TheGh0st

Forget the whole milk. If I'm really going whole hog I go straight for the heavy whipping cream. Throw a few tablespoons of whipping cream in the blender and whip until starting to creat peaks. Then add & blend well: 1 bottle Mighty Mango Juice (labeled as Naked Juices) 1 container of peach or plain yogurt 1 frozen banana 1/2 cup of mango (or peach or orange) sherbert and if your meds allow it, a bit of peach schnapps is a really good adder to the above. Or if you want to give it some semblance of being "healthy" about the whole thing you could add some vanilla or unflavored protein powder to the mix. We're thinking of you.

I would have liked Kelly to win (probably because she is older and started heavier) but am happy about Ali and Bernie as well. Best part of all to me is that Bernie & Ali had the top two weight loss percentages of the entire show, with the higher % loser (Ali) winning the larger prize. There have been past seasons where one of the top two overall losers didn't win anything because they were both in the finals and I think there may have even been a season where the trure biggest loser only one 100K because he wasn't in the finals. Can't "weight" for the new season this fall. Anyone know when the next Amazing Race starts up?

Ditto that. I will say the treadmill is still a chore. I really only enjoy walking when there is something to watch going by, even a TV doesn't really help. But when I walk with my friend at the mall, it amazes me how quickly 2 hours and 4+ miles can go by.

How does the old addage go? "Do as I say not as I do." I have yet to start any formal exercise routine though I do meet with another lapband friend and walk once a week at a local mall. Depending on how much shopping we do we tend to walk between 2-4 miles. And whenever she backs out with another commitment I tend to go for a massage instead of a walk. So much for my own commitment However, I am MUCH more active than I use to be. I have a desk job and can remember intentionally setting things aside that would require my getting up and walking a mere 10 paces across the room just so I wouldn't have to get up and down more than necessary. Now I've changed jobs and work on the second floor and instead of looking for ways not to walk across the room I actually go out of my way to find excuses to go up and down the stairs. Some days I even keep a little sticky note next to my desk and try track how many times I've gone up and down in a day. I probably average 15, I think my record is only 35 times, but how many people can say they have gone up and down 35 flights of stairs in one day, or even 15 for that matter? Still the bandsters I've known that have incorporated regular regimented exercise into their weekly routine have lost the weight faster than I and I strongly believe that is the way to go. Eventually I know I will join that gym horde myself but for now I will just keep ticking off my trips up and down stairs and weekly walks at the mall.

BBK - Love your pic being chosen for LBT banner, but I wonder why Alex didn't pick one of your others. Sure would have been interesting. :rolleyes2:

From boob to boo :rolleyes2: I LOVE IT!!! Way to go BooBooKitty - You truly deserve that top spot!

It is only a rumor as far as I know that she has had it in real life but she has been losing some weight as of late so I think it may be true. She is still fairly overweight at least it appears so next to all the other very thin actresses on the show. Oh and the "Dude" she was telling about it, is her boyfriend on the show. He is not bad on the eyes, though a bit young for me. Best of all they had their first an on screen "love scene" this week. Everyone on the GL board which I never visited before this storyline started, is all happy that the show didn't shy away from showing them in an intimate moment just because of her weight. He has been supportive for the most part but still keeps trying to talk her out of it based on the idea that he loves her as she is now and that she doesn't need to lose weight just to please him or others. Sometimes that kind of "support" isn't very supportive for me at least, though no one on the GL boards can understand that.

Guess I'm the only one that watches Guiding Light. It's been interesting already even though it isn't getting a lot of airplay there is a fairly active conversation going on about the band and WLS in general on the shows community forum pages. Guess I'll just have to be content to talking to them about the show.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be watching all my Citi statements closely not just my Sears card.

Can you explain any better. What about the water is a problem? Is it not going down or is it causing heartburn?

I know people that blenderized foods but it wasn't required on my particular docs orders. Best bet is always to follow his nutritionists advice, though I would think on softer foods such as the sole and squash you might be able to get away with just mashing it with a potato masher or your fork, and ofcourse chew, chew, chewing.

