Hiya angels and others

I know I haven't been around much, I can honestly say, it's just too depressing. I want this soo much it keeps me up at nights. Those of you who know me, know I have been looking for a job that provides medical insurance that will cover this surgery. As of yet, no luck. I have started school this term to prepare for joining a Radiography program, so I am broke broke broke and can't afford to self pay. I keep hearing all about everybodies luck, getting dates, recovering, starting new lives while I am still sitting here, pushing 320 and a BMI of 49 or so. I am doing everything in my power to find a job that will offer some decent insurance. I am currently employed, just without insurance. Anywho, I am sorry I am not being my perky self and cheering everybody on, truly, I feel horid about it, horid and selfish, jelous, ect... But this is the start of a new year and I know something good must come of it. I can't loose site of the ultimate goal.....to truly be able to live again (and not shop at tents R us) LOL! I truly wish everybody the best, even if I am being pouty and jelous..hehehe. I don't mean to be. Anyway, enough blabber-mouthing. Thankx for hearing me out. Brandi

Hi Brandi, I tried 2 yrs. ago and gave up trying to have this surgery. Everything comes in it's own good time. I know that's easy for me to say, but I mean it. You just keep planning to get it and stay focused and it will happen! Take Care, Catherine

Thankx for the encouragement. It's been tough, the waiting game for a good job is killing me. But I am feeling a bit more positive. I figure at the very worst, I will have to wait until I get a radiology job when I finish school and hopefully that insurance will cover me. I should be done with school in 3 years. Brandi

Brandi- I truly know where your head's at! I am much older than you, and after divorcing my husband of 17 yrs (who always told me " i love you, no matter how much you weigh" and he did, damn him!) I found myself way, way, way tooooooooooo fat! And also the single parent of a teenage son..... The fatter I got, the more depressed I was, the more depressed I got, the fatter I became - sound familiar? For the last 2 1/2 years I isolated myself and comforted myself with food ! Our best friend and our worst enemy.... I was a respiratory therapist at one time, but my weight got in the way- I had no energy and being on my feet all the time and being so heavy began to cause a lot of health problems.... I was unemployed for just over 2 years, (go Oregon!) and last year tried to get WLS while I was on the Oregon Health Plan. Ha-ha-ha ! My doctor is great, and he was all for it, but OHP wouldn't budge..... they would rather pay for all the medications needed to treat co-morbidities brought on (and perpetuated by) being morbidly obese. Go figure! I have wanted to have WLS for a long time, and have been researching it over the internet for the last 1 1/2 years.... Thank God I stumbled upon this website ! Long story short- and this is where you come in- in September 2003 I decided I could either keep beating my head against a brick wall trying to get WLS approved by OHP, or I could find a job with Medical Benefits with an Insurance Carrier who approves WLS. And that's just what I did ! (go me!)- I took a job that started at $7.00/hr, but that would have excellent medical benes in 90 days...People starting now start at $8/hr . It was a shock to my system- but I my benes just started and I am now looking for a surgeon. I will make this happen and you can too... If you can talk on the phone, they will hire you at ACS, Inc. ... Full time is 30hrs/wk and scheduling is very flexible- they're open 7 days a week... You dont sound like you want to hang in there 3 more years, we have lots of FT students there... check it out... maybe you can make it happen in the next 6 or 7 mths if you really want it. Sorry about rambling... but I just wanted to let you know that there ARE other options available to you... Keep in touch if you want... we all need support... like I say I know how you're feeling, I'm just a bit older....

Wow! I have been looking for a job with good benys for EVER!! At least that is what it feels like. For a while I tried just going for hospitals (because patient care is required for school), but had no luck. I will give ACS a shot, I talk on the phone all the time, but is it sales? Like outgoing calls? I did that and HATED it. Not that I am THAT picky, LOL! I make little more than $8 an hour now and have no benefits and high stress. And I went to school for this? It's comforting to hear your story, I would love to hear from anybody else who has a job that has a good benefit package and is easy to get into. Thank you!!! I am going to look into it now. Brandi

No sales at all.... strictly inbound calls... I work in Welcome/Verification.... people who buy new, Nextel, cell phones set up their accounts and have them activated via another dept.... when they actually get the phone and want to use it... they find that they cant make any outgoing calls ( they can use all the other phone functions- which are many, but no out bound calls) they get a message when they try to call out that directs them to call Wel/Verify at Nextel.... That's me (our dept anyway) we verify account info with them and remove the restriction on the outgoing calls.... simple, sometimes really boring, but there's always plenty going on in the office to occupy yourself with... or bring a book, crosswords, school work, crocheting, whatever to do for those times..... calls should be 6 minutes long, or so, and if they need anything else done there are other depts they have to go to to do them.... I am trained in other jobs with Nextel, so I tend to resolve customer issues, but my call times suffer then... and so my incentive pay does as well..... The job is so simple that any trained monkey can do it....BUT there are always other positions open in the company and they do hire from within... so if you're looking for advancement the opportunity is there.... if you just want to get the benefits to get WLS done, working at ACS might be a good move....... deb

Hang in there Brandi...God has not failed you, something will come open soon so keep the faith!!! Andrea