Carlene

Welfare reform was accomplished by a Democratic administration, lest we forget. The people receiving entitlement benefits - food stamps, Medicaid, Section 8, WIC, etc - are mostly (by a HUGE majority) elderly folks and children under the age of 18. If you kicked everyone off those roles between the ages of 18 and 61, the savings to you, in the form of lower taxes, would be negligible. Geez....food and basic medical care are pretty spartan "benefits", don't you think? We are the richest country in the world. Our pets live better than a large part of the Earth's human population. There will be children and old people who go to bed hungry tonight in the USA, and for that we should be ashamed of ourselves.

I'm curious...how could someone accidentally empty your band?

I LOVE IT!!!! Reminds me of a girlfriend of mine - a tall, thin, very WASPy looking woman. She used to be a foster mom and one of her first kids was an adorable little bi-racial baby. She had him in her grocery cart and a strange woman came up and started baby-talking him. The woman turned to my friend Carol and said, "He's darling. Is his father black?" "Yes", said Carol, "But don't mention it to my husband, because he isn't."

I HATE it when Bush puts on that "I'm just a good ole country boy from Texas" act of his. First of all, he isn't a Texan. Texans are born here and Bush was born in New Haven, CT. He was educated in the NE (Yale and Harvard....how "country" is that?) and after college, he went straight to a job in daddy's oil business. His summers were spent in Martha's Vineyard and Kennebunkport, his whole life. George Bush wouldn't make a pimple on a real Texan's a$$.

Democrats do not flame minorities. That's why we're Democrats, remember?

Yogurt. My band hates cake.

And many conservative Christians now think he is the Anti-Christ.

Mindy....I think people who are self-pay are the ones who take really good care of their bands, follow the rules, etc. It's true that we don't value anything that comes too easily. At the end of the day, you may be the big winner, by virtue of the fact that you DID struggle to pay for your band. If there is any justice in the world (and sometimes there is), you will be a "big loser"....pun intended. Best of luck to you.

Amen, Pete. And I agree....don't just vote against Perry - make your vote count.

Yellow dog Democrat here...LOL. Actually, I am a conservative Democrat and no, that is NOT an oxymoron.

Or right before Thanksgiving or Christmas, either. There is a huge difference between putting off a needed fill and in getting an unfill you don't need, then a fill to bring you back to where you started. Not the same thing AT ALL.

You won't be as hungry, as often. That was my DH's biggest fear - that he would be hungry and could not eat. He has lost 74 pounds and cut his Diabetes meds by 3/4. Also...in most Americans the thirst mechanism is so weak that we mistake it for hunger. With that in mind, I have learned to drink first when I think I'm hungry, and only eat if fluids don't satisfy the "hunger". You would be surprised at how well that works.

Of course not. My DH is banded....he just doesn't do message boards. I suspect there are a lot more like him, too.

I guess Wheetsin and I are in the minority, but I think by now (almost 2 years post-op) I have told everyone I know, as well as a few strangers...LOL. People DO notice, and they ask....so you have to tell them something. A woman came up to me in church and said, "I have been trying for weeks to catch you after Mass so I could tell you how great you look! How did you do it?" I couldn't very well stand there, literally in front of God and everybody, and lie to her, though it did feel a bit weird to discuss my WLS in the foyer of the church, for anybody who was passing by to overhear. Just one word of caution...if one person besides yourself knows, it's not a secret. I was "outed" by a woman I have never even met. Seems my daughter-in-law told a MO friend about my surgery, the friend told her mom, and the mom turned up at an out-of-town bridge tournament where an old friend of mine, whom I have not seen or heard from in about 5 years, was also playing. It's a smaller world than you think when you're trying to hide something!

How much hair have you lost / percentage? A noticeable amount - probably 1/4 to 1/3 How long since your surgery? 1 year, 9 months, and 26 days Do you take a Multivitamin EVERY day? No Do you take Calcium EVERY day? No How many pounds do you lose a week? I have lost 97 pounds and am more or less at goal

I have mixed feelings about this line of thinking. I know someone who lost 2/3 of her excess weight with the band. She wants to lose another 50 pounds and is now looking for a doctor who will revise her to a DS so she can eat more (mostly junk) and still lose weight. The scary thing is, she will probably find one (have checkbook, will travel).

