DeLarla

Darcy, that's a relief (I think.) Are these meds supposed to cure gastritis, or just help with the symptoms. Is this gastritis thing going to be a chronic condition, or will it pass? And where's Waldo? I mean, what's their explanation for only locating 1 cc of your fill? Where did the rest go? Did their ears perk up like you might have a leak? I'm not even a doctor, but that was my first thought... hmm, wonder where the 1cc is... her painful abdomen? Sounds like you had a hellofa time. I've been home getting my house perfect for the party - so I'm doing some barfing myself. I've been working for 5 hours straight yet the only thing I can see that's done is the onions are chopped for the salsa. The clothing exchange seems a little out of hand - clothes everywhere! I'm going to sort them in pants, tops, jackets, dresses and shorts, shred the cheese for Saturday, and then hit the hay. I have 5 peeps to pick up at the airport in the morn. Beca, I'm not so sure why you think eating one egg is so bad... did it feel good once it settled? Are you all better now? Me and my wound are signing off. I can't believe I still have it, cuz I thought for sure once the bash came around there'd be nothing left but a scar to talk about. Darcy, sorry you're missing the grossness of it, but I did save you a picture. xoxo

I have 25 items of clothing at the resale store (she sells them on consignment then sends monthly checks.) They've been there since August, but I haven't received a dime yet. So I just called to say I was picking them up to add to our clothing exchange since not even one item has sold. But she won't let me have them! She said she has to keep them for a certain time before I can have them back! No problem. Tomorrow, we go to war. Signing off now... my work week is over, it's party time! I'm off to the store for last minute thingys for the party. Sure wish more of you could come... there's still a vacant bed at my house!

I don't mean to scare you, but I feel we all deserve honest facts. For me, there are no local doctors in case of emergencies. My Mexican doctor referred me to local doctors, but they all refuse to treat Mexican patients. My only choice is to fly or drive to Mexico. I did have an emergency, and I'm still not healed. My port incision never healed, and I needed emergency help. But nobody here would help me, so I had to go back to Mexico and have my port removed. I'm still having problems with the incision, so I might find a buddy to travel to Mexico with in November. I can't even get any fills till I heal, because they need to do a 3rd surgery to replace the port in order to fill me. But don't worry... the good news is that there really aren't any "band emergencies" that will require immediate attention. Most band problems are things that can wait till tomorrow - but don't take me the wrong way, if you feel it's an extreme emergency, listen to your body and get on the phone to your surgeon. They'll direct you what to do. I ended up in my local Urgent Care a couple times, but all they could do was give me antibiotics till I was able to get to Mexico. We're all in this together. You're home now.

For those of you wondering why all the pictures I'll be posting of me are going to be in my motorcycle helmet, it's because a lot of people owe me bonks on the head and will be throwing shoes at me... don't hate them, I earned it.

No lie, my eyes just watered up at your post. What an amazing way to end my day. There's hope for all of us. Can I ask you... have you ever pouch-packed? Did you ever eat past the point of being full? I have a lot of good days, but on my bad days I often overeat. I usually do really well as far as food choices. I've sliced my junkfood intake to a fraction of what it used to be, but I still think my portions are too big, so I'm contantly concerned about stretching my pouch. I don't want to hi-jack this post with my problems, but can you tell me if/how you overcame this problem, or have you stuck to tiny portions. Please tell us more about how you made it through the entire year. I love your goals!

Whatever happens in Vegas gets posted on LBT? That's the funniest thing I've heard all day. Snooty Oprah didn't even acknowledge our invitation; otherwise you'd all be watching it on national TV. As far as pictures, my computer's always on, so I'll personally download shots as the days progress. I refuse to be the only one being embarrassed this weekend so I installed a hidden camera in the clothing exchange room for some great underwear shots when they're trying on clothes. Illegal, but great all the same. And I will try to get guacamole up somone's nose. Can't make any promises, but I can try.

