Kat817

Carrabas---------Never heard of this one. Outback Steakhouse------DH and I share a ribeye...I order just a salad, then we share one meal. A Chinese Restaurant-----------DH and I share here too!!! We have lots of things we order...I just don't eat much of the rice...one small spoon with the entree. We like the Mongolian Beef, or a triple Mongolian with chicken, beef and shrimp. We like the Garlic Chicken, Almond Chicken, we will often have an order of crab rangoon as an appetizer---one is my limit! Applebees-------Yep we share!!! Lately if we meet for lunch we do one of the triple play appetizers and call it lunch---I also share with my granddaughter here. Or do a soup and salad. macaroni Grill--------Have not been, we don't have one locally, and there are too many better options when out of town! Red Robin--------Have not been. Ruby Tuesday-------Salad bar.....or an appetizer plate that I can share, then I just eat off of DH's plate!!! Wendy's-----Wendy's chili was one of my first real foods following banding, I still eat it! McDonalds----I don't care for McD's, but with the granddaughter end up there on occasion. I usually get something cheap off of their $$ menu and ditch the bun, like the double cheeseburger---and I eat about 1/4 of the meat. Or the spicy chicken and eat about 1/2 the patty, no bread. Chick F La-----Chicken tenders go down anywhere---including here! Panera's--------never heard of it. Atlanta Bread Company-----never heard of it. Subway----My favorite is the bacon, grilled chicken ranch one....I just have them leave it open, and toast it, but I don't usually eat the bread---I like the grilled chicken with everything though. I have also eaten their salad....and the tuna salad. Can you Eat pizza? NY Style--------I can eat pizza---just not much of it, and I must eat it slowly. Thin crust I can do quite easily. Thicker pan crusts, I am more cautious with, and often cannot make it to the end---so the amount of crust is seriously diminished!! As I said earlier, chicken tenders go down easily wherever----and not all of them are horrid!!! Some are nice chicken breast. I order off the childrens menu at Chilis and have them with loaded mashed potatoes or grilled veggies. It is still too much food. Also the fish dinners at a lot of places goes down really easy! I love Red Lobster for the options available to me! But the fish is usually a good option! The hardest places for me to find something to eat---are Italian restaurants, I ALWAYS share there, because I can only eat a small amount of Pasta. I just get full way fast with it! Easiest is Mexican food---any of it, all of it goes down fine! Eating out is not a big deal though, I have never went somewhere that I could not find something! Kat

Nothing in the mail today either....we may all be in 2009 before we get any work done!!! Laughing about it is better than crying about it! Kat

My brother chews his nails so low they get infected frequently! He uses one of the little dosage cups that come with liquid meds--like Nyquil---puts some peroxide in it, and bubbles it out---he said sometimes it stings a little but nothing like it would with alcohol. Might try it! We are not corned beef and cabbage eaters either....so gonna grill my steak out in the snow!!! The grill is on the patio, just out the door, so not a big deal. Think I will roast some veggies. I take potatoes, mushrooms, onions, peppers...whatever I have put them in a large ziplock bag, dump in about 1/4 cup of EVOO and a packet of onion soup mix, and a couple of tablespoons of this dried, roasted red pepper and garlic seasoning I use....shake it all up---dump it in a baking pan----and cook it at 400 for 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. They crisp up on the outside, and stay tender in the middle. I have some frozen garlic bread, I can toss on the last few minutes for Rick. That way I am all done when it gets finished!!! They cook good on the grill too, but they take a lot longer it seems, and I am not wanting to run in and out more than necessary! I have not set foot outside today!!! Has been a wierd day. Usually Rick calls a couple times---he's been quiet. Kinsey has been in a very somber mood, very independent! We colored some pics on line, and read a couple of books. But even at lunch when she usually jabbers, she just yawned! All of us are lazy! Well....guess I'll go prep my veggies. Kat

