Weight loss

It tastes like chocolate cake batter!Or at least thats what it said: take a cup
add 4 ounces of water add 2 scoops of chocolate 100% pure whey protein
(available at vitamin stores and some grocery stores - don't let them talk you
into the vitamin-fortified crap) add 1 scoop of chocolate dry soy shake mix
(also available at vitamin stores and some grocery stores - you need the soy for
the two amino acids that are really hard to find from anything else on the
planet except for soy) add 1-2 tablespoons of No Sugar Added Nesquik chocolate
powder Mix this stuff up with a spoon until it's the consistency of pudding. Add
more water until it's the consistency you want. Mixing the ingredients in this
way eliminates little pockets of dry unmixed ingredients. This formula gives me
the 60 grams of supplemental protein a day my nutritionist recommended for male
gastric bypass patients (50 grams for women). It's very yummy, and eliminates
all of my desires for food for about two hours. It's even better if you mix it
with an electric "boat motor" hand blender.This recipe comes from Basil White
www.basilwhite.com
Good Luck & Enjoy!
"The ChanMan"

Dear Friends,
What an amazing experience that fashion show was! It was one of the most emotional experiences of my life. I saw tears in people's eyes all over the room. I don't know about the rest of the super models but I felt 10 feet tall when I walked down the runway - it was one of the most self-affirming moments of my life. I just get all choked up even trying to write about it. We are such fortunate people.
There are so many "thank-you's" that it would be impossible to get them all. Thanks especially to Timmy for writing that wonderful overview of the show for everyone one here. Also thanks to Timmy for all his hard work and devotion to the cause. He's living proof that it's not a matter of "us" versus "them" when it comes to WLS. Tim is just as much "one of us" as any WLS patient. Every weight loss patient should be as fortunate as Joy is to have such a supportive husband. Ya'll really can't imagine how hard he worked. What a nice guy!!!
Thanks also to Tim and Joy's wonderful daughter Caitlin and her friend Melissa who worked like champs at the show. The stood behind the screen and assisted the supermodels as they transformed from before to after. They also kept up with everyone's before and after clothes and supplies. Once the show was over they were fabulous servers at the reception. You've never seen anyone cut cake as good as they do!!!
Wes - what can I say? He and I compared notes this morning and we both agreed that we slept better last night than we have in weeks. No dreams of supermodels not showing up or equipment malfunctions, etc. Oddly when we talked about it we found out that he and Lisa slept until 9:30 this morning and that's almost exactly when Wade and I got up. For the last 4 or 5 weeks we hadn't been able to sleep past 6:00 a.m. Folks, Wes and Lisa have contributed more to this event than you can imagine. They've been eating, breathing and sleeping "fashion show". Here's a "HUGE" e-hug to both of them. Lisa, thank you not only for everything you do but thank you for letting Wes spend way too much time working on group stuff. "smile"
Siotha and Chan - thanks for your professional amateur videos. Wes, Lisa, Lynn Saunders, Tony, Pam, Kristy, Kevin, Stephanie, Wade and I stayed at the hospital until after midnight last night watching. We clapped and shouted lauged and cried as though it was happening all over again. You did a GREAT job! Siotha - thanks for the pizzas too.
Pam - thanks for handing out programs and directing everyone to their seats. It was a big job and you did fabulous. Tony is so fortunate to have a supporter as loyal as you! Thanks for picking up pizza for us too.
Tony - you make a real handsome photographer in your suspenders! Thanks for being the flashbulb king! We appreciate everything you did for the fashion show and everything you always do behind the scenes for the group.
Sandra Moore and her pretty friend (who I'm embarrassed to say that I can't remember her name) THANK YOU hardly seems sufficient when it comes to telling you how much I appreciate the time and effort you put into decorating the room and the table. I had a vision of what I wanted it to look like but you made it look better than I ever dreamed. You made us look like real professionals!!
DeNene - thanks for you hilarious direction at the rehearsal and let me say that you walk the runway better than anyone I've ever seen. You really know how to "work it". Thanks also for you work in preparing the table for the reception and then cleaning up when all was said and done. YOU'RE THE BEST! And from me personally, every time I feel my heart swell up with pride and happiness at being able to have the career I do - I just say a prayer of thanks that God led me to you. Thank you for caring about this magnificent bunch of folks. WE LOVE YOU! Oh - and thanks for letting us borrow your husband - he makes a pretty slick escort.....can we go ahead and reserve him for next year?
Kim Watson - thanks for hooking us up with David Neal. Man, was he great or what???? Thanks also for having that sweet smile. You make the room glow. (Even if Kathy Jebeles called us names for not telling her that a tummy tuck can be painful. HA!)
Thanks to my mom who cut up 3 watermelons and 5 cantaloupes for the reception even though she has bad arthritis (you too Daddy). Thanks to our son Brandon for taking photos of all our supermodels and their escorts, for arranging to have the beautiful cake donated, helping to unload the stage that weighed 10 tons (at least) and for running back and forth to my office at least 75 times for stuff I forgot.
Thanks Jerry Goodwin for stopping by and picking up the plaques and trophies for our emcee and escorts. You are one hot dude! Watch out Elise!
Lastly, thanks to all the supermodels. You are the most beautiful and deserving people. I am so proud of you and your amazing accomplishments. When it was your turn to shine you absolutely lit up the room - heck you lit up the planet. Let me just tell you - whatever "it" is - YOU'VE GOT "IT". That little something that makes a person special. I can't thank you enough for pulling together and showing the world how beautiful you are.
Even though I can't imagine how......next year will be even better! Be sure to hang on to a "before" outfit and keep those beautiful sparkly clothes too. Next year will be here before you know it and what doesn't fit you anymore might fit someone else. We're betting there'll be 3 or 4 times more models next year.
I think it's safe to say WE HAVE ARRIVED. Give yourselves a standing ovation! You deserve it.
Love,
Rona

To everyone who e-mailed thank you! Chan hope you are
doing well also!!
Kristy I bet you looked wonderful at the fashion show.
Sorry I missed it, but I am sure I will be 100% by next
years show! I am shooting for next months meeting to
see everyone! Guys I have some clothes in sizes 16, 18's
and some 14's if yall need any. just let me know. I also
have some men's size 40, 42, 44's and 2XL to 4XL if
anyone is in need of them (My dear sweet husband is
really dropping the weight since they got his sugar
regulated)
Love,
Laura

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.
Support Group Meeting
Date: Monday, August 26, 2002
Time: 6:00PM CDT (GMT-05:00)
This is the regular weeknight meeting at MCE. Doors open at
5:30, meeting starts at 6pm.

HI TO EVERYONE,
FOR THOSE OF YOU MISSED THE FASHION SHOW IT WAS SO GOOD!!!!! I WANNA THANK THESE GREAT PEOPLE FOR A EXCELLENT JOB THEY DID IN GETTING ALL THIS TOGETHER..
RONA , WADE, WES, LISA, TIM, PAM, TONY, AND ANYONE ELSE WHO HAD A PART IN IT THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN BUT AND EMOTIONAL DRAIN TOO...EVERYONE LOOKED SO BEAUTIFUL AND THE GUYS LOOKED HANDSOME.....YOU REALLY CANT EXPLAIN THE FEELING THAT YOU HAD BEING OUT ON THAT STAGE I THINK IT FINALLY HIT ME THAT I REALLY HAD LOST 195LBS!!!!! I KEEP THINKING ITS ADREAM AND LAST NIGHT WHEN I WALKED IN THAT ROOM WITH ALL THOSE PEOPLE OUT THERE... SHEW!.. MY HEART WAS POUNDING PRETTY HARD... AND LET ME TELL YALL THAT LAURA OUSLEY SHE WAS SO BEAUTIFUL AND MARY PHIILIPS WOW!!!!! RONA AND LISA WERE BEAUTIFUL' DAHLIN! ( brick house)
JOY YOU LOOKED GREAT IN THAT SWIM SUIT!!!!!! THANKS TO ALL YOU GREAT FOLKS!!! CANT WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR!!!!
LOVE YALL, KRISTY

Hi all. Vicki Hildebrand here. I'm working very hard to get my
snail's pace weight loss to speed up a bit and, now that I'm able to
walk better, I'm trying to find a walking buddy or several walking
buddies. I live very close to Medical Center East and want to know
if there is anyone out there who would like to set up a time to go
walking with me for around 30 minutes at first and working up to an
hour.
If anyone is interested in walking either in the hospital (the hall
where the auditorium is and the area around the cafeteria look like
pretty good tracks - but only if it's OK with the hospital)- or
meeting at Eastwood Mall to walk, please let me know. If you can
think of anywhere else that would be fine too. Those are the only
two places on the inside I could think of. I work until 4:30 and
work in the Homewood area so it would be around 5:00 before I'd be
able to get to the hospital or the mall.
Thanks y'all. Oh, by the way, the fashion show was FABULOUS! I'm so
proud of everyone who participated. I can't wait to be in it next
year - well, if I can get over the nerves.
Vicki

Hello to all. I want to say thanks to all that were involved in the fashion show. And Congratulations to all that were supermodels in the fashion show. You all looked SO great! I enjoyed the fashion show more than I can say, well what I could see through the tears! I am so proud of all of you. Some of you I hadnt even met yet, and some of you have became like family to me.

