Kat817

But if someone did not know better..... For instance, if there were suddenly a new Band Board, and we put up a pick of Jachut, or Chickie, or JulieNYC----among many others----who would ever have thought them to be a WLS patient??? Imagination! I use mine to imagine that someday I will be someone no one believes ever had been overweight! Til then maybe I just live vicariously through the unknown skinny mini on the top of the page!!! I don't know, she has just never bothered me! Kat

Thanks for helping me worry everyone! Rick did not take his meds, because he was planning on being home, was his reasoning. I did the head shake, eye roll combo! He is not on anything serious these days. A blood pressure medication that keeps his heart beat more regulated. And an aspirin, and he takes a pill for degenerative bone disease in his neck, it is an arthritis pill--- and without a doubt the one he is missing the most! We also both take Prilosec OTC....or rather tonight I take it! He called several times while he was in range, and we were talking when he lost signal. I believe they are going to spend the night in the cabin---then break camp, and even the hunters are coming in, the roads are simply impassable, making it unsafe, so tomorrow they will all return. The one thing that Rick kept saying was that he knew Gary should not go alone....guess he was right. But he is not off my list! Tomorrow I am going in the morning to buy the one missing piece to my new gift, and then Monday AM it is out a here! LOL..... I picked and chose a variety....hope it is something she likes!! Think I got you? I'll tell ya who I didn't get....Tracy, Gina, Laura.....lol!!!! I too should go to bed! Will check in in the mornin'! Kat

I am going to come at this from a totally different direction. Seems to me that your fear of death from the surgery is not actually the death itself, it is leaving your 15 year old son. Everyone here has told you about the stats, and it IS a safe surgery, per se. However being banded does change your life. I do not see how you will have this surgery and a 15 year old living with you not know it. At 15, even in the worst case scenario, he would have a say in his life, and where he wanted to be. I do not know your son, but I know my kids, and I would call a family pow wow. I would have this web site pulled up, to the before and afters. I would tell my son that I have a hope to get the weight off, and become healthy, and happy so that when he goes off to live his life in a few short years, he need not worry about you and your health issues that WILL rise from obesity. Having your parents there, will allow you to discuss the less than 1% chance of something happening to you during surgery, and your fears for what would happen to him. I mean you could have a crash driving home from the grocery store, and die! If his living situation concerns you if you were suddenly out of the picture, NOW is the time to deal with that! Let your son read around here. There are a few threads that are sexual in content, but surf through some with him, show him what you hope to accomplish. There are sooooo many out there your age, getting a handle on this while they are young! I am half again your age and I can tell you this surgery was such a wonderful tool to get the weight off! I am off of all my meds, no high blood pressure, or high blood sugar---nothing! My kids are older, closer actually to your age. They are thrilled with my results. The fact is I AM older than you, but the thoughts running through my head, and the way I reason etc, has not changed, I was the same person then I am now. So look at it like this, treat your son, the way you would have wanted your Mom to treat you through it. Up front and honest. 15 is not an age to begin keeping secrets from a kid. This IS a life altering decision----you need to show him how to include those who love him in his life altering decisions. Just my .02 worth----and with inflation-----probably not even worth that!!! I love my band, the surgery was a simple one, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I would take my Mother, or my Daughter if ever they needed it! Without question one of the best things I ever did for me! Kat

I too opt not to be super tight. I have lost slower than some, but it has been lost none the less! I do not "diet" per se, I am conscious of what I eat...and do my best to make wise choices most of the time. As Jachut said, that is so much easier to do when you reach a level of restriction to where the band does help you! I used to walk into the house, and was starving, so I grabbed, Cookies, chips, anything ready to eat,and gorged myself! Now I walk in, and with the hunger at bay, I can make myself happy with a yogurt, or a wedge of cheese. I keep leftovers on hand, and snack away at them. This is how I expect to live the remainder of my life, so I do not care to live on a diet forever! Did I make bad choices in food? You bet I did! Do I still make bad choices in food? Sure do! I just work on it the next time I eat. No matter what with the bad choices on occasion, I am eating so much healthier than I did pre band--it is hard for me to believe. BUT it took me a year and a half to get here, where this feels normal! A band without proper restriction is like a car without gas. You can push it, but it is not doing what it was designed to do! Your band is sitting there, it just needs its "gas". Go for the next fill, work with your Dr. to find a good level of restriction, and you will have HELP from the band! If we could do this on will power alone, none of us would be on this board. Feeling like crap from making bad choices is actually a step in the right direction, you are recognizing the areas in which you need to work. I know I would do great through the day, and then evening would hit, and I would graze! When I stopped losing, and got all bummed out, I realized I was happy with my choices all day, then went to bed feeling crappy about myself, and realized it was due to the choices I made each night. So I began revamping my evening plan! And slowly it worked! Get your band on board, and working with you, and you will find a new attitude comes with it I bet. Til then recognizing where the problem lies, is a great way to begin solving the issues. That sure sounds like a bunch of hooey from a self help book--but it worked for me! Kat

