Linny

I have many friends who've had RNY done, but I knew that was not the procedure for me. I did not really look into lap-banding until a few weeks ago, and what I learned got me excited. I didn't have the misgivings about banding that I did about RNY, and I soon realized I'd made an unconscious decision to be banded. However, my employer was in the process of switching our insurance coverage. We were with HealthAssurance and were switching to Keystone Health Plan. The change took effect on March 1. I just got my benefits information yesterday, and I was very disappointed to learn that any kind of bariatric surgery is excluded from my coverage. The worst part is that my plan under HealthAssurance DID cover bariatric surgery. If I'd have made this decision a year ago, it would have been covered. I can't afford to self-pay or borrow the money for the procedure, so right now everything's on hold. I'm going to stay connected with this group, though, and not give up hope.

Oh my...each post is making me think of more pet peeves! The thing with the cute kids--I was going to post that earlier but didn't. It really bugs me when parents show off their kids in a public place. For example, sitting in the doctor's office and the mom is reading to the child, asking questions in a loud voice so everyone can hear how smart their child is. "What color is that? Blue? Ooh, you are SO smart Caitlin!!!" It's sad that the parent is so insecure that they have to be validated through their children. On the other hand, it peeves me when parents put their children down in public. When my son played soccer, there was a dad who would yell things at his son like "You keep your head down...you should be ashamed of how you're playing" throughout the game. The kid got very little, if any, positive reinforcement from the dad.

No union. I actually work for a community health center. What I don't understand with the insurance companies is that the health benefits from WLS in the long run offset the cost of treatment for obesity-related problems. Between my meds, routine testing and lab work, doctor visits, etc., even with insurance medical costs take a big chunk out of my paycheck. I would be a much cheaper, lower risk client for the insurance company as a healthy, normal weighted, lap-banded person.

Boundary crashers...that's what I call them. And it ties in with my peeve about people offering their unsolicited opinion. There are people in my life that I do not share things with because they will say "what I'd have said/done..." or "what you should have said/done..." It also drives me crazy when people tell me I need a haircut or something about my appearance. Or when they state the obvious. If I want an opinion or advice, I'll ask. Otherwise, just listen because most of the time I just want to vent!

Oh, and regarding a man in my life. I have been divorced for 8 years, and I have a male friend who I've been seeing for the past 3 years. It is a totally platonic relationship--he is the best friend I've ever had. But for whatever reason he doesn't want to get married or live with anyone and I accept that. My mom, however, is convinced he is gay (which he's not) and whenever his name comes up she says "I think he's gay." She also doesn't understand that we're just friends and makes disparaging comments about him being a cheapskate because sometimes he pays, sometimes I pay, sometimes we go dutch. Most of the time I ignore her comments, but it's the predictability of them that frustrates me.

Your mom sounds like mine. I am not banded yet; in fact, I'm in the very beginning stages of the procedure. All I did was mention that I went to a WLS support group with a friend, and my mom made a disparaging remark about how she saw a show on TV the other night about WLS but she changed the channel because she knew I wouldn't be stupid enough to do anything like that. Obviously her comment was bogus--she didn't 'just' see a show on TV--that's a ploy she uses all the time--and her dig about me being too smart to go through with WLS means I will keep the procedure a secret from her as long as possible. I am 51 years old and cannot for the life of me understand how parents, especially mothers, can continue to try to screw with their offspring's minds. One good thing that came out of having such a dysfunctional upbringing is that I treat my kids (22 and 18 years old) as adults and don't over-control their lives. Not that I'm a perfect parent, but I got that part right :clap2:

What offends me the most is that most of the foods listed in the article sound healthy. It's like a cruel trick the restaurants are pulling on us.

Oh, and in case you're wondering what's on my mp3 player--a little bit of everything: Lyle Lovett (I'm a huge fan), Patsy Cline, Rascal Flatts, Elvis, Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix, a lot of obscure 60s & 70s one-hit wonders, Eric Clapton, Alison Krauss...very eclectic musical tastes!

My pet peeve is people who feel the need to offer their opinion or give advice when it is not solicited. Also, people who always have to "one up" you. No matter what you've done or gone through, their experience was more dramatic. Another is people who saunter through the mall, especially during the holiday season. I'm not talking about elderly or handicapped people who are doing the best they can. I'm talking about those people who seem to be clueless that there are others around them, the people who wander through the mall as if it's the first time they've ever seen one. A few years ago a former coworker and I talked about writing a book on grocery store etiquette. You know, not parking your cart and walking off, going down the proper side of the aisle, having method of payment ready once you get the total, banning 'kiddie carts', etc. We never did, but from what I've read here, we are not alone in our thoughts!

Yep...those 'claws' are definitely not found in nature:)

I would want my mp3 player. It was a birthday gift from my kids, and my son downloaded all my favorite songs on it.

Definitely looks like she's had implants!

Thanks for the replies and encouragement. Like I said in my original post, I am 95% sure I am going to go through with this. It's more for health reasons than vanity's sake. You all have given me a lot of good information to move forward with this. I am attending a WLS support group on Monday evening with a friend who had gastric bypass (RNY) in December. I am hoping to connect with banded folks face to face to get more information. Plus, the doctor who did my friend's RNY is the doctor I would choose to do the banding, so this is all good.

I have been overweight since the birth of my son 22 years ago and am at an all time high of 292. I am insulin-dependent diabetic and also take several meds for diabetes. I'm also on an antidepressant and high blood pressure med. I have several friends who've had gastric bypass but do not know anyone who's had the banding done. One of my bypass friends invited me to her WLS support group because there are people there who've had the banding done. The next meeting is on Monday, March 12, and I'm planning to go. If I decide to have the banding done (which I'm 95% sure I will), her doctors would be the ones I'd choose to do the procedure. I have seen too many negative complications with the bypass surgery to want that for myself. My biggest fear of having the banding done is that I will still make poor food choices and the procedure will be in vain. I've been reading a lot about banding, and I know that it can be a negative-reinforcement process--eating too fast or the wrong foods, not chewing thoroughly, etc., causes discomfort that teaches you not to do that again. My family doctor told me that while he does not fully endorse the bypass surgery, he would respect and support my choice. I did not discuss banding with him. I am really tired of being fat, of not being able to look good in clothes, of not being able to bend over to tie my shoes, of not being able to take care of my feet, the embarrassment of seat belts not being long enough to cover my girth, of taking up twice the amount of space that I should. I'm tired of the medical and health problems, feeling tired and sleepy, being embarrassed when I fall asleep during meetings at work. If I could lose weight on my own, I would have by now. I've certainly invested enough time, money, and effort.