Hooray!!! Congratulations and welcome to LBT.

Yes congratulations to both of you. While I don't go around shouting to all that the band is some miracle cure everyone should do. It has definitely been a true blessing for me. And I can remember well even 3 years later how attending my first seminar brought tears to my eyes as well. It wasn't just the inspirational stories of those who had come before me but also that there had to have been well over 200 people in the room. It was so full there wasn't even enough chairs and many of us were standing in the back. And this was only one of probably 2 a week that were held by different docs around town. I saw so many people just like me, men, women, old, young, of different income levels and ethnic backgrounds and yet we were all the same. And I was not the only one with tears in my eyes that night. Good luck to both of you on this journey and welcome to Lapbandtalk.

Great to see you here. I hope we can be of some help even if it isn't with financing. Too bad you don't live in my area though. If you were any good with handyman work I'd have plenty of odd jobs around my house for you that my dh (darn, I mean dear Husband:tongue2:) never seems to get around to. Being off work if only temporarily right now have you qualified for medicare? If so you might be able to get it to cover the surgery. Or are there any relatives you might be able to loan it from? You could draw up a detailed plan show them all the money you will save with reduced medical costs (if any) and reduced grocery costs from the smaller diet. Show them you will have a method to pay them back. I know it is hard to ask for help but it just might work. Again welcome to this site. Browse around there are plenty of people here who haven't been banded yet or even decided if they will be.

It was a pretty basic listing. It had his photo. (Again assuming it wasn't a joke) and he said he was willing to work or "be someone's slave" in return for money to help pay for weight loss surgery. Bypass or the band. I just sent this last e-bay message to him: I'm sorry for my earlier question. I was afraid the auction was someone's cruel idea of a joke on you. I don't have the $$ to help pay for surgery but wanted to show my support. I was banded in 05 and would love to help someoneelse afford the surgery, however, as it is I am saving coupons & selling items on e-bay just to afford milk and gas these days. But seriously, check out Lapbandtalk.com its a great place for info. There are threads discussing ins. issues & other ways of paying for it. Check it out, start your own thread. If you title it "I was desperate enough to try to sell myself on E-Bay" I'm sure you would get many responses. (There is already a thread over there about your auction, you could also find it & post you were the person who listed it) - Also I heard after I had my surgery that part time Starbuck employees have a health ins. I paid f/mine with 0% intro rate CC. I'm paying it off w/savings from lower grocery bills. - Good luck to you whatever you decide. Will be interesting to see if he actually comes over here to LBT.

ORIGINAL QUESTION I POSTED: Dear dirtfan864, Is this for real? Or is this someone's idea of a bad joke being played at some poor co-worker's expense? If it is real you should check out Lapbandtalk.com we might not be able to help with financing but would love to support you any other way we could. If you are not even the person in the photo but just playing a prank on him then may your wobbly bits dry up and fall off. - d****ty THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED: - d****ty yes i am for real,last year i had open heart surgery for a defective heart valve,lost my job and insurence,i was 150 pounds over weight then,now im 200 pounds,im getting desperate,seems like the harder i try to loose weight the more i gain,seen people ask to pay for surgery,im not asking for a free handout,willing to work for the surgery and sign a contract,slave for sale is something i thought up to catch peoples eye - dirtfan864 Shoot, now I feel even more tempted to donate a buck, or at least respond with some encouragement. I know this could still be bogus. But I can remember being nearly as desperate for cash in the past myself. I just never had the guts to follow through and try something like he has. I'm sure most of you would say reaching out to a stranger like this is completely wrong, especially when we have no way of verifying its accuracy. But then how many of us have caved and given a little spare change to a panhandler or put a little change in one of those collection boxes with the picture of some sick child at the gas station? Part of me would much rather be a fool and not turn my back to someone in real need all becaus of some fear of being burned by a scam artist. Though I'd like to think I'm not a complete fool. for one I only communicated to him through e-bay with the option to hide my e-mail address. He doesn't know my real e-mail or have any idea where I live and I have no intention of sending him any of that info.

