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It has been...14 days since my last update. My 3 month surgiversary was on the 24th and I hit 50 lbs down!!! What a difference my entire life is from 3 months ago to today. I'm adding an updated photo for comparison. I'm still sometimes making some eating mistakes, for example eating too fast, But it is very few and far between. I pretty much eat whatever I want, but I concentrate on protein. The guy I'm dating really takes my eating habits into consideration when choosing restaurants and activities and so do all of my friends/family. Went to a party this past Friday and I did drink. I'm not a big drinker to begin with but I had this surgery to live a fuller life and sometimes that includes alcohol, I got pretty drunk, and it didn't take as much as it normally would but it still took a decent amount. I have found that I get a buzz fairly easily, but it is very short term. Just had a big NSV for me, I just spent the last hour going through my closet to pick out a cute skirt/legging/boot outfit and I actually had fun. I normally would try on outfits and feel completely annoyed, but now I feel optimistic and guess what?! I don't hate my knees anymore!! I was trying the skirt on the shorter side and I loved how it looked. I'm starting to get some really nice legs, collar bones, and shoulder blades. I have leaner ankles/feet/wrists and I'm happy with my progress. 50 lbs in 3 months and you can really see it. I am happy everyday that I chose this.

@@F_it thanks for chiming in on your experience with Cymbalta. We are all so different and such bags of chemicals. Like you, I am very sensitive to drugs of any kind so my trial with low-dose Cymbalta for arthritis relief didn't last very long. I felt like I needed to give it a go and I do think there was some perceived relief, but it didn't agree with me. The first night I took it I felt like I was tripping so I backed off to a lower dose to begin -- that should have been a signal right there. The thing is, at 53 with this much pain if there's anything out there that may possibly work then I want to make sure I've at least investigated. Unfortunately we have to be our own guinea pigs sometimes. So sorry for everything you went through with the Fibromyalgia and your experience on Cymbalta. We have got to do something about these auto-immune disorders, for crying out loud! I have had horrific experiences with steroids -- in fact the overnight weight gain I had from Prednisone (ha, that just auto-corrected to "prisoner") kicked off twenty years of overweight and all kinds of other complications in my body. The arthritis has been really flaring lately and I know that has to do with the change in weather. I have been walking outdoors most and now that the temps are under fifty (we've had the thirties here, eek!) I find that cold really exacerbates the joint pain later in the day. Last night I took a couple of Tylenol -- has never done much for me -- and a couple of tequila cocktails. That is something that helps, and I figure alcohol as a drug is better than a lot of what gets prescribed by various physicians even though they generally disapprove of that. But you got to do what you've got to do! I use ice packs, too. Seems so ironic that cold makes arthritis worse yet ice packs reduce inflammation -- makes no sense!

:scared2: Well I made it through my clubs Holloween bash LOL! It was my first time back around the club since being banded a month ago and I must say everyone was very supportive. Only issue I found is that I like to eat and drink, so I had to be very cognazant of that fact. I did have a few Whiskey Sour's to test my alcohol drinkin ability and I had a few meatballs that where awesome! I allowed myself 1 bite of cake (Ifound it incredibly sweet) and stayed clear of the candy compleatly. All in all it was a great comeback! hope ya'll had a great holloween too!:frown:

You could have be me writing! I also came to that realization quickly - and it made me very sad. I created a world for myself where it was the food and alcohol that I looked forward too and the people and events were secondary. Having lunch, going home at night from work - it was all about the next food "fix". What to do on weekends with the family - why there was nothing to do unless it revolved around food. I had the same realization day 2 of my pre-op (once I felt human again) diet. Mentally it has gotten easier over the weeks and I realize now that I need to find things that bring joy and happiness that do not revolve around food. On the weekends - I want to start taking my little ones everywhere - so that they too do not develop this terrible habit! I'm not cured - but I am aware of it now! This will be harder for me than the diet.... Best Ann

