Wheetsin

I like some of the Truth* ads. Reminds me of what Benetton was doing in the early 90s. There is one with some "cowboys" at a campfire in the street, one singing with a voice box, the other playing the guitar. The song goes something like: Oh, you don't always die from tobacco Sometimes you just lose a lung Oh, you don't always die from tobacco Sometimes they just snip out your tongue And you won't sing worth a heck With a big hole in your neck Because you dont' always die from tobacco

Thank you, for the elaboration. Dangit, right when I think I have you guys figured out! (Actually I kind of get it - I'm constantly told (by guys) that I'm like "one of the guys, just with boobs" -- grreeeaaatttt...) Case in point - my husband. He wants steak for dinner, so he asks me if I want to go to a steakhouse. I tell him, "Honey, I don't eat red meat." (I gave it up after banding). "Oh crap! I forgot... sorry hon..." Or he asks me if I want to go to an Italian place, and I say "Honey, how often do I eat Pasta?" "Not very often." "Why would I want to go to an Italian restaurant?" "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't even think of that." Last night he came home from the store with ice cream because he wanted ice cream. That was fine with me - there's no reason he can't have ice cream because I'm choosing not to eat it. I know he isn't even thinking about it like that, he's just thinking "I want ice cream." I didn't even factor into the picture of him buying it and eating it. Now if I said something to him like, "I reall ymiss ice cream and it's hard to see you eating it in front of me" I know 100% he'd have no problem packing up and eating in a different room, or eating it later when I wasn't home. Another example - my husband is going to visit his parents for 3 weeks this summer. His original assumption was that I would go with him (they live in Europe). I told him no, because I don't want to be that far from my surgeon. And as a secondary reason, which it really only is secondary and in and of itself is not a deciding factor, I told him I wanted to wait for a major trip until I'm more comfortable with myself. Anyway... I'm very close to my sweet spot, and until I've been at it for a while, I'm a little gun shy to hop on a plane for 12+ hours of flying, knowing how much flying can affect my restriction. I have a fear that the plane will whack me up, and then I'll swell shut again, and be SOL halfway around the world for 3 weeks. I'd feel much better being at a "constant" for a while, where I know what to expect, before taking such a trip. So his parents ask him if I'm coming and he tells them, "No she wants to lose more weight first." Doh! Not exactly what's going on! I gave him feedback and he apologized, and I know he didn't mean it to embarass me or to be malicious, that's probably just the part of what I said that stuck in his head the most, so it's what he repeated. Meaning well.

Read this thread: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/abbreviations-and-they-t7959.html

It would depend 100% on the candidate and how their overall positions meshed up against mine. I would not vote - or not vote - for someone just because they did or didn't supported gay rights, or just because they did or didn't support abortion. One single issue, against everything a political candidate has a position on, just can't make or break the deal. If someone supported gay rights and I agreed with most of their other positions, I would definitely vote for them. If they supported gay rights and nothing else that I was for, then I probably would not vote for them. Likewise, if someone supported abortion and I agreed with most of their other positions, I would probably vote for them. If they supported abortion and nothing else I was for, then I probably would note vote for them. I am pro-choice. Generally speaking, I would rather have someone in office who was pro-abortion than anti-abortion, because anti-abortion is going to keep ANYONE from being able to do it, while pro-abortion can't MAKE someone do it, the most they can do is offer up the choice. And supporting gay rights, you bet. Gays are people who happen to be attracted to the same gender. So what? They're not like a second class or subspecies. There is nothing at all about a gay lifestyle that makes them less deserving of the same civil liberties that someone attracted to the same gender receives. It isn't even a matter of gay rights, it's people rights -- jsut making sure that all people have the SAME rights. No one is saying "special rights for gays", just "equal rights".

Just remember that the band itself never (that I know of!) caused a divorce. Weightloss can be a catalyst for problems that already exist. Women who have stayed with men because they felt they were too unattractive to find someone else, or because they had grown use to the security of their spouse, may or may not continue to settle for a less than ideal relationship... but a woman who loses the weight and finds renewed confidence rarely will. A relationship grows, and the people in it grow. Right? You can either grow like this: || or you can grow like this /. And "you've changed" rarely means "you've changed", it usually means "we've both changed and I have not changed in the same direction as you". Have you specifically asked him not to do the things he's doing around the food? If so, what was his response? If not, then you can't expect him to not do it. Guys - by and large - are just "like that". They don't put 2 and 2 together the same way we do. Give him direct and clear feedback on what he's doing, and see how he responds. You may find that he's completely surprised that some of his actions and hehaviors have impacted you in the way they have.

