kclang

Hey Girl: Everything is good, just if you keep them, vacinate Momiji once a year. Thats all to it. If the proper care of a bird is given they really never have to see the vet. I know Tootie had the one vacine and blood test to determine her sex. My little Chiwuas Prissy & Peppa (Miss) (inside) see the vet once a year, and also my wolf Smokey male and Sheba the german shepard female (outside kennel), but other than the flea and heartworm meds, the dogs are more expensive than the birds in my opinion, but I enjoy it all. I guess some people think I have the starting of a funny farm, but I enjoy every minute of it. Hope you have the same great pleasure. Good Luck, KC

Hey Brandi: Just wanted to let you know that when I got Tootie five years ago I had a parakeet and a cockatiel and I had to get Tootie vacinated for the polyama virus, because the little ones carry this virus automatically, not sure why, but it is a yearly vacine if you intend to keep the smaller birds or not then don't worry about it. I let my cousin take mine. You can talk to an avian vet to verify this, but this is a true story to my knowledge of first getting into raising bigger birds. You will be able to keep them all, but the yearly vacine will be a must for Momiji, Good Luck, and we will keep in touch. KC

Hey Brandi: Congratulations on your new journey of parenthood. I brought Scooter B home about three weeks ago. I am hand feeding him, yeah, he is a boy. (Congo African Grey). You are really fortunate to end up with a female, the odds are like nine out of ten times a boy is what my breeder told me, but I know for sure because I sent in the blood test to find out. I think it would have driven me a little nuts to not have known for sure. Scooter B is very alert, and loveable. I started trying to introduce him to raw mixed vegetables, although he still is on three feedings a day of the hand feeding formula. He was born on April 12, 2008. That is one week after my Blue & Gold McCaw's birthday, April 5, 2003. (Tootie) She is really good and accepting this new addition to our family, but she has alway been good to me, and spoiled as ever. I didn't let nothing change for her though. I just keep introducing Scooter to her and everything is just fine. How old is Momiji??? When was she born??? Do you hand feed or is she eating on her own? I hear that the Greys are really very intelligent. I figuring Scooter will show Tootie a thing or two. I know I am really enjoying it already. It might be a little extra work, but in the end it was all worth it. Love, caring, fun, and companionship all into one. I wish and hope you have the joy & experience of a lifetime, because after all that is what it will be, for the rest of your life. That part really bothers me, like if something happens to me, I am trying to make sure I have suitable replacement caregivers, but that takes a long time too. If you need anything or advice that I can be of any help, just let me know, and if I don't have the answer, I will find out or direct you to someone who knows the answer. Take care and enjoy your new baby, it is truly a great experience and happiness brought to the home. KC

Hey Weazer: I respect that with the 3.5 fill and you knowing how to handle up on your business. I feel that I am borderline too much right now, but I am scared to take out because he might take out too much. If I gain or have problems, I will check into the barium swallow, but right now I will just hang on to what I have for now. I can relate to feeling different about myself. But I surely hope that I can handle being as small as my desire is to be. I want to wear little clothes I tell my daughter, instead of all of those hide all of me clothes. I told her she is going to have a hoochy moma, just kidding. But I will be wearing some of those little cute clothes I have been wishing I could wear all these fat years that have gone by. My body was so adapt to carrying all this weight, I know it really hates to turn it loose. But guess what, I intend to get my way this time with the help of the band. My compliments are just starting to happen from a few of my friends. It is very rare to get compliments around these parts, bad gossip easy, but I blame it on this ole world. And after all I did this for myself not the world. Have a great day........KC

Hey Weazer: I guess Denton, Texas is further than Houston, don't really know, but it sounds far. I know I am about three and a half hours to four hours from Houston. But I usually go see my Dr. Speigel in Port Neches, TX office. Man, $25.00 for a fill is sooo cool. We all pay Dr. Speigel $100.00 each time for a fill. He is a good ole guy though. But he would probably give you a lecture for being at 3.5 with your fills. I am not sure, but maybe your pouch stretched or something. And maybe it is the different kind of style of two entirely different doctors. Don't really know. I just know that Dr Speigel tells you things about yourself if you don't lose any weight. But I am just going to keep hanging on and hope for the best. Take care and hope you lose everything you have the desire to lose, just hang in there. Good thing come to people who wait, so lets just be waiting, yeah us. Later KC

