futureshrink

Why won't your insurance cover it? Did you explain to them that they are going to have to pay out way more if you have medical complications resulting from your weight than they would ever have to fork out if you just had the surgery? I know you are disappointed, but have you appealed it with your insurance company? I would get your PCP to make a case with you. Since I have been on these boards I see that this is a common problem. I am thinking there must be some kind of funding...I am so going to call Oprah! Fund raiser? bank robber? sugar daddy? Let me think on this for a bit. I am a social worker...we are all about the cause... Take care, Chris

Listen to that youngster make it all sound so easy. It is really confusing and It took me forever to figure it out. SO what I did was went to the ticker factory and made my ticker. Then I cut the code (ctrl + c) and pasted Ctrl + v) it into big box like this on my signiture page. And it actually worked. Does that help????:thumbup:

ARRRRGGGGGGGGG the pressure...okay. I will see if I can attach a beautiful picture of my pilfered cup tower... I call it the tower of power...or what to do when you are bored out of your skull. I am sure my neighbors are whispering behind their hands about that seemingly nice (read deranged) neighbor piling plastic cups onto her balcony railing. Hope this works...if not oh holy computer geek...please explain how to do it...in social work steps...which means asking the computer how it feels a lot of the time. Take care, Chris

I have only 2 things to say to you missy... 1. get the Wii fit out of the box...NOW or I will come take it from you! 2. um vienna sausages...seriously?

They all taste so so so yucky! What about the big old Omega 3 and Glucosamine. Will I ever be able to take those again? Chris...who managed to get down her antidepressants today...ThankfullY!

Okay...fluid in...lots and lots in...I suppose it defeats the purpose when I drink a cup of coffee....but seriously...I can't give it up. I only had ONE cup...honest... I am trying to drink enough, but my personal whatever it is from the dietician says I am supposed to drink 3.5 liters a day. WHO drinks THAT MUCH??? I mean I can't drink that much if I sit here all day and try...What if I never leave the bathroom cause my bladder is so overwhelmed! Oh...and I am less dizzy today. Hooray!

I am also taking Cymbalta. Today I managed 3 of the 30mgs over about 20 minutes. It worked! Thankfully! If I would have had one more break down in the kitchen I would have started wondering if I had post partum or was just going looney. I am worried about when I have my frist fill if that will restrict me from being able to take pills then. I can't believe I am barely on anything anymore. This SO ROCKS!!! Plus I gotta say...when I'm feeling blue, it is so much better to come here and babble rather than head for the fridge.... Thanks for your support! Chris

Hiya! You know I bet your grandchildren would love it if you got a Wii. I am so not kidding. Everyone loves me more since I got a Wii...and additionally, it gets you moving...since I can't really exercise at the gym right now, I have taken full advantage of the Wii...I can bowl, play tennis and other things that get me moving a little more than just sitting here trying to decide if I can puree bologna... Glad to meet you! Glad you are here! Take care, Chris PS...I am Canadian too...although I live in the States now...but if I say Chesterfield and tuke...you'll know what I mean!

Bad days seriously suck! Sorry you had one. I do not recommend pureed cow at any time quite frankly. I did get a recipe from someone else for a protein shake that I can almost tolerate and is not the consistency of paper mache paste. It involves peanut butter and anything that involves peanut butter rocks! Okay maybe not peanut butter and smashed turnips, but I am not ruling it out. What kind of class are you taking? I am thinking about taking a photography class just so I can learn new techniques to annoy everyone around me much more. People figure it out...either avoid me or just let me take the dangnab picture already! Well I suppose I should go try to do something productive. Like...well...floss or clean the bathroom or something. I am opting for flossing though I think. Do you think people actually floss their cats? Or brush maybe? If I am that bored maybe it is time to go back to work. Take care, Chris:thumbup:

Hey Donna, Glad to meet you...I think I must be feeling better as I spent about 45 minutes stacking those stupid 1 oz cups that I pilfered from the hospital in various towers and took pictures. Either that or I am TOTALLY BORED! I feel like I am in confession...I also drank coffee...but it was seriously the no calorie, no nothing cup O joe not the frilly Starbucks foo foo drink... I swear I will makeup for it...I will drink an extra gallon of Crystal Light...honest. I even got my antidepressants down today. I figured one more day of my no reason break downs and my cats were going to pack up and move out! I started a scrabook in December regarding the process. If they would have let me, I would have requested my friend take pictures in the operating room. The folks in radiology gave me a polaroid of my right caratid artery for my scrapbook. (I had to have a vena cava filter inserted before the surgery) It was hilarious! Anyway...gotta get to writing a court report. Thanks for your response. Take care, Chris:smile:

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!! That's awesome! Take care, Chris

My dizziness has finally subsided for the most part. It seems to be only late in the day when I am really tired. Today was a good non- dizzy day! Hooray!

