NJ (& Others) Nov/Dec 2008 Chat

[Trishadish 0]

then my doc comes in looks at the pics and says it's not bad it could be the angle of the picture etc. How much different can standing straight in front of the machine be? I honestly think he was trying to cover up as if I was going to blame him or something...me I just want it fixed. He tried to say it wasn't bad then asks me to tell him EXACTLY what's been going on for the past 6 months. I practically lost it. I've been explaining and telling in detail for the past freaking year that something wasn't right.

{{{{Sherry}}}}

Big hugs for you. What a bunch of crappola you are dealing with. Good luck with everything. You know that there are lots of good thoughts and prayers from everyone here.

[SherryW 4]

Thank you Trish..I really appreciate it. I'm so tired from everything today. Alot of stress. Last night was another sleepless night...what was cute though was DH came out of the bedroom and slept next to me on the loveseat/lazy boy. It was really nice to have him there. :cursing: He's been so supportive and helpful.

[signgirl 0]

Awwwwwwwww Sherry :whatchutalkingabout I havn't been here in a few, so I pop in today and start to read about your plight....Oh my goodness!!!!! My jaw just dropped as I was reading! I'm angry at your doctor and happy for the presence of the intern at the same time! I am relieved, though, that now you (and yours), are finally getting some answers. It always seemed so hard for you to put into words JUST how intense the reflux, etc. was...because it was so bad, words just couldn't "frame" it. I'm sorry to hear about the slip/prolapse and am hopeful for your healing to start, physically, emotionally (you've been through so much, for so long). I've loved reading your posts and getting to know you through them. You've put a smile on my face, so many times! ....and that's why I want you to know that I'm hugging you right now. It's gonna be alright....but you already knew that :wub:

Kat, thanks for for offering to compile a list. All my info is the same, and if you need me to send it on I will. I'd like to get an updated list too, please. Thanks!

Sorry no personals tonight...headache, but thinkin' of every one of you!

[SherryW 4]

Diane....you're such a sweetheart. Thank you :whatchutalkingabout

Thank you everyone for being there for me. This is really rough, I have to say. I've been on the verge of tears alot...doesn't help that TOM is around the corner and I still haven't caught up on all the sleep I lost the past week. I did sleep well with no reflux last night so that was nice. Today though.....a few times....some pretty sharp pains in my chest with one this morning that actually took my breath away. No clue what it was...DH seems to think it was the stress from the day before and because I actually laid down to sleep the first time in a week. Apparently I was snoring...haha gee wonder why? Anyway.....it was nice to be busy at work. Less time to think. I just keep trying to stay positive and believe when I wake up from the surgery I'll have a band in place.

hey....it was nice not having to try to find the December thread this month. I think I'll set us up or anyone who does do it should do the same thing again. We really don't use as many thread pages as we used to so no sense in making starting one for each month..don't you think?

You know...I haven't even started Christmas shopping other than for my son and cripe he knows everything he's getting. At 18 I'd rather he got what he wants.....he wants video games and works for a video game store with an employee discount. Mama shouldn't have to pay full price lol so he bought them and I paid him back lol. Of course he got a kick out of telling his friends at the store he was buying his own gifts lol. Turkey! Like he said it would be stupid to not get the 25% off besides he can get more if he pays less lol. DH already got his gift from me too....considering we weren't buying for each other we've spent quite a bit lol. Every year we go through this. He's downstairs now playing video games on his new Video game Chair (speakers near his head, tilt seat yadda yadda on our new 32'' HD TV we put in the exercise room. You know....so MAYBE I'll use the treadmill AND be able to see and hear the TV lol. (WE only had a 18 or 20'' down there before). My thoughts.....get the video games downstairs on the carpeted concrete floor so when I'm playing my Wii Fit on the jogging program the fish tank isn't making title waves hahaha. Now that it's down there I can play with it more...umm...if I get my ars down there that is. Treadmill, Eliptical and Stationary bike...pilates ball, weights, Wii Fit and roller wheel ....YOU'D THINK I'd be a size 10 by now. Sure collects dust great though! So I'm trying to psych myself up to get my butt moving again. Sittin here typing won't help huh? Hmmm wonder if I can connect my laptop to the dreadmill? hahahaha

[HarleyNana 10]

Ok, not sure where that post went, but I'm not giving up, this one just won't be as long.

