Zoe

I just went to lunch with a former co-worker and had chicken with peanut sauce at a Thai restaurant just a block from my house. Not only did I have to dash off to the bathroom twice to PB, but just seconds after I jumped in the car to head back to work I got that tight sensation that so many of us know so well. A pick-up truck was right behind me driving down the small street where I live, and there was no place to pull over until the next corner, so I grabbed a plastic bag in one hand (I'm a dog owner, so I've got 'em everywhere), clutched the steering hand for dear life with the other, and let fly, braking just in time for the stop sign. My aim was damn good, but Lord I hope I never have to do that again. Has anyone else PBd while driving, or driven while PBing?

Will do. It's on my Mac at home, but I hereby reserve space for it. Kick ... kick ... kick ...

I gotta laugh, Crystal, 'cause when I saw the headline I thought you meant "name your silicone symbiant." Mine is Nigel.

Everyone's kids are so cute -- but OMG, I love the dog pictures! Voodoo and Sachi are adorable!

Christina, what sad sad news. My heart is aching for you. Like many others who have posted here, I had to put a beloved pet down, and I still get teary when I think about it. But you have done the ultimate loving, humane thing for your dear companion. You may be suffering, but he no longer is. Blessings on you for making a hard decision that was maybe not in your own best interests but was the kindest gift for Gunnar. Here is a web site that helped me during the difficult days right after Lola the Labrador died: http://www.srdogs.com/Pages/loss.html. Keep a box of Kleenex near you.

Great! Let us know how you're feeling afterwards. See you on the banded side!

Oh, Christina, has Gunnar crossed the Rainbow Bridge? We can see his gentle soul through those beautiful brown doggy eyes -- what a special guy. I hope you are getting the comfort and support you need.

I found this quote from Andy Rooney on the Menopause Diet site, and thought you might like it. "As I grow in age, I value older women most of all. Here are just a few reasons why: An older woman will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think. An older woman knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of 50 give a damn what you might think about her. An older, single woman usually has had her fill of "meaningful relationships" and "commitment." The last thing she needs in her life is another dopey, clingy, whiny, dependent lover! Older women are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it. Most older women cook well. An older woman has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women. Older women couldn't care less. Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to an older woman. They always know. An older woman looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women or drag queens. Once you get past a wrinkle or two, an older woman is far sexier than her younger counterpart. Her libido's stronger, her fear of pregnancy gone. Her experience of lovemaking is honed and reciprocal and she's lived long enough to know how to please a man in ways her daughter could never dream of. (Young men, you have something to look forward to.) Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off you are a jerk if you are acting like one. Yes, we praise older women for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coifed babe of 70 there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22 year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize for all of us. That men are genetically inferior is no secret. Count your blessings that we die off at a far younger age, leaving you the best part of your lives to appreciate the exquisite woman you've become, without the distraction of some demanding old man clinging and whining his way into your serenity."

Kathy, sounds as if you're having the same procedure my best friend had last year. It's no fun, to be sure . . . but she was glad she went through it, because everything turned out just fine. Hang in there!

I agree. Also, it's probably not worth getting into an argument over medical issues with the RNY crowd. How about just relating your experience with the band? Readers should get their hard-core medical info elsewhere, but there's nothing like an internet board for learning about day-to-day life as a bandster. (Caveat emptor: buyer beware; caveat lector: reader beware.)

Yeah, boot cut trousers are flattering for most of us larger women. I gave away all of my tapered versions -- they made my legs look super-short, and that's some trick when you're 5'9". Whatever your height, both Lane Bryant and Avenue have trou in petite, regular, and tall lengths. The tricky part is finding something in June other than capri pants, which IMO don't flatter most people. Just stay away from the tapers. And pleated fronts make everything look even bigger and rounder, so try to avoid them too.

Yeah, yeah, OK. I guess I was having a menopause moment myself. Ancient indeed!

I think someone needs to do a major study on antidepressants and weight gain. I've already posted elsewhere about my experience, and while I can't say that Prozac and its SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) friends made me fat -- I did that all by myself -- they didn't exactly help. I complained to my shrink for a few years, and he finally admitted that while there wasn't any medical literature indicating that Prozac led to weight gain, he had heard this from so many of his own patients that he could no longer deny a connection. I suspect other SSRIs may tend to have the same effect. Years ago, a few docs were prescribing Prozac for weight loss. I haven't heard of this for a while; I bet that too many patients realized it didn't work! Rhonda, talk to your prescribing doc about your concerns. We have different reactions to different drugs. There are some new meds available now that might be better choices for you -- if you decide that drugs are the way to go. For some of us medication is the only thing that brings us back from the brink; for others, it's an ineffective or second-rate solution. Whatever you choose, I hope you feel better soon.