Wheetsin, if you want to see the Dr. before your scheduled visit----walk in. They won't turn you away. I know here, the Dr.'s my DD worked for couldn't--if they turned you away, and something happened to you, they could be held responsible. If it concerns you (and it would me--I am in no way saying you are overreacting, I would be a basket case) walk in and tell them you are pregnant and bleeding, and need to see a Dr. Forgive my sloppy typing---my fingers are still crossed for you! Kat

yeah, sorry, I re-read your post that you had a call in. I am in agreement if you do not hear from your surgeon, make an appointment to see your PCP, or drop by an Urgent Care Center, let someone look at it, infection has to be caught early. Sorry this is stressing you---it would me too! Kat

Well....it doesn't look like mine did....I can't say whether it is infected or not---is it hot to the touch? Itch? I had stitches in my hand once that did something similar, and while it wasn't infected---my skin tried to grow over the scab, and become infected in that manner---it looked a bit like your picture....they scrubbed it ---at the Dr.'s office. I would call him! That is what they are there for when we have issues! Let us know! Kat

Tracy---It wasn't a dream....and if you don't leave me alone about my Golden Goose--your Easter Basket is gonna be empty! Not a single caramel egg for you! LOL----Of course it was me with the caramel involved!!! Kat

Yeah Wheetsin----but everything I have ever ordered at 3 AM ---all I ended up losing was $$$$$!!! Good point!!! Maybe I should preface my statement, that I want MY magic pill not to come with stock options in Hanes Her Way or Fruit of the Loom....no oily discharge side effects please!!!! ICK! Kat

Awwww Haydee....I am sorry things are such a mess for you right now. I see where your dilemma lies. While it sounds so easy for others to say to ditch him.....there is much more to consider. What is Juans family like-----is he bringing fears from there to the relationship with the 2 of you? Is he willing to see a 3rd party to discuss working on your issues, but also accepting some of your issues? There are things Rick does that make me absolutely NUTS! But at the same time....him doing those things is one of the things I fell in love with. If that makes any sense at all! For instance---I am always complaining about all the things his family wants him to do. It makes me crazy, and I am irritable and have to bite my tongue not to say horrid mean things to him about his parents. And yet in the same breath.....if it was me, or my parents, he would be doing the same thing. He acknowledges he won't have his parents around forever, and he tries to act accordingly. He treats his parents with love and respect---same as he treats me. When they change their story on what happened or give credit from something he did to someone else----he does not throw it in their face, like I often want to do! But at the same time, he never makes me eat my words either--and I am sure he could!!! We blended a family---and I never got the my kids your kid thing from him. It was always our kids. He worked just as hard to help out Manda, he has never introduced her as anything except his daughter---and he never interupted as I dealt with Lenny and Abbey....the biggest proof of them being our kids, is wierd---but not long ago a friend mentioned his wife apologizing to him for her son from a previous marriage getting in trouble (broke windows with a BB gun). I realized then---we don't apologize to one another for what our kids do....we just do our best to deal with them! It is scary in this day and age to get married! Living together is hard enough! The divorce rate is sky high! Rick and I are both divorced---twice! 2 of our 3 kids have been divorced! Being cautious and wanting it to be right and perfect is admirable in its own way---he wants it to last forever too. Have you ever just left like you did this time? If so....has it ever changed things in the past? If not---how did he respond? Now let me preface this with I AM NOT....NOT....SUGGESTING THIS!!! It is a simple question. What if your birth control failed---and you ended up pregnant, what would he say or do??? Would he still be sitting on that fence? Or would he step up to the plate? Being alone is scary----but it is less emotional than being alone as part of a couple. Big hugs to you--------Juan needs to realize what a special woman he has----I hope for both your sakes he does. Kat

Another issue to support the band is in the fact that they are making great strides finally in both WLS, and also in discovering WHY we gain as we do, or cannot lose weight. With the band---if they develop a new type of WLS, in 3 years, or find a safe pill to block fat....or discover a magic potion that aids in weight loss----we would all be eligible for it! We have not had anything re routed or removed..... Many bandsters are very young----it seems by far the smartest move to make, keeping your future options open! I read of a new band they are working on that is remote control adjusted. It would be made similarly, but the Dr. would tighten restriction in small increments using a remote control. It would eliminate the need for ports, and saline injections, thereby reducing infection. Plus emergency rooms could all have the remote on hand to release restriction---even if there was not a bariatric surgeon on hand, we could have access to immediate relief. If this ever comes to be, we could all have ourselves switched over if we chose to.... Me.....I am hoping for the magic pill or potion that I just swallow once, and all my fat is gone....extra skin only a distant memory....fine lines and wrinkles----done away with! Until then----I love my band!!! Thanks Michele! That's sweet! Kat

