Momotrips

Joyce, Collins Street Bakery in Corsicana, TX makes a tasty fruit cake, too. They're pretty famous, at least in Texas. I don't usually like fruit cake, but theirs is quite tasty.

Great thread, Funny! I LOVE Christmas, but I'm not very good at preparing early. I do up a mean tree, though! We moved 3 years ago and we have a 2-story entryway so I purchased a 10-foot pre-lit tree - gorgeous and HUGE. I do it up in burgundies, deep reds, gold and lots of red drop crystals. I would really like to do a small tree in the kitchen with a fruit and utensil theme. Perhaps I can start the process this year. We also collect Christmas CD's. We have just about everyone. I love finding odd ones to mix with our traditional and popular ones. Our all-time favorite is Amy Grant's "A Christmas Album". My favorite "odd" CD is The Crash Test Dummies "Jingle All the Way". It's a Canadian band whose lead singer has a haunting bass voice. Their minor key version of Jingle Bells is a scream. I have been a fan of them for years. I also love Jimmy Buffet's "Christmas Island". We have almost as many Christmas CD's as we have regular CD's. Several movies in our collection, too. Christmas Vacation and a Christmas Story are faves. The kids like The Grinch and Nightmare Before Christmas. We like to dress up our dog, too. She has several Christmas outfits, but everyone's favorite is her elf hat w/elf ears. She only weighs 4 1/2 pounds, so she's really cute! I have my final meeting with my surgeon tomorrow before insurance submittal. Wish me luck! I don't want to make any big goals until I get a surgety date, however, I'd like to be in "onederland" by Thanksgiving when we visit my husband's family. I won't tell them about the surgery. One sister-in-law is mentally fragile and has battled bulemia most of her life. The others are just pretty much ignorant about these things. My husband and his brother somehow made it out of the family intelligent and worldly, his parents and sisters, not so much. It'll be our little secret. I'm sure others can relate. I'll officially join up on the challenge when I have more info. Luckily I have UHC and the drs. staff see a quick approval! I hope they're right!

Funny how we all think we are the only ones. We're all so hard on ourselves. I asked my surgeon about the size of the liver and pre-surgery fast and he said that he has the tools he needs to get the job done (move the liver out of the way) and doesn't prescribe a pre-surgery fast. He also likes his patients to take Protein drinks in moderation and not to "overdose" on Liquid Protein because he wants you to learn to eat good food, not drink calories and because he claims these drinks can be hard on the kidneys and liver. He and the dietician prefer Carnation Instant Breakfast and extra powdered milk added to smoothies, cream Soups, milk, etc. to add additional protein, but not mega doses. It's interesting how each surgeon has their own way of doing things. Mine is very strict with his aftercare and liquid diet post-surgery, but very lax pre-surgery. Others are just the opposite. I guess they all have their own opinions. I have confidence in my surgeon - he's been doing laporascopic surgery since the beginning and he's an innovator in the field. I still feel a little nervous about how out of control I feel and the "what if" of a "ginormous" liver. I like so many of you have been eating burgers and fries (I NEVER eat that stuff) and have been eating lots of ice cream which I also have never gone overboard on. We just went on vacation and luckily the food was not that great where we went and we went hiking and biking an awful lot in high altitude. However, we rented a house in the mountains and I was able to make Cookies and a cake and we ate ice cream several times. I did get in lots of Water, though. I haven't stepped on the scale since I've been back, though - still a little wary. I have also in recent months started gaining weight around my middle - I've always been a pear! I know that middle age is starting to set in, but that really freaked me out. That's about the same time I decided to get the band. It's good to know that other people are having the same pre-surgery issues. I've had 2 1/2 months of "last meals" (and snacks). It's time to put a stop to it. I have my private consultation with my surgeon this Thursday, and expect to have a surgery date soon after. By Thursday I'll be freaking out!:omg:

Sassy sagittarius!

