TracyinKS

what can I say.... its a slow day at the convent.. I stayed in for lunch and my boss is on a rant driving me crazy!!!! I had to go to the bathroom so that he would leave my office! Its still raining and cool...and I just want to skip out early soooo bad! OH Ya: ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BE ABLE TO EDIT THE spreadsheet needs to PM me their email address so I can send you an invite to do so... Laura, I added your current stats but for you to be able to keep it up I need your email.

LOL!!! Michelle: 1. Create a word document with the text that you want shown. 2. PRINT SCREEN on your keyboarb 3. PASTE into PAINT 4. Select you text/pics and CUT (CNTRL X) 5. Select ALL and Delete 6. PASTE (Cntrl V) 7. Resize by adjusting the "attributes" (mine is 400 x 165) 8. SAVE AS (shrink.jpg) 9. Upload to photobucket 10.Insert into signature like you do a ticker YOUR DONE!

I have been every size from stretchy 10's to 24......... up and down...the story of my life Here is a slide show of my various faces (don't know if it will work right) http://www89.rockyou.com/show_my_gallery.php?instanceid=59586580

Hello all!!!!!! I just created a new sig image using good ol WORD and Paint! I really really really HATE my pics, but I guess its that REVERSE anorexia thang.... (note in my avatar pic I was 250ish, but the camera is WAAAAAAAAY above my head so that my chin's didn't show the "natural" pics are a test of how I am today. The good thing is that I can see a difference in my face from the two pics

Welcome to LBT and CONGRATS on your 90lb loss!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONGRATS DrewsLou!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love reading your post.

Welcome IZZY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats on your NEW band, and gook luck with those last 8 lbs!

LOL Sara and Angie!!!!!! Judy: Have fun with Ethan today! It is rainy and cool today.....man I wish I could just go home and veg out by myself.

OMG Julie!!!!!!!!! the TEENS???? As soon as I am fully healed I think I'm going to try the alternating run/walk program... I can't imagine me LOVING to run... but you never know. Sounds like everyone has a plan!

I would talk more to Carol since she's had luck with the same insurance.. but I would ALSO go to Malley's seminar to learn about it. He does a good job of going through the 4 types of WLS and why he prefers the band. He is a VERY quiet guy, but his humor will come out. From Seminar, Consult, Insurance, Nutrition Eval, Pscy Eval, and eventual APPROVAL letter it took the month of January...... but since I had to wait for an opening at Menorah My surgery was scheduled in April.. NOW I'm banded and I see him tomorrow for my first post op appointment.... IF you can get a clear picture of what your out of pocket expense will be RIGHT NOW.. from WLSC they will probably get you in quicker than Malley can on BCBS... he is very popular because he is very good.... even IF he is extremely quiet.. I know that in January he had his 550 band.. I have no idea what number I was a week ago. He does his surgeries on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A practice with more docs (like WLSC I would think have more OR time available) Again the upfront cost is what scared me away from WLSC.. and then I had several people PM with with other negatives about the place... but as in all things YMMV! Good luck and let us know what you end up with!

Checking in here to see what I have in store for me...... Yenken: I laughed about your description of your little brother! LOL that is very very very sweet of him to notice your loss. BIG NSV Keythra: I've been watching your posts with all the other health complications you've gone through since banding..... DANG woman!!! on the makeup front..... about 2 years ago my skin changed and now all drug store stuff makes me break out... and my eyes swell shut. it is the WIERDEST thing.. I had to change to Clinique but still only wear mascara on special occasions because even though they don't swell with clinique they get really itchy after a few hours.

GOOD MORNING ALL!!!!!!! Laura: HOUSE LOOKS GREAT! Gr8: Don't worry about the bad choices you are doing great and look at it this way...... YOU DIDN't EAT an ENTIRE BAG! Denise: Did the jiggling belly thing work? Judy: I too am amazed at the differences in diets... Sara: congrats on the exercise! EVERYONE: WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH BANDSTER HELL!!!!! For me: I did not attemp eggs last night. I did however attempt to make some Lasagna filling (cottage cheese, mozz, leftover spaghetti sauce) blended up and baked....... I took one bite and just freaked out.... I couldn't do it.. not because it didn't go down, but because I had scared myself about it... I did NOT want a repeat of the night before, so I ate a SF popsicle and drank a glass of tea. This morning I woke up to a loss! Yay! My stomach is growling so I will eat my sf pudding and then drink my ISOpure (almost out of them) I see my doc tomorrow, and two of my steri strips have fallen off........ DBF says he can tell I've lost some in my butt..... I guess thats good.. at least he's LOOKING right??