Lets just be clear on what “founding fathers” means. It could mean as you have said, everyone that came here on a boat (well, except for the slaves – they don’t count) in the 1600’s to start a religious government, or it could mean the people of the colonies that revolted against Great Briton in the Revolutionary war. I take it to mean the framers of the Constitution, the men that attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Maybe we should take a look at their Moral Character: 1) Abraham Baldwin (Georgia) Slave Owner, known murderer 2) John Blair (Virginia) Slave Owner, had black mistresses 3) William Blount (North Carolina) Slave Owner, kicked out of the Senate, charged with Real Estate crimes 4) Jacob Broom (Delaware) had indentured servants 5) Pierce Butler (South Carolina) Illegal Alien, Slave Owner, wrote the Constitution’s “Fugitive Slave” language 6) George Clymer (Pennsylvania) stole Indian land 7) Jonathon Dayton (New Jersey) accused of treason along with Aaron Burr 8) William Few (Georgia) Slave Owner and breeder 9) Thomas FitSimmons (Pennsylvania) Illegal Alien 10) Alexander Hamilton (New York) Bastard son of a prostitute, Illegal Alien, criminal, died in a dual with Aaron Burr 11) George Washington (Virginia) Alcoholic, suspected of homosexuality, Slave Owner, 12) Ben Franklin (Pennsylvania) womanizer, fathers several children out of wedlock, had sex with a 15 year old These are just a few examples of the moral Fiber of the oft revered “Founding Fathers”. I don’t really have a problem with these guys, they were leaders in their day, some were good, others were downright scoundrels. The point is that these men were ordinary people, no more or less moral than the people (or politicians) of today.

I personally would, because I never over-did alcohol in the first place, but I think people don't understand a few things: - Contributory factors of addiction in many of us who had eating problems shows this isn't a good thing to have post-op -- those who had food addictions are way too susceptible to substituting food addiction with alcohol addiction. This is something my hepatologist mentioned before surgery and I notice this is backed up by numerous scientific journals. - Nextly, many of us know that the surgery puts our body into panic but don't fully understand the extent. The liver, for example, goes into overdrive, producing massive ketones to burn glucose and fat throughout the body as a natural response to lack of carbohydrates to utilize as energy. It likewise has to work extremely hard to produce enough glucose to move through the bloodstream to make up for the lack of glucose due to the extreme carb and caloric deficit, so the body needs to have enough energy to function. This happens all the way until we've healed enough to go to a normal diet. So add alcohol to the stress the liver is going through and it's very easy to cause damage to it without even thinking. This isn't a huge deal for people with normal livers, but for the 20%+ of population who do have liver issues (diagnosed with 1st stage fatty liver or worse), it's not smart. I believe in a recent journal I read that over 90% of people entirely who go through VSG wind up having inflamed livers (showing in their enzyme levels) for a period of time. It needs to heal almost as much as the stomach does. So throwing alcohol into it one or two months into surgery I just don't find to be a good idea. Besides all the carbs in alcohol it's likely to cause stalls and weight gain, never mind the prior paragraph about liver damage. If you want attention find a guy. You've already made enough drama out of nothing. Go away.

mine smells too. i noticed that as i lose weight my tummy is looking frumped over. like the top is now falling down and it covers up my belly button. what i typically do is after a bath/shower i wipe it dry with a towel and sometime a little bit of rubbing alcohol on a q-tip. or if i am going to be home i sometimes just stick a cotton ball in there (i have a deep button). it soaks up the moisture. i just leave it in for alittle bit. usually helps. while it was healing i would put a cotton ball in there for a while. just made it feel better. that's where my only incision is. not sure if these will help but good luck!

My birthday was on Friday, and it was pretty emotional for me, since it was the first one since my divorce this year but I didn't make bad food decisions I also am 1 lb shy of my goal of 25 lb down since surgery. I am 24 lb down since July 24. I'm not sure if I fall under the slow loser category or not but I'm pretty okay with my progress, especially since I know it's only a little over a month out. I still have a long way to go! I decided to give myself a break from protein shakes, they make my mouth taste funny and they aren't delicious. I've been concentrating on getting protein in food form, and I've been doing okay. I can definitely do better, I just don't have the room, or the desire to eat! I went out to dinner at Applebees for my birthday last night with my friends, and I had an AMAZING time, it really reminded me that I have great friends and people love me. I had the quesadilla burger and I half the patty with some salsa, it was really good. They brought out my birthday dessert, a scoop of vanilla ice cream with some chocolate sauce and whip cream and I ate two spoonfuls and wanted no more. That was huge for me, as I was a big time sweets addict. When people would say they don't crave sweets after surgery I didn't believe them and now I see that it is true!! We also went to bar and I had half a small drink that didn't hit me at all alcohol wise, though I still feel the post drinking dehydration hitting me this morning. I went on a shopping spree with my mom yesterday with all my happy birthday discounts and I went to Ross and bought three future shirts. I'm looking forward to wearing them in a month! They don't look too bad on me now actually. They are all 2x from Ross and I use to have a problem finding 3x shirts that fit at Ross, so yay NSV!!