Hi guys. I got really lucky. My insurance paid for everything. I have seen the struggles that some folks have with not having the money to cover this. But I also see a growing trend in insurance beginning to get a clue. It just frustrates me so much seeing that people's health is in the wringer and insurance is all about the numbers. I am trying to talk my brother into doing the surgery and he is private pay. He is so hesitant to fork out that kind of money, but I keep reminding him it is just money...just do it!

Hi, My name is Chris. I am 38 and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Oregon. I was banded on 8/27/08. I live in Portland with my two cats Max and Lulu. I drive a Honda named Griffith and have a GPS named Claudia. Haven't come up for a name for the band yet, but seriously, if it is going to be in me for life, I can't just call it "the band!" I have a really wicked sense of humor...just ask the doctors when I painted my toenails bright green with Rhinestones before my surgery so that if I died, the guy at the Morgue could go home that night and say, "Stella! You are NEVER going to believe this! I toe tagged a girl with bright green toes today!" Okay...I did take a picture...it couldn't be helped and the opportunity arose. I'm recovering well except that I am off of my antidepressants because they are too big to take and they are time released so I can't really open them and sprinkle them over my god awful protein drink! I am struggling emotionally kind of like post partumish...I am happy as hell that I got the band, but if I have one more break down I am seriously going to have to do something drastic like...like....make towers out of the 1 oz cups I stole from the hospital...I am a scrapbooker, artist, photographer...there is a reason for my debauchery. I am glad that this board exists. I can't explain this to my friends and family although they are pleased as punch for me. I am glad there are folks who know exactly what trying to puree a cow for the required 75 grams of protein (YES I AM VERY VERY TALL). Seriously, do you KNOW how much protein that is???? UGH! Thank for inviting me to introduce myself...sorry you asked now aren't you???? Chris

Okay, I'll try it...and let you know...I can't stand them...ugh! But I LOVE peanut butter...yummy. Due to my height I have to try to get down 75 grams of protein a day. What the hell! Do they want me to puree a cow? I have only made 44 today and I am done for the day! I will try the peanut butter one tomorrow. Any other suggestions? :thumbup: Take care, Chris

Your video rocks!!!!!!!

I cannot stand one more Protein shake or Protein Drink...is there ANYTHING that makes this stuff taste even remotely satisfying... No more strawberry, french vanilla or tomato anything...UGH! Can't wait to get to the babyfood/puree stage...

I have had 4 different consults on this. Two said just split it apart and sprinkle it and 2 have said under no conditions take it apart. I take Cymbalta which is relatively new. I am somewhat worried about being off of my anti-depressants right now...But not sure what else to do. I am too chicken just to try one of the 30s (which are the smaller capsules) to see if it will go down. :thumbup: If you hear anything new, let me know! Thanks, Chris

I crush mine...and they taste GROSS! But I am off of my anti-depressants since they are time released capsule. Anyone know how to take those? I can't open them up and add them in with the other gross pills due to the time release. I am a bit worried about being off of my happy pills so early in the game.

I'm right there with you. I was banded on the 27th and I can also do the 10 oz soup easily. But as I recall, once the fills start, there is restriction. Good luck, Chris

Hi Erin, Wow, it is such a big step isn't it? It is really scary, the idea of the surgery, what could go wrong, being thrown into the unknown. I was banded 4 days ago and I am 38 and was scared too. I think at some point you accept that the pros of having the surgery done outweigh the cons. That the mortality rate of the band is very low, but not entirely 100%. You are going to think this is really strange, but my friends and I played around with this from the get go. I have awesome friends and family. We took pictures of everything. We documented the gym and the scale and the day I made my 5% to even be eligible for the surgery. I took pictures at the hospital and at my appointments and I made someone go with me to EVERY appointment. I kept it real. We joked about it alot. I had my toes painted bright green with rhinestones a few weeks before the surgery and we joked that if I died during the surgery, I wanted to be memorable and I would forever be the girl with the green toes. You are young, you are healthy, the risks are low. The scary feeling doesn't go away, you just deal with it differently. Take pictures, have fun, it's a process. Good luck! Chris

Hi Mike, You got banded the day before I did at Good Sam. How did your surgery go? How are you doing? C