bandgroupie

Welcome to Bandland Alana

Our poll is going pretty good. But not as much interest as I expected - Vegas or SD. Hopefully we'll have some more interest over the next week or two. Can we get Chad to pin this?

Enjoy Disney and the family!!!!!! Congrats on the new size...... pretty soon you'll need a smaller one! Have fun!

Oh great, KIMRA!!! We get to meet you too!!!! Renee, we're all flying in around 10:00 a.m. Friday morning but our fills aren't scheduled until Saturday so we're sightseeing until Friday evening I believe. We will go out to dinner in Tijuana if you all want to go together. I'll message you with my first and last name so you can find us!!!!

Welcome to Bandland

Renee, It looks like you, lynna, Anita, calicat. Amber and I will be at the Lucerna the same weekend. Can't wait to meet those whom I haven't already. Cya there!

Lori thought that Dr. O might even attend if we had the get together in San Diego. I don't have any personal preference. It's a long flight for me no matter where and tickets about the same. I don't have any personal interest here. Our group of bandsters have planned a get together for next year as well. We're all going to the Kentucky Derby but this is our opportunity to include everybody from near or far! Everything is good

Ok, here's a quick poll to get things started. Vote where you would like to see a get together of the lap band forum members held.

I agree Vegas is the ideal fun spot but do we want to have OCC involved? If we want the doctors and staff to attend and even possibly be keynote speakers, then we'd have to consider San Diego. OCC is or will largely be responsible for our success. I'll do a poll! we need to correct the poll to say Las Vegas, Nevada, SORRY!

I may have missed god4me's post about a get together. I may remember something but assumed it was for her local support group. God4Me, let's talk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cortaylu, GREAT! Let's start with 50 being our number and we can go from there! Thanks

LAP BAND FOR LIFE Lap Band Forum Get Together 2009 Initial Committee Members: bandgroupie calicat Lori (OCC Liason) Cortaylu (San Diego - accommodations) The Redhead Dontondan Evette MamaMichelle Hanna We need everyone to participate!!!!!! Motivational Speakers? 1. Maytee (Salon and day spa owner offering tips on skin care, makeup and how to update your look) Activities? 1. Paula Bee (Scrapbooking ideas for your weight loss journal) 2. Jena (cooking and nutrition) Informational Speakers? Dinner ideas? Themes? Door Prizes? Videographer? Photographer - Mona-Camille

In another post we were showing our love for Lori, patient care coordinator, and conversation led to hoping to meet Lori one day to possibly planning a get together for the forum members. I know each of us made friends during our banding experience and we will definitely keep up with them and probably return for fills together. But let's think larger than that. Let's face it, we've all benefited from this forum and from those whom we have not had the opportunity to meet. Let's plan a get together that would allow each and every one of our members to attend. I would suggest San Diego so we can invite the physicians and staff of the Obesity Control Center to attend/participate. We need to plan ahead, get dates for sometime in first quarter of 2009. This would allow the members (and their families if applicable) to start saving for the trip and will allow us to come up with a great line up of activities. Speaking of activities. We can turn this into a great meeting not only meeting other members but have fun activites planned as well as informational speakers. There's a lot of talent in our group of members and we've already seen much success. Hopefully early 2009, many others will have shared some of the success as well. We have registered nurses, hair stylists, aerobics instructors and more on our forum! My thought would be to schedule a get together beginning on on a Friday with the first activity at Noon to allow people to fly in the night before or that morning. With planned activities and a group casual dinner that Friday, some more activities planned for Saturday, and a formal dinner Saturday night, we're sure to have a good time! Sunday would be a free day - fly home early or later. Obviously, if we are having a meeting/seminar, we will need a meeting room. Any one have connections in San Diego that could get us a deal on rooms and the meeting room? We'll need to charge a small registration fee to pay for the meals and meeting room. We'll need to arrange for some motivational and informative speakers, etc. We can get some manufacturers of products we all use and love to donate either products or gift certificates for give aways/door prizes. We'll need to pick a date. We'll need a theme. We can ask Dr. Ortiz if we can call our get together/meeting LAP BAND FOR LIFE.... We need a committee of about 10 people for starters and will need everybody's participation and ideas! One member of the committee should be an OCC staff member and I'd suggest that be Lori. COME ON BANDERS! What do you think!???? I'll volunteer to be on the committee and will definitely be at the get together. Who else is willing to serve on the committee? We need your talents! Tell us what you are willing to do! Lori, let us know when in Feb-March-April 2009 would be the best weekend for the OCC staff to participate. We would love all OCC staff to attend the formal dinner with us. Give us a few weekends to work with and we'll poll the members. IDEAS? TALENTS? SPEAKERS? Again, this is where it all begins, it's up to us to make it happen.

I was self pay like most other people on this forum. My insurance has an exclusion not only for WLS but for complications arising from WLS, which means they won't cover any procedures necessary from a band complication. So, if I had a band slip, I'd have to pay out of my pocket.

Hey there RedHead, I wouldn't surprise him with a ZOOM whitening. If he is afraid of dentists and he hasn't been to the dentist for quite a while, I would assume he needs other dental services done first: cleaning, possible fillings, etc. It would be GREAT if he could experience your ZOOM whitening, and see how you feel about it, and maybe you can convince him how important good dental health is. Find a dentist who will be gentle with a cleaning and if necessary, even numb him if his teeth are sensitive to water. Getting him to the dentist for regular cleanings would be the best gift you could give him. SO, now .... if you want to surprise him with something while you two are in Tijuana, I suggest you take a walk on the wild side! And post photos! ha ha

YAY FOR LORI!!!! I want to vote Lori as the best patient coordinator of the year!!!

I'm glad your surgery went well and you're doing fine! Welcome to bandland Alana

email lori at lori@obesitycontrolcenter.com. She's WONDERFUL!!

Ok, I confirmed with Lori. For my first fill at the OCC, no food at least two hours prior to my fill and water is okay. *sigh*

AHA! Is that how they do it?

Hey there Pammie, Ok, I have to know - is it recommended that you have an endoscopy after two years? If so, what's the reason? Etc. Thanks!

Congrats on your surgery date!

For those of us who still cycle! <br /><br /><br />

YEE HAW for DiamondJim and WOO HOO for bigali Congrats! <br /><br /><br />

I will call the clinic today and be sure they are aware that this is my first fill. Can't believe how that got passed them Thanks for the advice.