NC Intro Thread...

[gordonfamily3 0]

Ok since we have some many people join the group I thought it would a good thing to start a little intro thread. Just to introduce yourself and get to know the others....Plus it helps me keep up w/ everyone. I have such a bad memory.

Ok so here goes:

I am Kim - wife to Mike for almost 7 years and mother to Curtis for 3 years. We live in Concord. I actually work for my surgeon now started in March. Before that I was in accounting @ Wachovia.

My weight...well the stats are below and I have been big my whole life. It's Mike and Curtis that made me see I wanted be along to see my kids get grow up. I wanted to be here w/ Mike to help w/ the kid(s). So the band is the best thing that that I have ever done and I would do it over and over and over again.

Ok so that is me in a nut shell....

[Penni60 45]

Ok I am not from NC but I made this a sticky for you guys. ENJOY!!

[the best me 6]

Yay! Thanks Penni...it's perfect! Excellent idea Kim!

My name is Kathy and I live outside of Charlotte, up towards the Denver/West Lake Norman area. My stats are below, so that's that. I am a wife to Joe and Mom to Rachel (6) and Tyler (3) and I'm a stay-at-home mom, although my hubby says I don't stay home much! LOL We are very active in our church in Huntersville and I do a good bit of volunteer work. I love my band. I ned a Tummy Tuck in about 15 pounds but have no idea how we'll manage to pay for that just yet! So it may be a while. hmmmm, what else? Oh, I'm on LBT a good bit. haha.

[Dragonwillow 0]

I got my band in October 2005, and would do it again in a heart beat. I've been married 18 years this June (gosh don't I feel old) and have two girls, Kristen age 14 going on 20 and Karah age 6 who thinks she is a teenager too. I was a stay at home mom until recently. I started working at the YMCA about 2 weeks after my surgery. It gets me out of the house, keeps me from doing housework, gives me a little starbucks money and I'm still home for the kids. Works out good. I live in Charlotte in the airport area. My stats are below...I too want a Tummy Tuck, but have a bit more to go before I get that. Not really clear on how I plan to pay for it either...hey Kathy maybe we can find someone to do a two for one deal?

[Mrs Sabre 1]

My name is Karen. I live in Belmont, which is southwest of Charlotte. I have been working on getting a band since Aug/Sept of last year. My paperwork has gone to the insurance, and I impatiently await a determination

I am wife to John (second marriage for both), mother to Alyssa age 22 and mother-in-law to BJ age 26; no grand babies for a few more years.

I work in a business unit finance area at Wachovia. Kim (gordonfamily3) and I used to work in the same accounting group before our division was sold. I miss you Kim!

[wavydaby 1]

Hi Ya'll!

My name is Jill. I live in North Charlotte, close to Huntersville.

I have only just started my journey to getting a band.

My husband Kirk and I both work at the CIC Wachovia location, but thankfully, way far away from each other on opposite sides of the building.

I work in Business Arch. Engineering. (Aint that a purdy name? We just got that name for our group)

I've been married since 9/11/99. And I am still @#$!@#$$^%$ ticked off that idiots messed up my wedding anniversary.

I have been huge my whole life. The lowest I have ever been is 210, in college. However, the heaviest I have been is about 350ish. I am not sure. I never weighed my self then. I just know that my size 28 stuff didn't fit. I am sitting around 295-300 and I need something that helps me!

[bondgirl 0]

Hello my name is Angie. I have been banded since 6-30-2005 and I have loved every minute of it. I have lost a total of 50 pounds and have another 50 to go. This second half after banding has been hard for me. I can't stay on track and haven't lost anything since November. I am currently married but things are rocky. I have been with Dan since I was 15 years old and we have 3 beautiful little girls together, Caity (9), Abby (6), and Dee Dee (4). We live down in Lake Wylie, SC and I love it here. I too need a Tummy Tuck but not until all this 50 pounds is gone. I may want a boob lift and something done too my legs too. I am also getting ready to have Laser hair removal on my face. With my hormones out of wack because of being over weight I am very happy to have this done. The weird thing about it is is that you have to shave your face before each session. I did the other day and about cried. lol But my face did feel better without the hair. Ok, enough about me. Let's hear from the rest of you!