My screen name always seemed perfectly obvious to me, but no one else seems to get it - everyone always refers to me as Momo. It is Mom O' Trips - Mom of Triplets...BTW, my boys just turned 8 last week. EIGHT! How did that happen? My real stripper name would be Daisy Bridlewreath (first pet, first street name) However, we moved so often that I will just take my pick of street names. Daisy San Miguel sounds stripperish. If I used my second pets name it would be Muffy San Miguel both equally trashy. I think that if I'd ever had to choose a stripper name it would be a one namer - Fireball. My cousin used to call me that to annoy me. When you're a redhead you come equipped with a whole set of nicknames - cute to pornographic. Can I get an amen from FunnyDuddies? I have the cutest redheaded boy since Opie Taylor (luckily he's precious and has a personality to match). Maybe I should prepare him for the inevitable nicknames. I have another drop-dead gorgeous auburn haired boy - being pretty is his blessing, because he's a real brainiac and is destined for MAJOR geekhood. My third has brown hair and the bluest eyes you ever saw - already he loves the ladies. Weird looking triplets, I tell you.

Maryb, good luck with the car decision. I swear the engineering curriculum in college RUINS people for ever being "normal". LOL! However, I think I'll keep my "abnormal" engineer for a loooong time!

Ding, ding, ding! I guessed it! I guessed it! I only guessed it because I have one of my very own (I feel your pain, Maryb). Only my guy ponders and he thinks and he analyzes and he investigates and he thinks and he researches and then he impulsively purchases out of the blue, just when you think he's given up. Very odd. We started looking at Suburbans the day we had our first ultrasound when I was pregnant. It was the only vehicle that could fit three car seats and all the gear that TRIPLETS require. Of course our boys will be 8 this weekend, so our big, blue bus is almost 9 years old. She was one of the last models to have a 42 gallon tank - do the math with gas at $2.98/gal. I'd complain more if my husband wasn't actually in the petro/chemical industry. We can't get rid of her though, because she's the only thing big enough to haul all of us and all our camping gear! My husband drives her, now. She just got a little overhaul this past weekend and is riding smooth! My newest vehicle is a deep red Chevy Trailblazer XL with the extra row of seats. It fits all of us comfortably with the requisite DVD player, etc. Unfortunately, it doesn't get any better gas mileage than the Suburban. I do love it though. I also highly recommend the XM radio and OnStar phone service. Both addictive. The car I'd have if I didn't have to haul the kids around all the time, is the Infinity FX in Autumn Copper - to match my hair. Cute! I also love Volvo's. My favorite cars from the past were my '81 Supra in Mercedes Mirror Silver w/burgundy leather and my '94 Forest Green Metallic Mustang with saddle interior. Both indulged my need for speed... The Mustang I traded in for the Suburban because by 5 months pregnant with "triple trouble", I couldn't fit behind the wheel anymore!

Such a pretty house! Is that a pool, too? It lookes very homey - I love the porch and the carport is so "Louisiana". They just don't have carports anywhere but the deep South. Yeah they try to get all fancy with the "porte coche" in some homes, but it's not the same. My family is from Jennings and Opelousas. (Where y'at, bra?) What part of La. are you in? I'm a native Texan, myself, but I went to LSU and New Orleans is where my corn-fed Kansas husband and I fell in love - awww! We were so sad when Katrina hit. Congratulations new home owner! Edited to add: I love the floors! The lot is just so green and lush so "Louisiana", once again. I don't know if I'd ever want to live there again, but I do miss it so much! We got to visit quite a bit when my brother-in-law lived in La Place, but they've moved on to Augusta, Ga. We' d wanted to go to NOLA for our 15th anniversary just like we had for our 10th, but then Katrina hit. We'll be going back, though, can't keep us away!

Amy - I'm brainstorming, here... Can you get counter checks (temporary) from your bank and then write someone a post-dated check? Can you get an advance on a credit card? Can you sell any stock you might have? Can you hock anything that you really don't need? Can you put up some quick auctions on E-bay? Delay your housenote/rent a few days? Have you husband mow 50 lawns (I guess that would be hard to do in one week...)? If you could get to Houston I'd pay you to do my laundry! Laundry is evil and I hate it...of course I don't know that my husband would be in on that idea! Any more ideas to help out Amy, anyone? Edited to add: I guess it's taken care of now! Yay!

