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Since you have to scroll down to reply, the top is what you see first. People are only skipping it by being willfully ignorant. You just admitted you know where it is but you don't bother to look, because you just don't care. And I only responded because I think it is totally BS, that women keep popping in the men forum and then get huffy when men don't respond well to it, this isn't the first time.

Hi Susan I would like a copy of your letter you sent in for appeal.I thought about asking you that when I saw you have BCBS/Fed EMP. I have not gotten an answere and was suprised you can appeal it. Please send it to gina_hill@hotmail.com if you dont mind. Thanks in advance Gina

How can I say this? When we know better, we do better...this is especially true in medicine.. My aunt was heavy, too heavy. Really high BMI. I don't know what she weighed, but very short and very heavy. Eventually couldn't hardly walk at all. The surgery they offered then was state of the art for that time. It was some kind of lap band that she got that got all wrapped around her insides to the point that it had be removed b/c she couldn't get food down at all. But that time has passed, it was the first lap band or stomach stapling and that was gosh, 30 years ago. She died 13 years ago or so, from being overweight. She was in her late 50's, and otherwise she had been healthy - just heart problems from being overweight for so long, loss of muscle tissue, etc. She prayed for that magic pill to lose weight. In time the magic weight loss pill came along and it damaged people's heart valves, not hers I guess bc she was already gone, but it did damage my dad's valve. Then there was the more modern lap band, then the bypass/RNY/DS, etc. and now the sleeve. And actually now the sleeve plication. You gotta realize your doctor is working with the most up to date information. We get used to hearing about things like lap band and it was great for some, or gastric bypass, which some people did well. But now the sleeve is better than those. Maybe you really do need to look at data. Kinda sounds like you really wanted gastric bypass, but what if this is better? I weighed 220 and I was paying cash bc my insurance did not cover ANY WLS or complications from WLS. I asked my doctor which surgery would be best for me long term, most effective, safest, etc. I didn't ask which was cheapest, because I didn't care. He immediately said sleeve. I went to a nutrition meeting with like 6 other people getting WLS. Some lap band and some gastric bypass. All of them were on insurance. They were all getting the lap band or gastric bypass, but all wished they were getting the sleeve. Their insurance did not cover it bc it was too new, That was a year ago so since then a lot are covering it. At a certain point you gotta pick a doctor and trust him. I do have one question though. The sleeve plication is even less risky than the sleeve, from the little I've read here, so if you were not able to lose weight to have the surgery (the 100 lbs) then could you get the plication at least temporarily to keep you from being able to overeat? I just wondered if you had spoken with your doctor about that. The plication is where the stomach is not cut but it is rolled up and stiched so that only a small portion of the stomach is available to put food into. I was wondering though. 100 lbs seems like a lot to lose before surgery, but I know he is trying to help you. I wish you the best.

Just about everything we build is offesive. In ancient Rome, soldiers had swords for offense and shields for defense. Today, we build weapons for attacking, not defending. I am not placing blame on any particular US regime, I am placing the blame on all who since the cold-war allegedly ended have spent very little on learning Arabic, farce or much of anything else about Muslims or their history or culture. That was not the first in the chain of attacks and counter-attacks between the West and Muslims. It was not even a surprize attack. We had bombed them and Bin Laden had declared war on us many years earlier. It was part of an ongoing war that we never tried to mediate by talking with the countries of the Middle-East. [ When the USA bombs cities, there are hundreds of buildings destroyed, some of which are hospitals, restaurants, etc. [ We also station troops and/or support the restrictive governements that squash the freedom of their people. Sweden buys oil on the open market but does not prop up the government od Saudi Arabia. The price of oil dropped because Iraq and Iran got into a war with each other and to afford the war, they each sold much more than their OPEC quota of oil, driving the price down (and US inflation down which Reagan took credit for). The Iraq issue is not entirely oil, but mostly oil related. That was a rhetorical question to show that BuSh was full of BS about his need for Democracy in Iraq. It was an excuse. He knew there were no WMD, nor did Hussein have anything to do with 911, but he attacked anyway. As long as the USA has this air of being Jesus' chosen country, no matter who is president, we will not make allies in the UN. As long as we support Israel, no matter what policy they employ, we will have problems in the UN. We can not expect fairness when we are in the right, if we act unfairly when we are in the wrong. It is our attitude, not our people that much of the world hates.

