Hi there. Just wanted to see if I could build a new home with some new (and hopefully old) friends. I do not wanna be 'homeless' anymore so here I am! This is gonna be a place for friends to meet (hopefully) and talk about anything & everything.

My name is Tracy and I live in Deer Park, Texas. I have been married for 6 years. I was banded in April '07. Got 4 pounds away from goal, quit smoking and gained 46-50 pounds back so I am on my journey again. This time as a non-smoker :w00t:

This is a life change and with it comes lifelong friends...wanna come along for the ride? :blushing:

So....Plain...you meeting us in Texas too???

Um, yes! I make it a point to ALWAYS meet with ladies that wear blatently transparent shirts when they're taking photos!! :smile2: Just tell me when and where.

Hellooooooooooooo!!!!!

Long time no talk! :smile2: Well ok I didn't mean it like it's a good thing, I'm just glad to say hello to you all.

How has everyone been doing????

I have some super EXCITING and somewhat interesting news to share with you all. This will be the one and only thread I'll share it in... so believe me you all better sit down. Some of you here (and you know who you are!!!) already know my little secret. Hugs to all of you who know and who have been some of my biggest supporters!! I love you guys!!!!!!! :mad:

Okay well last Wednesday I had my Band removed and I in place of it received a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. That's right, I'm no longer a Bandster. In fact, my band sits quietly now in a little hat box in my closet. It says "Happy Halloween" so it's very seasonal. LMAO!!

The reasons behind it are long and very complex. I struggled for a long time with my band. But.. no band bashing here. The Band has taught me so much and I wouldn't be who or where I am today had I not gotten it. Let me list a few here:

1) And I think this is the most important one... it gave me the courage to even have a WLS, much less one as completely permanent as the VSG.

2) I learned how to eat properly and healthy. Though I didn't always follow the plan, it gave me this valuable tool that I will need in the coming months.

3) I am no stranger to the post-op diet phases, and this has been an incredible help right now. My phases are even longer this time!

4) Because I am no virgin to this, I knew what I would need post-op, and not just food. I mean everything!

5) It prepared me in many ways for success. It got me off almost all of my HBP medications. It was today that I realized that I no longer require them at all!!!!!!!! I haven't taken any in a week and my BP has been really great!!!!!!!!!!

6) It got me to focus and recognize my bad habits, and why I have them, as well as my fight within to win over them.

7) It made me appreciate all the good healthy foods in the world, but not only that - to appreciate all the bad ones as well. I think in the coming weeks, I'll even learn even more of an appreciation, and knowing I really DON'T need to live to eat, but to eat to live, while STILL enjoying it as I'm doing it.

8) Although it appears that I only was -11 Lbs from my banding date to my Sleeve date, it still was 11 Lbs! In fact it was 58 Lbs total lost from my heaviest and I'm proud to say I kept that off for 3 years!!!

So you see folks, my band was not all for naught. It had a purpose in my life. A very big one. It just didn't offer me the one advantage that I know would've truly helped me in my fight against Obesity. That is hunger control.

I have that now times a million. I'm over a week out now and have not felt one single ounce of hunger pang since. My prayers have been answered and I truly have found the "tool" for me.

I'm such a writer so I'll stop here for now. Blessings!!!!

Edited September 23, 201015 yr by LilMissDiva

Holy cow.

I cannot...simply cannot think of a single thing to say to that Plain. LMBO. I think it's best that I sleep on my thoughts and try again tomorrow.

TURD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lilmiss- we were Victorious Valentines together! Best wishes to you. You sound very excited and you should be!! Keep us posted.

.....Margarita(s) went down smooth. Goodnight (again!!).

Angela

Wow, Irene. I hope you have the luck you are wanting with this huge change. Good Luck to you.

Plain, I think that blouse was meant for me. She wore it specifically to meet me in. And then was grabbing my leg under the table. So I think you are out of luck. (all in good fun)

Irene, I wish you nothing but more success. You reached out to me before I was banded, and I'll never forget that.

I'm so jealous of all y'all getting together in Texas. Someone send me a tape--or CD! (hahaha!) Sounds like you're gonna have heaps of fun!

The lunch went well today. Everyone is always appreciative, stopping me to tell me how much they enjoy the music. There are lots of chairs set up in this room--chairs and tables--so imagine, if you will, this blind woman walking through without killing herself! (There were at least 200 people there.). I stayed pretty close to the wals, and only got a couple of plants in my hair! LOL! And they gave me a $100 Visa gift certificate to spend where ever I want to! Pretty freakin' awesome! (I went in before the crowd got there, otherwise I'd never have attempted it, not with people's chairs pulled out, and them standing around the way sighted folks do!) :smile2:!