Dianne---I just went through all of the biopsy and full studies of the thyroid. I had a huge tumor, as well as several smaller ones. The large one eventually was interfering with swallowing, and would cut off my air supply if I laid flat on my back at night. My biopsy was a needle biopsy with a pathology consult on hand. It was scary---but not particularly painful. In my case the worst of it was the angle they had to have me in, to access the tumor, was the angle I could not breath in! So he would hold my head up, tell me to swallow and breath, then tip me back and go in with the needle. It was really not much different than a fill!!! My results came back with cancerous cells. So we scheduled immediate surgery. Shrinking it with the radioactive iodine was not an option because the tumor was comprised of different material than the thyroid itself, so there was no guarantee it would kill off the tumor. So I had surgery the middle of November. The tumor was restricted to the center (the isthmus) and the left lobe. My right lobe was only minimally involved, so they left most of my right lobe. My blood tests show more natural thyroid hormone than it has in years!!! I have a faint scar across my throat, but it is not real noticable. The pathologist was also in the OR. He said the type of tissue my tumor was is often referred to as pre cancerous, as it would have eventually grown to be malignant....BUT as fast as it was growing---it was between an orange and a grapefruit when removed---it would have choked me to death long before it went cancerous. So in the end we celebrated!!! My swelling is all gone, and I once again have a hollow in my throat, I feel tons better. I believe it had been an issue for several months! Please let me know how yours goes....and if I can answer anything as far as mine went---call me anytime! Hope you get good news from your biopsy. Don't let them panic you---mine was considered cold, and was still nothing to worry with! Hugs~~ Kat

Can you picture the shrine or modern art we could create with all of our broken, and discarded scales!!! Trying to decide where the perfect spot for the art would be!!! Kat

Sorry to hear of your weekend problems Wheetsin----it is a scary thing. I too will have my fingers crossed for you! Kat

Top O' the Mornin' to Ye Ladies!! Happy St. Patricks Day! Not much going on here, our weather changed too Pat, snowing again this morning!! YUCK! Had a great trip to Albq. on Sat. we won a few bucks at the casino, and saw the bike show, and the human Expo thing (very impressive---kinda icky, but awe inspiring just the same!)....was a fun day. Yesterday not so fun, but productive. Rick and I branded all my FIL's cows, he is going to sell out. So we had planned on our son being there, and FIL, as well as our friend Gary. Well work called out Son, Gary had company show up....and FIL decided he would hang out and have pot luck lunch at church. Well our son and us had already herded them all into a small corral enclosure, it had to be done! So usually we have 2-3 working the chute, and 2 in the pen running them through. Rick worked the pen, I worked the chute, he come out long enough to burn 'em----I give them their innoculations----2 shots, and doused them with fly powder----we even got the bulls done! And they were huge! Let me tell ya girls, I used to squeeze them a lot better with the extra 100 pounds!!! I would squeeze them down as tight as I could, lock the bar in, where it would not come totally loose, then I would wrap my arms around the bar, and hang on it, while Rick branded. Well, they are being burned---and it hurts so of course they jump and fight (I would too--poor things), and they flop me around on that bar like a fish outta water!! I am so sore this morning. But anger got me through getting them all done! I was so mad at us being stuck alone doing it, his Dad blowing us off, and he is one of 4 kids, but hell we are ALWAYS the ones doing it. Now when we butcher---we will be responsible for that too----we will separate them, feed them out specially twice a day, with high dollar feed and sugar---that guess who buys??? Then eventually load them, drive them 60 miles to the guy we use to process our meat--we will take ours and my inlaws as well. We will pay for the fuel, and use up one of our days off together doing the drop off, then when it is done we will spend our fuel going after the meat---and then comes the kicker------she expects us to also spend our time and space dividing their steer up, and storing it for the other kids--who have done diddly squat, and still get free beef. Some days I hate the whole situation--others I tolerate it better. Being so sore today----makes it a "hate it" day!!!! Oh well--we have calves to be sold as well, we have new ones hitting the ground in Texas....and several due here any day as well....and the cycle begins again. From what I just heard on the TV we might need the meat, stock market crashed again???? Ay yi yi-----goodbye retirement! Well I am off to stoke the fire, it is cold!!!! TTYL~~ Kat

