cattoy71

I was self-pay and paid 17k. My doctor said that it is a reduced cost from what insurance companies get billed....something like over 30k billed if insurance covers the costs. I can't imagine you are likely to get the costs down so that it's a significant savings.

The number one foreign object retrieved from ER's around the country are bottles and jars! Go figure :rolleyes2:

About the whole stretching thing....For occassional or even more anal sex, there is usually never a problem with regaining tightness. You run into problems when you are someone who is habitually fisted or use other monsterously large penetrative objects. I'm also not at all surprised about anal sex being so popular....it's one of my most requested sex workshops :frown:

Andrew you've just made my day!!!

I was just thinking that I could post an article on the art of anal fisting if anyone is interested! Guys? Anyone?

Man those pictures are too much. I should really print some out and put them around my house to curb my appetite. Thanks for posting :tongue_smilie:

"If your credit is shot and you have no means to pay...well...maybe time to work on yourself and what is important. Where there's a will, there's a way." I love this quote...thank you for saying it so eloquently :tongue_smilie::thumbup::thumbup:

Yesterday I did: 15 minutes on the treadmill @ 4% incline 2 sets of interval machines for legs 15 minutes on the recumbent bike p.s. I love this thread and the accountability. Wish I could find someone at my club to buddy up with too!

I only really felt the band in me directly after surgery. I could actually feel the squeeze sensation for the first few weeks. Otherwise I don't really feel a difference except on the rare occasion I have eaten too much.

Wow, the charges for your fills sound like what doctors charge for fills for patients that were banded elsewhere (i.e. Mexico). You got some good advice about asking about self pay rates. You can often get a year or a series of fills for a fixed amount of money paid up front.

I financed a portion of my self pay surgery through CapitalOne. My APR is something ridiculously low like 2.99% but I think that was based on my FICO score. Couldn't hurt to check them out. You can appy online for a health credit line.

I have no idea since I was self pay. You might want to try posting this in the insurance forum to get more responses. You may also be able to find something if you search "highmark security" under the search function.

I have my fourth fill scheduled for next week. My surgeon is very conservative with fills and now gives me fills of .5ml every 4 weeks. I'm currently at 5ml in a 10ml band. It's weird tho....I have yet to have one single pb episode...I did slime once, but have never had the pb experience. I admit that I haven't been very good at exercising, but have recently been getting back at it. I really feel like it is the only way I will continue to lose weight (instead of flucuating back and forth the same 3 pounds). You'd think that being self pay would be enough incentive to workout, but it hasn't been p.s. thanks for replying to the exercise question

Lol, well I had a thread over in the ladies room you can check out. I'm a workshop consultant for a well known female friendly sex toy store in San Francisco. Mostly I do a lot of workshops and presentations on all things sex. Pretty much everything from basic anatomy and sexual pleasure to LGBTQIQ sex, sex club etiquette and fetish play. I've also done smaller technique based workshops for hand-jobs and blow-jobs. For over 5 years I worked in a San Francisco non profit providing support for youth that are HIV positive and have done a lot of travelling as a guest presenter on how internet hook-ups fuel soaring HIV/STD rates.

OOOh I am by no means knocking gay sex or sex in general...I am a sex educator in San Francisco afterall. I was just bringing up the likehood of religion playing into their relationship.

Ok I have a serious question......how is everyone doing so well with their weight loss? Seriously, you guys are rock stars!!! How much exercise are you doing to have lost so much weight. I'm down over 40 from my highest pre-band weight, but some of you guys flew by me miles ago!! p.s. LoveIsLovely, I am so sorry for your loss. Sending you my best thoughts and a bigger hug.

I just wanted to chime in and say that if the couple is in the relationship and not divorced due to religion, then gay sex is mostly likely against religion too...no?

I've tried botox for migraines, and it didn't work well. The strange thing is that all that gag stuff in movies is so wrong because it takes up to 1 full week for the botox to take affect! Not exactly the quick fix everyone talks about, lol.

My insurance totally covered everything except my co-pay. I really haven't had a full on period since I got it in October 2008, but I do have sporadic spotting, and only need to use pantyliners. There is some sporadic cramping, but I use tylenol to help. I did have some funky emotional hormonal feelings for the first week or so while getting used to the estrogen, but overall I'm really happy I have it. If your insurance covers it, totally do it.

I had the mirena implanted about 3 weeks prior to my banding. I also am childfree and my doctor doesn't believe that you must have had a child before she will give you the implant. The initial cramping lasted a few days. Make sure to ask your doctor for a lidocane shot prior to the placement so it is less uncomfortable. I have had occasional cramping that is similar to that of when I'm menstruating. I also spot more frequently now, but haven't had a full period since the implant. I really like it and it's one of the best options if you aren't looking to get pregnant. I was so over doing the pill, and my husband didn't like the feel of the nuva ring.

:mad2::wink2: Oh my that is sooo funny. Maybe you can get her a bodybugg too and see who can burn the most calories:tt2:

No, I didn't take the comment as snarky, lol. Most of my training was done in San Francisco at the following institutions: SFSU's School of Sexuality San Francisco Sex Information Institute for Community Health Outreach Good Vibrations Center for Sex and Culture My most recent background has been in the HIV community where I did everything from outreach, school presentations, to program directing. I left that job last year, and have been doing contract sexuality workshops on a very part time basis. They're few and far between, but I've given 2 at Stanford University in the past week and they were really fun

EbonyRose I loooooove your response...you totally rock! I don't know what to say about the cosmopolitan comment, but I am a trained sex educator so I am already completely sex positive! It does help that I know a lot about male anatomy, anal sex, and sexual pleasure. I've also been trained as a sexual domina so some men can find that exciting as well.

Omg congrats on your fabulous weight loss girl!!! I was filled last week, and my surgeon mentioned someone who had to make themselves throw up after eating most of the time. Turns out, they had a slip and it was easily repaired. I don't want to freak you out, but what you wrote was exactly how he described the woman's situation. I hope it's just an overfill, but keep us posted!

I feel perfectly ok in saying that if a guy wants me to do anal, he has to do it too, lol. It's interesting that since we have started this thread, an old "friend" has contacted me online again after years. Apparently he can't stop thinking about being bent over and taken. And no, this guy is not at all gay. He is a lawyer and very much a guy's guy who loves to hike, bike, and ski. It's kinda strange actually, he is completely beautiful and very normal and has a very dominant sexual relationship with his now wife.