NCLisa

They have sugarfree carmel syrup. Get a sugarfree frap! I go to starbucks daily, I order a iced venti sugarfree hazelnut latte with 2% milk. I love my Starbucks!

I'm on my 3rd fill, and am miserable for at least 2 weeks after each fill. By day 4, I can barely get liquids down. It seems that I swell so bad after each fill, it takes several weeks to heal. Even my abdomen swells after a fill. And I have first bite syndrome, when I can finally eat again. I had a fill last week, and am now at the totally miserable stage. So far today I've been able to have 1 large bottle of Isopure, 2 bottles of Water, 3.5 ounces of tuna, 4 spoonfuls of organic split pea Soup, and that is it. I'm trying for another 1/2 bottle of water before bed. I thought I was going to either passout or heave in pilates today. I think I turned green I felt so bad. I don't want to get an "unfill" because again, it won't help as it is the swelling that is causing this. I wish I knew why the fills are so hard on my body!

After each fill, eating hurts for about 3 weeks. Even my abdomen swells for a week and even drinking liquids hurt. I don't pb much, but the first bites of food are painful, then I have to wait about 10 minutes, and eat a little more of the food. Takes me about 45 minutes to finish a small meal. I usually start feeling a little better right before the next fill. My 3rd fill was last Thursday morning, and its the usual, but this time I have a little heartburn. It's not a lot, just mild. But because I seem to really swell from each fill where it takes several weeks to heal, I'm thinking I should give it until my next fill. If I still have the heartburn on Aug 27, then I'll have them take a little saline out. I was able to eat some tuna salad this afternoon, so I can eat solid foods, not just Soup and Protein drinks. I wish I healed as fast as some of you!

Just about everything hurts to eat. So I'm focusing more on liquids that are high in Protein which includes fruit smoothies. I love mixed berry, with organic blueberry, rasberry, strawberry and then blended with ice, organic yogurt, and Pom blueberry/pomegrante juice or Pom cherry/pomegrante juice. Mango, Orange, banana smoothies are great too! And if I have to leave the house in the hurry, starbucks has good ones with between 16 and 21 grams of protein.

I had my first fill on June 4th, and was on liquids for 3 days afterwards. I do have a little restriction now. I ate 4 small bites of a chicken strip this afternoon and it caused my first PB. And it is harder to eat some foods again. Dr. said no bread at all for 10 days after each fill. I'm am hoping to eat bread again someday. I miss it, and it's only been 6 weeks!

I found an in net work psych in chapel Hill, that was a $50 copay. The nutrionist was free, if you join the BCBS healthy lifestyles program, or something like that, all the nutrionist visits will be free if they are in network and it knocks your prescriptions all down to one tier less expensive. REX asked I wanted to pay in advance. I said No. I don't have that kind of cash lying around, so I will be making payment arrangements after I get my breakdown from BCBS. I've been screwed over by BCBS so many times before that I want to review each and every claim before I send a payment to anyone. My daughter fell of her horse about 3 years ago, and broke 3 ribs, a finger, and hit her head (w/helmut on) and instead of paying the claim, they kept sending me letters that she needed to file a workers comp claim before they'd pay as the riding accident was work related. It took about 20 phone calls and the attorney I worked for to write them a letter to get them to pay the bill. Geez, how many 13 year olds have jobs, let alone jobs that involve riding horses?

I just got a bill from REX for $7000 for my portion of the surgery. BCBS of NC covers 80%. I was told the entire surgery would be approx $15,000 but the bill was $27,000. I was a little shocked. Can't wait to see the other bills that come in from the other surgical staff that bill seperately.

I won't really miss soda, but I love mineral water!