And Terri Hyatt, you tore me up! I wasnt expecting that at all. You are the one that is a great friend! And I love you. You were "glowing" and your hair was so shiny up on that stage.

I need some tips from you guys! Everyone's hair looked so shiny and healthy! And all your smiles made me cry. And those of you with the strutts and attitudes... well, you helped lighten the mood and brought laughter through my tears. Thanks to everyone! I would have loved to be in it with you. I look forward to it next year.

I love you all. Thanks for letting me be a part of this great family. Love, Christy Wells :)

Oh Boy, What A Show! You people were a blast! I got to tell you that I
have never enjoyed being a part of something more than tonight. Thank
you all for letting me share it with you and allowing me to be a part of
it. I will never forget the laughs, smiles and tears that we shared
tonight as long as I live.
Now, for those of you that were unable to attend... We ALL missed you
dearly. On with my story...
I started my day off by talking to the Irondale Police Department to
file a "communicating a threat" report concerning a little problem that
Matt, our middle son, had had with a couple of trouble makers yesterday
while picking Joy up at the hair place. Wasn't a big deal, but he used
his head, protected his Mom and Sister, and in the end, it was us that
was filing the complaint. Got that out of the way, and the plan at that
time was, I was going to pick Joy up at 4:PM and try to make it back to
MCE from UAB in an hour. But, plans change...
Caitlin and I headed out about 10:30am to pick up Melissa Kirkpatrick
who was going to help Caitlin with the "strip show" that was to go on
behind our little curtain during the show. As we were driving down
I-459, Joy called and said she had good news and she could leave UAB at
12:30 so I wouldn't have to make a mad dash between MCE/UAB. We got
Melissa, and took the slow road to UAB. Joy was out and waiting on us
when we arrived, next stop, MCE, or so I thought...
As I started to get off of I-59 at the Roebuck Parkway exit, Joy
announces that she has to have some pantyhose before we get to MCE, and
she wanted to go to Target in Trussville, swerve... back on the freeway,
We make it to Target, and man oh man was it hot! Just as soon as I
stopped the car, it was like someone had stuck my little head in an oven.
I make a bee line for the door, and the cool air. An hour later...
We finally leave Target with pantyhose in hand. Joy makes the observation
that it will be a long wait till snack time after the show, so we decide
to try our luck with lunch at Arby's. Smart move.
Lunch done, now it's time to head to MCE. We get there and just as soon
as I step out of the car, HOT! Everything is hot, the air, the sun, the
parking lot, everything! By the time I actually made it to the cool air
inside the backdoor of MCE, I was waiting for someone to stick a fork in
me cause I was done, well done. There were a bunch of folks already
there, and this was 4 hours before the show. You have no idea how much
time and behind the scenes work a lot of people put into this show. Wes
and I had some "planned" last minutes changes to make to the sound
system, but he had already taken care of them by the time I got there.
What we wound up with was a very Mickey Mouse looking sound system, but
one that worked and sounded very high end (as long as you turned the
right knobs at the right times). And since Wes had been the head
engineer on this "new" sound system, we decided that he should be the
one to run it. I was now going to handle the pictures show.
The models started trickling in one by one. As a car would pull up in
the parking lot, it was easy to tell if they were one of the models or
not, as they had bags and bags of "stuffing" with them. We had some
minor problems with the "dressing rooms" and had to make some last
minute shifts to overcome that obstacle, but we were on track and moving
ahead one step closer to the show with every tick of the tock. We all
figured we'd have a pretty decent crowd, so we snagged every loose chair
we could find.
An hour before the show... Most of the models were there and pretty
much dressed. You have no idea how hard it is to "stuff" padding into
clothes, with people still in the clothes. As I look around the curtain
to check on a few last minute things, I am surprised to see that the
"customers" have already started to arrive and the room is starting to
fill up pretty fast. I hope we have enough chairs!
Our guest MC, David Neal arrives and meets everyone, and we give him his
script to go over, check him for a wireless mic and like the true
professional he is, he starts memorizing his script. Wes and I do a
final sound check about 30 minutes before the show was supposed to
start, set all the volume levels and taped all the switches/knobs and
wires in place. Wes heads out to the dressing room to be "stuffed".
I couldn't believe my eyes when he returned. His chest was so big that
he was actually using it as a "shelf" to put things on as we double,
triple and quadruple checked everything. 10 Minutes to go...
Tick, tick, tick... It just seemed like time was standing still for me.
Some more checking, some more taping, some more stuffing. Tick
tock, tick tock... They had left the a/c on in the room overnight so
with the influx of all the warm bodies the next day the room would stay
cool, so I was pretty cold sitting back in my little corner curtain
seat. When I would go outside to take a break, the heat and humidity
would hit you like ton of bricks and it didn't long before you were
ready to retreat back into the building. I better stop by the little
boys room on the way back... 5 minutes till showtime. Tick tock, tick
tock...
The idea was for all of y'all not to see us but, where Wes and I were
nestled away in our little corner we really couldn't see much either. I
could see the computer monitor which was all I needed to see, and Wes
could see the screen, so we should be fine. He was running the sound
and I was playing "Vanna" and flipping the pictures. Tick, tick, tick...
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN... Welcome to the first annual FACES of WLS "Come
as you were, Go as you are" Fashion Show! It's SHOWTIME!
I would personally like to thank each and every one of the Super Models
that endured the searing heat throughout the planning, rehearsal, and
the show. Watching your faces light up like a christmas tree was one of
the most wonderful sights my eyes have ever seen. All in all, I think
we pulled off the show with very few glitches, and hopefully, the ones
that did occur, weren't too visible from the audiences side of the
curtain. As all of the models were gathering at the end of the stage
area towards the end of the show, I was suppose to turn off the pictures
completely, wouldn't you know that I couldn't get the remote to work!
DeNene came to my rescue and was able to kill the beast with one push of
the button, THANKS DeNene!
We only had one or two models that had "blow outs" with their padding,
and I don't think anyone had any problems with the runway. When the
models were behind the curtain having their "previous" clothes ripped
off of them like a sheep being sheared, was when David Neal was reading
their bio's and I was trying to time the flipping of the pictures based
on how much he had to read, so I couldn't really watch the strip show.
But I could hear them as they giggled and squealed, and I did get to
watch each one of them as they took their place behind the curtain as
they prepared to return from behind the curtain with their new look. It
brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart as I watched each one of
you stand tall, proud and eager to jump from behind the curtain one last
time to reveal the new you and what this little thing called WLS had
done for you.
Now when it was time for my "curtained cohort in crime" Wes "Catfish
SuperModel" Robbins to be up next for his turn down the walkway, I had
to run both the music and the slideshow. As Lisa was coming back down
the runway to exit, Wes headed out the back door and around the corner
for his entrance, so I had to finish Lisa's music, mix in the background
music, and advance everything to Wes' music and pictures. Lisa came off
stage and took over the music and I got back behind the computer for the
picture show. I think the transition went pretty smooth. When David
Neal was reading Wes' bio, it was so quite in the room you could hear a
pin drop. And when Wes stripped off the old and emerged with the new,
the crowd sounded like a 747 on a take off roll. I couldn't see him,
but I could hear his effect on all of you, and it must have been the
high humidity, because I suddenly had some type of precipitation running
down my cheeks and dripping on the keyboard.
Wes had put in so much work making sure that the music and the Power
Point presentation were perfect, all I had to do was read along and push
buttons on the keyboard. Rona too, worked her fanny off putting this
together for all of us, and DeNene, and... well, there was just too many
people. And I don't want to leave anyone out, so let me just say THANK
YOU to EVERYONE that helped out! I get to go load up the stage in just
a few minutes, so start the countdown for next years show!
Tim.
And for those that couldn't attend, here's the list of the 2002 FACES of
WLS Super Models that graced us with their presence, beauty and charm:
Janet Sims
Stacey Waits
Laura Ousley
Linda Issac
Kim Watson
Twila Ray
Robin Connell
Lynn S.
Kristy Brooks
Diane Guy
Mary Phillips
Sandra Moore
Lisa Tucker
Jerry Goodwin
Pam Wilemon
Tammy Webb
Joy Michelle Morrison
Joe Woods
Darleen Hyatt
Terri Hyatt
Joy Suggs
Wes Robbins
Lisa Robbins
Rona Scott

