pennyt

Bumping this up because I'd like to know too. I plan to call Brad Ray in Bloomington next week to see if they accept transfers for fills.

Hello, I feel my surgeon abandoned me, and I'm going to go to a Fill Center USA center for a fill. Has anyone been that would like to refer me? They have a deal going on right now that if a current patient refers a new patient, the current gets $50 off their next fill, and the new patient gets $25 off the first fill there. Thanks

For those with BC FEP, the insurance doesn't require the 6 month supervised diet. The surgeon might require it, but not the insurance. Same for the psych eval. If you have surgery as an out-patient, with FEP BC Basic you'll probably get billed for a portion of the cost of the band, which could amount to about $1,000. For in-patient, you don't have to pay a portion of the device cost. I'm not sure about FEP BC Standard plan. NOTE: This is for FEP Blue Cross, not for BC from any other employer.

I keep reading the term "blow out" in magazines, concerning hair. Is a blowout just going in and having your hair washed and blow dry, with a little bit of styling thrown in? Do many people go into salons for just that? I guess I'm just not girly enough to know this.

I go through a metal detector in Court at least once a week, and it has never beeped on me when I was carrying anything not allowed. (I'm allowed to pass with things banned to the general public since I'm an officer of the Court.) Usually I bypass the arch, but I do go through it when I'm in a hurry. I've even been wanded, and it has never gone off on my band.

I want to add another recommendation for Everyday Minerals. I got the sample kit, and found a foundation that I loved. I'm also a big fan of the multi-task concealer and one of the light bronzers. I dampen the brush just a bit when I put on the concealer and get amazing coverage, especially over that one pimple that seems to always be present. (I'm 43! Why so I have acne? I never had acne as a teenager.) I then went in and bought a kit of 12 different items for $50, and got several large-sized foundations of my shade, a large concealer, a large bronzer, as well as a brush and some eye shadows/liners. If I had just purchased a few large-sized products, it would have cost the same, and I got a lot of product for only $50. I've found that using the right brushes makes a big difference in how the make-up goes on. I have the kabuki brush from EDM, and it puts the foundation on so that it looks nice. For the eyes and concealer, I use nice brushes that I bought at Target.

This probably won't be a popular answer, but you ought to call the police and report identity theft on the person that used your name for their loan. That's illegal, and you shouldn't have your life ruined by their actions. If you report it to the police AND to the credit bureaus, giving them a copy of the police report, the credit bureaus should take this loan off your credit report, thereby increasing your chances of getting your financing. I know, it's a family member, and you probably love them, but you are still the victim of a crime. You shouldn't have to pay for their mistake. Just my opinion.

I have Crohn's (diagnosed 1991) and got my band in May 2008. I will admit I've only one fill, and haven't exercised as much as I should have due to craziness at work, so my results aren't the best so far. I've had no problems with the CD since being banded. I went to a Center of Excellence, and my surgeon didn't think there would be problems with having CD in remission and getting the band. My gastroenterologist approved the surgery before I had it, of course. He's been my gastro for almost 18 years, and he would have nixed the surgery if he had any concerns. I'm sure if I had active disease he would have said no, but I'm in surgical/medication remission. I had a resection in 2006 where they removed a small bowel obstruction, and my gastro surgeon examined the entire length of the bowel and found no active disease. The obstruction was from scarring from earlier inflammation. I've also had resections in 1991 and 1994. I'm on Remicade every 6-7 weeks, and 75 mg Purinethol (6-mp). I also have a huge incisional hernia, but mine hasn't been fixed yet. Dr. Clark wants me to lose 25 more pounds, then he'll fix the hernia and tighten the abdomen at the same time. My hernia is about 4 inches wide and 9 inches long. I'd probably be two sizes smaller in pant sizes if I didn't have it. I have two incisions that are a couple inches higher than my belly button. One is 1 inch to the right of the navel, and one is 2 inches left of the midline, or the navel. The left incision is my port. The other low incision about an inch below my navel, and is further from the midline. It's located in a line that could be drawn straight down from the right edge of my right breast. The other incisions are on the upper abdomen. I've already told Dr. Clark I need to have my belly button when he fixes the hernia/tightens the abdomen. I can not be a Mabel! That's a weird family story. My mom worked with a woman called "Mabel". One day a couple of the other employees asked my mom why she called the woman "Mabel", and my mom said that's what everyone else called the woman. My mom misunderstood! They were calling the woman "No navel" because she had had surgery, and they closed her up without leaving the belly button. After I had my first crohn's surgery, the surgeon came out to tell my husband that I went through surgery fine, but was repeating, "I don't want to be Mabel, I don't want to be Mabel." My husband laughed so hard he almost feel down. I guess I woke up to feel that huge bandage going down my abdomen, and freaked because of the anesthesia. I really don't think it would bother me to not have a belly button, I just know my loving (snort) husband and kids would call me Mabel for the rest of my life.

