Zoe

Thanks for your encouraging note, Seanmama! It's great to hear your success story, especially this time of year when we newish bandsters are going through the end-of-year holiday food madness for the first time. You're so close to your medical goal, I'm sure you can make it. Have you bought a whole new wardrobe, or are you waiting for the last 20 lbs. to drop?

About those funny brownies -- yes, if you dip them in enough milk, they'll work fine for the mushy stage, but what'll you do when you crave a pallet of Cheetos afterward? Have to substitute guacamole, I guess. Sounds like Bandstock is a GO! I'll be there, schedule permitting. I hope some other Chicagoans can attend, too -- not that we're planning to recreate the Grant Park 1968 scene. Young whippersnappers, ask a geezer.

No, Jack, and you can leave those funny brownies at home too.

Lisa/DeLarla, you're probably great at housebreaking puppies! Someone in the mushy stage might not be able to dictate to her body yet, though. Pat, what you're going through is perfectly normal -- and Marie's right, don't be surprised if you get the runs next. If you're stuck, I recommend figs. Maybe figgy pudding for Christmas?

Yeah, cleaning your plate is a pleasure when the food's great. But pizza and frozen broccoli? My mom was (and is) a good cook, but she made all kinds of funky vegetables like cauliflower, rutabaga, and brussels sprouts, and we'd have to sit at the dining room table until we finished every bite on the plate. I still haven't figured out how we could have sent the stuff to the starving children in China we kept hearing about. (As Allan Sherman once said, "They're still starving -- and I got fat.")

Welcome, Sharon! There are a couple of other down-under bandsters on the board, and it's always good for us Yanks to get a different perspective. Congratulations on your great success. How much more were you hoping to lose? Any tips you'd like to share?

The roofs are white in Texas and we have only one or two flakes still on the ground in Chicago. What's up with that? I'm another one who feels colder since I've lost some of my insulation. I've only had three hot flashes so far, and I sure could use one about now! For the first time in my life I've bought a space heater. That, plus a down comforter and 80 pounds of dog taking up half the bed, seems to work.

Take that two-week sabbatical, Penni; you've earned it. Nancy's suggestion sounds great. I'd also recommend the little towns south of Playa del Carmen in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula -- stay away from the touristy places (like Playa, not to mention Cancun) and just lie on a hammock letting the warm breezes stir your margarita. I hope you feel better after Christmas. Funny, isn't it, how so many people can't wait for it to be over?

Dec. 21 is the longest night and the shortest day of the year -- seems fitting for the three bandsters who are starting new lives that day. Congratulations, everyone!

Bandstock sounds like fun. Also sounds like it could replace the proposed Chicago bash in late July.

Hi Teresa -- I was rear-ended over a year ago by a kid who was changing a CD in his car and didn't notice that expressway traffic had come to a complete halt. I hope your insurance company is working to compensate you for your car and your medical bills. Get everything in writing, and take thorough notes on what occurred. Don't hesitate to go to a doctor ASAP for that back and neck pain. Not only will it help you feel better, it will establish a paper trail for your medical issues in case you have to sue the other driver. Good luck; I'm just glad that you're OK.

Uh, gee, thanks, Sue, I think -- I'm 47 myself and still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. My photo's too small and underexposed to show my crow's feet and silver hair! Yeah, no one should take their "careers" too seriously. Most of us have a series of jobs rather than a real career, anyway. I feel like I'm going to hit my stride at 50. . . always thought I was a late bloomer, but maybe I've just been gathering life experiences.

FYI, Greg's farting Santas are posted on a Croatian web site. I leave it to wiser heads to find a deep political meaning.

Maybe he made it to the small primate wing at the Betty Ford Center.

