hagerteresa

Lined up local after care is an absolute must and needs to be included in anyone's research when going out of country. This issue pops up time and time again. I had an aftercare doc lined up in my state but I also had a port question when it was draining like crazy and was able to get wonderful care and treatment from my family practitioner. He/she should always be your first line of defense in your medical treatment. I'm my docs only banded patient but he knows enough about wounds and medicine that he easily treated and healed my port issues. Best wishes, Teresa

I know Vera has, and a couple of others. Hopefully they see this thread. Hope things improve.

Yes, I'm having a crazy week too. Recall my left shoulder pain a couple of months ago? Well now my right one is having the same pain and I had to go in for more cortizone shots and am off work for ANOTHER week because of it. I can't afford to have these things crop up... I too ALWAYS pay close attention to motorcycles. I was raised around them but am scared to death of riding one. My dad was nearly killed a couple of times because of other nit wit drivers. My hubby wanted one so I got him an old used moped instead. It only goes 35 mph tops. LOL... He loves it and thinks its his harley. He sure is a cute sweetie. Best wishes, Teresa If a cop went into my yard without any other reason but to chase somebody and killed my dogs I would be sueing his ass off. I've heard of that exact same scenario you described happening here.

Our fixer upper is 2 hours away from where we live and has been in my hubbies family for 3 generations. Its just an old cabin but on three lovely acres sorrounded by a creek, pond, blm land, etc. We went down to clear up some downed branches last weekend from this last winter. We wish it was closer so we could just build a new house and live there but not for a few more years yet anyway. Glad you liked the B&B. Its a fun place to work. Thanks for looking at the pics, Teresa

I wanted to make a webpage with all my favorite pictures of family, friends, places and experiences for this last year and share them with all you folks. There are a lot of them. Hope you like it! Teresa Teresa Photo Album

I'm going to continue to give it to her and see what happens. I've talked to my vet before about getting something because I think it is anxiety related but she doesn't seem to think so. She thinks its more like her just wanting to be the dominating one in the household. She said medication won't help that. I like my vet a lot and generally think she is very good at what she does. I'm her housekeeper as well, so its nice being able to ask her questions whenever I see her and I feel confident that she would treat my dogs for any major emergency and deal with the money aspects later. I really do believe Zoey's problem is anxiety though. Thanks for all the advice, Teresa

I need help and advice regarding one of my dogs. We took her in when she was 10 months old after she had been in an abused situation. She was a rescue dog. She is terrified of belts and any object that seems threatening but she is also very defensive and not trusting. She is also territorial and jealous of everything. We have had her for 4 years and she is one of two welsh corgis. The other we got as a puppy and is as sweet as can be. I get bit all the time by her. Its often just enough to tear a pantleg or bruise and scratch the skin but it hurts and I'm tired of it. It has been going on since we got her. She has more respect for my hubby but even then she still bites him on occassion. He got it two nights in a row when he was trying to come to bed. She has had obedience training, agility training, etc. She is just so independent she refuses to trust and comply with anyone. I asked our vet what she suggests and was hoping for some doggy anti anxiety pills but she thinks I should just have her put to sleep as there are plenty of sweet dogs out there that need love and a home. We have had Zoey so long and she can be really sweet at times that I would feel awful doing that. I am thinking about giving her a portion of my Wellbutrin (I never take it but keep it around in case I decide to quit smoking) and seeing what affect that has on her. I couldn't find any websites about people who have tried giving their dogs that but I did read the drug trials report and dogs were used in the trials. At HIGH doses negative affects were seen (seizures and liver cancer) but humans had the same risks at high doses (greater than 300 mg/day). My pills are 150 mg and if I split it in 3rds or 4ths than it would only be 30-50 mg. I don't know what else to do. I am also bringing back the spray bottle technique. It saved me yesterday (she HATES water). She had already bit me once yesterday in the ankle hard enough to bruise and scratch it and she came at me again. Just as her lips touched my pantleg I nailed her right between the eyes with the spray bottle. She was so surprised she jumped 10 feet back in an instant. She is one reason we don't feel comfortable having children yet, nor having kids around often. We have to be SO cautious when they are around. Ussually she is fine but we always are on edge lest she do something. Anyway any advice would be great, Teresa

