Josette

Hey Amy! Well I had attempted to go through the local hospitals weight management Optifast system where I had to be on a liquid diet (protien shakes) the ENTIRE summer last year and they did an entire body mass work up and all that fun stuff and said that with my bone structure being large and being 6'1" that I'd probably look and feel very comfortable around 220 or 240 even. So I don't plan to try too hard to get to "onederland" because I'd probably be looking skeletal. hehehe. "Twoferland" is just fine with ME! :clap2:

a friend of mine got one of those new IUD's called Medema (I think) after the birth of her child a year and a half ago. She chose that because the husband was too lazy to use condoms and she didn't want to use anything like the pill or shot because she was breast feeding so after a lot of convincing herself she went and got it and says it's the best birthcontrol method she's ever used and would recommend it to all women. It can stay in for 5 years. she said it was done on an in office visit and the discomfort was no worse then having a papsmear.

I had to do my mom's back in October and it really just flowed out of me. Everyone was pretty impressed. I just took some time thinking about her life and what she was proud of most about her life. I started it out by saying "I'd like to thank everyone for coming...I don't have to stand up here and tell you how amazing and wonderful my mother was.... you're here because you know this already..."

My name is Josette and I'm 31. I live in Lansing Michigan and I've been married a year and a half. We have no children yet due to this pesky PCOS. At the moment we have 2 dogs whom I love beyond words. One is a pure bred german shepherd named Liberty and the other is half german shepherd and half yellow lab named Mason. I also have a huge black cat named L'Roar (don't ask) that was my mom's cat and ended up being mine. He's been a great comfort to me since she passed away. I've been pretty devasted without her for the past 7 months and I'm hoping getting this band and losing some weight will give me a whole new positive outlook on life. I'm looking forward to it. I'm having my surgery done at the LapBand Center of Michigan in Port Huron. There are two doctors and they only do lapband and they have over 3000 surgeries combined under their belts. I have my consult with Dr. Boutt this coming Thursday June 15th and at that meeting I get to schedule the date for my surgery. YAY! I'm currently around 385 and I'm 6'1". I think I'll leave it at that for now. I'm so glad to meet you all! :clap2:

My husband would be thrilled to receive that package. hahaha. My dogs on the other hand would not like it!

just a reminder... no mailing fireworks. Post office does not send flamables! hehehe

You look fabulous Penni! You're radiant and no matter if you have 20+ pounds or weigh 180 you'd still look beautiful. You should take some cute pictures of yourself next to that beautiful chrysler 300 of yours and post them on the frig next to your before picture. You're lovely and don't ever feel any different.

What days of the week did you guys get banded and how long before you were ready to go back to work? I have an office job so I was thinking about trying to get a Friday and then coming back to work Monday or Tuesday. What do you think?

I love the Edy's no fat sugar free vanilla chocolate swirl ice cream. that stuff is soooooooo good! made with splenda! (if the "splenda will kill you" people come out of the woodwork I am outta here...hehe) I eat two small scoops!

I'm claustrophobic and my mask goes over my mouth and nose because I'm a mouth breather and I swear it blows my cheeks out and it's only set at 7. I don't get how to make it stop. hahaha. Makes me feel like I can't breath.

how long does it take to get used to the cpap? I have one now and it's at a setting of 7 and I keep finding myself having taken it off in the middle of the night. I'm getting frustrated with it.

I have my consult with Dr. Boutt on June 15th. I'm very excited about it. They said it takes a couple hours. Any advice on what I will be doing? Anything I should bring? How long after that till my surgery do you think?

who is this supposed quack Doctor in Mexico anyways?

Mine said a 8 lb 3 oz boy ....the father is Bill Clinton (HAHAHA..hillary will be THRILLED) and his name is Nathan Gabriel Clinton. Where's my baby shower?????

I had my sleep study on thursday night and found out I have severe sleep apnea. They came and woke me up 2 hours in to it and hooked me up to a cpap already. My husband has an appt for June 8th because we're pretty sure he has it too. I'm looking forward to getting some decent sleep. I was 99% sure I didn't have it ... SURPRISE!

What is the purpose of the sleep study (besides the obvious of how you sleep and if you have sleep apnea) and it's effect on your getting the lapband. I don't understand it. Can someone show me the light, pretty please?

I'm in Lansing and going to the Port Huron seminar this Saturday. I'm really looking forward to it and getting the show on the road. YAY!

I lost my mother 7 months ago tomorrow, and she was my best friend also. I've been struggling this entire week with the fact that this is the first mothers day with out a mom physically here. I still talk to her all the time, but greatly miss the responses. I'm in your former shoes DOC... I hate mothers day and can't stand to see commercials or hear about it on the radio. I threw out all the store ads that have Mothers Day Specials. Maybe if I had a child it'd be different but it is a great day of mourning for me this year. My mothers day plan is to go pick lilacs from my mothers garden and take them to her grave since every year of my life I picked those same lilacs and gave them to her for mothers day. I hope all you mom's have a great day. You're worth it!

