Dora

I use a website iHerb.com - Vitamins, Supplements & Natural Health Products. They have a lot of different protein shakes and you can compare what they provide. They also have customer reviews so you can see how people like them. They also have liquid vitamins. Dora.:thumbup:

I read elsewhere that mouthwash can dry out your mouth and ultimately lead to more bad breath. The doctor in this article suggested drinking tea.

As I read your message, I can see that you are going through the process of learning to love yourself and be yourself, and that takes time. You may want to look for some guided meditation CDs to help you relax and to learn to be quiet inside yourself. There are a number available through Amazon. One I like is Kelly Howell's The Secret -- Universal Mind Meditation. As some of the other messages have said, if your parents are willing to pay for this, it might be worthwhile taking advantage of this, but be kind to yourself. Spend time thinking about what you want for your life.

The first thing I want to say to you is only do this if YOU want to do it. We all have our issues with weight and if you do this for your parents, that can lead to other issues later. Next, I haven't been banded yet, but I had a long surgery with anesthesia years ago. It was fine. (actually it felt good.) What will get you through any surgery easily is to know that it's right for you. I know now that surgery is right for me. But I've dealt with a lot of issues. (many of them with family) I'm probably older than your parents and I know this is something that really has to b e done four you alone. I'm ready and I know things will go fine.

You might also want to check the various hospitals that are"centers of excellence". Besides St. Agnes, I know Sinai is one and I think GBMC is one. Compare the names of their docs to the bcbs list and I think you'll find several in the Balto area. Dora

I just started the process, but I'm using Dr. Singh at St Agnes. He was rated one of the top docs by Baltimore Magazine. I'm in BC/BS PPO plan, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. My endocronologist said that of his patients who have had surgury, those who had it at St. Agnes have done the best. Dora