ReneBean

Well, Howdy Y'all! WE have FOG here, today. In Dallas - fog is a real rarity.... Thank goodness - Thursday is here and we are on the downhill slide to the weekend. My letter is mostly done, but I am still polishing it up. Edit, Edit, and give it to someone else to re-edit - that is the true secret... I still have to find the hard data on the discrimination part - since that is how I am going to fight the ridiculous Blue Cross restriction of an upper BMI limit. The FDA only specifies a LOWER limit... Sounds like discrimination to me... Anyway, sorry about the obsession with the insurance approval - it's sort of the top thing on my list right now... Hey, Eileen - any word from your insurance carrier? Your date is fast approaching... How's by everybody? Check in. Oh, BTW, I MAY yet go to Burbank - they may need me to go for NEXT week, after all. I'll keep you posted when I find out. :]

Go, Girl!!! It has to be somebody ELSE's turn to do it, right? Congrats!! :]

No eating after 9pm - day 6. Decaf Chai Spice tea... MMMMmmmmm

Wow!!! 37 lbs in 2.5 mos? That is phenomenal! And you're looking goooooooood. :]

Too Funny, Lisa... Hey, He looks like a candidate for DeLarla's Dating Service!!!

Hi LaTonsha! Welcome! I hope you find this site as cool as I have! Congrats on your 22lb loss! :]

You can never spread too much joy. Thanks, Erin. Glad you're feeling better about stuff. :]

Feel Better, you Spooky Chick! :]

Woo Hoo! Congratulations!! Here's to a speedy recovery! :]

Sending you all the positive energy I can muster. Stay Tough! (and if you have any serious issues, by all the gods you should send an editorial to the news on Heartless Healthcare and the Fear of Liability Law Suits...) Hugs!

Hugs Bunkie! just think of what all that stress would have done to you pre-band... I shudder at the thought of how much I would gain in the same circumstances... Kathy is right. Stay on hold for the 15 - 20 minutes it takes to find out if your insurance covers fills. 1 step at a time. Action is the best medicine. :]

Glad you're feeling ok, Zoe. Enjoy the vegetative state while it lasts. :]

Ok - here's an idea for some evil responses... Jerk: Are you supposed to be eating that cookie? you: are you supposed to be wearing that Shirt? (that hair? those pants? that toupe?) If that doesn't shut them right down, and they come back with "What's wrong with my Shirt (hair, pants, etc)? You: What's wrong with eating one cookie? This will either open an honest discussion of how your band works, or SHUT THEM UP. Hey, even if you never do it, it will be fun to fantasize and it will give you a reason to smile. :]

Hi Joanna! There are lots of people here with lots of experience, and they are willing to share. Welcome!

My feet and ankles always swell up when I fly. It kind of makes sense that ALL of the body tissues would do the same thing - so the band would feel tighter. Thanks for the heads up on this. Hopefully, this will be important info for me, soon! :]

I recommend reading on all the forums - and doing a "Search" for anything specific you may want to know about. It seems like about EVERYTHING has been covered here. Welcome! :]

We obviously haven't been naughty enough... I say we vote on best Eye Candy. We aren't talking depth of character, here... just pure visual stimulation. I have always been a fan of the "purely decorative" male. If guys can have poster girls, why can't we? I have to vote for Dean Cain, since he is all that I can think of, at the moment. No talent - but, MMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm - Tasty! :]

No scale is a GOOD thing. Scale Addiction is a sad, sad affliction. :]

Howdy! I just stopped by to say "hi" on my way to the insurance forum to copy the letter Alex posted. Then I am going to copy another letter posted on another site, merge the two and customize for me.... Plus, I think Jodie posted the Obesity Discrimination Act law somewhere - if I can find that, I will throw that in too... And, at some point in my letter, I will casually mention that my attorney has advised me to do something or other. Lastly, I will fax a couple of the abstracts from the most recent studies along, as well. I will bury them in bibliography... Anyway, that's the plan for this afternoon. What's everybody else doing?

Dammit Lisa! Get back on those liquids! We don't want any more Ghost Bands around here! Don't make me come over there!

Hey Randy, I have spent 8 hours today reading scientific abstracts in preparation for my insurance appeal. While the data on the percentage of weight loss after 3 yrs is not certain (varying figures from 40% to 70% for both procedures!) the information on complications and mortality is clear in all of them. Mortality with with the By-pass is a minimum of 10 times higher, and life threatening complications are 3-4 times that of the LapBand. There are complications with any surgical procedure - but the ones with the LapBand aren't likely to kill you...

Ohhh - today is day 5 - and now that I have informed my Beloved that I have made a committment to cease any food activities after 9, he has promised not to come into my office bearing anything other than herbal tea. What a man. Lisa, you can do it. If you don't, my foot is waiting to connect to your butt.

Well, I am late come to the board tonight - I spent the whole day reading scientific abstracts for my Appeal. It would make me feel a lot better if all of the studies weren't conducted by interested parties... A lot of the info seems pretty biased, depending on who gathers the data. Both Band & By-Pass folks appear to be guilty. It's "Lies, Damned Lies, & Statistics." After having read the literature, or at least the abstracts, I am still convinced that the band is the way to go - but I am wondering whether it is really as effective as the by-pass. The data on 3 yrs out over several studies shows avg percentage of excess body weight lost anywhere between 40 and 70 percent! That's a pretty large variance... I guess I don't care - since I won't be letting anybody by-pass anything inside my body. Geez, Eileen - I can't even go to look at that site... I just noticed a sign for that restaurant here, the other day, and I don't DARE pick up a new bad habit. I already have enough! Ray - bummer about the whole restaurant thing... I know that one is going to be hard for me, too. So, color me stupid - but are you saying that the Lap Band IS a magic bullet? or are you feeling down? (you weightloss super stud, you) Betty - If I had been selected, it would have been misdemenor court. Cindy, those cards sound cute... Have fun with the kids. Karla, how you doing? I'll try to check in earlier tomorrow - but I have to start actually compiling the infamous letter.... And I am treating that as priority one for the rest of the week. :]

Congrats!!

What a pair of HOTTIES!! Whew, Honey, turn on the air conditioner... I'm glowing. :]