☠carolinagirl☠

I have not posted in a few weeks and have been reading many of the posts regarding the same questions and the tone of some of the answers.
I work in the medical field and researched the band for 2 years and went to all of my preop classes etc... I was fully aware before surgery that the band is only a tool. The best way of thinking about it for me is the band holds me accountable to myself and what I eat!!! It is a tool only ,I have done the work so far. My loss has been very slow but I feel 100% better. I feel the first mistake some make is thinking the band is a cure and an easy way out. I have been stuck for 3 weeks now but will not let that stop me. I was banded 11-8-12 have had 2 fills. At my last fill the NP told me "you get it, you really get it"!!! Its only a tool, they cure for obesity comes from within and the desire to for once in my life do something for me and to become more healthy and active. I don't need to lose as much as some but the battle is the same. For those of you that have met your goal, you are an inspiration to me and gives me hope that I can do this with the HELP of my band. I do no rely on the band but always know its there. I have lost 21 pounds with 30 to go and its any every day decision but the band always reminds me how much and what I can and cannot eat. Looking forward to the green zone and until then I just keep doing the best I can. Not sure why I felt the need to write this but hope this help someone the way others on this post has helped me the last few months. By the way I am a 51 yr old grandmother raising grandkids the works full time so believe me I know the stress of everyday life and how I turn to food for comfort. No more thanks to my lap band, accountablity tool

You hear and see a lot on this site " just because you can eat more doesn't mean you should".
 
Frankly this is the case if you have the band or not. We all got here because we could and did and we "just this onced" more than once.
 
Most of us have doctors who gave us very specific orders as to how much we are to eat at a time. My doctor said a cup. Have I ever eaten more than that at a meal- yes, alot more- no, should I have - no. I got use to eating a lot at one sitting pre-band. I was never much of a snacker / crap eater, but I was a big eater at meal time. I could eat with the big boys, which was why I became a big girl. In my obese mind food was good and more was better.
 
Now that I have the band food still taste good, really good, but I know that I MUST stop at a cup. Why must I stop,
1- My band has made my stomach about the size of a golf ball (that ain't big)
2- I DO NOT want to stretch it or damage my band
3- I really do want to loose weight.
So while I could likely eat a lot even now post-banded I do not "want" to. (There is that word again- WANT)
 
There are times, especially at family events, that I find myself helping my plate like I use to eat and I have to go whoa- not gonna happen. It's hard to lose the mantality of being a big eater at times.
 
There are some banders on here who say there band reminds them or prevents them from eating "bad" foods or to much. Well, my band doesn't.
 
What does my band do? It helps me eat slower and stay satisfied longer with less. I do get stuck on occassion, but that is normally because I tried to eat to fast or didn't chew well enough. My job as the band user is to listen to my body and if I am not hungry DON'T EAT. When I do eat, eat things that are good for me (protein, veggies, fruits) and keep my portion sizes down. I do not need to eat a gallons worth of food, my body only needs a cup.
 
It isn't always easy to do our part, the band is there willing and able to help, but we (I) must do my part. Each time I eat when I'm not hungry, eat more than I should, or eat "crap" foods I imagine my band sitting there hanging in shame.
 
The band will not, can not help me if I choose to go against it. So next time I think well just a little more or just this once I will remind myself that those thoughts is what got me to the place where I needed the band.

I never thought I would find that question so offensive. I am guilty of asking such a question when I was younger to my own Sister. I do believe people have no malicious intent when they ask such a question but yet it can come off so offensive. My Wife and I have tried for three years to get pregnant with no luck. We both went through extensive testing and seen numerous specialists. It was determined I was the problem. I was not producing viable sperm. I under went Surgery last February to determine if I had a blockage and to see if they could extract viable samples to be used in conjunction with IVF. They got a little and we had it frozen until such a time we could move forward with the IVF. We were warned by both my Doctor and My Wife's that we should be prepared for back up options such as a donor as they had little to work with. My wife and I decided donor was not something we wanted. If we could not have them biologically then maybe we would consider possible adoption down the road.
 
My surgery was in February of 2012 and the IVF cycle was in May. Even though we were told the odds were not favorable but yet possible we had very high hopes and less than 24 hours later after the IVF cycle our world came crashing to a halt as we were notified it didn't work. We both cried for two days and I personally took it harder than I expected I ever would. I guess part of it is because even though I did nothing wrong I felt like I failed us both.
 
