Snowgator

Thanks for the recipe, Dee! Sounds fantastic, can't wait to give it a try.

Dee, Would you mind posting that oatmeal recipe? I think I missed it if you did post. Hope everybody is doing well and that you had a nice v-day.

Mini, I think April fools day is a great night for a red robin get together! Let's do it. John, I'll look for you there.

Hi Dee, I'll be there tonight, and I'm also bringing a friend from work who was recently banded by a Kaiser doc. Could you share your recipe for doing the steel cut oats in the crock pot? Sorry your internet guy was a turkey. I have had the same experience, not fun at all. Keep in mind is is HIS loss.

Dee, a belated congrats on your one year bandiversary. You are an inspiration and we all have benefited from your experience with the band. Are we still on for RR this Monday at 7? Patty, I love your wedding photo. I used to live in Orlando, and have been to WW several times. You look so hip! Well all, I had quite the event this week. Ended up spending 2 nights in the hospital for severe nausea, vomiting, GI upset, etc. Got some kind of bad stomach bug. After 2nd day in, wondered if maybe it was my band, so I called Dr. K. He told me to have the order an upper GI series. They did it the next morning, and the radiology tech told me my band had slipped. It looked ok to me on the screen, kind of like photos we've seen on line, but I was nervous. I got discharged from the hospital, went home and called Dr. K's office. The staff told me he was at the surgery center. I drove there, and was lucky to catch Dr. K inbetween surgeries. He took a look at my films on CD right then, and said my band was fine. What a relief. So, a close call for me.

Dee, Feb. 9 is good for me, 6:30 or 7:00? I got this from the IRS web site: Topic 502 - Medical and Dental Expenses If you itemize your deductions on Form 1040, Schedule A (PDF), you may be able to deduct expenses you paid that year for medical care (including dental) for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents. A deduction is allowed only for expenses paid for the prevention or alleviation of a physical or mental defect or illness. Medical care expenses include payments for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or treatment affecting any structure or function of the body. The cost of drugs is deductible only for drugs that require a prescription, except for insulin. Medical expenses include fees paid to doctors, dentists, surgeons, chiropractors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and Christian Science practitioners. Also included are payments for hospital services, qualified long–term care services, nursing services, and laboratory fees. Payments for acupuncture treatments or inpatient treatment at a center for alcohol or drug addiction are also deductible medical expenses. You may include amounts you paid for participating in a smoking–cessation program and for drugs prescribed to alleviate nicotine withdrawal. However, you may not deduct amounts paid for nicotine gum and nicotine patches, which do not require a prescription. You may deduct the cost of participating in a weight-loss program for a specific disease or diseases, including obesity, diagnosed by a physician. You may not deduct the cost of purchasing diet food items. In addition, you may include expenses for admission and transportation to a medical conference relating to the chronic disease of yourself, your spouse, or your dependent (if the costs are primarily for and essential to the medical care). However, you may not deduct the costs for meals and lodging while attending the medical conference. The cost of items such as false teeth, prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, laser eye surgery, hearing aids, crutches, wheelchairs, and guide dogs for the blind or deaf are deductible medical expenses. You may not deduct funeral or burial expenses, health club dues, over–the–counter medicines, toothpaste, toiletries, cosmetics, a trip or program for the general improvement of your health, or most cosmetic surgery. You may deduct transportation costs primarily for and essential to medical care that qualify as medical expenses. The actual fare for a taxi, bus, train, or ambulance can be deducted. If you use your car for medical transportation, you can deduct actual out–of–pocket expenses such as gas and oil, or you can deduct the standard mileage rate for medical expenses. With either method you may include tolls and parking fees. You may include in medical expenses the incidental cost of meals and lodging charged by the hospital or similar institution if your main reason for being there is to receive medical care. You can only include the medical expenses you paid during the year, regardless of when the services were provided. Your total medical expenses for the year must be reduced by any reimbursement. It makes no difference if you receive the reimbursement or if it is paid directly to the doctor or hospital. You may include qualified medical expenses you pay for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents, including a person you claim as a dependent under a multiple support agreement. If either parent claims a child as a dependent under the rules for divorced or separated parents, each parent may deduct the medical expenses he or she actually pays for the child. You can also deduct medical expenses you paid for someone who would have qualified as your dependent except that the person didn't meet the gross income or joint return test. You may deduct only the amount by which your total medical care expenses for the year exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. You do this calculation on Form 1040 Schedule A in computing the amount deductible. Medical expenses include insurance premiums paid for accident and health or qualified long-term care insurance. You may not deduct insurance premiums for life insurance, for policies providing for loss of wages because of illness or injury, or policies that pay you a guaranteed amount each week for a sickness. In addition, the deduction for a qualified long–term care insurance policy's premium is limited. Refer to Publication 502 , Medical and Dental Expenses. You may not deduct insurance premiums paid by an employer–sponsored health insurance plan (cafeteria plan) unless the premiums are included in Box 1 of your Form W-2 (PDF). If you are self–employed and have a net profit for the year, or if you are a partner in a partnership or a shareholder in an S corporation, you may be able to deduct, as an adjustment to income, 100% of the amount you pay for medical insurance for yourself and your spouse and dependents. You can include the remaining premiums with your other medical expenses as an itemized deduction. You cannot take the special 100% deduction for any month in which you are eligible to participate in any subsidized health plan maintained by your employer or your spouse's employer. Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses, contains additional information.