Happy St. Patricks Day my friends----are we all wearing our Gruene? I mean Green? Guess where my mind is?? I have to reevaluate what to wear, my green tshirt is not gonna work---while it would have the last couple of days---it is snowing again---so I need sleeves! Winter GO AWAY! I know y'all are likely sick of Kinsey stories, but here is another anyway!!! :mad2: I was telling her today was St. Patricks Day and we had to wear green or someone would pinch us. She listened, ask if I was going to wear green, I said yes, and Papa wore green....which is a HUGE change for him, he is always in red/gray/white or black!!! Anyway she repeated the whole St. Patricks thing. So she tells me, tomorrow we have to wear yellow....it is St. Spongebob Day. Took me a minute -- but Patrick is Spongebobs best friend. So all of y'all get your yellow ready for tomorrow!! It is so dreary, I have the urge to cook all day. I have things planned for dinner, but they involved a grill---not such a great plan with snow! Think I will see what I can put in the crockpot to go with it, then I can feel like I am "cooking"---maybe some baked beans.....or a veggie dish of some sort. Something to go with ribeye steak! Will think about it, and if I come up with a good plan I will put it on our recipe thread!! Speaking of threads, sorry I have slacked on my Tuesday tips-----I space it out, and unless I remember and post, I don't get reminders, and it is out of my head----not trying to make up excuses, I am just a dummy!!! LOL Well my DD ended up with another dog---did I tell you? They had 2. Sienna---a chocolate lab, and Dozer, a chihuahua. Kinsey's Dad bought her a little registered Chinese Pug. Little roly-poly thing, she loved him! Well his landlord found out, and flipped out! So he tells Manda, he is going to have to sell Kinsey's dog unless she will take it for her. Of course she let him off the hook and took the dog in. Kinsey named him Potter.....no one thought anything of it, she told us all about him the last 2 times she went to her Dads, she cried she wanted to bring him home. So he brings the dog, and all his stuff---including his papers. His registered name is something like Kinzers Hairy Potter. Jason calls Kinsey, Kinzer all the time----the name made me laugh! Anyway Manda said she hates admitting it, but he is better trained and behaved than either of her dogs!!! They too are all kennel trained Tracy. Hope your boys love the pup!! Laura, along the lines of what TracyKS was saying--I think a huge part of it revolves around selfishness. If given a choice between pleasing you and pleasing himself....if he consistantly chooses himself, he will likely do the same with children. If on the other hand he chooses you, or helping others, then even if he seems ambivalent about children, I would bet he would end up a doting father. But in my own personal experience....selfish people almost never change, they will always consider themselves first....spouse and children included. And while we all can be selfish at times....and I know you consider yourself a spoiled girl (!!)--asking the question of whether he will be good to a future child is already putting the child first. Here is to another smoke free day TracyK---purple power (with green highlights--in honor of St. Paddies) to you!!! BBL girls~~ Mr. Magoriums Magic Emporium needs started!!! Kat

I am a cancer survivor, and as such have a higher risk for future problems, if that were to happen, I can have an unfill and take in all the required nutrition, and my body benefit from it----not an option with bypass. I also know me. I do not do well when I am told I cannot have something! Sad but true, I am immature I guess!!! When told I would be unable to have sweets----I thought nuh-uh!!! I wanted to be able to have a piece of cake on my grandbabies birthdays! And I can, a small one is plenty, but I Celebrate with them! I took Metformin for high blood sugar, as well as 2 meds for high blood pressure and one for high cholesterol prior to surgery. I take nothing prescription now!!! My FIL is diabetic so I check my blood sugar at his place on occasion, last time I checked it was about an hour after lunch----and my blood sugar was 98. My DH and I check our blood pressure regularly---he had heart surgery 18 months ago---today my blood pressure was 112/67. And my last cholesterol reading come in at 152. I just donated blood Friday, so will get a new reading in a week or so....my Dr. does my bloodwork every 6 months but the United Blood Service offers free cholesterol readings with your donation, so I always check----and it has steadily lowered.... I LOVE my band----I am not at goal----but it has been successful---I am healthy again! I am 47, and do not feel it, let alone feeling older like I used to! Best of luck to you as you make your choice.....consider all things seriously! Kat

