smg

The inspection is typically after there is an offer and acceptance, but prior to closing. This gives you the opportunity to view the inspection report and either move forward or back out based on the results. Most real estate transactions are subject to buyers acceptance and approval of inspection, but you can ask your realtor to either put that in your offer or show you the exact language that shows the inspection as a contingency so you're not at risk for losing your earnest money deposit.

Then as soon as you saw the "totally off topic" in the title, you should have just moved on....no need to waste your time. You made the choice to click into the topic. The OP placed it in the wrong forum, but that's a mistake, not a reason to hang them out to dry...

As far as the impact on your surgery, that would be a question best asked of your surgeon/NUT, but as a person who also is the sole provider of food for their children (and wife) and knows what it's like to be tempted by "their" food while you're drinking "your" food, I can assure you that it's a good idea to use this time as a starting point to make a true commitment to changing things.
You will have to be strong and avoid certain foods after your surgery, some because they can cause you harm (right after surgery) and some because they contribute to the complete opposite of what you're trying to accomplish with the surgery.
The best advice I got was from my NUT. She said to get in the mindset of wanting to be healthier, and get out of the mindset of wanting to lose weight. The two go hand-in-hand in most cases and achieving one will result in the other. Try to look at food as a way to feed your body. You will be severely limited in calorie intake fresh out of surgery, so you'll want to choose foods that will help you achieve your daily Protein goals, hydration goals, and offer maximum nutrition per calorie. It takes some dedication and patience, but you'll get there if you want it bad enough...
Best of luck!

As far as the impact on your surgery, that would be a question best asked of your surgeon/NUT, but as a person who also is the sole provider of food for their children (and wife) and knows what it's like to be tempted by "their" food while you're drinking "your" food, I can assure you that it's a good idea to use this time as a starting point to make a true commitment to changing things.
You will have to be strong and avoid certain foods after your surgery, some because they can cause you harm (right after surgery) and some because they contribute to the complete opposite of what you're trying to accomplish with the surgery.
The best advice I got was from my NUT. She said to get in the mindset of wanting to be healthier, and get out of the mindset of wanting to lose weight. The two go hand-in-hand in most cases and achieving one will result in the other. Try to look at food as a way to feed your body. You will be severely limited in calorie intake fresh out of surgery, so you'll want to choose foods that will help you achieve your daily Protein goals, hydration goals, and offer maximum nutrition per calorie. It takes some dedication and patience, but you'll get there if you want it bad enough...
Best of luck!

I know that there are many differing opinions/advice on this, and in the end you have to do what's right for your personal situation. My NUT and surgeon both have no problems with caffeine from coffee or tea, but from day 1 have been adamant about not having soda or energy drinks...
I will tell you that caffeine hit me a lot harder after the surgery than it ever did before. I believe that's because it's going through your system and into your body much faster, but that's a personal experience, and I'm sure everyone's is different.
Best of luck!

As far as the impact on your surgery, that would be a question best asked of your surgeon/NUT, but as a person who also is the sole provider of food for their children (and wife) and knows what it's like to be tempted by "their" food while you're drinking "your" food, I can assure you that it's a good idea to use this time as a starting point to make a true commitment to changing things.
You will have to be strong and avoid certain foods after your surgery, some because they can cause you harm (right after surgery) and some because they contribute to the complete opposite of what you're trying to accomplish with the surgery.
The best advice I got was from my NUT. She said to get in the mindset of wanting to be healthier, and get out of the mindset of wanting to lose weight. The two go hand-in-hand in most cases and achieving one will result in the other. Try to look at food as a way to feed your body. You will be severely limited in calorie intake fresh out of surgery, so you'll want to choose foods that will help you achieve your daily Protein goals, hydration goals, and offer maximum nutrition per calorie. It takes some dedication and patience, but you'll get there if you want it bad enough...
Best of luck!

