Great Idea - I will do it right now !!

Hi

I am Janet and I am a recovering food addict :wink2:

I was banded 7/17/07 - My starting weight was 250 - I'm 5'4

Today (just over 10 months out) I am 154 - size 8 pants (was 18/20) Medium tops (was 22/24)

I got banded as I wanted to extend the years that I have left on this planet and to do that I knew that I needed to lose weight.

The band has been the tool I needed. For the first time in my life I have been able to achieve this goal (actually getting to my goal weight)

If you want a buddy - support - help - suggestions - Please feel free to call upon me - I will gladly share my journey with you - the journey is still on going and by helping you I will be helping me (staying motivated and accountable) and then one day you can pay it forward and help someone else.

Melissa...good luck on the full time position...hope you get one of them.

Janet, not a work horse, but when I get the urge to do something...I have to do it because otherwise the projects sit for years and nothing gets done. I like to see progress but it tends to kick my butt....my shoulders and arms are tired and sore today. Who knew sewing could be so difficult....LOL.

My back hurt when I got up this morning but I didn't feel a thing after I worked out with the blocks and all that feels okay now. I took drugs for the shoulder (Ibuprofen) and now feel good.

Back to Easter cards and homework.

Later

I need to start this cuz I will be gone all day tomorrow taking care of FIL stuff....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR EVA....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!.....AND MANY MORE!

LOVE YA DEARLY AND HOPE YOU HAVE THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER.

Lori, have you had an MRI on your neck? My DGS had a lump in his neck a couple of years ago. The MRI showed it was an angianoma or something like that. It is a genetic thing and when a cat scratched him it caused the swelling in his neck. It went away on its own without treatment. I would get a second opinion. My DS has Barretts Esophagus from acid reflux. He has to get scoped every two years. He is being scoped in a few weeks. Even though he has lost 100lbs he still has reflux. Both of his parents had reflux. I am sure all the spicey food he eats is not good for it either.

Janet, too funny, but you are right.....the packaging is the same for the hair and body wash. I might have to mark mine too.

Melissa, I sure hope you get a full time position. It would take a load of worry off of you. HUGS!

Cheri, I really believe your DD is gonna beat this. She seems tough like her mama. Prayers and HUGS for you!

Eva, I didn't know you sewed. You are so talented! I hope you can post pics of your new cushions.

Apples........Love ya bunches! HUGS!

Linda.....how is your DB?

OK, Arlene and Janet...gonna make it easy for you...I used to have a hell of a time with my shampoo and conditioner bottles in the shower (no glasses on my head). I took a permanent marker and did "S" on one and "C" on the other. Problem solved.

Melissa...a whole lot of crap for you to deal with right now. Fingers crossed you get the job....some prayers for you too. You deserve a break.

Have not heard a thing on the panni....hopefully soon. Would be a good diversion for me. Again, love to all.

Hi everyone, Can't sleep. Got word late this afternoon that there's nothing that can be done for my brother - they told the family that to survive he'd need a lung and heart transplant but that he's too weak so isn't a candidate. They will be meeting with the staff tomorrow to start the process of taking him off life suppport. I don't know a lot - just know that the family waited all day for news and then this devestating news came late this afternoon - so they are still in shock and trying to deal with the situation. It's very sad. His son will graduate from college in a couple of weeks -- his youngest gs was just born in November. Very sad. But we will Celebrate his life. I have wonderful memories and am so grateful we had our vacation together last summer.

Melissa, I am really really keeping my fingers crossed for you - I do hope one of the jobs comes through for you - would help you so much to have insurance. Think positive.

Eva, tomorrow is your b-day? Since things may be hectic for me tomorrow, wanted to tell you to have a very happy birthday tomorrow - and many more. Take a day off tomorrow from all the hard work -- you are one amazing woman!! Love you very much.

Lori, sorry to hear of your health issues -- hope it's something that can be fixed with some meds. I can't believe the baby is 6 weeks old already!! OMG time sure flies!!

Janet, glad you are getting back to your regular workout routine. My vertigo is better since I had the procedure, but I'm still careful when I lay down to stay on the one side. What a pain!! I have another 4 nights of this. Cheri, I've had vertigo episodes for about 20 years -- long before I started exercising daily so don't think it's related - I do think stress can make it worse though.

