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I think there's a line we tread as women, as American woman (pardon me other women, but speaking from my own experience here to my yankee sisters) who are or have been of size, between fat acceptance and a desire to not be fat. Certainly there's a place for advocacy for fat people. We/they are not any less human because of our/their size. Treating someone as less than because they are different isn't okay on any level. But it's still considered reasonable to treat fat folk badly. We question fat folk advocating for themselves and we question them laughing at their own pain. It's institutionalized to the point that a self loathing fat person thinks they deserve to hate themself and they deserve the scorn of others. I don't have the answer...but talking about bad media, pizza Hut had a commercial where the baby sitter was ordering pizzas on the phone and the chubby boy walked in and she said, "Better add to the order." Because he obviously was going to eat vastly more than what she had ordered. I called the company and complained. Didn't get very far, but I feel better for it.

Hi all, For those who don't know me, I live in Sydney and was banded on 15th January. 1 week after surgery, I had a stroke. Nobody knows whether it was related to my surgery or not, given that I have a problem heart and a clotting disorder. I have been in hospital ever since, but finally came home yesterday after spending 2 months in rehab. I can walk with a walking stick, but have lost the use of my left arm. I can move it, but my fingers don't work at the moment and I can't do anything useful with it. I don't want to scare anyone out of banding, it probably wasn't the cause of my stroke. I've lost 22kg and I'm prepared to make the most of my life. I don't regret my operation - don't get me wrong, there were times I wondered what I had done, but there is no clear reason for what happened. Please pray for my arm to come back, it's the only thing holding me back now -I can't drive anymore, have to go back to my L's and get a new car that is automatic. So good to be home! Jen:confused_smile:

Do you remember the movie with jack black? The one where he saw the big girl as gwenneth paltrow. She said everyday she wore the fat suit she wanted to cry because of the way people looked at her. Anyway, in that movie every chair she sat in she broke and she would just get right back up, get a bigger chair and keep eating. Like THAT would ever happen. That movie actually sickened me. Fat prejudice and jokes are one of the last form of accepted prejudice. Hopefully one day it will be elimanated too.

maybe, no one here can tell you otherwise. you are just a few days post op - i strongly suggest you follow YOUR doctor's post op diet. the post op is not designed to make you miserable, it is to ensure your sutures heal properly and anchors your band in place.

Just wanted to add my two cents worth having experienced an emergency and received excellent care from Dr Yau and his staff. The clinic certainly has lots of follow up care to ensure your success... be sure to use it. I was banded in Aug 06 and the clinic has gone thru lots of changes since then but all great ones. The staff are wonderful and friendly as I'm sure you're now aware. Be sure to let them know if you experience anything that is out of the ordinary - and because you are new to the feelings ask what it should feel like. They all care. And don't just rely on the website and advice of fellow lapbanders. CALL the clinic. I lost my weight quickly - I dropped from 245 to 102 in less than a year. I think because of the rapid loss and added stress (my youngest son spent 2 weeks at emergency for a serious bladder problems) didn't help the band and it tightened. Being new (and stressed) I didn't realize that it was too restrictive until the PV was daily and I couldn't keep anything down. I asked Nancy for had a total defill (except for 1 cc to keep the band in place). I felt better for a few weeks. But I still continued to lose. My GP had been treating me for anorexia - you can imagine that at 102lbs I was very thin. So she missed my assurances that I was eating and that I didn't think I was "fat". I went to a phyciatrist (excuse the spelling) who said that I didn't have a "weight" issue and proposed that I have a gastric x-ray to determine if it was a problem with the band (yeah Duh!). I should have called the clinic to discuss this but I went back to my GP.... yep! So you know what happened. Suffice to say Dr Yau saw me in Emergency at the Scarborough grace (I weighted less than 90lbs) severely dehydrated and vomiting even Water. After ordering the x-ray -he quickly assessed the problem booked an OR to remove the band. Because I was too weak for the surgery (dangerously low PB) surgery was delayed. Dr Yau removed it the next day after my PB was stabilized. I was home by Christmas eve. I'm sure he had to delay his holidays to care for me. Are there many surgeons like that - ?? I don't think so. It's been a rough journey to regain - I never thought I'd hear myself say those words. But coming back from such a dangerously low weight to a healthy weight was hard. In my mind I still had the band and although the vomiting stopped I didn't want to eat all the things I had given up - my danger foods - the past year. I miss my band. I had such great success with it and I would do it again in a heart beat. The staff have remained concerned for my health even though I feel as though without the band I'm no longer their responsibility. I feel lost. I've maintained a healthy weight of 135-140 and although I struggle I know I never want to be big again. I've gained knowledge and I'm a success. I pray that all of you will have the success of weight loss and the joys of staying banded and using your tool for many years to come. Good luck on your journey. And have faith in whatever clinic you choose.

I was there and thought it was really good. Had lots of fun meeting people from all over that I chat with online here. Always nice to put faces to the names.

Love this thread!! My dream outfit is definitely a pair of killer fitting jeans and a cute sleeveless top. Living in San Diego it's sunny here year-round. It would be nice to have a wardrobe to match the weather!!

I want to be able to wear nice business suits. I'm in school working on a business/accounting degree and will probably have to wear those to work everyday. I'd also be happy in any shirt that falls flat from below my breasts to my waist instead of a big bump of a stomach.

A little black dress, and any shirt that i can tuck in!:biggrin:

I've had lunchables before. They're just so darned handy! My lunches (when I remember to eat ) might be tuna salad - I'll either make it the night before, or buy the 4oz puches and add mayo at work... plain or I too eat them on Wasa (sourdough or multigrain are my favs). We have a Green Acres near my work so sometimes I will make a salad from the salad bar that consists of grilled chicken breast, tofu, feta, bleu cheese, chick peas, sesame crackers, cottage cheese, and about a quarter of a scoop of balsamic vinagraitte. Or I will get a Soup and some of their tofu egg salad... mmm. In case I forget and can't get out, I always keep tuna cups and a few cans of FF refried Beans in my desk, and usually a packet of turkey pepperoni in the fridge. That way I always have something. If you cook, just bring leftovers from whatever your dinner was. If you have a fridge, you can bring a whole week's worth of lunch and leave it in there. Sometimes on Monday I'll bring in a tub of cottage cheese, some sliced meats (I've found that "Boar's Head" brand deli meats are very close in nutritional value to homecooked meats), some Wasa, etc. -- and I'm good to go for the week.