DeLarla

Just Think Poop.

Sounds fantab! See ya!

Hey, nobody said I was good with numbers! The 23rd would be Thursday, right? Maybe I screwed up my head real good, and maybe that's the same night as the football game? Heck, just call me, I'm good to go! (702) 419-6054.

I've seen Mamma Mia twice, but never from the 3rd row. And it's a big coincidence that I'll be all alone on Christmas Eve. Chris never, ever, ever goes out with the guys. I wish he would! But he accepted free football tickets in hopes of giving them to a friend. But there's an extra ticket, and the guys talked him into going. He's going to have separation anxiety from his Mamma (me.) So I'm free! But I'll want to sleep at home cuz I'm waking up early to have Christmas with the neighbor kids. I'll PM you my phone numbers.

I thought I'd share this: There's a list of band doctors floating around that probably everyone has. I found out from Inamed that they did NOT publish this list. They don't know who compiled it.

I've had serioulsy bad experiences with my Mexican surgeon. But he is only ONE doctor among many, and only a small percentage of his patients have complaints that I know of (he's done 1500 surgeries and I know of 7 complaints.) Maybe my experience sucked, but Inamed stands behind my doctor 100%, which is why I am considering giving my original surgeon a second chance. I'm not speaking in his defense, and I don't forgive his lack of aftercare, but for anyone new that's considering Mexico, there are Mexian doctors that get raving reviews. Even with the hell I've been through with my band, I'd let him put another band in me this minute! The risks are worth every tear, every anxiety attack, every nervous breakdown. I've lost almost 70 pounds since May. I tried getting the band in the United States, but it cost over $25,000.00, and insurance wouldn't pay, and I only qualified for an $8,000.00 loan. That $8,000 and my band saved my life. I was in therapy last year discussing suicide. My therapist asked me what was holding me back, and I told her "my animals are my babies, and they would die of broken hearts if Mommy never came home again." I had fantasies of bringing all my fur babies into the garage with me, connecting a hose from my exhaust pipe into my car window, and letting the engine run till we all died peacefully in my truck. I even stood in the garage to visualize the procedure. Now I'm sitting here with tears welled up because I'm so happy today. I take pictures with genuine smiles (go see my Christmas pictures thread, and THAT smiling face has a migraine and is STILL smiling.) My port problems have never been life-threatening. So for anyone thinking that surgery in Mexico is a risk, well wake up and smell the anesthesia cause you can get botched up just as bad in the United States as anywhere else on the planet. Sure, it's scary going to Mexico even just to shop for the day, let alone having surgery there! But I put my life in the hands of a Mexican band surgeon because I didn't have anything left to lose since I was planning on ending my life anyway. Instead, Dr. Lopez saved my life. Even if he burned my file the second I left his office, the fact remains that Dr. Juan Lopez Corvala in Tijuana, Mexico, saved my life. If you can get a band in the United States, then you are one lucky person, but if you are desperate for life and can only afford Mexico, then THANK GOD FOR MEXICO.

And my husband took the opposite route. I had the band surgery, then he showed up with a new Harley. MEN!

I would have cleaned my plate as a kid, too, but my mother made disgusting crap. She'd boil liver and lima beans with no breading, oil or seasoning and expect kids to eat it. There was never any meatloaf, pizza, lasagna, mac n' cheese, bacon & eggs. Just boiled, dried up, whole grains, barley, peas. On a rare occasion she'd mess with out heads and buy pizza. But then she'd top it off with cooked peas and raw broccoli. Gee, why is food such an issue for me?

If I don't throw it in the trash immediately, I'll go back and graze later. My husband is terrible at wasting food. He cooks in enormous quantities but won't eat left overs. So spoiled! Meanwhile, my mother would torture us if we didn't clean our plates. If there was one disgusting bite left, she'd put it in the fridge and make us eat it at breakfast. So we have a marriage of exact opposites, which makes it harder.

Michelle, keep posting those excerpts! Good info.

Thank you, Michelle. When will I be getting a full book report? I had no intentions of buying his book, but so far it seems pretty impressive. I may buy it afterall. Air in the pipes... who'da thunk it?

My gosh, I can actually close my eyes and imagine that mess. Poor little guy probably tore open all the presents looking for bananas but just found socks and flannel pajamas.

The difference in money between fluoro and a blind fill can get pretty expensive in the United States. There's a doctor here in Vegas that charges $300.00 for a fill (but first you have to pay a one-time fee of $100.00 just to establish yourself with him.) So after you pay the first $100.00, then it's $300.00 for a "blind" fill. But if you want it done under fluoro, the doctor meets you at the hospital, and you have to pay the hospital separately for the fluoro. I'm not sure how much the hospital charges, but I'm sure it's several hundred bucks. You can't walk into a hospital for anything less than that.

