piercedqt78

There is a place opening just 18 miles from my home, but I can't get any information about them unless I "join" the program and that is $99, which includes a free fill but not the office visit or the flouro. Not sure how much extra that will be or if my insurance will reimburse me for this location. I would like to know what facility it is before I drop any money on a membership. The town listed as my closest location is a hit or miss kind of area and there are some not so great doctors there. I am near Chicago and there are none listed in the city just this one suburb. Strange huh? ~Mandy

Vines, what is a butter bell? I was told that for ever cup of caffine you drink you have to drink 2 cups of Water to make up for it, as caffine adds to dehydration. Anyone else ever hear this? I have Dunkin Doughnuts decaf with a shot of french vanilla (all of their flavors are sugarfree) and a splenda and some fatfree cream, it is really good and takes care of that coffee craving. I also have them iced and they are also good. I make iced coffee at home as well with the DD Beans as I am fond of the rich flavor they seem to have. Not sure if this helps anyone but this is what I am doing. ~Mandy

I had to go for one last year because my doctor thought he might have felt something. My husband was very supportive and said well guys have to have their prostates checked and that is just as bad. Umm excuse me????? Not even close, I had my 40DD made into pancakes and he thinks a little finger is just as bad?? I also had natural child birth, but he was better about that, since he almost passed out just watching not actually enduring the pain. :laugh Men! who needs 'em? Oh wait my car needs an oil change, I guess I do for now~Mandy

I was getting an email message when someone posted a reply to a thread I was participating in, and now I'm not. Is there something going on with the system? I have not changed anything in the user cp and I am not sure what happened. I just logged on and found several replies to things I had posted on and several new messages on threads I am subscribed to. Weird.....~Mandy

Ok, everything was checked as it should have been, so I unchecked it and rechecked it. I will let you know if this helps. ~Mandy

Another great meatball option is swedish meatballs made easy: 2 packets of brown gravy mix (the powder kind that you add 1 cup Water too) 3 cups water sour cream meatballs 1 can 4-6 oz mushrooms drained (optional) make the brown gravy with 3 cups water to thin it out a bit, stir in sour cream to taste (I use 1/4 cup for 3 cups gravy) add mushrooms if desired pour over pre-cooked meatballs simmer 5 mins. I always served this with egg noodles, but I made it today and we had mashed potatos instead as noodles are not allowed for me yet. This dish is yummy and simple, and you can use turkey meatballs and lowfat sourcream and it is super healthy. My family loves it. ~Mandy

Try having warm broth from a bowl not a cup and use a spoon. Trick your body into thinking you are eating, I did and it really worked for me. Also are you allowed egg drop soup? I ordered the soup with no eggs, just the thick broth, it is usually made as it is ordered so they can make it without the egg. I also felt more full after warm tea with honey, instead of sugar, something about the honey that did it for me. ~Mandy

I am in the south burbs of Chicago and was banded on 7-28-05. Dr. Horgan did the surgery at UIC. I am down a total of 30 some odd pounds from the pre-op diet and the after surgery diet. I am doing really well, and feel great. ~Mandy

A friend sent me this link, this guy does airbrushing for major magazines. Clickon a picture, after it loads put your mouse over it and it will show the untouched photo. http://glennferon.com.nyud.net:8090/portfolio1/index.html ~Mandy

Penni, try this one and when you get there click on portfolio. http://glennferon.com/ I hope this works for you it is interesting to see how much they change on "beautiful" people. ~Mandy

