Chuckles

So I put in for this postition through the hospital I work at for the Director position at the Teen Health center that is near my house. I have had my degree since 2002 and have been unable to find a job that involves my degree without a Masters. Well I turned in my resume on Monday and I recieved and email today to set up an interview. I know it is jumping the gun to get all worked up but I am jsut so happy that I have an interview. I have not ever even gotten one before for something is the counseling field so that just makes it more exciting.

Oh and I want to thank Wheetsin for the resume cover letter she posted a little while back. Apparently it does work.

Hi babygrl1234! Would you mind sharing the resume cover letter you mentioned? I am job hunting also. Thanks so much. :eek:

This thing has been a lifesaver for me, and really I would not have considered it had the parents not been looking into it for themselves.

Fortunately for me, my insurance was much better and I fired on through the process. It's been 8 months, and they're still working though the diet and support groups and all that.

I do have enough in the 401K to take a medical withdrawal and pay for both of their surgeries, but it would be a big hit. However, I'd rather spend the money and keep them around an extra 10-20 years.

The only part holding me back is that I'm not sure how serious they really are about this. They SAY they want to be thinner, but there's still all sorts of snack foods and junk around their house. Mom's diabetic and still eats everything she shouldn't.

Y'all who have been there know that this struggle is at least as much mental as physical, and it's not easy. Self-sabotage happens, I still fight that myself. I'd hate to spend the money, put them through the risk of surgery (they're both in poor health), have them struggle with all the banding issues, and STILL not lose the weight because they chug down ice cream or something.

On the other hand, if I don't pay for it, it may be another year or more before they get the green light from the insurance company, if ever they do. I don't want to be looking at a 401K balance and missing my dad.

Thoughts?

Hey Manatee,

Wow, you are a great son to even consider doing this for them! Truly what a great gift. My thought was what about going ahead and paying for one of them to get started and get banded, maybe this then would motivate the other one??? Like if your dad has been more committed so far, get him started and banded. At that point there would be a need to remove the Snacks from the house and so forth. It could end up being hard to have to choose just one of them over the other, but my basis for my decision would be which ever parent seems more serious and committed. Manatee, those are just my thoughts. Hope it helps.

I couldn't afford to have the surgery here and my insurance wouldn't cover it. I prayed to find and way and God answered my prayers through a group of doctors in Mexico. I've lost 120 lbs -- never to gain it back and couldn't be happier. Now, I've taken it on as a ministry... helping my friends and family find ways to get banded if they need to.

Dedria,

You have described the situation I am in. Please everyone pray with me that the Lord will open a door for me to have this surgery, and that the Lord will soften my husband's heart regarding the surgery. I know some of you already are, so thank you, and I appreciate it so much. I just know the Lord will provide! Thank you Lord in advance for your mighty work in my life! I love you and I lift your name up today!!

Everyone is doing so great, and I pray for all of us everyday!! Stay inspired for we are TRULY blessed!!!

Hugs to everyone!

Did your insurance pay for your Lap Band surgery, or were you a self-pay?

Where did you get banded? U.S., Mexico, Australia, Europe, Canada, or elsewhere?

Please only vote if you have already been banded, thank you. Remember, for those concerned about privacy, this is a PUBLIC poll: other users can see the choice(s) you selected.

Just curious to see, thanks everyone!

On Jan 1st i had SEVERE pain on my right side that had me crippled to the point of not being able to get out of bed. IT just came upon me suddenly, no warning. It got better throughout the day but happened again that night with the same intensity.

Kept in touch with my doctor during the day, since the office was closed and went in the next day for an appointent. After the morning appt, i was sent to the surgery suite to have some basic tests done, cuz they thought it was my gallbladder, but by that evening i was admitted to the hospital and by 8pm that nite the doctor had taken me back to surgery (almost 2 weeks to the day of me getting the band) and removed it due to an infection/abscess..

I still dont know much about what happened to me, everytime the doctor tried to talk to me i could just cry. I cannot have another band he says, and i had an infection which had made a hole in my stomach and that this has a VERY minute chance of happening..

I go to get my stiches out on thursday and hopefully learn more about what happened to me. You dont just get an infection out of the blue i wouldnt think. I am also cash pay so its hurting a bit more than just my emotions at the moment...

My mother and my sister have both done great with the band over the past 3 years. I guess it just wasnt ment to be for me.

JC 2008,

I am so sorry to hear that! You are in my prayers!

