donali

ABSOLUTELY - without a doubt. I was self-pay, had to have my port repositioned, and eventually my band removed due to erosion, but have not regretted it for one second. My journey was probably 80% band, 20% mental. Maybe I'm not giving myself enough credit, because I did do a lot of emotional counseling before being banded, but my journey was so easy I felt like the band was doing most of the work. I wish I could be rebanded. My insurance doesn't cover banding, and the incidence of re-erosion seems to be higher than the initial risk... However, if I ever win the lotto, I just may get rebanded with the AMI band, which seems to have the lowest incidence of erosion to begin with, and see what happens. FYI - the AMI band is NOT an FDA approved band, so Americans are generally urged to be banded with the Inamed LapBand or the Johnson & Johnson band so that they can receive aftercare in the states. In the meantime... I'm trying to fall back on my therapy for compulsive eating, which hasn't been too effective lately, but to be honest, I'm not really working it, so... I have only myself to blame. Doing it solo means getting rid of the dieting mentality and making permanent changes to your lifestyle and eating style. Being banded means the same thing, but it's easier to do with the band's help, simply because quantity becomes less of an issue for most people.

SO = Significant Other Previously, SO seemed to be used more to describe a committed partner of a same sex couple - however, these days, the usage seems to be broadening to include partners in a committed relationship who are not married. At 44, "boyfriend" sounds so highschool (although I do still use that term), and doesn't really do justice to a relationship that has moved beyond dating, IMHO. So I have gone with the flow and am trying to update my vocabularly to more adequately reflect the type of relationship we have. We cohabitate, share similar goals for the future, share expenses, etc. Basically, for all intents and purposes, marriage without the legal mumbo-jumbo. He does not plan on being married again (I guess once was enough for him! ), but he's not planning on leaving me, either, so... He's my SO. TMI? lol

I'm cheap. I'd be flying into Newark, and then finding an el cheapo (albeit safe) hotel near whereever we plan on meeting. I used to live in NYC and on the cliffs of Hoboken, so I'm relatively familiar with getting around. My SO may come along as he has family in Clifton. If that's the case, we'll probably stay in the HoJo's there.

Oh - one more little comment. If ever, in the moderators' wisdom, a post is deleted, a note should be left in its place stating that the post was deleted by the moderators. That way the person who got deleted knows it was deleted on purpose, and they can contact the moderators for more information if they are unclear as to why their post disappeared. I think post deletion should only be used in the most extreme circumstances, with agreement by all moderators. If a post is deleted by anyone save the user who created it, every moderator should know about it and be able to defend the decision if asked by the user. No moderator should be deleting posts on their own personal whim, IMHO. The fact that a post was deleted should not be a secret.

Thanks, Bright!!! You're the best!!

Okay, this isn't succint, but here goes... I'm not sure exactly what happened, as I can't hang out here as often as I used to, so I am blissfully uninformed regarding the worst of the nastiness. It has been eluded to, but I have not read anything that succintly states 1)what happened, 2)why it happened, 3) how it was resolved. I do not need to know the particulars to know that multiple people were involved, best foots were not being put forward, and that as a result several innocent bystanders got sucked into picking sides and others left in disgust. Even though I am not as much of a regular as I used to be, I am still greatly saddened and fearful that LBT may go the way of other boards - that was really one of the great things about LBT - it was different, and really felt like a community. The hard thing is, it felt that way because of the MEMBERS - not because of the moderators! The MEMBERS had all belonged to other boards, and came here because they were disgusted with all the goings on at the other boards - the politics, the censorship, the "gospel according to XXX", the "my doctor's better than any other" cliques, places where no other viewpoint could be expressed or tolerated. Those of us who came here didn't want THAT kind of board, so WE conducted ourselves the way WE wanted our board to be - with kindness and support for all. This was not due to the moderators, or the board owner - it was due to the MEMBERS. We ALL need to take responsibility for our actions - moderators and members alike. Nastiness begets nastiness. I know that our moderators are volunteers, and are only human like the rest of us, but they HAVE to set an example, and canNOT indulge themselves in their tempers or opinions. They HAVE to be above the conniving, the taking sides - they MUST have a level head at all times, or refrain from making decisions in anger or frustration. Perhaps that's not fair to ask, but IMHO, that is what makes a good moderator. I personally look to Alexandra to restore tone and equilibrium. I feel as though I have always been able to count on her maturity and level-headedness when it comes to allowing people to express themselves, yet not letting certain controversial threads get too out of hand by locking down the smoldering embers. This is what a moderator needs to be. I have no idea how best to handle members that are going off the deep end and getting out of control, but the moderators need to have some guidelines that they agree upon for dealing with certain issues, and then they need to come up with clear guidelines for the members about what will or will not be tolerated. It is unfortunate that it has come to this. I personally preferred the time when the members were self-moderating, but perhaps that golden time has now passed. Or has it??? It is really up to the members to keep this a place that they want to come, if they don't care for a heavy moderator hand, now, isn't it? Perhaps everyone can take a deep breath, step back, own what is theirs, wipe the slate clean, and go forward from here a little wiser and a little more careful about how we conduct ourselves in the future.