I know this has been discused before, but this is more about kids consuming these products, this was passed to me in an e-mail and I thought I would share it here..... ARE SYNTHETIC SWEENENERS SAFE FOR KIDS? THE FEINGOLD ASSOCIATION WEIGHS IN According to a new Grocery Manufacturers Association survey, almost half of all grocery shoppers now look for product with reduced sugar, and last year, the food industry introduced 2,225 no-sugar or low-sugar food products, including diet sodas, cerealsfruit juices, Cookies, ice cream, bread, flavored milk, maple syrup and even bottled Water. With so many low-sugar foods available, the Feingold Association (www.feingold.org) has found that many parents are increasingly concerned about whether synthetic sweeteners are safe for their children. "I've never seen as much interest and confusion over sweeteners as I have recently," says Jane Hersey, the association's Director. "New sweeteners are coming on the market, manufacturers are slugging it out, and most parents are having a hard time keeping track of what their options are. We're offering the 'real skinny' on these sweeteners." *NutraSweet, Equal (Aspartame) According to Hersey, the Food & Drug Administration has received thousands of reports of adverse reactions to aspartame (NutraSweet) since its approval in 1981. (It stopped collecting these reports in early 1996.) The Feingold Association has also received many negative reports, leading it to add aspartame to the list of additives eliminated on the Feingold Program in 2004. Aspartame, which is 200 times as sweet as sugar, is the most profitable synthetic sweetener ever used. It is estimated that over 100 million people in the United States, including a large percentage of children and adolescents, drink aspartame-sweetened drinks on a regular basis. It is also used in low-calorie foods, pediatric medicine, and other products. "Unfortunately, some parents try to help their kids lose weight by giving them sugar-free foods and diet sodas that are sweetened with aspartame," says Hersey. "This is a huge mistake, because aspartame has been associated with hyperactivity, irritability, aggression, and concentration problems - not to mention brain tumors." Aspartame has a long list of critics, including government scientists. After investigating the industry-funded studies, FDA toxicologist Dr. M. Adrian Gross found that at least one of them "established beyond any reasonable doubt that aspartame is capable of inducing brain tumors in experimental animals." According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board-certified neurosurgeon, the first safety study of aspartame produced a rate of brain tumors in the aspartame-fed rats that was 25 times higher than would be expected to occur naturally. The studies on aspartame were so fraught with irregularities that the FDA Chief Counsel recommended a grand jury be convened to investigate them (the first such request in the agency's history), and a public board of inquiry found they were inadequate on the issue of brain tumors. Three FDA scientists called the studies into question just weeks before a new FDA commisioner approved NutraSweet in 1981. The irregularities included surgery to remove tumors from the test animals and failure to determine if they were cancerous. From 1973 to 1990, there was a 67 percent increase in brain tumors in people over 65, with a 10 percent increase in all age groups. (The greatest increase started four years after aspartame's approval - in 1985, 1986 and 1987.) Aspartame is made of the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine, as well as methanol, also known as wood alcohol. Products that contain aspartame are required to include a caution for people who cannot tolerate phenylalanine. According to Hersey, some manufacturers hide aspartame in foods, supplements, and medicines by simply saying "contains phenylalanine." The most frequent complaint attributed to aspartame use is migraine headaches (see www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/44/10/1787). *Neotame As its patent for aspartame was running out, the manufacturer developed a new, more potent version of the synthetic sweetener. By adding 3-dimethylbutl (a chemical the Environmental Protection Agency lists as hazardous) to aspartame, scientists drastically increased its sweetening power. Hersey also weighs in on the controversy surrounding the FDA's approval of neotame, including some critics' claims that some of the industry-funded studies had few subjects, flawed protocols, and were extremely short-term (as short as one day). Evidently, some subjects reported headaches after ingesting neotame, but the industry researchers concluded that they were not related to neotame ingestion. (The fact that migraine headaches are the most commonly reported negative reaction to aspartame in the FDA's files was not mentioned in their report.) Hersey points out that although the FDA approved neotame in 2002, Europe has still not accepted it. Neotame is not marketed directly to consumers as a tabletop sweetener but is used in several hundred different food products (including baked goods), often combined with other artificial sweeteners. Because this sweetener is 7000 to 13000 times as sweet as sugar (and 30 times sweeter than aspartame) only a tiny amount is needed. "Unfortunately, it's possible that neotame could be used in some foods without being listed, since the FDA doesn't require labels to include ingredients that make up less than one percent of a product" says Hersey. *Splenda (Sucralose) The no-calorie sweetener Splenda is made by treating sugar with chlorine, which appears to prevent the body from metabolizing it in the same way as sugar. The result is 600 times as sweet as sugar. Hersey points out that McNeil Nutritionals, the company that makes Splenda, is now embroiled in controversy over its slogan that it "is made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar." Both the Sugar Association and Merisant (which now makes Equal and NutraSweet) claim that McNeil's ad is misleading, giving consumers the impression that Splenda is natural. The Texas Consumer Association has asked the FTC to investigate McNeil's marketing campaign. Other critics claim that animal studies have shown that sucralose can cause shrunken thymus glands, as well as enlarged livers and kidneys, and call for long-term human studies on its safety. They also question the manufacturer's claim that it does not break down in the digestive system, saying that it decomposes into small amounts of 1,6-dichloofructose, a chemical that has not been adequately tested in humans. According to Hersey, although Splenda does not deteriorate in high temperatures, it can be difficult for home cooks to manage. She reports that when the San Francisco Chronicle challenged pastry chefs to use it in their creations, they were all disappointed with the results. *Shugr (Tagatose and Erythritol) Shugr, a brand new sugar substitute, may pose serious competition to the diet products now on the market, although its cost ($10.00 to $13.00 for a 3.4 ounce bottle) may be a drawback, according to Hersey. Marketed under the name Swiss Diet Shugr, this sweetener is made from erythritol and tagatose. Although Tagatose (also called Naturlose) is derived from milk, it is reportedly tolerated by people who are lactose intolerant. It looks and tastes like sugar, and can be used in the same ways. It is 92 percent as sweet as sugar but has just one-fourth of the calories. Like yogurt, it contains beneficial bacteria. In addition to being used in Shugr, Tagatose has been added to a few of Pepsi's and Kellogg's low calorie products. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, but unlike some of the others, large amounts do not cause digestive upset. It has the appearance and texture of sugar, is 70 percent as sweet, does not promote tooth decay and has almost no calories. *Sugar Alcohols Sugar alcohols are also known as "sugar polyols" and "rare sugars." They include sorbitol, manitol, xylitol, and maltitol, lactitol, and isomalt, erythritol, and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (a blend of several sugar alcohols). Hersey points out that there is a potential for adverse reactions from these sweeteners, including diarrhea, flatulence, and damage to various organs, if they are consumed in large amounts. "My advice would be, don't go out of your way to consume sugar alcohols, because they're probably in many of the foods you're already eating. They're often added to packaged foods like sugar-free candies and cookies to add bulk and moisture, as well as sweetness." *Sunett (Acesulfame-K) Sunett was first approved in 1988 as a tabletop sweetener and is now also used in baked goods, frozen Desserts, candies and beverages. This noncaloric sweetener, which is 200 times as sweet as sugar, is stable under high temperatures and is often combined with other sweeteners. "In order to hide acesulfame's unpleasant aftertaste, it is now being teamed up with aspartame in some products," says Hersey. "The scariest thing is that it's not clear if aspartame will need to be identified, because the small amount needed might allow it to get in under the radar. This is a common problem with synthetic sweeteners." Critics claim that the safety studies required for Sunett's approval were badly flawed and that there is evidence that this sweetener has cancer-causing properties. *Sweet'N Low, Sugar Twin (Saccharin) Saccharin, which was discovered in 1879, is 300 times sweeter than sugar. When a 1977 study showed that saccharin caused bladder cancer in rats, the FDA tried to ban the sweetener. But after a public outcry (fueled in part by media reports that the lab rats were fed the equivalent of about 800 diet sodas daily), Congress passed a law placing a moratorium on the ban while additional safety studies were conducted. The law also mandated that any foods containing the sweetener carry a label warning that it "has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals." While some scientists contend that animal studies don't always predict how a substance will affect humans, in the late 1970s, the Food & Drug Administration and the National Cancer Institute conducted a study finding "suggestive evidence" that heavy saccharin users (those using six or more servings a day) may have an increased risk of bladder cancer. The requirement for warning labels was lifted in 2000 and saccharin continues to be widely used in soft drinks, baked goods, jams, canned fruit, candy, and dessert toppings, as well as a tabletop sweetener in restaurants. *High Fructose Corn Syrup "Although high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has become the major sweetener used in soft drinks and is commonly found in 'Fruit Drinks,' most people know little about its side effects," says Hersey. These side effects can include loss of Iron, magnesium, and zinc, as well as interference with the heart's use of magnesium, copper and chromium. Critics contend that HFCS may also contribute to childhood diabetes. In addition, HFCS has been linked to obesity, according to the April 2004 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition article entitled "Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity." The authors note, "The increased use of HFCS in the United States mirrors the rapid increase in obesity ... The digestion, absorption and metabolism of fructose differs from those of glucose." *Traditional Sweeteners Hersey encourages people who are nervous about the risks of synthetic sweeteners to use traditional sweeteners, such as granulated and confectioner's sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, and pure maple syrup. Those looking for a no-calorie choice can use stevia. Some health-conscious consumers prefer to use less processed forms of sugar, including evaporated cane juice, cane sugar crystals, and raw sugars such as Turbinado. Other natural sweeteners include barley malt and rice syrup. "The Feingold Association is not anti-sugar," says Hersey. "Some people have vilified sugar so much that it has backfired to the point where parents are giving their kids foods loaded with synthetic sweeteners like aspartame, assuming that 'sugar-free' means 'healthy.' We recognize that most people eat too much sugar, which can lead to cavities and other health problems. But that's the point -- we know what sugar does. We don't know enough about these synthetic sweeteners, and what we do know is very disturbing." "Any new chemical that is added to our food should first have to pass rigorous testing by independent laboratories (not by the manufacturer) to ensure that it is safe. Much of the 'testing' now taking place is being conducted on millions of unwary consumers, including our children." The Feingold Association The Riverhead, New York-based Feingold Association (www.feingold.org) was founded in 1976 by parent volunteers to help families of children with learning and behavioral problems, as well as chemically sensitive adults. The charity's advisory board includes medical professionals from a variety of institutions, such as Johns Hopkins University, the University of Rochester, Stony Brook University, and Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. The Feingold Association offers a dietary program developed by the late Benjamin Feingold, M.D., Chief of Allergy at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco. The Feingold Program eliminates certain synthetic food additives and foods that have been shown to trigger hyperactivity, attention deficits, and other problems. Many studies back the link between diet and behavior/learning problems (www.diet-studies.com/adhd.html). The Feingold Association researches brand name foods and provides members with information about which foods are free of harmful additives. Its Foodlists contain thousands of acceptable brand name products and its newsletter, Pure Facts, provides monthly updates. Members of the association also receive a book on the Feingold Program (which includes recipes and a menu plan), a Fast Food Guide, Mail Order Guide, e-newsletter and product alerts, as well as access to telephone and email help-lines. An online message board, recipe board and chat room are also available. Jane Hersey A former teacher and Head Start consultant, Jane Hersey has been Director of the Feingold Association since 1985. She is the editor of the Association's newsletter, Pure Facts , and author of Why Can't My Child Behave? and Healthier Food for Busy People , both of which have been recommended by The Washington Post. Hersey has frequently lectured at educational associations, universities, hospitals, medical groups, and other organizations and has testified before the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In the 1980s, she helped initiate a low-additive school food program that lasted for several years in Fairfax County, Virginia, which has one of the largest school districts in the country. She has been interviewed by Woman's World, Baltimore's Child, the Des Moines Register , Cincinnati Enquirer, Fort Myers News-Press, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Charleston Post and Courier, ABC's Nightline, and countless radio programs. Her articles have appeared in publications such as Mothering Magazine, Welcome Home , Fostering Perspectives , and New Living.