Now 8 months later we talk about it less but the memories are fresh. I still blame myself and haven't really moved on. This past weekend we were visiting my Wife's cousin who has 16 month old twins who we simply adore and love to spend time with. My Wife posted the below picture on facebook which lead to a lot of "When are you going to have babies of your own?"

 
Naturally, it is our own fault for posting the picture but I cannot help but be annoyed. One of the people who asked is an Aunt who does not have kids herself due to medical complications. One would think she would've been more tactful.
 
 
Next time you consider asking someone when they are going to have kids take a moment to consider that there maybe more to the story and that it could be a sensitive subject!! I guess this is my payback for asking my Sister and Brother in law many years ago. I am however a proud Uncle of a 22 and 15 year old!

My day started out typical...until I left work for a 1045 a dr appointment. My plastic surgeon has been concerned about the bleeding from my belly button that started almost 2 weeks after my tummy tuck.....but stopped since I saw him Monday. For precaution he wanted to check me out anyway. Last night I thought I was in the clear...no bleeding, minimal swelling... But I went anyway because I am a firm believer in following drs orders. And this morning there was a small amount of blood and swelling above the incision line.
 
Immediately the dr noticed the swelling and decided to make 3 tiny incisions, pack them with gauze and let me drain for 24 hrs. Once he did that.... He said that would redirect the belly button bleed but my body has a mind of its own because it didn't work. After another 15 minutes of push and trying to figure out where is drainage was coming from he decided to send me accross the street to the hospital for an ultrasound so he could see exactly where they pockets of blood were.
 
Keep in mind this drainage isn't too unusual...it's not life threatening... its just messy and inconvenient. But the fact it didn't stop once he made the cuts concerned him. So he called the radiologist ...you know the one doctor who you never meet but sends you a bill for reading your radiology reports.....LOL
 
Anyway they saw me right away...which was a little concerning to me ....but comforting too. I hop on the table and the tech starts to do the ultrasound and finds two dark spots on either side of the belly button...not under the muscle....just under the skin. I also saw my port which looked pretty!!! The tech called in the dr who assured me he just spoke to my plastic surgeon and he was going to aspirate them.....or try too. Basically that means to take a needle and stick it in the dark spot and try to suck it out.
 
The dr called the spots blood clots or hematomas. After i heard the blood clot word I asked him how concerned I should be. He said they were not in arteries or veins so not life threatening. He said they are not unusual and they would eventually be absorbed by the body but they would just as soon get rid if them. He brought out a 5" needle and plunged into the larger clot. Nothing. It was so think he couldn't suck it out. He said he needed a bigger needle. I equated that to JAWS...we are going to need a bigger boat! The larger needle didn't help....he got about an Inch up the needle and it stopped. Too thick. He did get a little to send to the lab to rule out anything funky but he decided to move to the smaller one. That one came out lick a dee split. One down..one left....
 
The radiologist called my PS and told him what's was up and they decided to let me go and let the drains do their thing tonight and I go back in the morning to clean the drainage and decide what to do with the remaining clot. I was uncomfortable but had to go back to work to clean up stuff which I left...considering I was gone 4 hrs and only prepared for one!! I was walking a little funny but finished out my day and drove home. My PS called me on the way home to see how I was doing... And to tell me what he and the RAD discussed...
 
So tonight I am lying in bed...resting and being really mad at my body for keeping this old blood as a souvenir from my surgery....

Good evening all,
​I had my support meeting tonight and we met our new dietitian. She handed out new recipes and I just tried a great one and needed to share it.
Homemade Baked Cheese Crisps (they are great)
preheat oven to 350 and put parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Must!! use parchment paper.
use shredded cheese and seasonings (I did not use seasoning) and put little lumps of the mixture on the parchment paper, spaced out because the will grow. and spread. (Their words not mine) about a teaspoon of cheese.
Now put it on a rack centered in the middle of the oven and bake 5-7 minutes. When they start to turn brown take them out and let them cool.
I made mine with a pizza cheese blend and the hub and I loved them
Enjoy!
You can use cheddar/jack and Ranch dressing to make it a Mexican blend. Add garlic, chili powder.

Like many others i am sure.... I get a lot of PMs from people at different stages of their journey asking how they can be as successful as I have been, what were my challenges, what do I eat etc....... And I answer each and every question. A handful of people, write back thanking me or expressing their concerns, frustrations etc....But I really am not sure why most of the others actually do not... I offer my opinions, answer their questions and give them the what worked for me speech... And then I never hear from them again. Not even a thanks for taking the time to answer me...
 
