Bright

Hey Penni - COME ANYTIME! Ireland's open!!! It rains all year round but is the coolest little island in the world! I'd love to put you up and show you around! I'm washing the spare bedlinen right now.....

Hey guys. it's me again (many weeks later!!!) with a question - for anyone who doesn't know me/my story, I live in Dublin, Ireland and was banded in Paris, France about 15 months ago - I am down about 70lbs which feels great but obviously, I could have lost more. Last October I found a band surgeon in England willing to do follow up care and fills etc for me, and went to him for a fill. I have an 11cc Inamed band which had a fill capacity of 9cc - I had 4cc put in during surgery - the fill doc found there was only just under 3cc in my band when he removed all the fluid - I gather this is pretty normal after a year - so he put back in 3.5cc but I was really disappointed to find I have pretty much no restriction still. I have never had that "golf ball" sensation, pb'd or had any discomfort really, but I do drink with my meals often - SO, here's the question - (at last!) - as I have to travel so far and so expensively ($160 for fill, + flight + car rental!) I don't want to get too little of a fill, which will make very little difference - on the other hand I don't want to get too much, and be back in Ireland spitting up saliva - all alone with no medical awareness of the band here!!! My new doc says he'll fill me to "5cc or 6cc or whatever you want", which doesn't exactly answer the question - I want to lose another 50lbs at least, and do it quite agressively, as I have been working on willpower all this time.... I have plateaued for AGES, and am getting so depressed and despondant, feeling like a big fat failure - I'm afraid to rush into a big fill, and starve myself for the next few months - can anyone tell me what a "good fill" feels like - what is the most we should be able to expect from "hitting that sweet spot"? Apologies this is so long and boring....I would really appreciate anyone's advice....

OH MY GOD! That'll teach me to munch cookies while on the pc.....I may never eat again....I'm actually thinking of putting the close up on my fridge to make me think twice about snacking - you're an angel Penni, for taking such good care of our Lisa - give her my love since she won't be checking out this post! When are you going to adopt me, huh?????

Lisa, so glad you finally got some answers - thinking of you xx

Betty, you look fantastic - well done xx

My surgery in Paris, France cost me close to $8000 and fills (in the UK) cost me £100 ($187) plus flights and car hire and lunch and Ikea shopping......................!

Hi Helen! I'm in Dubin, in Ireland, so we're not too far away from eachother! I was banded about 14 months ago in Paris, and am delighted with the results so far (not so happy with a three month plateau but off for a fill in feb!) Who did your band surgery? I'm having my aftercare/fills done with Michael Van den Bossche in Southampton... Hope to see you here often - it's absolutely the BEST band support forum on the www - everyone is so friendly, helpful and supportive xx

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Donali))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) So missed you and all your great reassurance and advice - selfishly, I wish you were here more but am so thrilled for you that it's for such great reasons - now loving Indiana too for making you so happy love you loads porn lover xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alex you look wonderful - what a fabulous photo! Well done - what an achievement xxx

oi less of the irish jokes!!!!

hey Greg, thanks for the reply but this is a really old post! I posted that over a year ago I think.....! But good to see you're reading all the old info! I did talk to the kids and even now they tell me they are so proud of me for making the decision and going ahead with the surgery - it was definitely the right thing to do thanks xx

Michelle that's so funny! My hubby said exactly the same thing! He couldn't believe I have hip bones too - he kept saying "your back is so small now!" Sorry Leatha - is this all too much information!!! Greg - well done you on not being spotted by your mom-in-law.....soon you'll be able to hide behind lamp posts and plants!!!

(((((((((((((((((((Oh Penni)))))))))))))))))))))))) that is dreadful - what a horrible time you have had - I am sending you hugs and love and hope you can come through this soon.

God Alex - what does that mean for you? Can the slight slippage be corrected by the little unfill? That is worrying... I completely agree with you - I have been dreadful for sticking to the "no liquids with meals" rule - I actually became aware today that if I don't have a glass of water or mug of coffee with my meal, then I can't eat ENOUGH! Aaaarrgghh! No wonder I am plateauing... I guess you mean that we should eat the bandster recommended portion and then stop eating - revolutionary! Why didn't some one tell us this before!!!! I definitely eat too fast - god knows what minor damage I'm doing too - well done Alex for being so vigilant - guess you can never be too careful - monitoring is so important

em.....No you mad woman! We just say "phone" - I think you're mixing me up with the queen of england! Have you ever heard Colin Farrell speaking? That's a Dublin accent - Bono has a posh Dublin accent - The Corrs have a country irish accent.... hope that helps! You should rent the movie The Committments! Brilliant film, and totally working class Dublin!