Everybody be good! (hahahahahahahahahaha!!!)

Debbie

When are you guys going to get together?

Maybe I'll plan a trip for a weekend if you tx people can do it again, or it might have to be april...

Plain, you crack me up, Its probably a good thing I won't be there, I'd probably get in big trouble..

MY SA friends - I'm not quite as bad as I was on our TX trip, ...... hmmmmmmm ok, but I'm still no saint

well, running late, seems to be the thing to do this week, but oh wait, I'm suppose to be on bed rest...and since I'm working late tonight I'm sure they will get over it.

Have a wonderful day, I'll get caught up tonight, no class, nothing :smile2:

Plain, you crack me up, Its probably a good thing I won't be there, I'd probably get in big trouble..

Probably? Probably?? Hmmmmmm......I'm thinking you're trouble, all right. :smile2:

Hellooooooooooooo!!!!!

Irene! You show up after I post a looong multiquote! Coincidence?

BTW, why is there a spinning naked woman on your profile page? Heehee....

Cindy-how goes it? Did you ever hear anything else about the child that you reported about the abuse?

I haven't heard anything, and I probably won't. Parent conferences are in 2 weeks, oh goody! I really do look forward to it usually, but not so much with this one now.

Feeling pretty good again today. Still pretty stiff but not so much pain as just having to get up and get moving after having a sit. I am really hoping this means that I'm on the other side of my flare-up. Fingers and toes crossed with eyes looking to heaven!!!!!

I am glad you are doing a little better.

I did have a couple of batches of rolls come out ok last night (after turning down the oven and moving them to the top rack). They were a hit this morning!!! Whew!

Angela

I love cinnamon rolls. YUMMY!

Hellooooooooooooo!!!!!

Long time no talk! :smile2: Well ok I didn't mean it like it's a good thing, I'm just glad to say hello to you all.

Irene, it is good to here from you. I am glad you were able to get your surgery and it sounds like you are doing really well. Congratulations!

Plain, I think that blouse was meant for me. She wore it specifically to meet me in. And then was grabbing my leg under the table. So I think you are out of luck. (all in good fun)

:mad:

The lunch went well today. Everyone is always appreciative, stopping me to tell me how much they enjoy the music. There are lots of chairs set up in this room--chairs and tables--so imagine, if you will, this blind woman walking through without killing herself! (There were at least 200 people there.). I stayed pretty close to the wals, and only got a couple of plants in my hair! LOL! And they gave me a $100 Visa gift certificate to spend where ever I want to! Pretty freakin' awesome! (I went in before the crowd got there, otherwise I'd never have attempted it, not with people's chairs pulled out, and them standing around the way sighted folks do!) !

Everybody be good! (hahahahahahahahahaha!!!)

Debbie

It sounds like it turned out great, and that gift card was a nice bonus! So, my dear Debbie, have fun spending it.

Does anyone else think that it is insane to have to get up at the butt-crack of dawn to go to work?

Speaking of getting up at the butt-crack of dawn, Jenn, I hope you get to feeling better and PLEASE go to the doc about that pain in your stomach.

Good LORD, you people talk too much! :mad: Could it be the presence of a male figure in the thread?

I have no idea when the get together is. I guess it all depends on when Kat will be around?

Good to see you Irene. Congrats again on your new journey. Don't be a stranger :smile2:

Have a great day everyone.

Lilmiss- we were Victorious Valentines together! Best wishes to you. You sound very excited and you should be!! Keep us posted.

.....Margarita(s) went down smooth. Goodnight (again!!).

Angela

Hi want! There were so many of us VV's - and they will all have a special place in my heart! I keep in touch with many of them still to this day. :tt1:

I am super excited and I'm down almost 9 Lbs already from surgery day. My prayers have been answered! It's already time to go through my closet (again lol).

Wow, Irene. I hope you have the luck you are wanting with this huge change. Good Luck to you.

Suzie I'm already having the results I've been wanting. Thanks!! I think this time rather than thinking of it as having luck I more need to focus on the skill.

Irene, I wish you nothing but more success. You reached out to me before I was banded, and I'll never forget that.

Hi Debbie! :smile2: You have always been such a sweet wonderful lady, and I've always respected you so much. No matter what we choose, it's important that we just choose it and not hesitate when there is nothing holding us back. Giving up has never been and NEVER will be an option for me. I will win this battle with obesity, and that's a promise.

Irene! You show up after I post a looong multiquote! Coincidence?

BTW, why is there a spinning naked woman on your profile page? Heehee....