My husband says I make the best pot roast on the planet in my crock. My secret is a product made by this company www.homemadegourmet.com it is grandma's sunday pot roast seasoning. It also makes great meatballs, onion dip and hamburgers. They have loads of yummy mixes and seasonings. It is a home party type company but you can also do single orders from a local distributor, they are based in texas but sell nationwide. I discovered them at a flea market in NC, I bought the coleslaw mix, we had a huge bbq to attend the afternoon that we got back to Chicago and I wanted something simple and fast to make, this was it. If you contact a local distributor they also have a crockpot minicookbook that is really good. I don't work for the company but I do love the products, I lived on the chicaken tortilla soup during my liquid stage and then I added canned chicken breast during the mushie stage. ~Mandy

I have a script for Phenergan suppistories (sp?) in the fridge. They are to prevent nauesa, vomiting and motion sickness. I have not needed them but my PCP thought it would be a good idea to have them on hand. His thought was if I got sick at night or on the weekend by the time the night service paged him and he could call something in and actually get it filled, I could have thrown-up 4 or 5 times. This way I have it and as soon as that pukey feeling hits I can use one. ~Mandy

I was denied 3 times and I cried each and every time. Then I picked myself up and appealed, appealed, appealed. I was on my way to an independant evaluation (an outside comapny) and a bright idea hit me, call the union that provides the insurance. I called my husbands employeer and the union and guess what? I was approved, without even appealing or having to go with the independant company. I was told that the independant company would most likely overturn the denial anyway. Don't give up until you have exausted ALL options. Sometimes there is a reason for the wait time, mine was so that I could fully wrap my head around the idea of surgery and I began eating like a bandster. It gave me time to give up pop and I started walking each day. I had surgery 7/28/05 and I am down 30 pounds. ~Mandy

My patien card from Inamed says: "caution should be taken when prescribing potentially ulcerogenic medications"

I don't remember where I got this list but here it is, I gave a copy to my PCP as well: DRUGS THAT CAN DAMAGE THE POUCH: Advil Aleve Amigesic Anacin Anaprox Ansald Anthra-G Arthropan Ascriptin Aspirin Asproject Azolid Bextra Bufferin Butazolidin Celebrex Clinorial Darvon compounds Disalcid Dolobid Erythromycin Equagesic Feldene Fiorinal Ibuprofen Indocin Ketoprofen Lodine Meclomen Midol Motrin Nalfon Naprosyn Nayer Orudis Oruval Pamprin-IB Percodan Ponstel Rexolate Tandearil Tetracycline Tolecin Uracel Vioxx Voltaren ALL "NSAIDS" (*see below for the Cox 2 Inhibitors) DRUGS THAT ARE CONSIDERED SAFE: Benadryl Tylenol Dimetapp Robitussin Safetussin Sudafed Triaminics (All) Tylenol (cold products) Tylenol Ex Strength Gas-X Phazyme Imodium Ad Colace Dulcolax-Suppositories Fleet Enema Glycerin-Suppositories Milk of Magnesia Peri-Colace *Bextra is the newest, next generation of NSAIDS. It is simply an anti-inflammatory with no compound to aid in the protection of our GI systems.