Hi there! Congrads on your band. You sound normal to me because all of us felt like something was wrong in the beginning! I remember well now, that every time I felt the strangest thing I was convinced I was dying! I'm surprised they didn't give you any post-op instructions. You'll find all sorts of great info here. Most doctors make you stay on Clear Liquids like broth, Jello and juice for a week. Then start introducing thicker liquids like Protein drinks and cream Soups, then eventually add mushy foods like mashed potatoes and cottage cheese. You have to make sure your band is set in place before introducing solid foods, and when you do, try a food to see if it works for you, then gradually add foods that work. Make sure to chew your food better than you ever have before, and stop eating after 20 minutes. No liquids with your meals. No carbonation. A lot of us started feeling better after a couple days, but then we felt worse for a while. Go easy on yourself. It took me 2 full weeks to stop feeling horrible. I used a heating pad for all my discomforts, and it felt great. Just remember to listen to your body and your better judgment. Don't rush to exercise hard - just walk a lot in the beginning starting slowly then gradually increasing. Soon you'll be dishing out advice! Good luck, and welcome to Bandland! You got banded on my birthday, so next year we'll both share a birthday.

By the sounds of some of these posts, you guys probably won't even get to meet Lisa. DeLarla will be out in rare form! Donali, DeLarla's been thrown out of casinos before (plural.) Yes, there's always potential room for growth in the obnoxious department. Once she actually tore a lifesize cardboard football player off the wall in a sports bar because nobody else would dance with her, and then bought him a drink at the bar (he got tire from all that dancing.) Just bring a squirt bottle in case I get out of line.

Good point, Betty. I like the twist - instead of prizes to the winner, we should make Penni do stuff. Oh, if I only had time to ponder this one... darn, too much going on to think about it. Penni, don't dare bring me a tiara cause you know I'll wear the damn thing, and how much more obnoxious do you really want me to get?

How is anybody supposed to find this mysterious post, and you know I'm not capable of all that math, but I'll give it a shot. We both started with a 43 pound loss. I now have a 57 pound loss. That means I lost 14 pounds since the challenge. Hmmm, if you lost 6 pounds since the challenge, that means I lost 8 pounds more than you, right? If that's the case, I win, but we both lose!

And then there's jealous me... I want to go to yucky Milwaukee and stay overnight in a yucky hospital being catered to by caring nurses and doctors. No work, no home, no TV for an entire night? Sound like vacation. Plus you get the bonus of them figuring out what's wrong. I'm sad that you're sad. I'd go for you if I could. Meanwhile, my gastro doctor, who was more than happy to schedule me for an endoscopy in front of my face, had his secretary call me to tell me I can't have one. He said he never suggested me getting my hernia repaired (which they did during the band surgery) but hell, I never said he did. So if I want a scope, I'll have to go to TJ. Maybe in November.

No, Beca, the cookies go to my non-banded hubby till Darcy can have some. They are under lock and key!

HAHA, I was totally kidding, but I was darn close. It's Staphylococcus aureus

My lil Darcy Bear, someone just brought me fresh baked Cookies, but I'm not going to eat any till you're allowed to eat. Not one little crumb - they're all going home to Chris. Thanks for the info on "staph" infections. Duh. Probably the root of some big medical word like staphacockaloookadis.

If you've had a couple drinks and you're not wearing your glasses, it looks kinda clean. Still smells like a barn though!

Babs, I've been trying to write those books for years, but I need direction and guidance. I have so much to say, and have been told to write before, but I never know where to begin. Thank you, that's one of my favorite compliments. But you are skinnier than that babe!

This might sound bad and selfish, but I finally feel like I'm not the only alien around here. I've been jumping through doctor's hoops and hitting brick walls since my original surgery back in May, and I still have no answers. I picked up a bottle of Cheetah this morning that I have to drink before my belly Cat Scan. I've had it before, it's quite tasty - NOT! Tomorrow I'll do the renal scan before the Cat Scan, then I'll wait around hoping I don't get a staff infection till I see the surgeon at the end of the month. Does anyone know what a staff infection is? Would that be something that would make the incision red and inflamed first, or would I drop dead and find out when I got to the other side? The incision is not hot, red or infected, but I have a supply of antibiotics on hand just in case.

