3loves

Had no idea that Clinton pardoned him. I knew he had some legal issues but didn't know it extended that far. No wonder I don't care for him. Something about him rubs me the wrong way. Didn't know that about Mark Martin. He's a great guy & driver and no wonder he has a super outlook on life after going through that. Was he on Nascar 360? I haven't watched it since last year b/c it was all reruns. Who knows, but I bet Jeff had a talk with him. He's getting scolded every week it seems like. If Tony was doing that, it would be called aggressive.

I attended my first support session tonight after being required to attend 3 by insurance per psychologist (started anther thread about that). I was brave enough to raise my hand and ask if anyone else had the band or was getting it. Anyway, I was the only "band" person there out of 35 to 40 people. There were really nice and respectful, but I didn't feel it was a benefit to me to discuss hair loss, smelly gas, and such. A lady that was pre-surgery asked me why I chose the band and I told her a few of my reasons and said gastric or band were personal decisions and I was doing what was right for me. I didn't get any flack and I didn't feel out of place. It was a nice group except for the fact they were all gastric. I was ready to load the guns and shoot, :heh: but I was pleasantly surprised after what you had experienced Dana.

Along the same lines.....what if your hubby changed jobs b4 your surgery date? Could you pay for COBRA and would the pre-approval still be valid?

I got a message this AM from my surgeon's office that ins needs more info, which they have available to send ASAP. Ins is also requesting I attend the 3 support groups requested by the psychologist. I thought those could have been pre & post band, but now ins is going along with what he dr says and they must be pre band. :mmph: They have to be groups offered by St Vincent's. The closest one is the 3rd Tues of every month so I'm going tonight. Since I am not going to wait 3 mos to get a surgery date, I am going to travel to Indy, South Bend or Kokomo to attend other groups. At first, I was really ticked, but realized hey, they are going to approve me if I do this. :dance: Am I wrong in my thinking? Surely they wouldn't ask me to do this only to come back and say no. I feel excited, empowered, and ready to put some miles on the van!! My wonderful DH is willing to take off work early to allow me to attend the required meetings. It's a team effort when you have kids. I'm so glad I married that man!! :love: LOOK OUT ~ I'M ALMOST FINISHED JUMPING HOOPS ~ :llama:

NewSho ~ I think your level of knowledge was simply misunderstood and when I was reading your posts, that same thought (did u work for them) crossed my mind as well, but not in a negative way. I read your blog and you do have quite a bit of insurance experience which explains how you can give such a detailed description. It's it nice to have someone like yourself on this site, but I don't think, and I could be mistaken, that the previous post was meant to an angry insult. Again, I could be wrong. You have been been down many roads that most of us won't even have to face. I appreciate your insight and IMO full of knowledge reagrding insurance and procedures. Be patient with those of us that aren't and we can learn from each other. :nervous

Emily has been lifted up in prayer....your family too!! I am the mother of 2 little ones and my heart hurts for you to have to watch your baby in pain like that. However, the Lord does answer prayers and I'm so glad to hear that she is responding to the meds. I have never walked in your shoes, but I know as a mother, you would take her place if you could. May God continue to carry you all through this trying time. It sounds like Emily is keeping everyone's spirits high. God bless her little heart. Sometimes kids don't know how sick they really are. Many prayers and wishes for her speedy recovery!! Hang in there, it will soon be a distant memory. :eek:

Hi Luci ~ I am preband as well and the mother of 2 boys, ages 5 yrs and 3 yrs. My boys are going to stay with my parents for a few days, which they live 3 hrs away, but it will be worth it. Your post made me wonder if your 2 yr old is potty trained? My 3 yr old isn't and we are having battles right now b/c he doesn't want to do his big business in the potty....hope to fix that b4 I have my surgery. I wish you the very best with your new band & your family!! It's a blessing (and a challenge) to be a parent, isn't it?

