DeLarla

About a year ago, I had one of those really funky dreams that I wasn't able to shake for a couple weeks. It was eerie, almost a nightmare. In the dream, I learned that my desire and addiction to Diet Pepsi was actually making me fat. I dreamed that diet sodas and foods actually chemically cause people to be fat. The dream had all sorts of analytical data incorporated into visions of diet soda and fat. I woke up the next morning completely freaked out, thinking Diet Pepsi had sabotaged my entire life. I haven't had a diet soda since. I started drinking regular soda, but I'd never have more than one a day. Meanwhile, I have an autoimmune disease. So far, there's no known cause of my "Sarcoidosis" but I read a study that implicates Nutrisweet as the culprit. And at the risk of another hijack, my wound is looking much better. I have another whole post devoted to it, and I'll be posting a new picture tonight to show everyone how well it seems to be doing. Thank you for asking about me : )

Sorry for the quick hijack, but Ginny, did you ever get the box of clothes I mailed you?

Wow, awesome thread. My moment was about 6 months long. My insurance sent me a card with an emergency crisis number on it. One night, I called the number crying and begged them to keep me from eating. They didn't keep me from eating, but they sent me to a therapist. During my first visit, she asked why I was there. I said, "what would you say if I told you I was going home and killing myself?' She jumped towards her phone and said she had to call the authorities and asked me what my intentions were. So I told her, "I'm going to do the same thing I do every night, which is eat myself to death." She took a big sign of relief and sank back into her chair, like "oh, is that all?" I was so disgusted that I started crying and told her that my life is in her hands, and it was up to her to find me some help - pronto. She was supposed to be an eating disorder specialist, yet she'd never heard the TRUTH about compulsive overeating till she met me. She used me to study, which makes me sick considering the copayment alone was $35.00 a session. So I gave up on her and laid in bed every night, hoping each night was the last night of suffering for me. I was also on a CPAP breathing machine because my sleep apnea was so bad, that during the studies my heart stopped 40 times an hour. I went to bed every night with so much food in my stomach that it would choke me in my sleep. Sleep apnea, added to so much food in my stomach that it had to come back up my esophogus would eventually kill me, I just knew it would, but what was taking so long? So I posted a personal ad in Yahoo personals, screaming out for anyone to help me. The actual moment was when Karen H. actually stumbled upon my ad and wrote back to me. She said she knew my entire pain, and she had been banded. Within a month or so, she was in my living room telling me and hubby about her band. Within a few more weeks I was in Tijuana getting my band. Funny how angels land right when we need them the most.

Me too, I'm always looking for Zoe-isms here!

I had my band placed 5/5/04, but the port incision never healed. It became badly infected, so on 6/17/04 they surgically removed my port. During the removal surgery, they gave me my first and only fill. I'm still waiting for the incision to heal. If and when it heals, they'll need to do a 3rd surgery to give me a new port or I won't be able to get fills.

Cookies and ice cream... is that a bad thing? Betty, I'm glad you went to work, but I'm also glad you left early cuz this SuperBandWoman thing worried me. Now I don't feel like such a wimp. Then again, I'm the bad ass biker chick who got a sinus infection the first time I rode on the highway - achooo! Everyone is exercising up a storm here. Michelle, three miles is a great workout. None of us should discount something we do as "only" because we're moving while our skinny friends are watching tV.

Most of us were told not to drink anything carbonated after being banded. I was under the impression that you get bad gas pains from drinking carbonation, while others were told it could cause erosion. I'm not sure what the deal is anymore - there's a lot of conflicting information, but I just assume stay away from it. I hope one day the Band Gods will speak to us and tell us we can have carbonation... I'd love a Perrier!

Remember, I'm an alien so my body works differently, and I always weigh less after I exercise - I attribute it to sweating some water out. I only weigh once a day before I exercise. But today I was just hoping to get a peek of things to come, so I hopped on after my walk, and los and beholdings, it said 249. Now I know those 240s are hiding inside me somewhere! Lots of people losing lots of weight around here... could it be the band? Betty, you're freaking me out. Maybe you're an alien cause this all seems so easy for you!

251 this morning... but then I cheated and went for a walk. I just had to weigh again, and for a split second I saw 249 - I saw the 240s for the first time! With me, once I see the loss, it takes another week or two for it to be permanent, but I actually saw the 240s this morning!

Laurie, a month ago I was going to kill my husband for buying a motorcycle. I got so sick of fighting that I gave in and bought a bike of my own. Now I'm hooked. Biker Barbie - I have all the accessories. Sick, sick, sick. And we just spent a ton more on fixing my bike up cuter. I need to hit the addiction thread. All these bikers talk about are engines - when will they learn it's all about cute?

I'm gonna try to find a mini skirt. As soon as I do, you KNOW I'll post pics!

I had a party today, so I spent all day yesterday cleaning. Then I rode my motorcycle all morning - then the whole group came back to my house for a party. So I'm beat up from the feet up, which means I got plenty of exercise. Betty, I LOVE your picture! So here's one special for you - these are all the bikes in front of my house today. That's my Sportster and my Dyna on the left. Notice how I refer to "my" house & bikes? Okay, ours. Great ride, great party.

I don't have anything nice to say. I need to move to the whiner thread. My boo boo really sucks the big weenie, that's all I'm sayin.

I'm tired of smiling and being cheerful today, so here's a fun new thread devoted to whining and complaining. Who can whine the best? My back hurts, so do my ribs, feet, ankles, arthritic carpal tunnel hands, and I have a splitting headache. I'm tired. I want to eat gooey sweet crap. My job is boring. I miss my friends. Hmmm... this is depressing me. It's not as fun as I thought it would be.

I live in Las Vegas, where there are only 3 band doctors. They all refuse to work on any patients but their own as far as port problems, slippage, erosion, etc. But one of them will do fills on Mexican patients - just fills, but he won't do work on Swedish bands. I got my Inamed band in Mexico, so maybe that's why he'll do Mexican fills?

My goal is to wear a mini skirt with cha-cha heels no matter what the temperature or how old I am.

Penni, did you find the feather when I sent your palm pilot? I put one in the box cause I'm a dork that way.

I think what's so great about this board is nobody really lets any whining take place. When you feel bad enough to whine, someone ruins your day by cheering you up! I'm not even grouchy today, yet here I am at the whining thread seeing if anybody needs a good laugh!

Laurie, welcome to the Funny Farm... we'll all be here waiting for you on the other side. Do you have a surgery date?

I vote YES for the sexercise thread!

I found another boa feather today.

I met the exercise challenge this week. Walked three days plus use of my machine for upper bod. Far out, thanks for starting the thread!

"LOL! Should we have an anchovy hanging over the side of the glass for garnish?? Blech... never could (& I did try a time or two) bring myself to tolerate the flavor of beets." PERFECT - I'm trying to divert my attention from my wound - I knew I could find it here. GOOD ONE!

Do I have to pay for everyone's therapy now?

Penni, I was too grouchy earlier from my bullet wound (a surgeon played with my incision today and made it much worse.) Fifty is awesome, isn't it? I'd tap dance for you if I felt better, but for now will you just allow me to sing you the Tootie Tot? Too bad there's not a hidden camera in my bathroom, because every time the scale goes down a pound I'm in there doing the Tootie Tot butt naked. Can't be pretty, but can be extremely amusing.