You can have your screen without her at the top---with no person on it at all if you prefer it that way. When she was first added I remember people thinking it was Racheal Ray---had to laugh at it---a cooking diva on a WLS board!! I forget she is even there!! The wierd side ads, and ads all over were not fun, but they got cleaned up, and if all we have to deal with is a strange face looking at us---it really doesn't bother me. I did have surgery to regain health, but hell sex appeal ranked right up there to be honest! I only personally know a hand full of bandsters, and then "know" many through LBT, but I wouldn't know anyone else they put up there likely, so it really doesn't affect me....because as each day goes by I get closer and closer to being able to pose with abandon like that!!! Love my band! Kat

Well my fears have been confirmed. My husband and son are stuck. It has dropped almost 2 feet of snow today. But this morning it rained on them, and turned the road in to a giant mud puddle. They walked back to camp, and got Gary---who then got stuck! Rick was walking towards a road he hoped to catch someone and hop a ride into town, and he did--and some oil field hands come along with a cat (as in Caterpillar Tractor) heading to location, and had to pull Gary's truck out as it was in their way. But they refused to pull out Lenny's. So the guys are all together again, in Gary's truck, headed down into the nearest town which is probably only 3000 people if that, and try to get a way to get Lenny's truck out. The temperature is supposed to hold steady at about 30 just cold enough to snow, but not to freeze hard--so that is not helping! The tow driver said they won't go into the roads, they are bottomless, and he is booked for 2 days. So....as of now plan is to take son in law to be's work truck up and pull them out. Rick is there without his meds. His change of clothes is now as wet as the originals. And he has a wife at home who is easily as mad as she is worried! Almost----almost----makes me feel sorry for him! Men! I really AM mad as well, but would still appreciate your prayers for their safety. And wouldn't you know it-Lifetime is airing a movie right now about a couple stranded in the snow.....hope we have a lifetime movie ending! Talk to y'all in a little while! Kat

Go Me~~ Go Me~~ My wrapping is done! In one corner, I actually have gifts stacked as high as the tree----huge boxes this year! I actually will have a couple things to wrap as we finish up. But nothing like what is done. We have a friend, she is a former renter, who is having hard times, so my oldest DD, and my friend Becky and I have decided to adopt her and her 2 kids for Christmas, so I will have some shopping and wrapping there, but nothing too serious. I plan on buying something for each of the 3 (Mom and 2 daughters, 1 is 5 and one is only a few months old), but I plan on simply giving her some $$$ so she can go and buy for her girls. She is a hairdresser, and she works full time, but with no help, she is barely making ends meet. Her Ex husband, the oldest DD's dad, is in Oregon, and runs everytime they find him for Child Support. Then she hooked up with a fellow employee for quite a while, like 2 years, and was actually planning to marry him. But he started using meth, and she dumped him in a heartbeat! He just got arrested the other day. She chose not to give her DD his name, and tie her to a man who chose drugs over family. Her words not mine. Anyway, she is trying, she is doing it, but there is nothing left over for extras. So we always buy for several angels off of the trees---this year we will just know who a couple of the angels are! Well, Michelle, I am starving too---I just have not taken time to cook, and am begining to worry about my DH--wish he would get home! Gotta go---DD is here, her company Christmas party is tonight, so she come to use my hot rollers, and polish----once a daughter always a daughter!! TTYL~~ Kat

Steph, is the arm better today? I read the post, and was wondering if you were ok. Kat

It's Dianne's birthday, and I am the one getting to old to remember anything!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIANNE!!!!!! I hope your special day is full of fun and happy things, surrounded with your favorite people, and only one of many, many, more to come!! (((((big GIANT birthday hugs))))) Kat

