BTW---clone me??? Heaven AND my DH forbids it!!! LOL What a nightmare that could be!

I have to laugh thinking of the Michael Keaton movie, Multiplicity. Wonder what personality traits would come forth in the clones??!!

Will be in touch when I hear from G4E's DD.

Thanks for keeping us updated, Kat...:wub:

Thanks for the info, Kat. I don't know how to feel about this yet -- scared or relieved.

And yes, it DOES give it a bit of perspective -- these are PEOPLE here, people who have lives and loves and ups and downs and successes and setbacks. This is a pretty tight-knit group of people who care for one another, and when one succeeds, ALL feel their success... when one is hurting, ALL feel their hurt... when one makes goal, ALL feel their joy... AND when one is mistreated, ALL feel mistreated.

And I'll leave it at that.

Amen, and amen again!

KC I would've taken him out for you. I'd have gotten another "A lady doesn't blah blah blah" lecture, but I'd have done it. BUT...I think we both overcame our upbringing. LOL

Sometimes you don't WANT to overcome your upbringing...occasionally I've had my "east side Detroit" personality come out - mostly when I feel really threatened or see someone being treated badly. I used to get funny looks when I told people I was from Detroit (back when Detroit was the murder capital)...like they thought I was an ax-murderer or gang member or something...now I just get "normal" looks about that, but they give me the side-eye cause I AM a gangster, and not just on Mafia Wars / Mob Wars on FB! :w00t:

I just spoke with Paula's DD, and it is cancer again. She said the family has been reeling, but Paula has not been off the pain meds enough yet for it to truly sink in with her.

The Dr is supposed to talk to the family tomorrow--let them know what stage or what the plan is. She said she will be released tomorrow, and would try to have her call me. I ask if maybe we could get an address so we could send her cards etc. since she is off line.

Please include me in the address distribution - I'd love to send her a card also...

Will post what I hear.

Thanks Kat for putting the time in to both be there for her but keep us up to date as well. Will await your further info

What KC said!

hi drive by post ...checkinh my new siggy

You svelte, sexy thang you! Love the bikini...there is one in my future someday, even if I have to get a bunch of little tattoos to cover the incisions from the band operation!

She called! Relieved mom. She had to throw her old phone at the wall to break it open and get out the SIM card. Anywho! She had fun on her Engineering hiking/rafting trip and is back in her dorm. She met her roomie and they seem to get along.

I can now breath and move on!

Glad you can breathe again - would LOVE to have seen her throw the phone agains the wall, though...I want to do that to MY phone sometimes! :tongue2:

Hi again, everyone. Sorry I've been MIA for a while now. I have been popping in to read but haven't had time to post and I'm so far behind in all the action that I think I'll just wave to everyone and catch up later.

Hi Fanny! *waving wildly*

Things have been ... interesting ... in my life (and yes, that is in the Chinese curse sense of the word, hehe). On a good note, I have FINALLY had confirmation of the buyer's finance approval for the sale of my house and we have an actual settlement date! Yippee!! If all goes as planned, we settle on 13th October and will be making the move that week. I can't believe it has taken NINE months to get this deal done!! I am SO looking forward to my new house...

Yay! Great news on the house sale!

On a less fun note, the contract that I took to be in Perth for the last half of this year finished 2 months earlier than planned. Normally, this wouldn't worry me a bit, because I know I can get more work quickly (our economy is doing quite well comparatively speaking). However, timing-wise, this REALLY SUCKS. I need to have a week off between 10th and 17th October to move house, so that pretty much rules out taking any work from now up until after the move. Then afterwards, I have only 7 weeks available before my PS operation, which will put me out of action for at least a month, probably 6 weeks. So I have to try to find piecemeal work over the next couple of months, because I REALLY can't afford to take 4 months off work AND have the operation (paying cash for that) AND move house and do all the renovations I have planned... something's going to have to give and it's NOT going to be my operation!!

Oh gosh...that DOES suck, big time!

I have a couple of irons in the fire and am fairly hopeful of getting a few weeks worth of work here and there until January next year, when I can get fully back into the swing of things. If I get really desperate, I will go out doing temp office work in the 7 weeks between moving house and the op, even though that will only bring in less than 1/4 of the rates I can earn doing my "real" job. Still, it would be better than no money at all.

I'm really annoyed at the last company that I worked for, for cutting the contract short. I know times are hard and all but I turned down a contract up at Argyle that would have seen me working through to the end of September anyway, and earning a lot more through more hours, in order to take the Perth-based one, because it was supposed to take me right through to the operation and avoid all this awkward timing. Oh well... that's the nature of contracting, I guess. They pay higher rates because there is NO job security and normally I don't have a problem with that... Just gonna have to suck it up.

You're a resourceful woman, I know you'll come out on top!

Other news - I got bored changed my hair completely! Had it cut short and dyed it BRIGHT copper and I mean BRIGHT!! It was meant to be apricot with blonde and dark copper streaks but I got muddled in the explanation and kept saying "brighter" when I meant "lighter" so it ended up irridescent orange!! I loved it at first but I'm over it now, so I've been washing it like mad to dull it down a little and I'm going back tomorrow to get a whole heap more blonde streaks put through it, to try to tone it down a little.

[ATTACH]17701[/ATTACH][ATTACH]17702[/ATTACH]

I LIKE the bright copper - you daring woman you!

Lastly, for those of you who have been having bad PB problems lately (Heartfire?), before you get an unfill and before you let yourself get to the emergency room stage, ask your doctor to give you some anti-nausea wafers. My doctor gave me some when I had the band op 2 years back and I keep them for emergencies. If I have a PB, I'll try to stick to liquids for the rest of the day, but sometimes I'll get hungry and keep trying to eat and end up PBing more and more throughout the day as my stomach gets more and more swollen and sensitive. When it gets to that stage, I use the nausea medicine and it stops the PBing cold. The brand name here in Aus is Zofran Zydis which contains Ondansetron 4mg. I would advise all of us to keep some in the medicine chest for the really bad days.

Will have to check this out...I still occasionallly PB - since my last fill and because I'm now more knowledgeable, not so much, but it would be good to have this in my hip pocket, so to speak...

Back to the filing and organizing - multi-day project...yuk!

[ThePoolGirl 1]

Happy Birthday, Fanny!! Hope it's a good one. My fingers are crossed that all your drama works out...life does like to cause us stress, huh?

This deserves another hit: Ebony, Whooo hoooo on your return to Onderland!!

Torky, be strong. Your DD is gonna be just fine - you raised her right!

Hey to everyone else! Happy Wednesday! Hump-Day is here. This makes my dog especially happy. His abnormal usual behavior can be attributed to the day of the week and I don't come out looking like mom o' the doggy freak :tongue2:.