Those of us who can afford to pay for healthcare, liberal or not, do. Those who cannot get some help. Big deal. Geez. This is just more of your same old same old BS.

I was very honest about my surgery. But if I had it to do over again...not sure I would tell many people. Because for one thing it would be funny as hell for everyone to think I totally figured it out after 20 years of fat. That would be hilarious. I know they just would not understand it and that would be so funny. It is just a personal decision, but it was easier for me to be honest. But my real reason for being honest is bc I thought it might help people that were considering the surgery. It didn't. No one has been interested, some have been critical. It is the most non-interesting subject to people for whatever reason. I'm sure if I failed thought they would be all over that, right? Everyone is always quicker to talk about who failed than who succeeded. Not always, but the news travels very fast. If you tell it will be hot gossip, but you will not get any credit for your weight loss - your doctor will. If you regain, you will be to blame, right? A personal choice, I think both options are great. Just choose. Just a warning, if you decide to hide it keep your story VERY consistent about how you are losing weight. Multiple lies are very confusing. The truth is easier to remember.

"Diet and exercise is the ONLY way to lose weight, if you're big it's your own fault. PERIOD." It IS our fault. Sorry, but NO ONE put a gun to our heads to eat. No one tied us down and force fed us. We did it to ourselves. We can rationalize that we have bad karma or whatever, but yes, diet and exercise ARE the only way to lose weight, unless you carve it off with a knife. There is NO other option. Diet and exercise is what you do on the band. You just have the "tool" as help. But all the physical principles stand....you gotta close your mouth to lose weight and you gotta move.

Interesting statement. Coming from a poor family myself and being the only family member to graduate high school much less college, I have an interesting perspective that many at my education level may or may not be subjected to. All of my uneducated, underprivileged cousins have a minimum of 3 illegitimate children starting motherhood primarily at the age of 13. Each child is extra money per month from the government. Were the children fed, bathed, educated or receiving adequate medical care? Unfortunately, no. Were they neglected and abused? Unfortunately, yes. Do I think they should have been aborted instead of malnourished and abused? Well, no.....as I was once one of those children myself. Would an abortion have spared the children the abuse and neglect? Probably, yes.

You have symptoms of a leak, dehydration and you are likely not feeding your son a safe meal given you have some sort of infection in your body, if nothing else, I hope he's not 100% breast fed! Go to the ER now.

Endoscopy was a piece of cake... ok, um.. wrong choice of words.. haha.. it was EASY. I was more nervous about my pending surgical pre auth. I stopped by the surgeon's office on my way to the hospital and dropped off more supporting paperwork for them to send off to BC/BS...when I was there I was told the insurance girl was on the phone with BC/BS for my auth. Keep your fingers crossed for the approval!!!

I have Cigna too.. I've completed all requirement too and am waiting for an answer. Im so nervous bc I hear Cigna is pretty tough! Why were denied did they say?

Here is a list of common used abbreviations on this board #/#/# in signatures: weight pre-surgery/current weight/goal weigh AF: "Aunt Flo" -- menstrual period BC: Birth control (or BCP: birth-control pills) BIA: Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis. BMI: Body Mass Index BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate. This is the minimum number of calories you need to sustain your current weight. This includes resting and sleeping. BP: Blood pressure DS: Duodenal switch (another type of bariatric surgery) EPGSHFLYADV: Excruciatingly Painful Gagging Sliming Heaving Feels Like You're About to Die Vomitation FAT MASS: This is how many pounds of your body is fat. FAT%: The percentage of your body that is fat. FFM: Fat Free Mass. This is how many pounds of your body is not fat. GBP: Gastric bypass surgery GERD: Gastro-esophageal reflux disease GP: General practitioner LPD: Liquid Protein Diet MO: Morbid Obesity (or morbidly obese) NP: Nurse practitioner NSAIDS: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (a class of painkillers--which includes ibuprofen--bandsters should try to avoid because they can add to ulcer risk). NSV: Non-scale victory -- a weight-loss achievement that has little to do with numbers OTC: Over the counter (i.e., non-prescription medications) PA: Physician's assistant PB: Productive Burp -- what happens when something eaten can't go down due to restriction has to come back up PCP: Primary care physician RNY: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (the most popular type of bariatric surgery) TBW: Total Body Water. This may be expressed in pounds or as a percentage. The average % for a healthy adult male is 50-65% and for female 45-60%. WLS: Weight-loss surgery

