DeLarla

A friend of mine had her jaws shut & had the same results (big loss, even bigger gain.) I asked my dentist to do it before getting banded, and he said, "No way, LEAVE MY OFFICE." He just loves me. Anyway, I need some crazy crash diet right now. Duh, you'd think getting a major surgical weight loss procedure would do the trick, but my head is all friggen screwed up. Obsessive compulsive addictive whacked out psycho hereditary genes or something.

Well, it sounds damn scary, but yes, it's a tattoo. She uses a tiny gun with a tiny needle. The reason it fades is because as the skin heals in the first weeks, tiny scabs that contain some of the pigment flake off. Also, as your eyelashes fall out (they all do this naturally) it leaves that tiny speck where there's no pigment. She does the first touch up after four weeks. I get 4 free touch ups, but not everyone will need or want all those touch ups. This woman is in Vegas; she's had her shop 12 years. She told me that if any of my friends outside Vegas want it, to make sure they get a referral from someone that's had it done at a reputable place. A good amount of her income comes from fixing up other people's screwed up work. I'll post a pic of my eyes after next week when I get my uppers done. Right now the bottom is so subtle that you can't notice much, but it makes a world of difference when you wake up in the morning with red, puffy eyes, and they don't have to look all beady because they are defined. Very cool indeed. Penni saw them and she will probably have hers done next time she's here.

I've been away too long. I'm still fighting obsessive/compulsive demons. I'm great for lunch, no problem, but I've been eating too much (so that it hurts.) I haven't gained much, but I haven't lost in months. Today: Large Light Starbucks 1 Coke (weird, I never drank soda pre-band) 1 cup Chinese veggies mixed with rice 8 Trisquits HELP, dinner IS CALLING SOON.

I did it, and it's F A B U L O U S! So far all I've done is my lower eyeliner. It's the finest line, as if I just used a couple bristles from an eyeliner brush. And it's already faded somewhat, so it's barely noticable, but when I wake up, my eyes are already defined. I paid $140, which includes 4 free touch-ups. It's expected to fade, but most people don't want to look shocking, so they start with a fine line. I'm getting my upper lids done in a week, and I'm having her go much heavier (since the lower ones faded in less than 2 weeks.) Four weeks after the procedure you can go for your first touch up. The woman I went to is great. She does this thing where she also fills in tiny gaps between your natural lashes to make them look fuller. She also does lips and a bunch of other stuff, but I'm not going there. She used black on me, which looks muted brown after it fades, but she also does blue & browns. Just thought I'd share because my only regret was waiting so long. YES, it hurt, but I think it could have been much, much worse. About 5-10 minutes per eye, and I probably bared down & gritted my teeth for 30 seconds out of the entire time. The rest of the procedure is just a creepy-tickling-pressure sensation since that are of the eye is so sensitive. My eyes hurt all the time anyway because of Vegas dust & allergens, so I was never able to wear make up because it just smears. The 2nd day was a tiny swollen & irritated, but I felt fine the 3rd day. Even hubby says it looks natural and great. You can't tell it's not real eyeliner, not at all. Just do it!

Melatonin keeps me awake. I think people with anxiety disorder get reverse actions to a lot of meds, at least I do.

Well, at least we have our humor! Afraid the kids will think, "don't fall on me" now that's damn funny. A girl asked me where I got my boots. I told her from the World's Largest Shoe store in Pennsylvania. She said, "don't you mean the Shoe Store for the World's Largest Feet?" Sometimes all we can do is laugh.

I've heard other people with flipped ports, and often the doctor just massages them back into place. Did your doc try this?

I don't feel like a freak, I am one. Being overweight is just one of my freak problems. I'm too tall (6 ft in heels.) I have huge 11 1/2 feet, so I can't find shoes. I have frizzy hair, an alcoholic father, a paranoid schitzophrenic mother, I'm 100% Polish, never got to have babies, etc. And while everything about me is huge, I have teeny tiny boobs (ha ha on me.) However, none of those things bother me worse than my anxiety disorder. I could handle all the problems if I could just get some sleep and relax once in awhile. It's not the "being fat" that bothers me as much as the way my brain messes with me. Does that make an ounce of sense?

Hey, I call fat & sassy! Zoe, I'm wearing your pants today because you sent that e-mail, so I wanted to get in the Zoe mode. I'm not sure how you sent that message to me, but it came in a really weird format. I'm deleting the Chloe saga later today, but I'll start a new one. I don't think it's proper to post a lil girl's private life, so maybe I'll change names to protect the innocent (and GUILTY MOM) in the future. Now I just GOTTA get out of LBT and get to work. Hi and bye everyone, xoxo

Estella, I can't offer any advice other than Tylenol or a heating pad. But if the area gets red, swollen or hot, make sure to get to your doctor because it could be infected.

Hey Zoe, got your message but couldn't respond, so here I am. I'll walk tomorrow. I'm not sure about the rest of May, but I'll take on tomorrow for starters!

The pain sounds totally normal. A heating pad is your best bet. Walgreens carries KingSize heating pads. That was my life saver.

It's kinda fun staying away 2 weeks cuz you come back & everyone's so skinny! Don't worry, I'm eating for the 9 of us! Zoe, where are you?

