3loves

Oh my....what would I give up first....chocolate or coffee? :mad: That would be a tough one. Keep in mind, I'm only referring to 1-2 hersey kisses and not the entire bag. I have not heard anything as of yet that I need to give up coffee, but I could go with green tea for awhile if I had to. Is green tea less acidic than coffee? I just discovered Folgers chocolate Silk coffee and have been drinking it like it's a dessert. :rolleyes I have gone from one cup of coffee a day to 3 or 4. I've become addicted to this new coffee in such a short period of time. Maybe I'll get tired of it by the time my surgery comes around.

Hi JanW....Welcome to LBT!! I am new and can't answer your questions b/c I don't have the band yet (pending ins), but I would like to follow your developments. We plan to have more children after the band, so I want to learn from others that have gone b4. Bless you heart....the mother of 3 boys is to be commended...well any mother really. I have 2 boys ages 4 yrs & 3 yrs. They are 16 mos apart. I just know we will probably have another boy b/c of this curse my mother put on me growing up. I had 3 brothers and no sisters and hated boys!! God has a sense of humor that's for sure. I do want to wish you all the best with this pregnancy. :preggers: I can't advise you to get plenty of rest b/c I know that next to impossible. Regardless, take care and keep us posted on how your doing.

Wow...that is SUPER DUPER!! Tell him that LBT is so proud of him. :mad: Thank you for sharing a precious moment. I have 2 little boys myself....Bobby 4 yrs (turning 5 in Mar) and Danny 3 yrs. Kudos to mom too!!! :clap2:

I have been a stay-at-home mom for the last 5 yrs and loved most of it. :mad: Previously, I have been in sales and admin. OT...Pattman...were you a "spook"?

My Letter of PreD has been rec'vd by my insurance company and I am ONE step closer to being banded!!! Yipee!!! :dance:

Congratulations to all of you that have a date...hats off to you! :yo: I never thought about a car accident, but you never know when you take to the road. ~Sorority ChiK~ I would highly recommend you call your insurance company without being a pest. :mad: I would want to make sure they have everything they need and it gives you the opportunity to follow-up if something is missing. Like I said, I plan on calling once a week and I also document every date, time, and person I talk to just for my personal reference.....a habit from my working days. ~nc_longhorn~ That is a terrible thing your dealing with and I can't believe they told you to stop calling. I take it you are approved and only waiting on a surgery date? What is physicians review? I'm not familiar with that. Wish I could help in some way. Maybe call and ask to speak to the office manager and calmly try to get some answers. Best of luck and I hope you get your date soon.....you've been waiting a long time in my book.

Super idea for a thread Sorority ChiK.:clap2: I want my band yesterday!! :ohwell: I think the Lord is teaching me patience b/c I only decided to get the band in early Jan and I know many people on here have waited much much longer. I am jealous too. I just called ins today and they confirmed they have rec'vd my Letter of PreD however, my other documents (psy eval, personal letter, & dr notes) were not sent out until yesterday. :mad: I am THRILLED to say the least that they do have the L of PD....I am one step closer....YEAH!!! :clap2: They have a 30 day turn-around time and I'll be calling every week to keep my file fresh in their minds. My biggest fear is not being able to drink the amount of Water I'm used to. I drink as least 6-7 bottles of water a day. I get thirsty b/c of sinus problems and worry that I'll be thirsty alot. Does anyone know why we can't drink w/meals? Does the liquid fill up the stomach and not allow enough food? Down deep I also fear the worst. I have two beautiful boys, ages 3 & 4, and the BEST husband in the world. I have prayed about the band & have peace with my decision, but I think it's natural to fear the possibility of death. That fear doesn't control me though b/c I'm full-speed ahead!! I WANT IT NOW!!!

I am new here as well and ask for advice as well as try to offer advice/encouragement where I feel I can be of some help. I have completely stayed away from all of the friction (until I voiced my opinions yesterday) mainly b/c by the time I get done reading, I don't have time to post....I am the mother of 2 preschoolers. Also, I feel some of the threads were posted with good intentions, yet the tone changed and it developed into a war of sorts b/c I strongly feel there are a few that love to argue in order to fulfill a need to feel superior. I grew up with a brother like this and honestly, we are closer than I am with my other bothers....it does take time and patience to understand what people are trying to convey. What I can say that we learned from each other was that we DO have a responsibility to the perception of what we say not just what we say. Personally, I am a strong-willed person and needed to develop that personality to survive. I am opinionated at times, but I deeply care for the feelings of others and respect ALL voices and opinions. I don't always agree, but that's OK....I don't need to agree 100% with you to respect you. My son attends a christian school and they changed their sign yesterday to say: He who angers you, controls you. This was so profound to me b/c it sums it all up in one short sentence.