Done....will be watching for my catalog. Spoon....REALLY? Thank you so much!!

Boy, are we flying now!!! Thank you to the mystery person that fixed this problem. :biggrin1:

I don't know if the issue is my server or LBT. Is anyone else having to wait when they click a link? It seems to take forever and I have high-speed internet. Maybe this is a just a reminder for me to be more patient. :confused: I hate slow internet. :phanvan

Hi Dana~ Were you "required" to attend a face-to-face support group? This is kind of scary and I'm wondering if you plan to go back? I know a team of wild horses wouldn't change my mind about getting the band, but I can't imagine actually going through what you experienced. She was so OUT OF LINE to say such things!! This is very interesting to me b/c my surgeon is requesting I attend 4 support group sessions. I requested via e-mail for him to consider this site as my group support. I truly believe that a support group is in my best interest which is why I joined LBT. I stated that I would be one of the few, if not only, lapband patient (I'm still preband as you are) and I felt this site suited my support needs more than a group of gastric patients would. You see, they have not offered lapband in the surrounding cities and I'm traveling 3 hrs to Indy. I have not had a response so I was planning on attending a session tomorrow, Tues. :phanvan I'm still debating b/c it's in a bad part of town (I guess they're trying to save $$) surrounded by pawn shops, closed businesses, and the parking lot shares a driveway with a dilapidated collection of trailer homes. I don't think of myself above anyone else, but I do try to be cautious and aware of my surroundings. You are doing the right thing by sharing this b/c members of your LBT family know the REAL truth about the band. So many people speak out of ignorance and do not know the real truth!! If you do ga back, encourage her to study her facts b4 she starts saying things that are untrue. Then again, people do "believe" different truths. I will be on my guard if I decide to attend the meeting. Thanks again for sharing! Any suggestions on getting my surgeon to consider this site as enough support would be GREATLY appreciated. :clap2:

I made a stationary last year for e-mail titled The Dream Song featuring the song of the same name by Colin Raye from his Counting Sheep album. I included pics of my boys sleeping and linked the song. My mother recently sent this back to me and I thought I would share a couple of verses b/c it made me think of this thread. We don't have to sleep to dream...LET'S make our dreams come true. The Dream Song Lay your head on your pillow now Close your eyes I'll tuck you in and I'll kiss you goodnight While you and your teddy bear are countin' sheep Next thing you know, you'll be fast asleep Sleep now my angel your long day is done The very best part of the night has begun Cause we get a present when we go to sleep We get to dream If you have a dream your dream can come true A whole world of wonder is waiting for you life's an adventure there's so much to do If you have a dream your dream can come true You can go walkin' on peppermint clouds And see yourself bein' a real circus clown Sail on a river of strawberry cream Be a star or an astronaut, follow your dream If you have a dream your dream can come true A whole world of wonder is waiting for you life's an adventure there's so much to do If you have a dream your dream can come true Dream on...dream my love A dream is a whisper from above If you have a dream your dream can come true A whole world of wonder is waiting for you life's an adventure there's so much to do If you have a dream If you have dream your dream can come true

Yeah....me too, I'm jealous!! You can tell you had an awesome and fantastic time you'll never forget!! BTW, you do look amazing!! :clap2: Such an inspiration to a prebander!! :clap2: Thanks for sharing the pics, they brought smiles and giggles. Did they introduce any new products for the new year? Just wondering. :cry :rolleyes

Yipeeeee Poodles!!! :dance: I needed to hear something positive today....I am very happy for you!!!:clap2: I wanted to call so bad today, but held off. I hope to post good news myself sometime this week. Excellent question about insurance. My husband works in automotive and with GM on shaky ground, it's hard to feel secure at a job these days. Let's hope any new insurance won't exclude WLS aftercare. Again....I am thrilled for you....party time!!! :confused: :laugh :thumb: :horn: :cheer2: :eek:

