IVANinNJ

Good morning everyone. Thanks for the birthday wishes. Nothing interesting to report on this end.. (I decided to edit the avatar after watching Dateline NBC last night.) IRENE Best of luck, I am very excited for you!

Happy Birthday IRENE!

:update:............:update:..............:update: (Patty, thanks for letting me borrow your update signs) OK Eilleen you were right. I can't believe the timing. Here it is, I have dealing with this death thing for months and the day after I post a non-update, I have an update. So you all know that that I have been dying for life insurance for months now. The idea of walking around without life insurance has been killing me. Having the band done was the dead center of all my problems in getting insurance. Well guess what.. I got calls today from 2 companies that can deal with my band and beleive that I will live for 20 years and (at least) one day. BANC OF AMERICA Life Insurance (a subsidary of Bank of America) and ALLSTATE. Banc of America had a much better price, but I am so happy that this resolved I could just die. (actually if I do, my wife would be better off right now). At last I can rest in peace! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

Good evening everyone. Sorry for the extended absence. For those of you that are sick and tired of my whining about life insurance, please scroll down to the next post. For those that have have not been following my plight, the situation is that since having the band, I have been trying to buy life insurance. I can't get anyone to give me a policy. Most will not even send me an application once they hear anything about the band. The reason is solely because I had the band done and they feel that bariatric surgery is too risky. The status of my health now has nothing to do with anything. I should have gotten the policy while I was morbidly obese, had two co-morbidities and taking a hand full of medications every day. It would not have been a problem then. ANYWAY... Today I was told by a broker AND I QUOTE: "look, I represent 15 different companies, and I can tell you that none of them will entertain the idea of giving you a policy until at least 1 year after the surgery." Further he said: Even if after a year and I have no complications, and I am 100% healthy as humanly possible, I will NEVER qualify for a preferred rate. The best I could hope for is standard rate. This life insurance thing has been my biggest challenge since getting the band. I can't help but feel like I have let my family down and they are not being protected the way they should if I die in an accident or something. Thanks for letting me vent.

Zan, I don't know if anyone answered you but the train line for Pearl River is the same one as Montvale NJ. Its the next stop. Rene can we try again for a cup of coffee?

I got a message from the LBT computer indicating that I have not posted in several weeks.

I was just playing with the new spell-check feature! This is just what I wanted, what a great Christmas present.

Happy Holidays to all my friends!

Betty, My wife is a Chef and Chocolatier. Please tell us details about the mice! Thanks

Irene, I am so sorry, I have been working 4-12 all week and I see you are leaving tomorrow, so there is no way we can meet. I really wanted to say hi in person. Eilleen, WOW 30 lbs! Congratulations! Cindy, if everyone was in agreement, there would be no point in posting. Get them fired up, it helps the metabolism get going. Lisa, Congrats and welcome home. It will be worth it. Just give it about a week.

OK, so every Lap-Band surgeon, in every city, at every hospital and clinic are reporting their patient’s results to one central database? (rhetorical sarcasm) 25% is an impressive number, but the question is 25% of what group? After-all, there may be a very compelling reason why 25% of a particular group of patients are not successful.

Of course I have to work tomorrow, otherwise I would love to meet up with you guys. If it gets pushed off to Monday, let me know!

Mouse- Yes this is for new coverage. The short version of the story is that If I had got the policy before the surgery while I was morbidly obese, it would have been no problem, and I could have negotiated an excellent rate by pitting companies against each other for my business. Now I can;t get anyone to talk to me at all. Irene & Pat, I am 5'1'' or 5'2" depending on who's form I am filling out. Betty, absolutely... it is so ironic. Eileen, I will check Met Life, thanks. The charts are really putting me at 125 for ideal weight. I was shooting for 130 because it was the high end of normal and I thought that anything less would make me look sick. I guess the only thing to do is get to 130 and then see how I look and feel.

Allow me to whine about life insurance again. Yesterday a representative from CHASE LIFE told me (and I quote) "The mortality rates for bypass surgery are off the charts" ( I DIDN'T HAVE BYPASS SURGERY, I HAVE THE BAND, I said) "Well it's all the same to us, so don't call us until next year." CHASE LIFE must be very proud. Well in the unlikely event that defy the odds and I manage to survive until next year, I really don't think I will be calling again. I swear when I have time, I am going to write to Dr. Ortiz to make sure he includes a line about this in his next revision of his Lap Band book, and then a note to the most appropriate person I can find at the ASBS to promote awareness about this problem with potential bariatric patients. On a brighter note, my goal weight is most likely being changed to 125 on the advice of both of my physicians. (that is, if I am still alive.)

Patty, open the picture in your photo editor software and do a "SAVE AS", then on the copy, reduce the size of the image to like 250 x 250, save it and try uploading that smaller image.

I'm not sure I can add to what the others have said, but I am also extremely happy and have had no problems. As you can see by my numbers, my progress has been great. For the first time in 25 years I am full of life and energy. I can keep up with my 3 year old and loving every second of it. I would do it again without question.

Hi everyone happy Thanksgiving. Betty, thanks for asking, but I am working. In fact I am at work right now at 2:30 AM. Renee, Chicken Tikka Massala is my favorite, but really I love it all. I think the word you were trying to remember was Somosa. NSV of sorts: A coworker came up to me and asked "are you loosing weight?" I was very tempted to tell him I just got a haircut.

Friday I went to the doctor for my monthly statistics check-in. I love his scale, it's always a half pound less than what I am expecting. To celebrate, we had Indian food for dinner. Indian is my favorite and I really haven't had it for a while. I still feel like I need more and more spice. In regards the to stuffing discussion, my wife makes a sausage stuffing, it is incredible. I guess that will be my treat this week. If anyone is interested I will post the recipe.

I only had to outline all the diets and weight loss attempts and help I received. In my case I could approximate dates and methods over 25 years. I didn't need "real" documentation. I have QualCare.

30 DAYS LBT I have been seeing this logo all over the board, can someone please tell me what it's all about? I must have missed something. THANKS!

Are you thinking that they will exlude the band, but keep Gastric bypass? Not at all, just keeping it very simple, high protein, low fat. I am still going to the gym 45 min a day, 6 days a week. I can't really eat in the morning, my first meal is around 12 noon. Usually something like chicken or chili. I find that I need more spice to taste anything. I snack on peanuts, and dinner is a South Beach diet bar if I am at work, or more chicken, beef, etc if I am home. No other snacking at all. I am never hungry. Once a month I have a glass of wine, otherwise no other alcohol. Drinking lots and lots of water and Tropicana sugar free orange-aid. I found that crystal light was making me dehydrated for some reason.

Good morning everyone, I just wanted to share with all of you that I am now overweight !!! I am so happy, I may go crazy and have a Ritz cracker with cheese.

Welcome! Please come and visit us in the NJ forum.

I work in the Paramedic dispatch center, which is actually off site right now.

HEY, ME TOO!