Is it only whey based Proteins you're having issues with? I had issues with whey Protein immediately following surgery (not anymore) and I temporarily used a pea or rice based vegan Protein source that worked great. You might try that and see if it helps because I'm about 8 months out and I still find it difficult to get enough protein in via food sources without supplementing some Protein powder.
That being said, there are some good lean sources of protein to include in your diet. Of course, I am not certain what stage you are in, so this would be considering you are at a point where you can consume these foods, but the best sources of protein for me have been chicken, fish and turkey with the occasional lean beef mixed in. I also juice a lot of leafy green vegetables which adds a variety of amino acids and protein as well. You can juice far more greens than you can eat, so it does add some good healthy sources of protein into your diet, as well as an entire host of Vitamins, minerals and nutrients, not to mention hydration.
If I'm going to snack, I try to snack on healthier things that will add some protein as well. Things such as low/no fat Jerky (I dehydrate my own beef/chicken/fish), nuts and seeds (raw and unsalted), hard boiled eggs, Sonoma Creamery Mr. cheese O's Snacks (you can find them on Amazon), low-fat string cheese or the light babybelle cheese Snacks. I try to stick with natural "whole foods" whenever possible.
Best of luck!

Welcome Senetria! I'm a few weeks post-op but what a great journey it's been so far. Best of luck to you on yours!

If someone who has actually been through the process already comes to me and says that they feel something I'm thinking of or am already doing will cause me to fail, I ABSOLUTELY would like for them to let me know. Saying "Oh don't worry you'll do great" is NOT a proper answer to everything and simply letting someone know that what they're considering doing or are already doing is not going to help them and could actually hinder their results should be welcomed, not discouraged.
Let's make this a little more about the big picture also, shall we. When someone who may traditionally speak out if they feel something is wrong/counterproductive decides to stop speaking out because of these "you must walk on eggshells" dictations, it might save the fragile feelings of one person, but it could potentially hurt quite a few more. We tend to only consider those that are actually participating in the discussions and there's little mention of the many who read posts to get information without ever posting themselves. If the forum is full of "less than ideal" <- (read=terrible) suggestions that have not been challenged by those perhaps more knowledgeable because they've been muzzled or decided to leave because of over-moderating, these bad ideas could potentially get followed because there's no posts correcting, questioning or offering explanations as to why they are bad. Now that's something that should not be taken lightly.
Not sure about you, but as someone who needed the surgery due to terrible eating habits, if I saw a post or discussion on a forum that starts with the (ridiculous) questions of "Can I eat just a few potato chips or french fries or chocolates...", and that post had no contradictory responses and only those "Don't worry about....you're amazing!" responses I'm pretty sure I would run (not walk) to the nearest store and get chips and french fries and chocolates. After all, nobody said not to and as a food addict it wouldn't take much for me to justify that trip to the store...
If a cocaine addict posts on a drug user forum that they want to try "just a line or two", do you think the response there is gentle? I would hope and expect it NOT to be.
This is a forum where people of DIFFERING points of view meet. If you don't like what's being said or "what could be said" in response to a post that YOU are FREELY making and by doing so, SOLICITING responses, then don't write the post. To try to put thousands of members "under the thumb" is simply going to do nothing more than stop the productive dialogue that has helped so many and replace it with mindless, non-essential, canned garbage that will help very few, if any at all.
Debate and FREE conversation is what makes any forum valuable, and when you take that away you take away the value.
Having said all of that, I hope that FREE debate and conversation (even those of differing points of view) continue on this site without unnecessary suppression or over-moderating. I do, however, believe that personal attacks, violence, or threatening remarks have no place in ANY forum or discussion, and should be dealt with accordingly.

Is it only whey based Proteins you're having issues with? I had issues with whey Protein immediately following surgery (not anymore) and I temporarily used a pea or rice based vegan Protein source that worked great. You might try that and see if it helps because I'm about 8 months out and I still find it difficult to get enough protein in via food sources without supplementing some Protein powder.
That being said, there are some good lean sources of protein to include in your diet. Of course, I am not certain what stage you are in, so this would be considering you are at a point where you can consume these foods, but the best sources of protein for me have been chicken, fish and turkey with the occasional lean beef mixed in. I also juice a lot of leafy green vegetables which adds a variety of amino acids and protein as well. You can juice far more greens than you can eat, so it does add some good healthy sources of protein into your diet, as well as an entire host of Vitamins, minerals and nutrients, not to mention hydration.
If I'm going to snack, I try to snack on healthier things that will add some protein as well. Things such as low/no fat Jerky (I dehydrate my own beef/chicken/fish), nuts and seeds (raw and unsalted), hard boiled eggs, Sonoma Creamery Mr. cheese O's Snacks (you can find them on Amazon), low-fat string cheese or the light babybelle cheese Snacks. I try to stick with natural "whole foods" whenever possible.
Best of luck!

