purplemonkey

Hi! I've been reading these boards since I first went to the informational seminar in August and finally have all my requirements done and will be having surgery on March 19th! I have my preop meeting with the Dr. and nutritionist on March 1st where they'll go over preop and postop stuff. I'm so excited and optimistic but now that the date is set the nerves have creeped in! I've never had any kind of surgery or been under anesthesia so I'm a little worried. Good luck to us all! Virginia:tea: :high5: :banana :mad:

hi kindredspirit. when i went to the seminar about the lapband surgery the woman who handles insurance said BCBS was one of the best ones to have...I'm in NJ.

Hi. I'm new here to this site and will be heading to the introductory seminar at the end of August, but was wondering if anyone here had the lapband and had a subsequent pregnancy. Is there a period of time where you shouldn't try getting pregnant? I'm just 37 and hoping to get the lapband soon with Dr. Abkin in NJ...at least that's my hope. I certainly fit the criteria. But at some point in the next few years I would like to have a baby and want to know if anyone's had the experience with an existing lapband...that doesn't sound quite right, LOL, but I'm hoping that you all know what I mean! Thank you, Virginia

Hi everyone. I was doing some online research in preparation for my introductory seminar for lapbanding later this month and was SO happy to have found this site. So many of my questions and concerns were answered and despite the difficulties some of you have had, the before and after pictures speak for themselves. My name is Virginia and I've been obese since childhood and slid into morbid obesity by 8th grade. I'm now 37, 365 lbs and I have had recent problems with mobility, and long standing issues of back/joint pain, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure. I know most of you can relate when I say how much I am dying to just go for a walk!! But my enthusiasm drops off quick once I get on my feet for 5 or 10 minutes and the pain is unbearable. I've tried numerous diet plans and none have worked. My last attempt was the Nutrisystem Nourish plan. I was on that for 3 months, went to my doctor for a weigh-in and had gained 12 months. That was the end of that. I'm looking for the opportunity to get the lapband and have another chance at life; to start living fully instead of barely existing, feeling imprisoned in this body. I know many of you have been on this journey for years and please know that I am here to offer support and will likely seek yours. If anyone in particular is from northern New Jersey and have used Dr. Abkin or Dr. Bertha I would love to hear your experiences. Hey maybe we could buddy up and exercise together or be an additonal support system to one another. Thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing just a fraction of the success all of you have had. Good Luck! and keep up the AWESOME work.:clap2: Virginia

This may be a stupid question but... does the amount of toning and exercise you do while losing weight determine how much excess skin you will have after weight loss? Or will you have it regardless? I read somewhere that certain areas can't be toned with excercise and must be surgically modified... Just wonderin... Virginia

Hi Everyone! Currently I am 365lbs with a BMI of 64.4. I have been obese to morbidly obese all of my life. I even have the vivid memory of being weighed in the nurse's office in 1st grade in front of my classmates and her saying 140lbs. I've tried every kind of diet and nothing worked for me. I dream of the day when I can get back to that 140. God that would be so amazing. Quite frankly though, I just want to feel comfortable in my own skin. I want to be able to walk and hike and do outdoorsy things I enjoy. I want to be able to go up a flight of stairs and not feel like I've just climbed Mt. Everest. The amount of weight I lose really isn't my focus, just feeling healthy and able to be more active. Oh...and healthy enough to have a baby. My clock is really ticking now...LOL I'm in the very preliminary stages of this process. I will be attending the introductory seminar next week Thursday and I'm hoping, although doubtful, that things will go really fast after that. The waiting will be the hardest part I fear. You all are certainly an inspiration for me and I hope to be an inspiration for someone in the future. I live in Northern New Jersey and would love to find local friends going through the lap banding. Best of luck to everyone here and to all of your continued success!! Virginia

Hi everyone! I'm new here. My name is Virginia and I'll be attending the seminar on August 24, 2006 and hope to get the lapband. I was obese from childhood through junior high and have been morbidly obese ever since, with no luck with any diet plan. I remember so vividly being in first grade and being weighed in the nurses office in front of everyone. I weighed 140 lbs then and have always thought what a hoot it would be to get down to my first grade weight. LOL Today, I'm 37 years old and have a BMI index of 64, with problems of sleep apnea and high blood pressure. Being new to this, and knowing that I will likely find a lot of this out at the seminar, I was wondering if anyone has used NJ PLUS insurance and how difficult it is to get approved. Now that I know this group is here I will definitely visit daily and would love to hear from anyone wanting to write me here or at my personal email: vcarozzolo@yahoo.com Thank you!