I'm still upset and it's been a week. Do y'all think I'm wrong to be still upset? My husband, who is very absent minded, and who really has taken me for granted for years, didn't even get me a birthday card this year. He said he bought two of them back in March and put them away, but then couldn't find where he stashed them when it got close to my birthday. He said that he just didn't think to go buy another card, even when he couldn't find where he put those he had already bought. He said that, if he finds the cards, he figures he can just give them to me for my birthday next year or maybe for my half-birthday. OMG, if he does, I think I'll give him something in return--a right hook. He said I shouldn't be upset, since he bought cards, he just didn't give them to me. Oh, and he didn't tell me about the cards he bought until the next day, when I was all upset about "something." I had to tell him why I was upset. And no, I didn't get a gift from him. I didn't want a present. I just wanted a card, or at least something to make it seem like it was a special day in some way. It was pretty much a non-day, although he did tell me happy birthday at the end of the day. I know he knew it was my birthday. He says he knew it was my birthday, he just didn't think that it was a big deal. And anyway, I got a new car a week earlier, so I shouldn't expect a present. BTW, he got his new car, which was more expensive than mine, a month ago. The price of the cars doesn't bother me. I got the car I wanted. I guess on his birthday which is coming up very soon, I should tell him he got a car several months earlier. And I meant to get a card, or a cake, or a special e-mail, or anything, I just didn't think it was a big deal. To me, it is a big deal. I'm the one who always wishes people a happy birthday. If I find out when someone's birthday is, I make an entry in my palm pilot with their birthday, that way I get a message a week beforehand, and I can wish them a happy birthday. I've done that for years for just about everyone because I think everyone should have someone, even a casual acquaintance, think of them on their birthday. I don't know what I'll do on his birthday. I've always done a card, a cake, and a gift. Probably not this year, though. So, what would your response be?

Thanks for the info. That's better than the Monday morning fills. I have to be in Court every Monday and Wednesday afternoon, so I'd have to rush back from Indy to make it in time if I go to the Southport Rd office. We get new clients (arrested juveniles) on Tuesdays, so thank goodness Thursday is offered for fills. I usually take off every Friday, but I can change my work schedule to take off on Thursday afternoons every once in a while. I've only had one fill so far, since I haven't had a chance to call the Premier office. I'll call them tomorrow to make an appt.

I have to ask, what exactly happens at these parties? Do you pass around toys, discuss how they're used, or just pick things out of a catalog? How explicit is the conversation? I'm sure it's a lot different than the tupperware/pampered chef parties I've been to.

Well, I've had two kids, and I think everyone in the hospital had a look each time I was in the hospital for delivery. Even with that, I'm still bashful about going to the gyn. I see a female nurse-pract now, and it took a while to find one I was comfortable with. My first appt with her was a get to know each other kind of meeting, fully dressed. I felt like I could talk to her, even naked, so I scheduled my annual exam. My last gyn was a man, and I felt OK with him, but that's because my cousin's daughter was his nurse. She stayed in the room with me, and we joked around during the exam, which made it fun (ok, not fun, but not horrible). My advice is to find someone you feel comfortable with before you ever take off your clothes. Get to know the person at a get acquainted appt before you make an appt for the full exam. If you don't feel comfortable, you won't talk, and that's what causes problems. Talk to your friends, and find out who they recommend. If you don't want to disclose that you've never had a PAP, just tell them you're looking for a new doctor and want recommendations.