Zoe - count me in! Lisa - We have to have our own website! CrazyBitchMothers.com - my mother went to a psychiatrist for 4 YEARS! He was a well respected doctor in Dublin - my mother's favourite comment to us was: "my psychiatrist says this is all YOUR fault" - the hilarious (but tragic, but funny, but sad....) part was, eventually he told her not to come back - he couldn't help her and then RETIRED from medical practice AND LEFT THE COUNTRY!!! How we laughed...yet cried, yet...... Michelle - you are so right, of course. Unlike some people here, I NEVER lost much weight over the years - and would never ever have moved over 80lbs...I never thought of it like that. I am really confused about the 9cc band and am trying to find out which one I have - I know my friend Sarah, who was banded by the same guy, and has the same band etc - also is supposed to have the Inamed 9cc, filled to 4cc during surgery - and currently is at 7cc after two fills! So I don't know what to think! I'm busily trying to draft a letter in french to my surgeon so hopefully I'll have some answers soon - thanks Michelle - I have printed out your comments and will learn by heart!

***blush*** - exotic eyes! Wow - my devoted husband calls them "battleship grey" - lovely! Well honey, you want to hear the accent (to be sure, begorrah) pm me your phone number and i'll call you for a chat sometime xx Unfortunetly within 4 seconds of speaking to someone with another accent I immediately begin to mimic theirs unconsciously! I did talk to Donali a few times tho, and I think I managed to stay Irish for the few mins !

Lisa you crazy lady - you are obviously the missing fifth sister from my family - we have had one trauma after another, ditto with the mother thing, 'cept she decided to kill herself last year, leaving a vile letter blaming all of us and leaving all her (horrible anyway!) jewelry to my sister's five year old! My dad gave me one of her rings, wanting me to have something of hers, so when I wear it I say "oh this ring, this is the one my mother expressly wished me NOT to have...". People think we're nuts - we laugh and stick one big finger up to the sky - our motto is "Step In The Ring, MoFo..." But I guess, I put all my stock in losing all my weight and being "clean and good" - my mother used to say to me "you're weak, you can't say no to yourself" so I make sure I DO say "no" all the time...which gets exhausting...But anyway...I feel so much better from just listening to all of you - seriously, thank Buddha or whoever for you all xxx

Lela, come to ireland and live in my wardrobe - please...I NEED you!

**********Michelle************* Yay! so great to hear from you - and such kind words - I'm filling up here! You're a total pet! After a couple of days I knew my fill was "no good" if you know what I mean, I was waiting for this restriction that I see you all talking about - I am actually starting to fantasize about having a pb!!!! I'm doubly gutted as it cost us st£120 ($220) to see the doc, not including flights from Dublin to London and Car Hire to drive the two hours down to where the hospital is.... I just don't have the money to do it again before Christmas which is pissing me off even more... I hear you on the icecream/cookie slip-sliding on down theory! Definitely the easiest thing to eat... Hate having to be strong and have willpower but until I get more money together for another fill trip, I guess I'll have to be! Dunno what I'd do without all you kind people to encourage me - I feel all loved up and motivated now! Ps Thanks too Zoe - cannot believe any newbie taking advice from me! wow! thanks for your encouragement xx

Marie: Thanks so much for your comments - I know you're right, it seems very ungrateful to moan about a whole 70lbs - it IS a lot of weight but I have another 100 to go which seems a mammoth task! The stats my doc is refering to is the European standard - 50% of people lose 100% of their excess weight. They are much more easy going here about the band - this new guy was telling me about a GP (family doctor) he knows who has the band - apparently this man removes his own fill before a special night out, enjoys a lucious feast, then fills himself up again next morning! Crazy! The band has been used in europe for over 20 years apparently so they are used to dealing with it I guess.... Thanks again Marie - you really cheered me up! Leatha - also thanks so much to you! You reminded me of how much better my health is too since losing 70lbs, well 80 down in total. I guess I feel like I have a long way to go getting the rest off... I had "planned" to lose 100lbs in the first year, and feel like I've failed somehow... stupid to set ridiculous goals which are unachievable...I am going to try to take it 10lbs at a time from now on.... I am very interested in what you are saying about the 9.75cc band not being able to take more than 4cc - that is so wierd! I have a friend who was banded by the same surgeon, in fact she acted as liason for me, as she has fluent french, and she had the same band/fill during surgery and is apparently at 7cc now! I am trying to get in contact with her to find out what is going on... Thanks so much for the encouragement - I'm so with you on the two pairs of pants! I have two "decent" black trousers and two pairs of Jeans that are hanging off me! I got rid of all my other "fat" clothes - and now look like a street urchin! Kyleigh - you're right - 70lbs is great, we should be proud xx