Be still my heart!! The boxer definitely looks like a Rocky. :boxing:And who could resist the those precious eyes they both have? My husband's motto is always, "I will save you" whenever we see a stray anywhere. We've brought a few home in our time. I sure hope Rocky is OK and hope his symptoms go away.....$155 is nothing to sneeze at especially since it was an unexpected expense. I have paid more in vet bills than I have ever paid for my kids b/c they have insurance. Last year our lab had surgery to the tune of $1500 right b4 Christmas to fix a torn ACL. I had people ask me why we don't just put her down. I couldn't believe it. I would get a loan for her b4 I would put her to sleep. :biggrin1: Thanks for the update and the pic. They are precious!!!

I have a lump in my throat and it makes me so sad to read this thread. Leatha_g we've never met and have never talked one-on-one, but I know how valuable you are to this site. I guess everything does have to change from time to time, but I hate to see people take off b/c of the "tone" that's been expressed within the last few weeks. I understand your reasoning for not wanting to surround yourself with "unacceptable behavior". I firmly believe that you teach people how to treat you and my perception is that you are saying that this will not be tolerated in your life........Good for you on taking that stand!! :clap2: However, don't forget us newbies that NEED your experience and the experience from other seasoned members. Knowledge is power and I came here to be empowered by those that have gone b4. I know you are a stong woman and will not make your decisions based on what I say, but do know that your wisdom can NEVER be replaced. Only YOU can provide that. Do what is best for you and perhaps you will come back very soon. :cry Like I said earlier, LBT is not the same place that I joined a few short weeks ago. I hate to see members dropping off and leaving when it seems that they are being pushed. Can someone get a hold on all of this and who is in charge? This is so VERY sad!

My heart breaks for you and your family. We will lift all of you up in prayer and I hope you are able to find some answers. I cannot even imagine going through such a tragedy. Be strong together as a family....you need each other so much during this tragic time. ~GOD BLESS~

Oh, I looove to look at pics and as any proud mom would do, here's my little guys in their costumes: This one is a favorite of mine at my son's 3rd bday party....everyone says we look so much alike, but he definitely gets his stink from his daddy : Here's all the kids in our family. The two standing are mine, my princess niece in the middle runs the show and the other three are my beautiful nephews and niece that were adopted from Kazakhstan: O.K. This is it, I will stop now:

God Bless you for being so sweet!! Here's a gold star for you... Those little lives needed you and they knew where they could find love. I hope you do find good homes for them or end up keeping them....either way, you did a good thing. We have had animals all my life and cannot imagine a home without a pet. Keep us posted.

Hi Kim, I have never been to a psychiatrist and the only psycholgist I have seen was a couple of weeks ago for my psy eval, but my first thought when I read your thread was that perhaps Dr. Phil's book, Ultimate Weight Solution, may offer some help. I have the book and still have not read it. Maybe I'm afraid to face the reasons I eat emotionally. :rolleyes Check it out if your a reader. I do have experience with Effexor XR for depression and with my level of knowledge, which is small, that most antidepressants need to build up and stay in your system to be effective. The Effexor doesn't and hasn't had any effect on my eating habits. I just had a discussion about 10 min ago with my husband about birth control b/c I am about to start and a bit crabby. I was on Seasonale for about 2 years and recently went back to monthly birth control. With the Seasonale you only have your period ONCE every three mos. which makes life much better for all of us. I think I will go back on it since I am getting the band and won't be having more children anytime soon. I highly recommend it if it's something your OB would approve. Best of luck in finding your solution!!

Good for you!! There's nothing better than a good "BM" when you haven't had one in awhile. So glad to hear you doing better and I'm thankful for your thread b/c I hope to be ahead of the game when I get my band. This was very helpful info!! Stay well!!

I could use some help writing my own so-called "Letter of Necessity" to include in my packet that goes to my insurance to get initial approval. I understand the offical L of N will come from my surgeon, but I rec'vd some good advice today that it would benefit me to write a letter myself stating my personal reasons I feel the surgery is necessary. Even though I have many years of admin in my background, I am drawing a blank on verbage. Does anyone have any suggestions or places to find sample letters? I just want to cross all my t's and dot my i's to avoid the appeal process and get approval the first time around. Thanks a million!!