Oh and also, on whether to tell or not tell... If she's already a bit fragile, mentally - depression, anxiety, etc., and already carrying a heavy mental distress load (which caring for a sick parent will do), do not tell her right now. Especially if it isn't "for sure". But to tell her as soon as you're able to while being there for her. So in other words, when she returns. Unless she's gone for a loong time. Any word on when she's scheduled to return home, or does it depend on what happens with her mother?

Well... let's see. When I tell DH I don't want a party, or presents, or any special attention, I mean it and it bothers me when he doesn't listen to me, though I always acknowledge that he means well. I know she's away caring for an ill mother. Would it be possible for you to fly to where she is and surprise her? The cost of a ticket is what it is (unles you've retained flight privledges - even better), but think of it in terms of the emotional support you can give her that just isn't there over the phone (I know, DH and I had a LDR for a few years). Perhaps seeing you and being able to get a hug could do more for her depression and state of mind than anything else, and give her exactly the little "pick me up" she's undoubtedly needing right about now. If you can do that, when you get there, don't make a big fuss over her birthday. Make it be about you being there for her, and it just happens to be her birthday too. Don't get a big fancy cake, go buy her favorite treat and stick a candle in it. Tell her "happy birthday", but tell her "I'm here for you" more. Even if it's just a day or two, having you there is going to be (I would think) what she wants and needs most. Trying to put myself in her shoes, or imagine it were my DH and I in the same spot, this is what I would do. How do you think Tina would respond? On the MS, I am sorry to hear that. There's nothing I can say that will make it any better for you, but keep us posted. I do have a friend with severe (progressed) MS, so I know there are some very effective meds out there. Is this a formal diagnosis, or just conversationally/as a possibility?

Get a copy of the claim - it will itemize the billed procedures and charge for each. My surgery was outpatient. I believe for EVERYTHING (including pre-op work, etc.) my total was around $40k. I can't imagine why an outpatient procedure would be over $90k.

BTW, I've been baded for about a year and have lost... going on 140 lbs. A lot of this was in my first 6 months, and the loss has definitely slowed down and I am currently plateaued. However, I have no dounbt that I will meet my goals. I just understand that *I* need to meet my goals, and not wait for the band to meet them for me.

Hi Dedee, you might want to check out this thread: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/thread-super-sized-t16168.html. I started it a while ago specifically for people with BMIs over 50. Many, many of the people who have tacked onto the thread have 200 lbs or more to lose. When I was looking into the options, most people I saw getting the band were getting banded at my GOAL weight. Or had maybe 60 lbs to lose. I couldn't find many people at all with 200lbs + to lose, so I began to think - maybe it can't be done with the band. I posted on another board, asking specifically for people who had to lose 150+ lbs, and got SO MANY positive responses I couldn't believe it. I would not say you need to consider another surgery. I would say you need to be honest about why you are overweight, and balance that against what the band will, and will not, do for you.

I bought some 14/16 shirts this weekend. They're tight in the hips (they're for late summer - still too cold for them now), but fit above the hips. Still in 22 pants, although I did buy a 20 skirt this weekend that I'll have to take back because it's too big, and tried on some 20 skirts at Target that were too big. Maybe that's some kind of restitution for my scale not moving in 3 months. Then again, maybe it's just inconsistent sizing.

I haven't read through the thread so please forgive any duplicates. These are fast foods I've eaten since banding. Chipotle - usually eat there at least once a week. I get the chicken bol, no rice, extra black Beans with hot salsa and sour cream depending on what else I've eaten during the day, and what time of day it is. The bol is at least 2 meals for me, sometimes 3, and I always throw some away. McDonald's - fruit 'n yogurt parfait (it's made with lowfat yogurt) Taco Bell - pintos 'n cheese, spicy chicken taco (I eat the meat only), side nachos. Subway - I've been there three times. Both times I've gotten the "mini sub". Once I ate the bread, once I just ate the tuna off of it. And once I just had them put the tuna on a plate. Schlotzsky's - Thai Chicken pizza. 4 slices = 4 meals. Pizza Hut - chicken wings in either "Flamethrower" or "Garlic Parmesan". That may actually be all the fast food I've had since surgery. And don't get me wrong, many of the things I've listed are things I've eaten once or twice since surgery, except for the Chipotle.

