susannah

Thanks M for the advice. I think I saw Mederma cream being advertised on tv recently. I think I will go out and get some. Susannah

Hey Meredith, That is really good that you have good restriction. Sounds like you might not need that fill after all just yet. I can't wait to get under 100 kilos. That is my half way measure of success. I can't remember when I was under a 1oo kilos. Hey Colleen, good to see another Avenue bandster posting here. There are a few of us now. Mr Crosthwaite was my surgeon. Susannah

Hey Sugarbear, I don't know who you are referring to re the week after band removal, But when I was banded the hospital staff told me about a man who was banded, and requested to have it removed the next day! The surgical team had to do it, due to patient rights etc. What a waste of time and money! Hey Feb bandsters, have any of you forgotten to sip your fluids and have chugged it accidently? It is summer here and I was so hot that I forgot to sip the water. I felt no ill effects from it, I just felt stupid. Anybody else done this? Susannah

Hey Meredith, Should you use cream on your scars to make them less visable quicker? If so which one? I ask you this coz at 3 months out you are on old timer to me! Susannah

Hi Jess, Congrats on your new home. Eltham is gorgeous. Can I ask you a question? When you are first on mushies after being banded, and you have not yet had a fill, is it normal that you can eat more than one cup of food at a time? If you ate one and a half cups at this time would it stretch your stomach, if you are eating mushies? I am a new bandster and stress about everything! I even forgot to sip water on a hot day and I chugged it.I didn't feel sick or anything I just forgot to sip it. Any advice? Susannah

Hi, Hi Lady T and welcome. I know of only one other nurse who has MS. I work in child care. I think I am getting a bit beyond it physically now, working with children. I am contemplating a change of career. I am still able to work, and I imagine that will not change for many years. I was on sickness benefits for most of 2004, but I was able to go back to work and I was glad. While I am able to work I prefer to. I am glad Centrelink is there when we need it re benefits, but I am able to work now so I prefer to. Susannah

Hi Everybody, Dionne how are you feeling today? The first week is a bit uncomfortable in terms of tummy soreness etc. The little weight watchers icecreams give you a bit of comfort though.:biggrin1: It was so hot today and I forgot I had a band and I chugged down some cool water really fast! I didn't feel any adverse effects from doing it, i just forgot to sip it. I have been chugging fluid for 36 years so the habit might take more than 3 weeks to be broken. Have any of you guys forgotten to sip and have chugged water? I have not had my first fill yet, so I guess I won't be able to do that after the fill. Am I an idiot or just forgetful? I need advice from the old time bandsters! Susannah

Hey Jess, I would love to meet you all, and you can meet this old fatass!:biggrin1: Susannah

Hi Girls, Dionne so glad its all over for you! Welcome to bandland. Jess, Glad your back. It is like you went on holiday and never came back. You me and Jacqui all have the same surgeon. Meredith, how are you? Bronnie, you will be apples mate. No need to evacuate your bowel contents!:biggrin1: Karen, gday. Loretta, howdy. Mark, how are you? Anna, I am going to check out that site you recommened. Dr Cam, hope your well. Fee, I am wrecked after my first week of work. The agency wants to keep me really busy. Gday to anybody I forgot. :biggrin1: Brain Fog. Susannah

Hi, Is it really true that Oprah was banded? I thought she had her own personal trainer and cook and went that route. Susannah

Hi Karen, I am so lucky that I have not had any swallowing issues with my brand of ms. You are incredible the way you just keep on soldiering on with this wretched disease. I have nothing to complain about next to you. Do you think it is possible to have little depressive spells due to lesions in your brain? I have moments when I feel so overwhelmed and my brain feels like it is in a fog. Today for instance I am feeling happier than yesterday, but am feeling weak and tired. Other days I fly through the day. Karen keep up the good fight with the band. Good on ya. Susannah

Hi All, Meredith happy 3 month bandiversary! You will look fabulous by the time your wedding rolls around. Is it too early to say that getting banded has changed your life, or do you need to wait for your 12 month anniversary to be able to say that? You look terrific in your pics. I am feeling a bit happier today. I think I was having a moment of being totally overwhelmed with the whole banding thing yesterday. Bronnie you may have these kind of moments, they are pretty normal from what I have heard. I am feeling well, although I had some stabbing pain from my port region today. Must be forming scar tissue around it. As for my bill I haven't heard back yet. This bill is from the assistant surgeon. I am so happy with everything my surgeon has done for me. He is fantastic. I wonder how Dionne is. Hope you are all well. Susannah

Hey, The assistant surgeons office told me the additional three hundred dollars on top of the 3500 dollars can not be claimed back through medicare or my health fund. Just to clearly explain it. Susannah

Gday Rightsize, Welcome. I wish you lots of luck, and all the best, as you embark on your journey with the band. Good on ya. Susannah