Duets*** Pay It Forward*** Signs*** The Man Without A Face

The Power of One*** Independence Day*** Evolution***

Elephant Man*** - need lots of tissues (true story) MASK*** - love Cher! Again, lots of tissues The Mask Ice Castles - oh, yeah!! Gothika - THANKS! That's the one!! Awakenings*** Truly, anything with Robin Williams - he's the BOMB The Long Kiss Goodnight - yes!! DITTO, DITTO, DITTO on Morgan Freeman! What Women Want - ah, Mel Gibson... <3 Ooooh!!! Flashdance!!! I STILL think I could dance like that if I just practiced... lol Greencard - yes! The Ring The first "Scream" Single White Female The Hunger*** The Shining*** Terms of Endearment Wolf Hitchcock's "The Birds" Heathers Willow Firestarter Poltergeist*** Everafter - A Cinderella Story E.T. The Wedding Singer 50 First Dates Altered States Glasshouse Poison Ivy Point of No Return Fried Green Tomatoes Driving Miss Daisy Jack Dead Poets Society Moscow on the Hudson Can I do it 'til I Need Glasses Bicentennial Man Phenomonen Seven Bruce Almighty And I always shop at www.half.com first. Now, don't be blaming me if you spend all your rent money there - I'm just passing out info - you're responsible for your own finances!!! lol I feel a half.com marathon coming on.... YIKES!!! Can anyone do an intervention?!?! :eek :eek :eek

The info I know about erosion: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2256 http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2725 http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showth...=&threadid=2250 http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showth...=&threadid=2274 My removal story: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2288 http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2372&page=1&pp=15 http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2298 http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2406

I'm the erosion poster child here, but I loved my band and would definitely recommend it to anyone considering being banded. You need to educate yourself, and be willing to accept the risks - occasionally things don't go as planned, but for the most part people's banding journeys are enjoyable and uneventful. If you can call losing weight without suffering and keeping it off "uneventful"... Erosion info: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2256 http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2725 http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showth...=&threadid=2250 http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showth...=&threadid=2274 My removal info: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2288 http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2372&page=1&pp=15 http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2298 http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2406

Those are the "Don't miss these FOR SURE" movies... I love thrillers. Oh, also, that movie where Halle berry plays the psychiatrist that gets committed for the murder of her husband was a good one - what was that called? And that Geena Davis movie where she was a highly trained assassin with amnesia - that was good, too! Oh - the Michael Douglas flick "The Game" - really good suspense in that as well. There are so many, and my brain is sooooo small... lol

Hi Caroline - I was pretty darn successful while I was banded, but since my unbanding... not so much... :cry But heck, I'll give you advice anyhow!! lol Okay, the trick when you're not as tight as you'd like to be, for whatever reason, is to maximize what your pouch CAN do for you. So you have to think, "How can I get my pouch to get full and stay full for the maximum amount of time?" Common knowledge: 1. Cold drinks generally tighten restriction 2. Hot Drinks generally loosen restriction 3. Water-loading gives an early pouch stretch, the sensation of which can last for some time, even after the pouch empties 4. Foods that do not "dissolve" with chewing tend to pass more slowly through the pouch - i.e. meats, raw veggies, fibrous things 5. Drinking sooner than 1 hour after eating washes food through the pouch faster, minimizing the amount of time to feel full, leading to return of hunger sooner 6. Exercise is a natural appetite suppressant 7. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger - most people are slightly dehydrated 8. sleep deprivation increases stress, which can result in weight gain Based on the above knowledge, this would be my suggestion to you to try: 1. Make sure you're drinking all of your Water every day - .5 oz per pound of body weight. Water and Fat Loss The levels of oxygen in the bloodstream are greater when the body is well hydrated. The more oxygen the body has readily available the more fat it will burn for energy. Without the presence of oxygen the body cannot utilize stored fat for energy efficiently. Not only will the body burn more fat when well hydrated but because of the increased oxygen levels you will also have more energy. http://www.tbfinc.com/water.htm 2. Get a good night's sleep - go to bed earlier than you're used to. 3. Do a brisk, 30 minute walk each day. 4. Water load before meals. Try to drink a quart of water in the hour before you eat, and then drink as much icy-cold water as you can, as quickly as you can, 15 minutes before your meal. 5. Eat solid Proteins and lots of raw/cooked veggies. 6. NO liquids for an hour after meals! 7. Plan, plan, plan. Plan your meals beforehand, so you know already what you're going to eat. Make your lunch and take it with you to work. PLAN on having Snacks, and plan what you're going to use as a snack, and make sure you have it with you so you have a better chance of sticking to your plan. Good luck, and I hope some of this helps!! I need to do this myself... lol