Hobbit: Lila Brambleburr of Bindbale Wood Elf: Linwë Silimaurë

I have a different concern than everone else, if he lists bulemia as your condition won't that effect the ability to get the band? My surgeon will not band anyone with eating disorders that are not controled for at least 5 years. And the insurance could raise a red flag on the eating disorder too. ~Mandy

I can't make it to the band bash, and I am already fitting into smaller sizes. Has anyone set up a clothing exchange? If so, how did you do it? Where did you do it? I have some 24's down to some 20's to give away. I fit into an 18 today!!!!!!!!!!! WoooooooHoooooooo!! I have lost some serious weight off of my tummy and hips, I went to a cool resale shop and bought some light weight capris and a pair of shorts. I also bought some 16's that were just too good of a deal to pass up, they are long pants and overalls, for fall/winter. I have a closet full of stuff and 2 huge rubbermaid totes full of clothes to go through and see what fits and what needs to go. So, am I better off listing on ebay or trying to set up a clothing exchange? ~Mandy

I was banded on the 28th woohoo!! A week ago tomorow, and my incisions are itching , it's driving me crazy. I was stitched internally and then glued on the outside. How long will I continue to itch? I see the doc on friday for my follow-up but I don't think he will make the itching go away. My mom says that the itching is sign of healing but it is driving me insane , hubby says I didn't have far to travel. Oh, I had mashed potatos today and they were the BEST mashed potatos on the planet, maybe because it has been almost 3 weeks since I have had real food? I could only eat about 1/2 cup and I was full, they went down no problems!! I had egg salad today too, not as good but it still resembled solid food. I understand what full feels like now and it is great to have my band~Mandy

I had to do 10 days of sugar free liquids, it is supposed to shrink the liver. I am not sure if it really does but my surgeon will cancel surgery if you have gained even a single pound, from first visit to surgery day. I lost 22 pounds on my liquid diet and I felt that I was more prepared for the liquids after surgery. After the first couple of days, you don't even feel hungry so the liquid diet is mostly will power to overcome those first few days. But since you are not really hungry anymore, there are no post-op hungar pains to deal with. ~Mandy

Sounds weird but it is really good, 1 large jar grape jelly 1 jar chili sauce blend together is the crock pot or microwave until smooth, it will look like BBQ sauce. Add frozen or premade meatballs (I use turkey meatballs) If you are using the crock allow them to cook for 1-2 hours before serving on low, if the microwave, heat until meatballs are hot in the middle, I assure you this is good, easy and really popular at parties. We tailgate at the bears games and everyone always ask for the recipe. I love this for parties as it will keep in the crock for several hours, but never lasts that long. ~Mandy

Other then the perscription appetite suppressant and Water pills, the only really weird diets I have done are 1) Duke university Rice diet, I still have rice issues. You get 3 cups of rice per day for 2 weeks, then you can have 3 cups of rice and 1 serving of fruit, 1 serving of veggies, 1 serving of chicken or fish, all steamed no butter or salt. I did this in my teens with my mom. 2) cabbage Soup diet, nothing more to say on that one. 3) Atkins, it worked for the 11 months I was on it, I lost 87 pounds, then I found out i was pregnant and I gained it all back and then some. The obgyn said that since my body was "accustomed" to having the extra weight for so long, I would gain more weight it was just a fact of life. I was showing when I was only 12 weeks pregnant. I couldn't touch my fingers together around my belly by 7 months. I was GINORMOUS!!! From month 5 until I gave birth all I heard was Is it twins? and when I told strangers that I had x amount of weeks to go they always asked ""Are you sure????" I lost some of the weight but I have my band to help me battle the rest. Thank God!!!~Mandy

I can get my first fill on September 8th, that is 6 weeks post-op. But I am waiting until October because I am going on vacation and I don't want my first fill to "kick in" while I am at Disney and not be able to eat or enjoy myself. So I will get a fill as soon as I get home. ~Mandy

bubbame20022003, if you love purple flowers try to find a butterfly bush, not only do they produce the most beautiful huge purple flowers but they attract hundreds of butterflies. They are bigger almost bush sized but not as thick. My sister has 3 of them on the back of her house and her back yard is always full of butterflies. ~Mandy