Sherry, hope you had a better night sleep and are starting to feel better, both physically and mentally :tongue2:.

Here's a picture of my tree, only I changed the skirt now to a white one with snow flakes to match my new tree.

Big diff between this one and last years.

[Kat817 19]

Sherry-------DAMN!!!!!!! I missed your call!

We have company in from just outside of Denver, so it was loud in here with the guys carrying on. They are outside putting a woodstove in Ricks new shop, but it is like they have radar, the second I get on the phone or on the computer, they need something that only I know where is!!! At least this way I am not getting interupted quite so much. Will be calling you back soon tho!!!

About a year ago---little over, one of the guys who worked for Rick, killed his wife. In front of their kids. Was a terrible thing. They caught him, tried him, and he is in prison now.

Well just night before last another one of the guys he works with tried to kill his wife! He choked her, thought she was dead, and dumped her out into a ditch. Then he changed his mind, and went back for her body, to discover she was not dead. He put her in his car--well its a Hummer, full sized---and wrapped his belt around her throat and was trying to choke her down, and ended up crashing his truck. He was able to drive and made it home, where their DD was, she is grown with kids---and when she freaked out, he rammed her car trying to disable it. Then he took off. Left his hummer somewhere, and called another one of the guysand ask for a ride. Well the guy had no idea, so he went after him, and when he got there, and heard what was going on, he freaked out, but wasn't sure how to handle it, if it was safe to refuse or what! So he wanted a ride to the hospital, which is where he figured his wife was, and they saw no one, so he wanted to drive by the house, and no one, so he wanted to go back to his car, and when he did, they were waiting, and arrested him!

He is charged with 8 counts, attempted murder, kidnapping, all kinds of stuff, and when they were fingerprinting him, and questioning him, he was showing them how she pushed him or he pushed her, and now they added a charge of assault on an officer.....but the other officer is saying the charge is bogus, that it is racial, because he said going into the interogation room, that "this black bastard is goin' down"......so THAT is what is making the headlines, forget the fact that he tried multiple times to kill his wife, the controversy is over the cops racial comment. Which I agree is horrid, but what about the family???

Now this woman-----I would have choked her years ago! She is a trouble maker deluxe! BUT did not deserve that! He works with Rick, and in a similar capacity job, so I know his income is similar. She owns a hair salon, and just upgraded to a really nice locale. They have a huge home, both drive new hummers.....and come to find out according to her sister, what she has been claiming as income from her shop, was mostly sporadic winnings from the casino, and she has racked up over $185, 000. in credit card debt----all at the casino. They got married 25 years ago---then divorced about 10 years ago due to her gambling. She got help, they sold the home paid things off etc. And ended up remarrying and finished raising the kids, and she is at it again. He snapped seriously!!!

He is in jail of course with a bond of a quarter million dollars!!!

I ask Rick, if he was sure it was safe for me, for him to work there!

Well, off I go to SHOW Darren what a can of roofing tar looks like, because we have both told him where to find it, and he is still empty handed!

Pat the tree would look really nice with a white skirt I bet!!!---mine is crazy this year, Kinsey did all the decorating, she used every ornament known to mankind that I had!!! She could reach the bottom 1/3. I got her a step stool for the middle section, and she directed me....the next one over or one more up--for the top of the tree. She is SOOOOOOOO proud of it! As a 4 year old should be!!

BBL!!

Kat

Oh yeah, I will see if I can hunt up last years list--if not....I will let you know to send them!

[nightingale2u 42]

Wow...

