Lapbandtalk Free Ipod Touch Contest & Newsletter 04/23/2012

[Alex Brecher 10,516]

LapBandTalk News

This is it! We’re launching our LapBandTalk News, a regular newsletter to keep you up to date on our community. We’ll tell you all about our exciting new features, programs and anything else you need and want to know about LapBandTalk.com. Our goal is to make sure you know everything

This is the first edition of LapBandTalk News, and we have a lot to talk about. In this edition, you’ll find information on:

• The launch of the LapBandTalk apps for Apple and Android devices (and a free iPod contest, of course!)
  
• Creating your own LapBandTalk.com patient profile
  
• Social and support groups on LapBandTalk.com
  
• How to contact a local real-life surgeon on LapBandTalk.com
  

And more!

I want to thank each and every one of you for your participation and support, and I encourage your feedback and comments. Together, we’re moving toward a healthier future!

Sincerely,

Alex Brecher

Founder

LapBandTalk.com Apps Have Launched!

Now take LapBandTalk.com with you wherever you go. The fully functional LapBandTalk Android and LapBandTalk iPhone, iPad and iPod apps are both free. They let you track your favorite threads, post to the forums, private message your buddies and upload photos using your mobile device. Now you never have to feel alone because you can carry the support and information you need.

You can access and download them directly to your smartphone, so why wouldn’t you get your app today?

We’re Giving Away a New iPod Touch!

To Celebrate the release of our Mobile apps, we’re giving away a brand-new iPod Touch. It’s a drawing, but we want to reward our active posters, referrers, bloggers, members with completed profiles and new members. The more you participate in LapBandTalk.com, the better chance you have of winning. Here’s how it works.

Eligibility and Chances of Winning

• Forum members must make at least one post in any forum on LapBandTalk during the contest period of 30 days from your receipt of this newsletter.
  
• Members must have a completed patient profile.
  
• You can increase your chances of winning by making more forum and blog posts, uploading more photos and referring members.
  

At the end of the contest period, one of the forum administrators will find all of the eligible forum members – remember, you have to make at least one post and have a completed Bandster profile. We’ll make a big spreadsheet with the Username of each member who is eligible, and assign points based on your activities. The more points you have, the better your chances of getting the iPod!

Point Structure

• 1 point: each forum post and each uploaded photo
  
• 2 points: each forum post from our mobile apps and each blog post
  
• 5 points: join a group or comment in our new WLS magazine
  
• 10 Points: complete My Surgery, My Surgeon or My Lap-Band Story; upload before and/or after photos
  
• 20 points for each successful forum referral; and
  
• 40 points for a fully completed patient profile
  

Get Involved Again

If you’re an old-timer who hasn’t been around much, this contest is a great opportunity to bring you back to the boards. You have tons of experience and advice to share with newer Bandsters. If you’ve fallen off the wagon, don’t be shy. It’s never too late to get back on, and we’re here to give you the support and confidence you need for success in your lifestyle goals.

Some Reminders and New Features

Create or update your own Lap-Band Patient profile. Your information encourages other members and helps you connect with members that have your same interests and struggles. It also gets you 40 points for our iPod Touch giveaway.

We've recently updated our surgeon database; now, every bariatric surgeon in the world is included. Check it out and find a local surgeon who can help you. You can locate and read reviews on lap-band surgeons to help you choose an expert for your care.

WLS Magazine just launched! Get all of the latest news and information on weight loss surgery. We’ve recruited the most knowledgeable and helpful bariatric experts to provide the tips and articles you need to stay on track or get back on track. Check it out and let us know what you think! Your thoughts are worth 5 points in the iPod Touch contest!

Our social and support groups are up and running. We know that you all have special interests and identities, and our social and support groups provide more specialized platforms than our general community. Just of the few types of groups we have are

• Regional groups of people from your city or state.
  
• Surgery Buddy groups with people who got the Lap Band at the same time as you.
  
• Medical Condition groups with people with a particular condition, such as PCOS
  
• Eating Support groups with people who struggle with eating issues, such as emotional eating
  

Check them out and join one or start your own.

Be a Good Friend

Be sure to mention LapBandTalk.com as a source of support and information for any your friends, family members or associates who are considering lap band surgery or have had it. Also, don’t forget that LapBandTalk.com is a member of the WLSBoards.com network. Recommend our other four communities to anyone you know who needs them, and please stop on by and introduce yourself if you have had a weight loss surgery revision.

• VerticalSleeveTalk.com for Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
  
• RNYTalk.com for Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
  
• SleevePlicationTalk.com for Gastric Sleeve Plication
  
• RealizeBandSupport.com for Realize Adjustable Gastric Band
  

We Need Your Help

When you come here, you can depend on support, encouragement, sympathetic ears and expert advice from surgeons. But we need you to let community be able to continue grow stronger! Over the years, I’ve found that many bariatric surgeons and their staff don’t even know we’re here. Help us out by asking your surgeon to hang a couple of fliers in the clinic. They can go the waiting room bulletin board, at the reception desk and in patient consultation rooms.