Thanks everyone for ur feedback..its out of my hands now,,,did my best,,,my surgeon saw me last week and was fine with my weight even though I didnt loose a pound....Im 375 right now,,,but i dont have any other medical issues,,,no gerd,,,no sleep apnea etc etc....Im praying to god to wake up banded and healthy.....Im getting banded for a reason,,bc I OVEREAT....does this mean Im not committed,,,,no.....food is my drug,,,and i dont thing anyone here would tell an drug addict to put their big girl pants on,,,just sayin:wink2:

Once again, I must call BS. Show me one post where I mocked the scripture. Where I showed a hatred of Jesus. Or admit you are lying about me. I take that seriously. Interesting to me that you equate yourself with scripture...:myscared:

Ok so to give u an idea before surgery I was in a 22 top and a 22/24 bottom. I was never able to fit into regular women's size xxl. Well today I went shopping bc the clothes I am currently wearing r getting to big. I went to kohls and shopped in the regular woman department and bough an XL sweater and it fits! I also went to old navy and bought a couple of tops that were also XL! I am now down to a size 18 jean:). It just feels so good to be able to shop in a regular department store!

Prairie Lover, I also HATE to sweat and do it all the time for next to nothing. Our house is like a meat locker. (poor family) When I'm hot, which is most of the time, I'm a B%^*$. I had to laugh when I read the thread titled "I'm freezing and fed up". It's on the general lap band discussion section. Many people say after surgery they are cold all the time. In my book, that could be something to look forward to! LOL I'm much more pleasant when it's cold. Matter of fact, we vacationed in Maine this year and Alaska last year. the thought of going tropical and being sweaty and miserable and swollen just doesn't do it for me. Maybe after banding I'll be more flexible on this.....

My surgeon palpates your abdomen in the pre-op appointment and has you go on the liquid diet if he feels a fatty liver is going to be an issue (in my case, I didn't have to do it--I think it's more common for people who have a lot of abdominal adipose tissue, which is usually genetic as related to some people having more of an "apple" shape). However, if my surgeon had told me to do a liquid diet--I definitely would have followed it religiously. Two weeks pre-op is not really the time to be doing food funerals (I didn't do that bc I didn't want to have to work harder after surgery to take off weight I would have surely gained). I don't agree that it's the surgeon's "opinion" that matters--it's the evidence-based medicine that matters, and hopefully we all have surgeons that follow the EBM. Mine did, and that's one of the reasons I chose him.

I don't get it. I have Anthem BC/BS and was approved in 3 weeks. I just figured that if you had BC/BS and it approves some people, it would approve everyone. But I guess it is up to your employer as to whether they allow the band or not. It sucks. Hope you have a successful appeal.

Dr. R.V. Woodhead 206 - 4515 Harvest Drive, Delta, BC V4K 4L1 phone 604 946-5500

Penni60-- I am not sharing PRIVATE information here..This private information you allege would be divulged can be found in any of her other posts as well as her most recent posts..I am talking about the information concerning all of the inconsistencies in Misfortunes story and the possible link that Gadgetlady and elise all may be the same person..Isnt the truth what we are looking for..Misfortune started this by leveling accusations at a certain doctor..Once she was challenged is when all of the BS started to fly.People who read these posts should have the whole story, not just the crap that some people throughout there that cant be substantiated..why is everyone so afraid of what the truth is here.And by the way..where has Misfortune been lately.....I am not vindictive, as Gadgetlady claims..I could care less who she is or what she does..Trying to focus my attempts at finding the truth as being "vindictive" is a really poor attempt by Gadgetlady for all of us to lose sight of what all started this....Lets just sort it out and find who is who and what the truth is.....