I couldn't help myself I just sent a "Question to the Seller" hiding my e-mail ofcourse. I asked if he was for real or what. Told im if he was was just some fool playing a prank using someone else's photo that I hoped his wobbly bits would dry up and fall off.

Just take it slow. Many of us have no problems with carbonation. Keep in mind it is empty calories but everyone needs those too now and again. Oh, and you may find that your a bit of a light-weight when it comes to the alcohol content after surgery. My theory is that with it sitting in the pouch for longer than most we are more efficient at absorbing all the available alcohol into our bloodstream and end up getting even more drunk. In a wierd paradox for a bandster it can actually help to NOT eat while drinking so as to not trap the food in the stomach any longer than necessary.

Mine was meeting with an old highschool boyfriend that I'd started talking to online after 20 years then him never trying to contact me once after I couldn't fit into the booth at the restraunt. It really hurt. It wasn't even a romantic thing. We were both happily married with kids but it was like he thought I was too fat to even be friends with. I know, I know I don't need those kinds of friends and I was the one that broke up with him in HS for being a jerk back then too. But it still hurt enough to give me that final push.

I couldn't have put it better. My vote will most likely be for McCain and not Obama but I'd vote for him in a heartbeat over Hilary and would have loved to see Colin Powell run 4 years ago.

You might try going to Lapband.com (allergan/formerly Inamed's) site and requesting one. Or ask one of your local band docs if they have a spare you can borrow/keep. I'm also interested in Ali's & O'Brien's books. Ali's sounds like it could be motivational and O'Brien has co-written multiple long term case studies on the band so his could be very incitefull on the facts/figures side.

Shoot I'd be tempted to donate a buck but if you look this is a first time e-bayer. I would be willing to bet there is a greater chance that this is some sort of cruel joke someone is playing on him or even "us".

Last I knew Dr. Hoehn/Hitchcock at SMMC were not taking on patients they didn't band and thier fee was $150 per fill. Dr. Malley in Mission does take on other patients and his fee is $100 per fill. There is another doctor in Olathe that I know took on at least one patient that he didn't band and his fee is only $50 per fill. However, the patient he took on was banded by the doctor that taught him the procedure in Denver so I don't know if it is his common practice to take outside patients or if she was an exception. I could ask her his name if you want to check it out.

For those that don't watch the show Caitlin VanZandt who plays Ashlee is one of the best actresses on the show. She is already beautiful and just shines on the screen. I have absolutely LOVED watching her character develop on the show. I am so proud of her allowing (or I almost suspect - pushing) for this storyline to be told. It would have been so easy for her to have just hid it and let everyone think she had managed to lose with Diet & Exercise alone. One of the best parts of this being a soap is that it can show some of the issues we have to face both coming to the decision to have the band as well as living with it. P.S. Caitlin - If you are lurking around LBT, I wish you nothing but the best. YOU ROCK!!!

There have been hints and rumors lately that the character Ashlee on Guiding Light was going to have a weight loss show. Not just behind the scenes but it was actually going to be scripted into the show. And this week it has actually started to air. They haven't come out and explained it to be the lapband instead the characters just keep referring to "WLS" but there have been a couple scenes with a pamphlet about the surgery and it is titled "GastroStrap System". As far as I can tell from Google there is no such thing but it sure sounds like a band to me. I can't see how that could be twisted into RNY or one of the other versions of WLS. It's kind of silly actually, if the show isn't specifically paid for product placements they will go unnecessarily out of there way to change labels and logos. For instance I noticed the other day at one of the stores a character was shopping in the little credit card symbols next to the register that looked like Visa and Master Card actually read Vista and Master Care or something similar. Too bad Allergan couldn't have found a way in on this one it would have been great advertising. The realise band wouldn't have a shot however as it is by Johnson and Johnson which is a big rival of Proctor & Gamble who produces the show.