ReneBean

Sorry, Fee. It's just that whether or not to sue is such a personal decision - and Jachut did respond with approx. what I would have said. Our society is so "Litigation Happy" that for ME, it would have to be permanently damaging, or a huge financial burden caused by it in order for me to sue. However, if you ARE permanently damaged, or you DO have a huge financial burden due to some error on the part of the surgeon - then by all means seek compensation. It's really up to you and your circumstances as to whether or not you sue. I am pretty sure that nobody meant to make you feel unloved - it's just an akward topic for lots of folks. (((hugs)))

In User CP on the left bar - toward the bottom, there is a Buddy/Ignore link. Click on that and enter the individual's name. Again, not sure exactly what that will do - but ignore sounds like what you would like to do to this person. :]

Just checking to see if changing the chip format helps me get them to show in the signature lines. Bear with me... OK - darn, it didn't work. Somewhere there is an "images" file. We may need to copy it into that file in order to use the code. Penni? What do you think? I can get the link to show - but not the picture. There is no "manage attachments" button for signatures...

Go, Anne Go!! Great for you. :]

If what you are doing is working for you, that's great. I'm happy for your loss... and how often do you hear THAT statement? Be Well. :]

Ok Lisa (aka Devil De the Stalker Queen). No 10 day chips. Glad you guys like them. I guess now I am going to have to figure out which one of my horrid habits I will give up to get one! But the only thing I have been ODing on lately is LBT! I guess I could do eating at night... I am a night owl and seldom get home until about 8. Hubby & I eat around then - but sometimes - ok LOTS of times, the evil DH suggests Snacks or dessert later on... I think I am going to say - no eating after 9pm for the next 30 days... this is Day 1.

Definitely don't try to talk her into it. As you pass her on the way down, she will see the merits of this procedure. I would hazard a guess that your approach toward her current weight has her thinking of it already. The lower your weight drops below hers, and if her efforts are limited, or unsuccessful, the more she will want the surgery. But if you try to push her before she is ready, she might hold out due to sheer stubborness - or some wierd sense of individuality. When she is ready, she will come to you. I don't have a twin - but my younger Sister is only two years below me. I know that this would be true for us. Good Luck.

The Mystery may kill us all... Some sort of hair Braiding aid? Letter openers? Re-useable toothpicks? Spoon Rests? Tie Clips? Cuff Links? I have showed this picture to several people - but nobody here knows, either. The friction from my spinning brain is going to cause permanent damage... Terri - please call whoever is responsible for putting that prize together and ask them...

Hey, even though you took six months with no fill - YOU STILL DIDN'T GAIN ANY OF THE WEIGHT YOU LOST BACK. That, right there, is the reason that I want a band. How many of us can say that 6 mos after we stopped following our "diet" we had not gained any of the weight back before being banded? I sure as heck can't... So, Great Job, Kim! Good for you! Work that band, and it will work for you. You'll be another 40 lbs down in no time. :]

We are sort of in the planning stages for a lunch date on November 5th. Mary (Bubbame) is coming into Irving - so we will probably congregate at her hotel (the Howard Johnsons) and then go someplace close for lunch. Want to come? Can you make it to Irving on Nov. 5th? Even if Mary can't make it (and she still might not) we can meet there...

So, Ira - ASIDE from being a weight-loss-super-stud, what are you going to do this weekend? What about you, Ray? 30 lbs down - Way to Go! Whatcha doin? Lisa? Betty? Alex? Seppi? Anything to report? What's happening in your neck of the woods? Everybody have a great day and a Fabulous weekend!

A recording - yeah, that's PERFECT. It can just be a repeat loop of Lisa saying: No, thank you... no, thank you... no, thank you... Or you could repeat in different lanquages... No, gracias. No, thank you... Hey, Mary? How do you say "Thank you" in Greek? :]

Nykee, This is my last plea to you. The title of this post is "I don't know what to do!!" You came here, ostensibly looking for the voice of experience and the support of your fellow bandsters. You have received love, understanding and advice from the people that you asked to help you. At this point, it is all up to you. You can either take the advice that has been given to you with love and patience, or you can ignore it and continue on the road you are on. One more time, I will point out that Pain is your bodies warning that something is wrong. If you feel pain when you try to eat, then you need an unfill. There is no question in anyone's mind - with the only possible exception being yours. You say that if you get an unfill, you will "only eat more soup & crap". I say, that if you get an unfill, you will be able to eat solid foods in the correct bandster way: hard Proteins first, veggies second, carbs last. Only by eating in this way will you begin to feel full or satisfied. Only by eating in this way will you have energy to face your days. Only by eating in this way will you be able to lose weight without torment & pain. By now, you DO know what to do. The only question is whether or not you will do it. One more time I will beg you...and never again. Please get an unfill. Please take care of yourself.