Apples, hugs to you I know it's been a tough week. Thinking of you.

To all of you - thank you all for your prayers and support and just love I feel from each of you. You each mean a lot to me and I couldn't have gotten through the past few weeks without you all. Thanks so much.

Moved our office today from one building to another - have a much nicer area and much larger desk space -- think I'll like it better. I'm planning on working tomorrow -- until I hear what the plan is, I might as well work and keep myself occupied. I'll be flying to Pittsburgh for the funeral, whenever that ends up being.

Thanks again to all of you.

Linda

Thanks Everyone,

I will let you know as soon as I get an interview for the postitions. I was alternating Ice and Heat when I was laying down alot. I have been using a heating pad cause it was easier. I will switch to Ice and possible alternate. I wish I could figure out why this time it is the worse than it has ever been before; meaning now it is including all the way down my right leg to my foot. The right side of my foot is numb.

Happy Birthday Eva !!!! Have a wonderful day !!! Any plans??

Cheri - I've been exercising 4 yrs don't know why it would show up now - and when it showed up I hadn't exercised all week (when my #7 where here) They don't know what causes it.. Had a spin last night when sleeping - but lasted only a second.. Prayers for you and your family - I know how hard this is on all of you..

Linda Hugs Hugs Hugs Hugs Hugs - wish I was there to give you one in person - Know you and your family are still in our prayer...

Apples - I know how hard this is for you - been there - hopefully it will get better soon.. You don't have to be strong all the time - it's ok to lean on pple sometimes - that's what friends are for.

Not much to report - had dinner - ate too fast and you know what happens then LOL - watched a little tv and bed..

Good morning sunshines,

Finally I have a few minutes to put a proper posting. Thank you for all the sweet comments on Meredith and I's pics! Really was such a nice time. My only complaint was we weren't able to spend enough time together. : ) Her cousin lives in Charlotte (near my parents) and we are already planning a reunion there. Hey, maybe we could make it a LBT meeting?! Charlotte NC is really nice folks! Just a thought. : )

Eva~ Happy Birthday!!! Wall E LOVES Eva

Janet~ Maybe Cheri's theory is correct about connection between vertigo and exercise. Since I fell off the exercise wagon I haven't had any BPV symptoms! Hmmmmmmmmmm... No exercise for me! ; ) LOL, kidding. But it is interesting. Glad to hear you are doing better. It's horrible.

Cheri~ Hugs for you and Rachel. Cancer Sucks. So glad her cancer is responding well to the chemo. Sounds like they are hitting it hard and that's good. The G.I. side effects of chemo are very interesting actually. Chemo attacks rapidly dividing cells, right? Most commonly, chemotherapy acts by killing cells that divide rapidly, one of the main properties of most cancer cells. This means that it also harms cells that divide rapidly under normal circumstances: cells in the bone marrow, digestive tract and hair follicles; this results in the most common side effects of chemotherapy : myelosuppression (decreased production of blood cells, hence also immunosuppression), mucositis (inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract), and alopecia (hair loss). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemotherapy

Many don't know WHY they get those specific side effects from chemo. It's that the chemo actually thinks the esophagus, hair and bone marrow are CANCER b/c the cells divide so fast naturally.

Thanks for asking about my Dad. He is hanging in there and still fighting. He is really having a tough week. He's been very weak and having some difficulty breathing. The fear is that the met. cancer that is in his lungs is really starting to effect his breathing. My guess is he will do chemo a couple more weeks and then stop. (just my gut instinct). I was hoping they would come down for Easter, but looks like we will be going up there. It's so tough to see him suffer. Just hope he finds peace in all this.

Melissa~ hugs on the back stuff. You have just been through it all lately! Good luck on the interviews.

Apples~ HUGS on everything with FIL and other stuff. They say God doesn't give us more than we can handle, right? Sometimes I think he overestimates. ; ) Slow down on Apples God! Her heart runneth over! HUGS.