I thought this information would be useful for those who have Blue
Cross and Blue Shield Insurance, especially in Alabama.
After attending a meeting with the Medical Review team to find out
just what they do,and how they determine Medical Need in so many
different procedures, I learned that if you are approved for the
Gastric Bypass Surgery, that they will pay for the inital visit if
your Doctor's office will resubmit the claim with a copy of the
approval letter from them. This was exciting news to me and I will
definately have Dr. Miles' office do that. Money is tight here and I
could use what I paid for the visit.
I hope this helps many others that has had to pay their inital visit.
Thanks for your time, and good luck to everyone...
gwen
surgery date 9-16-02

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.
Come as you Were, Go as you are Fashion Show
Date: Saturday, August 24, 2002
Time: 5:00PM CDT (GMT-05:00)
Will be in our regular meeting room at MCE

Don't forget the F.A.C.E.S of WLS Fashion show is tomorrow at 5pm.
We had a wonderful rehersal tonight, and let me tell you this show
looks slick. Hope to see everyone there tomorrow, it will be a
blast!!
Lisa

I don't write `em folks, just pass `em along.
Tim.
She Was Soooooooooooooo Blonde:
-she took a ruler to bed to see how long she slept.
-she sent me a fax with a stamp on it.
-she thought a quarterback was a refund.
-she tried to put M&M's in alphabetical order.
-she thought Boyz II Men was a day care center.
She Was Soooooooooooooo Blonde:
--she thought Eartha Kitt was a set of garden tools.
--she thought General Motors was in the army.
--she thought Meow Mix was a CD for cats.
--she thought TuPac Shakur was a Jewish holiday.
--under "education" on her job application, she put "Hooked On Phonics."
She Was Soooooooooooooo Blonde:
---she tripped over a cordless phone.
---she spent 20 minutes looking at the orange juice can because it said
"concentrate."
---she told me to meet her at the corner of "WALK"and "DON'T WALK."
---at the bottom of the application where it says "sign here," she put
"Sagittarius."
---she asked for a price check at the Dollar Store.
She Was Soooooooooooooo Blonde:
..she studied for a blood test.
..she thought she needed a token to get on "Soul Train."
..she sold the car for gas money!
..when she missed the 44 bus, she took the 22 bus twice instead.
..when she went to the airport and saw a sign that said "Airport Left,"
she turned around and went home.
She Was Soooooooooooooo Blonde:
.. when she heard that 90% of all crimes occur around the home, she moved.
... she thinks Taco Bell is the Mexican phone company.
... if she spoke her mind, she'd be speechless.
... she had a shirt that said "TGIF," which she thought stood for "This
Goes In Front."

hi all. i called my surgeon back and they still haven't got my letter
ready for the insurance company. OAH MY GOSH! i'm so mad. i didn't
realize that part would take forever. its been about a month and
still nothing. my health is failing fast and i need this wls done
NOW! any advice? I'm using dr. john gleysteen.
thanks for any advice.
Jennifer

Hi everyone. Just wanted to let you know I havent fallen off the
face of the earth yet. It seems this hernia I have has decided to
grow at an alarming rate. Im uncomfortable and my abdomen is hurting
and swollen again. Im not going to panic though, Im more upset than
anything. Heck I just got rid of one when I had my WLS surgery in
May. That one was the size of a football and this one is bigger than
that one already Im sure.
Now Granmaw Peg dont go to fussing at me. I promise you I wont be
missing my appt. with Dr. Miles this coming Wednesday. Please keep
me in your prayers my dear friends. I just dont understand why this
keeps happening to me.
CONGRATULATIONS CHAN AND PAULA ON YOUR SURGERY DATES NEXT MONTH.....
HUGS & LOTS OF LOVE--POP TART

Looking for disabled hunters in the 13-21 age group in ALABAMA...
And just so everyone knows, I am not associated with this group, I just
admire what they are trying to do for the disabled.
Tim.

Here's a request for disabled hunter/writers to submit articles. Who
knows, you might just find yourself in a magazine???
Tim.

Hey everyone :)
Went to the doc a couple of days ago and I am now down 60 lbs since
June 6. I know I have lost a ton of inches and am losing clothes
sizes pretty fast...I dont have to go in and see the doc for 3 months
unless I have serious problems..he says I'm doing really good...
HUGS all
Melissa
335/275/150!!!(someday)

A redneck walks into a bar in Texas, orders three mugs of Budweiser and
sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn.
When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.
The bartender approaches and tells him, "You know, a mug goes flat after
I draw it, it would taste better if you bought one at a time."
The redneck replies, "Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in
Kuwait, the other is in Alaska, and I'm in Texas. When we all left
home, we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days we drank
together. So I drink one for each o'my brothers and one for myself."
The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.
The redneck becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same
way. He orders three mugs and drinks them in turn.
One day, he comes in and orders two mugs. All the regulars take notice
and fall silent.
When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says,
"I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my
condolences on your loss."
The redneck looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns and he
laughs. "Oh, no, everybody's just fine," he explains, "It's just that
my wife had us join the Southern Baptists and I had to quit drinking.
Hasn't affected my brothers though."

Greetings my friends!
This week finds me sleepy and exhausted after spending approximately 11,599 hours working on our fashion show but I'm excited to say that I believe it's going to be a rousing success! I'm sure you'll all want to be there!!!!
IF YOU ARE A SUPERMODEL IN OUR FASHION SHOW YOU MUST BE AT REHEARSAL THIS FRIDAY, THE 23RD AT 6:00 P.M. IN OUR REGULAR SUPPORT GROUP MEETING ROOM. THIS IS A MANDATORY REHEARSAL . It is not a "dress" rehearsal but a "walk through" rehearsal instead. We would ask that you learn how to most effectively and neatly stuff yourself prior to rehearsal and then practice removing your "before" outfit to reveal your "after" outfit at home. You may want to practice this several times. You will have approximately a minute to a minute and a half to make the change behind the screen so time is of the essence. We will have "dressers" available to assist you prior to the show so you will not need to arrive at the hospital on the day of the show already dressed. We'll have more info on that at rehearsal. Please make sure your after outfit is "slick as a button". We want to look GREAT! One thing that might be fun regarding before outfits is to wear a lightweight scarf that won't
mess up your hair and sunglasses. It will sort of disguise you when you walk the runway as your former self. I know I'm wearing one of those old fashioned gossamer type scarves over my hair and my big old bug eye sunglasses. PLEASE BE SURE TO BE AT REHEARSAL!
I know that unforseen things happened but if you've committed to being in the show PLEASE try very hard not to let anything keep you from being there. Wes has spent hours upon hours at the computer preparing your photos, music, etc. If someone doesn't attend who commited to be there then the whole program gets out of whack and it requires alot of time to adjust it! Plus you don't want to miss your moment in the spotlight!
We still need a few things for our decorations if anyone who's coming to rehearsal on Friday can bring. We need some icesicle lights (like you use at Christmas) - white lights on white wire only. If any of you can put your hand on some we'd like to borrow them for a few hours. We also need some extension cords, heavy duty tape and string. I'm going to try and remember to bring some of these things myself but at this point I may be doing good to remember to bring my brain. So I figure if we all try to bring these things then at least one or two people acutally will. ha ha
OK - here's where I have to be the bad guy and make executive decisions. We will have LOTS of decorations, wiring, sound equipment, lighting, etc. at the fashion show. Because of this it's really not a place that would be considered appropriate for small children....that's not even considering that they probably wouldn't have much fun. So you might want to consider making this evening "grownups night out" and getting a sitter. We're having a lovely reception afterwards so there'll be plenty of time to linger and visit and the little ones will definitely be tired and bored by then. You all know how much I love kids so please don't send me hate mail!!!
Lastly, for those of you who aren't supermodels, be sure to get there early to get a good seat. This is going to be the biggest event our group has had so far and we're expecting a crowd. It's going to be so much fun!!!!!
Oh, and Tim and Wes - you two are the absolute best. Everyone please take a moment to hug these two guys at the fashion show. They've invested hours upon hours and their own money too. They deserve a TREMENDOUS thank you from everyone!!

F.A.C.E.S. OF WLS
COME AS YOU WERE / GO AS YOU ARE FASHION SHOW
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2002
MEDICAL CENTER EAST
5:00 P.M.
2ND FLOOR / CLASSROOM 1
SEATING IS FIRST COME FIRST SERVED

Love and Hugs,
Rona

And just to let those of you that were holding their breath know, we did
a preliminary sound check yesterday (Tuesday) and yes, we can do what we
want to with the music for the models. We are going to do one last
tweek of the sound system tomorrow to see if we can crank the music up
to the volumes we need (Thursday), right Wes???
This little show is coming together so well! And we all need to thank
Rona for all the hard work and $$$ she's put into this thing for US.
Add Wes, Lisa and Wade to the list too cause they too have input a lot
of time, $$$ and concern too. Me? Just seeing the smiles on all of
your faces will be more than enough to satisfy me.
Tim.