Detroit woman's death focuses attention on weight-reduction surgery http://www.boston.com/news/daily/09/obesity.htm<!--font size=4>SUBHEAD By John Porretto, Associated Press, 09/09/02 DETROIT -- The death of a city councilwoman after weight-reduction surgery has focused attention on a newly available technique in which a noose is tightened around the stomach. Councilwoman Brenda Scott, who weighed more than 300 pounds, died Sept. 2 from an infection caused by a stomach perforation, three days after surgery at Port Huron Hospital. The medical examiner ruled the death an accident. Scott, 47, underwent a procedure called Lap-Band Adjustable Gastric Banding, which won approval from the Food and Drug Administration in June 2001. The procedure has been done on nearly 90,000 people in other countries, mostly in Europe, over the past nine years. The procedure involves placing an adjustable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small gastric pouch that limits food consumption and creates an earlier feeling of fullness. Once in place, the device is inflated with saline and can be tightened or loosened. It is intended to remain in place permanently but can be removed if necessary. Surgeons use keyhole surgery to put it in place. Other surgical treatments for obesity -- such as stomach stapling and gastric bypass -- are more invasive. The FDA has said Lap-Banding is intended only for severely obese people -- those who are at least 100 pounds overweight or twice their ideal body weight and have failed to lose weight by diet, exercise and other means. Doug Trigg, spokesman for INAMED Corp. in Santa Barbara, Calif. -- makers of the Lap-Band device -- said the death rate worldwide has been extremely low -- about 0.005 percent. Port Huron Hospital, which has performed the procedure more than 80 times since March, had had no major complications before Scott's death, medical director Dr. Kevin Sullivan said Thursday. Sullivan would not comment on Scott's case but said the hospital continues to offer the operation. The American Society for Bariatric Surgery in Gainesville, Fla., estimates that 63,100 Americans will have stomach-reduction surgery this year. That is up from 23,100 in 1997. "It used to be considered on the fringes of medicine, and now it's pretty mainstream," said Georgeann Mallory, the association's executive director. "More people know about it. More people have confidence in it." Mallory said she had no statistics on complications related to Lap-Banding because the procedure is so new in the United States. She said the death rate for gastric bypass is three in every 1,000 patients. "There's risk associated with any surgery," she said. She added: "Keep in mind that morbid obesity also carries risks." In clinical trials of Lap-Band, most of the 299 patients -- who also were required to diet and exercise -- steadily lost weight over three years. Lap-Band patients typically leave the hospital within 24 hours. Scott left Port Huron Hospital on Aug. 31. By the next night, she was complaining of abdominal pain and was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital. She died of peritonitis, an infection of the abdominal lining often caused by a surgical mistake. Her family has retained attorney Geoffrey Fieger, whose clients have included assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian. Fieger said two autopsies revealed perforations in Scott's stomach. He said there was no other way the holes could have occurred except in surgery. "It's a no-brainer," Fieger said. Jackie Viteri, spokeswoman for the Washington-based American Obesity Association, said she hopes the Scott death does not become an indictment of all weight-reduction operations. "Each individual case is so different," Viteri said. "There are a lot of options for treatment -- surgery being the most severe. But this shouldn't hinder someone from discussing that option with their surgeon." <!-- START OF FOOTER -->

hahahahahaha. at least it's not blinking "HELP ME... HELP ME!!!"

hahahahaha!

Hello Dawn, I too lost my mother just 7 months ago to cancer and I know your fear and your families fear. I know your mother was with you and I'm sure you flew through it all just perfectly. I'm thinking about you and look forward to hearing reports from you on how well you're doing. God Bless,

I never went to prom and I love blue and blue roses. I saw this dress one day online and kept the picture of it so that one day if I lose the weight I will pay to have it made and me and my hubby will go out on a special night on the town or maybe wear it on a cruise. Who knows! I just want to look and feel that beautiful. thegirls.bmp

Thanks so much Trish. This is very important and I've already sent it to 15 of my friends. I myself have had HPV and it turned in to cancer on my cervix. Lucky for me it was caught right at the beginning and I was able to have out patient surgery to have it removed. The whole experience was rather scary though. Information is key! Thanks again!

I'm also in to photography but I also draw and Paint. I'll take some pictures of my paintings later but here's a couple of my pic's that I have on this computer. By the way.. you guys are all amazing! I'm proud to belong to such a widely talented group of people. Could the talented moderator shrink down my rose picture please? Thanks!!!