Chickie

Hi Pat! I was, and still am an emotional eater. The band does not stop this, sadly. It does however give me more control over the portions I consume, and provided I make good choices (and exercise), I lose weight. At 16 months out, I am almost at goal. It can be done. It took me a few cancelled appointments before I finally got to the surgeon. And if you have any doubts, it is the right thing to do. This is a life changing surgery. I wish you the best of luck in your journey!

It is really hard to say if you will "hate" your boobs. Every one is so different. Some women I know who have lost weight have lost a lot of volume in their boobs, while others lost nothing. I am fairly close to goal weight, and still have massive (H cup) boobs. They are not as full as they once were, but they still look great in a good bra. So *I* do not hate my boobs. Only time will tell I guess.

Congratulations!! :clap2:

Good luck! :clap2:

No, the one I was thinking of is Spironolactone. Nasty, nasty side effects.. But apparently it works, and the execess hair falls out. It is taken in pill form. It is not a cream. Maybe they don't give spiro for hirsutism in the US, I don't know. But they do in Oz. It works, but at a price. I think I will just stick with my bleach and tweezers :grouphug:

Golden words. Your regular doc may know little about PCOS treatment, and management, but an endo! Well! What can I say? All they deal with is disorders like PCOS. They usually have the most up to date info. So I say, do as you are, and do what your regular doc says in order to get a Dx, and get your referal to your endo. That is great!! :clap2: And on the subject of chin hairs.... 62kg (136lbs) down, and close to goal, I am sitting here tweezers in hand pulling stray hairs :bananadoggywow: I am afraid it gets no better with weight loss. I am told there is a medication (the name is on the tip of my tounge...) to stop/slow the hair growth, but it has some very nasty side effects. My endo told me to stick with the tweezers.. I would be better off in the long run *sigh* That said, weight loss has sorted my hormone levels, my insulin has gone from off the charts high, to perfectly normal, and I have a 28 day cycle (I was lucky to have 2 cycles a year). So there is hope.

Paula - you asked about alternative therapy for PCOS. http://www.soulcysters.com/symptoms.html That page has some great idea's including Flax seed oil, evening primrose oil and black current oil (as hormone balancing agents)

Ahh, ok. You *were* given Depo-Provera. I am not sure if I would take Depo. A lot of women with PCOS have very bad side effects from Depo. Not everyone.. But a lot do. It may be worth checking out www.soulcysters.net . There are a lot of ladies over there who may be able to give you some advice.

Provera is different to Depo-Provera. Depo is the birth control, and Provera is used to induce a period. http://www.healthsquare.com/newrx/pro1361.htm

I am a woman, I have curves... Even when I was younger I was a muscular girl, not an ounce of fat on my body, but I was never skinny. I am just not built that way. I am weighing in at 160lbs now, and am wearing a AU size 12 (I think that is a US 10) I am starting to look like I did when I was a kid (but I have huge breasts now, I am a H cup :faint:) I look strong and healthy. I look like a woman. I don't really wan't to get into a size 6 (That would be about a size 8AU) On *me* that would look far too thin (despite only being 5ft 4in) I have bones sticking out everywhere already. I look great now (to me, anyway :dance:) And if I get slimmer from here, great. But if I do not, I look better than I have in my whole adult life, and am healither than I have been since I had my son. Being a bikini is not really a priority in my life.

Here are a few sites I refer to for recipes - http://whatscookingamerica.net/RecipeIndexDiet.htm http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/recipes/low_calorie/main_meals.htm http://www.low-fat-recipes.com/featured-recipes/index.htm I found that most of the recipes can be made "bandster friendly".

I was quoted $3800 by my band surgeon. Apparently, my health fund will cover my hospital stay, and part of the tuck. I have no idea what I will get back from Medicare, but even if I had to pay 100% of that $3800, it is still one cheap tummy tuck.

I was dx'ed with PCOS in 2000. I had all the typical symptoms (weight gain, cysts, acne, IR, infertility, hair, absent periods, and on and on) 13 months down the track, my 3000mg of Metformin is down to 500mg (I am comming of slowly, my insulin and sugars are perfect now) I am down to 77kg, from 135kg, I have perfectly clear skin (I get the odd sopt just before I get my period) and I have a 28 day cycle for the first time in my life! I still have some hair on my chin and arms, but there is far less than before. I hope that helps a little.

Thanks everyone... I am feeling so much better now I am unfilled. :clap2: Sooo much better! :clap2: I am quietly confident that everything will be ok. Thanks again for all the support. I will keep everyone updated :biggrin1:

As Alex said, the band is a fickle bitch. Go for the test to rule out any problems, and maybe talk to your doctor about a small unfull to give your band, and stomach rest?

I would, and will do it again if need be.

I am back from the doc. He said, it sounds lke a slippage. We did a gastrograffin (I think you in the US call them Fluro's) and yup. I have slipped. The left side has slipped up. So, I have no fill, and am on liquids, till next week. We will do another gastrograffin then, see what the band is doing and decide where we go from there (Re operation, or leave it... I think we will end up re operating to be honest, I just have a feeling) So thanks for all the prayers, and well wishes.. It has turned out really well , as these things go, and is totally fixable. Just a bump in the road :biggrin1:

I am only taking pain killers for the pain that I am having related to this mess... And it is only panadol. So nothining like ibupofin (sp?) or the like. I highly doubt that me taking 2 panadol every 6 hours is causing this, given it started before I began taking them (and taking them because the clinical nurse, and my dr said to if I needed them) And I am on an antacid. I am seeing my doctor. In the morning. He will run tests. I am dong exactly what I have been told to do.

I am having a bit of trouble right at this second, and am thinking the very worst (as most do) and have been thinking about what I will/would do if I need to be unbanded. I will do it again if I have to. If it comes to a point, where I need my band out, I will have another put in ASAP.

Congratulations!

Thanks Kathy. I think you are right. I will end up with an unfill at the very least. I will update as soon as I get home. The pain worries me too. That is why I had hoped that some one could shed some light on it for me. It has slowly been getting worse since Monday of this week. It is at the point now, that if I breathe too deeply, I get a sharp pain. So maybe it is not band related? I have not had any problems till now, so I guess I am just freaking out a little. Or a lot. lol

Wow Jodi! You are doing really well! 14kg is a very modest gain for 30 weeks. My son was born in may too. May is a good month to have babies! Good luck hon, and do keep us posted.

Maybe it is worth putting a year into getting and waiting for private insurance to kick in? I still had an out of pocket with my banding, but it was far less than I would have paid if I had been 100% self pay. Even 1 year of private health + my out of pocket was less than 10k. Way less. And I think you will struggle to find a doc to do it for less than that.

Are there any Brisbanders out there?

Thanks Janet. I see my doc in the morning.. And it was the first appointment, sadly. He was interstate till tonight (it is 10.45pm, Tues night here in Oz) So I got the first appointment he had. DH is going with me for moral support, so that is something. But to be honest, with the pain I am in at the moment, I think I need him to drive me to the doc, more than I need the support! lol. I know that no two bandsters are the same, but I was kinda hoping that someone would be able to say "Oh, I had the same thing happen.. And this is what it was" Wishful thinking I guess. I am the type of person who is comforted by facts. If I know what it is, I can deal with it. Good or bad. KWIM?