SageTracey

Sorry to hear about your pain. Did they tell you what is causing it and why they have to remove your band? Good luck!

Thanks for sharing, Rachel. I've had an "I want to eat" day, triggered by a big social weekend, overtiredness and leftovers begging me to eat like I used to! I knew the battle was in my head so compromised with a small sandwich and a half brownie and actually realised that was all I needed to feel satisfied. Plus I know I danced enough last night and moved enough furniture today to burn off a few extra calories. (The rest of the leftovers go to work tomorrow for my workmates to eat for morning tea!)

Congratulations Jessie. I have had two fills (banded 13 April) and both have been a very minor needle prick. Surgeon said it could be worse if he had to poke around for my port but so far so good - third fill on Friday morning.

It's tough to wait when you have made the mental decision but it really comes down to your personal situation and only you know those details. Good luck with whatever decision you make.

Find an exercise that you enjoy. I love dancing and am fortunate that my husband also loves dancing. Even better is that the majority of the people in our group prefer not to drink alcohol when they are dancing because they say they can't dance as well when drinking. This means that my water is perfectly normal!

Every now and then I just open it up for the inspirational messages to give me a mental boost. I am looking forward to six to eight months down the track when I have some real data in there and can see some downward movement on my graphs etc.

Good luck to Master Harper. Love is more than skin deep (or is that skin depth!) I thought my husband was a fat admirer too until he encouraged me to get my band because he doesn't want me to die or end up in a wheelchair.

I haven't told my workmates that I was banded but twice in the last two days, two colleagues have reached for the chocolate box on top of the fridge, paused, looked at me and said, "Tell me I don't need it Tracey, you're doing such a great job losing weight!" Love their encouragement and am really riding the buzz of them noticing my success.

Congratulatons. Enjoy that fantastic feeling and use it to motivate you through the tougher moments on this journey. I LOVE seeing those numbers drop!

Hi Jess, It's $9.99 here in Australia! But I looked at it as a long term tool (a bit like my band!) which will let me look back over my journey to remind me just how far I have come....when I get there, or get discouraged on the way. I really like that it offers inspirational little quotes whenever I open the app. Plus I can enter my own messages that remind me of why I am doing this - like: "To dance all night" "To look fantastic in my son's wedding photos" and "To live long and well enough to enjoy grandkids - one day!"

"Fake it til you make it" - what awesome advice. By the time you start making it, the faking it will be a normal part of your daily life and you'll achieve all that you are hoping to achieve. Good luck.

My appointment for my second fill today was postponed several hours because, as my surgeon later explained, he had been called into surgery to assist in another lap band op. But the patient hadn't followed pre-op instructions and had a massive liver so my surgeon advised the other surgeon to cancel and not install the band. Sure am glad I followed his pre-op advice (three weeks of protein shakes....)

Is anyone using BariMate, the iPhone app for banders and other bariatric surgeries? I picked up a flyer about it at my surgeon's office today and downloaded it as soon as I got home. It's been developed by an Australian surgeon but can be used in kg or lb mode. There are nine sub-apps, the most inspiring ones look like the Track Me and Graph Me where you can get graphs and other reports of your progress. It says you can even download them as PDFs to email! Another of the sub-apps is Fill Me, which is described as an interactive estimator as to whether you need a fill or not. I think it's a bit light on the dietary advice section but that may grow over time. Just thought I would share this for bandsters wanting to carry a bit of inspiration and a reminder of how far we have progressed in your pocket.

I went to a concert four days after my surgery, fortunately only a 15 minute drive from home. Concert was great but I was wrecked by the end of it, especially with shoulder pain. Good luck!

Good luck! I'm an Aussie but have found this forum to be really helpful in answering so many questions that I never even thought to ask my surgeon. Hope you find a UK buddy.

The anaesthetic left me feeling wiped out for a week plus I had the shoulder pain (which my surgeon said was referred pain from moving my diaphragm and not gas pain) for 10 days. I took two weeks off and didn't feel well enough to go back any earlier.

I only told immediate family and one very close friend i.e. only the people that I need/want/expect support from and they have been great. I don't need people monitoring what I eat and how much exercise I do - that's my responsibility. To people who comment on my weight loss, I say that I am eating less and exercising more - which is the truth, it's just that the band prevents me from eating as much as I used to eat. By fortunate coincidence, my older son announced his engagement about the same time as my surgery, so I often add that I want to look good in his wedding photographs next year.

Pepsi and all soft drinks are gone and I'm not missing them one bit!

Cycling for me - exercise bike when it's dark outside but I love to hit the country roads on my hybrid whenever possible. Unfortunately the magpie-swooping season coincides with longer days so that makes it harder to get out. DH and dogs prefer walking so I do that with them, too. But my all time fave exercise is dancing and losing weight with my band is making it even easier for me on the dance floor. DH has commented that I am eaiser to lead (rock and roll) now that I have started losing weight, so he is enjoying it even more too.

I'm still new (banded 13 April 2011) and due for my second fill next week. I keep coming here to read and check that I am normal - emotions, bodily movements, lack of restriction 9so far!) etc. Good luck

Me too! Hadn't had a period for nine months pre-surgery, actually thought I was menopausal then got one a week after surgery and now every three weeks since. Hubby and son have learnt the signs and learnt to duck (metaphorically.) I am trying to pick up the signs early in myself so that I can not take it out on them.

I totally relate to the clothes NSV but the biggie for me has been able to get through a rock and roll dance class with my husband and not moan about how much my knees hurt. Soon I'll be able to keep up with him al night long at dances.

Seems as though there is something to be said for the Australian health care system after all! Our medicare (govt) system has a simplified billing which doesn't require any pre-approval or even risk of rejection, so with my private health insurance, I was operated on within three weeks of seeing my surgeon for the first time, and only $1,000 out of pocket - total. Fills are bulk-billed i.e. fully covered by Medicare.

Hi Doreen, I was nervous before my first fill last week, especially after reading some of the experiences on here! However, it was painless - no more than the needle prick of a blood test, not at all uncomfortable and over a matter of moments. Good luck!

Interestingly, the nurse told me that my shoulder pain was gas pain and that walking would help, but my surgeon said it was referred pain from the diaphragm being moved during the surgery. All I know is that it took 10 days to go away, walking didn't help much, but heat pads and lying down did.