Well, yesterday Nelson had a private baseball lesson from a retired MLB player. He was trying to get Nelson over the fear of being hit by the ball by making him catch balls in front of his face with his glove. Well, he was doing so well so he increased the intensity.... and Nelson caught one with his UPPER LIP! He looks like he was in a boxing ring for 2 hrs! His NEW front tooth was a little loose. (SIGH) It's better today but have to go to the dentist tomorrow for an xray just to keep an eye on it. He's not that excited about baseball practice tonight!

Time to go do my volunteering in Nelson's class today. : ) It fills my heart. LOVE LOVE LOVE being the class mom! I wish I could make a career out of that! It's national volunteer week too ! woohoooo!

peasout........ more later (didn't get to write all I wanted to) Laura

Linda, hugs and prayers for you and your family. You are such a wonderful lady and have had to endure a lot this year. Hang tough.

Apples, I too have missed the green. We are here.

Eva, Happy Birthday to you. Enjoy yourself today.

Melissa, good juju for the interviews. I hope you get full time, it sure would take some of the pressure off you.

Cheri, your DD is sure a strong woman just like her Mom.

Janet, glad to hear you are getting over this.

LauraK

Go you! I am just starting down the path towards surgery and could use every buddy i can get

Morning.... just a quick hello before leaving for all day in Bismarck with appointments...... I tried yesterday to post, even took notes after reading and then DH needed computer so I gave it up and never got back to it.... Dang it..... I did get Easter decorations up!!!!

Anyway, Happy Birthday to Eva..... It is my grandson's birthday, too... He is 12 on the 12th....... Have a good one.....

Cheri, Linda, Apples, Lori, Melissa and anyone else who is having a not so good time these days with worries and woes............. God be with you.... It will get better....... Hugs......

Love to all................. Be back later..... Julie

Utopian....keep posting and tell us a little about yourself. We may not always talk about weight and band stuff but we are all about support.

Laura, thanks for the very cute video on Facebook. Sorry to hear your father isn't doing so well. I do hope he finds peace through all of this. Sounds like you have.

Linda, so sorry to hear about your brother. I wish him and his family peace and all the love in the universe.

Cheri, same to your daughter. It's good that she is very informed about what's going on with her. I have complete confidence she will beat this thing.

LauraK, what's new with you?

Melissa, hope you find some relief with the back thing...that is what I have...herniated disc between L4 & L5 pinches the sciatic nerve which causes my foot to go numb or in my case tingle sharply which doesn't all me to sleep at night. The inversion table seems to be helping. When the foot starts to tingle, I spend a little time hanging upside down...have to do that slowly and gently, but it seems to help.

Janet, my plans are to run errands (we are out of everything again) go to school, and tonight we are going to a concert. Tish Hinojosa...she has a voice like an angel. It's going to be a one of the bars...Club Congress (John Dillenger stayed here) and it's a standing room only place. We are going to go out for dinner on Thursday because the timing works better.

Apples, take care and I texted your DH already...LOL....it's nice to share the day with someone. Just for everyone else's FYI, it's Apples DH's birthday too! Hugs to your FIL and to you.

Looks like my DH's mom's house is going to be rented out again. I'm not so sure it will be as easy as with Apples. They're already being a pain and they haven't even moved in yet. We have to take stuff out of the house now...not everything, but they are being picky as to what. See more projects.

I just drew a blank....duh....guess it's time to go do something. BBL

Eva

Thanks for the birthday wishes...you all are so sweet and nice. Love you all.

Good Morning, All!

Cheri, hugs for you and your DD.

Good to hear the tumor is shrinking!

Linda, so sorry to hear about you DB. That is so sad!

More hugs to you, too!

And hugs to you, Apples,

for all that is happening in your life right now.

Happy Birthday to your DH!

And

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EVA!!!

Utopian:

Reluctantly packing things up and getting ready to head north! Reluctantly because folks are scraping ice off their windshields this morning at home, and DD says it was 36 degrees when she went to work this morning.

I am sitting in the RV with the door and all the windows open at 8 a.m.!!

First of, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Eva!!!! and also to Apples DH!!

Linda, so sorry to hear of your brother. Can you try to get out there and see him before he passes to say good bye? Hugs to you.