I am not expecting life long pen pals and i I am greatful when Someone actually acknowledges my repy... But for someone to take the time to write, m to take the time to answer I am baffled as to why they don't acknowledge my answer.
 
Just another thing to make you go hmmmmm
 
 

This was an awesome dinner. It comes in about 250 calories a serving with 16.5 grams of protein.
 
Ingrediant:
 
1 large potatoe sliced thinly (you many not use all of it)
1 large onion diced
2 teaspoons of garlic minced
1 box of frozen defrosted and drained chopped spinach
4 eggs
1 cup of skim milk
1/4 cup of sh. cheese
salt and pepper to taste
3 table spoons olive oil
 
Heat oven to 350 - place a cookie sheet inside
 
Slice potatoes evenly and thinly - coat with 1 TBS of olive oil - dash of salt and pepper
Remove cookie sheet from oven and place a layer of potatoes on the sheet- bake for about 10-12 min (you want the potato just tender)
 
In a skillet add 2 TBS of olive oil- diced onion, minced garlic. Cook until onion is almost done, then add drained spinach and mix well.
 
In a bowl mix 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, cheese- add salt and pepper to taste.
 
When potatoes are just tender remove from oven and place in the bottom of a Pam sprayed casserole bowl (I used a large corningware round bowl). Just cover the bottom with potatoe for the crust. Pour egg and spinach mixture over top.
 
Bake for 30 min or until center is set.
 
This was so good. It make 4 portions so I have left over for my lunch today or I could have had it for breakfast.
 
You can also play with the recipe adding different seasoning to the potatoes or add salsa, mushrooms, peppers- almost anything to the mix.
 
Bottom line it was good, filling, and low cal.

These questions come up very frequently and they are all normal things that occur after weight loss surgery.
 
Hair loss: Normal! There is really not many products that really work. It will end eventually. If you are having excessive hair loss then consult your doctor.
 
Constipation: Constipation is normal when you are on a high protein diet. Again if you are having extreme issues and a little stool softener is not helping consult your doctor.
 
Weight loss stalling: Normal! No diet in the world will not come with weight loss stalls. You just have to bear with it.
 
Pain after surgery: Now I am not being rude but who has ever had surgery and not had any pain? I haven't. The severity depends on your ability to deal with pain. Some can and some can't.
 
Gas: Normal. Any abdominal surgery you will have gas because your belly is filled with gas during surgery so they can see what they are doing. How long it stays is also indvidual. No one can tell you how long it is going to last.
 
Diarrhea: Normal! Liquids in liquids out.
 
No restriction: Normal! People get restriction confused as anything. Its not about keeping you from eating food its about keeping you satisfied for 3 to 4 hours or longer on small amounts of food. Until you reach your green zone you have to do some or not all of the work. Yeah it sucks but its the truth.
 
Did I hurt my band: Probably not but if you continue to eat large amounts of food, drink and puke, get food constantly stuck because you are eating the wrong things then yes eventually you will hurt your band by causing erosion. Then your band will come out.
 
Port Pain: Normal. The port area can hurt up to three months.
 
Not normal things:
 
Chest pain: this should never be posted in the forum unless you really are seeking attention. Go to the emergency room then tell us how you are doing. The time you spent posting in the forum you could have been on your way to the hospital.
 
 
Leg Pain: Not normal. Could be a blood clot. Again do not post this in the forum go to the emergency room you could have a stroke in the time you posted this.
 
Constant Vomiting: Not normal. Something is wrong and again call your doctor and or go to the emergency room. Throwing up with the band can cause slippage.
 
Any kind of pain that you did not have post surgery is not normal.
 
Constant heart burn: Not normal
 
Not being able to keep any food or fluids down: Not normal. Seek medical attention.
 
 
If you are having medical issues then call your doctor. Care enough about yourself to do that. We are not medical professionals to give you medical advice. Your surgeons are on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week if you are having medical issues. They are getting paid to take your call. Call them, they don't mind after all that is why they chose to be a surgeon and knew what came with the job when they took it. Why fear calling them and distubing them. To this day I still have my surgeons cell phone number and can call him day or night and he will always answer any questions I have if I am having an issue.

