3loves

Just now saw this thread.....would have prayed for you then, but doing it now for a speedy recovery. Congratulations!!!

Have any of you tried Easy Spirit shoes? Without them, my feet would kill me. I either go barefoot in summer, wear Easy Spirit sandals, or wear Easy Spirits in the winter. Can't wear their tennis shoes b/c their too narrow and my toes go numb. I'm glad to hear about New Balance. I didn't know they were wider in the toe. :clap2:

:hurt My insurance rec'vd my L of PreD on 2/14/06. They told me 7-14 days for a decision. Last week I called, as I have every week since then, and apparently they have been short-handed and should have a decision this week. Today the lady from the PreD called me after I had LMOR (left message on recorder) for her. She told me to call back on Friday and they should have a decision b/c they are now making progress. I thanked her and told her I didn't want to be a pest, but I was anxious. She kindly said I wasn't coming across as such and just call on Fri. This is DRIVING me CRAZY! I understand being short-handed and even have a bit of sympathy for them. Some of you may think that's insane to feel that way about an insurance company, but they are always so nice a professional. They even call me back! :clap2: The Lord is teaching me patience and I haven't waited near the amount of time some of you have. I just know that my surgeon is scheduling 2-3 mos out and I want to get a date. Thanks for letting me rant. I feel better getting this off my chest. I told my DH and he smiled and said he would be O.K. :tired Can't wait to post my surgery date or heaven forbid, my denial letter!

shackdog ~ You are right....we need to be thankful for what we do have and be more patient. It's just hard sometimes and it helps to put it in writing and talk to others.

Poodles ~ I don't know if I can wait till Wed, but maybe I'll call Tues and just talk to the regular reps instead of being transferred to the PreD dept. That way, they can check the notes on my file and I'll call back on Wed if they still don't have an answer. Your right, waiting is the hardest part. :cry Keep in touch. Mvpo8961 ~ I'm glad you posted. Seems like you been through some rough weeks lately. You can't help but wonder if they just tossed your file to the side, if it was lost, or if they actually did't get it. Insurance is so mysterious and my instincts are to question things like this. It is hard to read about someone being approved, yet you are also excited for them. I do believe it will happen for each of us when it's time. I have personally learned so much during this entire process and know that I am a stronger person b/c of it. NOW ~ GIVE ME MY BAND!! Keep in touch and let us know how things are going. It helps to blow some steam here. Thank the Lord for LBT.....it has been a lifesaver for me!! If you need a shoulder to cry on, PM me and we'll cry together. :think This is all we can do for now. :ranger: :)

:attention:Oops...DW doesn't race till Martinsville in July. Thought he was racing tomorrow night. :doh: He finally gets to drive the old Aaron's Dream Machine. Now they'll have to make new commercials. Did anyone read DW's comments on Smoke at Foxsports.com? I was surprised b/c he wasn't really hard on him and I agreed with some of what he said. If your interested....here's the link: http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/5421566. Basically, he said Stewart needs to stop racing people and start racing cars. That is so true. Regardless, Smoke is the BEST thing on the track and he's cute to boot.

The search help is a good suggestion. As a newbie, I can say the volume of posts can be overwhelming, but the same is true when doing a search. The keyword or topic searched doesn't always match what your looking for and you spend a lot of time weeding through posts. However, this is the first time I've been part of a community like this and I'm still learning the in's & out's. There will always be learning curve. Nonetheless, the search could be used more often I'm sure. I understand being irritable.....I was there yesterday.

Can't believe that about Bobby Sr....so shocking & sad!! Does anyone know how long he's been racing? I know he's been around for a long time. He will be missed. I can't wait to see old DW race on Sat. He asked Schrader on Trackside if he was getting too old to race. Kenny said something like, as long as someone will pay me to drive, I'll drive. I don't have to "buy" a team like you. Boy, the guys just rolled and loved it. Kenny is such a hoot. I guess DW couldn't stand it anymore.