Ladies, you're making me feel ancient. Come on now, Yanks, I can't be the only American who grew up using "lb." for "pound." This is not some obscure Brit usage, it's a normal abbreviation! "Libra" is right on the money, no pun intended; that's why the symbol for the British currency (pound sterling) is a variation on the letter L: £. Confused? Just think of the zodiac sign Libra, the scales.

Mine wasn't as easy as Vinesqueen's. I was very uncomfortable for the first five days or so, and that first day after surgery was nasty. I found it hard to move around, and my belly was sore all over -- but compared to gyne surgery it's a picnic. Minimal scarring, no giant staples in your belly, much less pain (in my experience).

Greetings, Alex, from the edge of menopause here in Chicago. At 48, I look older too, now that I'm a little thinner. . . but people can see my eyes now that they aren't surrounded by so much fat, and a few crow's feet are a small price to pay. I always love your posts, especially your signature goal weight: "Wherever I get." How sane! Sounds to me like you're pretty happy right where you are. Just keep doing whatever you've been doing to stay healthy -- walking, running, chasing after the kids -- and let the rest follow. Slightly off-topic: aren't these changing cycles a drag? I was a perfect 30-day gal for years. Now I'm still on a 30-day cycle, but I have my period for 23 days then have seven days off! Doctor's appt. next week.

Je suis jolie = I am pretty. The translation's close enough for West Side Story! Boy, I would love to go to Vegas. Let me see if I can swing it. I love to sing and will take requests -- although after I receive them, I keep singing anyway.

Do I smell a Labor Day challenge? Excellent! (Cute new avatar, Penni!)

Hey, Sally, do you have dog photos? Let's see the beasties! Poor Douglas -- my mom has told me about "Neuticles," fake testicles for altered dogs; penile implants must be available somewhere. Tell your Sophie that there's a crazy Sophie dog in Chicago who says hello.

I'm definitely in! I'm still puffed up from my steroid injection, but at least I can move again. Hoping the water weight -- and some fat too -- will fall off soon.

Your first post here made plenty o' sense! I hope you feel better and that those nasty girl issues go away.

That sucks! Don't put too many demands on yourself during such a difficult time -- you've already got a lot to think about. I hope you find a new, and better, job soon. Meanwhile, you deserve a little pampering, and if ice cream is a part of that, no one will hold it against you. BTW, the title of your message made me think of Leslie Nielsen in "Airplane" -- is that what you had in mind?

Christina, I'm sorry to hear that you're going through all this. At least Dr. P is giving you straight answers. Are you feeling any better? How's your back? If you're still feeling crummy in another week, maybe you should get a second opinion. As decent as your doc sounds, it might be worth talking to someone else, if only to reassure yourself that everything will be OK. BTW, I am a bruiser too. I was seriously purple for a few weeks, especially around the port -- then I changed to yellow-green. I was too grossed out to take a picture of my belly, but now I wish I had.

Warning: what follows is not a serious suggestion: Vicodin and other opiate pain killers usually reduce appetite, and definitely won't keep you awake. It was during a Vicodin period last winter that I made myself eat a Krispy Kreme because my daily calorie count was falling under 800. Of course, Vicodin might make you fall asleep during the day, think sloppily, walk around in an incoherent stupor, and become constipated and/or addicted. And I guess I should point out that Rush Limbaugh, last year's Vicodin poster boy, is no toothpick, so I guess he didn't have the same reaction. Seriously, I wish I could join in this junk-food rejection. But I am perverse and if I start thinking that I am totally denied something, I will start craving it even if I didn't want it before the prohibition. But I am definitely ready to cut down on junk, even if I'm not ready for cold-turkey yet. Oops, wish I hadn't said turkey. . . wonder if there's any in the fridge. . .

I agree. Of course, we all hope we're going to be among the lucky ones who lose weight during the first weeks -- but whether we are or not is almost completely beyond our control. A lot of people lose or gain many pounds of water in the weeks immediately after band surgery. I know it's hard to be patient, especially if you've had to wait a long time to get your band, but hang in there. You are totally normal. Your band just isn't in working order yet -- kind of like a new car that hasn't had the engine installed.