Amy, you can also purchse BodyGlide at sporting goods stores. It's formulated for runners to keep from chafing. It comes in a stick like deodorant, but it doesn't have any scent or the aluminum salts - it's just this smooth stick that stays smooth as your thighs, boobs, arms, butt, belly, whatever rub together as you run, bike or walk. It really does work. I have trouble with my thighs if I don't wear shorts that don't completely cover my thighs. It is also nice to sometime wear a sundress without some kind of bike shorts or Spanx under to keep from getting a rash. If you use deodorant, you might try the Dove aloe - it's smooth, kind of like the BodyGlide, but it smells nice and will keep you from sweating, too. I live in sweaty Houston and often put deodorant under my "ample bosoms" because I feel like I have a hothouse in my bra! Another thing I discovered is called "Lipo in a Box" control garments which are WAY more comfortable than Spanx - great control and really, really soft and comfortable. They don't make that nylon "swish, swish" sound when you walk, either. They have all kinds of styles and sizes from capri length to bike short to full underwire bra with bike shorts, no underwire, etc. They stretch a lot, too, so you don't have to keep buying them in various sizes so frequently as you lose. Some say that if you wear some kind of compression garment regularly during weight loss that you can help support your skin and it will shrink back more evenly - just like they give you a compression garment after plastic surgery. I found them on the internet at www.lipoinabox.com. They are pricey, but very good quality. It might help to get a full body one to use under your workout clothing - it might help "keep things in place" a bit - it's not surgery, but it might help in the meantime. When I wear mine I feel a lot more "pulled together" without feeling all "gridle-y".

Sorry to hear that, Amy - I know you were looking forward to it. At least you know you chose good doctors when the time finally comes. Bright side, you get your band that much sooner! I'll be looking forward to seeing how much progress you make before my date! Good luck, I know you'll do great.

I'm NOT the only one out here - great. We'll have to organize a get together some time. Barbara, thanks for the invite. I don't think I can make it this time, but I might another time. I don't mind the drive. Alij, I've heard that about 12 Oaks - I try to stay in the Memorial Hermann system when possible. Their quality of care is pretty consistent and they have the best staff - I've found that Methodist facilities might be nice, but they have some of the rudest (and careless) staff around. I steer clear of Columbia HCA. My mom lay in an HCA hospital w/a massive stroke for six hours w/no treatment because there was no neurologist on staff (!?) and they wouldn't move her ANYWHERE w/out "paperwork". Great, HCA. She died the next day. She was probably too far gone for any help, but we'll never know because of their delay. I'm fine with my surgeon - he's super qualified - he just happens to be an RNY specialist. In fact, I think I will benefit from fewer folks in line in front of me for fills down the line! My first choice was Spivak, but even if he's accepting UHC again, I don't want to lose any time having to start the process over even partially. Are the Spiegal and Spivak support groups open to non patients, since support groups are free, and all? I know I'd find bunches of bandsters there, right? I've already met some of my doc's bandster, but there are just a lot more RNYers.

I'm in the Sugar Land area and just wondered if there were any LBTers in the area. There seems to be a lot in the N and NW areas. My doctor's patient load is still majority RNY - he's not new to lapband, he's just really great at RNY. I'm going to start the support group at Memorial Hermann Memorial City, but know that I'll be in the minority at most meetings. I know that Drs. Spivak and Spiegal are majority or exclusively lapband, so their support groups will reflect that. Unfortunately I have UHC and they've both recently dropped. I'm not going to pay out of pocket when I have excellent insurance coverage. I was curious about other bandsters in my area. Give me a shoutout if you're nearby.

With triplet boys, I have more than my share of penis humor around here. I could tell you stories... We've always called them "winkies". They're almost 8 and still the bathrooms that they use are STILL covered in pee - disgusting! I just started reading "Wicked" and was looking at the map of Oz and the boys wanted to see it and about died laughing when they saw the area of Oz called "Winkie Country"!

Sunta - I agree that just ignoring them is the best thing to do. It's just really difficult to do sometimes. I haven't had anxiety attacks in a year or more - thank goodness. I was always a worrier, but I didn't get really unreasonably anxious until I had my babies - each year it got a little worse. I haven't had any counseling, but a new IBS medication I started helps a lot - it has a small dose of anti-anxiety. Beta blockers help, too. One of my boys sees a therapist for some ADD issues and I do enjoy the time we spend talking (I just like talking - lol) so I may get to that at some point. Thanks for sharing and for the advice. I hope one day they're just GONE ya know...