Well, there's more than just work. Check out my thread on the continuing Saga of Chloe. Lots of drama in my world lately, but it has come to an end and will have a happy ending. And now I must dive back into my pile of work. I could use some goggles cause it's getting deep.

I'm a figure skater and a movie star, but things are slow so I'm a paralegal with a real estate license till things pick up. Anyone know if the Ice Capades are hiring yet?

I feel like a port & fill expert after having so many complications and 2 port removals. I personally crave the tight, sudden feeling of a good Mexican fill, but after everything I've learned, the "sneak up" approach is the safer, healthier method. I've seen too many "too-tightly filled" bandsters have to rush back for unfills after horrible PB episodes, not being able to swallow, choking, reflux, etc. That doesn't seem to happen as much as when a US doc gives a conservative, small fill. I guess if I had the time & money (and local doc) I'd prefer a big fill because then I could rush back for corrections without worrying about taking off work to get unfilled. I think a lot of this depends on convenience, too.

I'm now a petite blonde millionaire wearing halter dresses and cha-cha heels running my night club in Bora Bora, where hubby is my top male pole dancer. Oh, if it were only that romantic! Nothing even exciting to report, other than I got slammed at work and my "in" tray is several feet high. LBT is a big distraction so I try to stay away & get work done before I drown. I'm getting paid back big for all the LBT-goofing-around I've done in the past! Plus I broke my home puter 2 months ago and have gradually broght it back to life. A little birdie told me about this post, which gave me warm fuzzies. THANKS bandies! Problem is the weekends are too short. So much fun to be had that I can't keep up. Daisydoodle & I met after a huge bike weekend, but we didn't get in ANY trouble! Penni just left me (boo hoo,) We partied last night & layed on couches today & ordered $70.00 worth of Chinese food. It was heavenly! Then I took a fat nap when she left, and then got up & ate more Chinese, and then had a major PB and decided, "Time for LBT." How nice that you're all here, too. Thanks for the laughs & dreams!

Funny you should talk about starting a plus-size business since that's one of those far-away dreams I often have. I have major issues with plus sizes because they make them for average heights. I'm 5' 10" so all pants are capris to me. I hem lots of shorts, too.

Sorry it's been so rough but you sound like you're handling all this stress well. You've always been so good about getting back on track (eating.) I'm busy now but wanted to let you know I'm thinking about you. Peace.

And please don't worry about offending anyone here! We're all in the same boat, Sugar Plum! We all have our faults, and only a few of us are perfect (haha, go ahead everyone and start throwing shoes at me!) Okay, just kidding about being perfect, I am so far from perfect that it's not even funny, but this is the right place for you and all your questions. Good luck to you.

The key is always moderation. Most doctors won't put a band on someone with a drinking problem, but if you just enjoy an occasional coctail, that's not a problem.

What did Sandy RN say about hair loss?

You are an amazing inspiration. You seem to have conquered this effortlessly. You are half the person you used to be, and you are just the cutest thing so spoil yourself and get some well-deserved sleep. Incredible. Congrads, T!

I have enormous gratidude to everyone here at LBT. We've had our trials & tribulations, laughter and tears, but it all boils down to fighting the same battle. Nick, there's hope, I swear. Just because your band isn't in full swing right now doesn't mean it won't be tomorrow. The beauty of the band is even when it's not completely working, it's still there and will eventually do what it was invented to do. I don't think anyone was closer to the bottom of the barrel than me. I hit rock bottom, hard. I was beyond rock bottom planning my own suicide. I ate so much every night that I had PBs before getting banded. I shoved so much into my stomach that it overflowed into my esphagus and I'd have spasms where I couldn't breath because food was packed so tight into my chest. For me, food is a sick, sick addiction. I had a horribly painful hiatal hernia, so all I could do was eat and hold onto the pain with a heating pad and lay down at night. If I didn't eat, the pain would go away, but it was easier to be in agony than stop eating. I still have problems, I'm still sickly addicted to food. But the band really does prevent me from going the Full Monty, so to say. I still have great daytime restriction. Today my boss/attorney told me how little I eat compared to before. We had a good laugh over the huge styrofome containers of food I'd chow down at lunch, but he said he really notices how I hardly snack any more. My worst nightmare was getting in a food-related auto accident since my car was the biggest eatery. 24 hour drivethroughs were killing me, and I always envisioned myself getting in a horrible wreck while trying to empty 12 packs of hot sauce on my Macho Breakfast burrito and ending up on the front page of the news, "Obese Woman Kills Family of Four over a Fugging Burrito" across the front page was my nightmare. So, Nick, it's doable. Really, it is. THANKS EVERYONE, this was a really great birthday. There was even cake (though not for me.) Today I still eat cake, but I just lick at the frosting. Not the best band advice, but better to lick frosting than eat 2 man-size hunks plus lick all the frosting! xoxo

Oh great, now I'm crying. Yes, holding my head very high. Shoulders back, too. It's hard to believe. A year ago I was telling a shrink that I already had my sucidide planned out, but I was too chicken to go through with it. Today I'll kill anyone that tries to kill me! Hmmm, I DO deserve a goodie... maybe a little vaca is in order.