DD just called and I am going to do my first babysitting! She is going back to work this weekend and therefore works on Sat the 30th. We were going to be going to Denver that day anyway for my Grandma's 102nd birthday on the first so she asked if I wanted to babysit on Sat. as her DH has a class he is taking that day. So I jumped on it, it will just be from 8am til noon.

Regarding the few who said to get a 2nd opinion on my neck/throat thing, this was my 2nd opinion. I feel confident in the dr, he used to practice at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, etc. So I am going to go with the 4 weeks of Prilosec and follow up with him next month. I had just never heard of this type of reflux but did some googling, it's also called Silent reflux sometimes I discovered.

Melissa, good luck on the job interviews. meat cutting sounds like hard work. My DFIL is a retired butcher, lifting and moving those sides of beef around.

Janet, glad the vertigo seems to be improving some. I can't imagine feeling dizzy all the time.

Laura, poor Nelson with the ball hitting him. So much for conquering that fear or did it help anyway? maybe now that it happened and he survived he'll be okay?? I always hated it when my son wanted to play catcher, he was so tall and couldn't scrunch down far and got hit easily.

Good Morning All...Back home for a bit and then on the run again to take care of errands, etc.

Linda...my heart goes out to you. So sorry about the diagnosis for your brother. I am sure it will be tough to keep your mind on work today. Just know I am thinking of you and his family and praying for you all as you try to accept what has come your way.

Phyll....hugs right back at ya as you pack for your trip North. Sucks, doesn't it???? We have already decided that next year we are NOT coming back to snowstorms and such. We will ride it out in warm country.

Happy Birthday again, Eva. DH appreciated the text. I am still amazed every time I think of his birth day. He was just a little perfect peanut, weighing in at 1lb 9oz 57 yrs ago and healthy as a horse his entire life.

Melissa...good luck...hope you get an interview and a full time job to relieve some of the pressure.

Laura...poor Nelson. One of my boys had a fear of the ball also. Not much you can do but have him try it again and try not to make too much of a big deal of it either way. Poor kid. Hugs on your father's issues. I know this is very tough for you and not being near him. Sounds like you will be traveling for Easter. Hopefully, DH will be able to go with you this time.

Great....I could read the excitement in your post with getting to babysit your DGD. Fun. I have also heard of "Silent Reflux". Hope Prilosec does the trick for you.

Janet....sorry about your dinner not staying with you last night. I hate when that happens. Doesn't happen with me very often...usually when I eat too fast or eat something too solid in the morning. Having fun babysitting our neighbor's pup. He reminds me of your Angel. About that size and just a sweet puppa. He slept with us the first night and after that I put his blanket on the chair in our room. He's just so sweet and Tanker is handling all this attention we give the other pup with a grain of salt. Anyway, we are trying to give him a lot of attention so he does not miss is momma.

Just spent more than an hour on the phone (mostly waiting) with the IRS. Hmmmmmmm....do you know how much trouble it can cause to put a wrong date when submitting electronic payments????? Got it fixed and will try to never make that mistake again. It was a payment back in Sept and now just catching up. Not was I needed this morning but done and over with.

Cheri...sounds like the chemo is causing some troubles for DD. I know this has to be so tough for you on a daily basis. Hugs.

Hi to all I missed. DS just came in and needs my computer for some of his work. Later.

Go you! I am just starting down the path towards surgery and could use every buddy i can get

Utopian...where are you at in your process of getting the band? Have you had your initial appointment with your surgeon yet? There are quite a few hoops to jump through to begin with but so worth it all in the end. Tell us a bit about yourself and what stage of the process you are in. There are a lot of experienced banders on this thread that can answer any questions you might have. Wishing you luck!

Melissa, hope you find some relief with the back thing...that is what I have...herniated disc between L4 & L5 pinches the sciatic nerve which causes my foot to go numb or in my case tingle sharply which doesn't all me to sleep at night. The inversion table seems to be helping. When the foot starts to tingle, I spend a little time hanging upside down...have to do that slowly and gently, but it seems to help.

Eva

First of all let me Say HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOO YOU!!! :cake: :party:

Thanks for letting me know about your back issues; I don't wish this pain on anyone but I am glad someone else knows what I am talking about. I thought I was going crazy. Love you girl!!!