I don't know if any of you have seen my pics...I don't have an
official "before" pic, but my photos started at 2 wks. post op. I
have put a 13 wk. post op pic up today. Wow....what a difference 3
mos. makes!
Love,
Connie

Just popped in to answer a couple of questions that I read in today's digest.
Sometimes wearing hair shorter and a little lighter in color will disguise the thinning. When our hair is darker our scalps shine through. The best benefit of this, though is that BLONDES REALLY DO HAVE MORE FUN!!! Sometimes taking biotin and zinc supplements will help hair grow back too but unfortunately nothing will prevent it's loss.
ChanMan, yes I definitely agree that you are more the Roger Moore type - quite the handsome and dashing fellow. Oh, and I too will have mine shaken, not stirred (prevents lumps).
Love,
Rona
Your Bari-Godmother

I've got my surgery date!! Sept 4. I was approved by bc/bs in 5 days.
So excited!!!
Keep praying for me!!
Paula

Hello all!! I got approved in 5 days!!! The dr office mailed my insurance stuff on 8/14, they received it 8/16, when I called on Monday the 19th , it was in review, and when I called yesterday 8/20 I was approved!!! My surgery is September 4th!!!

I'm so happy!!

Wish me luck!

Paula [INLINE]

As the one year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the USA
approaches, I feel it important to know the proper way to display the
flag of our country.
Tim.
How to display the flag
By MANDY YOST
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire
September 14, 2001
- The terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center have
sparked a wave of patriotism that has seen more and more Americans
displaying flags of all sizes in windows, outside homes, on
automobile antennas and flying at half-staff from flagpoles.
However, many people are unfamiliar with the U.S. code for proper U.S.
flag display. Here are some pointers to remember from the U.S. code.
- Old Glory is normally flown from sunrise to sunset, but may be flown
after dark if it is properly illuminated. It should never touch the
ground and no flag should be placed above or to the right of the U.S.
flag at the same height. When surrounded by flags of states or
localities, the American flag should be at the center and highest point
of the group.
- When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the
blue field should be uppermost and to the flag's right - the observer's
left. The same applies when hanging the flag in a window: the blue
should be to the left of the observer in the street.
- The American flag should be flown at half-staff when the entire nation
is in mourning. The president or other government officials may order
flags to be flown at half-staff. When the U.S. flag flies at
half-staff, it should be first raised to the top of the flagpole for a
moment and then lowered to the half-staff position. It is raised again
before being lowered for the day. Other flags flying adjacent to Old
Glory also must be flown at half-staff or taken down. A black streamer
should be attached to the top of the pole if the American flag cannot be
displayed at half-staff, such as those flying on short poles jutting
from houses or porches. A black bow should be affixed to the fastening
points of U.S. flags hung on walls or windows.
On the Net: http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/4/ch1.html

Hi all,
I hope everyone is doing well. Today is my 1 year
anniversary and WOW what a year will do for you. I have
lost a total of 188 pounds, 121 inches and lost the old
Laura. I have a really better outlook on things now and
I am really feeling great for the first time in a very
long time. I would have posted sooner, but I finally
figured out why I couldn't post (changed my e-mail) so I
went back to the old way ha ha I said I was better not
smarter! ha ha Thanks for all of the support over the
past year I have really made some true friends from this
group who have helped me through all the tough times
this year. It's all smooth sailing now. I have finally
been able to walk again without any problems so guys
keep your fingers crossed maybe I will be able to
tighten up after all!! Hope to see ya soon.
Love,
Laura

The next time y'all see Joy, she will no longer be just a staff nurse.
She accepted the position of Director of Clinical Services for a local
medical service company today. Which one? We still ain't saying, but
it's not because we don't want you to know, but rather because we think
it might be in poor taste to announce to the group the particular
service for fear that it might be interpreted as "trolling" for
business. So, feel free to ask either of us in person the next time you
see our smiling faces. This is a job that she has waited a long time
for and I couldn't be more proud of her. And we think that her 97
pounds lost through WLS had a lot to do with it too. Can't wait to hear
more WLS "success stories" from all of you folks too!
Tim.

Tim wrote:
See Chan, you're so much like me already that they are getting us mixed
up. Must be the suave and debonair look, or that impish smile, or the
twinkle in your eye, or that aura of raw, unadulterated animal
attraction ...

PopTart...sure wish I could see you tomorrow at Dr. Miles
office...hmm...but I just have to go back on Friday or so to let him
check the abcess that was draining....key word...WAS! It's much
better now....I got all worked up about it and it was not a big
deal, I was just frustrated and "sick of being sick", ya know? LOL
I wanted to let you all know that I have been having a hard time
coming up with decent lunch ideas at work. I like to bring
something to heat up in the microwave like the Ravioli, etc., but I
was tired of soup and ravioli. So....today I bought one of those
little Michelina entrees. It was meatloaf, mashed potatoes and
gravy. The fat content was WAY too high, 13 grams of protein
though. I was able to eat about 3 bites of the meatloaf that was
really soft and easy to chew up well, then I ate most of the
potatoes with just a small amount of the gravy on them. I just felt
so "normal" eating my little entree! And...the best part is, it
didn't hurt me or make me sick at all. Some times, I still get a
little nauseous when I eat, but I don't throw up anymore since my
2nd surgery. Praise God! I am so thankful to be able to eat my
little portions and keep them down. I don't enjoy food like I used
to - except for the first couple of bites, but at least I'm not
eating and then getting sick too.
I am supposed to call Dr. Malik this week (per Dr. Miles
instructions) and schedule another endoscopy. I'm not anxious to do
it but Dr. Miles feels that Dr. Malik should take a look now after a
month and make sure everything is doing ok in there! So....I'll let
ya know all about that later on.
Hope everyone else is having a good day...mine is not bad....so far!
Love,
Connie

Hi all...I've been pretty busy trying to catch up at work and at
home as well without overdoing it....but I'm doing quite well.
Thanks to everyone for caring, praying and asking about me! I
really appreciate everyone's kindness and thoughtfulness.
I found the below site and thought you all might enjoy it.
I missed Saturday's meeting (boohoo - it's the first one I've ever
missed) and I'm not sure I will make it to the fashion show next
Saturday. I was planning to participate, but failed to get
everything together in time. Oh well...next year I hope.
Joe and I are both looking forward to the outing in Sept. We will
get with you Tim...or Wes and pay our family's $10 soon...I promise.
Oh Peggins....sorry to hear you have to have another surgery.
Believe me...I understand and will be praying for you daily that it
can be done lap. This last OPEN surgery I had took a lot out of
me...but thank the Lord, I'm doing MUCH better now.
Pop Tart....You're so sweet and cute! I can't wait to see you again!
Love you all,
Connie

http://www.sin-free-eats.com

Just in case anyone is curious what MCE looks like from the air...
Hey, I can see Roner's office from up here....
Tim.

Can anyone tell me what was the cereal that Rona was talking about
adding Splenda and Cinnamon to? And can anyone remember what Dr.
Miles website was?
Thanks,
Jodi Wilson

Hey Everyone,
Please remember me in your prayers since my surgery is Tuesday,
August 20th.
Jodi Wilson

Top 20 Reasons for you to Attend the "Fall Fling":
#20- Just like a family reunion except without that weird uncle.
#19- Singing "99 bottles of protein on the wall" on the way there.
#18- Geocaching with Tim
#17- Slow dancing with Rona/Wade.
#16- Playing fetch with Barkley.
#15- Beating Chan in horse shoes.
#14- Wes' class on Catfish safety.
#13- The FACES Guys "Kissing Booth".
#12- Off Roading in Tim's New Toy
#11- Strip B-I-N-G-O
#10- Wade's Karaoke
#09- Watching Tim & Wes fight over the grill.
#08- Seeing Robins Scar
#07- No weigh in's
#06- Streaking Contest
#05- "The Girls"
#04- Phospho Soda taste testing (bowel prep stuff)
#03- Wes in Shorts
#02- Our Bari-God Mothers 2 Year WLS Anniversary.
AND THE #1 Reason for all to attend:
FUN! FUN! FUN!