Hi folks - I guess I'm looking for some cheerleaders today . I feel pretty depressed and completely unmotivated. I had my long awaited (11 months 2 weeks!) fill last week, and it was not a pleasant event - I was so grateful to eventually find an english speaking lap band surgeon to monitor my progress/do fills etc and was so looking forward to getting my weightloss kick-started again by a fill.... The Doc was a bit of a cold fish, - he is belgian, and also does other wls - duodenal switch, gastric bypass etc.... he asked me why I got a lap band when it only works for about 50% of people in his experience... I was a bit taken aback and unhappy to find myself defending my band while lying on my back with a needle in my side! He scoffed at my request for an annual endoscopy, saying it was unnecessary :eek - he also questioned my belief that I have a 9cc Inamed band - he says there's no such thing - only a 9.75cc or a 10cc Inamed band - I didn't have any card or confirmation from my french surgeon that it is definitely an Inamed band but I remember him giving me documentation from Inamed and showing me an actual band at the time of my consultation but suddenly I was filled with doubt and felt so stupid not knowing exactly. Then I told him my band was filled with 4cc during surgery - he thought this was impossible - I wouldn't have been able to swallow water when I woke up! He removed the liquid from the band and there was only 2cc - I was shocked! He then put in 3cc in total so I bascially don't know where I am! I haven't really much more restriction - I have never thrown up or had a "pb" - and seem to be able to eat a pretty big portion of whatever I like... I make oatmeal in the mornings using one american 1/2 cup measure of oats and three 1/2 cups of milk/water for example... I guess I just feel exhausted from dieting and restricting myself... I was hoping to get a few more pounds off by Christmas and am back to the high protein, low fat DIET - I really thought life with my band would mean that I basically ate what I want, sticking to as healthy a diet a possible, and my band would kick in and stop me overeating. That's really not the case for me - I feel like I have to constantly say "no" to myself, no icecream, no cookies, no popcorn, no chocolate or else I lapse into a sugar/carb binge! I feel so obsessed with food - today I was a "good girl" or today I was "bad". I know this is an emotional issue I need to "get over".... I genuinely feel, here at 245lbs, (ok, actually 247 from this morning!) that I am NEVER going to lose another pound and be stuck here in limbo!!! In europe, most "normal" clothes stores go up to a 20/22 (American 18/20) and the "large" size clothes shops go up to 26/28 (american 24/26) - I am somewhere in between these sizes - just a little too big for the normal sizes and totally sick of the large size clothes, which are unflattering as we all know! So I have nothing to wear which is depressing me even more! Ok - I'm sorry for going on so long with this - I guess a year into banded life, things get a little stale and it's hard to stay motivated....I wonder how all you guys banded a year or more manage to stay focused? Shellyj? Jennye? Alexandra, Babs? Sniffle...miss u guys Any tips? Anyone???? (ok, whining over....)

Definitely Sarah - well done! I used to eat the extra as I was cooking so it wouldn't go in the dish and be fattening....sigh....things we tell ourselves...!

You know what...I really don't believe in willpower -it just isn't reliable enough - you have to talk to your friend Babs. I have found this journey very humbling - I have had to go to my younger, slim sisters and ask them not to support me in "just having one slice of cheesecake" or "a litte treat" - I ask them to get tough with me, telling them it's the easiest thing in the world to sit beside someone while they self destruct - you wouldn't take an alcoholic friend into a bar, night after night, and hope their willpower kicks in - it's just too much to ask anyone. This halloween I asked my sister to have the family party, and we're going to my in-laws for christmas - I have to do this in advance, or else I will just slide back into old bad habits.... Could you ask your friend to try a detox week with you? Or maybe you two could do a healthy eating week? Maybe she'd like to get to 135lbs for the Holidays!!!!!! This is a really hard journey, and sometimes you have to ask for help! Hope it goes ok - let us know take care xx

wow Michelle, great NSV - most of our huge towels wrap all the way around me now but I'm still holding on to this really grotty bath towel that I used when I was 20 and pregnant with my now 14 year old son - I have a photo of me 9 months pregnant with the towel completely wrapped around me, bump and all - and it still won't go around me yet! One day soon tho! Well done you!