chell1957

Like a lot of us, I belong to more then 1 group. While surfing around my other group I found the following link. It is to show to the waitress at a restaurant in hope they will let u share a meal with a friend or order from the child's menu. For those of us who have been wishing for such a thing, here is the link: http://www.obesityhelp.com/magazine/RestaurantCard.html Now if we could get LapBandTalk to make their version of this it would be great!

Like a lot of us, I belong to more then 1 group. While surfing around my other group I found the following link. It is to show to the waitress at a restaurant in hope they will let u share a meal with a friend or order from the child's menu. For those of us who have been wishing for such a thing, here is the link: http://www.obesityhelp.com/magazine/RestaurantCard.html Now if we could get LapBandTalk to make their version of this it would be great!

Hi. My BMI is 38. As for the insurance paying, I checked and its a covered procedure. If worse comes to worse, I can have the Veterans Affairs (I am ex Navy) pay of a version of it, but I am not too keen on that one. I also have 3 commodities as well as NASH (fatty liver) and its starting to effect my health so I have to do some thing and soon.

Well everyone, today I took hubby with me to my 1st visit with the Dr. My 1st consult. I meat with a Dr. Neff. A nice middle age man. I liked how he explained to hubby so he would understand what was going to happen to me. We discussed all the different types if WLS. I still am leaning toward the LapBand. I even asked him about his stats and education and he was happy to see I asked. He gave me all the stuff written down so I can look him up and check on him. Now he could have just told me but the fact he wrote it down and handed it to me made me fell more at ease over all. We talked a good 30-45 minutes easy. I go back to see him the end of May and in the mean time will be working on my pre op stuff. I am actually starting to get a bit jazzed up now.

Will have to remember this also. I too am trying to get into pratice prior to the surgery. I find it very hard to remember the Chew, Chew, Chew rule. At time I do and other times I catch myself forgetting. What I find the hardest is to not sallow as I chew..VERY hard...God I hope this gets better.

Well I am still here. Have not changed my mind yet. I finally go see a doctor on the 16th! Talked hubby into going with me. I want him to know what is going to happen to me and why. I have to admit I am a bit scared now. This is such a life changing event. I find myself when I am eating something, thinking to my self, I may never eat this again, how do I feel about it? Will I be able to force my self to chew slow and take small bits? I try that now and I don't feel very successful at it. I really have to make an effort to remember to do this. I get the feeling this will test everything I know about myself. :confused2:

Well I am still here. Have not changed my mind yet. I finally go see a doctor on the 16th! Talked hubby into going with me. I want him to know what is going to happen to me and why. I have to admit I am a bit scared now. This is such a life changing event. I find myself when I am eating something, thinking to my self, I may never eat this again, how do I feel about it? Will I be able to force my self to chew slow and take small bits? I try that now and I don't feel very successful at it. I really have to make an effort to remember to do this. I get the feeling this will test everything I know about myself. :confused2:

Well folks, I got tired of the Veterans Affairs Hospital taking their sweet time making the referral to a Bariatic Surgeon so I decided to try to use my Civilian Insurance, the very crappy Horizon NJ Health (Medicaid). I went to the Dr. on my ID card, bringing with me about the most recent 6 months of reports I could get from the V.A. and some other paperwork. We talked, the Dr. reviewed my information, gave me a referral to a foot doctor (heel spurs) and told me if I can find a Dr. for the surgery, they would make the referral! This was just too easy, the other shoe has to fall soon? Anway...I found a Dr. Neff who is out of J. F. Kennedy in Cherry Hill NJ. I go see him on the 16th of this month. I already got my new patient package in the mail. Today I called the office and told them I wanted some information on the Dr.'s history, his credentials and such. They took my information and said the Office Manager will call me back. I am hoping this is a good sign. I know there is still so very much to be done. I just am afraid to trust the situation.

This is a great share. Thanks! I have saved it for reference.

Well I got tired of the V.A. taking for ever so I go some copies of my records and contacted the medical Patrice on my Blue Cross Horizon NJ Care card and made a appointment. I gave them the information I had, talk a bit, answered some questing and I was told they will make the referral to the Lap Band Dr. I located a Dr. Neff out of JFKennedy Hospital in Cherry Hill NJ. So I have to have it all faxed over. I go see him later this month. I think I will have to do a required supervised diet to get the insurance to approve it but at least its a step in the right direction. Also the V.A. wants to do a VGB and I feel its too evasive. I also want to call the nutritionist at the V.A. to see it they will do the fills or if its Dr. Neff who dose them. More later when I find out.

Babies will come when they are ready and not when the Dr. says. I was told I would not deliver until Labor Day weekend, I had my son 8/27! He was 1 week late and was 8 lb, 3 oz at 21"! Good luck and congrats to her.

Lady's, I have seen him in concert in Atlantic City NJ and OMG! I love country music. He is a tall cool drink of water. :puke: So for the ladies who don't listen to country, U should give it a listen...he dose have a song called Songs About Me..don't judge just listen to the song, U can see the video the same time on YouTube. Enjoy the concert.