Angie

[jttaurus 0]

My Name is jennifer - I 've been married for almost 7 years, and I"ve lived in NC for 7 years. I have one child whose 5 and going to kindergarten in the fall. I opted for RNY instead of lap band. I chose to do the rny because I felt very overwhelmed with the 'follow up' care that the lap band would have required, so RNY was an easier choice for me.

I've had a wicked time psychologically since the surgery. I suffer from depression prior to surgery (since my mom died 2003) and like the other's said, my hormones are way out of wack. I am beginning to take my mediciation again and I'm hoping to get some birthcontrol for the hormones. I do think it's a chemical imbalance, rather then a hormonal imbalance.

I do know that high protien diets will make your hair grow too, since dh did Atkins and his hair grows like crazy. I am gonna make it through this and I'd love a Tummy Tuck but don't know if I ever want surgery again. My RNY was wonderful and my surgery was uneventful, so this made things even better.

I am also in the process of going back to school for elementary education.

Today, it looks like it will be Queens College in Charlotte. I also work for the Big W, but i'm not very happy in my current job.

Take Care - I'm never up this early, got insomnia.

[jttaurus 0]

Oh yeah, I'd love to get the hair lasered off my legs, and underarms.

What a treat that would be, but I hate committments and the follow up visits would be too much work.

[Denika 2]

O.K. Let's see, my name is Denika Menis, and I live in Hiddenite with my husband Jimmy and my 4 year old son Jamie. Hiddenite is about 30 minutes from Hickory. I was banded on July 26th, 2005. So far I have lost around 65 lbs, but NONE in the last month.

My weight has always been a major issue in my life. Up until college, I fought with it and it somewhat under control. But after that, I started gaining fast and never stopped! I developed PCOS and started having all the problems that go along with that, including infertility. After 6 years, infertility treatments, and two miscarraiges, God blessed us with our son. But, that was just the start of another wild ride! If you want to, you can read all about it here:http://www.cleftadvocate.org/ff0404Jamie.html

Getting my band was the BEST decision I have ever made, even though it was not easy! I am self-pay, so the only time I ever have negative feelings about my band is when I make out that monthly payment to the bank! I love my band, and even though I have LOTS more to lose, I know I could have never lost 65 lbs and kept it off before.

[vericks 1]

This is a great idea. I'm Vickie and I get banded on May 9 this year. My husband is Ron. We are not born North Carolinians but we love it and hope to stay. We are of the fifties generation, the baby boomers. I am a mother of five sons, all grown now, my youngest is 21. I live in Cary, NC. I am presently staying at home, but will probably start looking for a job after the surgery. My husband and I have been married for 32 years, 33 this May. I have a grandaughter and grandson. Of course they are wonderful! It's true it's much more fun being grandparents! I have no stats but look forward to putting some down as soon as the band is in place.

I have worked on getting this banding in place for almost a year. Now I look forward to the results.

[ladytonya 0]

I'm Tonya. I just introduced myself in the May Chat thread, but I'll do it again here for posterity! I live in Leicester, a rural area about 20 minutes outside of Asheville. I grew up in Asheville and have lived here my whole life minus the 7 years I was in Chapel Hill for school.

I am 36 and married for almost 6 years to my wonderful husband, Tim. Although we have been trying like crazy, we have no kids. My children are my three cats, Sammy, Scooter, and Sasha. I am not yet banded and my desire to still have children is my main motivation to go with the band for my WLS. I started my journey a little over a year ago but got discouraged by both my local doctor and the insurance fight that I know is ahead for me. My BCBS plan specifically says that there is an exclusion for weight loss management but NOT weight loss surgery for the treatment of obesity. I have been told by the surgeon's office that BCBS won't pay for the band, only RNY. I feel that the surgeon's office wants to push people towards having the RNY because it's easier on them. Less follow-up care I suppose, but whatever the reason it frustrates the heck out of me! I have been overweight my whole like. When I went away to college, I probably weighed ~250. When I came back to Asheville I was pushing 300 and gaining. At that time, I was interested in NAAFA and was all about the whole fat acceptance movement and trying to prove that I could be fat and healthy. Well, it is now 11 years later and I'm pushing 450. I fluctuate between 425 and 450 these days and I know that I have to do something. The surgeons in Asheville won't operate if you're over 400, and arbitrary number if I ever saw one but that's their rules. Anyway, I've been rambling for quite a while here and I need to get back to work! It would be great to hear from others who are a similar weight to me who have had the lap band successfully! I'm actually even thinking about going somewhere else besides here in Asheville to have it done, but the thought of driving two hours for a fill does not excite me. I dunno, losing the weight would be worth it in the long run. Glad to have found this board! Looking forward to hearing from others.........

