DeLarla

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.

Chrissy, my heart hurts for you. I am genuinely sorry. I worry that I may be in your shoes since my port incision has been infected and problematic since Day 1. I've been portless since June, and still have an open incision. I have an endoscopy scheduled for January 6, so I may wake up unbanded myself. This is your post, so let's not anybody worry about me here. This post is for Chrissy.

I miss you Vera! I still have our picture in my office (the one with Sachi wearing the boa.) Well, I made it the whole week avoid Erin at lunch. But nothing's changed. Today I was in the middle of a deposition (meaning we had several people in the office needing my assistance) and Erin was on my feet like my dog, following every step, eating chocolate and trying to get my attention about a can of ravioli at 8:45 a.m.. I spun around and snapped, "this isn't a time to be discussing ravioli" and I walked in my office and closed the door, practically in her face. After the deposition, my attorney asked me to have lunch in the lunch room (he has to suffer because of Erin, since Jon and I have been lunching together for years.) Well, Erin saw us and joined us with her lunch consisting of (I'm not lying here): family size package of bread rolls, package of deli ham, package of cheese, large carton of potato salad, coke, a bag of fried chicken legs, a jar of mayo, a bottle of Ranch and a jar of mustard. It was all spread out, so another attorney walked by and said, "you're having a buffet??" All Erin's food looked like a picnic for the entire table. All I had was some slices of cheese for lunch while Jon had Soup, but Erin somehow made us look like hogs.

Hi Paula, this is a fun site... the best one around in my opinion!

Penni listed the ingredients at the beginning of this post, so these liquid vitamins have 17% of daily recommended amount of chromium. Maybe that's why they don't spin you guys out like those shakes did to me. The shake contains 30% daily recommended, so the shakes have almost twice as much. A lot of diet pills contain chromium. I've done quite a bit of research, and it seems to be good for the body (in most reading.) But at the same time, it increases my heartrate, and my anxiety shoots through the roof. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad in a lower dose, but I started getting addicted to the shakes. I'd have so much nervous energy that I'd get a horrible night's sleep. Then I'd feel so lousy in the morning that I couldn't get motivated till I had another shake... it was a vicious cycle and hard for me to break.

I really do try to make good choices for the most part. I'm lucky that I love salads (probably my favorite meal.) I'd like the better if someone else did all the chopping though. I have gotten pretty sloppy lately, so I want these holidays to be behind us along with all the tempting goodies.

Hi Patty, thanks for posting. It's great seeing someone that's had the band for 2 years and is still happy. I'm just like you in that I refuse to diet. I enjoy food too much, and I've dieted too many times to know it only makes me fatter in the end. There is a table full of goodies in the kitchen right now (at work.) Last year I ate my way across the entire table, but this year I'm picking and chosing which goodies I'll endulge in. Today I ate fudge for lunch. I usually have something healthy, but I'm not saying no to fudge!

I just checked the ingredients, and sure enough it contains chromium. Chris thought I was on crack the other day after taking chromium (it was hidden in my protein shake.) It makes me go in 20 different directions at once and I get really panic-attacky, then I can't sleep at night. I also can't handle plain old caffeine like most people, so be careful if you're caffeine-sensitive. It also contains spirulina, ginseng root, and bee pollen, which all make me jittery. I wish I could take it cuz my house sure gets clean when I'm all spun out!

I don't get energy from my regular Centrum or One-A-Day. What is inside the vitamin what give you energy? I had to get rid of the rest of the Advant Edge protein shakes because they had chromium in there, which gave me way too much energy (couldn't sleep and was all spun out.) I might like to try these liquid ones, but what is the source of the energy?

I haven't checked in for a long time. I think I'll come back and see you all on Monday, cuz I keep losing and gaining the same old 5 pounds. I want them to GO AWAY!

The seminar I went to discussed Band vs. Bypass, and bypass patients shed weight much more rapidly than Band patients because a bypass is two weight loss surgeries in one. The are given a smaller "pouch" just like us, which helps them eat like a bandster. But the 2nd part of the surgery,where their intestines are wired to quickly eliminate everything they eat really speeds up the process. So bypass patients lose like crazy, while us bandsters have a slower yet steadier loss. I think it's much healtier to lose slower while still absorbing all the nutrition, which is the huge benefit of the band. My doctor drew me a diagram of the bypass, and the bottom part of the stomach that is cut off has very important digestive properties. Once it's cut off, you can't digest or absorb effectively. As far as the bad press, my doctors haven't even heard of the band! The same doctor that drew the bypass diagram asked me for information. I sent her LapBand pamphlets and she is very impressed and has since suggested it to other patients. So we aren't getting any bad Band press in Vegas either, since nobody has even heard of the thing... though there are now 4 band doctors here, so I'm sure it will eventually become the latest local rage.

BETTY DRANK ROOTBEER..... Busted! heee heee.... next time add a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

I hope for better self-control, not just for myself, but for all of us. This has been a hard struggle, but I'm thankful I always have LBT to pull me through my darkest moments. Let's make 2005 just a wee bit easier! xo