Hi you two, I would love another get together. It would be a lot easier for me if we met after my chemistry final is done with. I have that on the 8th. My friend Tracey would like to meet as well but would have to have a couple weeks notice so she can get her mom to watch the daycare kids. Once school is out, I'm a lot more free. The coburg place is good because that Soup always goes down easy and their quiche is to die for. They (the resteraunt) got this monsterous BBQ thing out there now and are stinking up the whole neighborhood with heavenly luscious smells of cooking meat. I swear there have been a couple of times I've drooled and thought about trying to sneak a piece off their grill. LOL... How about lunch on June 15th (wednesday) at 1 pm? Does that work for you both? Heather Tillamook Ice Cream is BLISSFUL, expecially that marionberry pie thing. I guess there is a support group meeting in Salem on the 1st thursday evening of every month (I think) too just in case anyone is interested. I have a friend that deals with a bunch of portland get togethers so I still need to contact her about what their schedule is like.

Hi Hope, Sorry your in this dilemma. I was exactly in your shoes. I had BCBS of Oregon for 20 years and they would never cover anything weight loss related and then my husbands employer switched everyone to OEA Choicetrust and they weren't any better about covering it. I was so devestated when it all looked hopeless. I cried for 6 months, kept coming back here to visit and research and then out of the blue my father in law offered to take out a loan to help me go to Mexico for it. Today I feel like my insurance company should pay me for getting healthier no thanks to them. I never bothered trying to fight the insurance company but others have succeeded. I also have seen the website www.obesitylaw.com. Anyway best wishes and let me know what happens. Teresa

I always try to get breakfast in and normally it is an egg and 1/2 piece of toast. Today my hubby actually got up and made me a small pancake, so I had a pancake and an egg. Anytime I ever try to go out for breakfast I always get sick. While I was in Utah for my cousins graduation, my uncle took us all out for breakfast every morning. Every single morning I got sick. I would never even get more than one little nibble in. Of course there was a big group of us and I felt totally conspicous about trying to look like I was nibbling on something. It was awful. By dinner time I was able to eat a small portion of a Sub sandwich including the bread and the following night I was able to eat 2 small slices of pizza. Anyway eating breakfast for me can be a gamble but I ussually try to manage it. At home, I'm not under as much stress and can nibble on it as it feels comfortable.

I was just thinking about this old feeling I used to have my entire life. I always felt I was born in the wrong place at the wrong time. I used to dream of being a homesteader and pioneer wife. I was actually very lucky as a child because we always had many different animals, goats, horses, pigs, dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, parrots, etc. We had a neighbor that owned 200 acres of ponds, woods, rivers and fields. We kept our horses there and THAT was my playground. I loved to innertube the river, canoe the ponds, catch frogs, lizards and snakes, hunt for treasure, pretend we were cowgirls and chase the cows on the horses (until we got in trouble for driving them thru a fence), we used to build castles in the hay barn, camp, etc. It was amazing. I miss those days. I was actually a vegetarian the first 7 years of my life. My dad was raised on a "dude ranch" in colorado and by the time my parents married and moved to Oregon they were a bit hippyish. We always had a greenhouse full of vegetables and a sailboat we took out on the nearby lake. It was also a bit of a tough childhood because of my parents divorce when I was 8 and being overweight. I went to the same school with the same classmates my entire life. At graduation I was reminded of events that had happened in first grade (peeing the swingset at school and forgetting to put on my bathing suit during swimming lessons. I just walked out to the pool area as naked as a jay bird and had no idea. Of course I was even heavy at that point in my life so I never lived that one down. LOL. Funny thing is, I NEVER see any of those people since graduation. Not even my two childhood best friends. We all just went our own ways. Anyhow enough rambling. I was raised a bit funny I guess.

Thanks for the support Trish. I hate to break it to these others, but in some countries including Europe, bunnies are still the main course and its so much healthier than chicken, beef and pork. They are evidently easy to raise, quiet, ability to raise them in any backyard and city environment, etc. Was that 50-75 adult females? I'm hoping to keep a steady supply with just a few does. I may at some point pick up another doe but I was thinking just a few females put out several offspring. I know there are probably the normal accidents and casualties among the young but mathmatically I should still get several good babies from each mom. I got the idea of raising rabbits when I was at my uncles house earlier this month. My aunt is Korean and raises bunnies for meat. Last time we were there she served us some and it was yummy! My poor uncle hates killing them so he was more than happy to send me home with a few of the babies. Must have figured it was a few less for him to deal with. They probably have about 20 rabbits with 1/2 of them being adults. I have come to love Korean food, she is the best cook. Jenna, I'm sorry it grosses you out. I want to raise rabbits precisely because I don't want all the crap that is in the meat at the store. Plus I think it is more cost effective to raise your own food. I do raise veggies and fruit as well. Best wishes, Teresa

The wedding planner loved the dress when he saw it. I thought it was a lovely wedding but completely unfathomable for me too. We had 3 days to plan our wedding because my hubby was going into the air force (ended up being a short career). My favorite wonderful darling uncle married us at the bed and breakfast I work at (beautiful and fairy tale like) but we only had immediate family so there was only about 15 of us. It was also in the middle of november so we did it indoors. I wore a pretty dress I already owned and we just did a small cake, etc. It was very special but nothing fancy.

Good job jack, I don't think I've seen onederland since I was 12. LOL. Lisa, I also saw some low carb ice creams that were comparable in calories but they were also low sugar low fat. I saw some low fat ice cream sandwiches at Costco today called "Skinny Cow" I think. Anyone try or hear of them? They only had something like 115 calories a sandwich. My teeth are kind of sensitive so cold things on them make me wince. I've always been that way. Once in awhile I'll get a craving for ice cream or better yet, a milkshake but normally straight chocolate is my biggest problem. I can even buy the cases of muffins and danishes at Costco for my hubby and roommate(what do they have? something like 500 calories apiece) and I can totally stay out of them. I do love cookies and brownies though. I really must not make those except on the rarest of occassions and with a crowd so I don't have any left overs. Anyway definitely try that slow churned stuff. I've never had anything so creamy. Best wishes, Teresa

Thanks for the ideas. I seriously thought about titling this thread "Rabbits? Not for Lisa's eyes." LOL. Poor girl... We are definitely going to have 4 as pets. The three we have now are absolutely darling and sweet. All pure white albino females. We will get a buck (I found a beautiful one recently but can't get him till I really have a proper set up. He's a gorgeous black and white rex). I have read a lot on the net about raising them and feasibly they could easily have 36 babies a year for each female. Seriously, I'll happily keep 4 as pets but the rest will be yummy. I was raised as a bit of a farm girl. I've never been hunting though my dad is an avid hunter but I do like home grown meats. Buffalo is yummy and VERY healthy for you but I don't have anyone near here that raises it. Its also a bit expensive for my budget. I raised pigs in FFA during my teen years and bought a 1/2 one of those a couple of summers ago, last year it was a 1/2 beef. I would love to raise chickens for eggs but don't have the proper place for it where I live right now. My vegetable garden is loving the bunny poop right now. Anyway, once again thanks for the cooking suggestions. I will definitely have to call the extension office for more ideas. Thanks, Teresa

I'm hoping they actually go from a hutch in my backyard to a box living, to the butchers and back to my house neatly packaged in freezer bags. I don't mean to offend anybody. I strive to be as self sufficient as possible. I don't think I could ever live without a grocery store but I would like to grow or make most of my staple type foods. I have seen the feed lots in California, giant dairies, chicken plants, etc. I think animals raised on a more small scale basis fed on natural products are not only happier and healthier animals but better for you too. We live in town limits so I can't raise other farm animals right now. We do own acreage a few hours away and I'm hoping to get my hubbies uncles (neighbors at our acreage) to help feed a calf for me next year but I can't raise chickens and such where I am at right now. Our property also has a huge garden area. I can't wait to someday live down there. Anyway again, I'm not trying to antogonize or offend but would like people to answer that have some experience with this.

I remember chopping my step-sisters hair once. Everytime I would cut one side, the other side would look more crooked so I just kept going. By the end of it the poor girl looked like Moe. Just a small patch on top of her noggin. I think we were about 12 and 14 then.

I recently brought back 3 lovely young New Zealand female rabbits from my Uncles house in Salt Lake City. I am building some nice hutches and am going to get a buck and try my luck at raising rabbits for meat. The 3 I brought back are going to be pets and breeders. Anyone else on LBT raise or have raised rabbits for meat? My hubby and I can't kill anything so I am going to contact the local rabbit 4-H group about helping me. Otherwise my step father said he would happily help me too in exchange for dinner. I recently read some facts about rabbits. Their meat is something like 25% less in fat and cholesterol than chicken. I remember loving rabbit meat when I was young and even had it a few months ago and liked it. My bunnies are still a few months too young to breed but that gives me plenty of time getting a proper set up and learning more. Last year my mom and I split a 1/2 a beef that was locally raised on grass and grain. I will NEVER buy store meat again. That was the best damn beef ever. Even the traditionally tough cuts were so tender. I'm tired of ingesting hormones and chemicals from grocery store meat. I'm hoping next year to raise a calf of my own. Another nice benefit of rabbits is their manure. It is the only manure that doesn't have to be aged before putting it in your garden. I'm already putting that to good use in my vegetable garden. Anyway I just wanted to see if anyone else had any experience raising rabbits for this purpose (I had some as pets when I was a kid) and recipes using rabbit would be good too. Thanks Teresa

I recently tried the Dreyers Slow Churned Low fat Ice Cream and it was the smoothest creamiest ice cream I've ever had. Totally compared to Cold Stone Creameries yummy ice cream. Cold Stones has something like 500 calories a serving but the Slow Churned had 105 a serving. SOOO GOOOD! I'm not normally a big ice cream love but once in awhile I get in the mood for it.

When I was 16 years old, I was tired of not fitting in at my school, never getting any dates, always getting teased, etc. I sold my horse for $1000 so I could have a local dentist wire my teeth shut for a year!!! Crazy, crazy, I know... I really did lose a lot of weight and for the first time was under 200 lbs but of course it all came right back once I was released from my wired food prison. Life actually improved dramatically when I finally graduated high school. I've never been teased with such cruelty since then. Actually I don't think I've even openly been teased since then. I'm sure people have had their own thoughts and stares but fortunately people do seem to gain some manners in adulthood.

Hey folks, What is going on with the calender planning? Christina did you ever look at the link about the Long Tom Grange Calender? I thought it had some awesome ideas for backgrounds and poses. I was just thinking maybe we should do a smaller before pic set in the large frame. That way people know what we've accomplished. I don't know just tossing out an idea... I would sure love to use that photographer that did those Long Tom shots. My mom went in to have her blood pressure checked yesterday and it was way too high. The bottom number was 100! She has been overweight since having children, so for the last 25 years or so. She is taller than I am and I am just now fitting into her clothes but it was definitely a wake up call that she needs to do something. She would love to get the band but our insurance won't cover it and she doesn't have a wonderful father in law that would pay for it. I think she has kind of "thrown in the towel" this past winter in regards to dieting which is what I did before getting my band. She sees me all the time and is thrilled with my progress but I sure wish I could help her. When we do the calender I think we should make a website for it and post it on every band support group out there. The Long Tom group pulled in something like $200,000 the first year. Way beyond their expectations. Lets aim high girls! Teresa

Hi Irisheyes, I live in Oregon too! The Eugene area to be precise... Where do you live? I got my band a year ago in Mexico and absolutely have had a great time with it. Sure there are moments of frustration, plateaus, etc but I have lost 95 lbs in 1 year while never feeling deprived. Which doctor are you looking at having do your surgery? Best wishes, Teresa

I've told everyone I know, and haven't gotten that comment either. Most people I know are thin but do struggle to stay within their healthy parameters. They knew I struggled and supported me all the way thru surgery and beyond. They are all very happy with my progress. I don't always like it when they question me about my most recent loss if I haven't lost anything for weeks but they never do it out of meanness and it actually just reminds and inspires me to stay on track. If I did get a comment like your suggesting I would probably confront them and give them the what-for... Most people have some kind of bad habit they are eventually going to give up (hopefully) would they consider the use of stop smoking products to help them kick that habit??? Wouldn't that be the easy way? What about the 12 step program to quit drinking? I think the less people have to struggle to kick these horrible habits the better we all are. Best wishes, Teresa

WOW!!! You do both look great! You should line those up with some before pics of both of you! Great job girls! Teresa

Hi Krystal, I was 362 lbs when I started my band journey and the 300's just whipped right past in a matter of a few months. It has slowed down a bit now but I was thrilled to have lost 95 lbs after just one year. I thought I was the biggest for a long time too (and probably was at points) but like everyone else, I strived to just be smaller. I'm thrilled with my progress. Best of luck thru your surgery and keep us posted, Teresa