Hi Millie! I just wanted to tell you (and the rest of the group) what a
pleasure Caitlin and I had meeting you at the meeting on Saturday. I
know Caitlin and I look forward to adding another friend to our lives,
and I certainly hope that you'll be adding 2 more in your "friend"
category also.
And for those of you that didn't get the pleasure of meeting Millie at
the meeting, let me introduce her to our little group...
Millie, the group.
Group, Millie.
Millie was the blind lady that was sitting up front at the Saturday
meeting. We had a nice long talk and I was asking her if she had
computer access to our group and she told me she did. And I know some
of you are trying to figure out how a blind person can read our email on
a computer??? She has a software program that is a text "reader" that
actually reads our email letter by letter and sounds it out into words.
Is that not the coolest thing you've ever heard of? When I sold
computers at Office Depot, I was the "official" Technology Salesman for
the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind at Talledega, so I had some
experience with the text readers and other voice generators. I had a
blast with those folks every time they would come up! And they would
come by the bus full, and would wind up usually taking me out to eat
lunch at The Old Country Buffet. A really neat bunch of folks!
Let's see, what else can I tell y'all about Millie? Well, she's a
clown, no really, and a real clown too. Her clown name is "Pokey-Dot",
and she has long curly purple hair when dressed in her clown gown. I
think I'll stop here and let Millie fill us in on the Clown Troupe she
belongs to. What about it Millie? What's the details on the Clown Bunch?
Tim.

Well our little e-group has been around 1 year as of today. Happy
Birthday to us, it is also Kathy Jebeles birthday, Happy Birthday
Kathy and we missed you today along with everyone else that didn't
make it to the meeting.
Have a good one and I hope to see all of you next Saturday at the
Fashion Show.
Lisa
-73 since 12/11/01

Catfish Robbins and I will be passing the plate tomorrow trying to
collect the $10. per family unit for the quickly approaching 1ST EVER
WLS FALL FLING 2002. I think Wes in his infinite kindness, and love for
this group, has already shelled out the $150.00 cash out of his pocket
for the Pavilion. I'll be bringing the Suggs Family $10.00 tomorrow
too, so if you can, yours will be appreciated (cash, check, money order
made payable to either Wes Robbins OR Tim Suggs). If you can't, don't
fret about it, we still got plenty of time. And should there be any of
us that it will be hard for them to cough up the money, BUT still wants
to go, just let me know privately (timsuggs@...) and it will
not be a problem. The most important thing is for all of us to be together!
And remember if you need to mail your $10.00, the address is:
Tim Suggs
P.O. Box 100221
Irondale, AL. 35210-0221
Checks, Money Orders only please. NO CASH! If it's lost/stolen, it's GONE!
Tim.

Hey Guys,
Katie, Dave Odems oldest daughter, gave birth yesterday to a bouncing
baby boy. They named him "David" Eli. He was born at 8:40 am, weighed
6lbs 13oz and 21 inches long. This would have been Dave's first
grandbaby.
I thought you guys would love to hear the news.
The Tim wanna be,
Chan

Hello Everybody,
I just ran across information on a "gastric bypass cookbook" that some may
be interested in checking out. I don't know anything about the book but one of
our great cooks in the group may want to give it a try and let the group know.
Here is the url:
Victoria' Cookbook for Gastric Bypass
http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/VBowenCookBook/
Sales for a total of $24.94 & is suppose to have a lot of conversion tables and
also easy to follow.
Chan

Hi everyone I forgot to tell you earlier that I now weigh less than
my husband. I had to look twice because I just couldnt believe the
scales at my Primary Care Physicians office. I teared up and thought
I was going to unload a bucket of tears right there on his office
floor. What an amazing thing this WLS surgery. Im alive and smiling
again. Living is GOOD..........Thank you Dr. Miles and all my
support group friends and most especially Thanks to the GOOD LORD for
never leaving my side through every minute of my wonderful and
exciting journey.
God Bless You All.
Hugs & Love--POP TART OH OH I ALMOST FORGOT--IM UNDER 200LBS. NOW
WHOOPEE YEEHAW

PLEASE forward this email to everyone in your address book asking them
to also forward it. Please join us on 9/11.....................we have
over a month to get the word out all across this great land we love and
call the United States of America. Let's see how powerful e-mail can be!
On Wednesday, September 11, 2002 everyone in the USA who will be driving
a motor vehicle is asked to drive with their headlights on during
daylight hours. Though no explanation is needed as to why we are
commemorating September 11.........................we hope more
importantly to pay respect to the victims of that day, show our nation's
solidarity and show support for our men and women of the Armed Forces.
You can help by sending this e-mail on to others!
Remember......................9/11 LIGHTS ON!

I know I'm not the only "Geezer" here, see how many of these YOU remember???
Tim.
OLD GEEZER TEST
1. Where did headlight dimmer switches used to be located? a . On the
floor shift knob b. On the floor, left of the clutch c. Next to the horn
2. The bottle top of a Royal Crown Cola bottle has holes in it. For what
was it used? a. Capture lightning bugs. b. To sprinkle clothes before
ironing c. Large salt shaker
3. Why was having milk delivered a problem in northern winters? a. Cows
got cold and wouldn't produce b. Ice on highways forced delivery by dog
sled c. Milkmen left deliveries outside doors and milk would freeze,
expanding and pushing up the cardboard bottle top.
4. What was the popular chewing gum named for a game of chance? a.
Blackjack b. Gin c. Craps
5. What method did women adapt to look as if they were wearing stockings
when none was available due to rationing during W.W.II? a. Suntan b. Leg
painting c. Wearing slacks
6. What postwar car turned automotive design on its ear when you
couldn't tell whether it was coming or going? a. Studebaker b. Nash
Metro c. Tucker
7. Which was a popular candy when you were a kid? a. Strips of dried
peanut butter b. Chocolate-licorice bars c. Wax coke-shaped bottles with
colored sugar water inside
8. How was Butch wax used? a. To stiffen hair cut into a flattop so it
stood up b. To make floors shiny and prevent scuffing c. On the wheels
of roller skates to prevent rust
9. Before inline skates, how did you keep your roller skates attached to
your shoes? a. With clamps, tightened by a skate key b. Woven straps
that crossed the foot c. Long pieces of string or twine
10. As a kid, what was considered the best way to reach a decision? a.
Consider all the facts b. Ask Mom c. Eeny-meeny-miney-mo
11. What was the worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex? a. A
cold b. VD c. Cooties
12. "I'll be down to get you in a ________, Honey?" a. SUV b. Taxi c.
Streetcar
13. What was the name of Caroline Kennedy's pet pony? a. Old Blue b.
Paint c. Macaroni
14. What was a Duck-and-Cover Drill? a. Part of the game of hide and
seek b. What you did when your mom called you in to do chores c. Hiding
under your desk, covering your head with your arms in an A bomb drill
15. What was the name of the Indian Princess on the Howdy Doody show? a.
Princess Summerfallwinterspring b. Princess Sacajewea c. Princess Moonshadow
16. What did all really savvy students do when mimeographed tests were
handed out in school? a. Immediately sniffed the purple ink, as this was
believed to get you "high" b. Made paper airplanes to see who could sail
theirs out the window c. Wrote another pupils name on the top, to avoid
failure
17. Why did your mom shop in stores that gave Green Stamps with
purchases? a. To keep you out of mischief licking the backs, which
tasted like bubble gum b. They could be put in special books and
redeemed for various household items c. They were given to the kids to
be used as stick on tattoos
18. "Praise the Lord, and pass the _________?" a. Meatballs b. Dames c.
Ammunition
19. What was the name of the group who made the song "Cabdriver" a hit?
a. The Ink Spots b. The Supremes c. The Esquires
20. Who left his heart in San Francisco? a. Tony Bennett b. Zavier Cugat
c. George Gershwin
Answers WAY Below
ANSWERS
1. b) On the floor, left of the clutch. Hand controls, popular in
Europe, took till the '60s to catch on.
2. b) To sprinkle clothes before ironing. Who had a steam iron?
3. c) Cold weather caused the milk to freeze and expand, popping the
bottle top.
4. a) Blackjack Gum.
5. b) Special makeup was applied followed by drawing a seam down the
back of the leg with eyebrow pencil.
6. a) 1946 Studebaker.
7. c) Wax coke bottles containing super-sweet colored water.
8. a) Wax for your flat top (butch) haircut.
9. a) With clamps, tightened by a skate key, which you wore on a
shoestring around your neck.
10. c) Eeny-meeny-miney-mo.
11. c) Cooties.
12. b) Taxi. Better be ready by half-past eight!
13. c) Macaroni.
14. c) Hiding under your desk, covering your head with your arms in an
A-bomb drill.
15. a) Princess Summerfallwinterspring.
16. a) Immediately sniffed the purple ink to get "high."
17. b) Put in a special stamp book, they could be traded for household
items at the Green Stamp store.
18. c) Ammunition, and we'll all be free.
19. a) The all male, all black group, The Inkspots.
20. a) Tony Bennett and he sounds just as good today.
SCORING
17 - 20 correct: You are not only older than dirt, but obviously gifted
with mind bloat. Now if you could only find your glasses.
12 - 16 correct: Not quite dirt yet, but your mind is definitely muddy.
0 - 11 correct: You are a sad excuse for a geezer.
This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from
http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm

Hi Gang! Tim here... Here's another opportunity for one of us to help
a disabled/critically ill young person that one of us might know that
would love to go hunting. Thanks!
Tim.