Sherry... I really am so sorry you are going throught this... If you ever need to talk... just give me a ring. (((Hugs))) A Good surgeon has more than just good surgical skills and a GREAT one is able to have skill in the operating room as well as out of it... this does not sound like the surgeon you mentioned above. Again.... I am just so sorry you are going through this... and that you have to worry or be afraid... but I am really glad you have such a sweetie of a hubby to help you through all of this.

[SherryW 4]

I really can't say enough about how supportive you all have been. It means so much, it really does. You're right Darcy...I am VERY lucky my DH is not only supportive but, very attentive when it comes to something so important to me. When I realized I could lost my band prior to seeing the doc on Wed...while the tears flowed in the waiting room he kept telling me, honey no matter what we'll get through this and be successful. We can do this. So it's never him putting it mainly on me but, always a suggestion of us being a team. My appointments are in Boston...that is 40 min no traffic away from our house but, with traffic (usually pretty heavy) it can take us anywhere from 1 hour 15 min to almost 2 hours and you know...he's drove me in every single time. In the three years of having this band, EVERY time, every visit, every test he's been there. Being an IT guy he's able to schedule his client appts around my doc appts and does it happily. I'm still in awe of that to this day because....my first husband was never this supportive ever! So I truly am blessed. Again that's what I keep telling myself regardless of he outcome of all this. I'm still a lucky gal. Not sure if I told anyone but, about a month ago my husband was keying way on his laptop and you could see the gears turning in his head..I asked him what he was up to and he said he was writing a book. No fixed title yet but, "My wife and Bariatrics" is close. He wants to tell others how they can be "part of the team" in helping their spouse succeed with Lapband or other WLS by being there. He said even if it's not a complete book but, maybe a small handout that could be given to spouses, he wants to do it so others will have a support system too. :thumbup: Yea....I am a lucky gal.

I'm fortunate to have Reiki students too and I've used myself as a lesson for them. I always tell them I'm here for them no matter what, questions, concerns or help needed yet it's always hard to ask for those things yourself. So I told them about my story and realization in the waiting room when I saw the man in the wheelchair and here I was crying over a band - a none life threatening thing - yet he had an arm cast, leg cast and through is speech you could tell he mentally was slower yet probably from an accident....and just across the way the Dana Farber Institute where people were having cancer treatment....it all came in perspective and I thanked my guides for teaching me the lesson and so I taught my students the same just this week. Told them my story about the Lapband...many didn't know....told them what I've been going through for the past 1-1.5 years and asked them to send me healing energy and ask for my highest and best good with all this. They're sending it gladly...probably why I'm feeling pretty good considering TOM is around the corner lol. Anyway....for those who know what I mean by the energy...and for those who aren't sure...it's like having 20+ people praying for you all at once. It's really something else

I was reading back on some of my old posts so I could try to explain to the docs how long I"ve had these isses and follow my fills and unfills and I can clearly see how long it's been since I've been truly myself. I can see the difference in my words and joking around. I'm hoping after this surgery and things get "fixed" one way or the other I can bring back that sense of humor :thumbup:

OK enough of the serious stuff....I don't want to drag the thread down. I've got almost another 2 weeks before surgery so.....let me start trouble hee hee.....

Who has their tree up? (Pat your's is very pretty and I bet looks wonderful with the new skirt)

Who is decorating outside this year?

Who is DONE Christmas shopping and who hasn't really started? me! lol

Any special holiday parties?

Who wants to say BAHHHHHH HUMBUG? hee hee

Anyone want to do a gift exchange? I've seen that a few times on the threads and participated in them...they're kinda fun hee hee.

Ok enough trouble rom me :cool:

[Louisa Latela 226]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to let you know I have 2 spots open in my WLS group for women who are at least 10 months post op. The information is posted below. If you have any questions about the group please do not hesitate to contact me louisa@louisalatela.com 856.429.9799.

Have a beautiful day!