Chances are it will happen at some point, but you don't have to PB every time something gets stuck. It's pretty frequent that something doesn't go down right, but fixes itself. I've been to the point of KNOWING I was going to PB - getting paper ready, cleared out the sink or shut myself in the bathroom, and I'm just waiting and then *all better* with no PBIng. I don't consider sliming to be PB, either. But since we aren't dealing with real terminology, you'll find a LOT of variations. To me, sliming is when I'm in a state of producing excess saliva. I consider it one of the indications of a PB. And to me, a PB is when something (slime, food, foam...) is forcibly ejected from the esophagus.

BJean, I just saw it last week. It was pretty good.

What's a typical day's menu? What are you doing to lose the weight? Etc...

For me, it's always like "Why am I too busy to eat or drink anything before midnight?" I swear that happens every time. Something comes up and I miss my window to eat or drink by like an hour, so I end up having a 20 or 24 hour fast instead of a 12.

When they dry up are you left with little scars where the blisters were, or is it as though they had never been there? Honestly, to everyone asking questions - we aren't professionals and the most we can do is guess. If you're curious enough to post and ask us, you're probably curious to make an appt with a dermatologist. It's always better to be safe. Rest assured that the chances of reactions to your band are virtually nil.

Oh, and another - I really can't even remember what it's about, something to do with people taking others' jobs. All the boys run around saying "They took 'ur jobs!" in this perfect voice.

That's kind of funny, and true. I have $2 bills that were given to me, and *barely* remember them being used in circulation... but never being common. When I was a kid I volunteered in the concession stand at our neighborhood ball park, and I can so so vaguely remember people - every now and then - paying for something with a $2 bill.

When I was younger my mother worked at the American Cancer Society. Both my parents also smoked. Sometimes I would go to work with my mother. I can remember - clearly - walking down the corridor that lead to her office. There were several acrylic-encased cross-sections of lungs riddled with cancer. I also remember from a very early age having a hypersenitivity to the idea of addiction, and being unwilling if not afraid to try things because I did not want to become addicted to them. I'm talking 6 or 7 years old, at the time. With two smoking parents and smoking friends in school, you'd think I would have picked up the habit. But I have not. Those acrylic-encased horrors may have just a little to do with it. We learn the most when we are traumatized. It may take you a life time to learn not to open the envelope with your finger, because those tiny papercuts are hardly a great deterrent given the convenience, but most people only stick their hand into the fire once or twice before never doing it again. I have not seen the ads, but shock or trauma based b-mod is very powerful and effective when done correctly. I will have to go check out the clip from home this evening.

I'm partial to some of the older episodes. The one with Ms. Ellen (where all the boys are trying to become lesbians) is probably my all-time favorite... I think it's called "Tom's Rhinoplasty". An Elephant Makes Love to a Pig. This has some of the best Cartman dialogue. "Why don't you quit dressing me up like the mailman and making me dance for you while you go and smoke crack in your bedroom, and have sex with some guy I don't even know, on my dad's bed!" Christian Rock Hard -- "Token, give me a sweet bass line." "I don't know how to play the bass." "Token, how many times do we have to go through this? You're black. You can play bass." "I'm getting sick of your stereotypes." "Get as sick as you want, just give me a god damn bass line!" "Oh, god damnit..." General wittiness - the Bob Denver plane ride in the episode where Cartman buys the amusement park. Others on my list of favs: Jared has Aides Bebe's Boobs Destroy Society Cartmen Gets an Anal Probe -- "MOM, kitty's being a dildo!" "Then I know a certain kitty kitty who's sleeping with mommy tonight!"

My surgeon indicates an unfill is needed IF you're unable to get the amount of calories you need while filled. And that if you can get in the amount of calories you need while filled, then you can maintain your fill level.