As of today, Thursday, August 15th, 2002:
16 "attending" RSVP's for a total of 45 people that I can't wait to have
some fun with!
If you haven't sent your RSVP yet, why wait, you can always cancel later
if you have a conflict, I mean it's not like we'd beat ya with a dead
carp or anything like that.
Tim.

Hey guys...
I made it... I'm on the other side now. Surgery went well... no
mishaps. Came home yesterday morning. Easing around the inside and
the outside of the house a little at a time.
Been sipping and sipping. Have had no trouble whatsoever. Was
beginning to think that something had gone wrong and that I didn't
actually have the bypass. Wasn't really hungry, but not full either.
Called the doc this morning, because I THOUGHT that I heard Lisa tell
me that I should stay on liquids for a week (thanks to Lisa and Wes
for suggesting that I call), and I was, in fact, hallucinating. Had
some cream of chicken soup... measured out about 2 oz in a cup...
wow... sure didn't look like much... had spoonfuls very slowly... and
it happened! I was full! Woo Hoo!!! Still had about a third of what I
had measured out remaining. Is that not the weirdest feeling in the
world?!
Okay... that's my happy story for the day. Hope that everyone is
doing well. Thanks to all for your prayers and well wishes. Thanks to
Rona for being so attentive to me, as well as my family while I was
in surgery. Kristy B... thanks for checking on me, Chick... sorry
that I was so slow getting back to my room that you missed your
chance... ;o) Kathy J... my angel... thanks for your support and the
great gifts! Now, if we can just get you better and get you home.
Talk to you all soon... Take care...
Kim V

Do we have a meeting this Saturday???

I went to have my staples out on Monday Aug 12th. It did not hurt at
all. I was down 18 lbs in 10 days so I guess I am on schedule. I
joined a Gym in Centerpoint call Riveria Fitness for Ladies. I am
only doing the tredmill and walking at least one mile a day. I cannot
do anything else for 4 to 6 weeks. I do have a QUESTION: I know I am
suppose to be eating soft diet. So yesterday I made myself some
chicken salad w/fat free mayo and ate it on three melba toast. Today
it feels like my tummy is heavy and needs to burp. Is this normal. I
have only been eating soups, jello, pinto's & cheese, protein and
lots of water. I thought the chicken salad would be ok since it was
soft. DID I BOO BOO? I cut the chicken up to mush.
Love
Mickie
286/268

Wes and I went and saw her last night, she looks good, still not
feeling the best, but it will get better. She is either going home
today or tomorrow I think. Remember she had the full fledge tummy
tuck. I think she is the first of us that has had this. Between the
lipo and the muscle tighting or whatever they do, it has got to be
painful. She's a good trooper though, and boy does she have a flat
tummy!!!
Lisa

Ok, Tim baited us now you have to tell tell tell, what new job do you
have going for you?
You go girl with having to buy new slimming clothes.
Lisa

Well folks, I took my toy out and played with it today. Matt, Wes and I
took "Monty" offroad for her first time, ever. And I got to say that
even with street tires, she impressed all three of us. Couldn't handle
the mud too well because of the tires, and I lost traction going up a
big, long hill with 3 foot deep ruts, again because of the tires. But
she took everything else in stride. Not bad for a 12 year old!
And it never ceases to amaze me that I have this feeling of serenity
come over me when I get out in the woods, and even though we weren't
"deep woods", heck we were still in Irondale City limits over by the dog
track, I still felt like I was a million miles away. And then the cell
phone rang. I thought it might have been Wes because he was supposed to
call me when he headed over to MCE to see Kathy, but before I could
unclench my hands from the steering wheel and grab the phone, it was too
late. So who ever it was, I'll never know.
And it was a blast watching my two boys try their hand at the trails
too. Something about watching your kids actually remember things that
you have taught/discussed with them is kinda neat. Both of their Jeeps
are much better equipped for trail riding than my "Monty" so I had one
in front and one in back just in case I got stuck in a mudhole. the few
times we stopped and got out to talk/look, the skeeters descended upon
us like someone was ringing the dinner bell. So, if you do ANY
outdooring, don't forget the DEET.
Now, looks like tires are going to be first on my Christmas list, then
maybe some other goodies for my birthday in January. I think "Monty"
and I are going to get along just fine. Now if we could just find some
good trails to ride. Where we went today was over by the dogtrack and I
am saddened to say that there was a lot of illegal dumping back in
there, so we plan to take my 2WD truck and tow it in behind the Jeeps
and load it up several times and see how much trash we can haul out next
weekend. I bet there were at least 150 tires back in there that surly
were home to millions of skeeters. They gotta go!
And speaking of going... I need to hit the road myself so I can pick up
#1 in a few. We got some GREAT job related news today, so we're going
shopping for some new business clothes for Joy so she can show off the
new and thinner "her".
Tim.

Has anyone tried this brand and how do/did you like it?

I want to thank everyone for the wonderful words of encouragement
concerning my surgery on August 20th. I have really enjoyed the
three meetings that I have been with everyone. I feel like it is one
big happy family and I can't wait to get to know everyone
personally. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers as the day gets
closer. Also, my step daughter-in-law Rhonda, has her surgery today,
so keep her in your thoughts and prayers also.
Jodi Wilson

Just wanted to let everyone know she is fine, she is in quite a bit
of pain. We didn't go see her tonight though, Rona told us they had
doped her up because of the pain, so I know she wouldn't remember us
being there.
I don't know anymore details as I have not talked to her personally.
Will let you know more as I know.
Lisa

I am looking for one of "us" that is currently employed, or has been
employed in the K-8 setting. Could be Teacher, Principal, Registrar, or
even just a very involved PTO/PTA parent. I am looking to pick
someone's brain on the in's/out's of K-8 field trip protocol for an
upcoming project of mine. Any takers??? If so, email me offlist at
timsuggs@...
Thanks!
Tim.

Hi talked with Kim's mom and she's on the otherside and doing fine. She's already walked to the Nurse's desk her mom said !!!!! Keep up the good work Kim and WELCOME TO THE OTHERSIDE SWEETIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kathy,
Good luck to you in the morning... Your in my thoughts and prayers!!!!
ANd Happy 1 year Anniversary too.. Love Kristy

hi everyone my name is jennifer i too live in alabama i've had my
first consult with a surgeon and am currently waiting ins. approval.
ugh.. would love to talk with anyone i'm still scared but know i have
to do this to save my life.

It is natural to be worried about your surgery as the date gets closer but look
at the number of us that have had this surgery on the list with such great
success! You will have the prayers of everyone on this list the day of your
surgery and you can not imagine the power of the prayer of this group.
Remember you will not be alone as you lie there on the table, God will be there
cradling your head and guiding the hands of your surgeon. He will give those in
the attendance of you the wisdom to bring you through this safely.
Say a prayer before your surgery begins, I always ask the nurses, etc. to say a
prayer for me. We will all be praying for you. Go into your surgery with
confidence because God will not lead you to it if he can not lead you through
it.
We will be praying for you.
Love in Christ,
Nan

I have a question. Why can I eat beef Jerky, well chewed
(& fat spit out)? I'm only 4 wks post op? is it because of
the salt? and Gatorade why can i drink it, even though it
has sugar? But Cheese and dairy stuff don't work? And
anyone got any suggestions on how to cure a BAD craving
for a qtr pounder and Dr. Pepper?
Siotha
7-16-02 -25lbs?

Hi Folks! I have added more names to the Fall Fling 2002 invitation,
SO, it will probably send it out as an update yet once again to the
entire list. I am apologizing in advance if this happens as I have no
control over it. And yes, I know some of you have received the
invitation 3...4...5 times now, I will buy you a new Delete Key! Thanks
for your understanding!
Tim.
Remember... Computers make very fast, accurate mistakes!

I don't write 'em folks, just giggle and pass it on. And you all know I
would never pick on Blondes...
Tim.
Returning home from work, a blonde was shocked to find her house ransacked
and burglarized. She telephoned the police at once and reported the crime.
The police dispatcher broadcast the call and a K-9 unit patrolling nearby
was the first to respond.
As the K-9 officer approached the house with his dog on a leash, the blonde
ran out on the porch, shuddered at the sight of the cop and his dog, then
sat down on the steps.
Putting her face in her hands, she moaned: "I come home to find all my
possessions stolen. I call the police for help, and what do they do? They
send me a BLIND policeman!"