I’ve even gotten the fliers ready for you in color and black-and-white options. Print them out and bring them to your next appointment, or email them to the office.

So please, support us and ask your surgeon to post these fliers in their office and hand them out to their patients. It helps you out because our community will benefit from more patients and surgeons with valuable advice. Remind your surgeon and clinic staff that it helps them out because it gives them more exposure to patients.

Stay in Touch

Feedback forum - we're always open to members ideas and feedback. Please use our feedback forum to let us know how we’re doing and send us your ideas on what you’d like to see at LapBandTalk.com. We always want to know what you’re thinking and how we can improve!

We're now on Facebook and on Twitter. Like us and follow us to keep track of what's going on in our communities and show your support!

Don’t forget to support and celebrate! Our upcoming surgeries list tells you which members are about to get their bariatric surgery, so stop by and wish them luck! Come by the surgery anniversary list to congratulate members when they hit their annual anniversaries of their surgeries. Your name will be automatically entered onto the right list as soon as you update your patient profile.

Coming Soon…

We're releasing customizable health trackers and tickers within the next 90 days. We'll include more info in future newsletters, so stay tuned for information on those and the other latest happenings around LapBandTalk.com.

And finally, at last count, we had 1,704,973 total member posts! Thanks to all of you who contributed to that number, and let’s keep on going!

Thanks for reading, and talk to you soon!

Sincerely,

Alex

[Yve 6]

A Newsletter sounds great and will help in keeping everyone current on updated Lapband information.

[1shauna1 129]

Any chance of getting an app for the Blackberry? Like I need another reason to spend more time on these boards!!

[Alex Brecher 10,516]

Any chance of getting an app for the Blackberry? Like I need another reason to spend more time on these boards!!

We're not planning to release any app based on the current Blackberry OS. There's a good chance our Android app will be compatible with the next release of BB OS 10 but that won't be until October of this year.

[angbutler0712 30]

I use the mobile app on my IPad all the time. Love it!!

[dee257 1,516]

I have the app on my verizon samsung

I LOVE it....BUT i cant log into the social group

i belong to from it...

some times it says pass word needed ...

or just says something like im not allowed..

any ideas ....?

[this sucks 557]

LapBandTalk News

This is it! We’re launching our LapBandTalk News' date=' a regular newsletter to keep you up to date on our community. We’ll tell you all about our exciting new features, programs and anything else you need and want to know about LapBandTalk.com. Our goal is to make sure you know everything

This is the first edition of LapBandTalk News, and we have a lot to talk about. In this edition, you’ll find information on:

[*']The launch of the LapBandTalk apps for Apple and Android devices (and a free iPod contest, of course!)

[*]Creating your own LapBandTalk.com patient profile

[*]Social and support groups on LapBandTalk.com

[*]How to contact a local real-life surgeon on LapBandTalk.com

And more!

I want to thank each and every one of you for your participation and support, and I encourage your feedback and comments. Together, we’re moving toward a healthier future!

Sincerely,

Alex Brecher

Founder

LapBandTalk.com Apps Have Launched!

Now take LapBandTalk.com with you wherever you go. The fully functional LapBandTalk Android and LapBandTalk iPhone, iPad and iPod apps are both free. They let you track your favorite threads, post to the forums, private message your buddies and upload photos using your mobile device. Now you never have to feel alone because you can carry the support and information you need.

You can access and download them directly to your smartphone, so why wouldn’t you get your app today?

We’re Giving Away a New iPod Touch!

To Celebrate the release of our Mobile apps, we’re giving away a brand-new iPod Touch. It’s a drawing, but we want to reward our active posters, referrers, bloggers, members with completed profiles and new members. The more you participate in LapBandTalk.com, the better chance you have of winning. Here’s how it works.

Eligibility and Chances of Winning

[*]Forum members must make at least one post in any forum on LapBandTalk during the contest period of 30 days from your receipt of this newsletter.

[*]Members must have a completed patient profile.

[*]You can increase your chances of winning by making more forum and blog posts, uploading more photos and referring members.

At the end of the contest period, one of the forum administrators will find all of the eligible forum members – remember, you have to make at least one post and have a completed Bandster profile. We’ll make a big spreadsheet with the Username of each member who is eligible, and assign points based on your activities. The more points you have, the better your chances of getting the iPod!

Point Structure

[*]1 point: each forum post and each uploaded photo

[*]2 points: each forum post from our mobile apps and each blog post

[*]5 points: join a group or comment in our new WLS magazine

[*]10 Points: complete My Surgery, My Surgeon or My Lap-Band Story; upload before and/or after photos

[*]20 points for each successful forum referral; and

[*]40 points for a fully completed patient profile

Get Involved Again

If you’re an old-timer who hasn’t been around much, this contest is a great opportunity to bring you back to the boards. You have tons of experience and advice to share with newer Bandsters. If you’ve fallen off the wagon, don’t be shy. It’s never too late to get back on, and we’re here to give you the support and confidence you need for success in your lifestyle goals.

Some Reminders and New Features

Create or update your own Lap-Band Patient profile. Your information encourages other members and helps you connect with members that have your same interests and struggles. It also gets you 40 points for our iPod Touch giveaway.