A good psychologist can ask you a handful of questions and tell you more about your life than the best psychic. But I did see this couple once that was pretty impressive. It was on some TV show a few years ago, how's that for specifics? What I do remember was that it was a scientific study of their abilities with controls, etc. "Their" because it was a husband/wife team. I don't remember what the husband did, but the wife would draw pictures of people. The people she drew were supposed to be connected somehow to the guests. The guests were both actors/actresses, and people off the street. Their success rate ended up being 6/8. After the stuff was filmed they got back in touch and had people submit the actual photos of their family, and compared them to the drawings. Some were exceptionally close - close enough to make you wonder how they did it. (aside from TV magic, of course). But they weren't (I don't think) telling people things, they were just talking to them, and then she'd get this picture and start drawing it. After the drawing was already created, they'd start talking about who it was.

Non bodily function one. No funny story, either. Just raw humiliation. When I was about 13 I had this friend - we'll call her "Sue" - that my parents hated. With 20/20 hindsight, I was being an idiot, but hey - she was 15 and dated boys in the Navy, snuck vodka in her lunch bag, and used to talk me into "fun" things like crossing the TJ border on a Friday night w/o telling our parents where we were going. There was nothing uncool about that, right? :tired Anyway, I was in a pretentious area, and my parents were VERY active in the community, so it was one of those "you never get away with anything places". At the time I admired "Sue" because she got away with things -- that rebel attraction. Let's just say "bad company" and leave it at that, or this will turn into an entirely different topic. Once while we were out "Sue" taught me how to steal. Her family had no money, they could pay their mortgage and little else. They were definitely the black sheep of the neighborhood. She had taken to shoplifting the things she wanted since she could never buy them. One day we were out and I was buying something for my mother, and she dared me to steal it. And being 13, I agreed. And got away with it. And liked it. So over the course of the next few weeks, we amassed quite a collection of stolen goods - candy bars, key chains, pencils, nail polish. We never even did anything with the stuff, we just liked the thrill we got from shoplifting. So one day we go to this sort of dime store that was in the neighborhood and she decides she's going to try and steal something expensive. I don't remember what it was, but it was much more valuable than the things we had stolen so far. I really didn't want anything, but what the hell, it was fun, so I grabbed this stupid keychain. Then she asked me to hold her drink, which I thought was weird but I didn't think anything of it. She says "Come on, you go!" and starts steering me toward the front door. I don't think a thing of it. I try to walk out and the detector goes off. The clerks come over to me and start asking questions, and she walks out (with the alarm still going off) and takes off. I have no idea what to do. One of them asks if I'd recently bought a new purse so I'm like... uh, sure... and give it to them to look. Then I try to be sneaky and ditch the keychain, because I thought that's what striggered the alarm. One of them sees me, alerts the other, and I end up upstairs in the manager's office. He's using a wand and keeps getting a beep, even though I'm insinsting the only thing I had was the keychain. Then he beeps the drink cup, and finds a makeup compact with a detector tag on it in the dirnk. "Sue" had put something with a visible detector tag in the cup, then given me the cup and sent me through the door... while the alarm was going off, she went through (since it wouldn't re-trigger) with the expensive item she stole, and left me to take the blame. The manager tells me, "I can call the cops or I can call your parents, which would you prefer?" I really had to think about it... but eventually called my mom. While I'm waiting for her to get there, two kids from my school show up. They worked there - I had no idea. They're like, "I know you, aren't you so and so's friend?" I couldn't even answer them, all I could do was stand there humiliated, ashamed and embarassed. Of course the next day at school, EVERYONE knew what had happened. And "Sue" tells me in front of a large group of people that she's not allowed to hang out with me anymore, that she went home and told them I got caught shoplifting and tried to make her steal things for me, so they thought I was a bad influence for her to hang around with. As happens with 13 y/o the entire thing was forgotten (publically) within the week, but I still clearly remember the embarassment of the whole thing.

I have seen "Jesus saves sinners. Then he redeems them for valuable prizes." Recently have seen: "Honk if you voted for Bush. It's the big button in the middle of your steering wheel." "Despite this car, I am not a lesbian." Always liked the "Visualize Whirled Peas" and "Stop the Violins". Had a shirt once that came in a sticker too that said, "Stop Plate Tectonics!"