BJean

patty: "I was not complaining about the way we've done it. I am complaining about the way Obama is trying to change what we've been doing by forcing people to buy what they don't want to buy. It's unconstitutional. " What should be illegal is the way the insurance companies have gouged people and then not provided the services that they paid to get covered. That is why someone like our president has had to get involved and try to beat back this monster that "the way we've done it" has created. I cannot fathom why you find this so difficult to understand.

patty: "Every American has access to HC. They just have to pay for it." You reveal your stupidity when you post things like this.

Sorry, I don't buy it. For someone who is homosexual, that IS who they are. It isn't just about sexual behavior. It goes to the very core of their being. Just as being a heretosexual goes to the very core of your being. And when you HATE for any reason, you're not a good Christian trying to live by the example of what Jesus preached, whether it is the behavior you HATE or the individual. And when you take action against an individual because of that HATE, it makes no difference anyway - it's your behavior that is deplorable and that is what Jesus tried to teach you! Furthermore, just because you SAY that you LOVE doesn't mean that you really do. Because your actions always speak louder (and more plainly) than your words. And many fundamental extremist believers hold a lot of HATE in their hearts when they demonstrate against someone with whom they philosophically disagree. And again, that is wrong and that is the basis of Jesus' message.

NtvTxn, sounds like ours heads are in about the same place. I'm still getting used to the new look that proper fitting bras have created for me. Since I've worn the same bras for years - minimizers - I didn't even realize that they have come out with tee shirt bras. They're great. I invested (big time) in 5 of them. Now I'm already beginning to think I shouldn't have bought so many. I may be going down another size soon and I only got them a couple of weeks ago. I hope this isn't TMI!!

Well pumpkin you've lost 58 lbs and that's nothing to sneeze at! Good job! You're more than half way to goal too. My dentist said that if you use artificial sweetners enough they react like sugar on your teeth. And I've heard that once you get used to some of the artificial sweetners, your palate gets used to the sweeter taste of them and you need more sugar than ever to satisfy the craving you get for something sweet. I've seen a whole lot of people, including family members, who are obese and they drink diet Coke almost exclusively. What started out as saving calories turned into a detrimental addiction. ODaisy, that's good news about the maximum stretch achieved by 15 months. Gives me a little more confidence that my sleeve will continue to be my best friend even after I'm at goal. I do understand that each person is different though and your doctor may leave a smaller or larger pouch than mine did.

Yes, I read about the gravel roads. At least people that are putting down the gravel have jobs. Our very first plan of action needs to be getting rid of corporate welfare. We've let them go untaxed for years and that didn't work. Why don't we tax them and just see if it works? Fair is fair, right?

Or religions, plural.

patty: That's NOT fair at all. Why should I pay for YOUR Health insurance? It's not your right! If it is, then it's your right to have food on your table and it's your right to not be homeless." Health care should be something that every American has access to. If you want to take that out of the equation, get ready to join the ranks of third world countries with people dying on the streets everyday from untreated diseases. Why in the world would you want to live in a country like that if you could live in America where we have a government and taxes that provide for a far higher standard of living? If you want that kind of life, why are you living here and complaining about the way we do it? Move someplace where you don't have to pay taxes. And put up with the standard of living that you get.

patty: "The bank requires it for you to have a loan. They're not forcing you to buy it. If you don't want to purchase it in order for them to loan you money for a house, then save your money till you can buy it yourself. I wouldn't give you a loan either unless there was a reassurance that if anything happened to it I would be repaid. They are not the government forcing you to purchase anything you didn't want to buy. " If this is actually a valid argument you won't mind telling us how many homes you own and how many you've purchased in your lifetime and how many of them you purchased without a loan... hmmmm?

patty: "My daughter didn't have HC for a while there and when she went to the ER for stitches, the bill was sent to her, not you. Once, many years ago, when my husband was out of work and we had no HI, the hospital put a lean on OUR home till we paid it, not YOURS or anyone elses. The fact is, that we pay high premiums anyway. They will not go down because others will be mandated by law to purchase HI." It's people like your husband and daughter who've made the requirement of insurance by lenders and doctors a reality for the rest of us hard working, on-time bill paying folks.

patty: "Car insurance is to protect others. HI is to protect me only. Does my neighbor care if I can't pay my hospital bill because I didn't purchase health insurance? Or does anyone care that I have medical bills to pay? It effects noone but ME if I don't carry insurance. Not carrying car ins. effects the one you run into, therefore, it should be required by law. If you don't want to abide by the law of purchasing car ins., you don't have to own a car. You can walk or take the bus." I'm sure someone has already explained this to you but I haven't read all the posts yet that followed this one. I cannot believe that you are really this obtuse! Why, other than outright greed which is the biggest reason, but why do you think our health insurance premiums are so high anyway. And with this kind of thinking why would you complain if illegals get free medical care at our hospitals if it didn't affect you?