Hey guys...
Well this is it. Seems like I've been at this forever... yet hard to
believe that I HAVE FINALLY MADE IT... Tomorrow at this time... I'll
be on the other side!!! Having lots of fun today in preparation
(hopefully I won't need Preparation H!).
I am still sooooo excited, and not at all scared. I have faith in the
Lord, and in Dr Schmitt. With that said, you guys keep me in your
prayers... I'll be back... new and improved... before you know it!
Love,
Kim V

50 Secrets Of The Fittest!
by Julia Griggs Havey
Can you keep a secret? Better yet, can you keep 50? Can you use these
secrets to change your life and your body for the better? If you did
nothing other than incorporate these secrets into your daily life,
over a year's time they would amount to substantial change.
Here is what a fit person does:
1. Always keep a water bottle and drink from it often. Water is the
drink of choice, not soft drinks.
2. Look at exercise as a pleasure and privilege, not a burden or
chore.
3. Think twice before deciding what to eat and why, making sure that
it is healthy and will give the body good nutrition.
4. Measure intake based on activity, not how you "feel." Need
mandates intake, not mood.
5. Take action to solve problems when things get emotional, instead
of turning to food as a cure.
6. Start the day with a well-balanced meal.
7. Start each day with positive input -- from material that's
listened to or read, helping you to remain positive throughout the
day.
8. Drink a minimum amount of caffeine, only in the form of coffee or
tea.
9. Make long-term goals and a plan of how to achieve them, leaving
nothing to chance.
10. Focus on short-term goals with an emphasis on completing daily
actions.
11. Live with a purpose. Wake up each day knowing what you are
working towards, something "greater than" can be accomplished in a
lifetime.
12. Keep a daily planner with the day's actions written down in order
to keep track of what needs to be done, what has been done, and what
was not accomplished.
13. Review each day at the end of the day to set tomorrow's actions
and plan.
14. Always make time for relaxing and rewards at scheduled times.
15. Never live an unhealthy life when on vacation.
16. See health as a privilege, not something to take for granted.
17. Enjoy contributing to the health of others by having a partner or
friends to exercise with, as well as recruiting others who desire to
get fit.
18. Learn new ways and new techniques for exercising.
19. Avoid monotony by taking up new forms of exercising.
20. Subscribe to health magazines to keep focused on a healthy way of
life.
21. Invest in workout clothes, good tennis shoes, and other apparel.
22. Never take your health for granted by taking a day off from a
healthy life.
23. Know when too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing.
24. Keep a sharp mind and a positive attitude with educational and
motivational material.
25. Take time to count the many blessings that are present in life
each day.
26. Realize that life and all things natural are a gift and should be
taken care of and preserved for the health of all.
27. Brush off criticism and don't dwell on negative comments from
others.
28. Attempt to bring calm and reasoning to a hostile or chaotic
situation.
29. Respond to a challenge instead of reacting to what difficulties
may be present.
30. Know that there is so much that is not known.
31. Understand that time is limited here on Earth.
32. Learn to live without regrets, and that life is the experiences
that we choose.
33. Take daily vitamin and mineral supplements that support a healthy
balance.
34. Value organization so as not to have "clutter" in your life.
35. Value good hygiene inside -- the mind and organs and muscles --
as well as on the outside, your skin, hair, and nails.
36. Seek natural methods of health care including massage,
chiropractic, naturopathic in addition to medical care.
37. Take exercise to new levels.
38. Create a schedule for ultimate health and fitness.
39. Move beyond the boundaries of weight loss and into fitness.
40. Strive to reach your dreams everyday.
41. Live each day to its fullest.
42. Do not get into "wacky" diets and eating plans.
43. Live a balanced life -- exercise, work, family, and GOD.
44. Get adequate amounts of sleep.
45. Avoid medications and drugs of all sort unless absolutely
necessary.
46. Limit alcohol intake only for special occasions.
47. Do what the average person doesn't want to do.
48. Exercise discipline by following a daily regimen.
49. Take a vacation by doing activities -- jet skiing, snow skiing,
mountain biking, hiking in the outback, going to a getaway spa.
50. Know that life is fulfilling with optimal health in the mind,
spirit, and body!

i have been turned down by bcbs of TN for my surgery any
sugestions,sample appeal letters etc. i would appreciate any help or
guidence.
thanks and God bless
Chuck

Hello to everyone!!!
Just wanted to remind everyone to keep these to Ladies in their thoughts and prayers this week... Kim is having her WLS in the morning with Dr. Miles...
Kathy is having her Tummy Tuck on Tuesday !!!
Good luck to you 2 !!!!
Love yall, Kristy

Kathy is having her tummy tuck with Dr. Eich on Tuesday the 13th. Please take a moment to stop by her page on obesity help and wish her well.
http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/status.phtml?N=J1010438731
I will be posting her update to everyone on Tuesday.
Lisa

Hi Amy,
Just wanted to give you the low-down on the questions you asked about scheduling with Dr. Miles. First let me tell you that he's a great doc and I don't think you'll regret switching at all!
Next, let me tell you that I wish I could tell you exactly what you want to hear but I can't. You will have to wait until you've attended the seminar to make an appointment with him. Also, they are supposed to be collecting up front for the initial consultation - I work for the hospital not for his office but I know this is supposed to be the plan - but I don't know if they actually do or not. I just didn't want you to go in unprepared and feel awkward. I still say it's worth the wait.
Take care honey - you're in for an exciting journey!
Love,
Rona
Your Bari-Godmother

Hey guys,
I wanted to let you know that I don't know when I will be able to get to another meeting. My life is kinda crazy right now. I can't make the meeting this coming Saturday because my sister will be out of town and I will have her baby all weekend. Also I can't make the fashion show because of two reasons....1st of all my first day of biology class is that day and 2nd that is the weekend that marks Steve and I being together a month and we have very special plans. This means as soon as I get out of class I am driving to Memphis for the weekend. Hopefully I will be able to come to the next Saturday meeting. I have class 6 days a week so the weekday meetings are out for awhile. I miss you all and I hope all is going well. I will try to see some of you guys the next time I am in B'ham.
Love ya,
Nikkia
Surgery date 6-27-01
-155lbs since surgery
-177lbs all together

I think (unless I've had a senior moment) that at one time, we were
able to get an electric ice shaver at a discount. I've have search
though the archives and don't see a reference to it.
Am I totally losing it? or can anyone give me details as to what
kind it was and if we can still get it?

My surgery date is August 20th and I have been really nervous about
the 1% that don't make it. Anyone with any reassurance would be
appreciated.
Thanks,
Jodi

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.
Support Group Meeting
Date: Saturday, August 17, 2002
Time: 3:00PM - 6:00PM CDT (GMT-05:00)
This is our regular monthly meeting. We will be having a guest
speaker. Please contact facesofwls@... for information on
the speaker for this month.

Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday dear ChanMan!
Happy birthday to you!
And everybody... Don't forget to FLOOD his mailbox
(WastingTimeOnLine@... ) with Birthday cards and wishes!
Tim.

It's me again, Pop Tart. I know you are all tired of seeing my name
beside all of these posts..LOL
I called the nurses yesterday at Dr. Miles office hoping against hope
that they would tell me that it was impossible for me to have another
hernia this close to my WLS surgery date.
Unfortunately she said oh my yes it is quite possible that you can
have another HERNIA in the exact same location. So she told me to
be extremly careful until I see Dr. Miles next week. I told her no
problem as I feel very sick every time I eat anyway.
So Grandmaw I will let you know what the doctor says as soon as I see
him. Okay?
Hugs & Love------Pop Tart

Tim here again. Just in case anyone is interested, or knows of someone
that is handicapped that might want to take a Deep Sea Fishing Trip for
the Physically Challenged and their Friends. Contact info contained below.
Tim.