LMAO!!! Because I knew you'd be visiting there. :mad: I try to make all my friends feel special.

Irene, it is good to here from you. I am glad you were able to get your surgery and it sounds like you are doing really well. Congratulations!

Thanks so much tch! I'm so glad to finally have found the road I've been in search of for so darn long. I wish it could've been easier, but alas nothing in my life has ever been. God's always got me working hard for everything I get... lol It's okay though, the journey makes me a stronger person!!!

Good to see you Irene. Congrats again on your new journey. Don't be a stranger :mad:

Have a great day everyone.

Likewise Ms. Tracy! I know I have been so quiet for a long time. Though I may not peruse the threads at LBT anymore as I really have nothing worthwhile to offer, I really should be checking in here and in my exercise thread.

One thing that I have to remember is that the journey road is long, but never forget the experience!

Hugs everyone! I hope you have fun with your get together. It sounds like a blast!!!! I have met some people in real life from here and they have always been great people. I even have a few more on my list that I will be meeting with soon. I can't wait, they have always been so supportive and are an asset to this community.

:tt1:

Oh my----I feel so ALL important!!! We will likely stick to our original plan of being there the 2nd week of November.

But crap, now I have a dilemma. Where I live, we actually get winter, so all the clothes in the stores now are winter clothes----where am I gonna find a transparent shirt this time of year?????

Jenn----you really behaved quiet calmly in SA. Myself, an old married woman, and another woman, who "wasn't their type"---had to practically drag you up to the pool table and dance floor in the Gruene Hall!

And who got pictures of them put on, dancing with strange men? I did! He wasn't strange, just that I was the one dancing! LOL

Was a fun time, not the place to go with that group, but fun anyway! LOL

I need to pack! Guess laundry should go first! LOL

Debbie, how cool, was the card in addition to being paid, or was that how they paid you?

Teacher conferences already Cindy? Wow, I know Kinsey brought home a progress report. She is having the usual Kindergarten issues, lower case b, d and q confuse her. And she still tends to round some of her "r" sounds, but not all so it is habit, not speech problems. Showing some possible tendencies to be dyslexic---her Dad is---but with repetition, she turns her letters around then and remembers them. For awhile she wrote her Ki right then the nsey was ALL backwards. But she is doing in right now. Hopefully she doesn't end up with the problems, but we will deal with it if so.

Michelle, when do you plan to go to the hardware store? I would enjoy that type of retail, it is not "fussy"!!! I liked retail work---the mental side of it, figuring out how to display something, or add to it, to make the sale is a challenge I enjoyed! The customer side....ehhhh not so much! LOL

Tracy---Kinsey says she wants to be a ladybug. Or a dead bride. LOL Who knows where that come from, before school, we could trace some of the wierd thoughts---not so any more! Macy made such a cute witch! Maybe she needs to be a witch with a crystal ball so she can see-look (or whatever---I lost the thought) even better!

Will catch the rest of you in awhile, time to change the laundry.

Good morning!!!

Plain...you're still a turd in my book, but I don't have the confidence to deliberately wear a see through shirt!! LOL. I joined the sagging wagon a long, long time ago. (TMI...but right back at ya!!). Add to that the muffin top and boy...I got it goin' on!!!!!!

Sorry girls...send me the bill for your dramamine/pepto bismal!

I do love to laugh and joke and I hope everyone is reading the humor in the posts from the last week or so. I am sorry if we offended anyone!

Back to work...

Angela

well, I for one am offended :biggrin:

Oh my----I feel so ALL important!!! We will likely stick to our original plan of being there the 2nd week of November.

Ok. It's all settled then. Everybody start clearing your calenders.

But crap' date=' now I have a dilemma. Where I live, we actually get winter, so all the clothes in the stores now are winter clothes----where am I gonna find a transparent shirt this time of year?????[/quote']

Apparently, you can always borrow one from Angela. :biggrin:

Plain...you're still a turd in my book, but I don't have the confidence to deliberately wear a see through shirt!! LOL. I joined the sagging wagon a long, long time ago. (TMI...but right back at ya!!). Add to that the muffin top and boy...I got it goin' on!!!!!!

You can spout all the propaganda you want, but clearly it's only the presence of a husband that stopped strangers from waving dollar bills around!!

I do love to laugh and joke and I hope everyone is reading the humor in the posts from the last week or so. I am sorry if we offended anyone!

I apologize for nothing! Unless my lack of personal hygeine is drifting over the internet, that is. Sorry about that, ladies.

well, I for one am offended :lol2:

Are you, Tracy? Are you?