Chickie

Yup, some people never need fills. Some people can, with only the restriction of the band being in place, lose weight. It come down to lifestyle (I sound like a broken record! lol) If a person can change their lifestyle to include daily exercise, and a good healthy diet of Protein, veggies and (gasp!) carbs, it is entirely possible to lose weight with only the restriction the band provides unfilled. If a bandster is losing even 0.5lbs a week, while eating a small meal of protein, veggies and carbs and exercising... They do not need a fill. Extended periods (4 weeks plus) of no weight loss at all, despite daily exercise and a balanced diet is when a bandster should be looking at a fill. And honestly, doctor shopping for a fill is not really a great idea. Doctors get pissy about other surgeons or fill tech's touching "their" bands. And if a problem ever comes up, they may be unwilling to help you out if you have been seeing other doctors for fills. But yeah, a broken record, lol.

I did nothing at all to my scars, and 2.4 years later, I really have to look to find them.

I can feel my port. But I am at my goal weight (under it actually) and I have had a tummy tuck, so the skin is stretched over it, and there is little in the way of fat on top of it. Before getting to goal, the only way I could feel my port was to lay down, and poke my belly. And I was quite sore after the fact. Perhaps your surgeon placed your port closer to the skin for easy access for fills?

Wowzers! Even with a low profile port, I cannot imagine having my port placed on my ribs! Maybe the Aussies place their ports differently to the docs in the US, but my port is between my belly button and ribs.

Thank you!

I try to help where I can. Best of luck to you.

Happy bandiversary & congrats on your loss to date. You do look so much happier in photo's 2 and 3! You just shine!

Tell them to get a life. Just because you have cancer is no reason for you not to have the best possible quality of life you can. And if you feel that losing weight at this stage will add to your quality of life, go for it. Good luck!

I recall having hicups after banding. I don't think it is anything major to worry about.

I had 154lbs to lose to get to the high end of a "normal" weight. I ended up losing 183lbs, getting me down to the lower end of normal, and a BMI of 19.5 (I think my doc worked it out to be 115% of my excess weight lost) Losing 100% of your excess weight can be done. It just takes a total lifestyle change, and some hard work.

Nope. I have never felt it during sex, and my DH has never complained that he could feel it either. But then, we are pretty occupied at the time, and it's not really something I think about (the port that is, lol)

Diary of a Drama Queen (My WLS story) It hasn't been updated for a while... I must get to that today after I go for my run, and mow the lawn... In the meantime I do have some pics on this page of my web page; Optus Member Website - sndbehan

I replied to the other thread, but wow, I just have to comment again! Liz, you look fab. The pain and discomfort you are feeling now will be a distant memory in a another couple of weeks time when you are out shopping for all the new clothes you will need (I needed everything I brought after my TT, lol) Just remember to take it as easy as you can for the next few weeks!

Hey Liz! You look like you are healing really well. And just like me, no bruising, and little swelling! You must be so pleased that it's all over, and went so well. Just remember to do as little as possible in the next few weeks in the way of lifting, housework (lol) and stuff like pushing shopping trollies (found that one out the hard way) You look fab!

I'd like to point out that a banded pouch can stretch, just like a bypasses pouch, and weight can be regained.

The theory behind feeling cold, or not as hot as before we lost weight is this. Fat is a fantastic insulator. It keeps us warm. So during the hotter parts of the year, we had not only the natural heat of the summer to deal with, but all this extra padding and insulation. When we lost the weight, we are like all the other normal sized folk in the world. But, we are used to being over heated by our fat, so we feel cold compared to how we felt before. We are not cold so much as normal. Clear as mud? LMAO

Some people can drink coke, flat and fizzy. I prefer not to. Personal choice. Three years ago I thought I could never go without diet coke. I was addicted. Now, I don't miss it.

Yes, you can gain weight after banding. Yes, you can "eat around" the band by drinking calories, or eating high calorie food that goes down easy (ice cream, chocolate and so on) Yes, you can lose weight fast. Too fast? Maybe. But if you are doing the right thing by eating good healthful foods, and exercising, and not starving yourself, then no, its just how fast your body wants to lose. Sam.

