ragdollx19

Thanks for all of the positive parenting advice everyone! Susan- That sounds miserable! Does it hurt?

I just recently had my hair cut short. Check out my before and after pics. I like it a lot, especially the caring for it part. I havent had short hair since I was 8!

That is awesome!!! Keep up the good work!

I have BCBS Federal and my paperwork was sbmitted on a Thursday. I called Monday to verify they had received it and check its status, at first they said they didnt see anything and when I insisted they verify that before we hung up so I could have it re-sent they said they had indeed received the paperwork and it was under review. They called me back within a few hours to tell me it had been approved and I would receive a copy in the mail. The squeaky wheel gets the grease... nothing wrong with calling to check on it at all. I would call every day. Good luck!

I cleaned out my closet quite a bit last weekend. I gave my best friend my clothes. I was reluctant to do so because I still have the mind set that this is not really a lasting solution even though in my mind I know it is. I felt sad for my friend because I have been losing and she has been gaining. While getting rid of all of those clothes felt fabulous I couldnt really show my best friend who I share almost everything with how excited I really was. I have been filling my closet with 16's and even some 14's for future use by shopping at Goodwill. I refuse to pay top dollar for a temp clothing size. I have found a lot of really nice shirts and work pants for well under $5 an item.

Sandra, Y R U asking about flipped ports, do you have one?? Or just worried about it? I cant believe how difficult your fills are, I feel so badly for you! It just sounds so traumatic! Weazer- You are so encouraging, I love it! I was down to 209 this morning so Onderland is a very real possibility by Turkey Day. I wore a size 16 non stretchy pants yesterday and looked pretty good! Sometimes it is so surreal. I wish the rest of my 16's would fit right soon because I am tired of being in between sizes! Sandra-Congratts on getting the license! When we got ours they made sure to ask us if we were related? Of all things who would really say yes to that if it were true?? What is your wedding date again? You arent going to have surgery before then are you? My daughter is 5, had tubes in her ears a year and a half ago and all of a sudden in Kindergarten has failed her hearing tests and is really struggling with following instructions at school. When you talk to her you have to do it loudly like talking to an older person or she really cant hear you. I feel like a terrible mother because I she really changed when she started school and I just thought she was being defiant. Now we get to go back to the specialist in a few weeks to see what must be done. Having children is hard, I feel bad, I want her to be better, but I dont want her to have another ear surgery. I wish I could trade places with her. I feel like she has already missed out on so much at school in the first 3 months. Sorry for rambling!

I cant believe you are trying to do any ab work less than 10 days out from surgery honestly. Take it easy on those and give your port area time to heal first. Did your doctor give you any instructions about this?

Me and a friend, who are both banded, went to Chili's this weekend for lunch. We both decided to order a whole meal so we could take the leftovers home to our spouses. Our waitress walked by about 6 times looking at our full plates with concern. I couldn't help but laughing. She finally came by and asked if there was something wrong with the food or if she had done something? We of course told her she had done a wonderful job we just couldn't eat that much food and would need to go boxes. I guess it was a lot funnier in person, I really enjoyed it!

Liz- We all come here to vent at some point, we don't just come to brag believe it or not! I think a lot of us are going through the same thing... the newness of our bands has worn off and so sneaking some food we know we shouldn't have or not making it to the gym are becoming easier to do. Its hard to stay as focused as we should sometimes so we all need to pick ourself up and start the new day out right. We all signed yo for making life long changes, now its crunch time and time to prove to ourselves this wasn't just another fad diet we were going to do for a few months. Whats your next short term goal everyone and what are you going to do to step it up and get there? Mine is to make Onderland by or around Thanksgiving and I am going to add an extra gym day and bypass the candy bowl at work. I think I am gonna hang the calorie count for those mini candy bars on my computer monitor!

I will say a prayer for you and your family, that is a lot to go through at once. Be patient with your band until you get good restriction you are going to be able to eat more. They wont repo your band! Good luck on the job hunt!