Hi Girls, Thanks for all the great tips once again everybody. I am a bit upset because I received a bill from the assisitant surgeon for three hundred dollars yesterday. My surgeon's office told me that should I receive a bill from the assistant surgeon or the anaesthetist I can process it through medicare and my health fund, and it would not entail any further out of pocket cost to me as I have already paid the 3,500 fee. I have this assurance in writing from my surgeons office. I rang the assistant surgeons office and the receptionist was really offhand with me, making me out to be someone who tries to avoid paying her bills. I asked her to contact my surgeon's office and sort it out with them and get back to me. I have had no call today. I have paid probably 6 thousand dollars out of my own pocket for all of the banding expenses together all told, and I have paid it on time, each time. I really resent being made out to be some kind of bum.I am really upset by this, and feel I should not have to pay any extra. What really upsets me further is hearing that other patients can claim some of the fee back. I think my surgeon is fantastic, and I don't mind that he charges more than others, that is his right. I just was quoted 3,500 and I happily paid that. Maybe three hundred dollars doesn't sound like much, but it is a lot to me at the moment. I had no income for the two weeks I was off after the surgery. I feel so flat today. Feel like crying. Sorry everybody. I am usually a very happy person. Susannah

Hey Girls and Mark, I have to take tomorrow off as I have to see the band dietician.:mad: :biggrin1: Bloody bludger having a day off already. I am a bit annoyed that I have to pay 60 bucks out of pocket, and I can't claim any of it. I have to see my surgeon the following week for my post op review. I can claim some of that, but not all. My wallet is getting to be a bottomless pit where the band is concerned.:woot: Susannah

Gday, I read somewhere that someone named their band Antonio as in Banderas.:mad: I won't name mine. Susannah

Hi All, Hi Terri, welcome. Cam you are a star. So if I get two bottles of water, should I do sets of arm raises, bicep curls, and what else? How many sets? I wish I could afford to join a gym, but I am broke at the moment. I am trying to do outdoor exercise while the weather is still good, and delay the gym thing until winter forces me indoors. I can't seem to find any good exercising at home sites on the internet. I am thinking of doing workout dvds. I already have one that my sister gave me. I went back to work today. I just worked from 8.30am to 1pm, which is a good way to ease back into work. Kids are gorgeous. They always ask me if I have a baby in my tummy! LOL!:biggrin1: Hopefully my weight loss with the band should silence that question. Meredith how are you? I am so jealous of your job!:mad: Hey Fee, you work in childcare too so you know how hilarious kids can be. Bronnie, The days are flying by mate. I wonder how Dionne is.Hope all is well. Loretta, How are you? Any news from Dr Nottle? Susannah

Hey, Nice one Chris NJ!!!!:biggrin1: Susannah

Hi, I was an average sized baby, a thin child, and I didn't start having problems with my weight until I was about 15. I had my gall bladder removed at that time and have struggled with my weight ever since. I am done 4 kilograms since being banded 2+ weeks ago. Susannah

Dionne, Sending good vibes your way right now!:biggrin1: Susannah

Hi all, Cam you are amazing. You take the time to give us all such detailed responses to our questions. You are what 25 years old? And you are such a wise old owl. You write in a very eloquent manner. Ever considered being an author? I have a bit of a dilemma. I went for my first post op exercise/walk this morning. I did about 40 mins. I got half way through it and my heart was pounding so fast and sweat was dripping off me in buckets. From walking! This has never happened to me before, and I was concerned, because my heart should not have been pounding so fast. Have I overdone it? Is this normal post op? Do I need to ease into it over say a month? I am thinking of Dionnem this morning and hoping she will sail through the op and recovery. I am sending good vibes her way. Bronnie, great stuff with the Optifast. Meredith Hi, Fee Hi, Mark hi, Angel hi, Loretta hi, Trin hi, everyone else hi! Susannah

Hi All, Bronnie it is totally weird but my nephews had their birthday party this morning, and I was surrounded by food. I had absolutely no desire to eat!:biggrin1: The band has really put a clamp on my appetite. I was perfectly content to just sit there eating a tub of yoghurt while everybody else was eating and eating all kinds of junk and healthy food. I did not feel deprived at all! I am down 4 kilos post op now. I think I love my band!:biggrin1: Susannah

Hi, I have been wondering about this too. I am on the mushies stage now. I have been slowly eating 1 cup of food at a time and feeling content with that amount, not full, not hungry. Is 1 cup too much food. I am 2 weeks out and have not had a fill. Is 1 cup of mushies at a time too much for me? Should I be having only a half a cup? :help: Susannah

Hey Bron, 2 kgs down is worth all the pain. I was thinking I would try those little breath mint strips you can get at the supermarket. They just disolve I think. I would be mortified to think I had bad breath. Susannah