Good Morning all my Brothers and Sisters, today is the day, I 'm up pretty early, alittle nervous scared, worried, excited all the same time, I'm one of the oldies, but goodies, I'm going to be 60 yrs old Feb 2, and have been seeing such negative responce lately, makes me wonder if I have made the right decision,.I would like all of you to take a few min at about 12noon and just think of me , thats the time of my surgery, My favorite passage which has bee since age of 4, I had to learn for a church reading, is John:14, Best keep that in mind today.:redface:

Thor,

You are in my prayers!

Sorry if the print is too small, not sure why.

Hi Everyone! Ok, let me explain this thread. Since her band date January 23, 2008, I have chatted with so many people asking and wanting to know about a particular sweet wonderful newly bandster lady, that so many of us care about. So I thought I would create a thread entirely for her! Everyone feel free to leave your thoughts, questions, and concerns for/to/about Alfie here. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Without further ado, Alfie…<o:p></o:p>

WELCOME TO BANDLAND!!!!<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Alfie,<o:p></o:p>

I just can’t say how excited I am for you! You are on your way to a new YOU! You are amazing and you are doing so great! We are proud of you! As a new member of lapbandtalk.com, you and many others made such a huge impact on me, and welcomed me right in! So thank you and we all love you! I look forward to chatting with you soon! Keep us all updated as we travel with you down your journey! You will be in my prayers. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Melissa :redface:<o:p></o:p>

Hi everyone! Does anyone know if Dr. H & K do fills for patients banded in Mexico? If so how much? I am considering Mexico.

Thanks,

~M~

Chuckles.....wadley at the front entrance. 7pm till 8 pm. 2nd monday of the month. if you have a hiatal hernia you can get the band at the same time. This is the only surgery that can be combined with the lap band. I tried to get my gallbladder done at the same time but couldnt, had to wait to heal then get the lap done. hang in there. if i had had the hiatal hernia, i would have saved some money on my self pay.

Hi Teresa, thanks for the info. So there isn't a meeting on Tuesday (Jan. 22nd?) It was last week? I went to to the doc's website and I thought it said there is one on the 22nd. Maybe I have it mixed up?

M

Thanks Chuckles. Are you still trying to decide about getting banded?

Saleel22

Hi Saleel, No, I am not still deciding. :girl_hug: I absolutely know that I want to, just waiting on a way for it to become a possibility. That is, I am a self-pay, and am wondering if I can get this financed or what. SO far, no luck. I am still hopeful though, praying for something to happen so I can get this surgery! Thanks for asking. Take care.

~M

Hello everyone. I am new to the site and not yet a bandster. I am believing the Lord for finances to come in from unexpected sources as I am self pay. Our God is so AWESOME! I have already been able to save a small portion of the money needed and have created a budget that will allow me to save enough that I will be able to have my surgery the end of May. (as long as no unexpected bills come up). I will be going to Mexico for the surgery, and have been doing much praying and research on this and feel God has provided information on the perfect doctor for me. I do need Powerful Prayer Warriors as I have found all of you to be to make sure that the devil does not come to steal, kill or destroy my finances. I know my Father knows the desires of my heart and wants good health for me as he does for all His children.

God Bless!

BB

Welcome Bizzy! I am still relatively new myself. I have only been considering Lap Band since the new year, and am also a self-pay. I too, am waiting on the Lord to provide a way for this procedure to be done. The Lord brings all things good, and this surgery is just one more I am going to be able to add to my testimony!

I will be praying for you, and I ask that everyone keep me and my husband in your prayers as well. Hugs to all.

~M :girl_hug:

Hi every one, I was banded on Wednesday and came home from hospital yesterday. I felt awful, dizzy, nauseous and had a really bad headache. I worked out that it was the capadex pain killers that I took before I left the hospital so stopped taking them. After a really bad headache all night the fog has lifted and I now feel ok. I'm sip, sip, sipping on my fluids but I know I won't get through all of the ones the dietician wants me to have. I'm walking around the house but am very bored counting how many tiles I have.Thanks for all the good wishes. I will post more in the next couple of days.

Saleel22

Saleel,

Glad to hear from you, sorry you didn't feel so well to start! I bet you will get better, you seem very strong and I am sure you can get through it!!

Take care

Hi everyone, just wanted to see how everyone is doing? A know there are a few people on their way to being banded, can't wait to hear about their success!!! Everyone is in my thoughts and prayers!

Take care all!

~M.

Hey everyone! Just wanted to check in here and say hi and ask a few questions.

1.) Where in Wadley hospital is the meeting being held on this coming Monday night? And from what time to what time? Like is it from 7-8 p.m.? Do I need to bring anything (like a notebook)?

