yayaflowerlady

<p>Yes, artificial sweetners do give gas...especially sorbitol and maltitol...but they are healthier than nutrasweet, sacharin or Splenda! The best sweetenr you can get, which is also a supplement is Stevia. You can find it at a healthfood store in drops or little packets. You canmake your own popsicles at home...yum. You can also cook with stevia. It is ALL natural. It also stabalizes blood sugar and helps lower high cholesterol.</p> <p>__________________</p> <p>I tried Stevia several times and had to return them. They say there not bitter but they are!</p> "Hello, yayaflowerlady! We've noticed that you haven't been active on LapBandTalk.com for quite some time now, and we miss you! We'd love to see you back again shortly! If you don't remember your password, you can request it here: http://LapBandTalk.com/login.php?do=lostpw We hope to see you soon. Kindest Regards, - LBT Membership Team" I got this in my email but can't find it here anywere! Nina :confused:

Hello,:glasses We live close to Brandon Missippi, out towards the south a bit, about 20 minutes from Brandon. My husband Don is still waiting for the approval from Medicare to approve the hospitals in either River Oaks or Central MS. Medicale Center. So for they have not been approve. This is the only way he can do the Lap Band. Medicare hasn't approved these hospitals for any Bariatric surgeries. It looks like CMMC is closer to getting approved than River Oaks, said my husband. He was doing some calling around yesterday to see what was holding things up. Don is called skinnydippn42. :mad: I'm descouraged with Medicare! and mad! :angry! If Don had done it before he was 65 years old our Federal BlueCross/Blue Sheild would have pain 90% of it!!! Not right!!! :think Don is posting something right now. So you will see him soon. :help: , Don will do some more calling today. I also need this done. Maybe sense I'm only soon to be 63 I will get it done before Don does? But the doctor didn't think I qualified, being my BMI is 37, but it's going up sense my bad knee won't let me move without a great deal of pain. I have medicnes for BP, high cholesterol, Artirus 9sp?) , Eplipsy, insomnia, depression, anxiety, chronic burning pain and I could very easily become a Diabetic, sense it's in the family. All my 7 uncles died young of heart attacks and my dad alos at 52. Grandmother on my dad's side weight 350 pounds or more and she was short. Grandpa died at 62, and granmother at 72. I can't believe she lived as long as she did! Don't insurance companies believe in prevention or do they want us to be sick???!!! so they can get more money out of us? There is a health club in Brandon I'd love to join. We just need the money for the gas and I hate contracts! I wish a Y would open up closer to us. They don't do contracts any more I heard. We have a tread mill and I used it tell I hurt my knee. Regular walking is better on your joints any way. Now it's cold out side, but at least I can put a coat on. One of my favorite places to walk is off the roads because it's hard on you. I like walking any were were it's not hard roads. I wish Don would go with me. I can't get him away from his pc or the TV. He could also do the treadmill! Please talk to him! :ranger: yayaflowerlady- Nina Nina

Hello, :Banane10: When you mentioned your bad knee I wanted to know, does this eliptical machine do better for your knee than the tread mill? I'd think it would. It seems that when I put our tread mill on an incline that my knee did better. We can't afford to go to a gym or I'd do water arobics. I've not had the band done yet. My husband is going for it first. I'm going back to my osteopath soon, I guess that's what he's called. Anyway he deals with joints and sports injuries and other things like that. I'm going on 63 in December, so I need to be careful and also being over weight. I'm 5' 51/2" and weigh around 226 LBS. Sense my knee hurting I've been gaining and I'm depressed with chronic burning pain also and artheritis in hips, knees, and neck. My sister thinks I should see a back doctor and I'm inclined to think she is right. My burning pain came on after my hysterectomy and I think something happened in surgery to bring on the pain. I've also have had some bad falls because I had 3 blackouts from being Epeliptic. No more blackouts, thankfuly! I just really need this banding! My dad and all his 7 brothers died young from heart attacks so it's genetic. I also do use weights at home in my recliner! :Banane10: Nina