Tonya

Asheville, NC

[Denika 2]

Tonya,

I just replied to your other post, but I just saw this one. I just wanted to say that my husband and I tried to have a baby for five years or so before I went to a specialist. I didn't have to have in vitro, but we did have lots of help, and to make a long story a little shorter, we now have a wild four year old boy. So, don't give up! God has truly blessed us.

There are actually a couple of websites that tell about our little boy. There's a lot more to the story that I won't go into here, but if you want to read about it, please feel free to!

http://www.cleftadvocate.org/ff0404Jamie.html

and

www.angelfire.com/hero/menis

Neither one of these have been updated in awhile, but the general story is there!

[vericks 1]

Hello Tonya and welcome!

I have just been banded, going on nine days. You can read our NC site as I've told a few of my ups and downs this first week, but I am happy with my decision and feel more encouraged than I have in a long time. I started battling with weight during college years my highest weight has been 280, but I do know there are other bandsters that are in higher ranges. No matter where we fit in the weight category, we all can relate to the struggles that added weight has put upon each of us. This is a great site for encouragement and help. You mentioned about going to another area. My surgeon is Dr. Enoch in Wake Forest/North Raleigh, he has been a great surgeon for me. I do not like the hospital in Louisburg he has to use, but I have been told that he also works out of Greensboro. He is also a certified surgeon when it comes to hernia issues which I found that is the reason some of the bariatric surgeons don't always take people over a certain weight because they don't do the hernia repairs, etc. I originally was at another weight center and they wouldn't approve the band for me because of the hernia issue. I looked elsewhere. That's something you will have to seek more information on, maybe more experience bandsters can tell you if they have heard the same thing. I think everyone would keep telling you to be persistent. For me personally, it took a year to get everything done and approved and to find the right person. There is a wonderful group of women who get together in Charlotte, I hope to meet them one day, maybe they can tell you more. Stay on this site! Ask questions! If you got to lose some before you will be considered a candidate, I think it would be the best fight you could do for yourself. No I didn't say easy! We've all been there.

Happy Trails

Vickie

[the best me 6]

Hey Tonya! Welcome to LBT and the NC Forum!

Have you found the "starting BMI over 50" thread for bandsters with higher start weights? I think it's a Sticky called "super-sized bandsters" or something like that. I'll find it for you if you need me to. I think you are getting around in here enough you might have seen it already. They might be very handy for info in that area.

I have BCBS of NC and Lap Band was specifically excluded. I could have had RNY with them but I knew I wanted the band and I didn't have the time or energy to fight. I backed down real quick and went to MX for my band. I was self-pay and have no regrets, except that I wish I had insurance coverage. I would have stayed state-side and scheduled with Bauman since I didn't know about Voellenger at the time. ANYHOW, Kim (gordonfamily3) said BCBS is scheduled to review their coverage policy sometime this year and it may become a covered benefit for those group policies who choose to offer it. If you are willing to fight and wait, it might be worth it. As it stands now, it simply isn't covered so I'm not sure an appeal would do it? Not sure.

Do what you gotta do to take care of your health. I don't care what anyone says, being fat sucks and I'm so glad I'm LESS fat than I was! I'm healthier physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If I can take a plane for my surgery, you can drive a few hours...come on! Charlotte isn't that far, and you can meet us all for lunch!!!! Yippeee!

I went to school at Montreat...oh so long ago ('83-'85). I love the Ashville area. I'm so glad you are here! Welcome!!!!!