2.) Have any of you who've been banded by Dr. H and/or Dr. K had a hiatal hernia which was taken care at the same time you were banded? Just curious as to what the doctors do if this were to happen? Is there a way to know if you have this before hand or do the doctors just find out while they have you opened up? Anyone have this experience?

3.) Does anyone know of a good chiropractor here in Texarkana?

Anyway, I hope everyone is doing okay. Would love to hear from anyone! Everyone is in my prayers! Take care!

~M :biggrin:

Hi fellow 16th bandsters! I hope everyone is doing well. I am doing well. Everything went smoothly. I didn't realize how much pain this gas pressure could cause. I've been walking around alot trying to release it. The nurse that discharged me said that if I'm feeling pain I might be over doing it but then they tell you to walk as much as you can. So I don't know if I'm hurting from doing to much or to little.

Nadean,

Good to hear from you! LOL that was funny. Hopefully there will be less hurting as each day comes. That what it kind of sounds like what happens to most people anyway. Take care!

~M

Hey you guys, THANKS SO MUCH for all the prayers and support. Yes, I do take on a lot of guilt and try to overcompensate.

And, 2bemeagain, you ask if I want my marriage to work? That is a hard one. At one point I would have said definitely yes, and at another point I would have said definitely no.

A lot of our problems started with a lack of communication and got to a point where when we would go out to eat we would be like strangers, not saying a word. It would be so quiet it was uncomfortable.

Also, I am to blame (not putting guilt on myself, this time is the truth) for some of the personal problems as well, not wanting to get into specifics.

But, we reached a point where we had totally lost everything we ever had. We also got to a point where there was nothing physical between us. I feel like I am still young (47) and not ready to give up on a physical relationship. He apparently is not interested in it and would not even discuss it with me. All those things rolled together had me at the end of my rope, and so I gave him back his wedding ring and told him I wanted a divorce, but like I stated, neither one of us can afford to move out or file for the divorce. He also needs insurance (that my job provides for free) so we stay married and miserable.

But, I am doing MUCH better today. Feel very encouraged by all the kind words and support. I LOVE YOU GUYS.

thanks so much.

candy,

We all love you too! Hang in there! God cannot fail!

Still in my prayers...Hugs.

~M

Sorry I've been absent from this thread for a while. But I have a bit of a Rant that I thought might be appropriately posted here. It's really nothing serious but I'm having a hard time with my 4 year old at the moment. Ever since he was an infant we have said prayers with him every night and ever since he has been able to talk we have encouraged him to add his own words to the prayers as well. But that isn't my rant. The problem I'm having is that we always end the prayer with "Dear Lord please Brian grow up to be a good strong Christian man." But for the last several weeks he gets very upset with us when we say this. He starts to cry and nearly has a tantrum insisting he is not Christian and doesn't want to grow up to be Christian. We understand that the reason he is saying this is because there is another younger boy in his preschool class named "Christian" who he doesn't currently get along with very well, and when we say we want him to grow up to be a good Christian he thinks we are saying he will become like the boy in his class and no longer be called Brian. We haven't been able to get him to understand the difference between being a Christian and people who name their kids Christian. I know its not the other parents fault but sometimes it hard to not wish they would have thought more about how the name they gave their child might effect others as well as their own son.

Now, if I can't get him to grasp the difference soon I will be forced to change a "life-long" tradition with our son and come up with a new phrase to end the prayer with that will show his/our desire he be raised in Christ. If any of you have any suggestions I'm open to ideas.

Hellooo Ghost,

I just wanted to say I almost started crying (Indeed, I am the emotional tender type, always will be!), when I read your post. What a precious sweet child! I commend you on your prayer ritual, starting off when he is so very young, that is SO wonderful to hear!!

I just wanted to share a story that touches my heart very deeply!

As someone else stated the innocence and purity is invaluable in a child! My 4 year old niece Stormie, who just turned 4 on the 16th, is like this, and I see this in her constantly! The other day I was on the phone with her, (I live in Texas and she lives in Illinois), and she just blows me away. I ask her if she has prayed with mommy and told Jesus she loves him today, and she says "OHH Yes!!, and we worshiped at church service!" I was stunned. I mean I am still tearing up just thinking about her sweet little heavenly voice right now even! We get these sweet little tiny precious babies from the Lord, and have a chance to raise them up and give them back to the Lord! The way we raise our children and family up in a loving Christian home is a testament to our love for the Lord, and Jesus! WOW! I still get blown away thinking about what a sweet presence Stormie has, for I know she is from the Lord!!

Ghost, just as Stormie, I am sure your little Brian has so much in store for Him from the Lord!