Oooops had no idea you were a Dr.'s wife! I meant no offense! She worked over a period of several years for 2 different GP's, both working in a small town self owned practice. Both wives were VERY involved! Since she left, not only both Dr.'s but both Dr.'s wives have ask her to return! That's what happens when you have a good employee you treat like crap---you miss them!! So that's why I say hang in there, until something better comes along whether it is there or elsewhere, the best revenge is a happy, successful life!!! One of the Dr.'s she worked for for years is my PCP. He is very interested in banding for his wife. She is not terribly overweight--obese yes, morbidly so--not at all. But she is diabetic, and will not try to control it with diet. She has seen my success, and wants it so bad, but is too far above me to ask me about it! He is a major granola cruncher, he is Mr Recycle, and he jogs daily, and bikes long distances, he has not got an extra ounce on him! They are polar opposites! He is laid back easy going, she is bouncing off the walls! He is neat as a pin, come night fall he still has a crease in his pants, she maybe washes her hair once a week. Bizarre, they raised 4 kids, and manage despite the differences!!! Kat

My DH has a little plaque given to him by an employee that says "Be careful whose toes you step on today, for they may be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow!" My DD actually left the medical field, because of the constant drama, and the worst offenders in her opinion are the Dr.'s wives! She worked as a private practice nurse. She is now an admin assistant for an oilfield crew. There are other women in the same position she is, but with different crews. She loves it. More money, less stress, and zero drama! Hang in there, I am a firm believer in Karma! Kat

oops wrong key!!! Keep us posted that was supposed to say!! Good Luck! Kat

Might have them check your gall bladder as well, pain radiating to the back is a complaint I always heard associated to gall baldder. And losing it is very common following any WLS. Hope you feel better soon! Keep u

Same thing I did, I used it in things with stronger tastes, so I could have flavor plus Protein. I never tried it on its own---I never found any Protein powder I could do that with! But I added un flavored to all kinds of things, that the sweetened flavors like choc. or vanilla would not work. I added it to marinara sauce--soups----gravy...that kind of thing. I used the unflavored in savory type of foods, and the flavored to enhance shakes. I used the Da Vinci syrups, so, I made all kinds of flavors of shakes. SF pudding works great too, but too much---and you get pudding not a shake!!! Lesson learned the hard way! Protein powders by and large are not tastefull---but working with them, you can use them to assist in your recovery, and continued health. Soon you will be able to get it from food, now it is just a medicine to be dealt with! Good Luck! Kat

In my family there are so many rock hounds--collectors of minerals, geodes would be a hit!!! We used to buy the ones for the kids, you put them in an old sock, and took a hammer to them---so exciting to see if you got a good one or not! Kat

How wierd--a whole page of posts and none showed up until after I hit send on mine. I thought you were all quiet and sleeping late! Suzanne sorry about the weather, it is snowing one minute raining the next here, everything is saturated---but the roads remain clear. Except it will turn the roads DH & DS need to use to drive home, into bottomless mud bogs...Just something for me to worry about! Terry---you look wonderful!!! It is an outfit I too would wear! Look at that flat belly, I am soooo jealous! Ok, I keep putting it off, but I am off to finish what wrapping I can, and cleaning up! TTYL~~ Kat

Wrapping is well under way--close to done, but needed a break! I need 2 large boxes, and 3 large gift bags! I do not want to go shopping today, so those may wait for round 3 of wrapping!!! Round one was last night, 2 is today!! So much of what we got is in large boxes, it is ridiculous! It looks HUGE! I also went to town and shopped and missed one important item I wanted for my new SS gift! So at some point today I am going to go do that, so I can box it and mail it out on Monday with my cards. Well if I don't get back to it, I won't!!! Take care everyone will check in later! Kat

Man.........can I just quote Eileenie's post? She did so well! Rick and I are good. He is an idiot sometimes...yep I said it! He, our son, and our good friend Gary are camping---in upwards of 3 feet of snow! Gary is actually elk hunting. He was going to go with another hunter, and then the guys schedule got changed, so he was going to be going out, and setting up camp and being alone for the weekend, then his friend will show up. So Rick and Lenny decided to go with him, so someone knows where he is camped in this weather. They are due back this evening. They have a cabin, and a woodstove---but it is still camping---you gotta pee outside! I stayed home, finished my shopping, and have been wrapping for hours....taking a break right now, it looks like Walmart blew up in my LR!!! It seems we bought out the store, but much of it is in big boxes this year! Kinsey is wonderful--3 as of the other day. And is truly a Princess with attitude! I was doing my Christmas cards the other day, and she was napping. When she woke up she was ready for lunch, so I went to the kitchen to deal with that, and she climbed up and ended up dumping my tea all over the cards, envelopes, done as well as still in the box, address labels, stamps, Granny was fit to be tied! I told her to GO--get as far away from Granny as you can! So...if you get a card from me with a smeared label....I only wish I could blame it on the post office! We too get the bulk of parental care. But then the ones out of Denver, come in with all their $$$ and buy big ticket items---this year it is a 50" TV. And all you hear about is how wonderful the Denver-ites are! They don't stop to think that they are warm from wood we cut and haul for them, and the clothes they are wearing we bought, or the fact that the trash will be collected again this week, and we pay for that. We get stuck with the practical, and un appreciated!! Oh well, I know we do what needs to be done, and we get the time with them, and will never have questions about those kind of things when they are gone. I just wish his siblings would spend some time with them instead of just money on them. There are half a dozen or so deer in my backyard. I heard something on the porch! It has rained, then snowed, then rained again for 24 hours, and is expected to do this for the next several days. The ground is soaked! But at least the roads are ok---well the paved ones, hope the dirt ones are froze, or my DH may not make it home!!! Well I better check my email, which is what I started out to do!!! Then get back to the wrapping. I need 2 more fair sized boxes, and then 3 large gift bags, and I am finished with this round! TTYL~ Kat

