DeLarla

According to the 7 surgeons I know, "infections happen." It can never hurt to boost your immune system with supplements, but I don't think you can plan to avoid infections.

There's already a bandster party scheduled at my house for late August. It will be our 3rd annual

Thanks everyone! I'll start tomorrow morning at David's Bridal, then Dillards, Nordstrom & Torrid since they're all pretty close to each other. If I don't find something there, I'll shop online. Not only do I need a formal, but the ball is Mardi Gras themed so 500 women are looking for purple, green & gold dresses. I'm on a mission for sure! I found a green velvet dress from last year's clothing exchange but I'm not sure if it's alterable, but it's not long, and I like the long & sexy dresses that Jenna posted. The amazing thing about the green velvet is that it was my incentive dress. Nobody wanted it at the exchange and it was too small to zip on me. I tried it on this morning and it fell off! Woop woop! Jen, it's for our Slumber Convention Mardi Gras Ball in New Orleans.

Not only did you find the best support group in the world, but we have a whole Banded Bikers section! Welcome, and congrads on your new band!

Diet, exercise and weight loss for an extended period, then the body has no choice but to give in. It's always the simple answers. And unfortunately, walking my dogs for 45 minutes several times a week might have some health benefits, but it's not the kind of exercise that will melt fat. You have to work and sweat and breath hard for a good 45 minutes to an hour to see noticeable results. Any good doctor or nutritionist will laugh at the "starvation mode" nonsense that people cling to as an excuse for not losing weight when they restrict caloric intake. If there was such thing as starvation mode, people wouldn't perish from not eating. There might be a temporary lag in weight loss, but nothing worth being concerned with.

It's not supposed to be a good thing, but congrads! I remember how you felt when everybody but me was PBing. It took me a couple months but hurt like hell when it finally happened. Congrads - you are a real bandster.

Nykee, this is the 2nd time you made me cry this week. You deserve pretty girl clothes, and you look darling!

Dr. Billy is a hardass Diet Nazi and the only surgeon I'd ever recommend. Somehow that prick got my butt back to the gym, and I've actually lost a few pounds since he removed my band and gave me his Nazi diet regimen. I have the utmost respect for him, and he'd laugh that I called him a prick! All in love, baby. My husband hates doctors, but he bows down to Dr. Billy and says (in awe) that Billy is the only man that ever shut me up.

Francesca, you DO have every right to be mad, especially since so many Lopez and Ortiz patients continue to erode. One girl even has a Mexican attorney and is suing Lopez, though I don't know how that works. There goes DeLarla, opening a new can of worms! I'm not saying to sue Ortiz, but you have a strong argument against him that he should reband you at his cost (that is, if rebanding is an option.) He has been reasonable and fair to other patients, so pull yourself together and do some power writing. Write anything that comes to your mind and don't stop till you're all vented out. Then re-organize what you wrote into a well drafted letter to Ortiz. Give him a chance. I've lost a few pounds since band removal, but I'm also starving most of the time. I try to count calories, and I do well during the day (by feeling starving and drinking tons of Water.) But my evening meals are larger than a normal person eats, even though most is vegetables. But still, no person needs to eat the mass quantity of veggies that I can consume in one sitting. Huge.

I never really listened to just one surgeon since they all have different opinions. I asked Dr. Billy straight up why band surgeons forbid carbonation. Billy said there's no documented proof that it causes slippage or erosion, but surgeons are concerned that gas might get trapped in the lower belly and cause discomfort. Mainly, carbonation can cause pain. Billy also said something as crazy as a hiccup or a band sneeze could potentially cause slippage, so avoiding carbonation isn't one of his rules unless it contains sugar or artificial sweetners (the fun stuff.) He reminded me that bandsters don't miss the carbonation, they miss the crap inside. I, however, do enjoy club soda with lime. Sure, I'd rather have gin and tonic, but then I have to count those calories. Blah. I take all the info from all the surgeons and toss it in a blender to come up with a more universal set of rules.

Randy, my cycle is like clockwork. But it stopped for an entire cycle after banding. Tomorrow will be one month since band removal, and my period is 2 weeks late. I asked my docs, and it's completely normal. I'm not sure about the breakthrough bleeding, but my doc said a messed up menstrual cycle is fairly common after weightloss surgery. WARNING: I still got the PMS on time, but it's lasting way longer than hubby knows what to do with! Be patient and kind or she may eat you. Grrr.

I want to join the club, really I do. Hold a space in line, will you? Mandy, you are always here cheering the rest of us on, so when I'm done eating my green beans, I'm gonna get up and do the Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, special for you!

My doc (Dr. Billy) agrees that carbonation won't hurt the band. However, he doesn't allow me diet sodas because the chemicles cause the same spike & crash cravings as carb cravings. But there's no sugar in Perrier or club soda, so a Gin & Soda with lime sounds good to me! As long as I give up a couple ounces of my daily protein, I like my kooktails!

Forget Biggest Loser. We need to go on The Lobotomy. I never saw John when he was here ~ all I saw when he was in the room was a giant bag of wasabi peanuts talking to me. But did he bring any? Nope. So I got into 1/2 can of honey roasted nuts instead. Thanks, Penni. DOH!

Nykee, those Spinach balls are making me cry. I'm so hungry. On a topic way off LBT low cal food, can anyone PM me the name of an old granny cookbook, the kind with really fattening fudge and goodies? I have the Betty Crocker and Pillsbury books, but hubby doesn't like the recipes. He wants old fashioned goodies with extra goop and too much butter.

Yeah old lady, where are the pics? How can you stand being home right now? Give us baby pics!

Wet smooch to you! I wish they would change the x-rated dancing (touching themselves) bananas to dancing Beans. I'll do the bean dance now. Have a very DeLarla day by spending a fortune on yourself!

Yep, we got a tasty Jesus freak alright. But we also got some great hooters! Great pictures, and keep showing off those sexy bras!

We have David's here! Thanks! But check out this awesome site, OH NO, I'm gonna go broke here! http://store.yahoo.com/alight-com/index.html

I did a search for formal plus tall gowns and came up with this blue drapery. NOT very DeLarla!

It's not just the size, it's the length. I'm 5'10" high. Where do drag queens get their fabulous gowns?

It all depends on your family. Did all of your sisters miss the Days Of Our Lives auditions? Are they control freaks, gossip queens, drama mammas?

Yep, that's Lopez, though it's hard to say whether that's an old site or a new one because it shows a picture of Carmen on his staff. She's the @##$%@ doctor that told me my infected oozing port was normal. She's the one that said tubing sticking out of my infected wound was normal! She's the one that Lopez promised me was no longer associated with him. Yet the site introduces the new Hospital Angeles, which is probably his new facility. Does this mean Carmen is back?!? If so, I feel very, very sorry for every single one of his patients. She has no right practicing any kind of medicine!

Kim, to me progress is realizing you have character defects and are aware that there's always room for improvement. The fact something bothers you so much that you are working on a resolution is a very worthy NSV, indeed.

I am so afraid of E-bay. Where do I begin?