My house is dirty, windows disgusting and the lawn hasn't been mowed, poop hasn't been scooped, but I'm always ready for company! They'll only think I'm a bad housekeeper till we get a few margueritas in them anyway.

Some of you people amaze me with how great you feel right after surgery! You're the first person I've ever heard that was told they can eat anything the following day - even applesauce. Most of us were on liquids for at least a week. However, I was given apple juice on the 2nd day, and in Mexico the juice is fresh pressed and really thick with apple pulp. My doctor said it was no problem, so that's not much different than applesauce. But I didn't feel like eating for almost 2 weeks. Congrads on your new little band friend! Betty, tick-tock, tick-tock... you're time's right around the corner!

Thanks Karen, but Penni and I have each kept track on the same scale from the beginning, she on hers, and me on mine. We'd both like to know the truth though. However, I think if you move scales around too much it could mess up the calibration (that's so flipping funny since I don't even know what calibration means!) Both of my doctors have the dreaded slidy-kinda scale, and each one shows me a 10 pound difference. So how do we know which one is right? Hey everyone, this is the cutie pie Karen who saved my life... she's the little band fairy that POOFED into my life and told me and Chris about her band experience, so I followed her lead, and of to Mexico I went.

My gosh, Babs, you're skinnier than the baby! You look amazing, and I can't believe you're think you take bad pictures. There's no such thing as a bad pic for someone that's lost that kind weight. FOXY!

"I have to be NPO after MN again" I tried looking this up in the Bandster Dictionary but couldn't find it.

And we collectively have enough gas to save our country's energy crisis - you forgot that one. Penni, I say throw away all your scales then go to WalMart, line up every single scale, weigh on each one, then calculate the average. I don't know how much I weigh either. I'm always several pounds lighter in the morning. I weighed 255 the other morning stark naked at home, but later that day I weighed 247 at Urgent Care fully dressed in jeans and 2 lb boots. My clothing was about 3 lbs, so my scale is 10 pounds different than Urgent Care. So, maybe I'm really skinnier than I think? Where are the scientists today? How can we figure out what we weigh?

Betty, we're not switching scales because we agreed that we'd stick with the same scale every day. Penni's home scale matched her doctor's. My home scale matched my doctors. But there's about a 12 pound difference from hers & mine. My scale would add 10 pounds to Penni. I didn't start my journey on her scale, and she didn't start her journey on my scale - I don't think she'd like mine at all! Penni, I weighed at Urgent Care the other day, and their scales agree with your stand-up and Dr. Billy's. Showed me 11 pounds lighter than my scale and my regular doc's. We'll just throw all scales off the top of the Stratosphere and have our scientific friends measure the Water level after we jump in the pool for a more accurate number. Penni, we are both big fat losers - we both win. Hell, you get a prize just for having the balls to challenge DeLarla - to anything! I just love ya so much that I think I'll go to Zabba's and eat a big fat Mexican bowl with extra cheese and sour cream, just for you.

Penni, Penni, Penni... you're only as sick as your secrets. As soon as you accept the fact that HAVING THREE scales IS INSANE, then the weight will come off, I promise. Your stand-up scale showed a 12-15 pound "fifferance" (sorry, Michelle, couldn't help myself.) Lucien and I were much lighter on your stand-up compared to my scale, Lucien's, and my doctor's, which all agreed with your digital. I can't even remember what your Scale Number 3 said! Now, let's go back to when I suggested that competition might impede our weight loss efforts, and you started flapping your wings at me and bawcking like a chicken. You'll probably drop 5 pounds Friday after the challenge is over because the competition is messing with your head. Meanwhile, there's nothing "f-ing" about a three pound loss - that's nothing but consistent, healthy and righteous. And a 3 pound loss after going on vacation? Unheard of! So give yourself a big pat on the back, a big hug, and then go suck on a salt-lick so I can be sure you don't drop those pounds till after Thursday morning.