"I will choose my battles carefully in the future. " Yes, I do this. I don't care for heated debates and would rather make a friend than win an argument any day. It's a dangerous world we live in, sad to say. Nina

Hello Chelle! :-) I ditto all that! Nina

So your very new here, will so am I. No banding yet. My Hubby is trying for it first. Your doing great! :clap2: Your an inspiration to me! I'll be 63 December 11th. My Hubby is 65. With Don's help I got my photo in there! I couldn't do it without him! He is very patient with me most of the time. We've been married 42 years this month on the 3rd. Nina I'd like to see your photo.

Hello Everyone, I am doing a lot of reading and wanted to check out this thread. Cooking is one of my favorite things to do. I just got my picture on so now you all can see my face. It's so little! Nina

Hello Sharon, I'm 62 now but soon will be 63. It's incouraging to know we can still loss weight even in our 60's. Keep it up! Your an inspiration to me!:clap2: I can hardly wait to get mine done! Nina

Hello Everyone, My Hubby is Skinnydipn42. I think I got that right. He's the one who is going for the surgery but is just waiting now for the ok from the insurence people. I've been considering this also but my doctor doesn't think I'm a canidate. My BMI is something like, 37 but getting higher every day. My right knee hurts so bad that walking is very hard, so that is keeping me from getting the excersize I need! I'm going for another shot in my knee soon. I'm 62 years old ( I'll be 63 Decemebr 11the ) and weigh about 228 pounds and am 5'5"and a half " tall. The questions that my Hubby Don had to answer , 700 plus , plus more after he came home! I don't think I could survive that! I'm a very slow reader and I'm sure it would take me twice as long. I'd most likely need 2 different days at the office to do it all. After four hours, ( Don was going to slow for him! ) the doctor Jolly wasn't so jolly! Well, doctor Jolly would NOT like me!!! Also I think mind doctors are all crazy! I've been to one already and it was a bad experience! The medicines she prescribed for me almost killed me! I was in the Babtist hospital in a simi-uncontios state. My sodium level was much to low! I have more hunger than Don does but I have mangaed to weigh less than him. I consider him small-boned and I am large boned with big feet. Our main doctor David Flemming doesn't consider this important, but I do. My fatehr died at 52 years of age and all his 7 brothers died kind of young of heart probloms. My grandmother on my father's side was a short lady and at her death weighed over 350 pounds. She cooked for eight boys and one daughter! The boys could eat one whole pie each! My dad was a cook and also worked in a bakery. He's bring home free goodies and who could resist Bear Class, Maple Bars, and donuts!? We were poor and this was wonderful! Of course then I was a skinny girl. Garndpa was a nurse who died of an heart attack also kind of young. I remember the day he died very well! We lived with grandmother and grandfather often when dad was out of work and this was often. Of course grandmother cooked lots of things we loved! She had been a nurse also. They were nurses/missionaries in China were my dad was born. Well, this is all for now I guess. I am happy to have made it to this age of 62 but want to live longer. The grandchildren we have here are three and it's great seeing them grow up and seeing our daughter and soninlaw. I hope someone respnds to me. Nina ( pronounced with a long "I" sound.)

