DeLarla

I'm supposed to join WW this weekend. I promised my bypass friend (who has gained 50 pounds back) that I'd do it with her. I cracked up and threw the scale at the wall last time I joined WW, but that was pre-band. I'm almost ready to start again, so I'll let you know if it's easier.

SHUT UP, MEGAN! You never told me you had a rooster, and now I'm very, very jealous. He's priceless! I love him very much, and I need a farm.

Hey girl, when you need to cry, call me and yell at me. Like in Steel Magnolias when Olympia Dukacus (sp?) told Sally Field to hit Shirley McClain. HIT 'ER, HIT WHEEZER!

Why the heck didn't they tell us we could get The Big Night Out for one person? We could have split that and still had leftovers. Boy, to think of the money I threw away. Thanks, Shel. They're opening one near my house in January (we drove to the other side of town last night.) I'd like to take my husband, but he's so spoiled that he'd ask me to cook all his food and ruin the fun.

It breaks my heart to think of you crying alone in the car. That happened to me the day I cut my hair short. I asked the guy to leave my length, but he decided I'd look cute in a bob without even asking my permission. At 313 pounds, I looked like a fat bulldog with no hair and just went to my car and cried. But guess what, as it dried, it started looking bouncy and cute. By the time it was all dry, I loved it. That's how it's going to be once you lose some weight. Suddenly the sun will shine and you'll stop crying alone in the car. Hang in there. And for the record, there's no reason for you to go to The Melting Pot, either!

Poor Baby Voo is horrified of machines and the pool. He's the sweetest, kindest, most loving baby on Earth... unless you mess with his Mamma or his food, then he'll snap your head off. But Terri, Sachi is a rare breed. Her birth certificate claims she's a purebread Pitbull, but we've seen enough to know that she's a Pig-Mule-Pointer-Mountain Goat-Crocadile-Red Snapper-Angel-Monster-Movie-Star. I've never known a more amazing fearless and beautiful girl, if I do say so myself! I'll give her kisses from you tonight. Terri, there's a man at the dog park that is always there parked in the center in a wheel chair. Voo once sat by the guy's feet and kept the guy's own dog away from him. He's a natural protector. Then again, that guy never had the motor running. Voo hates motors. Hates them! Pam, post pics please and someone can shrink them. We need pics.

Ouch, I knew this topic would eventually unfold. I'm afraid of my next dental visit. I've noticed my teeth are fading and ugly, and I have to wonder if it's from regular acid reflux marinating my teeth every night as I sleep. I better make an appointment. Sigh.

Wow. Wow. Pam, that was probably the best compliment of my life. You floored me and have me completely exposed and vulnerable, and I LIKE it! My goal has never been to frighten anyone or to prove I'm right. I believe one of my responsibilities while visiting Planet Earth is to incite thinking. I'd like to stand on the moon and scream down at Earth that people have choices and should "think" about what to believe before believing it. We aren't sheep. We can and should stray from the flock and dance to the beat of our own drums and figure life out independently instead of simply following what everyone else has done before us. Pam, you've defined DeLarlaism. Johnny, as far as numbers, I haven't collected nationwide statistics, nor do I care or need to. I have enough numbers from my very own personal Banded family. In addition, I know of at least 2 Lapband deaths that might have been avoided if the patients got medical attention instead of hoping symptoms would disappear. As far as the Bypass, I've received different stats by different surgeons, with some stating the mortality rate is as high as 10% of all bypass patients within two years of surgery. I don't make stuff up, I just ask around hoping for better, factual info. I've shared a table with about 40 banded people and have had about 30 bandsters in my home, many from this very website. Of my personal banded family, seven have eroded. One ended up in a coma after band-removal complications and was left with a 7 inch open wound and a colostomy bag. I know of 10 port revisions, 7 port infections/removals and countless other complications ranging from mild acid reflux to slippage requiring surgical intervention. My friends are significant to me, even if their numbers seem weak to you. Pam, this time it's not an evil grin. More like a snarl. Rachele, we're on the same page. Have fun but don't let anyone smack ya around! Maybe I can't get a port for Christmas, but I do have a lovely endoscopy scheduled. This is going to be rough because I have to liquid-fast and ignore the piles of homemade Christmas goodies on our community crap table. Too bad I couldn't do that really cool thing where I simply "changed my way of thinking" before having weight loss surgery. Gee, why didn't I think of that? (Pam, insert expression here.)

