Hi everybody,

First, please forgive me if you have already seen my post in one of the other forums. I posted under three different forums because I am an idiot and did not carefully read the TOS. Now I don't know how to delete any of my posts. Anyway, I promise I will not post anywhere else!

My name is Henriikka W. I am a 35-year old mom from Keller, TX. Like so many others, I have unsuccessfully tried diet and exercise to win my weight battle for several years now. I finally made the difficult decision to seek for a surgery to help me with this fight. I understand that the surgery alone will not resolve the core issue of why I over eat in the first place but it would certainly help me to adapt a whole new way of eating while I would address the emotional side of this complicated condition.

Unfortunately, I recently discovered that our insurance does not cover the weight loss surgery. My husband is a police officer, I am a student and we also have two small children. Therefore, I do not foresee us being able to afford this surgery anytime in the near future. However, I was randomly selected to be one of the nine final contestants in a free weight loss surgery give-away from Dr. David Kim of Colleyville, TX. All of us contestants had to post a video on his web site and now the audience gets to vote one of us to receive this life-changing and life-saving procedure. Would you please take a moment to view my video at www.drdkim.net/contest/ and vote for me if you think that I deserve this opportunity. I would be forever grateful! Henriikka W.

P.S. You can vote once per every 24-hour period per computer. The voting will end on June 1st. Thank you already!

Good luck to you.

I voted for you today!!

Good Luck!!

Good luck to you.

Thank you so much Mandy J., Down in the Dumps, Ebony Dawn, and Pinky Lee. You guys are awesome!

And Mandy J.- Thank you for reminding everybody else. You are very very sweet! Yes, the voting ends on June 1st at 5pm. They are supposed to notify the winner on June 3rd and the winner will be announced at the doctor's website on June 6th. I am so nervous! I just want this surgery so bad and also do not want my supporters' time and energy gone wasted. I am sending regular e-mails and FB reminder messages to all my family and friends... And now you guys here! :-) I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of your kindness and time!

Just sent another vote in for ya!

Thank you so much peacequeen!

Hey ladies, read my new thread titled "aggravating" under the general discussion forum if it gets approved (I don't see it yet... I guess I am still being moderated because I am so new). It is about this ignorant gym owner who got me all upset! Ha ha ha! Thanks again you all!

Oh, it's there. Titled "aggravated". I just did not see it at first. What do you guys think? I had to vent!

I voted for you!!! Let me know what happens....

I voted 4 U!

It's a new day, we can all vote again for Henrikka!

I voted for you too! Good luck!

I voted! Here's hoping. If you win, be sure to check for after care. Band fills can be mighty expensive. Perhaps you have already considered it. Just don't want you to have a surprise.

Does your hubby have a choice of insurances? If he has an open season, you might want to check the other plans and see if you can switch to one that covers WLS.

voted! good luck. i'm 35, mother of 2. i understand your need to do this!

Thank you so much again AWright, project lisa, Mandy J, newday11, Cocoabean, and gingy!

Mandy J- Thanks for continuing to be my "cheerleader". I am touched for your caring!

Cocoabean- Excellent advise. Thanks! I had totally imagined that the fills would be included but I will be sure to verify that! Unfortunately my hubby does not have a choice for insurance. That has changed during the recent years as the city he works for is getting shorter and shorter on money. Even if WLS was currently covered under our insurance, we would still have to pay $5,000 out of pocket (- what ever we have already paid this year). The city only offers one of those horrible high deductable plans so in essence, we have no insurance unless something MAJOR happens. Yet, we are still paying about $200 a month for a family plan. I am so disgusted with our insurance plan and our medical bills just keep on piling up. Our 6-year old has a chronic and quite severe asthma so the medicines costs a few hundred dollars a month. We also have a toddler who regularly gets some kind of virus from pre-school and has to visit pediatrician several times a year. I wonder if we should look into trying to privately insure ourselves?

Cast your vote today for Henrikka! It just takes a few seconds!

Thank you so much again AWright, project lisa, Mandy J, newday11, Cocoabean, and gingy!

Mandy J- Thanks for continuing to be my "cheerleader". I am touched for your caring!

Cocoabean- Excellent advise. Thanks! I had totally imagined that the fills would be included but I will be sure to verify that! Unfortunately my hubby does not have a choice for insurance. That has changed during the recent years as the city he works for is getting shorter and shorter on money. Even if WLS was currently covered under our insurance, we would still have to pay $5,000 out of pocket (- what ever we have already paid this year). The city only offers one of those horrible high deductable plans so in essence, we have no insurance unless something MAJOR happens. Yet, we are still paying about $200 a month for a family plan. I am so disgusted with our insurance plan and our medical bills just keep on piling up. Our 6-year old has a chronic and quite severe asthma so the medicines costs a few hundred dollars a month. We also have a toddler who regularly gets some kind of virus from pre-school and has to visit pediatrician several times a year. I wonder if we should look into trying to privately insure ourselves?

I continue to cast my vote daily! I just hope all this gets you the winning ticket. Definitely look into the fills though. I would hate for you to get the band and not the after care.

I sympathize with you with the toddler getting something at pre school. Mine was fine yesterday AM when I left her at day care. By noon she was running fever. Took her to the DR and she has yet another ear infection!!