Thanks Indababy!! Feel free to use any or all of the letter. I pulled from many sources and found this format which seemed to suit my needs. Oooppss.....I wished I had found that misspelling of "roll" b4 it went to NGS. I can't tell you how many times I read over the letter and didn't even catch it. That's why I like for other eyes to check out my writing. The letter was not my idea....it was suggested by a previous lapband patient with my surgeon (I guess she also comes to this site). I called my insurance to get some info and I ended up talking to someone that had the surgery with the same surgeon. How bizarre?? It was meant for me to make contact with her. The insurance coordinator at my surgeon's office said she wished more patients would include letters like this b/c it can only help. Best of luck to you as well and keep in touch!! :clap2:

Hi Sunta....I can relate to where your coming from. Like others have said, this is a normal reaction b/c of what your about to do....change your life forever and for the GOOD. :clap2: I just made a visit last week to my doc b/c I thought my blood pressure was up. My heart was thumping out of my chest and she thinks it could be from decongestants and a little of anxiety. I told her that I couldn't be happier with my decision of going for the lapband, but she thinks it may have a bigger impact on me than I realized. For the first time, I let myself feel the impact of such a huge decision. I am still full-speed ahead and want my band yesterday!! This is a big step, but you will be fine. Aren't you thankful to have this site to share all these thoughts & emotions? What a great place to get support. :clap2: Let us know how things go and I'll probably be writing the same thread b4 my surgery.....I'll be looking for your words of wisdom. :biggrin1:

OK...I've been reading some of the threads & find some only lead to bickering. I didn't even have time to post b/c I was too busy reading, but I had to stop b/c it's obvious that some people love the challenge of an arugment. They have needs that are only filled by challenging others and will argue a point whether they are right or wrong. I know this b/c I grew up with a brother like this. They love to start a fight then sit back and watch....they live for it. Personally, I've stopped reading any threads that I find from those people b/c I know the thread will end up. I come here for support and to get to know people.....ALL kinds of people. Some threads I pass over and others I just love. PLEASE DeLara......don't go anywhere. :omg: I love your threads even though I don't always agree 100%, but that's OK. I learn so much from you and I appreciate the fact that you call a spade a spade. I also want to state that I LOVE the Lord, but I don't judge other people for their choices. DeLarla, please understand (which I think you already do) that not ALL Bible-believing people "hide" behind the Word of God. The Lord made each of us unique and we ALL have something to offer. Since this is the first time I've ever participated in a group like this, I don't know the in's & out's, but it does seem to me that a moderator should step in a some point to keep this site where it was when I joined in Jan. I would hate to see seasoned members leave b/c they have so much knowledge to offer. In addition, "newbies" such as myself have some things to offer as well. It takes all kinds of people and I think the "tone" of this board needs to change and be more accepting of ALL opinions without so much offensive bickering.

Sounds like fun!! I'll send my addy.

Welcome Deedee....you have found a great community!! I am new also and still going through the process for insurance approval and I can't wait to get my band. You can do some searches for ideas on dealing with your hunger and anything else you experience. There is always someone willing to lend an ear and a word of advice. Best of luck on your new life with the band!! :welcome:

Next time keep the $200 and give yourself a day at the spa!! On second thought, ask him for the money back and make an appt. That is such a terrible thing for a husband to do and there's no excuse for it.....even if he had a bad day at work, he could still communicate that to you. On a more rational note, I have had disappointing times, including Valentine's Day, during our marriage and come to find out, my husband didn't realize how important those "little things" were to me. He was doing what guys do best....NOTHING. I finally convinced him that doing dishes and giving the kids a bath is sexy. Things couldn't be better, but "communcation" is the key!! Take care and maybe after letting go of a few tears, try talking to him like PhotoNut said.

I'm a country girl for the most part. I enjoy the classic country music and some of the new. Trace Adkins makes me weak in the knees! :dance: I also enjoy some of the older rock stuff that I grew up on like the Eagles, Heart, & Van Halen. Isn't it funny how you can go back in time just listening to music? Shows what a huge influence it has on our lives even though we don't realize it at the time.

Great advice...I agree...I will make those changes b4 it goes out tomorrow. Thanks a bunch!!!

Robin....welcome to your new home at LBT!! This is a great place. :clap2: I guess I'm impatient b/c I only decided on the lapband this Jan and can't wait to schedule my surgery. So glad to hear you have approval and a date! I am a former Buckeye and have lived in OH all my life with the exception of living here in IN the past 1.5 yrs. I have fallen in love with IN, but do miss OH at times. We are huge dog lovers and have a chocolate lab named Malley. Does Malley's Chocolates ring a bell? They are located in Cleveland. I wish you all the success in the world and welcome to LBT!!