Good advice. I am at their mercy and can't afford the risk of ticking them off. Like you said, they could easily stamp a big fat "Denied" on my file. I will hold off till Wed. In the meantime, I will check the state codes. I'll hold unto that info and see what develops next week. ~Poodles~ What day next week are you going to call? Good golly....I want to be banded! :phanvan

Hi Doty ~ I too experience foot pain, but most of the time it's concentrated in my left heel. Mine is definitely related to my weight b/c it went away last year when I lost 32 lbs. My first thought for you is neuropathy. I hate to say that nasty word, but you are describing the same symptoms my mother has. She cannot be on her feet for any length of time and the pain is all over like you describe. It's now moving up her legs. I know you were a nurse so perhaps your already familiar with the condition. Regardless, you may want to bring it up with your PCP and get some feedback. I feel bad for you b/c Wal-Mart is so huge these days and it takes a lot of walking. :cry Prop those puppies up and relax! Also, get in one of those electric buggy things and drive around next time instead of walking.

:wow2: That was incredibly fast! I am very happy for you...Congratulations!! :clap2:

Still there with you Poodles. Let's have a toast to sanity b/c I'm losing mine. It's nice to company!! Are you ready for this? Talked to Patty in PreD dept and she said they STILL haven't gotten to my file and try back next week. :blabla: WHAT??? This is the third time I've been told to call back for an answer. I have been giving them the benefit of the doubt and now I'm confused. Are they really that busy or are they brushing me off? I was so excited when I called that I was shaking a little bit. I just don't understand. I called me DH at work and asked him to speak to HR to see if they would be able to assist in anyway (as long as they think it would not be inappropriate). I don't want to tick them off, but their 7-10 day turn around has turned into 32 days. :think

Center of Excellence. I googled it....here's the link...... http://www.asbs.org/html/about/coe.html I didn't realize my hospital, St. Vincent Carmel, and my surgeon, Dr. Evanson were listed. They weren't there in Jan, but Dr. E did say they were a Center of Excellence. Thanks for bringing that up Doty. God keeps giving me little signs. :biggrin1:

:wow2: That is a wide range of emotions in a short period of time. He does know what is best and I'm glad to hear you put things in His hands. Prayers aren't always answered with a yes, but as Romans 8:28 says, "All things work together for good......" Vanderbilt? I don't think it gets much better than that. GOOD FOR YOU!! :clap2: I am so happy for you. :dance: You deserve it!!!

I'm right there with you. :wave: I was told to call Fri for a decision. I can't believe it's almost Fri. :bounce: I hope we both get the answer looking for.

I know this is not funny and can be serious, but you do have a way with words. :dance: I hope you get resolution quickly!!!

You are a beautiful person with a heart to match!! You didn't get that way on your own, so I know your parents are beautiful people too! It's not easy raising children to be as unselfish and giving as you are. This takes work! Bless the heart of your parents!! I am a straight forward person as well (love Simon) and I can only see you taking that approach. If I were in your shoes, I would have a heart to heart expressing your desire. Then I would make three points: 1. Her grandchildren are going to NEED her. I come from a very close family. My relationship only deepened when I put my children into the arms of my parents. It can't be explained, but she will know....it's very special. It sounds like you already intend to stress the importance of her presence with her future grandchildren. My mom has said more than once that sometimes she feels she gave birth to my boys b/c she is so close. I have never seen my dad cry, but I have been told the tears have fallen when we pulled out of the drive. 2. Ask your surgeon and nurses if they have any ideas and if they have ever had anyone in a similar position. My husband says I talk too much, but you would be surprised what I've learned from others just by sharing. 3. If she needed a kidney, you wouldn't hesitate. That is, if you were able to do so. This is giving her a chance at life she hasn't known for a quite some time. I agree with you that it does need to be her decision one way or another (that sounds like a song). Put it out there and the rest is up to her. One thing is for sure, she will be watching you and she will imagine herself with the band. I wish you the very best and I know the choices you make will be the right ones.

Where are you located? I used www.obesityhelp.com and www.inamed.com . I also googled the docs I was considering. Hope this info is helpful and best of luck to you. :hat:

Yup....there never a bad discussion if your talking Nascar. Boogity....Boogity....Boogity.....Let's go racin' boys!!!