Good afternoon everyone.
tonight on 20/20 they are going to have the People 1/2 their size on. Good program to get inspired!
I got inspired this morning, less than one pound to go and I will be under 200. I haven't seen that number in many many years and I am looking forward to it.
Enjoy your TGIF, all.

Well I joined the gym December 17th with my husband. We try to go 3-5 times a week. Just got home and must say the 2 of us have improved our work outs. I can now do the bike for 20 minutes. When I started I was at 10 minutes and level 1 and now up to level 4 or 5. I try other machines for the legs and arms. My husband has been very sick and extremely weak and he is enjoying the gym. He once was a work out nut, like 30 something years ago. My husband almost died 15 months ago and is still not good, he collects SSD at age 61. It sucks. The gym is helping him a lot and making him feel better about himself. We only go for about 1/2 hour right now but at least we are moving
We live in the Boston area and it's around 10 tonight or maybe colder with the wind chill so you have to do in door exercises. They gym is cheap, $10. per month a person. Best $20. we have spent in years!
Enjoy your evening.
Arlene

​Just got my new People and it's the half their size issue!!!!!!!! I always felt jealous of their success and now I can be a success story like them. Who would have thought one year ago I would be down 66 lbs. at this time. Great start of the new year for all of us. We are facing our over eating and doing something about it. We all should stand up and cheer for ourselves and all on this site!!!

When I first started thinking about being banded I talked to a co-worker who had lost 60 + lbs and gotten to a size 10 after being banded. She was really encouraging and told me if I did it she would be there to help me along.
 
Well after being banded she turned on me- she was always telling me I was doing it wrong and not being helpful at all. I stopped discussing the band with her to prevent any bad feelings after all I have to work with this woman. Since my surgery it's like it pushed her to get back on the wagon and she has lost an additional 20 lbs and is rubbing it in my face. Rude a little?
 
Now she has begun telling me things like-
you can eat reg food after getting a fill, it won't hurt you- your doctor is to restrictive
you don't need to drink all that water it's not good for you
you are getting fills to often
 
I do not ask for advice, but I get it anyway. Frankly I just ignore her advice because we didn't have the same surgeon and I trust and like my surgeon and prefer to listen to him not her.
 
Her bad advice is just bugging me. Yes, she has had great success and done very well, looks great. I don't know if she is following the same things she is telling me or if she is trying to sabatoge me. I refuse to listen to her, but now she is giving advice to someone else who is considering the band, which upsets me because this person doesn't know anything about it. I want to step up and say something, but that person hasn't come to me to ask for advice so I feel like it would be butting in and could possibly cause some tention in the work place.
 
My weight loss has been painfully slow, but it will keep coming down. I am happy that I was banded and have finally excepted that my body will drop the weight on it's on time table. I gained a little over Christmas, but feel confident that I will take it off.
 
It's just hard to come to work and have someone rub their loss in your face and tell you that you are doing it wrong when I am doing what my doctor say do.
 
What's a girl to do?

And it is very easy to make. Here is my favorite recipe
 
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
 
1 Can chickpea/garbonza beans (15oz)
1/3 cup tahini (See note below)
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ - ¾ cup roasted red peppers
 
In a food processor, combine beans, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add red peppers and garlic until desired consistency.
 
I calculated the nutritional information based on ¼ cup serving:
Calories 154
Total Fat 11g
Sodium 190mg
Total Carbs 8.4g
Dietary fiber 3.2g
Sugars .9g
Protein 5.1g
 
Tahini is sesame seed butter. I find it with the peanut butter or in the international isle of the grocery store.
 
Enjoy!

Betrayal comes from many aspects of our life. From friends, family, spouses and children. Everytime you are betrayed by people you love it hurts. So why with the band do you betray yourself by eating things you are not supposed to and in the long run feeling guilty and hurt by your decisions.
 
Life isn't always easy and we have enough stress without letting the band stress us more. It's supposed to help us feel better about ourselves not feel miserable.
 
As the new year approaches, stop betraying yourself with the band. Follow your instructions that you were given and even if your weight loss is slow, a pound loss is a loss no matter how you look at it.
 
I betrayed myself for years with tons of food, feeling miserable, feeling overly full and depending on food to get me through rough times. I stil have rough times, but I don't use food as another means to betray myself. I use it to make myself feel good by getting rid of the horrible self image I had when I was almost 300lbs.
 
Sometimes it's not easy dealing with problems without the comfort of food but I have learned to stop letting meaningless things get on my nerves.
 