My kitty's favorite toys were bags and boxes. So cute

I think that's Voodoo's cousin! I didn't think anybody loved stuffed animals as much as Voo, but I guess I'm wrong. More pics, please!

I never feed my babies people food. And I lie a lot. Spoiled, spoiled, spoiled.

Making nice, hoping it will get them cake!

Vooey's newest baby.

If anyone's ever had a Nothing Bundt Cake, you know why Sachi's drooling over it.

Oh boy oh boy, I just had my first Melting Pot experience last night. I can't believe the amount of cheese fondue they bring for two people! I'm sure most of you have been there, but what a fun experience! If you haven't been, it's quite an experience but don't order, "The Big Night Out!" You cook your own food, so if you want to bring leftovers home you have to cook it all up. After the cheese dip and salad, I was too full for the meat n' veggies. So I spent my evening slaving over a hot stove (haha) cooking up all that food to bring home so I can have an awesome lunch today. But I woke up and found and empty container on the counter! Chris took the whole thing then called and laughed at me for not hiding it! Trust me, I'll get even. Last night I took Mekha out for an early Sweet 16 surprise date, and we had an amazing night. I bought tickets to Mystere' by Cirque du Soleil, and she literally sat on the edge of her chair the entire show. She's a dancer and wants to pursue a career as a dancer. Then we went to the Melting Pot and spent a few hours laughing and eating fondue style. Very cool. Her parents called & said she's gushing with excitement, so I just HAD to share our pic. Here's my best friend, Mekha.

OMG, I must have one! I'm chair-dancing to Play that Funky Music in my office right now. The whole firm thinks I'm weird, but when I asked to get fired my attorney said, "You could never be so lucky." Not sure what that means, but I think they like weirdos. Kare, so generous! Ask Donali and Penni how much I appreciate music! Donali gave me an MP3 player with a bunch of mixed CDs that I absolutely love (hint, hint Donali) and Penni saved my entire life by giving me an IPOD! Since then, I've purchased an IPOD for my hubby. Hubby even put a DVD player in the truck so I can watch my Pink Floyd and Alanis DVDs while he's driving. I'm a big dancer, can't keep my feet still, so I'll LOVE it! Thank you Kare Bear!

Intelligent people research weight loss surgery prior to making their final decision. Is it fair to keep intelligent people in the dark and pretend everything's peaches? I don't think so. If you don't like what you read, click on another thread. I'm personally horrified that anybody pumps up weight loss surgery without first warning people about the variety of painful and expensive potential risks. Getting a Band or a Bypass comes with risks that can potentially be fatal. Hidden unaffordable expenses, infections, port replacement, erosions, hospitalization, severe reflux, dehydration, coma, death. Don't ignore the truth just because you're happy with your personal experience.

Sorry I'm late! Happy Birthday Hottie Daddy!

Well, you don't have to shove the quarters UP your butt, you just gotta get them in your pants! Like the old joke about the Polish guy who can't get a date (I can tell Polish jokes cuz I'm one.) The Polish guy asks the Italian guy how he gets so many dates, so the Irish guy tells him to put a potato in his pants. The next time the Pole saw the Irish dude, he said the women were staying even farther away from him, so the Irish guy said, "Well, you're supposed to put the potato in the FRONT!" I say wear men's underwear and sew the front flap closed and pack it with Kare's idea of silver dollars!

Terri, thank you for posting pics of your Christmas party! I love pics, ya'll know that! And right on, girl, for the raise and all the great new benefits. It's like the end of a sappy Christmas movie, which is pretty special.

You're stunning. Thanks for the update.

BEAUTIFUL! Congrads, you look so happy together

After giving it some thought, it didn't seem appropriate for me to barge in. I'm sorry I missed it, but glad you had fun here. Come back soon! I"m going to look at the pics now

I have Uni-polar disorder? It's like manic-depressive, but I'm never depressed. I'm just full-time manic, so they call it Generalized Anxiety Disorder. "They" (all the medical professionals over my life) say that anxiety and depression go hand-in-hand, so they've tried medicating me with all the above, which have almost lead me to seizures. I carry Valium and Xanax with me in case of emergency, but I don't take them often.

Can I change my vote to Big Paul's? Whoever looks at the numbers, just use a marker across your screen and change my vote. I was a 60/60 girl before.