HI! I believe going for the unfill of some of your saline to be a move in the right direction. But I would not stop there, I would personally treat it like they do if they know you have a slip. I would go back to my liquid diet for a week minimally---full liquids. Cream Soups etc. Then I would slowly add some mushies....see if the combination of a small unfill, and giving your stomach a real rest from all the PB's might restore normalcy. I would get some good Protein drinks, and shakes, and put my stomach on some SERIOUS restriction of food, and let it rest! See if it does not resolve itself. If at that time, nothing has changed, then it is time for a swallow study or a scope. Serious problems can result---you need to have answers...if not from your surgeon, then from a new Dr. Have you ever heard anything from the original surgeon? I would hound them, then let them know the facilitator is making life difficult! Tell them there is a HUGE website, you will post on if you don't get help!!! Just kidding----but would be nice to get some help from your surgeon! Good Luck----and I LOVE your screen name, that is perfect! Kat

I think most of the same requirements are involved. Unless you lost massive weight on your own, you will likely just have more documentation of your inability to lose the weight. I would bet it is simpler, since you have the documentation prior already gathered in one place. Many insurances will require the cardio tests, psyche evaluations, sleep studies, and other assorted things---blood work etc. I am sure all of that will have to be done over, to be current, but that shouldn't be an issue! Hang out, let us know what you find out!!! Welcome to LBT!! Kat

The PS I chose after consultations, said the same thing about the mons lift, he said it is pretty much part of it in one surgery anymore, that those that opted against it are so unhappy about it, it almost always brings them back. He said it make a monumental difference. Sounds interesting!!!! LOL Kat

My post op diet was quite restrictive, and lasted for 6 weeks! Then after that I was on to a full diet, once I found I could eat solid Protein without issue, I could get a fill, so they average around the 7 week mark with my Dr. With the first fill, I barely felt anything, some restriction if I ate too much too fast----but I didn't get true restriction until my 2nd fill----even though it was a minute amount! Just be sure to allow yourself time to heal....it is really important!! Kat

Oh Jane, I think that man owes your Mom more than an apology!!!! How scary for her!!! I am not saying he owes her thousands of $$$ (course that couldn't hurt!!!) But say tickets to another show that she could get into on time! Did I miss your before and after shots? Are they here or in B&A? Laura, it is hard to say how DH would react. Maybe it is a good thing to discuss with an outside person. You mentioned you were once thinking of a councelor due to eating issues, well this is just as important! There are lots of considerations. You have said how differently his family is, and he will expect to take the kids to their place for holidays too! Now is the time to figure it all out. As for him not wanting to be in the room when his child is born---I have heard of men being that way---my son with the first decided he would stay at the head of the bed, and be fine, and within minutes of everything he was right there---he had a hard time cutting the umbilical cord, he was crying so hard! But he wanted to have kids, and was heartbroke over the way things were, his wife had left and was living with her ex, when his DD was born, and he knew he loved her already, and was not going to be there to help raise her. He actually went in for his sons birth---to a c section! It is good to work it out now....I am glad you sense the problems, and ask the questions now, it is a very mature attitude, as opposed to just assuming it will all fall into place! Kat