Hello Janet, I'll keep researching. Even an hour away would be to much for me. I have sleep probloms, insomnia and we are already pretty far out. I guess I don't sound very serious? Flowood is good for us at the River Oaks hospital. I do like the doctor too. It's just I'll never go to the phyc doc Don went to but will choose my one. I have one in mind. She's close also. I'm not sure I'd ever survive a sleep clinic! I'd never sleep! They would have to knock me out!!! "Hi Nina, thanks for the return msg. Yea, don't take no for an answer. Do this though, Research everything, get all your facts and go outside your doc. I didn't go through my doc, I went to a great program at a great hospital about an hour away from me. It was so worth it. You won't have to have your pcp's approval necessary, because the team at this hospital is going to send you for lots of tests like a sleep study and and some by a cardiologist, those tests will reveal if you are a candidate and if you are in need of wieght reduction to fix any co-morbidities. so if this is really what you want, you can have it, but do your homework!!! Janet" Your place was good for you and that's good. It will be awhile before I have it done and I'll do my home-work! I love my whole-grain bread! That's one thing I'd hate to give up! I put soy floor in it and many other healthy things! I have recipes from Atkins and others for flourless bread. Just eggs and soy flour and salt, maybe a bit of whole grain flower. I grew up as a vegitarian and love that kind of food. I'm not a real meat person. Oh vell.... ! Got to get moving! The yard needs work! It's Fall time ya know! Nina

Hello Erica, It looks like you like the color purple too. It's so great that your only 23 and have done this! Did you know Mississippi is the most fat state in the whole USA!? So many young people are fat and it's so sad! I know my grandchildren will not be fat. They are very dedicated on their Makos Swim team, plus other sports. My daughter works at a health club and exersizes there and lefts weights. Don and I used to swim in the Y for a senior group and I enjoyed that. I'd love to get back to that! So I do know Water arobics. The cost of gas has kept us home more and we live pretty far out for the trip even 3 times a week, other wise we could do it. I still think we could do it if Don would give up satellite tv! We are lovers of so much on there! I love DYI, movie channels, cooking channels, the weahter channel, history, decovery channels, Liftime, and others. I like to watch Lisa Willuims on Lifetime. I have never realy worked out of the home. Just a little bit. I'm a home body, almost completly shut in! I do see our daughter and family and thats good and of course my Hubby of 43 years. We joind a senior club but so far have not gone. I guess I'm a bit shy in meeting new people. Moving from California to Missisippi was a huge culture shock! Meeting new friend is hard for me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Nina, Yes I am quite young, 23. And Im glad that this is available, I want to see my princess grow up and I want to see my great grandbabies! <3" I'd love to see my great granchildren also! My Mom saw hers. She moved here with us in 1999. She died in 2003. "Have you thought to try Water Arobics, you get a great work out and its a lot less strain on your knee. Should look into it, definatly worth it!" Yes we have done it. I want to do it again. It was an out-door pool there and it's closed in the winter. If there were threats of thunder and lightening we had to get out. I like the Y in Jackson, but had not used their pool. I'd love to get back there! It's an indoor pool and open all year. Some of the classes are to early for us being so far away. "From listening to the insurance coverage replies to the seminar I went to, a lady with Medicare will be completly covered even before they ran the Medicare check. Then I too was told the same thing with BC/BS federal, as long as i'd met my deductable, if not then of course no more than 250, or the difference from the total deductable and what i've met so far." I won't give up trying for sure! I have bad pain in my right knee, arthritis in most joints, hypertenion and other stuff. It's a real bother to also have incontinance! I'd have to spend a great deal of time getting out of the pool to go pee! When I'm at meeting the restrooms are do damm far away! I need to take a water pill and that made it even worse!!! My mother had surgery and she had a pouch for her urine. I may need that. The new kind of surgery requires no pouch. I can't abide with Depends! "Im so glad, that at this point in your life, you arent like a lot of people, and just given up. Im so proud of you and happy for you! I cant wait til you get some answers and things start working in your favor!"" I'll keep trying for sure!:kiss2: Nina

Hello All, I'm 62 going on 63. My husband has been on this thread so I decided to read here too. My husband is Don and he is skinnydippn42. He's going for the lap band first as he is 65 and now on Medicare. I'll need to wait most likely untill I'm 65 because Federal BlueCross/Blue Sheild will cover all of what Medicare won't pay. Even 10% is high for us but I had to waight! I've been posting on the introduction thread. Nina