My GOAL is to KEEP my band for Life!!!!!!!! I have lost so much weight 80 lbs 3 times in my adult life and 20-30 lbs more times than I can count...... the problem is MAINTAINING IT.. that's where the band comes in..... As for what foods you can tolerate.. well, that will be up to your body and your band........ some can eat anything (just not much of it) but some can eat only certain things... My doc said that the only thing we REALLY have to give up is WHITE DOUGHY BREAD, but as soon as he said that someone got up and had lost 100 lbs and CAN eat it........ so as with all things YMMV. It is a life decision, It is a BIG decision, and It IS a permanant decision.... If you lose all your weight, you will always face the hurdle of maintaining.... you get down to a great size and you become complacent.. that is where (if you are banded) you either step up the exercise or you get a fill to keep you from eating. If you take out your band your ENTIRE stomach will be wide open waiting for food. It took me two years to decide to go this route, because I KNOW I CAN lose weight........ but after much soul searching I decided to go this route and use the band as the TOOL it is meant to be. Good Luck!

I have a 10 mm band and it holds 4 cc full of saline, and is also refered to as a MEDIUM sized band

Good afternoon ladies! My meeting just got out... and I had to catch up a bit.. Sara: LOL..... :target: I am going to try RUNNY scrambled eggs tonight......... or maybe I'll stick with soup. I do NOT want a repeat of last night!

getting ready to head off to a meeting................. check back later! NOTE: I've drank about 2/3rds of my SOUP at Hand Velvelty Potatoe and am throwing the rest away! Kat: any word on Rick today????

LOL! Lunasa.. a head of cabbage...... that has to be it! and might I mention.............. IT IS NOT FREAKEN FAIR!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't even know I LIKED sex til I got divorced! and now the tides have turned........ OK done whining about it!

Sex... what is sex??? Two nights ago I was told by dbf that the thought of my port grossed him out... I said... GREAT! NOW MY PORT GROSSES YOU OUT.. we are NEVER going to have sex again are we??? To which he replied........ JESUS TRACY NOT THIS AGAIN! Don't START.. and stomped to the living room...... (and note this all started to go down hill when I was still wearing a size 10/12, and NO he has no problem perking up, and I lost count of how many months its been... Lost count in January) He has no libido........ and I'm guessing it is a long standing issue because his ex wife cheated on him which is why they divorced........ OK.. sorry for the TMI about my lack of sex life...... but you guys hit a geyser with the topic. (pun intended)

:clap2: CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and I had my surgery done at Menorah...... I believe that Heartland Spine and Specialty are working on gaining their Bariatric "Center of Excellence" status for medicare...... but of the 3 hospitals Malley works in ... Menorah was the one IN NETWORK for BCBS

STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WLSC will make you pay for the surgery UPFRONT and then help you to get reimbursed! (I almost went this route before I found out that Dr. Stephen Malley in Mission was on my BCBS provider network!) So is Opie in Olathe and I believe Wheets doc is too. When I called them in January (WLSC) they told me that they were NOT contracted with ANY insurance carrier but would work with you to get reimbursed.......... BEFORE you waste $150 I would check out your options.

My doc has a younger patient(s) I think it is a matter if your self pay and evaluation of the situation, and if insurance pays.. a matter of winning appeals, but truly I have no idea of SPECIFICs BTW....... CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pamela: SF CANDY is a big NO NO for me!!!!!! 2 pcs will send me RUNNING to the bathroom! I can not imagine eating an entire BAG.. OMG! Now I feel sorry for you! Welcome Wolfmaydn!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will add you to our list (Post #2 of this thread) How did your surgery go? How long are you on liquids? When do you get to go to mushies? I FORGOT to mention that I had a major NSV today......... I was feeling thinner this morning so I tried on jeans..........(I have sized 22 - 10 ) in my closet the smaller the size the higher up in the closet they are..... drum roll.......... I was able to button AND zip WITHOUT laying on the bed 2 pairs of size 16's........ (now, before you all FREAK and say size 16!!!!.. I will preface with...... they are stretchy and WOMENS 16's and mid rise....... but YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOO! I out grew these jeans last fall, and now I'll be wearing them to Branson MO next week (Adult weekend).. Can I get a "Hell Ya!!!!"

very interested in this last post... HOW does it happen???

Water is needed to hydrate your body and to FLUSH out that FAT! Drink UP!!!!!!!