Hello all, just a drive by post to say hi and let you all know I am immensely proud of everybody's progess. Wow! I started my new weekend RN job, going well so far, but the orientation along with my regular job is a lot. Have been doing some eating around the band, but have recommitted to healthier habits. Brought my tupperware toddler dishes back out to make sure I don't overeat! Oh, and do we have a Feb. Red Robin night scheduled yet?

To me, it is vomiting. Sure, it is "easier" than vomiting used to be. But it does take me wanting it to happen, it is not involuntary. When i get that stuck feeling, I just have to talk myself into it, and up it comes. Love these gross discussions!!!

Jamie, Don't despair. We warned you this would happen until you get a few fills and hit the green zone. Hang in there chickie! I'm soon to have a new user name. Need some privacy due to others I work with considering the band. Just a heads up. I'll keep my fruity ticker the same for a while so you know who I am. thanks!

Happy New Year everybody! Size 9 is not in my future, but am hoping to be a size 12 in 2009. No rhyme, but I will be delighted.

Hello all, hope you had a Merry Christmas! Mini, I am down 2. Amazing, can't remember another x-mas week ever in my life that did not involve a weight gain. I was at the store today and saw all the vitamins, powders, and various diet stuff for sale. Isn't it nice not to have to start the year with yet another resolution about losing weight? yeah bandsters!

Hi everybody, Thanks for the tips on helping my nails. I went to walmart today and got the biotin, and also found some calcium chews that are very tasty, and cheap too: Spring Valley Natural Calcium Chews, chocolate flavor. They were about $5.50 for a bag of 90. They come in a yellow pouch, and were right next to the other kinds.

Okay, so i am 3.5 months out from surgery, and my hair is fine, but my fingernails - ack! They are dry and brittle, and have broken off so short that I look like I must be a chronic nail biter or something. Anybody else have this? Any tips? I am taking my vitamins, and doing 1 protein shake a day, plus protien at each meal.

Thanks Dee, I'd love to see you guys too and catch up. Sorry your new job did not work out, but glad you had a safety net to go back to. This job is pre-op/pacu, which I've been wanting to do, but it is only PRN Saturdays. Still have my regular M-F job. I"m just excited that somebody finally agreed to train me in this area. My daughter had ankle surgery on Wed., so I've been home with her this week being nurse/mom. It went well, and I'm glad I was able to take the time off. Also getting the house ready for holiday company. Still feel like I have good restriction. Have been eating some holiday treats, but just smaller portions. So far seems to be working out ok for me. Maybe if Deb comes in for a fill in Jan we can plan a 2nd girls night out?

Sorry, I will be in orientation for my new nursing job that day, and that night the GATORS play for the national championship, so I will be glued to the tV. Brandy, good luck with your surgery. I had my GB out, really no big deal. Hope yours is easy too. Mini, I'm down 3 this week. Happy Holidays everybody!

Dr. K put the fear of Jesus into me when I asked about having diet Coke. He said absolutely not, no carbonation at all, ever.

Absolutely!

Yep, Tom is on the right. It was this week! HOHOHO

Had to share this photo of our two favorite Santas!!!

Jaime, Don't feel bad. This happens to everybody! My band wasn't "working" until my 3rd fill. Hang in there, chickie. Now is just like any other diet you've been on in your life, nearly impossible. It will get better!

Hi Rene, I'd love the 16's if you still have them. Would be happy to meet up and take you to lunch or dinner. Nora

Mini, i'm down 2 lbs. yeah! Happy Thanksgiving everybody!!!

Welcome Ally and congratulations! Jme, Dr. k told me he does not prefill the band

Wine? Vodka? Now I know why I love you guys - this is the partying group!!!!! I am STILL sore from my little office episode today. OMG it was so disgusting. I told my daughter and she cracked up laughing.

Adork, That sucks about your hubby. I'm so sorry! Hope he finds something else that he likes even better. Dee, Congrats on your new job! Awesome! And yeah to your daughter for getting into such a great culinary school. How wonderful for her. I also got a new job today, PRN Saturdays at TMCA doing pre-op and PACU, which is just what I wanted! This will replace my other weekend job at DG. I just had a major sliming/PB episode here in my office. I couldn't even answer my phone. YUCK! And it was just chili, which usually goes down just fine. Oh well, thank heavens that passed without anybody banging on my door for some reason. How embarassing!