Is it only whey based Proteins you're having issues with? I had issues with whey Protein immediately following surgery (not anymore) and I temporarily used a pea or rice based vegan Protein source that worked great. You might try that and see if it helps because I'm about 8 months out and I still find it difficult to get enough protein in via food sources without supplementing some Protein powder.
That being said, there are some good lean sources of protein to include in your diet. Of course, I am not certain what stage you are in, so this would be considering you are at a point where you can consume these foods, but the best sources of protein for me have been chicken, fish and turkey with the occasional lean beef mixed in. I also juice a lot of leafy green vegetables which adds a variety of amino acids and protein as well. You can juice far more greens than you can eat, so it does add some good healthy sources of protein into your diet, as well as an entire host of Vitamins, minerals and nutrients, not to mention hydration.
If I'm going to snack, I try to snack on healthier things that will add some protein as well. Things such as low/no fat Jerky (I dehydrate my own beef/chicken/fish), nuts and seeds (raw and unsalted), hard boiled eggs, Sonoma Creamery Mr. cheese O's Snacks (you can find them on Amazon), low-fat string cheese or the light babybelle cheese Snacks. I try to stick with natural "whole foods" whenever possible.
Best of luck!

Is it only whey based Proteins you're having issues with? I had issues with whey Protein immediately following surgery (not anymore) and I temporarily used a pea or rice based vegan Protein source that worked great. You might try that and see if it helps because I'm about 8 months out and I still find it difficult to get enough protein in via food sources without supplementing some Protein powder.
That being said, there are some good lean sources of protein to include in your diet. Of course, I am not certain what stage you are in, so this would be considering you are at a point where you can consume these foods, but the best sources of protein for me have been chicken, fish and turkey with the occasional lean beef mixed in. I also juice a lot of leafy green vegetables which adds a variety of amino acids and protein as well. You can juice far more greens than you can eat, so it does add some good healthy sources of protein into your diet, as well as an entire host of Vitamins, minerals and nutrients, not to mention hydration.
If I'm going to snack, I try to snack on healthier things that will add some protein as well. Things such as low/no fat Jerky (I dehydrate my own beef/chicken/fish), nuts and seeds (raw and unsalted), hard boiled eggs, Sonoma Creamery Mr. cheese O's Snacks (you can find them on Amazon), low-fat string cheese or the light babybelle cheese Snacks. I try to stick with natural "whole foods" whenever possible.
Best of luck!

Is it only whey based Proteins you're having issues with? I had issues with whey Protein immediately following surgery (not anymore) and I temporarily used a pea or rice based vegan Protein source that worked great. You might try that and see if it helps because I'm about 8 months out and I still find it difficult to get enough protein in via food sources without supplementing some Protein powder.
That being said, there are some good lean sources of protein to include in your diet. Of course, I am not certain what stage you are in, so this would be considering you are at a point where you can consume these foods, but the best sources of protein for me have been chicken, fish and turkey with the occasional lean beef mixed in. I also juice a lot of leafy green vegetables which adds a variety of amino acids and protein as well. You can juice far more greens than you can eat, so it does add some good healthy sources of protein into your diet, as well as an entire host of Vitamins, minerals and nutrients, not to mention hydration.
If I'm going to snack, I try to snack on healthier things that will add some protein as well. Things such as low/no fat Jerky (I dehydrate my own beef/chicken/fish), nuts and seeds (raw and unsalted), hard boiled eggs, Sonoma Creamery Mr. cheese O's Snacks (you can find them on Amazon), low-fat string cheese or the light babybelle cheese Snacks. I try to stick with natural "whole foods" whenever possible.
Best of luck!