Lisa, Fuzzy or not - It's a great picture. Thanks for posting it. Michelle - You are a goddess!!! All I can say is Got Milk?

Well, dinner turned out to be canned chili, after all. DH spent the day doing yard work and he was burned out. I had planned on making preparations to sojourn to Burbank this weekend, but alas, all I have to prepare for is the joy of jury duty. So, I will probably kick back and watch the rain. Summer is officially gone. Our temperatures have dropped from the high nineties to the low 70's over night. It is grey and dark... and that 70 sure feels COLD after the Summer we had. Maybe we will rev up the fireplace, or something. :] In case you couldn't tell - weekends are pretty low-key for me and mine.... Although with the cooler temperatures, we can finally get outside and do the fall clean-up and trim on all the shrubs in our yard without fear of heat stroke, so we may do some of that, if it isn't pouring buckets on us. That's the big plans for me... Have a good one!

I can whip up a 10 day chip - no problem... just let me know.

I think we will have additional entries.... and once everyone votes, we will ask Penni to help us out with the technical aspects. Seriously - getting them into my post was an achievement test for me. :]

Inamed has a "hotline" that your doctor can use to get additional support for an appeal if your insurance has been denied. Have your doc e-mail Laura.Zamarron@inamed.com once you get your first denial. This service is FREE in the interests of beating the insurance companies into submission for future Bandsters. The hotline number is ONLY available to your doctor - not to you or anyone else. We'll see how it goes.

Well, because of the high BMI issue and the max 50 bmi allowed at blue cross, Steve has indicated that this is too complicated and given me another name: Gary Viscio gviscio@verizon.net Steve was very nice, and honest enough to tell me that he was out of his depth - as well as being considerably less expensive than Obesity Law - so it is worth checking with him to see if he can help you. At this point, I have also discovered that INAMED has a "Hotline" number for docs trying to get insurance approvals AND that they will assist the doc with appeals and actually write a letter to accompany your surgeon's letter. **You must have been denied in writing to take advantage of this - AND the Hotline number is not available to the man on the street. They will only release it to your Doctor. I did manage to wring a copy of the required forms out of them, but aside from my release form, the doc has to complete all these. Since there is a free option - and since I really don't have lots of money to fight for the cause, I am going to utilize this service. It's a little complicated for me, because while I have had all of my pre-testing and submitted for pre-approval - I have never laid eyes on my surgeon. Surgery Center of Richardson works on an assembly line sort of basis. You don't do much with your doc except the initial informational seminar until AFTER you have insurance approval or financing in place. I went to a different doc's seminar - but was "assigned" to Dr. Fox because of my insurance company. Now, I am going to have to buck the system... Oh Well. SSDD. I'll keep posting until we get it figured out...

WHEEEEEEE!!!!! Whoopie! Yee Haw!! GOOOOOOOO IRA!! Great job!~ All that running around at Walmart must be paying off! :] Eileen - dinner? I think my personal chef and houseboy said something about turkey gravy & boiled potatoes... I don't actually cook... I sort of CAN cook - but, hey, that's what house husbands are for, right? :]

Hello LBT Friends... I hope that you will find chips attached - and that you will approve them as the official LBT WTG chips for 2005. If they are not attached, I hope that somebody smart will help me. :] chip 30.bmp chip 60.bmp chip 90.bmp

I think she wants conversion - ounces to grams. Half a Cup = 4 ounces = 1 quarter of a pound. 4 oz = 113.40 grams according to the conversion site I went to based on the Avoirdupois ounce. If you use Troy ounces - 4 oz converts to 124.41 grams. :]

I guess it's just your sparkling personality, Eileen! It could be a Southern Hospitality thing, too. After all - your first post on the September Chat thread basically said - "Hey Y'All - Come and Chat". We're nothing if not gracious down here. Besides, I just ADOPTED Texas - I was born in Carmel, California and lived up & down the Cali coast until I was 12. After that, I lived in Eastern Oregon (high desert/low population) and then in the Willamette Valley (where all the Oregon cities are) until I relocated to Texas about 3.5 yrs ago... I'm thinking maybe I will try Jersey, next. If my time in TX holds true to my time in the other states, I think it will be about 12-24 yrs before I arrive... So, Don't wait up. LOL. Thanks Betty. There are other indicators that I might NOT want to work for this particular person - however, the pay and profile increase here at the company might be very good for the old resume, you know? *sigh*. I guess all I can do is my carefull best from now on. I'll let you guys know if I make the cut for 2nd interviews as soon as I find out. :]

LOTS of us are close - I work in Addison - about a 15 minute drive. Set up a meet. We will be there. :]

Lisa - It's my foot to your @$$ if you touch a coke today. (How's that for non-huggy, non-sweet motivation!) :]