Well, my cards are finished, I have had calls from everyone under the sun!!! Going to try to get some wrapping done now...wooohoooo!!! Kat

SSSsshhhhhh.....come close, to hear this, I don't want to jinx myself by bragging it up---but I think my shopping is done! Yea!!!! Going to finish my cards tonight, and begin wrapping. I drug everything needing wrapped into the LR---the house looks like a tornado hit Walmart! I refuse to put it anywhere but under the tree now! So I am off to wrap. Will be back in a couple of hours when my back won't take anymore!! Kat

I agree that your local hospital likely could do it--whether they would is the question, and often the problem. While it is nice to be able to see the barium go through on a fill with fluoro, and most if not all Dr.'s require you to drink Water in the office following a fill--neither of those guarantees you that you will not react to the fill later, and be too tight or swell following a PB to the point of being unable to so much as swallow saliva. When it happen to my SIL, she was fine with the water in the office but withing about 8 hours she knew she was too tight. Just after we got home----our fill Dr. is over 6 hours away! IMHO the best thing to do is be proactive, as opposed to reactive. Plan for those possibilities now! Speak with your local PCP, have them refer you to someone who is used to accessing ports. In my case it is my former oncologist--I set it up with him prior to being banded! I did my level best to cover all my bases, since I am rural, and not close to where my banding Dr, is. There are any number of things that cause us to swell, and it is not all related to the fill, so I would suggest mapping out a strategy now, and not waiting until you are sick and miserable! Better to be prepared and not need it, than need it and find out they refuse to assume the liability of accessing your port! Many do refuse! You are almost halfway Purplegirl--way to go! Kat

Eggs are not good for me either! They are a slow go, or have to be mixed with other stuff---as in huevos rancheros, or with hashbrowns---so...I usually eat very little. Cindy--------oh my this could be the blind leading the blind!!! I think if you go to User CP---and then on the left hand side of the screen you can then go to EDIT OPTIONS and in there you can opt to allow PM's---and somewhere right in there you can allow email if you want. Don't feel like you need to allow email, if you simply open it up so we can PM you we can exchange it in private, and no one else will be able to email you. Now to send one of us, or anyone else on LBT a PM---go to one of our posts, and click on our user name, it will drop down a menu that will give you options of sending a PM or an email---among other things. I don't want to go check it out-everytime I try to do that, I end up losing my post!! Hope that helps. If not---we will get someone involved who is much more computer literate than I am---in other words, most anybody!!! Wonderful gift idea Pamela---Tracy sounded thrilled to pieces! How is Susanne today? I know nothing much about the disease, it sounds horrible though. My DD dealt with some serious female issues while they were in the service, what useless Dr.'s she had! She is lucky to have her DD today, they let things slide, putting her off, giving her BS diagnosis--terrible that they consider themselves medical professionals over there! Tell her we hope she is on the mend. Judy got the PM---good idea, will stop and check that out while out shopping today! OK---GINA!!! I hate to put you on the spot, but you MUST share your pictures with everyone here--OMG girls you cannot imagine...she is much like our TracyK, keeping her huge success to herself! Gina posted her progress pics on the Before and After---and she has done SO well! As I told her, I liked the new Avatar---but Holy Moley, she has lost almost a hundred pounds already! So Gina--show the rest of our crew!!! And yes--I'm gonna tell on you in Jersey too!!! LOL---I really am proud of you--you have done an incredible job! Well Rick and our son have gone with our friend Gary to hunt. Rick technically does not hunt anymore. But he often goes with the guys, to set up camp, and spend the night, sometimes the weekend, then comes home. Gary will be staying a week, or until he gets his elk. This way we know exactly where his camp is, etc. Rick will be coming back tomorrow evening, our Son sometime Monday. They are nuts, it is deep in snow up there, and predicting up to 2 feet more! They have a winter tent and a woodstove for the tent--but no thanks!!! So today Becky and I are off to finish my shopping up, and get hers started! Someone has to light a fire under this girl and it looks like it will be me! I'll check back with all of you later today! (((hugs))) Kat