@@cheryl417
Sorry to hear about your experience. I also used Dr. Umbach as a cash patient, but my experience was quite the opposite of yours. My experience there from start to finish with everyone was amazing. Even the follow ups have been great and I've lost over 100 lbs so far with no complications. They certainly do see a high number of patients, but after all of my research the reason was clear that the number of patients they get was a direct result of the excellent performance of Dr. Umbach. A large portion of his patients fly in from all over the country as well as other parts of the world to specifically see him.
I'm so sorry that your experience does not reflect his great track record. Being that it sounds as though you also were a cash patient, are you continuing to work with him or have you moved on to another doc?
Looking over what you are eating, and knowing first hand the program from Blossom and Michelle, Blossom's NUT, it's certainly not in-line with the post-op diet and not only could that be hindering your weight loss, but could very well cause more irritation if you are still healing. Also, you must keep up with Protein intake. You've stopped drinking Protein shakes, but in the examples you gave of what you ate, you are certainly not consuming enough protein in a day which could also be a major factor as to why your weight loss has stalled.
I hate to see that you had a poor experience from the same surgeon who I feel gave me my quality of life back, but now your focus should be success moving forward (of course if you feel there was wrongdoing you should handle that appropriately). Stay away from those carbs and "slider foods"...they can be dangerous as they won't fill you up as fast as lean, dense protein and fiber-rich veggies and fruits.
Michelle has always been available to help me whether it be trivial questions or in-depth explanations on supplements or questions about food/exercise. She is a great resource and you should really take advantage of that if you are still working with the staff there.
I hope things turn around for you soon. Best of luck!

How about "I had surgery this morning at 8, it's 4 pm now and I just had a crunchy taco and shot of whiskey and now I feel guilty...is that bad?"
~ Ok maybe that's a little exaggerated....but only a little! Some of the questions are outright scary. After reading some I often wonder how they haven't injured themselves or even caused a rupture, but I don't dare say anything because....you know...bullying and all.

Yes I used Dr. Umbach and he and his entire team are fantastic. Michelle the Nutritionist is an amazing resource who is easy to communicate with via email or phone...always there for me with any questions I have...even months after surgery.
The entire experience there was easy and they make you feel comfortable the whole time. I was a cash patient, so I didn't have to deal with insurance requirements, and was able to use their state-of-the-art, brand new surgical center instead of dealing with a hospital. Went in at 7 am to prep (was first surgery of that day) and was on my home by noon. I've lost over 100 pounds so far and I am feeling great.

Those numbers I quoted are for individual Obamacare plans. Company provided plans would not be included in these figures. Though your experience might be high increases with the plans at the company or companies you've been involved with, the average for corporate plan increases is less than 5% per year.
The worst part in all of this is the constant switching of plans that individuals have to go through to "get the best rates". This is by design, and it's a poor design at that, especially for those that have complex health issues and in addition to changing plans may also be forced to change providers.