Hello Country Girl! :glasses So I'm not the only one that problom! Any one else have this happen? "Something is not right with this, my message just dissapeared too." What I do now is after I click on quick reply I then go to advanced. That gives me more time to type and I'm not a real fast typer! "what I was saying to Nina is that my BMI was 40, wieght 220 height 5'2" and I qualified by BCBS's standard as well as my docs and most LB webpages will say this. then my surgeons NP's order sleep studies and other tests that found I had a slew of co-morbidities. Bottom line, YOU ARE A CANDIDATE, don't let that doc cheat you!!!" My Dad died at 52 and all his 7 brothers died young from heart attacks! I think this might help to tell the doctor. He might change his mind and there are other doctors. You are pretty short too, 5'2" . I'm 5' 5 and a half " ". This morning weighed in at 226 pounds. I had gotten up to 229 not long ago and I knew it! It's so hard to carry that weight around! I could hardly move!!! :eek: Don is on-line now reading things here. Your Online Buddy, Nina

Hello Erica, :ranger: You are still so young! Don just reminded me that sense he is on Medicare now, Medicare pays first then Federal Blue Cross takes up what Medicare doesn't pay. I won't be 65 for 2 years, so I may have to wait till then. Blue Cross for me now will pay 90% of it. We are do tight that even 10% may hard for us. The last few days I've been losing weight and I'm glad of that. My bum knee is making it hard to get in arobics. I do other exersizes like weights and leg raises but arobics is hard to get with a bad knee. How do people with no legs get their arobics in? I know they have wheel chairs made for this. I've seen them going around a track and at the Y I've seen them. I wish we could afford to get back to the Y like we did in the past. Take care Erica. :eek: It's been a busy day here. Got to go. We're having dinner at our daughter's tonight. :hungry: I better be careful!!! Nina

Hello Bullitt2410, I'm still trying to figure out this here forum! I'll get there! I like Don's doctor that will do Don's surgery , just not that 700 pluss question stuff!!! No WAY!:cool: Boy do I :kiss2:love these smiley thigies! :clap2: Well, I am sort of an artist. I love art! :ranger: Forgive me if I have some fun! :biggrin1: "Nina, I think you should really consider finding maybe a different dr in your area. My Dr and his staff informed me that you had to be over 40 bmi, or 35 and over with health issues. As for the Psych exam, i havent had my evaluation yet, but i can hope that it isnt a whopping 700 questions. I hope that you can find a way to get the procedure done! Keep us updated!" It looks like there are many different things happening depending on the doctor. I've been doing some reading here and I see that many have different stories to tell. Some have had no evaluations! Good luck on your evaluations! :bandit Nina

Hello Socalgal3, "Nina- Welcome to LBT! You do have options. If you aren't covered by insurance, you can try Mexico, or there are some self pay docs in the US who do the procedure for around $10,000. One is in Colorado- I think it's Lapbandrockies.com or something. This is a great group and a great board. Feel free to post your concerns or questions and someone will gladly help out!" We can only go the Federal BlueCross way. We could not afford it any other way. Thanks for your reply! I was thinking noone was going too! Nina __________________

... My doc does bmi at 37 - I'm 52 5'4 and today 211 - my bmi is like 36 i think - i am still considered obesity.. Good luck on your journey... __________________ That's good to hear, being I am have a bmi of 37. My main doctor said I was obese! Those words are so hard to hear! :cool: Thanks for the "Good luck" Nina

From what you said I gather your insurance does cover the surgery if you prequalify, is that right? If so, that's awesome! I was covered also. My 17,800 surgery only cost me 50 bucks. I was truly blessed. I guess I have to be quick to respond to these quick respond ons? LOL! If our Federal BlueCross says yes he will be covered 100% from what I heard Don say. You got a good deal too! Great!

what happend? I was writing a post and it desapeared?