Cindy---I do not want to put you on the spot or anything...but!!! Isn't there always a but??!! Since I cannot email you or PM you, will just ask you here---and please do not feel you are being stalked! We all exchanged personal addresses and emails not long ago so we could exchange Christmas/Holiday cards, and keep in touch should something happen, and one of us not be heard from. If you care to join our list, you can PM me your information, and I will forward it on to the others, and send you ours. No one will share it without your ok, and you do not have to participate to hang with us here. We tried to include name address phone # email husbands/ SO's name (for Christmas cards mainly) birthday---so we can remember one another on their special days. OK, I am done stalking for the night!!! Kat

Cute, cute, cute! Both the jammies, and the hat--methinks Tracy has good/fun taste! Pamela--IF the weather cooperates---maybe your brother or someone could come and be at the house, so you could drive to where Susanne is? Rick and I did the long distance thing for almost 2 years---we were 357 miles apart, from my driveway to his! We saw each other every 2 weeks. I would go to Denver one weekend a month, and he would come here one weekend a month. This was before the average joe had internet! And it was back when the phone company charged a fortune for long distance---none of the flat rate---or nickel a minute! My phone bill years ago was always over a hundred bucks! So was his! Now with cell phones, it would be so cheap! We wrote letters every day! I hated Sundays and Tuesdays, I never got mail from him on those days!!!Mondays and Wednesdays were my favorites---I usually got 2 letters! And we burned up the expensive phone lines. To this day he is my favorite person to talk to! We learned so much about one another and ourselves---talking was all we had most of the time. We didn't go to a movie where you were quiet...or a restaurant to talk about other people, or quietly eat---we talked, and wrote---it was so hard at the time...but I am so glad we had that time! I hope your Sweetie gets better soon---and that your heart does too....I'm sorry she is sick! The kids were not especially cooperative tonight. Partly because my grandson had not had a nap--partly because my granddaughter is 3, and realizes you smile for a camera, so she was making the wierdest faces, trying to smile---not her natural self at all! And mostly because my DIL wanted to get a family picture---and HATED herself in every one. It is such a difficult place to be with her. She has recently put on a lot of weight--easily 80 pounds in the last year and a half. She is not seeing it yet. She is working on it, doing Pilates etc. But...she kept saying things like, she didn't like this one because she looks like she has a double chin. Problem is, she does have a double chin...pictures will show that. Or she would complain that she looked too big next to Lenny. Well Lenny is 6 foot tall, and 160 pounds---everything looks big, next to his skinny butt! So she was getting stressed, and things just kind of went downhill from there. We finally got her to stand behind a nice leather chair, with Lenny sitting in the chair, holding Connor---had her lean over them---which hides the body, and stretches the neck, and she was happy.......but by then Connor was tired, and he would not smile---and Lenny was like Kinsey and smiling very fake, but she didn't care, SHE looked better! I gave up, went and sat in the Living Room and visited with my friends son. I am going to go through the pics again tomorrow, and will see if any are going to work for me! Michelle--had to laugh at your push to 600 posts! Well I am going to go finish getting some things done, and go to bed! See y'all tomorrow! Kat

Lord give me patience, and Judy, if you have any pull, please have him HURRY!!!!!!! If you are one of the lucky recipients of a slighly weathered looking, or possibly smeared Christmas card---then you should know, how hard I worked to control my temper! I buckled down and began my cards, was working away while Kinsey slept. She got up, so I went to get her some lunch, and she proceeded to try to help herself to my tea---which was on the table with all my cards. Originally it was on the table in a glass---but more recently it was on the table literally! I was throwing cards, and other junk right and left off of the table, attempting to save what I could. I have not cooled off enough to go and see what was salvagable. Just be forewarned, I would love to blame the condition of your card on the post office, unfortunately, it happened here at home. Sorry! Time to go assure a 3 year old, that Granny is not going to explode into a million pieces. PLEASE hurry with the patience! Kat