We've recently updated our surgeon database; now, every bariatric surgeon in the world is included. Check it out and find a local surgeon who can help you. You can locate and read reviews on lap-band surgeons to help you choose an expert for your care.

WLS Magazine just launched! Get all of the latest news and information on weight loss surgery. We’ve recruited the most knowledgeable and helpful bariatric experts to provide the tips and articles you need to stay on track or get back on track. Check it out and let us know what you think! Your thoughts are worth 5 points in the iPod Touch contest!

Our social and support groups are up and running. We know that you all have special interests and identities, and our social and support groups provide more specialized platforms than our general community. Just of the few types of groups we have are

[*]Regional groups of people from your city or state.

[*]Surgery Buddy groups with people who got the Lap Band at the same time as you.

[*]Medical Condition groups with people with a particular condition, such as PCOS

[*]Eating Support groups with people who struggle with eating issues, such as emotional eating

Check them out and join one or start your own.

Be a Good Friend

Be sure to mention LapBandTalk.com as a source of support and information for any your friends, family members or associates who are considering lap band surgery or have had it. Also, don’t forget that LapBandTalk.com is a member of the WLSBoards.com network. Recommend our other four communities to anyone you know who needs them, and please stop on by and introduce yourself if you have had a weight loss surgery revision.

[*]VerticalSleeveTalk.com for Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy

[*]RNYTalk.com for Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

[*]SleevePlicationTalk.com for Gastric Sleeve Plication

[*]RealizeBandSupport.com for Realize Adjustable Gastric Band

We Need Your Help

When you come here, you can depend on support, encouragement, sympathetic ears and expert advice from surgeons. But we need you to let community be able to continue grow stronger! Over the years, I’ve found that many bariatric surgeons and their staff don’t even know we’re here. Help us out by asking your surgeon to hang a couple of fliers in the clinic. They can go the waiting room bulletin board, at the reception desk and in patient consultation rooms.

I’ve even gotten the fliers ready for you in color and black-and-white options. Print them out and bring them to your next appointment, or email them to the office.

So please, support us and ask your surgeon to post these fliers in their office and hand them out to their patients. It helps you out because our community will benefit from more patients and surgeons with valuable advice. Remind your surgeon and clinic staff that it helps them out because it gives them more exposure to patients.

Stay in Touch

Feedback forum - we're always open to members ideas and feedback. Please use our feedback forum to let us know how we’re doing and send us your ideas on what you’d like to see at LapBandTalk.com. We always want to know what you’re thinking and how we can improve!

We're now on Facebook and on Twitter. Like us and follow us to keep track of what's going on in our communities and show your support!

Don’t forget to support and celebrate! Our upcoming surgeries list tells you which members are about to get their bariatric surgery, so stop by and wish them luck! Come by the surgery anniversary list to congratulate members when they hit their annual anniversaries of their surgeries. Your name will be automatically entered onto the right list as soon as you update your patient profile.

Coming Soon…

We're releasing customizable health trackers and tickers within the next 90 days. We'll include more info in future newsletters, so stay tuned for information on those and the other latest happenings around LapBandTalk.com.

And finally, at last count, we had 1,704,973 total member posts! Thanks to all of you who contributed to that number, and let’s keep on going!

Thanks for reading, and talk to you soon!

Sincerely,

Alex

Great idea to run a contest, but based on posts? Really? You already have people who post on every thread, whether that have anything valuable to share or not and now you are going to reward them?

This has been one of my biggest frustrations with LBT. There are people who "hijack"threads with their own silliness and now they can earn chances to win prizes for each little comment?

Thanks, but no thanks.

I appreciate the experiences that people share on LBT, but I have learned that I need to stay with only a few threads/forums.

[Maddysgram 6,159]

Great idea to run a contest' date=' but based on posts? Really? You already have people who post on every thread, whether that have anything valuable to share or not and now you are going to reward them?

This has been one of my biggest frustrations with LBT. There are people who "hijack"threads with their own silliness and now they can earn chances to win prizes for each little comment?

Thanks, but no thanks.

I appreciate the experiences that people share on LBT, but I have learned that I need to stay with only a few threads/forums.

[/quote']

LOL, just thought I'd let you know original post was written in April.

[this sucks 557]

LOL' date=' just thought I'd let you know original post was written in April.[/quote']

Yep, I noticed it after I responded, but didn't think I should bother doing anything at that point.

[dee257 1,516]

just laughs.....OOoo dont be a hater.....laughs more

[Maddysgram 6,159]

just laughs.....OOoo dont be a hater.....laughs more

Love you Dee!

[dee257 1,516]

love you more Mads !

[this sucks 557]

just laughs.....OOoo dont be a hater.....laughs more

Wow. Hope you enjoyed yourself at my expense...

[Maddysgram 6,159]

Wow. Hope you enjoyed yourself at my expense...

I think she was talking about herself b/c she posted first. But if you feel guilty for what you wrote, that's on you.

[dee257 1,516]

WOW...slowly stepping away from the computer...