Thank you for bringing my worst nightmare into the cold, clear light of day. Just shoot me now.....please!

The politicians in Florida told you that Bush won the election, too. I'd watch out for those people, if I were you.

The band IS "your" tool, but this doctor shows some sense of responsibility, and for that you should be thankful. Fills are not totally risk-free. Things can happen during a fill that jeopardize the integrity of the band. They should not, therefore, be undertaken for frivolous reasons. You get a fill if you NEED it. You get an unfill if you NEED one. You do NOT get filled/unfilled on a whim. Just my opinion, of course. I think it is worth equating this with many other procedures. Your dentist won't pull a healthy tooth. Your PCP won't prescribe drugs he isn't convinced you really need, even though it's YOUR body and you might be willing to assume the risk. Every physician takes an oath that says "first, do no harm". Obviously, some doctors take that more seriously than others. Personally, those are the ones I like - especially if I am gonna let them cut me open.

Yesterday I helped my youngest son move out of his second floor apartment. I made an untold number of trips up and down the stairs, plus several half-block walks to the dumpster with trash bags, discarded "stuff", etc. I loaded two sets of golf clubs (one set at a time) onto the truck, two bicycles, and many of the lighter weight boxes. I think the real surprise was that I had the stamina for 5 hours of physical labor. Two years ago I could not have done this. I would have had a heart attack. I would have huffed and puffed my way up and down those stairs about 3 times before I had to stop and rest for an hour, or I would have found a good reason to leave for a while....anyone want something to eat/drink? Losing almost 100 pounds makes a huge difference in your life. You can participate, instead of watching from the sidelines. You get to be on the team, instead of always warming the bench. It's the difference between being a cheerleader and a spectator. Don't give up....don't sabotage your success...and don't let anything or anyone get in your way. You can do this, and at the end of the day (or the year, or two or three years), you will be soooooooooo glad you did!

Woody's DH has the right handle on this. If you leave the door ajar the temp stays consistently at 500. If you don't, the oven cycles off and on. Do you have an outside grill? I much prefer it to inside. The taste is better and the clean up is easier.

My doctor (who is also a Bandster) allows his patients to drink right up until they start to eat, the theory being that liquids go straight thru. After a meal he says wait 1 hour (or as long as you can). Although most doctors say drinking will wash your food thru the stoma, I find that it does the opposite. If I drink to try and wash down food that has "stuck", all it does is "overflow" at best, and bring the whole thing back up, at worst. It does help to have a band-friendly doctor, no doubt about that. Since yours isn't, be sure you find some good post-op support groups. Try DFW Bandsters on Yahoo groups. They are the best! We have one member who lost 210 pounds with the band and has kept it off for over 5 years. Recent studies indicate that 5 years out, bypass and band patients have almost identical results. And doctors do make a lot more money off the bypass procedure, plus they don't have to bother with after-care (fills), which are not a big source of income. I can't eat asparagus either. You just can't chew those fibrous veggies up well enough to keep them from creating problems as the stoma gets smaller. About once a week I make homemade veggie beef Soup and put everything thru the food processor prior to cooking. It's a great way to get in lots of veggies. If you are into juicing, you can juice all kinds of veggies and drink it. Just don't drink a lot of fruit juice, as it is high in calories/sugar. Buy yourself a Magic Bullet or personal blender. It will be your best friend after surgery. Good Luck!!!!!!!

I am always at least down 97 pounds. About twice a month I hit -98, and once I was 99. I would love to be the 100th member. Maybe this will inspire me to work my way over the 100 pound hump.

The fact that you are even considering this disturbs me. Your goal is ALWAYS to eat less, not more.

The term "middle class" is fast becoming an anachronism. With each decade it seems that we are becoming more and more a country of "haves" and "have nots", with no middle ground. I hate that. I hate that an income once considered "comfortable" is now close to poverty level, leaving many families with no choice but to send mom out to help earn a living. The stay-at-home mom is rare these days and that's too bad.