I got a loan from the credit union. The band pays for itself. I was spending a couple hundred a month on fast food but my loan payment is only $130. I gave up getting my nails done, home water deliver, and my lawn service. If I can self-pay, ANYONE can. You just have to want it bad enough to figure out a way. Michelle would look HOT in her convertible now, but the Band is more important.

I talked to her recently. She's busy and well. I'll send a message asking her to post a "hello" to everyone.

The main reason I love this firm is because there are no rules. They are very particular about who they hire because the don't want to babysit. Too many office managers end up playing referree during employee squabbles, and I don't want any part of it. Reminds me of my last job where one obnoxious woman named MaryAnne wore leggings with short t-shirts (and she was pretty hefty.) There was no dress policy, so instead of talking directly to MaryAnne, they sent friendly memos to the whole firm asking us to use good judgment while dressing business-casual. MaryAnne refused to change her wardrobe, so the firm wrote an entire dress policy over that snot. Jeans and sandals were always allowed, but they were forbidden under the new dresscode. Every single person hated MaryAnne. I don't want to be the girl that screws anything up for the whole firm. I just eat alone now.

Zoe, thanks for asking. I'll post a Chloe thread tonight cuz we took some really cute pictures that I want to share. She's so fun because she doesn't think of it as exercising, she just thinks we're playing at the park. Could you imagine if running was actually fun?

Fudge rules. 'Nuff said.

Who will erode? Well, if you simplify it, how many people get infections after getting pierced ears? Some people can have 92 piercings (in pretty gross places even) with no problem, while other people get a major infection from a simple 14K gold stud in their ear. Some of us will erode, plain and simple. If your doctor does not use fluoro for fills, you have to take measures into your own hands and schedule one somewhere else. I plan on having my band checked by either fluoro or endoscopy every 6 months to one year - at least. Nobody will chase you around or ask you if you did it. This has to be our responsiblity.

Even though I'm not losing, I don't need a fill. I still have restriction, but I eat past being full (just like pre-band.) A fill isn't going to help my head. I have to learn to control my thinking and stop eating when my pouch feels tight.

Just wanted to say hi to all you. I dropped out of this challenge, but I've still been getting in a pretty regular walk. Today was very special, cuz Chloe spent the night (5 year old neighbor) so she went with me this morning. She was so cute and so excited because we left in the dark and the sun came up while she played on the monkey bars with my dog. We also took the dogs to another park yesterday to feed ducks and climb the dirt mounds. Plus I rode my motorcycle all weekend, which I never realized was considered exercise, but it takes a lot to keep that bike upright!

This is the best place for venting. I just went in the kitchen to fill my daily water jug. Erin was eating goodies and preparing her breakfast of two muffin sandwiches, a Coke and a container of potato salad. Don't get me wrong, I ate just as bad till I weighed over 300 pounds, but I never let it affect anyone around me. My problem with Erin is that she has no shame whatsoever. We are both obese women, so every time she comes near me with mounds of food and Cokes, I feel like people are looking at "us" as if we are pigs. Like I'm guilty by association. Everybody knows that I've lost weight, but I see them looking at me like they are thinking "Lisa is going to gain all her weight back because her and Erin are always eating." It sucks, because I look forward to going into the lunchroom with Jon every day. But Erin took that daily pleasure away from me, because now I avoid her like the plague. Jon and I don't eat lunch together any more. My other co-worker, Karen, used to lunch with us every day but she hasn't been in the lunchroom for months because of Erin. I said good morning to Erin, but I walked away as she tried telling me about her weekend because I can't stand seeing her talk with her mouth full of food. Why doesn't she have an ounce of shame? We all know what it's like to be Erin, right? But gosh, could you imagine if she was trying to quit smoking and I offered her cigarettes every day? Or blew smoke in her face while handing her cigarette coupons, talking about the difference between regular and menthol while lighting smoke after smoke? What kind of person does that?

My family still keeps cash in rolled up newspapers. My husband keeps his in First Tile of Nevada (under a loose tile.)

I said I'd be here, and here I am. Up 2 pounds, and I think my body wants to permanently weight 249. I make poor food choices and have endulged in way too many holiday goodies - just another reason why I don't like this time of year. Yes, I said it, I do not like Christmas.

Thanks, Patty. Maybe I'll buy both and take 1/2 of each dose and see if hair grows out of my ears! Good info, I think I will buy both to try each one. If I don't like it, I'll give it to Penni.