Hey Weazer: Well I am almost at the 40lb mark. I will or should arrive there this week, I am missing it by about two or three pounds. I was 229 when all this started and now I am at 192. My goal is to be in the eighties, the seventies, then so on, until I get to about 135 or 140. But how that saying? I have come a long way, yeah me. Who is your doctor? And thanks for the site o 5day pouch check, it looks like it will be very handy for me. Don't you think it is so great to be in contact with people having the same experiences in life and sharing knowledge with one another. This is really great, I love to learn new things everyday. I will be scoping this pouch test out thoroughly, thanks again. And let me know who is your doctor and what part of Texas are you from. I am just being nosey, it is really none of my business if you don't feel like telling. Take care Kaye

Hey Weazer: I guess that is your name, if not hello mini. My name is Kaye, hope you are having a great day. Well, the Ali is at Walmart. It is a pill, you eat it before you eat fatty foods and don't trust yourself, because it really works. It makes you pass all the fat you intake. You litterly see it in the toilet, floating, I know, gross, but it is the truth. Slimming is gross too, but I do that also if I am not carefully and aware of my actions. The Barium Swallow can be done in Dr Speigel's office I hear, but I did not inquire about it yet.....Probably will later on..... Don't know too much more, but there are alot of others that do know about it in detail. Do you access the site ughospital@yahoogroups.com???? You can read alot about the procedure, experiences, and join in the discussion if you would like, it is really your decision. I found out about lapband talk when I went to Houston office to get a fill from Doctor Speigel, but I usually go to Port Neches, because I am from Kinder, LA. and it is alot closer for me. And as for money and expenses, well my insurance didn't cover my surgery, I put it on a credit card. In due time it will get paid is what I know. What can they do, take back my band?? The fills are $100.00 verses $150.00 for barium swallow, I know I will go with swallow next. But hopefully I will just melt away and not need anything further. I have a 4cc band and I am at 2.2 and I really have to respect this fill. Can't drink fast, can't eat fast, my eyes are bigger than my pouch, all the good stuff you hear in the beginning of this journey, but the food is still the same, fattening. So I will see where Ali takes me, after all, I am already invested big time, so I will try to finish my long, rough road and get to the skinny side of town. Take Care and don't work too hard. Happy Memorial Weekend to you and all other bandsters out there. KC

HI Mini: I am about ten and a half months on the bandwagon and just lost 35lbs., but feel great also. I am not really following and doing the do as I am supposed to, but it will happen for me, I know it. The only thing I can say is that I started taking the ALI if I eat anything fatty and just hang and hope it works out for me. I know that I took forever to get under the two hundred syndrome, but now I am on my way to the eighties. All we have is time. I want my band to live like me, not make too many changes that I can not keep and be dedicated too. I feel good thing come to those who wait. The body is a very strange thing if you ask me. I don't know if you heard of the barium thing or not? But it is $150.00 to check to see if you are where you need to be or too much or too little in the fill department, but I will just hang where I am now and see what happens and where I am in July of 08, that will be my year. Good luck and keep on keeping onnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KC

I think that Talous is pretty cool. Will she find out if it is a male or female? I really hope so, the reason being is it will pretty much torment her for not knowing and people will surely ask if it is a boy or girl!!!!!!!!! I think it is just twenty dollars for the test and usually the breeder is the one that just takes a little blood from the bird and sends it off to a lab, if the breeder doesn't do it, the vet absolutely will with no problem, just costs more that's all, but you have the knowledge of male or female and answers to the all the time question, instead of answering I don't know, you will be able to say girl or boy whatever the sex is with the definite answer. But again good luck and enjoy, it really is a treat. Later KC