What you are experiencing is quite normal! There are several causes! Like you mentioned you wanted the control! You used to control what you ate, not any more.... You used to control what and how you cooked, not any more! It goes on like that! You are pretty early on, so while you are experiencing success---you likely still have some worries that it won't work for you---or wonder how long it will work, or how long it will take. What your life is going to be like....there are lots of questions, and not lots of answers presenting themselves yet! Another issue that was mentioned during my seminar, and is seldome brought up---is hormonal. Each of the hormones in our body goes through highs and lows. When one surges, all the others in our bodies have to adjust to try to balance. 2 of the hormones directly affected are the one excreted in the stomach---he called it Gruehlin (he said it---he did not write it, so I have no idea if the spelling is even close!)---it is the hormone that signals fullness. So before banding, it took a lot of food to hit the nerves that signalled the release of this hormone. Well now it is being released on a much more frequent time line, and in a different manner than normal, so all the other hormones are working to react with it, and balance. I am afraid I am making a mess of explaining this, and the surgeon told it in a manner that made such perfect sense! Sorry!!! Another hormone directly involved in weight loss---is estrogen! Estrogen is stored in fat cells. So as you lose fat the estrogen is dumped into your system. Once again making everything else work overtime trying to balance. With it being estrogen---it causes symptoms like PMS. Emotions are all over the place, cravings increase, headaches are common. Some people have very sensitive systems to estrogen. I do. I used to get migraine headaches once a month minimally due to fluctating estrogen levels---I could never do birth control pills because of the estrogen. When I had my hysterectomy 5 years ago, I quit having any type of problem. Until my banding, and suddenly I had several migraines. They went away as my body learned to deal with the changes it was experiencing. Same thing will happen with you I predict!!! #1--you will see that you do still have control of your eating, in fact you have more control than when you shoved everything handy in your mouth!!! Sounds strange---but when you CHOOSE what you eat it feels like a victory! You WILL be in control! I bet when the fears and questions pass----this will be a form of control you will love.....controlling your own destiny! #2 the hormones will settle down, it just takes a little while! It is very common. Depression is not uncommon, anger, quick temper, tears----you are not the first, and will not be the last! Soon you will be here assuring those entering bandland behind you, that it will get better!!! Now....better go find that new frog a home!!! Hang on----it's gonna get better!!! Kat

Bull Hockey Jennifer! You looked heavy---but not horrible! You might have been dealing with some more serious depression, but you did not then--nor do you now---hate yourself. You have to love yourself to let others love you too----and you and your kids deserve that! You look thinner by far, and happier by far----but look, even when you were heavier, you were smiling, and you were not standing there alone-----others love us, even when we are not feeling particularly loving to ourselves. And now you got us!!! And we love ya!! Kat