Nice to meet you also. "There are many doctors who will do surgery on individuals who have 35 BMI and above. Perhaps there are others in your area who are willing to see you? Also, you have the right to see whom ever you want for the psych exam. 700 questions seems a little excessive. " I'm going to see how my husband does and if our Federal BlueCross/Blue Sheild will approve his surgery. I think they will. We can't afford to do this any other way, so this is our only option. Don didn't like the psych doctor he saw and would never want to see him again. I for sure won't see this one! I've already had a bad experience with a psyc doctor and will be sure to check out the dotor first befor I agree to have him/her as my doctor! I want to know ahead of time what to expect! There is one I know of that I may use I heard was good, but don't they have to be the kind of psyc doctor that deals with this sort of thing? I wonder? From what you said I gather your insurance does cover the surgery if you prequalify, is that right? If so, that's awesome! I was covered also. My 17,800 surgery only cost me 50 bucks. I was truly blessed. If you would like to talk, feel free to message me anytime."

"Hello all, I want to thank everyone on this site, I have been reading so much of the entries that I feel I have my own personal support group! What a great bunch of people fat people are! I haven't heard much about how being fat has affected people's personal/married life. Mine has been terrible." After menopause I think our sex life went downhill fast. I started taking BP medicine and that's when the weight started, aroun 52 years of age. I just don't feel anything much anymore. My hubby still loves and likes me even though being fat. He's never said an unkind word to me about this, so it's not his problom. I am the one who doesn't like to see fat. It's hard also for two fat people to even get there!! You know what I mean? We love each other. We've been married for 43 years! We've been through a lot of ups and downs together and I think the good times out-weigh the bad times and I think on the good times. "I gained 70 pounds with pregnancy and have kept that and more. I now have severe fibromyalgia, PCOS, chronic fatigue, insulin sensitivity, GERD, chronic pain, one back surgery, depression, isolation, etc." I also have chronic burning pain in hands, feet, and lower back side. I'm Epileptic. I have only had 3 blackouts, thankfuly. I suffer from insomnia, and depression but the medicine works there for both. I have a friend who has fibromyalgia and I know from her what it does. "I have a superb husband but our intimacy is all but non existent. He would never say it was due to my size but he and I have known each other all of our lives and I was ALWAYS thin until pregnancy and all the health related issues." "My daughter only gets to play with mom in bed as I cannot get on floor or sit for lengths of time. My BMI is 37-38 and I am 5'5"." Yes that must be hard! When my children were young I wasn't like I am now, but I can't do things now with my grandchildren. I have incontinace and must always be near a rest room. I'm sensitive to noise so don't want to be around them much! I'm no fun to be around! I get lonely becasuse of my helth issues and depressed becasue of getting fatter every day! I have isolated for 7 years now. I have lost my 30's as I delivered at 31yo and now I am turning 38!~" Your younger than my youngest, a daughter. I do not wear anything but Moo-Moo's out. If I could find Moo-Moo's I'd buy them! It's gotten so that I have nothing to wear to leave the house! Yes! I understand that! "And I refuse to go anywhere where I may run into anyone from the past, as I was skinny, or any of my husbands friends or aqqaintances. I am tired of being asked if I am pregnant. I have had that happen sooo many times that I am now down right rude and say quietly "no, I am not pregnant" and then shout "I am just FAT". Boy does that do a number on people! this site is great but I am not finding where the emotional pain or everyone is listed so we can support one another? Anyway, thanks for being there friends!"" No one has responded to me so I thought that I should respond to you. You know, the Golden Rule". Hang in there! Nina

Hell! This my first post. My Hubby is skinnydippn42. Yes, I spent most of yesterday alone on our 43rd wedding anniversary, with just our cat Buddy. I did email my sister and yaya sisters. :-) If I had to answer those questions that my Hubby answered it would take me twice as long! 7oo questions!!! plus others! I need to lose weight also but don't qualifly yet. I'd have to gain more weight! Yayaflowerlady