Amen, sister!

You know, I'm a band to sleeve revision. I think that the time I spent coping with the band prepared me for the sleeve. Who knew that the awful band experience I had would actually be a benefit! But I do think it has made a difference for me adapting to the sleeve. Btw, if I am eating with others who are eating fast, I too fall into the old habits. It seems like the less I eat, the more my husband eats and the faster he eats. Odd, huh? :confused:

Oh gosh I just don't have that kind of time to devote to having a meal. If all I can eat is a couple of bites then I just accept it and leave the table. I am actually a happy camper when I can only eat a few bites. I know I will need to eat something again in an hour or two so I just get busy and then when I feel like I need something else to eat, I have some of what I didn't eat at the meal or I have some kind of snack. I consider that uncomfortable feeling my best friend. Sometimes I have the old kind of expectations about eating a meal. Especially if I have worked hard at preparing the food or if I have been really looking forward to going to a certain restaurant. But after the initial disappointment of only eating a few bites, I pat my tummy and think halleluia! I'm going to be not only a "normal" person again, I'm going to be slim and attractive! Whoo-hoo!!

patty: "This is yet another Obama tactic to bypass our constitutional form of government and to FORCE an unwanted mandate upon the American people." Which American people feel forced by it? Not me. None of the people I know feel that way. We're all American people.

Except when I was in the hospital (overnight) post surgery, I haven't taken an acid blocker at all. Maybe that's part of my intolerance for plain Water. I do drink Smart Water some but I don't notice a difference. The dietician said that our tummies absorb water very quickly and that's what causes the ache. I will try Arrowhead. Thanks a lot for the tip! I am averse to food and drink if they are artificially sweetened. I'd rather have nothing at all than something containing artificial sweetners. In fact, I don't like artificial flavorings of any kind. So during the liquid and soft food stages, I stayed with savory type foods rather than sweet ones as much as possible. I have never been a juice drinker in my life. So drinking something that has juice in it is new for me. I have used the new V8 drinks a little, diluted half and half with water. That is about 30 cals for an 8 oz drink. Certainly affordable, calorie-wise with probably a small amount of food value. People may think that I am not losing quickly enough but I don't have as much to lose as some people. And I already weigh less than I have in 20 years. I still fear sometimes that I won't reach goal, but other times I feel very confident because this is working so well for me. I eat foods that are very high in Protein, a few carbs (never been much of a bread, potatoes or rice person) and the drinks I've been describing. I also use part of a Protein Bar or almonds (sometimes cocoa dusted) for Snacks. And as I said, I'm happy with a 5 lb weight loss over 2 weeks which is a slow down from when I was on the very low-calorie plan, but slowing down was something that was also in the plan. You've done really well and have lots of good experience with this sleeve thing. I appreciate your input. How long did it take you to lose 100 lbs? I started this surgery needing to lose 62 lbs and I've lost over half of that. Do you honestly think that I'm being too easy on myself? I believe I can take the truth from someone who is so experienced and successful. Did you lose hair? I'm worried a lot about that. I don't have that much that I can afford to lose any.

patty: "You mean like how the liberals try to convince the public that anyone on the right is a racist and a hater? You mean like that?" No patty, I mean they lie and misrepresent and cheat to win elections. The right wing extremists who make false claims against our president and against people working in congress are what I'm talking about. I wasn't talking about HATE. I wasn't talking about RACISM. I was talking about lying, cheating and misrepresenting to win elections. If you want to talk about the leftists and accuse them of stuff, make a post saying that. Don't try to hijack mine to mean something that it doesn't. patty: "Don't put words in my mouth! I told you not to do that many times. So, stop it. I have never, EVER, said that anyone was going to Hell for anything! What a LIAR!!!! you are!" I am not a liar. I have read your posts many times when you've said that only if people believe as you do, will they be able to get into heaven. If you say that the only people who are going to heaven are the ones who believe as you do, then one must quickly conclude that you mean that the ones who do not share your beliefs are going to hell. You've posted it repeatedly. It's one of your mantras. Why in the world would you deny it? And why in the would would you call me a liar over something you have stated repeatedly? This is very confusing. patty: "I never knew that the wealthy business owners claim to be born again." Roll eyes? You think this is funny? Are you telling me that you are unaware that there are a lot of very wealthy and powerful people who claim to be born again? And I say "claim" because in reality many of them are just, as in business, hedging their bets. The way they behave does not indicate that they are true Christians. Take a look around, if you really pay attention it isn't hard to see them. There are seveal stand outs in congress and on the Fox network. And lets not forget Pat Robertson who helps lead them.