I did call and they said to go to the ER. Yes it is the ER that he works out of and there was some doctors there that worked with him. It took them sticking me 20 to 30 times before they finally got 2 ccs out. Apparently I have a large amount of scar tissue that is hard to get around. I am so grateful that I can drink again. Food does ok too. But now I am pretty depressed because I am back to 7 ccs. I guess if I go back, I will have him put in 1/2 cc at a time. I am quite disappointed with my surgeon right now. I am about 20 lbs heavier then I was the last time I had 9 ccs. I am confused why he went and put 2 in after not having any for 18 months. Thanks for all your replies. I was so upset at the ER, I was crying most of the time. If they were not able to get to the port, they said they were going to admit me untill someone could get the saline out, I guess so I did not dehydrate. Just feeling quite upset right now, and pretty fed up with my band.

- fit into the movie theater seats with someone on both sides. - shop at regular size clothes stores & not worry that they don't have my size or that it'll be not cute in a xxl. -wear the pretty sandals in the right size bc feet too fat to fit now -have more girly hands, fingers worthy of my amazing wedding ring -not have my husband or dad borrow my pants because they won't fit them in the future -chase my furbabies arounfld the yard with vigor -not have the belly interfere with driving/ sit in the correct position for both airbags & the pedals -stop being a slave to food & constantly looking for my next meal.

LOL, I love my doctor. I dont understand why you would think I need another one...bc he lets us eat bread? He is had done over 500 lap band surgeries, and I am lucky enough to work at a hospital that is a bariatric center of excellence. Bread is allowed. It is stressed that for most patients, they dont tolerate bread very well bc no matter how good you chew it, it can feel stuck and just balls up. I cant think of one single thing that is off limits to us except carbonation. I have been on this site for about 5 months now and find it very helpful. I also drink tons of water. I read where sometimes it takes awhile to feel your fill. Thats why I waited two weeks the first time. I will admit though...I like immediate gratification. SO patience in some matters is not always my strong suit!

Weeelll, I dont think I could eat as much as I used too, but I really havent tried. Which is why my weight loss has been pretty good...its really been like I am on a diet. AND, I have been working out. I have to really work at stopping eating...not bc my body tells me that I am full, but bc I know better. And of course, I dont eat the junk I used to, or consume the 7 sunkists a day, etc. But I am definetly not full or physicall satisfied with 4-6 oz. I think if Indiana Jones were to make a movie in regards to weight loss, the title would be "The Quest for the Holy Sweet Spot". :crying:

Banded in sept 2011. Did wonderfully sept the dec. In dec weightloss started to slow. I knew it would slow bc i wasnt as big but the "cheating" didnt help. Lil of this. Lil if that. I stopped exercising in late winter. While my portions remained small my food choices were not the Best. My weightloss slowed even more. In june i went on vacation and said to heck with it all. I ate what i wanted. I gained 9 poundd in 7 days. Then when i returned home my eating vacation continued. When i went to the dr i had gained 15 pounds in 6 wks. I had never had a gain overall for the month and i go see him every 4-6 wks since surgery. The nutrionist gave me a one hr refresher course. My problem is all mental. I cant refocus. I have lost my motivation. I dont get it. I am in this same dieting type funk that i was prior to banding...you know, i will start my diet on monday...i will start in jan. That sort of stuff. I have been in a downward slope since early spring and have hit the bottom. I break band rules all the time...i did confess this to the dr. Which is why he had me meet with the nut. But i know the rules...sometimes i choose to break them. Then i am faced with the fact that ppl see me, know i have a band and know im not loosing anymore. Thats embarassig. I cant get out of this mental funk.