I don't typically like to engage in discussions that end up being two sides "digging in" and defending their points of view because, in my experience, it typically escalates fairly quickly and in the end, neither side is willing to concede.
However, I think it's irresponsible of me to disengage entirely when there is some information that appears to have escaped the discussion, and I believe it's important to address it.
Yes, corporate greed is a factor in rising insurance premiums just as it's a factor in rising prices on a gallon of milk or a pair of shoes, but to blame increases of 20% year over year on corporate greed alone is absurd and just plain wrong.
The Federal Government itself has just said this week that the average mid-level Obamacare plan (the most popular choice) will cost about 22% more in 2017 than it did in 2016. This is based on data from 39 states where people sign up through the HealthCare.gov website. (SOURCE)
There's a large discrepancy nationwide. In Phoenix, people are looking at a premium increase of 145% while customers in Rhode Island may actually see up to a 14% decrease (mostly because their rates were substantially higher to begin with). (SOURCE)
It's been discussed for months that ObamaCare prices were going to rise substantially after he left office (SOURCE) so I don't quite get the comments blaming everything but the legislation itself.
These are numbers and they are indeed facts. There is no question that ObamaCare raises healthcare premiums even for those not previously insured. The big question now is whether this is a one-time jump in the premiums or if this is the start of a new increase pattern that we can expect yearly. The saddest part of all of this is that the largest increases are specifically against customers who purchase their own policies, many of whom would be penalized by regulations if they did not under the "Affordable Care Act".
Now, all of that being said, there are ways to get help with the increases, but it's artificial help and in the end amounts to more tax dollars being dumped into the program to cover the bills. Over 80% of Obamacare customers can qualify for subsidies to help pay the cost of their premiums. Those customers don't pay the full cost out of pocket, so they won't personally see the direct impact of the increases, as long as there is a less expensive plan available in their market and they are willing to switch. This may become commonplace, so switching often may be the new "best choice" in order to avoid stiff increases. As more and more major companies pull out of state obamacare exchanges, these less expensive options will become more and more scarce. Switching health plans may save money for these individuals, but as you can see above, switching health plans is a big deal. Having to switch often is a nightmare.
To compound problems, customers who have to switch plans often to save money when premiums increase, may also have to change their healthcare providers as well since obamacare plans tend to cover a narrow group of physicians and hospitals. (SOURCE). This can be problematic for those with complex health needs. This means those with the most needs will undoubtedly be hit hardest, forced to make decisions whether to switch all of their doctors and records around, or suffer the increases. (SOURCE) (Keep in mind that frequent switching is part of the obamacare design, and not an accidental flaw, which in and of itself is a head scratcher).
Premiums from plans offered by corporations are not very affected by these changes to individual programs. Though it may seem that rates are increasing because, well, they are, those provided by corporations are actually increasing at comparatively low rates when compared to individuals forced to buy policies to meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Prices for most employer programs are rising by 3%. (SOURCE). The most notable change in these corporate plans are the deductible amounts, which has gone up quite steadily. This is because employers have been shifting costs to the employees which, to be fair, is a trend that started long before obamacare.
$32 billion of tax dollars was spent on subsidies for low-income people who buy insurance in Obamacare markets, according to the Congressional Budget Office. If premiums continue to rise by more than 20% per year, as it will from 2016 to 2017, the strain on the Federal Budget will be extraordinary.
There is no doubt that Obamacare is a problem financially speaking. There is also no doubt that every American needs access to medical coverage. Hopefully, whoever becomes the next President can reform this program to make it more affordable to those who need it without such a heavy financial burden being placed on other Americans in order to pay for it.
With a tax bracket about to cross 40% in my household, I can't imagine having to pay even more into taxes while dealing with everything else increasing as well. Something really needs to be done, and hopefully it can be a program that helps everyone. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not the way to go about this, and unfortunately that's the way things are heading.