Surely the Lord is wonderful, all the days of my life!! Lord, I just come together with our fellow brothers and sisters on this entire site, and we lift YOU up! We love you and we thank you for ALL things!

Ok, sorry to ramble on...I just can't help it!!!

Ghost, I can't think of any suggestions for your problem right at this moment, but you and precious Brian will be in my prayers! Take care, and look to HIM for all things, he will deliver!!!

Blessing to all!

Surely the Lord is in THIS place!

~M~

Waking up was okay, the most pain that I felt was gas pain in my back between my shoulder blades, I have pain from the incisions but on a scale of 1-10 the pain from the incisions are a 5 or 6. I went into surgery a 8:30 a and they were finished by 11a and I was sent home the same day. I don't feel like I am ready to go back to work yet. Someone told me that they were at the mall the same day of surgery or the day after, I don't feel like leaving the house yet.

dlollie,

Glad your pain isn't too bad. I guess a 5-6 could be worse! It seemed like it really doesn't take the surgeons very long at all to perform the operation unless they run into some sort of complication like a hiatal (spelling?) hernia. It seems most people on here report that they have went home the same day, unless their insurance required an overnight stay. I know, I have read some post where the people have went on and did the shopping the same day as their surgery. That is unbelievable to me! But that really is great.

So you are on your way as well! Good for you, You are going to do great! It is so exciting a new journey has started! Well, I hope the next few days get better, and you are relieved from the gas and shoulder pain!! Keep is updated when you can! Take care.

Thanks Chuckles. Am home and sipping and walking. Every thing seems ok except for a headache.

Saleel22

Hello Saleel22:

Glad to hear from you as well, I see are at home now. That is good, I think most people are more comfortable and are eager to get home after their surgery from what I gather reading on here. (Can't say I have experienced this yet myself, but I will someday!)

Anyway, sorry to hear you have a headache! I hope tomorrow goes better for you! All you January bandsters are in my thoughts and prayers!

Take care, hope to hear from you soon!

~M

Chuckles -

Seems like it's been a long 24 hrs! I reported to the hopsital at 8:00 and did a little paperwork. Then they took us right up to my room. At that point I changed into a gown and gave them a urine sample.

About 9:00 they took me into the holding room where I answered more questions, met with my Dr. and the anethesiologist. He started me on an IV and the next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery. I was having a hard time catching my breath and couldn't speak at first, but it wasn't traumatic or anything. I was in the holding room for about 45 mins and then I asked to be moved to my room (crying baby was hard to take).

So , by 11:30 ish I'm back in my room with family. I napped a little off and on and started the breathing exercises. By 2:00 I was up and walking (slowly) and they released me around 4:00.

Last night was not fun, I won't lie. But it's a new day and I'm hoping the healing will begin quickly. I do have a few questions that I'm going to check out here and I already understand what they mean about a steep learning curve. the first time I took my liquid Loritab it came right back up!

Thanks so much for your prayers !

WithHisHelp:

So glad to hear from you! Glad it went well for you too! So you are on your way! I am so excited for you! I can't wait to hear your results, you are going to just do so great!! Keep us posted when you can, and take care!!!

~M

Ok, Finally, some good news.

My PCP said I had an allergic reaction to latex, that is why I have that rash all over my midsection. He said since my stitched areas are healing nicely I can put something on the rash. He gave some kind of topical foam and said to use 2x a day.

I also didn't lose any weight, but didn't gain any either since the surgery. He said that was great. I am so fine with that too.

I am the first of his patients to get lapband surgery, and it was so cool seeing how proud he was that I was in there to see him. He asked so many questions.

He said I don't need antibiotics for my cold, and said to take Tylenol Cold. He also gave me an aspirator because I have to practice the deep breathing. He didn't like that I have a problem taking a deep breath.

Chrisann,

It is wonderful to hear you are doing better and can get something done about the rash! I am so glad for you. It's weird how something seemingly small can become a big issue, and could later cause alot of agony and discomfort. Glad to hear from you! I am sure you will do great!!

I know.....a little off topic. But I am soooo excited! My boyfriend James proposed to me!!! I just wanted to share my jo with my LBT family!

Wait a sec...I forgot to ask, LOL, .....you did say yes right,LOL. I didn't think you would be so happy if you said NO to him!! LOL HE HE

~M~

Congrats Jacole, I am so excited for you too! I hope it was super romantic for a great memory!!! ANd just think you'll get the lap band and plan the wedding and you will be losing weight and look so great too!!!! I am so happy for you!!!

SO can anyone explain to me in easier words what "restriction" is? I hear it mentioned around and want to make sure I understand what it is correctly. Thanks.

~M~