Lap_dancer

Just by your description of the surgeon it sounds like you didn't get proper aftercare. I'm sure I would be feeling the same way. I would definately file a complaint about him after I got my records. Find another surgeon. There is remedy.

Hi Mini: Pull up a chair darlin'. I spent untold $$$ on therapists until I finally evolved, grew, changed, and met the therapist who gave me these words: " Until you accept that your mother will never be the kind of mother you think you should have or that she should be, you will continue to struggle like this." You cannot change your mother. You can change how you internalize her words, her actions, and everything else she does. Make them less important than they are. That will take practice. Hold your tongue because it will only encourage old patterns with her. The idea is to change the old patterns. THAT you have control of. Best to you. PM me if you want to talk. I'm here and believe me, I DO understand what you are going through.

Thanks Faithmd! Will do.

I need to qualify that flamer word in case we have some that jump to conclusions. My gay friends look at flamers (gay individuals who are expecially effeminate) as not representing the whole segment of the gay population but being the stereotypical comedic punchline to homosexuality. Hence, FLAMER.

Okay, following this logic, liberals want to force everyone else to recognize gay marriage as a legal wedded union between husband and husband or wife and wife. Why should I be okay with that just because someone else says it's their lifestyle choice? Do your REALLY think Roe V. Wade will be overturned? (not) Ted Haggard doesn't represent any Christians I know of. In the conservative world, Ted Haggard would be the equal to a Chrisitan "flamer". Christians don't want their kids to sit in a science class and be forced to learn Darwin's THEORY. T-H-E-O-R-Y. Add the other possibilities to the scientific equation...ooops! Too late since they purchased all those teaching materials with ONE theory. (now is that really science?)

Go to the Blue Cross Blue Shield thread under INSURANCE. There is a quick jump to that topic at the bottom of the site with a drop box to open and click to that topic. I have an exclusion. It's plain as the nose on your face. "no matter what" it is not covered. I did appeal all the way to the state insurance in my case and was denied, denied, denied. Now, having said that, just because I'm a hard a$$, I encourage everyone to appeal their adverse decisions because you never know what can happen, you build awareness within your insurance company that may lead to change C) it doesn't cost anything but your time. D) I like to just mess with 'em when some idiot company has such an exclusion that would ultimately lead to healthier patients (are they complete idiots to not cover this????) I did have a Plan B and Plan C. Plan B was to ask my employer to purchase a rider to my insurance so that I could have the surgery. They tried and I love them for it. My insurance told them NO. Plan C was self pay and fly to a surgeon I would pick. I look at this like an investment in ME. We buy cars, homes and think nothing of getting a loan for it. Is it so far removed to get a loan for ME? Heck no! Think what I'll recoup in the long run!!! Hope this helps.

Thanks Jack! I'll be flying to and from Denver. Can I expect to be rather sleepy on the whole trip?

How did your insurance company handle the doctor bills for the pre-op tests? Covered the following..*I'm fat so diagnosis obesity is a no brainer. The sleep study, cardiac evaluation, thyroid testing,*blood chemistry panel) etc ... did they cover those things because they are tests that could have needed to be done anyway, since you are over weight? &&&& YES! Or did they deny the claims because they were pre-op tests for "bariatric surgery" ^^^NO. Non bariatric patients have these tests on a regular basis. I know I have an exclusion and I don't want to find out down the road BC/BS won't cover these bills. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida HMO Health Options covered all of my tests.

:nervous You are packing for the surgery, you are taking a bag to help you with any discomforts on your way home. You bring along an ice pack or... (those who are post surgical help those of us who are presurgical by filling in the blanks) Thanks!

When I want a good stiff breath of liberal air, I turn on NPR. (And I love NPR and the independent radio stations that play original music some that includes musician friends of mine). **What works for me is a balance of all of the sources. I am fond of bloggers who tend to hit the topic first followed by mainstream media the next day. They blow their trumpet to their reader politics (like FOX). If you read several sources, including overseas sources like BBC and Asia Times, you can read through the muck and hopefully find that balance.

Wow (and laughing) Talk about all of us going off topic. So who is Ron Cusano and where is he when much of the discussion of late is about him? Hmmm. I wonder if he knows.:bored

No kidding? I heard they take the old navel, resection a piece of the stomach with a "new hole" and pull the little OLD belly button through and stitch it to be the new navel. I saw this on a body lift surgery episode.

AHHHH! I'm SOOO excited for you JulieNYC! Wow. You are so close to being able to see your feet, top and toes and even your knees! WOO HOO. Keep these wonderful posts. They are such a joy to read!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Because motor cycles don't have any doors??? If you are born again does that mean you have two bellybuttons!

Wow. I loved the God Loving Christian party! Great post. Same coin different side is the Bible verse that says for us to seek our "your own salvation with fear and trembling". I think moreso to be seriously intense about the subject. I am also of the understanding from the reading that to base faith on the Bible and then be gay is an oxymoron. Now back on topic. Rants and Raves are just that. I don't think you are confined to a preconceived category to rant or rave. It invites raw emotion, post away. You know what they say? If you don't think you will like what you read, DON'T READ IT.

Way to go CJ. Keep us posted, best success to you and let's keep all of us going with progress posts. Can't wait to read yours.

Wear the camisole. You look great. Unlike me who has bumpy arms, you are now smooth and trimmed down. Congratulations isn't enough. I wish I could hug you. I am so happy for you. How is your walking? Sleeping? I can't wait to be there.

How clever! I love doctors like this who love medicine enough to want to help their patients as much as possible.

My daughter is bipolar. I know how emotional she becomes. I would not put her in that situation despite the goodness of her heart to want to help you have a child. Remember...what is fine now can be "life or death!!" in an hour.>> If you want to be a parent and have children, there are so many options out there it is head spinning. (went through this with my niece and nephew, she wanted HIS child and she could not carry a child) After her third invetro (that ultimately failed) I simply said...if you want to be a mother, there are babies and children that need mommy's and daddys. They went to Russia and adopted twins. Ask them six months later when they were up at 3 AM feeding, changing and rocking...if they felt like mommys and daddys? (YES) Six years later the children look so much like them like their natural children it still amazes me.

Dwayne best of health to you now and always. Thank you for sharing your experience.

I liked Ortiz and his reputation. 4000 plus Lap Bands? Awesome. Lori is great too. For me it came down to the fact that for 2K more, I could be in the states with U.S. AMA criteria for the doctors. My husband was worried if anything went wrong there would be no recourse out of country. My mother is a high risk patient and is always concerned about genetics playing a role in what may develop in me down the road. So many people here giving love to Dr. K and his staff, he was the next obvious choice. Sweetie, go with your instincts! Do what you believe is the best choice for you. We are all different but the same in our obesity and the banding. The rest is customized. My best to you.

You are so cute! My niece was adopted from Korea years ago. She is drop dead gorgeous and so smart. She calls herself the hot, Asian chick and also a conglomeration of words that refer to her Korean heritage, her American parents adopting her and raising her and all parts inbetween!

HAHAHAHHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!! The best!!!:clap2:

I'm not a doctor but those were my flu symptoms a couple weeks back. It passed about 3 days into it.

Why can't you pay in increments of $2000? or $1000? Divide it up.