I don't know if there's a dedicated web site (www.dogcrap.com?), but I have a reliable source for the stuff who will provide it free of charge. Before you go postal, though, Will, figure out an appeal strategy. If that doesn't work, you might have to join the ranks of us self-payers. DeLarla's right; the band does pay for itself after you calculate what you'll be saving on food, medications, and large-size clothing. But first think about writing a letter to your insurance company announcing that you are going to appeal the decision. Please read the insurance forum for suggestions.

Hey, Jack, don't laugh at those broth recipes! I had beef tenderloin broth and sauteed mushroom broth at a Labor Day party right after I was banded, and they tasted great (especially compared to protein shakes). And, yes, egg nog is a liquid (and pumpkin pie filling is a mushy). Good luck to you tomorrow; let us know how you're doing when you feel up to it.

Will, that sucks big time. Strange, isn't it, how suddenly you're "not fat enough" in some actuary's eyes? Please don't let this bad news wreck the season for you. If you're on $8000 of medication each year, there's gotta be a way to get insurance approval. Take a deep breath and jump to the insurance forum here on LapBandTalk. Lots of bandsters had a horrible time with their insurance companies but eventually got approved, and many of them have shared their stories and suggestions on this board. I hope you find the tools you need to fight back.

You can keep the fudge and give me cookies. I'm headed to my mother's on Friday and have got to stay away from the dozens of giant tins of cookies she makes for the whole family. Even though I have her recipes, I can't make any of them as well as she can! I'd love to hit the 220s by the end of the year, but won't see even 229 unless I clean up my act this week.

Dogs and kids are great exercise partners! Lisa, how is Chloe doing? Any change at home? (Sorry, that's a thread hijack...)

Well, I have lost a grand total of (drum roll) one pound since the challenge. (Greg, I will e-mail my exact stats for the last two weeks.) But I feel great. I'm eating a lot -- time for a fill, maybe, or at least a post-holiday attitude adjustment -- but I'm walking for about an hour a day, no matter what the weather, and I'm really enjoying the fattening stuff I choose to eat, instead of wolfing it compulsively without really tasting it. My last pairs of size 20 pants are too big, and my legs are thinner. They still look like sausages, but they're bratwurst now instead of giant salami. We have two more weeks to go in our exercise challenge. Let's kick butt!

Lauri, I agree with everyone else who's advised you to go to a doctor ASAP. Don't start freaking out about MS (or any other illness) until you've been checked over. Do you have a primary-care doc? Or an HMO nearby? Get there fast -- not because you're necessarily in danger, but just to ease your mind. Good luck, and let us know how you are doing.

Darcey, I know a lot of people on this board have great respect and admiration for Dr. Ortiz. How great that your sister can go with you! Try mixing cubes of lime and cherry Jello if you wanna get festive. Desperate times call for desperate measures! Good luck on the 21st -- I'm sure everything will go well.

Whip, your stats are amazing: -51 lbs, 30 of them in the last month!? Congratulations. Twonesia is right ahead. How are you fixed for winter clothes (that fit, that is)?

Me too. I've been blaming holidays and hormones, but it's my head. If I hadn't been exercising, I'm sure I would have gained a lot lately. I can give myself credit for tiny victories like taking three days instead of one to polish off a tin of Christmas Cookies my mother sent me (no, she's not a true saboteur, and I could have turned them down!), but I have been on a major chowfest lately. As long as I'm choosing to eat fattening stuff, I can deal with it... it's just when it starts to feel like the return of unconscious eating that I beat myself up. I'm still eating a lot less than last year, but it feels like a nasty old pattern is creeping back. So many of us are going through a slump. Is it just the holidays? Any suggestions from those of you who've gone through December before?

Infaith, besides checking the "Doctors and Hospitals" forum, you might want to take a look at the "Mexico misconceptions" thread: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=3111 Also, a lot of us have written about our medical experiences with various Mexican docs; check out the old posts. There's as much variation between the standards of care and bedside manner of Mexican doctors as between their US counterparts. If you're going the Mexican route, make sure you pick a doctor that suits you. Good luck!