I don't typically like to engage in discussions that end up being two sides "digging in" and defending their points of view because, in my experience, it typically escalates fairly quickly and in the end, neither side is willing to concede.
However, I think it's irresponsible of me to disengage entirely when there is some information that appears to have escaped the discussion, and I believe it's important to address it.
Yes, corporate greed is a factor in rising insurance premiums just as it's a factor in rising prices on a gallon of milk or a pair of shoes, but to blame increases of 20% year over year on corporate greed alone is absurd and just plain wrong.
The Federal Government itself has just said this week that the average mid-level Obamacare plan (the most popular choice) will cost about 22% more in 2017 than it did in 2016. This is based on data from 39 states where people sign up through the HealthCare.gov website. (SOURCE)
There's a large discrepancy nationwide. In Phoenix, people are looking at a premium increase of 145% while customers in Rhode Island may actually see up to a 14% decrease (mostly because their rates were substantially higher to begin with). (SOURCE)
It's been discussed for months that ObamaCare prices were going to rise substantially after he left office (SOURCE) so I don't quite get the comments blaming everything but the legislation itself.
These are numbers and they are indeed facts. There is no question that ObamaCare raises healthcare premiums even for those not previously insured. The big question now is whether this is a one-time jump in the premiums or if this is the start of a new increase pattern that we can expect yearly. The saddest part of all of this is that the largest increases are specifically against customers who purchase their own policies, many of whom would be penalized by regulations if they did not under the "Affordable Care Act".
Now, all of that being said, there are ways to get help with the increases, but it's artificial help and in the end amounts to more tax dollars being dumped into the program to cover the bills. Over 80% of Obamacare customers can qualify for subsidies to help pay the cost of their premiums. Those customers don't pay the full cost out of pocket, so they won't personally see the direct impact of the increases, as long as there is a less expensive plan available in their market and they are willing to switch. This may become commonplace, so switching often may be the new "best choice" in order to avoid stiff increases. As more and more major companies pull out of state obamacare exchanges, these less expensive options will become more and more scarce. Switching health plans may save money for these individuals, but as you can see above, switching health plans is a big deal. Having to switch often is a nightmare.
To compound problems, customers who have to switch plans often to save money when premiums increase, may also have to change their healthcare providers as well since obamacare plans tend to cover a narrow group of physicians and hospitals. (SOURCE). This can be problematic for those with complex health needs. This means those with the most needs will undoubtedly be hit hardest, forced to make decisions whether to switch all of their doctors and records around, or suffer the increases. (SOURCE) (Keep in mind that frequent switching is part of the obamacare design, and not an accidental flaw, which in and of itself is a head scratcher).
Premiums from plans offered by corporations are not very affected by these changes to individual programs. Though it may seem that rates are increasing because, well, they are, those provided by corporations are actually increasing at comparatively low rates when compared to individuals forced to buy policies to meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Prices for most employer programs are rising by 3%. (SOURCE). The most notable change in these corporate plans are the deductible amounts, which has gone up quite steadily. This is because employers have been shifting costs to the employees which, to be fair, is a trend that started long before obamacare.
$32 billion of tax dollars was spent on subsidies for low-income people who buy insurance in Obamacare markets, according to the Congressional Budget Office. If premiums continue to rise by more than 20% per year, as it will from 2016 to 2017, the strain on the Federal Budget will be extraordinary.
There is no doubt that Obamacare is a problem financially speaking. There is also no doubt that every American needs access to medical coverage. Hopefully, whoever becomes the next President can reform this program to make it more affordable to those who need it without such a heavy financial burden being placed on other Americans in order to pay for it.
With a tax bracket about to cross 40% in my household, I can't imagine having to pay even more into taxes while dealing with everything else increasing as well. Something really needs to be done, and hopefully it can be a program that helps everyone. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not the way to go about this, and unfortunately that's the way things are heading.