I was teased as a kid too but my eating I think is not related to that, its a combination of genetics and bad habits. I do O.K. but as the day goes on, I eat more and get out right hungry. Then mid evening the munchies start. I try to fill up on carrots, celery (not banded yet) and such, but being on food stamps the end of the month is tuff, the food thins out, the stamps are gone and so I look to what ever is in the house. I drink water but it goes right through me. I have a best friend and for some reason when I am there on the weekends (girls night) I just get worse! It's like I have no will power! I don't know what to do about it. :sneaky:

Another real good one is SparkPeople.com. Its very motivational also and give u all the stuff U R looking for. They have even been on T.V. a few times.

Good for you...good luck and keep up posted.

U R not alone on that my friend.

Me too! I think it's a combination of things...learned behaviour (family stuff) and genetics...just my opinion...but I have noticed that I don't feel full like some folks do...I remember when I took the Merridia in the late 1990's thinking to myself "So this is how it feels to be full"...I was never a skinny kid, I was always told it was the Italian in me...Chell ....so where did the Irish side do?..wink...LOL

God no, I look like a whale in my legs. I was watching Discovery Health over the week end and they were showing how folks after losing a lot of weight need to get body lifts. I can see this happening to me. Except for the fact I doubt my insurance will pay for such a thing. But they need to realize this is not plastic surgery for vanity reasons, some of us need it for health reasons...all that extra skin smells, gets rash etc...

Good for you, sad for me...this is a pain in my butt, no one believes me.

Welcome. I have been a bit of a lurker myself, also in the research stage of things. Saw my primary today, she is even supporting this for me. I have found everyone very supportive so far. I just wish the darn nutritionist would get off the chair and on her PC to get my referral done. In the beginning I read all the basic stuff which was very helpful. There are several sites that have "sticky" information and have been most helpful also. As for the ticker and such, just find a person who has an active link to it and go and make your own. Good luck.

This is just driving me nuts. I have a BMI of 37 @ 5'3" weighting 212!. No one thinks I weight this. My best friend is 240 @ the same height! She dose not think I need this. I have at least 3 co morbitites....Diabetic, High BP, High Cholesterol AND NASH (fatty liver)...but my MOVE (diet program) counselor keeps pushing me to lose weight. I am having enough of a time to keep it at 210 ish...O.K. I may be a bit naive, but I am not dumb, as soon as I lose 10 lbs down goes my weight and BMI and out the door goes my chance of the surgery! Even my liver Dr. said I was a candidate for it. I get so irritated at folks who know nothing of what life is like for us. Its not about fitting into smaller clothes (yes it will be fun once again) but its about health and being around to see my grandson granulate high school. Sorry for the rant.

congratulations! :tongue2:

Well I am registered with the MOVE program, the VA's version of weight loss program. So needless to say the nutritionist wants me to LOSE weight and of course as soon as I do that my BMI will fall just enough to not qualify for the surgery. Yes I realize exercise will be a big part of the after care, and I HATE exercise but I will have to do what I have to do after surgery. I did have a great conversation with the liver Dr. yesterday and he did put in a referral for me to see the VGB doctor, which is more then the weight lose lady did. She is trying to reach Pittisburg VA to see if they do Lap Band there? But I don't think this is a priority for her, just my opinion. I did make an appointment with the civilian Dr. on my HMO policy for mid March. But since they know nothing about me its a stretch to think they will just say O.K. and refer me. I will be getting copies of my VA health record to give to them. Hoping that will help it along.

Hi everyone.:biggrin: Yesterday I went to the Veterans Hospital as normal for routine testing. Found out I have what is called NASH...Non Alcoholic ???? of the liver. In layman's terms Fatty Liver which can be a pre cursor to liver disease down the road, this is in addition to my high BP, high cholesterol, diabetic ... great, as far as I am concerned its just one more reason I need the surgery. And my doctor agreed. Here is the problem, the Veterans Hospital in Philly, as I found out yesterday, will only do the VGB procedure and I only want the Lap Band procedure. So I am a bit :frown:depressed and irritated. Makes me feel like I ever get is second best and as usual have to compromise. Ya I know its the depression talking. So my plan B is to try to tap into my civilian/HMO insurance. The problem with that is the civilian Dr. has never meat me, has no clue about me. The VA is very happy to send my files and test over to the civilian doctor to help out. I called my HMO yesterday and they have no provider who will take my NJ HMO over at the University of Penn in Philly (where I wanted the Lap Band done), in NJ since its a form of Medicaid.

Hi. I use the Veterans Hospital in Philly PA and as we both know Tricare is offered to retired military and family. My point is that my hospital is a "Center of Excellence" and I THINK it means they have to meet a certain standard to make that claim. Sounds to me like it is supposed to be a good thing for us patients. Chell