Happy New Year with a new attitude about band life!

These are my babies!
 
Atticus, Black Mouth Cur. He is the biggest baby in town.
 
Hank, Blue Healer. Gill's dog, follows her around the whole time she is here.
 
Sophie, Dachshund. Daddy's baby (but he won't admit it) and the BOSS of all the dogs!
 
Bugsy, Rat Terrier and Dachsund mix. My baby, he is with his best friend Smokey the cat.

Why should you feel guilty about eating something. Isn't that the way we used to feel before being banded. Over eating on Sunday before the start of your Monday diet. If you are eating something that makes you feel guilty then why over indulge and eat it.
 
This journey is about learning new habits not holding on to the old ones. Being made to feel guilty about any decision in life whether it is about food or anything else is a very bad feeling one should never have. If you are about to sit down and eat a chocolate bar or a piece of pie but after you eat it that guilt trip settles in, then why put yourself through that process over and over again.
 
One day I sat down and I was looking at my snacks for the day and when I entered them in on Spark People (because I like that site much better then My Fitness Pal) holy toledo, even though I was only eating a thousand calories for the day, at least 350 to 400 were in snacks. Not that the snacks were bad because it was 100 calories for greek yogurt, 170 for a protein bar and so forth, the guilt of what I ate snack wise floored me and made me feel guilty. I never wanted to feel that way again about food.
 
I don't want to feel guilty so that is why I do not eat high calorie snacks anymore. Some apple slices, craisins, low fat cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs and so forth. I keep my snacking calories under 250 so I don't have to feel guilty. I love anything with sugar but I can't eat it because I can't just have one and then the guilt settles in.
 
Pleasure should never be compared to guilt or associated with guilt. You make your decisions to eat things so why feel guilty. We have all failed at something in life whether it be having an aweful relationship with food, family, mates, children.
 
I don't want my eating life to be full of guilt because in all reality in this part of the game I am eating to fuel my body not fuel my mind on taste. My mind played enough aweful things in my life as far as my relationship with food goes.
 
Think before you eat and ask yourself "is this going to make me feel guilty after I eat it"? If the answer is yes then get rid of it. You don't need guilt to be in your life over something that won't matter in ten years.
 
TTFN

Anyone thats ever had a traumatic event in their life can relate to what I'm about to say. I spent a lot of time in the counselors office talking about forgiveness. Forgiving your abuser and those who supported the abuse, either by denial or by complacency is more about healing you than giving that other person anything.
 
I never once in this whole process ever thought about forgiving myself. I was watching a recent episode of Heavy and one of the counseling sessions was about forgiving yourself. There is so much guilt associated in childhood trauma, at least there was for me. I can honestly say that I have forgiven those involved, but I have never forgiven myself.
 
Part of this journey for me is to work through the reasons I turn to food for comfort. Part of my realization is that I have not forgiven myself; I did not allow myself to break free from my abuse because of the guilt. I feel responsible for what happened, because I didn't speak up, I didn't tell anyone, I didn't make it stop. Why didn't I? Logic sets in and tells me it was because I was only 2,3,4,5,6,7 years old but my memories are processed through my mind, an adult's mind. I am mature enough to know it is wrong..now! But then? I remember saying " this is wrong" and him saying " why?" and I couldn't answer him because I didn't know.
 
How could I not have known?
 
These are the things I am working through...it's not a sob story, so don't feel bad for me. It's just my reality, one that I've lived with my whole life. I'm working through it now. I have no choice because I can't consume large amounts of food anymore to avoid working through them ( thank god!)
 
I'm just telling myself every day that I have the right to what everyone else has and that....
 
It was not my fault! It was not my fault! It was not my fault!

Is my band too tight? How many times do we see this question? A lot so let’s talk about it.
 
How tight you have your band is a personal preference. No one (including your doctor) can tell you how tight it has to be. This is something you have to decide for yourself. Personally my band is loose. The last time I had an x-ray my doctor commented that I didn’t have very much restriction. Oh well, it is what works for me.
 
I have had 2 unfills because I felt my band was too tight, but I know now that it wasn’t. So how do I know if my band is too tight? I ask myself these questions:
 
1. Can I get water/liquids down okay? If YES not too tight
 
2. Are my bites the size of a nickel or smaller? If NO not too tight
 
3. Do I chew my food at least 30 times before swallowing? If NO not too tight
 
4. Do I wait 1 minute between bites? If No not too tight
 
It appears that my eating habits cause me to think my band is too tight. When I eat correctly I have no problems.
 
