mss

I am not 100% sure but I think there is a chance that cosmetic surgery can be covered in Australia if the surgeon is also doing another procedure at the same time. I have very bad scarring (internally and externally) from liver surgery a couple of years ago and one surgeon has suggested that I wait to get it fixed until I am close to my goal weight as he can remove some of the extra skin at the same time.

Welcome to the forums Ky. from yet another aussie :thumbup:

Hate to say it Rastis but you know Dr Watson, he is pretty careful and I know in my case when he had even a little bit of doubt about giving me a fill he asked me to hold off for a bit longer. Hope your appt went well. :tongue2:

I agree with the previous poster about checking with your doctor. If they give the ok maybe see a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist and they could set up an exercise program for you. I used to do hydrotherapy when I had a shoulder injury and it was great for working my muscles but gentle enough not to do further damage.

I was told to stay away from my weights routine for 6 weeks but was able to start doing cardio earlier. The lap band hasn't impacted on the weights I do - although I tend to generally be the person at the gym who uses the lowest weights

I didn't realise there were any limitations on donating blood after lapband surgery.

Welcome to the forums. There are lots of Perth people here now.

I was about 30 kg overweight and I got the lapband put it. My main health problem was that I had a liver tumour in the past and being overweight increases the chance of it happening again. Dr Watson did mine also...Fanny what time was your appt with Dr Watson on the 15th? I think it was about 10.15am when I went in and saw him. I was sitting in the waiting room wondering if there was anyone from here sitting there but I didn't want to ask a total stranger if they also had a lapband in case I embarassed them. I was due to have my second fill but he decided not to give me one as I am still steadily losing weight so I go back again at the end of Feb.

Mine is on my left side because I have had a lot of surgery to my liver so the right side of my abdomen has a lot of scar tissue and adhesions. I have to remind my Dr about where he put my port when I see him!

I went to see my surgeon today and he was very pleased with my weight loss so far and we agreed that I wouldn't have another fill just yet. I have had one fill since I was banded on in October and so far (fingers crossed) it has been enough to get me losing a little weight every week.... well that and the fact that I have become addicted to going to the gym!

That is great news Rastis. I thought of you today because I went to see Dr Watson and remembered that he is also your Dr.

I had my surgery 3 months ago and have had one fill which was about 5 weeks after surgery. I am seeing the surgeon for my next appointment on the 15th of this month and will discuss whether to have another fill yet or not as I am slowly but steadily losing weight so far and am pretty pleased (ok ecstatic) about my weight loss so far. I definitely still feel hungry about 2 hours after a meal and can eat pretty well everything including bread and steak however I am eating much less than I ate pre-band.

I am glad that they have found the cause of the pain Rastis. Hopefully the medication will help and later on you can have another fill put in. I will be thinking of you.

I practise mindfulness when eating and my surgeon had also suggested I try this when I had my first appointment and was something I had already started doing as part of mindfulness meditations. We get into the habit of making eating secondary to whatever else we are doing - driving, watching tv, reading, talking etc and then find that we have finished our meal without even tasting anything. A classic mindfulness exercise is the raisin/sultana exercise. Put a few raisins/sultanas on a saucer. Take notice of the plate - colour, size, shape, how heavy it is etc. Then look at the raisins - what do they look like, how many are there, how are they positioned, how big are they, how are they similar/different to eachother. Pick one up - how light is it, what is the texture, what does it feel like in your hand, squeeze it gently- what does this feel similar or different to. Put one in your mouth. Don't chew just yet. Let it sit in your mouth for a few seconds, notice where it is placed on your tongue, how heavy it feels, what is your mouth doing? Take a bite - where on your tongue can you taste the raisin? What does it taste like? Is it sweet, sour, bitter etc? Continue chewing slowly, with each bite noticing the different tastes and where you experience them in your mouth. How does it feel as you swallow your bite of raisin? when you have finished eating one, compare that experience to previous experiences of eating a raisin - how was it different? I practise mindful eating whenever I can.... because it takes me so long to eat something I really savour the sensation and notice my full feeling without having eaten as much as I previously would have. There is more info on the net about mindfulness and mindful eating.

Congratulations to both of you.

I thankfully am off warfarin now but every time I need surgery I have to go back onto blood thinners. I was on heparin whilst in hospital for the lap band and then on clexane injections at home for about 2 weeks after the surgery and had no problems with extra bleeding or anything. The surgeon just asked me to ask my haematologist for advice before doing the surgery. all the best.

I am not in the USA so the best I could do is come up with this link which locates psychologists in your area. You would then need to contact them individually to see if they specialise in the lap band/eating issues. It would also be helpful if you are able to let them know why you feel the last psychologist wasn't helpful. APA Help Center - Find A Psychologist

I haven't set up any mini weight loss goals (maybe I should) as I wanted to focus more on changing and improving my eating habits rather than focussing on the scales....having said that ... I have been losing about a kilo a week and this is with only one fill and what seems like no restriction yet so I am very very happy. My goal for the next month - weigh less than this month.

Yep I would also definitely say talk to your surgeon about this. I was banded in October and thankfully haven't experienced a PB yet and only vomitted once when I had the flu. I hate the thought that good restriction would mean throwing up regularly.

I was on holidays just before christmas and bought 3 gorgeous tops and a skirt that are all a little too small for me and I am going to hang them up in my room to motivate me. Up until now I have been loving the fact that some of my clothes that haven't fitted me for a few years now look great.

Beating yourself up about things is probably only going to make you feel worse. I was also banded in October and have had one fill so far. My doctor suggested I cancel my fill in December as I am going interstate the next day so my second fill will be on 19th January. I don't feel any restriction so far and find that writing down everything I eat is helping keep me on track. Could you ask your new friend if he can cook food that is healthier for you. I ate a fruit mince pie yesterday and the world did not collapse around me.... it just meant that I reduced what I ate today.

Maybe it is a gender thing as I would also feel embarassed and upset if a stranger approached me and started telling me about their lap band or other weight loss ideas. I believe that people will start investigating options when they are ready to do so and that it would be disrespectful of me to make that decision on their behalf. A couple of what if's - what if the person you talk to has had a failed lap band or they are unable to have the surgery due to medical reasons, financial reasons or other reasons? Having a stranger mention their successful lapband experience may bring up painful memories. I like the t shirt idea though I probably would be worried that the person is going to try and sell me something...but that is probably me being cynical. I admire your desire to help people ...my personal view is that it is important to let others make the decision on when and if they wish to be helped.

My doctor had a bit of trouble finding my port for my first fill. He eventually put a pillow in the middle of my back and had me lay back down and was able to do it. He has asked me to practise abdominal exercises to strengthen my tummy muscles and that this may help when I get my next fill.

Augie March is a current Aussie band that is starting to gain some popularity back home and overseas. Their biggest selling single is 'One crowded hour'. I remember being very young and very drunk and singing Khe Sanh at the top of my voice with some new found best friends on a flight from Sydney to LA. I am so glad I stopped drinking!!

I have lost 10 kg since being banded - woohoo! I don't feel much restriction yet so it has been more about making good food choices, cutting out junk food and living with a growly tummy.