Thanks Lisa!  This month I am in Chelan with my family when you meet, but will try to make the July meeting.  I will be ready to "graduate" to some raw fruit and veggies by then and need some ideas for sure!  I look forward to meeting everyone!
Stephanie

I think that Virginia Mason's self pay price for the Realize Band is less than $15 K.  See below for the link.  Dr Hunter is the only one that does the Bands for VM... and his office is in Federal Way.


https://www.virginiamason.org/home/dept.cfm?id=1092


I hope this helps....

Helen

Thanks for the info.  Currently, I'm using Flinstones - just tried those today - wonderful because I'm not choking!   

I found a way to make potato salad using mustard, pickle juice, and added protein.  Worked very well!  Also, blended strawberries for several minutes and added some to cottage cheese and it was delicious.  Not only that, but cool whip (lite, folks, lite!) with the strawberry concoction along with strawberry flavored (and that's a stretch!) protein liquid is okay.  I'm lower on my protein than I'd like, and that's when I thought of eggs.  Cottage cheese fits the bill, as well as yogurt with fresh blended fruit works.  Protein is my main objective at this point.  Thinking of using powdered milk to a few things because it is slightly lower in price.  Meanwhile, I am able to stick to the amount I need to eat - but the hard part for me is sticking to an eating schedule.  If not careful, I skip meals and remember way too late. (such as tonight - skipped an afternoon feeding by mistake!)

I also discovered canned carrots work for me too.  I don't mind an ounce of them along with two ounces of protein.  Dividing it up on a plate gives me variety as well different textures.  In all of this?  I've met a guy who is very understanding!  Me happy!

Hey Joanne,

Wow!  I was TOTALLY jerked around by ONE person on the Team at UW.  I jumped through their hoops, was a VERY positive patient & showed my research and progress.  I joined support groups, up'd my exercise, have been doing a modified diet since February.  I actually paid to see a bariatric professional to prove I was psychologically prepared for this, to get the person to pass me to my surgical date (it was a social worker, not the surgeon).  She had agreed to stand by the recommendation of this unbiased third party (as she & I definitely were at an impass), only to have someone else from the office call me week later to tell me she still wasn't satisfied.

That's all right.  I took advice from members of my support group, and have so far been green lighted to start over with a new surgeon, at a new hospital -- ironically CLOSER to my home.  I was proud that I was taking all these extra steps to prepare for surgery, was educated, already changing dietary behavior, just to get shot down.  Well, I hope that I will be able to post a surgeon & a date.  I know what I have done, and no one can take that away from me.  After a false start last year, I started this at the beginning of 2010, so at the half year mark, I will hopefully be closer to getting myself started on my new life.

Congratulations on your weightloss -- WOW!!!  You are doing fabulously!!!  I hope to chat with you, and hope you would not mind keeping in touch.

Brenda  : )~

Hey Kathy.How are you.Thats too funny about being threatened by your friends..my husband yells at me all the time to sit down.Its hard to lay on the couch when youre being forced to!I have a big dog too.I also have a little one who just had 2 pups. It hurts when my ****er spaniel jumps on me.She layed w/ me the first week & growled at any one who came near me.Right now Im not even thinking about working out! Im still in a lot of pain.As for the food the only thing that has mad me sick is nuts.I dont know what I was thinking! I was only 2 weeks out! LOL I do get food "stuck" from eating to fast though. Im ok w/ strawberries,but thanks for the head up on watermelon. Im not looking forward to Dumping...yuck!
My whole family takes liquid vitamins. Theyre pretty good theyre called Isotonix  vitamins my mom actually bought into the company! You can check it out on her web sight. Its powder you mix w/ water and your body absorbs 98%.They actually sell them at some of the Bariatric nutritionist over in fedralway.     www.marketamerica.com/jjewels
Talk at cha later
Stephanie