Please don't apologize, there is no need. I didn't feel like you were minimizing me feelings at ALL. I can tell you totally can relate to the frustration I'm going through. Anyone that is preband can and those postband have been there. It's all part of the process I guess...finding our own way to the band. :phanvan For me, it's like deciding to start Weight Watchers, but I'm not going to start for another 3 or 4 mos. Imagine how that would feel. I do, however feel there are reasons this process takes so long. It is a huge commitment and shouldn't be takenly lightly. I think this entire process does weed out some of those who should not get the band. Does that make sense? There is no way I could ever do a self pay, so I admire your determination. I am a SAHM and I sell stuff on E-Bay just to buy the kids clothes and shoes each season. E-Bay has been a lifesaver for us at times. The biggest success I've had on E-Bay has been with my Longaberger baskets. I don't know if you have any of those, but they have brought me some big bucks in the past. I'm starting to see a change in the demand though b/c everyone is getting so tight these days. I've also seen some on my Gymboree stuff go for much more than expected. The Ortiz deal sounds pretty good. I'm sure you can make that happen. :biggrin1: ~Keep us informed of your progress~ :hat:

~Angelu~ Sorry you had such a hard time. :cry From what I've read, it's not unusual to experience problems with insurance "communication". I had 2 reps tell me that turn around time was 30 days....according to the PreD dept, it's only 7-14 days. Training sure would benefit all parties!! ~sarahv~ You are so right! I need to be thankful instead of complaining. I'm not too proud to ask for guidance and hear the truth. It's easy to feel sorry for myself when in reality, I am very fortunate.....so far anyway. Thank you for your prayers and I will do the same for you. :clap2: Where are you in this process?

Hi Leener ~ I sure hope your feeling better and your actual fever is down. You are an inspiration to a pre-bander!! :clap2: Thank you for sharing the specifics b/c I added questions to my list. My blood ran warm when I read you were awake when they strapped you in. That would put me into a panic attack for sure, even though I don't have them. You are indeed very brave as others have already stated. So glad to hear you did talk to God b4 surgery....it's only natural, especially during a time like that. Perhaps that is something that could help you in the furture if you do have another panic attack. He has promised to never forsake us....don't ever forget that!! ~mini_me~ Congratulations to you as well!! I am so excited for you. You are in good hands here at LBT. Other than your surgeon, there's no better place for advice. Take care of yourself!! I'm sending you both flowers and love & here's to a speedy recovery!! :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :lovechoc:

I ran into an old friend the other day and she has aged so much that she didn't even recognize me. I had to read this 3, again THREE, times for it to make sense. I get it now, it must be that conspiracy thing!! :yield: A lot of truths spoken here. ~Doty~ Huge laugh...:pound:...you are too funny. People also seem to honk a lot at me when I'm driving. I wonder if I'm too slow or too fast or just normally erratic. I've never had a ticket, but that's probably because I never go fast enough.

Congrats to all the Kasey fans him winning the Busch race! :clap2: I got a sick feeling in my stomach with JJ won the Nextel race though. :sick Does anyone else hear a GIANT sucking sound when he talks into the mic? Sorry, no disrespect to anyone that is a fan....it's just the way I feel. One thing about Nascar fans....we all feel strongly about our drivers. Now....I think Tony should do what Jimmy Spencer did to Kurt and punch Kyle in the chops!! :brick:Does anyone remember that? It wasn't until Jimmy did that to Kurt that he settled down. O.K., I don't really condone fighting, but he sure made me mad. :angry Tony has complained about Kyle "over-driving" which Tony has been guilty many times, but Tony was justified to be angry for Kyle not running his line and pushing him down on the track. :mmph: I thought it was hilarious that Kyle wanted someone to contact Nascar b/c Tony was trying to "kill" him. Oh, the rookies have so much to learn. I do wish Tony would do a better job at staying calm though b/c he was responsible for his own fate and could have finished better. I have a temper so I know it's easier said than done. Poor Tony.....wish I could give me a big kiss and make it better and I mean that. :eyebrows: My DH already knows. He's in love with Shania Twain. It's nice to see all the Nascar fans post, even if your not a Smoke fan. Nascar is still a big family regardless of your driver.

The Lord is good indeed! Congratulations on your answered prayers! I wish you the best with your surgery and a speedy uneventful recovery! :clap2: