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Hey Babs - hope youre having an AWESOME day! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Crystal, Leatha, Mo, Michelle & Sherry, thanks for all the responses. Big ((hugs)) to you! She's worried about having back surgery (or any surgery) with so many other health conditions (diabetes, HBP and MO). I cant incourage OR discourage her either way, just wish there was another choice for her to choose from. What about the different exercises some of you mentioned? I know walking is the BEST - and there are different things she can do in the pool Water that would help, but, getting her to do anything is a major accomplishment. She takes 7 different meds a day! 3/HBP, 3/Diabeties & 1 for high choles. I get so upset with her for not exercising, but these meds drain her energy level. And what happens if she decides to do nothing? Mo? youve had 6 of these things and NO sugery? my goodness. Thank again for responding, y'all!

question: Do guys like the toy stuff too?

My mom just learned that she has 2 of these things -- very painful! She is a diabetic, has HPB and is MO - so the *thought* of back surgery has her in complete freak-out mode! Her Chiro also commented that one of the bulging disk is affecting the nerves that control bladder and bowel functions. *big sigh* With so many health conditions to deal with, I was wondering if anyone had worst case/great outcome stories that I can console her with?

you know, E V E R Y T I M E I see Woman's World Magazine (can I say the name?) there's a cover story regarding some woman that's lost 115 pounds and has SECRETS she wants to share. ok, so how many ways are there to lose weight? Reduce calories, eat low carb, exercise, drink lots of Water and get good sleep. voila! ((Then of coarse there's also 'Crystal-ism' where NOTHING works . )) 52 weeks a year this magazine is printed - and all 52 weeks there is "Jane lost 150 pounds in 6 months. Find out HOW she did it." Or Trim 60,000 inches off your stomach fat by SLEEPING! whatever. Yep Vines, Im sick of all that crap too. Just hang in there Sister, you're paving the way for so many others.

Im Voodoo Constance. Official Booty grabber.

I must've not seen this - cause I wouldve responded :biggrin1: Im very open about my usage of diet pills. I prefer Tenuate (generic) taken with a little food or protien shake preferbally around noon time. The pills are oblong so I break them in half and take just 1/2 a day - when needed. I might take one everyday for 4 or 5 days, then not take another one for 3, 4 days or even a week later. PRN - as needed. When I was first banded and discouraged in weightloss, I remember using the diet pills more often, maybe every day? cant remember. But I DO remember thinking that I would do whatever it takes to get the weight off - even if it was taking the diet pills WITH the band. As for now, I stay around 180 and when I feel a weight gain OR see that my eating has increased (esp. around my period) I pop the Tenuate. ALSO - if I dont have a bm in 3 days I will take gen peri-colace tablets for a couple of days to get things flowing . Dont mean to steal the thread topic, but I did want to repond to you. Im also very interested in reading about the other forms of WLS. So now there's a mini-bypass?

Stitchy, *P L E A S E* go buy some clothes that fit. Need a clothes donation?? Im sure there are MANY members here that have lost enough weight and have tons of clothes stored in their closet! Most likely SHORTS in YOUR size! What size are you wearing now? As soon as you wear fitted clothes, you (and everyone else) will start feeling and noticing that there's 50 pound less of you. :biggrin1:

Jesse, I strickly read only this board - so Im not up on the lastest and greatest weightloss surgeries. But - IMHO - something about this procedure (having BOTH done at the same time) scares me. If the patient starts having problems, how are they to determine if its the band or the VS... get where Im coming from? Plus, its such a new procedure that there isnt enough patients to gather good/bad info from... Just be cautious!

Diane - your strength amazes me! Im not sure if you know this or not, but its OK to be scared - I would be. Yes, I have my faith - but fear of the 'unknown' is very normal. VERY! SO please know that its OK to have even a slight bit of fear. ((((HUGS))))) Tonight I shall be making virtual dinner for you - What time would you like for me to deliver it?? (hey - its the BEST I can do)

Hi Di, WELCOME to LapBandTalk. - Glad you found us. We're a close knit little group, lots of love and suppot here. Even better - this place has a zillion pages of first hand - band information (good AND bad). Hope you have lots of time for reading. You said... when I first read your screen name, I thought "sister di" may have been a catholic nun. :biggrin1: :biggrin1: Again, WELCOME!!!!

Hi Birthday Girls! Hope your day is AWESOME!

Ahhh Jacqui... is that really YOU??? You look like a model or something. Beautiful! And I *L O V E D* the silver heels. One word - SEXY! My favorite is the little one holding you hand. Even posing for pictures our dear babies are right next to us. :biggrin1: Hope you had a great time! I bet Doug had a hard time keeping his hands off.

Cloe - thanks for your response! Lets see - our neighborhood is filled with younger kids ages 4-8 and all are boys. They are too young for my oldest and my girl wants to play with other girls. -IF- the older ones decide to venture in the front(to ride bikes, or just hang out) then my youngest one (3yrs old) is out the door too, but he's too young to be out there alone - so that means Im out there. By the way, have I mentioned that the heat index has been 115 lately? So NO BODY is out doors (just the mailman ) Even the swimming pool Water is too HOT to swim in (water temp is 94 degrees - yuck!) Everyone's situation is different. Every neighborhood is different. Every family is different. Every child is different. We're just taking it one day at a time!

Hi Bright! I dont see an *EMERGENCY* situation here... - one that requires immediate action. How many times have you visited this Dr.? Im wondering WHY he's telling you to get the band out due to a possible kinked tube??? thats odd. Im with Elizabeth in contacting your original surgeon and getting feedback from him. Id be just as scared... ((hugs)) btw: we missed you!

Horrible! Thats why we left the plan. We'd been with this plan for 10 years and each year the plan would change - for the worst. The last year we had this plan is the year I had my band (2004). No dental and had to pay a ded. for prescript's... with 3 kids we needed a plan that had these coverages! 'Plastics' is a term used for plastic surgery. Some ins. comp's cover the removal of excess skin for weightloss surgery patients - also know as plastic surgery!

naaa, Im 2 years post surgery. I think my journey for losing is over - Im HAPPY though! :clap2: My 'wish' is more spiritual, can I add that? I want to renew/refreshen/rekindle/refire my love for God and re-establish a prayer time - and I want to decrease my increasing intrest in the worldly items and self pride. When I was MO, my past time was to increase my inside life, since the out-side was 'as good as I could get it'. Now, since weightloss - Ive slowly gotten away from this... and I feel it. thats MY Christmas wish. a little deep, huh?

after reading what Funny wrote, I wanted to re-phrase my intentions on my earlier post... Public lessons I stay and watch, and I think the directors encourage parents to do this (at least they've never discouraged it). There are LOTS of kids in the pool at the same time - even though they are broken into smaller groups. Its safer for the parents to 'watch', you know? Private lessons (in private pools) are smaller and safer. Usually 2 teachers per 6 kids in the pool - and this is the one where the instructor has asked the parents to leave for the lessons. And I was totally comfortable with it. Like Alex's experience - MY 3yr old used a 'bubble' for the first week of his lessons. Does your 5 yr old swim w/o any floats? After their evaluation, my 5yr old's group went to the deep end (10ft) the first day - the teacher was mid-way out and the child had to swim & meet the teacher, then swim back to the side. Of coarse the teacher was eager to meet the child if problems arose. Was this something like you experienced?

Have you checked out First Health (MailHandlersBenefitplan - MHBP)? This is the ins. I had when I was banded. Quick approval and wonderful coverage.

Did the kids have on any kind of I.F.D. (instructional floatation device) when she brought them in the deep end?

You know all those times we pray for the safety of our kids?? well..... Yesterday was the last day of MY kids swimming lessons through the Y. I had enrolled all 3 kids. The 2 older ones (10 and 5) are very good swimmers and my little one (3) still neads floats. I guess that with the pool experiences weve had, I NeVeR even considered leaving and coming back after the lessons were finished. Last year (at my parents pool) we pulled my nephew out *TWICE* - so many kids in the Water and he just jumped in. We didnt see him, didnt even notice he was missing until someone asked where he was. He was ok, but it was a lesson for me that there are never too many eyes watching kids swim! Yes, I sat in the sun and nearly had a heat stroke during their lessons - BUT - I learned that Im the only person that will watch (out of love and not routine) ONLY my 3 kids. Twice I had to get up and check on my 2 younger kiddies while their teacher was busy with another student - totally understandable! And this was IN the water - the place where these teachers are trained to watch them. Just take a BIG breath and thank God that he WAS safe. Everyone learned a good lesson from it - and noone was injured! (((HUGS)))

Carol, My goodness, I read the story of your granddad - Im touched! It was the part where he shared his memories of finding different kids in different settings. Makes me feel blessed to come from such a good homelife. Are you in any of the pix? How is your Grandad doing these days?

WOOHOO Dody, -WELCOME- to Band Land. I think each of us experience a different amount of soreness. My level of PAIN (more like discomfort) was probably a *4*? but the groggyness was a *9*. MY problem was that I couldnt seem to stay awake for long periods of time - for the first 2 days home. Dont forget to drink your Water and WALK! Glad you are home and on the road to recovery...

Im a Christmas fanatic also! I usually start listening to Christmas music REGULARLY during this month. Maybe it helps cool things off on these hot and blustery days??? Quite a few years ago my cousins and I started exchanging Christmas ornaments instead of gifts. Now we do it with Mike's brothers as well. Our stash of ornaments is enormous - although the same ole' ugly ones seem to always stay in the box. We decorate 2 trees. One with the pretty white lights and all the beautiful ornaments that were given to us, and the other for the kids. Each year the kids make christmas crafts or homemade ornaments (at school) - so I have a tree devoted only to these special decorations. Christmas is magical. There's no other way to say it. Has nothing to do with shopping or Santa Claus or food. Its the anticipation that is built up for this special day - a special Birthday. Instead of joyful celebrations and noise filled events, this is one season (or day) that brings me so much - with so little. Its the quietness the season offers... the air seems to be filled with peace... the joyfulness in strangers voices... the willingness to help those in need... communities actually work together... neighbors speak to each other instead of just waving by... people seem to have a little more patience with each other... friends/family make special plans to visit one another... more laughter, more kindness, more love during this time. Christmas IS magical. I love this thread Amy. Thanks for starting it!

Mert - how I wish it were that simple! MY parents are exhausted with my sisters kids, ages 1 & 2. And hubbys parents are too selfish. Its ok though - summer is ONLY 4 more weeks. Swimming lessons finish this week and they have an Art Camp planned for next. Where did the time go?? hehe Thanks for the suggestions!