Kabranda that's a good idea. I have a margarita machine that would do the trick. It is kinda messy to use and a lot to clean up though when I can just go pick one up at Sonic. And btw, the kiddie's size that I get these days isn't close to 200 calories of a small size and I still only drink half. And I've switched to the lemon-lime juice because the other seemed too sweet. Donna, thanks for your concern. However I have problems drinking enough Water each day. Water tends to hurt my stomach if I drink more than a few swallows. If I have something like juice in with frozen water, it is one way to fill the water quota that I need. It was suggested to me by my dietician. I do hear what you're saying (that you think I'm cheating.) But a 600 to 800 calorie diet should not last that long. My doctor's dietician began requiring 1000 to 1200 calories per day for me a long time ago. (My revision surgery was in April.) If I restricted my intake to 600 to 800 calories a day indefinitely or until I reach goal, I could expect to lose my hair and muscle mass and my overall good health. I am only expected to and want to lose from 1 to 3 pounds per week which will enable me to exercise all I want with no chance of harming myself. Years ago I went on Optifast, guided by an endocrinologist, and that diet was around 600 calories a day. I stayed on it for 9 weeks. My health suffered as a result and I eventually regained all of the weight I lost and more. I certainly do not want a repeat of that. I'm in this to win this. I want to reach 130 lbs. as quickly as is reasonable, not as quickly as possible. And so far, I am delighted with the results I've obtained by following my doctor's plan.

Thanks, Cleo's. I feel woefully ignorant and inadequate next to you. But of course that doesn't slow me down. Everything you posted above is true. Unfortunately the Republicans are masters at instilling fear in people who are uninformed about how they operate. Fortunately the internet and some of the national media sources are helping to balance the scale a bit. But it is truly frightening to see large populations of different states be sucked in because they don't want "socialism" or gun control or new taxes or a foreigner for president. We have to keep the faith that Americans are basically just like us. People who believe in America and good Americans. If we don't stick together, divided we fall. And as we've both noticed, they are doing their darned level best to divide us.

I don't have all the data to back up my posts but I know that it's happening because I see it each and every day. I'm just a regular American. A bona fide, red-blooded American voter. And I am not blind to what the hierarchy in the Republican party has done starting with the not-so-covert operations during the Nixon administration up until now. And I hope that most red-blooded Americans have been watching as well. I too have some conservative views of how things should be run in this country. And I've voted for some Republicans in the past because of that. But I can not fathom voting for anyone Republican these days because those Republicans in politics are trying to continue running this country (and my economics) straight into the ground. It is good though to read Cleo's links because they come from people who have much more clout than the likes of me. And I may not have a lot of credibility with other LapBand posters, but I know the truth and I am deeply saddened and afraid of what is next for this country if the voters do not stand up to the convoluted thinking and lies that the Republicans represent today. I believe that is what voters did when they voted for our president. I believe that they realized what happed in the previous two elections. I believe they knew they had been lied to over and over and over again by the Republicans. I believe they understood that Sarah Palin represents what is wrong in American politics and they voted in large numbers against it. I hope and pray that we are able to turn this country around but we can't do it if we don't rebel and show them that we do not trust them and that we know that they are driven by greed, not the democracy and patriotism that they say they believe in.