My advice to anyone wondering if their band is too tight is, evaluate your eating by asking yourself my four questions.

I met with my surgeon for the final time before my surgery yesterday! I go to the hospital on Monday to get all of my preop testing done. Then if all goes as planned, I will be banded on January 15th! I start my 2 week liquid diet on New Year's Day. I plan to go shopping later tonight for all the things I need to begin the diet. My hubby has decided that he could lose a little weight also so he's gonna do the diet with me in the evenings so I won't be so tempted! I'm planning on cooking some things up and freezing them for my 14 year old so he can just heat things up for his supper.
I'm really excited and nervous all at the same time! Just ready to get on with this and hopefully be successful at getting healthy once and for all! I'm nervous about the 2 week diet! I go back to school(kindergarten teacher) the day after I begin the diet and worry about the possible headaches and irritability from not eating! I have a really big class this year--- 27 students( 18 boys and 9 girls!)! So, that in itself has made this year a bit challenging! Just don't want to add to the stress with hunger issues! I know I will get through it though--- just gotta stay focused on the end results! Looking forward to the New Year and all the exciting changes ahead!

I don't share my numbers, weight/weight loss with family or friends other than here. I feel safe here because other banders don't judge. My husband knows and I have told my sons some pounds lost but have stopped. I feel everyone judges others, I have also, so I know what I am talking about.
I told my sons about me fitting into size 16 jeans but didn't tell their wives. One wife, she has mental problems, long story, she would be hurt because she has gotten heavy and squeezes into a 16. She once made a comment that I was almost her size and her stretchie pants were skin tight. Wearing tight clothes make you look heavier and unkept. You can still look good and dress nice and be heavy.
Have a great weekend everyone.

Hello
I am a very weird eater. Recall the movie, When Harry Met Sally? Well I eat worse than Sally. My food never touches, I use a different plate for each item, in my house. I dislike more foods than I like. I hate fast food restaurants, my poor grandsons, they get sit down restaurants with me. I never use condiments, never tried salad dressing or soups, so why am I over weight? I love bread!! I could eat 2-3 bread baskets full of wonderful breads in a restaurant with either oil or butter. Then eat my meal. Since having the band, I am so good. I do try the breads but a very small piece and stop. I also would always have ice cream either in a restaurant or at home almost everyday. I have had maybe 2-3 small tastes of my husband's since the band. I am really trying and so far so good. I guess it took me 62 years to wake up and say, STOP, being the overweight Arlene. I can move much better. Because of back problems, I can't stand in one place for more than a few minutes, weight loss will not cure that. I am not as tired as I was and I still have a lot to lose. I hope to be a onederlander within the next week or two. That would be F'n awesome. Yes, I have a potty mouth, that comes with me where ever I go.
Have a wonderful Boxing Day, all.

Someone said that to me today. I was back at work ...granted I was at home but I could do my job in a closet and no one would notice...LOL. Any way I was on the phone with one of my employees and she asked how I was recovering from my surgery... She doesn't know it's nature..but anyway I told her I was really surprised at how well I was doing albet I would like to feel a little less tired....but she said...well happy people get good results.
 
It got me to thinking.... And of course there are exceptions to this rule of thumb...but do you believe it?

Merry Christmas to everyone in Lap Band land. I went to my son's to see what Santa brought my grandsons. Santa was very nice to them. My son has a Texas BBQ/smoker, from Texas. He does catering, also. He was up all night smoking beef brisket. OMG!! it taste so good. I am going to my other son's for dinner and he is serving one of the briskets. Can't wait. The burnt ends are the best. Now that I am finally having the brisket, 3-4 oz. isn't too much food. I hope I can have a doggie bag.
I hope everyone gets to eat wonderful food with wonderful people/family today and always.
Enjoy the day.
"Eye Candy"/Arlene

Well I wrestled over posting these pics in my gallery...but they are there and I think they arent any worse then what I would look like on the beach... so have a look if you are interested.... I think they came out AMAZING! Can't wait for the upper swelling to go down.

I posted tummy tuck before and after in my gallery and hopefully on this blog....... granted its only been less than 48 hours but even with the swelling you get the general idea.... I am not brave enough to post the "girls"... until i can figure out how to cover up the personal parts..... but they look marvelous!