Hey Brandi: What a trip, I will be getting a Congo African Grey in June or July also. I already have a Blue & Gold McCaw named Tootie, she is five years old and I hand fed her, first time, didn't know what I was doing, but the breeder coached me along, and everything turned out just fine. She is spoiled rotten, and I just love it, a little work, but what pet is not a little work, kinda goes with the territory. I have a little dog also, they are jealous of each other. I do know I had to get the polyamous virus shot for Tootie when I got her because I had a parrakeet and a cockateil and they tend to carry that virus. But I found homes for them and I have not had any problems. I know Tootie is a girl, and I will test my Congo African Grey also. I plan to name it Scooter if it is a boy, but if it is a girl, which I hope not, because too many females in one house will be pretty rough, just think about it. Although I will name it Tinker or Nellie, something along that line. I know it will give Tootie company and she will learn from it because they are really good talkers and can mimick exactly like its owners. You all will really enjoy this, but I will say it takes time, patience and alot of effort and dedication. They live a very long time. Good luck and enjoy. Later Kaye

Thanks but no thanks, I have a hard time just trying to get my duties in order. I will try to attend the Texas meetings if I get the chance. I just thought closer was better. After all Dr. Speigel is advertising on our local channels, and after all, he is accepting Louisiana money, he should not leave us out and have his staff start a group. But it was our choice to let him perform our surgery. Thanks for asking though, just not possible on my part, right now anyway.

Hi: My name is K and I would be very interested in your support group you are starting. There is also another girl down the road from me that might be interested, but I will have to talk to her after I find something out definite. I think that Dr. Speigel requires us to attend at least four a year, really not sure, but I think that it will do alot of good for myself and others as well. Soo please let me know as soon as you have a date of when you plan to start, I would be happy to attend. Thanks. You can email me kclang@myway.com

Hi: I was banded on July 10, 2007 and I know it is working, but I know it is a long slow process. I just needed to know if 2.2 is alot for the fill your band holds? I am ok with it, just when I get anxious, or stressed out I can't hold anything down. I really think it is a nerve thing. Too much going on, all the time, no slack in my chain. Someone is always pulling it, or I have to many errands, etc. Please give me some feedback, and let me know if anyone out there is at this level of fill and has similar problems. Thanks. Oh, and if you are familiar on how to find the answers to posts please let me know at kclang@myway.com unexperienced with this board. K

Hi Everyone: I am very new to this board, don't really know how it works, but I will say what I have to and anyone can email me give me feedback and let me know how to find my responses. Thanks. Well on July 10, 2007 I had the lapband surgery. I lost about 30 pounds, going back and forth from 28 to 30. I had shoulder surgery, waited a little too long for my first and second fills, then quit smoking, and I gain about 4 pounds since that time, but I am maintaining, so far so good. I go for my third fill on Tuesday the 4th. I really hope to see some improvement. I already feel like I was robbed, because I waited four years fighting with my insurance and they would not cover the surgery. So I paid cash, well credit card, and this was in July, 07, after that time here comes the Holidays and there is a special $11,900.00 for people paying cash, and I paid $15,900.00. I sure could have waited four to five months after waiting four years, but whatever, it's a done deal now. I just don't know about the future, does this lapband thing work for you or do you work for it???At first it was a great decision, but since the time, I am soooo discouraged and feel like I wasted my money that I didn't have to begin with. I guess I will have my answers after my next fill, just very impatient, frustrated and depressed. Let me know if anyone is going through this or do I have a right to feel the way I feel or am I just maybe tripping. I need help and advice, Thanks, (kclang@myway.com)

Hey Ashley, I was banded on July 10, 2007 and I got my second fill today. I was at 1.2 and now 1.6, and I have the three day liquids to consume, but so far so good. I just think it's great to be able to have this forever. I am taking it slow, and know for a fact that I finally have control with help of the band of course. I will be where I want to be eventually, but as for now, I'm down 27#s and by next Christmas I know I will be where I want to be, just not gonna stress about it. Enjoy life, and take one day at a time and don't miss out on the joys and pleasures of life. Take care, hope this helps.