The Green Mile*** The Fisherking*** The Princess Bride*** Finding Nemo*** Mrs. Doubtfire The BirdCage On Golden Pond Braveheart Cliffhanger Ferngully Silence of the Lambs Halloween Psycho Stigmata Shrek (but not #2 - YUCK!) Toystory Monsters, Inc. Already mentioned: Miss Congeniality Edward Scissorhands*** While You Were sleeping Shawshank Redemption*** Overboard Benny & Joon Steel Magnolias There's Something About Mary*** The classics, of course: Wizard of Oz Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Frosty Bambi As soon as I post I'll think of a million more... lol

Whoo hooo!!!! It's Teresa's bday!!! Many happy wishes for a wonderful day!!!

Bumping for Fidget

Reserving the last weekend in September.... 23-25... Are those the set dates now? xxoo

PMs are not an acceptable place to send attacking messages. Emails are not an acceptable place to send attacking messages. Public forums are not an acceptable place to send attacking messages. Private forums are not an acceptable place to send attacking mesages. People get angry. People get upset. People get hurt. There are appropriate ways to deal with those emotions. You can say, "I disagree." "I think you are wrong." "I don't believe this is fair." "My opinion is..." "I stand by my belief that..." People who send ugly things should not expect that they remain private. PMs/emails/posts imply that you have a trust in the person/people you are communicating with, and they have a trust in you. If you PM/email/post ugly things to someone, you have broken that trust - why should anyone protect you from your ugliness to them??? Only a true friend would do that, and surely you would not send something like that to a true friend. Keeping ugly things said/done to us a secret is how many of our journeys began. Being abused in private is no more acceptable than being abused in public, just as abusing people in private is no more acceptable than abusing people in public. I agree with Bright's earlier post on the subject of etiquette - I try to post in a civil manner, and appreciate those who do the same. I will go to any lengths to protect anyone's privacy if they choose to divulge personal feelings/thoughts/information in confidence to me. All of you can rest assured, however, that if I am ever subject to harrasing/abusive/ and/or threatening correspondence directed at me personally it will NOT be kept private, and will not be tolerated. That is a promise.

Vera, I always knew you were kinky... Congrats on getting fixed up, and best wishes for an uneventful rest of your band life!!! xxooxx

I lied about my weight by about 30 pounds, and my DL says 280!!! (I had to look, as I couldn't remember). This morning I was 234, so I'm nearly 50 pounds less now. But if I wait a couple more months, I may not need to change it... **sob** :eek: :(

My Mom was through menopause at 38. I started five years ago, and just turned 44. I'm down to about 2 periods a year, and my hot flashes have mostly disappeared. The night sweats were the absolute worst for me. I can't wait till it's all really over!!

LOL No, Polyps are what you had before you got jugs....

As a dolphin-lover, I'm "Coral Holder" But as a tree hugger, I'm "Frolic Juniper" - I think I like that better!!!

Just remember - you are not agreeing or disagreeing with ME - I am quoting medical experts who say that morbid obesity is a disease - and has been recognized as one by the NIH since 1985. You can agree or disagree with them - they're the ones who have done the research, not me. I'm just passing along the information. I think medical experts are full of SH*!#$%T a lot of the time. In this case, however, it seems logical to me to err on the side of possibility. It is hard for me to accept that MO is a disease in my understanding of the word, because I feel like I should have control over my weight, and what I eat, and I feel like I don't. I have no doubt I feel that way because society has taught me that. If I had grown up in a society that taught me MO was a disease to be cured/treated, instead of the easiest to solve character flaw, then I wouldn't have grown up with self-esteem issues, and wouldn't be MO - because I would have been receiving appropriate treatment all along. But when there IS a bonafide disease out there like PW, I have to believe that there could be some mysterious, as yet undiscovered, reason WHY I am driven to eat the way I am. The fact that the band turned off a lot of that "eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat eat..." chatter seemed evidence to me that at least part of my problem is physical. If we have some sort of chemical imbalance that drives us to eat, that is ALSO a physical defect - not an emotional/psychological one. However, until someone can isolate it and prove it, the "educated" people can get away with making it a willpower problem, because it is virtually impossible to see/know the difference. Once the physical defect (if any) is taken care of, then we can really see how much of our problem is emotional/psychological. I have willpower. Just not around food without my band... Or without Meridia...

I can't really remember any names I was called... How in denial AM I?!?! But... I DO remember the SOUNDS. The moo's, the snuffling oink oink sounds, the snide sound of words without clarity and the resulting laughter. I was a size 18 in highschool. One of the offenders was a trumpet player that sat behind me, and he would make sounds for my benefit. We ended up going on the same European band tour the summer before my senior year, and ended up on an elevator alone together. I asked him point blank if I was really so very offensive that it was absolutely necessary for him to be mean for no other reason. I don't recall him answering the question, but I don't remember him ever making noises to me again.