Hey Maria! No real side effects, aside from having to buy a whole new wardrobe! I can, and do eat normal food. I make a point to eat whole foods (not processed) and organic wherever I can. But "normal" food now is so different now to what I called "normal" 3 years ago. I have been accused around these parts of being extreme in my eating (I am a veggie, and prefer not to eat junk food) But as I talk to all the healthiest people I know, while they are not all veggie, they all seem to eat the same sorts of things as I do. How many fills? I think I have had in the range of 10 fills and unfills total (I was unfilled for a short period, then was filled up again) The trouble with all the "fill talk" that goes on around here is, what works for me, is not necessarily going to work for you, or anyone else. Some people get by with 1cc in their band, others have to be filled right up to feel restriction. Every person is so different. I say take it one fill at a time, and give it time to work. Sam.

My doc uses the "shrink" to evaluate how compliant we will be after banding. Also to try to pick up any eating disorders. It's not about being "crazy".

Hiya! While PCOS can make it difficult to lose weight, I wouldn't go as far as to say it prohibits it. And it is usually the associated insulin resistance or diabetes that is at the root of the "can't lose weight" problem. Women with pcos and IR have fairly high insulin and normal-ish sugars making it hard to lose, but once medication is prescribed insulin normalises and weight loss is usually much easier. Don't give up hope! Low GI eating, lots of exercise, and medication are fantastic tools in fighting PCOS (even at a normal weight)

Fair weather friends come and go. Anyone who is not honestly pleased that you have made efforts improve your health is not a friend. I have lost friends. Just sort of fell out of touch with them. No real drama involved.. But they just sort of fell away while I was losing. And other people who I have always been acquainted with became really good friends. So it cuts both ways I guess. As for my husband and family? Well, my mother, who has always been thinner than thin (think Nicole Ritchie, she is about as healthy too...) has been less than supportive of my efforts, and has tried to derail me the whole way along. I actually had to limit the time I spent with her due to this. It is a shame, but she cannot let go of the need to feel superior to me. She was happy when I was fat, and she was skinny. Now she whines and cries when the topic of weight comes up, and she will always say with a lot of envy "Well, we all can't be skinny like YOU", it cracks me up. I am not skinny, not compared to her anyway, but she insists I am skinnier. I weigh more than she does, but I wear a dress size smaller than her... She hates it. My husband on the other hand... Is an arrogant prick, and his murder is well planned, and will happen any day now... No, really, he has been my biggest support. He got me through the surgery. He got me through the early days post op, he celebrated my successes with me, and then nursed me after my tummy tuck (even though he did threaten to send me back to the hospital when I was whining! Poor guy, he did so well to put up with me, I am a very bad patient) And now, as he loses weight (he is down 10lbs in just over a month, am very proud of him) I hope I am returning the favour. Our marriage is, and always has been strong. It's a partnership. Everything we do, we try our hardest to support each other. Our health is no different. We need to support each other in order to succeed. Weight loss changes us. Inside and out, so I guess it stands to reason that the people we got on well with before we changed our lives, outlook and health, no longer share the same sorts of values and interests. The trick is to move on, and not to let any negative attitudes get you down. Making new friends is often part of creating a new life.

Through a total lifestyle change, and the band, I was able to lose from 297lbs down to 114. It can be done, and in the same sort of time frame as someone who has had a gastric bypass (there are a few different types, RNY and DS I think) From what I understand you can have children after a gastric bypass, just like the band. There are pluses and minuses to both surgeries, and really it just comes down to what is the best fit for you, and your lifestyle (or the lifestyle you think you can live with) Obesity Help (ObesityHelp - Gastric Bypass, LAP-BAND® System, DS and Other Surgical and Non-Surgical Weight Loss Options.) is a great place to search out the other surgery types. I live in Oz, so I am of no help at all on the supervised diet thing, sorry! Good luck.

Hello from Brisbane! Congrats on being banded CJ. What sorts of questions do you have? Fire away... I will help out if I can. Maria. Your doctor is dead on. Some people will have a lot of excess skin, and others with fantastic genetics, will not. And sadly, you won't know what category you fall into till you fall into it.

Swelling at 3.5 weeks post op is very normal, and expected. It can take months for swelling to go down. Some surgeons will tell you that it can take a full year for the swelling to go down 100%, and the full result to be seen. The skin feels tight due to the fact that you most likely were pulled very tight during the surgery, then add the swelling and you get the tighter than tight feeling. The shiny look is just a part of that. Again totally normal, and almost expected. Sam.