shellyj.

uh-oh i tried it to! i LOVE music so this should be cool!!!

i have to say i LOVE the kashi...i used to make these EVIL kashi goo balls! (ruined a perfectly healthy cereal) kashi, peanut butter, honey, and bag o chocolate chips. mix together to make a big sticky mess and roll into balls, refridgerate and chow down. ahhhh that was good a kashi flashback!

OMG kathy! i am glad you called both dr's again. i cant believe the band dr couldnt get you in the 19th shen you were vomiting blood. i AM so glad they got to the bottom of it though. please let us know how you recover and dont be such a stranger! when my band was giving me problems i stayed away to. i get such inspiration here everyday. michelle

if your gettin a sassy new do that will be a lot shorter, have you thought about donating it to locks of love? http://www.locksoflove.org/donate_hair.php if you look they have a link to find salons that will cut your hair for free! usually trendy good ones! anyways, cant wait to see your new do!!!

calvin had RNY, he doesnt stink BUT HIS HINEY DOES!!! we buy LOTS of spray...luckily for me he is sweet and only 'lets one rip' in the bathroom, cause he knows he is leathal!!!! hehehe luckily he doesnt read this site so he cant kill me for discussing his oder!

i am in spokane, dont know where longview is!

OK LISA!!!! theres NO ARGUEING it now!!!! LOOK AT YOU!!!!! LOOK AT YOUR FLAT TUMMY!!!! you look FABULESS!!!!! what a difference!!!! you have lost 4 bags of dogfood!!! (the 17 lb size) you should put that in a buggy and try to push it! i know you couldnt carry it (anymore) i am so proud of you!!!

hehehe i understand, sometimes i get jealous of people who have restriction! i dont think i can get a fill and while i do eat less than preband i still eat 2 cups of food atleast for every meal, my band doesnt ever stop me. i wake with a GROWLING hungry stomache and feel hungry must of the time. i watched the biggest loser lastnight (firsttime) and was inspired by the 2 families. i have started the kamakazi wedding diet as of today. it involves 2 hours of exercise a day and low calories. if they can do it unbanded i can do it 1/2 banded! i want my wedding dress to be a 14, i dont think thats to much to ask!!! thanks re: the pics and inspiration. i look at the before and after thread often and just marvel at all the changes in everyone.

penni- i know exactly how you feel about knowing what to do and actually doing it. i havent had restriction in FOREVER and i struggle daily to do what i know i should. i dont have any magic words of widsom but i do have compassion and understanding of how hard this is. we all do. i really like what i'll succeed said about DO NOT THINK ABOUT IT, JUST DO IT. sometimes i feel like all i do is think about food. i am always thinking about my next meal.

WOW LISA!!!!! you are FOXXY!!!!! you have done great and have come so far! i love looking at pictures your definitally are inspiring!

well i have decided on the photographer! he was my favorite. he offers a wedding book that is actually a hardcover book (coffee table book) that has your photos printed on the pages (thick like cardstock) its AWESOME!!! the best part is.....i got a job out if it too! i do free lance graphic design and this wedding book has to have a custom layout for each wedding....well hes a photographer and it takes him FOREVER to do one! so yours truly is working a deal to this as free lance as well. either way he is my photographer. his fee is $2,000 then you buy photo's on top of that. but the key is i will own the negatives so i dont have to get prints from him i can buy elsewhere. marimaru, sarah- thanks for the other advice. i was actually just looking at dresses online. i have decided that i will likely buy the dress in the next few months after i have lost a few pounds. then hopefully i will loose a few more in the meantime and will need to get it slightly altered. thanks to everyone who posted ideas! i am defintally gonna use some of these GREAT suggestions! michelle

man!!! my insurance quit covering the band and anything band related 4 months after surgery so i have spent a small fortune. if i hadnt been so grateful to finally GET some restriction i think i would have asked for a reimbursement on all the fills that were to get me 4.0 cc's. it was 7 fills!!

i started thinking about how much i have spent POST banding....pretty scary.... $200 4 fills, covered by insurance, $50 each $2,400 16 fills*, not covered by insurance $150 each $750 fill under flouro $1250 fill under flouro $1400 fill under flouro (this was actually an ER unfill) ------------------------------- 6,000!!!!!!!! holy crap. my share for surgery was 1,000. just curious what others have paid for 'aftercare' *i had to get a LOT of fills in the beginning because my fill was getting trapped in a pocket in the port. when i got a fill it never reached my band so i had to get several till i was over 4.0 cc and my dr would listen to me.

coming from someone who seals up tight anytime i get on a plane i would get some removed. when we go on our honeymoon this summer i am going to have .2 - .3 removed just to play it safe. you can always have you appointment for a refill scheduled for the day you come back! sounds like fun!

i belonged in nashville but forgot to check it out in my new community! thanks for the reminder! michelle

oh mandy, i am defintally thinking of you, your daughter and your entire family, sending healing vibes. i hope you continue to see positive results with the zoloft. abigale has a good mom to notice that something was going on with her. i am sure there are others out there who's parents arent so attentive. please know that we are all here for you when you need someone to lean on. hugs, michelle

HEY BRIGHT!!!! dang girl! you brought eveyone out of the woodworks to say HI!!!! i defintally consider your maintaining TRIUMPH!!! i think one thing that happens to us is the bands "newness" wears off, things return to normal. is it winter in ireland? i know during winter months here with shorter days, and not being able to go out and do much "winter blues" is quite common. its like depression that sets in from less activity, lack of sunlight and overindulgence during the holidays. take care bright, i hope to hear from you soon! michelle

lapband on ebay i have now seen it all

YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!!!!!! i feel much more prepared after chatting with the girls! i am gonna take notes before i go to bed of my questions for the photographers! i need a wedding planner! hehehe just kidding i think this and the food will be the hardest part. i am not buying my dress till may-june so that i can be sure its the right size. well you guys will get to see the handy work of who ever i chose! i'll be sure to post pics!

same beautiful smile!!! i'd LOVE to see more weeding pics from EVERYONE!

this is where we are gonna do it, we are gonna stand up by the rocks. there is another spot that we are considering but it will be have to think of the old folks.

thanks ladies! lots of good info! there is a wedding fair this weekend that calvin and i are going to so i am not solidify-ing (hehe) things until after we have met these other people in the area. the top people i had found on the net are of course BOOKED! i feel sooooo behind! this lady wasnt my TOP choice so i just hope all the good ones arent booked!!!! i think i need to figure out who i will be giving pictures to and how many so i dont buy to many! penni- we are gonna do the wedding here in WA. we bought a new home that has the perfect landscape for it! BIG rocks just beautiful! i was gonna get married in TN but changed my mind!

thanks ladies! thats helpful for sure! the wedding is 7-1-05 i am slacking in the planning to say the least! there is a wedding fair this weekend that calvin and i are going to. as for registering and gifts (hehehe) i am gonna ask that no one brings a gift and if they feel compelled to spend something to make a dontation to your local foodbank in my and calvins name. calvin and i are older (he 40 me 29) so we have all the housewear stuff since we arent 'just starting out'. does that sound bad?

i was also banded by dr morton and have nothing but good things to say of him

any of you folks who have had to pay for or just know the cost of wedding photos? i would really love it if ya'll would post prices or price ranges. i am going high end because i want GREAT photos. no cheesey,bad lighting, dorky poses, etc just wondering if the photographer is trying to rape me here!!!! with what they are charging i am SERIOUSLY considering changing proffessions. please post the amount paid and if you were satisified with the quality