Louisa

WLS Therapy Group For Women

Open to female weight loss surgery patients who are at least 10 months post op. For those of you not familiar with group therapy, it is far less social than a support group. We will be seriously focused on personal changes members want to make. Participants will be working together to accomplish their goals and attendance at every meeting is important, not casual. Recovery is hard work and an important part of the process involves prioritizing self-care. This is especially important for bariatric surgery post-ops because so many have spent a lifetime putting themselves and their own health needs last. Long term recovery requires changing that. You and your recovery from morbid obesity must be a top priority. This becomes even more urgent in the second and third year after surgery when the novelty has worn off.. If you find yourself frequently falling into compulsive old patterns, this group can be an excellent resource for challenging those behaviors and avoiding full blown relapse.

Dates: 12/9/08, 12/23/08, 1/6/09, 1/20/09, 2/3/09, 2/17/09

Time: 7:00 – 8:15pm

Place: 132 East Kings Highway, Suite 105, Haddonfield, N.J. 08033

Fee: $185.00

[Kat817 19]

Thank You Louisa, not all of us are actually from NJ, and I am not sure about advertising this way if you are not a paying advertiser with the LBT site, it might be best to check in with Alex on these type of posts.

Good Luck with your support groups, a little too far to travel from New Mexico!!! LOL

Sherry----

my tree is up!

Outside lights go up today!

Shopping is about 2/3 done!

Cards getting done today---had to go buy an ink cartridge for my printer!!

I am afraid we waited to late to do a gift exchange for Christmas, but we could consider a secret Cupid rather than a secret Santa!!??

Our company party is not until mid January-they are not allowed to have a Christmas party is has to be a Winter Festival, due to being world wide, all things Christmas must be avoided to please the few...grrrr

As for being broke? ME ME ME!!!!

Kat

[Louisa Latela 226]

Thanks for the feedback kat!! I'll email alex. (I'm not real savvy about internet etiquette as you can probably tell!!).

Edited December 6, 2008 by Louisa

[SherryW 4]

My tree isn't up.

No lights going up outside this year.

I completed one person on my list for Christmas today.

Not baking because too close to surgery and baking earlier would be yucky.

Today I trying a new recipe in my crock-pot for Soup that's called Taste Like Lasagna Soup. It's a Paula Dean recipe I saw on TV the other day but, I put mine in the crockpot/slow cooker instead. Smells heavenly right now anyway, I'll let ya know how it tastes. It has petite dice tomatoes, Tomato sauce, very lean hamburger, onion, green pepper, chicken broth, italian spices and garlic. Then when it's done you put it in crocks, put mozzarella cheese on top and bake it for a bit to melt the cheese. Well I know I'll like the cheese anyway lol.

Ok this may sound silly...but does anyone ever get the urge to color? Like in a coloring book? I've had that stinkin in my head...probably to relax me or something. I bought crayons but, do you think I could find a coloring book? WTF don't they make them? Why make crayons if no coloring books? DH has the urge to do some scrollsaw work too so we'll be making Christmas ornaments for the family. He cuts them and I paint them. Hmmm maybe I'll color them with crayons HAHAHAHA

[Kat817 19]

Sherry, hit the dollar stores, they have coloring books!! And if you need coloring guidance, I will send Kinsey right on over!!! We color with regularity! She has made such progress! I have a clip on the fridge (of course! I AM a Granny!) with pictures she has colored for the last couple of years, and she can go through them and see where she used to just scribble, then slowly the lines had a reason for being there, but the girls face may be purple and her arms yellow!! Til now where things are taking on proper color.

She LOVES coloring! I am pushing her to write her name on the page so no one thinks that someone else did that! So she practises writing her name. She begins Tiger Cubs next year which is a school district sponsored pre school. She can count to 20, sing her ABC's but not say them! She knows shapes and colors and has recently finally figured out opposites!! I wonder how my kids learned, I cannot for the life of me remember making the concious effort to work education into their play that I do with Kinsey!

I know Christmas is supposed to be happy family time--but some of my family has pushed me to a point of not being real happy! As my DD would say---I'm over it!