Time4change - BBB! Me too! They're going to be 8 on the 2nd of July - if you look at my profile I have a picture of them when the made their 1st communion a couple of weeks ago. They're pretty handsome little guys if I do say so myself! How long did you carry and how much did you gain while pg? Are they fraternal? Mine are COMPLETELY different. Cool. Feel free to e-mail me or pm me if you want. "Mom O' Trips"

Thanks 3loves. I take meds so I don't go nuts, really. The "episodes" lead to anxiety, which leads into a vicious cycle, so the meds either lessen the frequency or severity (or both) and in turn improve my mental health - ha! And yes, skinny people have them too, but I know that the better I eat, the less likely I am to have anxiety and the less likely I am to have symptoms. I'm just hoping to feel better in general after banding and weight loss.

Tamyrn, I gave up caffeine 2 years ago when these started - I was HEAVILY dependent too. I miss my bitter brown master! No one that doesn't have them understands the anxiety that comes with them. No matter how many doctors say your heart is a-okay, you think that they HAVE to be wrong. Also, cardiologists are just starting to acknowledge that hormones are very closely linked to episodes and they don't even want to hear that GI symptoms/diseases are linked, even though the diaphragm and vagal nerve are all smushed in there together. Guess what other problems I have? You got it, IBS, PCS, generalized anxiety and I'm barreling headlong into perimenopause. My beta blocker helps ALOT, but sometimes even it can't keep them at bay. Oy!

Barbara - did you decide to self pay with Dr. Spiegal at the last minute or did you work out something with UHC? I know you had changed to Dr. St. Laurent a while back. Just curious. (i went ahead a did a search on your posts and saw what happened - happy surprise for you!) Let us know how you're doing really soon. Congratulation!:clap2:

Eewww! That looks just like the one I had in my apartment in college. I don't like "squirmy" things, so I called crying to my mom and kept her on the phone hysterical for an hour! We also used to have the little mutant geckos w/the clear skin (and you can see all their internal organs! Blech!) in our dorm. I was laying on my bed, looked up at the ceiling and saw one of those freaky little buggers - I jumped off the bed and it fell right where I'd been laying. Yuck! I didn't sleep again for days.

Is it just me? ^sob^

I'm up late with my PVC's and anxiety and was wondering if any of you have PVC's and did you have any positive or negative effects from the surgery/band? I know that hormones and digestion seem to affect them - and when I'm having "bad" bouts even bending over, exercise and s-e-x (gasp!) can start the flip-flopping in my chest (and not in a good way). I then get the accompanying anxiety. I KNOW they're "harmless" but I hate them! Bleh!

I'm a stay at home mom to my 8 year-old triplet boys. Hardest job I've EVER had. I loved being a mom to babies, but these big boys are running me out of my mind! I also work part-time for my sister as her Realtor's Assistant doing her admin/marketing work. We live in the same neighborhood, so I can either work from home or a few blocks away and she always understands when I have to take care of my boys. Not much, but it helps to pays for my home decorating addiction... In my "former life", I was a corporate manager at an international brokerage firm. Quite a change, there, huh? My husband is an Engineer at a large Engineering and Construction company catering to the oil & gas industry. Heathergurl do you perhaps work for the "Blue Pony"? My husband says that designers can pretty much write their own ticket these days in this booming market and make even more than he does as a project manager. Lucky gurl! Cool thread.

Ya know, I was just complaining to my endocrinologist about my hair and not shedding in months & months - I have so much hair that I can't get a decent haircut. He was unimpressed as he is bald - ha! I actually had to cut my hair shorter again while trying to grow it out because I was getting the whole Rosanne Rosannadanna pyramid 'do. I've actually been looking forward to some hairloss. Really, I have enough hair for three people and in the humidity of the Houston area, well it tends to double in size. We'll see after I get banded, I guess. Just my luck I'd have some rare side-effect where you grow MORE hair!