Job well done Kasey, Jr, Smoke....and the rest of the boys!! :clap2: I saw Kasey in an interview and he seemed pretty confident. I bet we see a lot more of him in victory lane this year. Luckily, I stopped my tivo and restarted it today at 11AM. I was proud of my man Smoke for driving a smooth race. He seemed confident and in control. That being said, I still think someone needs to give Kyle Bush an attitude adjustment b/c of the way he pushed Gordon out of the way. Gordon had to check-up BIG time. I'm not a Gordon fan, but this was too obvious. DW can't seem to say ANYTHING bad about Gordon or Kyle, so he called it good racing. Yes, kim2bhealthy, I did hear what DW said about Smoke. That is why I was surprised he was mild in that article at Fox, but he showed once again his dislike for Smoke. I think he is jealous b/c Tony is a better drive than DW ever was!! I really get tired of him acting like he's part of the Hendrick team.....he might as well be. That's not to relfect anything about Hendrick, but a broadcaster shouldn't be so partial.

So glad to hear that it's not more serious than what it is. I bet Joy had all kinds of things racing through her mind....yours too. The Lord is good indeed and He does answers our prayers!! Take care of each other and keep us posted.

We are glad your back and so happy to hear your feeling better! Here's some hugs for more healing!! :hug: Is there any risk of your stomach swelling again? Maybe you can eventually wean off the blood pressure meds when the doc feels your out of the woods. I bet Casey was soooo glad to have you home. They can be worse than the kids sometimes. :biggrin1: Are you on regular liquids or mushies yet? After all you've been through, I'm sure it does feel good to see those scales move! Good job!

O.K. I feel a little better now. This is driving me crazy. How do you contact a moderator to see if there is anything that can be done? When I do a search for moderator, I don't get results. Maybe they just need more bandwidth? :confused:

Cashley ~ I haven't taken Phen Fen, but took Meridia for a short period of time....the effectiveness wore off. I am also an emotional eater. That has been the most difficult issue for me and I'm sure it will continue after I'm banded. Head hunger is a HUGE thing to overcome. I am taking Effexor XR, but it doesn't do anything for my head hunger. :scared: I wonder if there is something on the market that contains the second ingredient that phen fen offered....the sertonia enhancer. :confused: It is my understanding that antidepressants help raise serotonin levels. I'm not sure what sertonia enhancer is, but it sounds like something good. :biggrin1:

I will lift you, your mother, and your family up in prayers. He is greater than anything we can face on this earth!! It is a mixed blessing that she doesn't have that evil stuff anywhere else, but I do pray it doesn't grow. We lost my mother-in-law to ovarian cancer...it will be 3 yrs in May. Keep your eyes on HIM!!

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday DivaliciousDee, happy birthday to you......AND many more!! LET'S PARTY!! :happybday: :mod: :whoo: :rockon: :horn:

GREAT NEWS on being home. I sent you a PM. Glad your back. :clap2:

1. I will let my husband pick out something from Victoria's Secret. 2. I take my boys swimming in public. 3. I will buy clothes in the Misses dept and NOT Plus Size. 4. I will not hide behind the camera. 5. I will tell everyone how I lost weight. 6. I will wear shorts & not capri's in public. 7. I will become more active in my community and volunteer. 8. I will get my nails done again on a regular basis. 9. I will hold my head high when visiting the "In-Laws". 10. I will buy new carpet for my house. O.K. I want that now, but it is a dream. :guess

This is the best I've seen.....'Little Angel of the Silicon Fist'.....Jack you are a hoot!!

Sorry you are dealing with this double whammy!! I've never been in your shoes, but it broke my heart to read your thread. It will take time to deal with the hurt of your dad. He had no right to disrespect you in that manner. He is your dad, so I know it runs deep. Try to think of all the others that have shared their band experience and maybe it will ease some of the pressure of others knowing about your experience. You are special and you deserve the band.....Hold your head high!!