I think I was pretty clear in what I said you choose to read between the lines looking for an argument. I am not racist and yes I do prefer my doctor to have a staff and their own English skills be so good I would think it was there primary language. This surgery is optional and I have the luxury of choosing a doctor and full staff who speak the same language as me and I dont feel bad for that. Its whats important to ME. I realize this is not important to everyone and thats fine, I was expressing why I would not go to Mexico (especially with US doctors that have comparable pricing!)

If they came to the US for medical school and then had a practice in Mexico that was not regulated by the US and there were plenty of US doctors who could help me then NO I see no reason to risk it. I also do not feel comfortable having a staff take care of me after surgery that can only communicate with me by making hand gestures. God forbid something was happening and I am trying to tell a nurse who knows no English. I wasn't criticizing your decision I was just explaining mine. As I said before what is right for you may not be for me and thats okay.

Everyone has the freedom to make their own choices in healthcare, my personal preference is to have a doctor trained in schools from my own country whose primary language is the same as mine. I dont go for the ol' all the doctors in Mexico trained all of the American surgeons routine. There are lots of doctors in the states with good reputations and reasonable self pay charges. To each his own though what is right for someone else may not be right for you.

NASTY!!! lol!

WOO HOO Melissa that rocks! I have been buying quite a few 16's but came across some really cute 14's at Goodwill and thought what the heck, these will actually fit soon! I gave away a bunch of my fat clothes to my girlfriend last week and it felt SO GOOD! It did make me feel a little uncomfortable and bad for my friend but it was such a fabulous feeling knowing I am NOT going to need those clothes again. It seems like every month I go through a few WEEKS when my scale does not move at ALL. It is very frustrating but thankfully from tracking it I can see a pattern and know that since it didn't move for the last 10 days in the next 10 days it will likely go down quite a bit. I wish it were more consistent though because the lack of weight loss makes those chocolate candies at work look even more appealing. I HATE having a candy bowl at work I wish I could throw it away!

The only thing they submitted was my current weight/height and a few papers I filled out stating what weight loss attempts I had already made. No documentation of any other kind. If you are over a BMI of 40 thats all it takes. Thanks for the compliment! I havent felt this good in a LONG time!

I was told back in May that they do not do pre-authorizations for it either. Then they sent me a letter pre-authorizing my surgery date as well as the facility I was having it done at. I have Federal BCBS Basic. It's very confusing but they did authorize it and paid it in full no problems! Our insurance kicks butt! I got my approval in less than 4 business days.

Thanks for all the compliments! It really helps me to put it in perspective when I look at my pics. It just so happens my monthly pic time is when my weight loss slows down every month. Mini - my pics are on the prior page.

I have a hard time in the mirror UNLESS its a brand new outfit that fits perfectly :biggrin1: Really I do rely on my monthly photos a lot to remind me that yes it really is working!

Thats awesome! Just keep your eye the prize (what it will be like a year from now). It is sooooo worth it! R U counting down the days???

I don't like paying a lot of money for a buffet when I cant eat it either. A lot of buffets will have a price for getting something off a menu instead of all you can eat. Or I just refuse to eat at them. I am ABSOLUTELY willing to try to save myself some money when there is no way I could eat all that food. I don't care what i was able to eat before, it is unwise spending of my cash to pay $17 for half a cup of food and I will not do it! Thats like saying i refuse to refinance my house and get a cheaper rate because its only fair I pay the higher rates that were in place when I bought my house. Give me a break. This weekend I was able to buy a kids meal at a restaurant that clearly states for 12 and under only.

Manatee you look amazing! I wouldnt even know that was the same person! Here is my latest:

I think the only thing I lost in the last month is boobs and hair!! I like my start and current photos but from month to month I cant tell any difference!

Sandra, If you are not able to at least get a decent amount of liquids down I would call my doctor. I would rather take a little bit out than make complications for myself that i dont need.

I can understand wanting to get a good fill for your money but your doctor knows what is best. Do they use flouro? You honestly do not want to get over filled and then have to have more taken out than they put in at your last fill!