We have offered and ask to babysit for my grandson, and there is always an excuse---and they use my granddaughter as an excuse quite often, saying they know I am saddled with a grandkid all day they don't want to make me deal with another. #1 I am not saddled with her, I love her and WANT her with me as opposed to other day care. I have offered to provide the same for them with my grandson, but DIL does not work. But for some reason they don't want us keeping him. I think it causes family tensions otherwise with the other family and his ex etc. So good enough, they don't want us to have a close relationship, it hurts, but I am through begging for a chance to be his Granny. I will not ask again, and if ever ask, I will refuse....enough is enough.

Then (nope not finished ranting and venting yet!!!) we used to get together with both families (mine and Ricks) and go to Breakfast about once a month. We would just go to Golden Corral. Everyone could get what they wanted, each family paid their own way on the way in, and we visited, and caught up, then we could go our separate ways and have the weekend free. We hadn't done it in a long time, and we didn't all get together over Thanksgiving, as my SIL says we are too big to do one house anymore. So Rick and I thought it was time to at least do breakfast. We made all the calls, everyone said it sounded good. We showed up, and my folks were there. No one else ever showed up. His Mom tried to tell us she must have got there too early. BS my folks are early everywhere and they never saw her! And there was still ice on her rear window of her car! Couldn't see the front, but the rear was still iced. The restaurant is say 8 miles from her house, it would have thawed. So.....I am done. I will not try to organize a single family get together again. I will not stand in the way of someone else organizing it, nor will I simply be rude like they were and not show up....but no longer will getting together be a priority to me.

There....now I am done ranting!!! LOL Some days I just wanna yell at them all!

Oh wait one more!!! I am on prednisone for some wild hives I have going on, and it is making my face all puffy. I called they said it is not unusual and will ease when I go off the meds. So yesterday my MIL went on for I swear 45 minutes on how it looks like I am regaining my weight. Yeah overnight, I put back on 120+ pounds! Grrrrrrrr!! I wanted to tell her yep she looked a lot older too---but I cannot be that way dammit!

Ok, now I really am done!!!

Thanks for letting me unload!!!

XOXOX

Kat

[SherryW 4]

Back to report the Soup was yummy and filling. If anyone would like the recipe I'll gladly type it out for you here and email it to you if you want.

[HarleyNana 10]

Ok, lets try this again, not sure if it's me or my laptop, which is a tad bit "touchy".

Sherry, I'm beginning to worry about you...coloring books, hmmmm!

Well, did anyone notice my post yesterday, celebrating my 4 years? Hard to believe it's been that long, where does the time go.

Kat, sorry about all your family issues, but it's not just you. My DNL hasn't spoken to me since April when I caught her with another guy, imagine that. She did call me while she was intoxicated and we were in Acapulco, and said we needed to get together and work this out, of course I've been back almost a month, I called her and invited her and son to join us for Thanksgiving, but she was going to her moms. I didn't see my son or gson the entire Thanksgiving weekend. She has things the way she wants it now, comes and goes as she pleases, spends money like she's wealthy, bounces checks, covers the bounced check with a charge card. The following week she's out buying new carpet for her new house that's only 3 years old, WTF? I just hate to see my son lose it all, but he knows how I believe in saving for hard times and he won't confront her...obviously.

Help, I've fot a freakin mouse in my house, did I mention I HATE anything that creeps or crawls! That little fkr is apparently so small or he won't stick to one of those tacky strips. I opened a drawer about a week ago and it had nibbled into 4 of those flavor packets you pour into Water, that chit was everywhere, but there weren't any droppings. Then I looked in the basket where I keep hubby's baby chocolate bars, several were chewed, one entire Twix was gone, so I guess it's growing. I pushed my couch over and there was droppings, so I placed another one of those tacky packs, vacuumed the chit up and checked for days no more poop, so I thought he'd eaten some of that green poison block and died, but no, I opened one of my trash drawers today and apparently it fell into the trash and tore the bag up trying to get out, plus it must have scared the chit out of him, cause droppings were everywhere. How disgusting and nasty is that in my kitchen. It's on, tonight I'm putting 10 traps out!

Betty, are you ok?

Have a great day girls!