lauri

I have been working on my letter all day and would like to run it by you guys and get some feedback.

Thank you Lisa. I think that is a great idea! If you are willing to do that I would definately send it to them.

Well, I made another step. I said that I would work on my appeal after the holidays but I realized that I was REALLY afraid of rejection. I was putting it off! So, I went to see my doctor and told her about the rejection. She was upset for me. She said she just doesn't understand why insurance would refuse anyone a surgery that will really help them. We talked about how EVERY time I have been into the office for the past 3 years-I have talked about my concerns over my weight and my frustrations. She is going to write a letter to the insurance company. Now, I am going to work on writing one of my own(any suggestions as to some things that I might include in that letter?). The nurse in my doctors office that has a band-told me to write the letter, make copies(so that I can resend it often), and call the insurance company and wear them down if need be. So-another tiny step is taken in my journey. I feel proud of my self. I am trying to face my fears and fight for me. It's interesting how many of us do not/did not take care of ourselves. For as long as I can remember, I would buy my family nice clothes, give them their Vitamins, feed them their veggies, limit their consumption of sugar and caffine, talk sweetly to them, and offer words of encouragment to assure that they are healthy, happy, and have positive self images. While in the mean time, I refuse to buy myself the clothes I need because I should lose weight first, grab fast food when I am out running errands, drink way too much coke to "try" to give myself enough energy to do the things I need to do, and verbally abuse myself! Why is that? But more importantly, will I ever really be able to be kind to me without feeling guilty? Well, I sure didn't mean to go on like that! I'm stopping now before I get started again!

My hat makes me smile, too. It's really neat-I now have a physical connection to people that have become a very wonderful emotional support for me. My hat is a real warm fuzzythat symbolizes the warm fuzzy feelings I experience when I am with all of you!( I am blown away by the way that makes me feel.)

Welcome Mary Belle! We will certainly let you know. I am hoping that we can get together after things settle down after the holidays. This is a great place to come for information and support. My best advise is read, read, read. The posts are filled with many questions and answers on all sorts of things. Again, welcome!~Come often, laugh hard, live long!

Well, I wanted you all to see how cute my new hat is! Becky, Thank you sooooo much! I love it! I tried to attach a pic but couldn't figure out how-so I am using it as my avatar! Thanks again!

BCBS of Texas here-I have been denied but will be appealing soon. Have you been denied or are you just testing the waters? This is a great place to learn and gain the support you need. Welcome!

Betty,You are doing great. I'm sure you are probably becoming one Buff Babe ;-)with all that exercising and with the weight you have already lost! Good luck on your fill wed. Way to go Michelle! That is terrific loss! Happy Bandiversary to you! ONE pound for me this week. BUT- It's probably more like 2-3 because I am "swole up like a toad" for some reason today. My hands are so puffy that I can't bend my fingers and my ankles are swollen, too. I don't usually have this problem. I wonder if it's because I didn't drink enough water yesterday or something? For now, I will be happy with the pound, drink some green tea(I've heard that helps with fluid retention), and look forward to a good drop in weight next week.

Beautiful!! I am so happy for you. Way to go!!!!!! Thank you for sharing your pics-you are truly an inspiration!!!

Hi Judy, I am in the same boat! I feel so overwhelmed by the thought of an appeal. The insurance company seems like a BIG dog and me...... the bone! I have been chewed up, spit out and now I am afraid to approach it again. For right now, I am just trying to take care of me and-like you figure out the appeal thing. The last time I talked to my insurance they told me, "go ahead and file your appeal so that it can be rejected again and then you can make your appeal through TRS(Teachers Retirement Services)" I was so confused I just said, "OK". I will probably talk to my PCP next week or maybe after the holidays and see what she has to say. I don't have the money for attorneys and all that stuff. I have spent every dime I have jumping through all of the hoops and now, I don't have anything left. I just want to have the surgery and get on with my life. Let me know how you approach your appeal.

Lisa, I am so happy that your wound is closed. What a relief for you! Everyone is right, you have done such an amazing job. You are my hero!!! Well, all of you are! But, Lisa-you are doing FANTASTIC!!! I am going to continue to pray for your healing and success!

Greg, I'm glad that you are able to be with your mother when she needs you. I'm sure you are a real blessing to her. My heart and prayers go out to you and your family. It is nice to have you back! You add a certain "air" to the place. LOL

I really think it could have something to due with the amount of stomach acid produced compared to the intake of food. You might, also, be consuming more fiber in the form of veggies which are known to produce more gas. (Just a thought)

I'M GOING TO HAVE AN ASTHMA ATTACK IF I DON'T QUIT LAUGHING! Sometimes, I think I get more stomach/face exercise here than at curves!! Hey-I really did have shoes with gas! They farted with every step I took and stunk to high heaven, too! I chuncked them in the gargage(at the curb) as soon as I got a pair to replace them.