I don't typically like to engage in discussions that end up being two sides "digging in" and defending their points of view because, in my experience, it typically escalates fairly quickly and in the end, neither side is willing to concede.
However, I think it's irresponsible of me to disengage entirely when there is some information that appears to have escaped the discussion, and I believe it's important to address it.
Yes, corporate greed is a factor in rising insurance premiums just as it's a factor in rising prices on a gallon of milk or a pair of shoes, but to blame increases of 20% year over year on corporate greed alone is absurd and just plain wrong.
The Federal Government itself has just said this week that the average mid-level Obamacare plan (the most popular choice) will cost about 22% more in 2017 than it did in 2016. This is based on data from 39 states where people sign up through the HealthCare.gov website. (SOURCE)
There's a large discrepancy nationwide. In Phoenix, people are looking at a premium increase of 145% while customers in Rhode Island may actually see up to a 14% decrease (mostly because their rates were substantially higher to begin with). (SOURCE)
It's been discussed for months that ObamaCare prices were going to rise substantially after he left office (SOURCE) so I don't quite get the comments blaming everything but the legislation itself.
These are numbers and they are indeed facts. There is no question that ObamaCare raises healthcare premiums even for those not previously insured. The big question now is whether this is a one-time jump in the premiums or if this is the start of a new increase pattern that we can expect yearly. The saddest part of all of this is that the largest increases are specifically against customers who purchase their own policies, many of whom would be penalized by regulations if they did not under the "Affordable Care Act".
Now, all of that being said, there are ways to get help with the increases, but it's artificial help and in the end amounts to more tax dollars being dumped into the program to cover the bills. Over 80% of Obamacare customers can qualify for subsidies to help pay the cost of their premiums. Those customers don't pay the full cost out of pocket, so they won't personally see the direct impact of the increases, as long as there is a less expensive plan available in their market and they are willing to switch. This may become commonplace, so switching often may be the new "best choice" in order to avoid stiff increases. As more and more major companies pull out of state obamacare exchanges, these less expensive options will become more and more scarce. Switching health plans may save money for these individuals, but as you can see above, switching health plans is a big deal. Having to switch often is a nightmare.
To compound problems, customers who have to switch plans often to save money when premiums increase, may also have to change their healthcare providers as well since obamacare plans tend to cover a narrow group of physicians and hospitals. (SOURCE). This can be problematic for those with complex health needs. This means those with the most needs will undoubtedly be hit hardest, forced to make decisions whether to switch all of their doctors and records around, or suffer the increases. (SOURCE) (Keep in mind that frequent switching is part of the obamacare design, and not an accidental flaw, which in and of itself is a head scratcher).
Premiums from plans offered by corporations are not very affected by these changes to individual programs. Though it may seem that rates are increasing because, well, they are, those provided by corporations are actually increasing at comparatively low rates when compared to individuals forced to buy policies to meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Prices for most employer programs are rising by 3%. (SOURCE). The most notable change in these corporate plans are the deductible amounts, which has gone up quite steadily. This is because employers have been shifting costs to the employees which, to be fair, is a trend that started long before obamacare.
$32 billion of tax dollars was spent on subsidies for low-income people who buy insurance in Obamacare markets, according to the Congressional Budget Office. If premiums continue to rise by more than 20% per year, as it will from 2016 to 2017, the strain on the Federal Budget will be extraordinary.
There is no doubt that Obamacare is a problem financially speaking. There is also no doubt that every American needs access to medical coverage. Hopefully, whoever becomes the next President can reform this program to make it more affordable to those who need it without such a heavy financial burden being placed on other Americans in order to pay for it.
With a tax bracket about to cross 40% in my household, I can't imagine having to pay even more into taxes while dealing with everything else increasing as well. Something really needs to be done, and hopefully it can be a program that helps everyone. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not the way to go about this, and unfortunately that's the way things are heading.

Yes I used Dr. Umbach and he and his entire team are fantastic. Michelle the Nutritionist is an amazing resource who is easy to communicate with via email or phone...always there for me with any questions I have...even months after surgery.
The entire experience there was easy and they make you feel comfortable the whole time. I was a cash patient, so I didn't have to deal with insurance requirements, and was able to use their state-of-the-art, brand new surgical center instead of dealing with a hospital. Went in at 7 am to prep (was first surgery of that day) and was on my home by noon. I've lost over 100 pounds so far and I am feeling great.

How about "I had surgery this morning at 8, it's 4 pm now and I just had a crunchy taco and shot of whiskey and now I feel guilty...is that bad?"
~ Ok maybe that's a little exaggerated....but only a little! Some of the questions are outright scary. After reading some I often wonder how they haven't injured themselves or even caused a rupture, but I don't dare say anything because....you know...bullying and all.

Hang in there.........I'll get better after every walk.....every brief nap.......better each time.
So happy for you.
You are going to make the most of this opportunity.

Spent the day in recovery because there weren't any beds available on the Surgical ICU. Surgery at 7:30 - woke up in agony and major nausea at around 12:30. My Mom and Man came in to see me at 1:30 but felt so horrid I told them to head home. They were waiting since 6am. Anyway - feel much better. Very little gas. Some acid or that kind of uncomfortable feeling/pain. I'm hitting the Dilaudid button a fair amount. Sat up for a while in recovery and now in a room and took a walk (just 1 lap for now!). Thanks for thinking of me and for your prayers.

@@KristenLe
it's about time!!!!
i have read many of your posts/responses
you are ready, willing and able to be sleeved
i know you are prepared
let doc do all the work
sweet dreams during surgery
good luck bud
kathy