Hey ladies! We are back---had a great day yesterday---we walked tons! Had a great time, and I ate pretty good--my only downfall was I did not drink very well--I did a large 32 oz. tea during the bike show, and then had 2 glasses of tea at dinner--yeah I know!!! BUT!!! I needed to get some fluid in. I was trying to do a balancing act, it is not a busy area between me & Albq. bathrooms are few and far between---so ya gotta plan on holding it for a hundred miles, so I kinda slacked on the water! I had a frito pie for breakfast!!! Well it was 11 ish---Becky & I were having good luck in the casino and missed the breakfast buffet!!! So I hit a vendor at the rally/bike show and had a frito pie, which was 90% chile. I told her just sprinkle a few chips on top--was good, I didn't even eat all of them! Then we had steak, ribs, and salad for dinner---so it was ok---no candy, no sweets, no alcohol!! I behaved so good I almost didn't recognize myself!!! The bikes were awesome! And the body exhibit show was incredible we spent a looooong time there. Coming home in the dark---yeah we stopped and I won another $63.00--early in the day I won $62.00---both of those are subtracting the $5.00 bill I started with!!! I had won more at a point, but luck turned!!! Anyway coming home in the dark, Becky and I were snoozing, and out of the dark comes her voice....I saw dead people! Cracked me up---course I was so tired everything was funny!!! TracyKS--yes I was banded in Mexicali, MX by Dr. Alberto Aceves. Someone mentioned contacting WasABubbleButt for info---we share the same Dr. He has a link on the bottom of the home page. Contact me anytime, I was thrilled with my experience! Terry---I love the rings---they look so summery and fun! Jenn---big huge change in those pics----I too like your hair! Looks like you were having fun! Judy---Kinsey sleeps here like it is not a big deal--this truly is her home away from home!!! She has her own room! I bought her the cutest little flip flops in the Disney store yesterday! TracyK---congrats my dear!!! It is hard to make the decision to quit! I quit on April 1st, 1991. Cold Turkey, without a doubt one of the best things I ever did!!! Rick quit in 1990....we often speak of what if we both still smoked, and the cost....etc. He used a product they had back then called Cigarrest....he had gum, and a tape to listen to, but it suggested a lot of the same things they say today!!! When it gets hard---call one of us! Or walk over and lean down and say kissy sweet things to your honey---cuz your breath with be FRESH!! Michelle---sorry the soccer did not go great, but glad you had a safe trip!!! Suzie---a pool!! How fun!! I was terrible at the upkeep on a hot tub---I know a pool is beyond me!!! Denise---glad you got your card, and hope your day was a great one. Laura---your Mom was lost without your Dad--that is sweet though! Go to the Dr. you may have asthma kicking up due to the illness. Lunasa-glad you come by again!!! Keep it up! I like the sounds of the Dr. he seemed very intuitive! Glad you are working it again! Pamela---It looks like Rick and I might be going to see his buddy in Fresno---sometime this summer! I will be in touch before then of course....probably every single stinking day!!! LOL Anyway I was excited at the thought!!! I was teasing him.....ok I told him, drop me at Pamela's on your way!! I like his friend, but he is single, and if his kids are with him for any of the time, it seems they think I am the entertainment!!! Although his DD is entering teens now, so they may think I am too old to bother! LOL Jane---did your customers show up??? I love the Viagra story. My neighbor is a goofball kind of old man, he popped off the other day about wanting to just once have to call a Dr. for a Cialis overdose before he died....and walked off muttering about 4 hours! HE was talking to Rick and Spence another neighbor---not me! I was just within ear shot! Gina---Where ya been at girl??? Today we got all my FIL's cows branded! Rick and I did it all by ourselves! Lenny helped us round 'em up, and herd them into the corral---but sending them through the chute, squeezing them, branding them, innoculating them, powdering them---we did all the rest on our own! It is a job for 4-5 people. 2-3 on the chute and 2-3 in the corral. I operated the chute ON MY OWN! Rick ran them in to me--I would lock in their heads, and drop the back gate,and squeeze them. He would come out of the corral, squeeze them a bit tighter, and grab the brand. Then I held onto the squeeze bar for all I was worth while he burned 'em. I'll tell ya one thing, I was more effective at that job, a hundred pounds ago!!! Those damn cows toss me like a fish out of water now!!! I would be hanging from the bar---literally putting every ounce of me into it, and they would be bouncing me all over the place! My arms are SORE!!!!!!!!!!! Mouth is not much change--sore, teeth go in for a couple hours, then out for a couple hours. I am trying. Will be going to the dentist again Mon, or Tues. Everyone keep your fingers crossed that this is my week for good news from the insurance on my TT!!! OK--caught up---this is the last of my book!!! The End Kat

Many reputable Mexican surgeons, DO require you to have aftercare plans. My surgeon offered lifetime fills through him, in Mexico, when he knew I was not feeling that would be feasible, he spoke with a more local surgeon who I was planning on using to do my fills---and he thought he too was too far away. I am in a rural area of New Mexico, and there are no band surgeons here--so the closest at the time was 6 hours away. The MX surgeon thought that still too much of a distance, and had me make plans with a local Dr, for emergency care. I made an appointment, at my own expense (although they ended up not charging for the appointment---I was prepared to pay it out of pocket) with my former oncologist, since his office was used to accessing ports. He agreed, and spoke with the surgeons involved. All of this was set up prior to a surgery date being set, prior to a single penny being paid. There used to be a Dr., a surgeon doing lap bands out of Albuquerquw NM---which is 3.5 hours, but would have been closer--but he had his license removed----for malpractice reasons, as well as insurance fraud---from what I understood.....and he was inside the US of A. It is OUR body they are opening up and working on--it is OUR responsibilty to make an educated decision regarding who is doing it, and what your plans are for follow up care. Years ago, my DH and I lived out of the US for work purposes----I would not have had an option if I had required surgery ---such as appendix, or gall bladder, back then. We do not all live or have access to the few big WLS centers. I can only wish!!! Kat