DELETE THIS ACCOUNT!

Contact your surgeon, tell him what happened, and ask to have your band placement checked.

Banded tummies are noisy tummies, in fact most of the time it has nothing to do with hunger either. It's just something we have to get used to.

When I was struggling at the beginning to get in calories, I added extra Protein wherever I could. A spoonful of Peanut Butter for a snack, string cheese, cottage cheese, a piece of lunch meat, even a Protein shake. Nuts are great for protein, I love pistachios. There are some really good Protein Bars, too. Luna makes a lot of flavors and they have 10g of protein each. It will take some time but you really do need more calories or your metabolism will slow right down from not having enough to sustain itself.

When did you have the fluid removed? Did the band fall back into place? Did you have any of the fluid put back in?

And yet if you make under the poverty line and up to 138% of the poverty line but don't qualify for Medicaid, you can't get the tax credit towards insurance either. That means around 7 million Americans still won't be able to afford healthcare. So much for Obamacare being there for those who need it most. http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/03/health/obamacare-medicaid-gap-gupta/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

The short version is this: Existing healthcare can be grandfathered in "as is". So if you have health insurance through your employer that you like, you can keep it exactly as is. However if you leave that plan, you can never go back to it. The reason you cannot go back to it is because under the Obamacare laws, all insurance must adhere to the guidelines set by the government. If a carrier offers more or less coverage- they are fined heavily. This won't go into effect for a couple years, btw. But, insurance companies are trying to make changes gradually prior to then. Also, insurance costs are going up considerably because of all this, forcing carriers to cut their coverage to recoup the costs on their end.

I definitely did. I ate a giant Reuben sandwich, fries, an entire pie (not even kidding), a bag of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, and pretty much anything else in the house that wasn't nailed down. (gee, it's little wonder I got over 400 pounds!) But being honest? In retrospect, I wish I hadn't. Like so many others I had "last meal syndrome" thinking the band would be the end of food I loved. Not so!! The band is about moderation not deprivation. I can still have a Reuben if I really want one, but now I eat maybe a 1/3 of one and I'm done. Same goes for deserts- I still have pie but I have a very small piece. The biggest difference is, the small amounts are now just as satisfying as the huge amounts were prior to surgery. I completely understand your desire for a Thanksgiving before surgery- enjoy! But, don't think of it as your "last meal". You'll have all the Thanksgiving goodies again just in band sized portions. Think of it as your last meal in unhealthy portions

Here's the numbers: http://www.forbes.com/2008/05/25/health-hospitals-care-forbeslife-cx_avd_outsourcing08_0529healthoutsourcing.html "a new report points out that the largest segment of medical travelers are headed stateside. And, experts say, they’re also growing in numbers. An estimated 40% of all medical travelers are looking for the world’s most advanced technologies, worrying little about the proximity of the destination or cost, according to consulting firm McKinsey & Co. It narrowly defined medical travelers as only those whose primary and explicit purpose in traveling was to obtain in-patient medical treatment in a foreign country, putting the total number of travelers at 60,000 to 85,000 per year. Most of those patients in search of the best care, including 38% from Latin America, 35% from the Middle East, 16% from Europe and 7% from Canada, are heading to the United States. Additionally, it’s estimated that 32% of all medical travelers simply want better care than is available in their home countries, mostly those in the developing world, and 15% want quicker access to medically necessary procedures. That’s compared to only 9% of medical travelers seeking medically necessary procedures at lower prices and 4% seeking low-cost discretionary procedures."

Can you provide actual statistics proving this? Because I've never seen anything stating anything even close to it.

Yes, really. Just because a country has socialized medicine doesn't mean it's successful. Why do you think so many of those countries highlighted on that map have people coming to the US for medical treatment? Because they can't get what they need at home or don't have specialists able to treat them.

I don't restrict carbs, but I check anything I'm considering ordering on Lose It first. I then decide on what to order based on the healthiest option and least calories. I also order a half portion whenever possible.

It has nothing about wanting to deny anyone healthcare- everyone most certainly deserves quality medical care. It's about the government taking away our healthcare choices, cutting Medicare like crazy to fund it, leaving a big healthcare gap for those who aren't poor enough for Medicaid but don't make enough for the Obamacare tax incentive, and the mere thought of the government having the final say on who gets what care and who is denied based on statistics. Btw, the government website is nothing but propaganda BS and no more reliable than blogs You want actual facts? Read the entire 1000+ page Healthcare Bill. I did and that's how I know Obamacare is cr@p.

I stopped using our local CVS a couple years ago. It took them hours to fill a prescription and the staff were a bunch of morons who acted like doing their job was a major inconvenience, Not to mention their store card and supposed "extra bucks" and discounts were HUGE rip off, if not bait and switch. I once had a coupon (printed on their receipt) for 20% next purchase. So, I purposely loaded my cart with everything I needed to get most out of it. WRONG! I think maybe 3 of the 12 things in my cart "qualified" for the discount. They excluded certain brands, things already on sale, and even things under a certain price. I was so pissed off and I just walked away, leaving everything on the counter, and never went back again.

The average weight loss with the band is 1-2 pounds per week. You've lost 3.3 pounds per week. You're already way over the expected average. Remember, the weight didn't come on overnight and it won't come off overnight either.

I actually would love to try the Premier Protein because I've heard very good things about it, however I live in the boondocks and there is no Sam's Club within 40 miles of me

I'm definitely going to try this. 25g of Protein per serving is very good. Thanks!!

I don't think they're weird questions at all. We all have to learn the little things that doctors don't tell us from somewhere, you know?

Honestly, I just kind of "eyeball" lettuce because there is no good way to measure it. I use a bowl I'm familiar with so I just kinda wing it. Plus, lettuce has no calories and is mostly Water, so it won't mess up your day regardless. I do, however, measure everything I put on it.

I just found Nioxin at Ulta relatively inexpensive, $12-$15 a bottle. If you sign up for the emails and get their store discount card, you can get a $3.50 off coupon too. http://search.ulta.com/nav/brand/Nioxin/0

You may want to look into the healthcare exchange through Obamacare and see if there's a cheaper alternative that will cover bariatric surgery. Though I've read that Obamacare is considering cutting all bariatric surgery eventually, if you could find a different one in the intern it may help you.

I have always just had a protein shake for breakfast. I tend to be pretty tight in the mornings and I've never been a breakfast person anyway. A protein shake is easy for me to sip while I'm busy getting kids off for the day and doing stuff around the house.

I am definitely going to try it, thank you!! I had 2 surgeries and then massive blood clots in both legs this spring. If the surgeries weren't enough, they pumped me full of a ton of chemicals while in the ICU for the blood clots. My hair is really awful because of it. I had to get it cut short because it was breaking off so badly and falling out. I do see considerable new growth, even my hair dresser commented on it, but it's still falling out despite it. I'll be heading to CVS this afternoon. Thanks again!

Checking in, weight still stuck at 193

No one can say for sure, but the fact your skin snapped back after pregnancy without even stretch is a very good thing. Again, I don't know for certain but I think your skin must be pretty elastic since you were able to do that. To give you an idea- I had my first baby at 21 years old and had a TON of stretch marks and a pooch after. Neither ever went away (until the tummy tuck this past spring lol) I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

I use Jergens Skin Firming Lotion, but like I said I still have excess skin despite it. In fact, I just had over 12 pounds of skin removed from my tummy this past May. I'm really hoping your age will work in your favor and you won't have a lot of it. At 40 years old, over 400 pounds, and having two kids (one via c-section) I was pretty much screwed lol.