Hi dear friend. I just had to drop you a line to see how you are
feeling now a days. I hope and pray that most of your soreness is
now gone. I am so happy for the wonderful weight loss and by your
pictures I can honestly say " You Look Fantastic"!
Take care and let me know how you are. I always worry about you. I
feel just terrible because I live so far away. Living down here in
the sticks of Clanton it just makes it so hard for this old gal to
get to Birmingham the way I would like to. I wish I could check in
the hospital on each and every one of you when you have your
surgeries. It honestly makes me feel very bad that I cant. Thank
goodness we have you, Christy, Rona, Tim, Joy, Wes, Lisa and so many
others that live so close by--you all make it a point to go to the
hospital to check on everyone. I think you are all just great and
wonderful people to do it too. It shows just how much you care about
all the friends here in this group. Oh and you too Grandmaw Peg,I
know you run by the hospital whenever you can too!!!
God Bless Each and Everyone of You.
Hugs & So Much Love for all of you-------Pop Tart

-
Chan my dear friend dont worry about your name my dear. You should
see the looks I get everytime I go to Dr. Miles fo a check up. When
they call out my name AVIS DAVIS everyone in the building turns their
heads to see if it is really my name or not. It took me years to get
used to it myself. Matter of fact I would not marry Ronny 20 years
ago when he first asked me because I could not bare the thought of
being saddled with that name. Oh well I changed my mind the second
time around. It was worth the change for the good man I married in
the bargain.
Take care and have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs & Love---Pop Tart

No it's not the pontoon boat (I wish). But, it is something that I
think I'll get a lot of fun use out of. As most of you know, the Jeep
bug has bitten the Suggs Family. And we now own not one, but two Jeeps.
Wes' is a 98 TJ and Matt's is a 90 YJ. But guess who got left out in
the cold without a Jeep, that's right... ME! But after a little horse
trading, I now have a 4x4. I got a 90 Mitsubishi Montero 2 door, 4WD
that I just love. And yes, I have ranted and raved about "Buy USA", but
I got this from a friend and not one red penny of my money went outside
of this country and probably not even out of Jefferson County for that
matter.
So why did I get it? So I could spend time with my kids, my wife (if I
can ever get her to take a day off) and just get out in the woods and
relax. Since we have been bitten by the 4x4 bug, we have made several
new friends that have 4x4's too. And we are going to try to plan a once
a month trail ride and camp out. So, are any of you into 4 wheeling and
camping and are interested in participating? Anybody got access to any
land that we could ride and camp on? All of us in our little group
adhere to the "Tread Lightly" code of ethics, and we usually bring out
more trash than we took in.
Anybody got a 4x4 hiding in the garage that they want to dust off and
come play with us????
Tim.

hi yall

i wondered if anyone could help answer a couple of questions or give thoughts/opinions....

I think i am going to cancel with the doc i have an appt with and go see Dr. Miles-for several reasons 1.watching the posts of this group 2.seeing him on tv 3. he seems to be more involved with support aspects and 4.$$(which shouldnt be a consideration i know,but i had to have 150$ up front just for a consultation and my mom was paying for it,but her car broke and now she cant give it to me til the end of sept.)i dont want to wait that long! i am tired of hurting!. anyways...my questions...

do i have to wait til after the seminar to actually call and schedule an appt? or can i go ahead and schedule one for a date after i have gone on the 20th?

and what are the general out of pocket expenses for dr miles? does it depend? or can you do your ins. co pays? my friend who is having surgery with him this month only had to do copays for everything(psch and all) but her ins is different....

just stressing

Amy

I confess!!
I tried to lick my elbow.
:)
Rona
Your Bari-Godmother

Weird Things You Would Never Know!!
Butterflies taste with their feet.
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all of the world's nuclear
weapons combined.
On average, 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year.
On average people fear spiders more than they do death.
Ninety percent of New York City cabbies are recently arrived immigrants.
Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already
married.
Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
It's possible to lead a cow upstairs, but not downstairs.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
It's physically impossible for you to lick your elbow.
The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because
when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the
books that would occupy the building.
A snail can sleep for three years.
No word in the English language rhymes with "MONTH."
Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop
growing. - SCARY!!!
The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
All polar bears are left handed.
In ancient Egypt, priests plucked EVERY hair from their bodies, including their
eyebrows and eyelashes.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be
made using the letters only on
one row of the keyboard.
* "Go," is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
If Barbie were life-size, her measurements would be 39-23-33. She would stand
seven feet, two inches tall.
A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.
Americans on average eat 18 acres of pizza every day.
* Almost everyone who reads this email will try to lick their elbow.
Don't forget to pass these weird facts on to everyone you know. They will get a
kick out of it !! You tried to lick your elbow, didn't you?!!!!

Hey All,
You asked me to let you know when the interview with Dr. Miles, Wendy and me was going to be on T.V. Wes just woke me up from a sound sleep (yes I go to bed early) to let me know that he saw Dr. Miles in a promo for tomorrow's 5:00 news. So I guess the interview will be on then. That's Channel 6 (Fox) with Andrea Lindenburg. If this info is incorrect and the interview doesn't air then........please feel free to give Wes a smack!
Had a great planning meeting for the Fashion Show tonight. It's not too late to sign up to be a super model BUT August 17th at the regular support group meeting will be the absolute latest time to register!!!
See ya!
Rona

Tony,
I also wanted to thank you for coming by to visit me !!! That was sweet of you!!! i hope you got Rona to buy your lunch :)
Take care Kristy

One day, three men were hiking and unexpectedly came upon a large
raging, violent river. They needed to get to the other side, but had no
idea of how to do so. The first man prayed saying, "Please give me the
strength to cross this river." Poof! He suddenly had big arms and strong
legs, and he was able to swim across the river in about two hours, after
almost drowning a couple of times.
Seeing this, the second man prayed saying, "Please give me the strength
and the tools to cross this river." Poof! He was given a rowboat and was
able to row across the river in about an hour, after almost capsizing
the boat a couple of times.
The third man had seen how this worked out for the other two, so he also
prayed saying, "Please give me the strength, the tools, and the
intelligence... to cross this river." And poof! He was turned into a
woman. She looked at the map, hiked upstream a couple of hundred yards,
and then walked across the bridge.

Hi All,
I think the idea of a group of F.A.C.E.S. folks participating in the marathon is
a GREAT idea! You can count me in and I'll be glad to do some organizational
work on it. Breast cancer research has a special place in my heart and I think
it would also be a great way to show the world what we can accomplish if we try!
Timmy, I also think we need to get serious about getting group T-shirts. I'll
compromise on the pink shirts if you'll compromise on the Bud Lite Girls. I'm
thinking Royal Blue for the color - just like our pins. What do you think? The
only problem is that we've got to come up with the money to be able to order
them in bulk so be thinking on that.......
CONGRATULATIONS KATHY JEBELES!!!! I knew it would happen! Only good things are
in store for you! I'm just so happy for you!
Kristy is finally out of surgery to have that icky gallbladder removed! She's
such a trooper! Get better fast girl!
Fashion show meeting is tonight but you can still participate even if you didn't
attend the meeting. You can email me or go to our website (facesofwls.com) for
more info. If you are post op then we want you to attend!!!!!
We need 8 Fashion show volunteers to help with dressing, changing, organizing,
etc. at the show. Anybody got a spouse, kid or friend that will help? We don't
want the whole group being in the show and having to work the show because WHO
WILL BE IN THE AUDIENCE?????? But we do need some help so please email me if
you have any ideas.
Not to be outdone by Miss Jebeles (just kiddin') I have to say that I'm excited
that the Fall Fling is on the 2 year anniversary of my WLS so I feel like that
will make it an even more exciting party for me. What a celebration!!!!
Nan - your love for dogs touches my heart. I love my dog so much it hurts (1
lb. 7 oz. poodle) Anyone who could love a dog so much has got to be a good
person - God will give you an extra special place in Heaven!
Welcome to all the Newbies! We're glad to have you here!!!
Love,
Rona

WOW My guardian angel is riding on my shoulder. Deborah called
with a date yesterday for this coming Friday. I spent last night in
a spur of the moment meeting with Rona, and tomorrow I go to get my
lab work and ekg. YIPEE I CAN'T Wait. Looks like the insurance
won't get me after all.
Thanks guys.
MeMe

The list of names just keeps getting longer... We're gonna have so much
fun!!! And several of you have asked about the how's and when's of
getting your $10.00 to us. We will be trying to get everyone to bring
their $10. to any of the future meetings and giving it to either me or
Wes. I am so looking forward to this, and I hope you are too!
Tim.

The more I look at myself...the more I am really thinking I may have
to have one done. My questions are...did you lose ALL the weight you
wanted to before having it done or did you come close...and did you
find that your arms and legs needed to have some skin removed too?
Did your breasts sag more after the weight loss? I had a friend who
had a breast reduction once and had them *lifted*...they pulled the
tendons up and now her breasts are just...perky...
Just wanted to know what sorts of tucks you all want/need to have
done...
Thanks :)
Melissa

I just added someone new to the invitation list and it looks like it
sent out an "UPDATE" to all of you. Sorry! No update, so no need to
respond. Thanks!

Are you feeling better? Sorry to hear you may have another hernia.
Please get to the doc and get it checked out. Take care of
yourself! You have been doing so well. Don't let this little
setback discourage you.
Love ya, Brenda