patty, you seriously think that the government should be in the business of punishing its' citizens? WE are the government. WE THE PEOPLE. We the people, i.e., the government, should not spending time and money punishing people for bad predicaments. We should not be in the business of passing judgement on how someone made a decision or when they were born or to whom they were born or the fact that their employer decided that it was more lucrative to take their jobs elsewhere. You talk about progressives having everything backwards and that they're going to hell for not believing as you do. The rub seems to come in when one side is willing to lie and misrepresent to get into office. The rub is when we elect someone to represent us and they refuse to do the job we elected them to do because they don't want to work with the president or the people's representatives in congress from the other party. The rub comes in when they are so unhappy with any effort to truly improve the country that they do their best to convince voters that the majority party is a socialist party and that the leader of the free world is not a true American. They try to convince voters that to support the president and majority party means that one is also against free enterprise in America. But the truth? The truth is that they are either already very wealthy or they stand to become wealthy by representing the most wealthy interests in this country rather than the comon folk. Which would be fair since the very wealthy are good American voters themselves, right? But wait, if they were good Americans why they do business elsewhere? Why instead of employing Americans to help our own economy, do they help the economy of other countries? Why do they pour American dollars into other countries and they don't even pay their fair share of taxes? And as for those congressional representatives who represent big business interests in congress? They claim that anything big business or the wealthy in America do, is fair. And not only do they not have to pay their fair share in taxes, not only do they not employ Americans or invest those dollars in our economy, they resent and fight against anyone who wants to improve our economy and try to help those who have been put out of work by these anti-American practices. Why? Greed and avarice. So we think YOU've got it backwards. We think that greed drives the wealthy. And avarice and greed and lying are not the things that God rewards in the next life. No matter how many times those folks claim to be "born again" God won't reward that kind of behavior. He believes, like you, in punishment. So, get ready... like you claim, here He comes!

Egad, sorry for the long lecture. Hope I didn't gross anybody out!

Btw, Sunshine, our bodies have become very efficient at saving calories. I am not sure if it is from all the dieting we've done as obese people or if we're just built that way. But sometimes it helps to trick your metabolism by eating a little more (not at one sitting) one day than what you are normally eating. It often works if you've cut your calories drastically and you're not cheating at all - and you know for certain that your calorie intake is a whole lot less than you were ingesting before surgery. Just try eating more calories one day and I'd be willing to bet you'll see a weight loss on your scale the very next day. And if you're still having a problem and you know that you are following your doctor's plan, have someone hide your scales. Don't weigh for a month. That's hard to do, but I promise that you'll lose in a month - and it won't be just a pound or 2 - and you'll be happy with the speed you're losing overall. Also, you might be surprised to learn that all these weight loss tickers can show lbs lost that were actually taken off right before the surgery and some people don't have any more weight lost since surgery than you do in the same amount of time. Don't lose heart. I've been experiencing some scary thoughts myself and have had several people reassure me too so try not to be hard on yourself, try to enjoy the ride. Oh yeah, and another thing is that if anybody is having any hunger (head or otherwise) are you drinking caffeine? Cut out the caffeine - it's an appetite stimulant and even worse, my dietician (and others on this site) says it can interfere with absorbtion of nutrients.

If you're stalled, you are probably retaining Water AND "poo." Once you increase your water intake (not other fluids) you'll poo and you'll notice a weight loss. The main reason you lose so much at the time of surgery is that you really do get dehydrated, usually in spite of the IV fluids you get. At least I do. I hit the constipation wall too and called my doc and he said to get Dulcolax. But he also said that I definitely was not getting enough water. If we take in enough water, we won't get constipated. Unless perhaps you're still taking pain meds. But water is absorbed almost immediately in your gut and once your body gets hydrated, it will eliminate all the excess. A good test is that if your pee has a yellow color, you're not getting enough water. If you're properly dydrated, your pee is clear. After 3 months post op, it was easy to figure out the little stalls that happened nearly every week. If I hadn't pooed for 3 or more days, no weight loss. If I pooed regularly, I'd lose at least half a pound or a few ounces every day. Makes sense, doesn't it? Don't freak out but if you are deviating from your doctor's program in any way, you can't expect to get the results that those people get who aren't deviating at all. That means the kinds of foods you eat as well as the liquids you drink. Frankly, at a couple or 3 weeks out, there was no way I could ingest a cup of anything at one time. But I'm a very small person. That being said, I have to confess that I have never been able to get 64 oz of water down in a day. I just can't. But if I don't get enough water, constipation is a fact of life for me. Try it and let us know if it has helped. You sure don't want to become dependent on laxatives to get the job done. It's much healthier if you do it the natural way. I bought the dulcolax, but only used it once. When he told me about the water factor, I was good to go.

If you're talking PUBLIC pools, for sure. And public spas are supposed to be the worst. We keep our saltwater pool and spa sparkling though with frequent tests and chemicals balanced and it probably has fewer bacteria than the water from my tap. But I don't think the doc wanted the steri strips soaked with water and that's why he okayed a shower so soon, but like you Ntvtxn, no bath (or spa or swimming) for weeks.