I can't afford to go to Mexico until I start working again or I would be there and back by now! Even though DH is working again, he took a major pay cut. The issue with my insurance is sort of two fold-there is the fact that they denied the surgery and the fact that my dr. is no longer taking my insurance. I could come up with the money for a dr. in-network but not for out. So, I am going to have to find a new dr., see my PCP and talk to her, and work on the appeal. Right now, I am just going to try to make it through the holidays and then see what I can get done. In the mean time, I am exercising and trying to eat like I have a band. That is really hard when your hungry all of the time but I am going to keep trying. With the great support system I have here, it's much easier. So-come on all of you LURKERS-join in! You've come to the right place!

Sorry to hear you both have been having a rough time. Hope you are feeling better real soon.

Darcy you are soooo funny! I saw this post and thought, " Well, I guess I am lurking around in here-trying to find out what everyone else is doing. I better see who else is lurking." I agree this forum is awesome! It has made a tremendous difference in my life. I am convinced that the folks here are the sweetest, kindest, most beautiful people that I know. It's an honor to call ya'll friends. So, with a quote from my favorite movie-Oh Brother Where art Thou-"I'm with you fellers."

Great job Natalie! Keep up the good work! I'm right behind you. I am hoping to make it to 219 by Monday. I'm crossing my fingers and exercising my butt off literally!

LOL I feel for you. Since you shared, I will tell my most embarrassing fart moment. Two years ago, I was teaching in a really small school. My class room was REALLY small. 15' x 12'! In the class were 7 junior high boys and 4 girls. My desk was near my 4 rowdiest boys. They were complete cut ups. You can imagine how close we were to each other. Well, I had been on a diet chocked full of leaf greens and other dangerous ruffage and was suffering from horrible gas. When I felt it coming on, I would casually walk out into the hall. They never noticed. Then one day, the room was completely quiet, everyone was working really well, Someone raised their hand. I stood up to see what they needed and dropped my pen. I bent over to pick up my pen....And the loudest fart ever escaped-right in the direction of those boys!!! "Mrs. J Farted!"...one of them yelled! "That was her?" exclaimed another. " Mrs. J, how could you!" came another reply. They were all laughing so hard they were crying and so was I! I was so embarrassed! It took the next hour to gain control of them. They would get quiet and then someone would giggle and it would start all over! I had inadvertently become the boys HERO! Unfortunately, they still hold me in the highest esteem. Not too long ago, I ran into one of them. "Mrs. Jones, remember when you farted? That was so cool!" I unfortunately remembered.

Maybe, but I HAD been doing good on 6 small meals but throw a pizza my way and all Heck brakes loose! I really think I could eat it every day! CARBS that's my problem(and I don't mean the healthy kind). I can go through the whole day and not eat anything else! As long as I don't eat them, I don't even get hungry BUT eat one cracker and the next thing you know....the bag is gone.

Thanks for the encouragment. Hopefully, when I get back on the scale on Monday I will have lost some more-despite myself. Ya'll are right about that feeling of "blowing it" It's hard to just stop - it makes absolutely no sense at all. "I messed up and ate something I shouldn't have - so I will go on and eat everything in sight!" Well, I am NOT GOING to continue beating myself up and I AM GOING to go chew on a celery stalk.

I have BCBS of Texas and they are NOT working with me. Many of you know my story. My husband and I have been insurance shopping and I can't even get any other health insurance because they want to raise their rates 150% because of my weight and health and BCBS says that this surgery isn't medically necessary for me? I really don't understand. I am, also, worried because "for now" I am on COBRA which only lasts another 14 months and then,I guess, I will be without insurance unless I can find a job that has a group plan before my coverage ends.

OOPS Sorry Michelle, I didn't mean to be negative. Hey, where is that Negative post? I am nosy!

Help! I am soooo mad at myself! My neighbor works at Pizza Inn and gave my family a pizza when she came home from work. I ate 2 peices last night and got up and ate 2 more for breakfast! What is wrong with me? I have been doing so good-sat down and wrote out my goals, set my plan in action, have been exercising and stretching, watching EVERY bite I put in my mouth AND THEN I GO AND BLOW IT!!!!! Why do I do this? I know I am going to hate my self. I know I am going to feel like I have failed. Why do I put this crap in my mouth, chew it up, and swallow it-Knowing that it is killing me???? I am D-I-S-G-U-S-T-E-D! Do you hear me? I AM DISGUSTED!!!! How am I going to lose 100 pounds doing stupid stuff like this? Thin Crust Pepperoni pizza is a torturing devise sent straight from the devil him self!!!!

Wow! That is awesome, Debra. You will have to post before and after pics!!!