There is something definitely going on with the dating pool in the MA/CT area! I have a date Thursday with a guy who wanted to know if I would like to do a 5k with him this weekend. Ummm that would be a NO! I'll do the color run 5k trotting and walking because you end up a mess, and the Rugged Maniac 5k obstacle course because it was crazy fun with a large group...we redid some of the more fun obstacles. This dude is totally into fitness. I told him that my body was built for Comfort, not Speed! So dinner and drinks and conversation it is. On Friday, I'm going out with Tattoo Guy to dinner and to see a friends band. (So far he's the one I'm most interested in) Then somehow/somewhere over the next week I'm trying to work in the three other guys that want to meet up. Have no idea what the heck is up...but you know what...I am going for it! I think that it's my willingness to just go out on the limb and have fun. As I told my girlfriend who started me on this latest Quest...you aren't courting, you don't have to be intimate (I'm so old skool that I don't kiss on a first or second date...haven't kissed ANY of them), you don't have to marry them...just go out, have fun, be yourself. I'm definitely learning more about myself! As for the recovering alcoholic, a previous date, I decided that I can't do it. He was nice enough, but I just can't, and the attraction wasn't there for me.

I think maybe you and I have similar triggers. Dayum, I wouldn't wish that on anyone! haha! It really sounds like you're at burnout phase. ((hugs)) I think you should try doing your moderate approach to IF like 14-16hour fasts, then eat regularly, following your surgeon's rules: protein first, low glycemic veg and fat, plus carbs at the end if you still have room or want them and see how it goes. Quit ordering off the appetizer menu, quit ordering chicken if that's not what you want...And keep your cals in the 800-1000 range-ish. No beer or alcohol. *sniff* Cuz you know, misreh loves company! And keep track of it here! I think that's the cool thing about this thread is that we are kind of n=? how many are doing IF from this thread and we should all post our experiences so others might learn or have a light bulb moment. You know? I def think your weight gain is beer related and if you go clean for the next 3-4 days you will be down those 4 and who knows, maybe another one as well? UGGGGGH on the late night food runs! I swear I thought about you as we were sitting in Taco Bell last night. LOL.

I had a hungry hungry heffer day yesterday. Gosh I felt like a bottomless pit!! I do feel pretty successful in navigating it though. Here's how I triumphed. I'm writing this down so that I remember it. (I did have a "slight" altercation with pita chips leftover from my birthday--but the up side is I managed to limit them to 9=1serving and combined them with a complex meal rather than just shoving them down my piehole slathered in butter or cheese--something guaranteed to make me hurl in 30 minutes or less.) 1. Managed to do an 18 hour fast yesterday. 2. Made great food choice for lunch. 3. Made an almost great food choice for dinner rather than eating a chili cheese coney with fries at the ballpark like I was craving--and which would have made me hurl in 30 minutes or less. 4. Limited my allotted popcorn at the park from 4 cups for the game to about 2 to maybe 2 1/2 cups (I guestimated on the high side at 3 cups). 5. No alcohol despite wanting a beer or a glass of wine. 6. Exceeded my fluid goals for the day mostly from water, green tea, black decaff coffee. 7. Exceeded my walking for the day with 12000+ steps + did upper body free hand weights and actually jogged for 2, 1 minute intervals. 8. Did not stop for fast food nonsense or a drink after the game like I was craving. 9. Did not eat a heavy meal cooked at home late night like I was craving. 10. Appeased myself with 2oz of PP in decaff as a "dessert/sleep aide" even though it was 11pm--that's better than a low carb breakfast taco with bacon egg and cheese!! Totals for the Day: 865 cals; 63g protein; 46g fat; 60g carbs; 11g fiber; 49g net carbs; 14g sugars Despite doing all those things I did wake up to a 2.2lb up-tick on the scale this morning. I'm sure it was cuz I had 60g of total carbs and about 49g net carbs for the day. My pattern is that I go down, hit a new low, then bounce around above that number before again stepping down to a new low. So it's a jagged, spiky stairstep in a downward progression. So I won't sweat it. I also know I have bad lymphedema in my left arm as of last night, and that may account for both pounds. So I will chill out about the scale and just live another dream day today. I'm only gonna do a 12/12 today and actually enjoy a brunch (homemade). I'll keep carbs lo-low and really munch the protein and see if that gets my hunger back in submission! Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far!!! Hugs all around!!

Sugar free pb cups are the WORST. Oh do they taste wonderful going down though. I always have major gas and major "other" issues after consuming those! Not everything with sugar alcohol does it to me but boy do those! Any kind of sf candy does that to me, though. LINDA!!! Tomorrow is your day---who knows if you'll see this, and hopefully you've made it your "cleansing" today...but GOOD LUCK!!! Yay!!!!

Yes Gadget Lady, I know the exact answer to your question. In the 1970s I was 11 years old and the oldest of 3 kids. My alcoholic abusive step-father regularly mounted my mother without using protection. She became pregnant twice in less than a year. Each time he told her that she had to have an abortion or he would leave her. She did as he told her each time....abortion was not her choice, but she did what she was told to "preserve the family"....there are MANY sides to this debate.

Alcohol can be a large contributor to weight gain. It has a lot of carbs. I'd you approach it from that stand point a 750 ml bottle of wine with 5 oz serving size and about 4 carbs per serving would have 5 servings in the bottle. If you drink the whole thing you're basically drinking 4carbs×5 servings and that comes out to about 20 carbs. If you're also getting carbs in other ways it can all add up. Carbs will sneak up in you if you let them back in. A pound or 2 here and you can backslide without realizing it. You have been through so much and you can't let this defeat you! People can suck, a LOT, but at the end is the day, the person you're spending the rest of your life with is you. Love yourself and rise above, you will get through it. As others have said, counseling may be beneficial. If you're insured through your employer they may have covered services for this. Sent from my SM-G930T using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm scheduled for july 18. My husband was too, but then insurance denied him at the last minute. They said his alcohol intake in 2021 was too much (his last drink was in january 2022). Hopefully he can get scheduled again in a few months. Best of luck to you!!

You're not reading them right. They only have 6 actual carbs because of all the Fiber. Plus no sugar used or sugar alcohol. Sent from my iPhone SD - 1/28/13

Definitely get help. I to work in the medical field and I had a coworker that had RNY and shr ended up becoming an alcoholic. She ended up losing her Xray license. Definitely not something to mess around with. Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

The sleeve really does help keep portions in control. I promise I did not diet during my maintenance time, but I was conscious of my food choices. I eat anything and everything I want. Grant it, about 85-90% of the time I still eat Protein first, but I enjoy all foods. I drink soda, alcohol(not in pregnancy), enjoy a lot of social gatherings which revolve around food. So, I do feel I live a pretty normal little life with food. BUT, I put in the work early out when really didn't have room for a lot of other foods. I remember even getting into maintenance, and being perfectly content with a few chips/crackers. Now, I can sit around mindlessly eat an entire "Big Grab" (those 99cent) bags of Funyuns.or half a sleeve of crackers without restriction. Those are the habits that I was talking about in my first reply. The sleeve really does help us not gain the weight back, but the sleeve doesn't stop ice cream, Cookies, carby/fat/fried foods from sliding right through. None of the WLS options stop carbs and sliders. So, we still have to be mindful and diligent in our food choices. My weight gain was over the holiday season last year. From Halloween to New Years, we attended a bunch of parties, social events, get togethers, etc etc and they all involved alcohol in copious amounts, party foods, Snacks. Seriously, every other weekend, I had somewhere to be and had food and booze in hand. Over those 3 months, I had a solid 7lb gain. I saw the scale gradually go up, and thought "oh it's Water weight from the booze". Low and behold, the new year came and those pounds were still there. I went back to just my normal eating habits, not dieting, just protein first for my meals, and I dropped those pounds in a little over a week. I admittedly hate working out. It's no different than scrubbing toilets. I could probably have more laxity in my food intake if I worked out more. However, I don't want to work out, I don't want to go to a gym, I really just hate exercising. That is a big part of my pregnancy weight gain. I'm eating 1700-1800( about 400-500 more calories than what I ate in maintenance) calories a day with a minimum of 100-200gr of carbs, and 80-100gr of protein per day. The sweet/junk food cravings are unbelievably difficult to fight at this point. I've never dealt with this level of head hunger, or cravings in my life. So, I know that it's pregnancy, and the fact that my eating habits have changed in pregnancy. The lack of physical hunger really is my #1 contributor to my success. I know my sleeve limits, I also know how to cheat the sleeve so it is still all on me to make the best decision on what goes in my mouth for every meal, every day. I can still go several hours without eating. I still never get a stomach growl, or any physical sign that I need to eat. But, I can eat every hour on the hour if I choose. That's the part that is very hard to overcome for me. I know I can eat a meal, and then an hour later I can wander into the pantry and eat more. I wanted to just put it out there that losing was easy, and maintenance is where I (and many others) struggle. That was my issue before surgery as well. I could lose on WW, or any other "diet attempt", but life would happen and I'd gain back what I lost and then some. For me, the most successful sleeve patients out there are the ones who made major behavioral modifications, and really adhered to a solid plan post-op. I have read 100s of topics from people who experience several stalls, slow weight loss, and/or their weight loss comes to a complete halt because they think that the sleeve will do all the work. Sadly, those same patients post how they don't want to diet, how they want normalcy. Well, I hate to say it, but most of us are NOT normal. If we were, none of us would have sought surgical intervention. Pretty much if you are diligent with food choices, and allow indulgences in moderation, the sleeve works. I can still suck down a milkshake, or eat an ice cream without issue. I really do live by the mantra of "just because I can; doesn't mean I should". It's not always easy, but the sleeve helps tremendously.

For me when I read a thread where someone asks a question if I can relate I respond if not I don't. I have saw many threads where an OP asks if anyone has ate pizza or drank alcohol at a time that seems too early to many people and I have seen many people become what I consider rude and preachy. There are so many different diets out there and when answering a question I take that into consideration. If someone asks if anyone has ate pizza at a month out for me it is rude to say ask your doctor or you shouldn't have had surgery.

Went through the same thing Nita. I go to a therapist weekly to help me with the emotional side of all of this so I don't repeat the same behaviors and eventually regain. She told me to compare it to being an alcoholic with your best friend and all of the sudden you decide to quit drinking. It's natural for her to go on the defensive. My friend and I share "fat" stories, embarrassing "fat" emergency snacks that we make up and all other sorts of info. So now she is scared that because I have had this surgery the dynamic of our relationship will change. And it probably will. I am still not getting the support that I would like from this person. It used to break my heart. But now that I understand her emotions and why she feels the way that she does, it doesn't hurt me as much anymore. And I am just proving to her by still going to the movies and out to eat...that we can still do the same things we did before. And she's actually slowly coming around. She is taking better care of herself. Eating better...going to the gym. So I hope that once she sees my success she will be inclined to follow in my footsteps. Cause let's face it...we can try to convince ourselves all day long that we are happy...but no one is happy at 250+ pounds!

Hi, well, I have to say I like the 'empty' feeling. Makes me visualize myself flatter in my fluffy places. It hasn't actually been that bad. Two mugs of chicken broth so far, I'm on my second sugar free Jello. I had tea and Water. It is temporary. Just like giving up your red wine - temporary - IF you choose to add it back in afterwards. They say 6 weeks, though, without alcohol. I can do it, though I have a wedding in that time frame, too. I may pour a glass of wine and nurse it all night.

I am kind of dreading my appt with Dr. C today. I've been doing great until this last month. I didn't get a fill last month and he even threatened to do an unfill because I was getting stuck a lot. I was comfortable enough and asked him to leave me where I was. Since then however, I have gotten to where I can eat quite a bit and I get very hungry between meals. I've also been doing a LOT of socializing, especially drinking alcohol. Lots of empty calories. So, I have barely lost anything since my appt last month. I have recommitted myself and am going to ask for a fill today. I'm going back to less than 30 gms of carbs a day (I've also been sneaking in more of those) and hit the gym more often. I've basically been consuming like I probably would when I'm at maintenance instead of what I should be consuming while trying to lose, so I need to get back on the wagon and lose my remaining 24 lbs I need to get to goal. Another concern I've been having is hair loss. It has gotten really bad the past couple of months and I'm actually seeing thin spots where I can see my scalp. I'm going to talk to him about that today as well. Hope everyone else is continuing to do well!

Hey every one!! I made it back from my 3 day trip and it was AWESOME!! I did make good food choices, and ate my proteins first. I go back to the Dr. tomorrow, so I was to scared to mess up!! Do you know how embarrasing it would be to be on an 900 calorie diet and gain wt.!!! That would just be the most awful thing that could thing that could happen!! So anyway, I will know tomorrow how much wt. I've lost and I can (maybe post a loss!), haven't done that yet. Does anyone out there tell me what is alcohol sugar and should we be having it in our foods. I am finding low sugar or sugar free food that have sugar alcohol in them and often they are more than the sugar grams. I am so confused, HELP !!! Talk to ya later !

All of a sudden this country is sooooooo concerned about the so called 45,000 deaths a year from lack of medical insurance. How come we never heard of this before? Did you know that 435,000 people die every year from tobacco, Thats 7X more the amount of people annually who die from lack of insurance, but does the government step in and take control and outlaw cigarettes and chewing tobacco? NO! How about the people who die annually in this country from alcohol. The number is 85,000 every year. (twice as many than those who die without insurance) But no, you can't take the 'fun' away from society. Give me a break! the government wants to be in control of what we can and can't do. They are not concerned about your health or mine! P.S. I meant to say a million abortions annually.

BoycottLiberalism.comgovernment waste When I created this page someone asked, "Why don't you list the money spent on the war with Iraq?" Please be advised that the primary responsibility of government is to protect its citizens. Government should do those things that we cannot as individuals do for ourselves. I could not personally take down the Taliban government or Saddam Hussein, but the U.S. Government can. This is not to say that the U.S. military should not be efficient in its spending. However, below are examples of your tax dollars wasted. The next time a government official wants to raise your taxes- think of the below list. Our cumulative running total of government waste is: $1,230,956,867,592.00 Liberalism Defined Exposing Liberalism to Light The Stimulus Plan The National Institutes of Health spending more than $400,000 in taxpayer money by paying researchers to cruise six bars in Buenos Aires to find out why gay men engage in risky sexual behavior while drunk -- and just what can be done about it. The U.S. government is spending $2.6 million to make sure prostitutes in China consume less alcohol while working. As part of the five-year study that the National Institutes of Health bankrolled, researchers are visiting more than 100 houses of prostitution to monitor their employees, designated as FSWs, or female sex workers. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding a study on the use of ecstasy, LSD and other “party drugs” in Porto Alegre, Brazil. To do this, U.S. taxpayers will invest $117,876 for the three-year study, conducted by researchers from the University of Delaware, who will work in collaboration with researchers from Brazil's Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Federal employees wasted at least $146 million over a one-year period in business- or first-class airline tickets bought in violation of travel policies, congressional investigators say. It looks like Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., is going to get his wish – $2 million in taxpayer funding for a library commemorating his 37 years in the House of Representatives. The Charles B. Rangel Center for Public service will serve as a repository for his "papers," and the congressman will have his own office in the Harlem complex. The earned income tax credit (EITC) provides $31 billion in refundable tax credits to 19 million low-income families. The IRS estimates that $8.5 billion to $9.9 billion of this amount—nearly one-third—is wasted in overpayments. A recent audit revealed that between 1997 and 2003, the Defense Department purchased and then left unused approximately 270,000 commercial airline tickets at a total cost of $100 million. Since World War II, the U.S. has spent $1.2 trillion on foreign aid to 70 countries – and all are worse off than they were in 1980, according to the U.N. For the Department of Commerce for giving the City and County of Honolulu $28,600 in 1981 to study how they could spend another $250,000 for a good surfing beach. For the Health Care Financing Administration for Medicaid payments to psychiatrists for unscheduled, coincidental meetings with patients who were attending basketball games, sitting on stoops, etc. -- the cost of which was between $40 and $80 million from 1981 to 1984. The National Endowment for the Humanities for a $25,000 grant in 1977 to study why people cheat, lie and act rudely on local Virginia tennis courts. The Office of Education for spending $219,592 in 1978 to develop a curriculum to teach college students how to watch television. The Environmental Protection Agency for spending an extra $1 million to $1.2 million in 1980 to preserve a Trenton, NJ sewer as a historical monument. In 2005 - $469,000 for the National Wildlife Turkey Federation in South Carolina In 2005 - $100,000 for the Punxsatawny Weather Discovery Center Museum In 2005 - $350,000 for the Inner Harmony Foundation and Wellness Center in Scranton, Penn. In 2005 - $1,430,000 for various Halls of Fame, including $250,000 for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn., and $70,000 for the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame in Appleton, Wis.; Medicare, the U.S. health-insurance program for the elderly and disabled, erroneously paid out $19.9 billion during fiscal 2004, up from $19.6 billion a year earlier, because of mistakes, waste and fraud, a government report said. In most cases, hospitals and doctors billed for medically unnecessary services or didn't provide proper documentation to support the fees for services. The GAO estimated that between 1997 and 2003, the Defense Department spent an estimated $100 million for airline tickets that were not used over a six-year period and failed to seek refunds even though the tickets were reimbursable. While Andrew Cuomo was HUD Secretary under Bill Clinton, the agency set up a "Creative Wellness" program that spent $1,100,000 million taxpayer dollars on “gem” bags and taught public tenants to burn incense. The study, titled "Status/Dominance and Motivational Effects on Nonverbal Sensitivity and Smiling," attempts to find out if it's really true that women smile more than men, and if people of higher status smile less. Judith Hall, a highly respected researcher at Northeastern University in Boston, is conducting the smile study — and it is not her first. Since 1993, she has been awarded more than $500,000. A National Science Foundation study looking at whether White House reporters have become more adversarial sounds a bit strange to reporters and critics. Even more surprising: the study cost taxpayers $180,000. In 2001 more than $600,000 in tax money was spent on researching the sex lives of South African ground squirrels. The head of the IRS sent out a notice to every person advising them that they would be receiving a tax refund in 2001 - the estimated cost $30,000,000. In 1998 more than $800,000 was approved for a coal library in Pennsylvania. Defenders staed that it would provide historical insight into a very important part of Pennsylvania and history. In 2001 the U.S.. Government gave $5,000,000 to the University of Alaska, North Pacific University, and the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation to fund the "stellar sea lion recovery plan." In the year 2001, Congress appropriated $340,000,000 in federal tax dollars to PBS (Public Broadcasting Services). In 1999 the U.S. government spent $500,000 for a Mississippi research project on "manure handling and disposal". In 1999 the U.S. government spent $1,500,000 million to promote silk production in Laos In 1999 the U.S. government spent $1 ,000,000 for the "eradication of Brown Tree Snakes" (Hawaii). In 1999 the U.S. government spent $1,000,000 to "develop and train Alaska natives for employment in the petroleum industry." In 1999 the U.S. government spent $500,000 for water taxis in Savannah (Georgia) In 1999 the U.S. government spent $200,000 for a transit center for the Toledo Mud Hens minor league baseball team. In 1999 $1,200,000 million to subsidize a park on the Galapagos Islands. In 2000 the U.S. government spent $100,000 to study the causes of sediment buildup at a Santa Cruz, New Mexico dam. In 2002 the U.S. government spent $50,000 for a tattoo removal program in San Luis Obispo, California. In 2002 the U.S. government spent $400,000 for the Montana Sheep Institute to improve the profitability of the state's sheep industry. In 2002 the U.S. government spent $273,000 for the Blue Springs (Missouri) Youth Orchestra Outreach Unit for educational training to combat Goth culture In 2003 the U.S. government spent $1,000,000 appropriation for the Center for Public Service and the Common Good (a think tank) at the University of San Francisco. In 2002 the U.S. government spent $400,000 for manure management research at the National Swine Research Center. In 2002 the U.S. government spent $1,100,000 for the MountainMade Foundation in Thomas, West Virginia for business development and the education of artists and craftspeople. In 2002 the U.S. government spent $4,000,000 to implement the forest and fish report of the Washington State. In 2002 the U.S. government spent $500,000 for exhibits on the Sullivan brothers at the Grout Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. In 2002 the U.S. government spent $61,000 for the State Historical Society to archive the history of Iowa workers. In 2002 the U.S. government spent $1,200,000 for the Ohio Arts Council to expand international programs. In 2002 the U.S. government spent $2,900,000 for the Mountaineer Doctor Television program at West Virginia University; In 2002 the U.S. government spent $2,000,000 for an educational mall at the Raleigh County Commission in Beckley. In 2002 the U.S. government spent $2,000,000 for West Virginia University to establish a Center on Obesity. In 2002 the U.S. government spent $260,000 for asparagus technology in the stae of Washington. In 2002 the U.S. government spent $1,200,000 for music education at the GRAMMY Foundation In 2000 the U.S. government spent $50,000 for the development of a Welcome Center Facility City for Enumclaw, Washington. In 1997 - $4,000,000 for the Gambling Impact Study Commission. In 1997 - $330,000 for Stellar Sea Lion research of the North Pacific Universities Marine Mammal Consortium. In 1997 - $785,000 for bluefish/striped bass research by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In 1997 - $2,700,000 added by the Senate for the Animal Resource Wing at South Dakota State University In 1997 - $4,000,000 added in conference for the Discovery Center of Science and Technology. In 1997 - $19,600,000 added by the House for the International Fund for Ireland, a program that tries to aid the peace process in Ireland by paying for golf videos, pony trekking centers, and sweater exports. In 1997 - $16,369,000 added by the Senate for public library construction. In 1997 - $9,469,000 added in conference for Migrant Education programs including: $7,441,000 for the High School Equivalency Program; and $2,028,000 for the College Assistance Migrant Program In 1997 - $3,100,000 added by the Senate for the National Writing Project. In 1997 - $8,200,000 for a new classroom building at the Rowley Secret Service Training Center in Beltsville, Maryland, which is the district of House Treasury, Postal Service and General Government Appropriations subcommittee member Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and the state of Senate appropriator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.). In 1998 - $220,000 added by the Senate for lowbush blueberry research in Maine. In 1994 - $221,000 for lowbush blueberry research at the University of Maine in the state of Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (D-ME). In 1998 - $150,000 added by the House for the National Center for Peanut Competitiveness. In 1998 - $127,000 added by the Senate for global marketing support services in the state of Senate appropriator Dale Bumpers (D-Ark.). According to testimony, the goal of this research is to identify “potential foreign markets for Arkansas products….” In 1998 - $32,000 added by the Senate for the Center for Rural Studies in the state of Senate appropriator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). A portion of this grant money is used for analytical reports to guide the development of Vermont retail shopping areas In 1998 - $500,000 added by the House in the district of House appropriator Richard Durbin (D-IL) for the construction at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Illinois, of Chalres Corneau’s house, a neighbor and friend of Abraham Lincoln. In 1998 - $10,912,000 added by the Senate for foreign language assistance. In 1994 - $200,000 for locoweed research at New Mexico State University in the state of House appropriator Joe Skeen (R-NM). Since 1992, $716,000 has been appropriated, and there is no expected completion date for this research. In 1994 - $1,000,000 added in the Senate for the Multispecies Aquaculture Center in the state of Senate appropriator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) In 1994 - $19,600,000 added in the House for the International Fund for Ireland. The conference report “restores language stricken by the Senate and appropriates up to $19,600,000 for the International Fund for Ireland.” In the past, this program has used American taxpayer dollars for a golf video and pony trekking centers. In 1993 - $19,704,000 for the International Fund for Ireland requested, according to committee sources, by House Speaker Thomas Foley (D-WA). In 1993 - $9,170,000 added in conference for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission in the district of House appropriator John Murtha (D-PA) In 1992 - $2,000,000 added in conference by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) for a New York Bight Center for undersea research. <FONT size=3>