deepinfl

You are so right about speaking to a professional! Peer advice is helpful, but most of us are not professionals and only speaking from personal experience. You are also right about Aussie docs and American (or anywhere else) docs. Everywhere they treat it differently. Australian doctors have a lot more experience with the lapband than American doctors. I wish sometimes my (american) doctors would pay attention and actually look up experience "issues" that Aussie doctors have had. That would help the patients here and if issues do come up, the Aussie doctors have probably already dealt with them and have a solution. Oh well.

Good luck! You are going to feel and look AWESOME!!!!

Good luck! Well, you aren't allowed caffeine AFTER the surgery, at least for the first month. It sure makes the Protein drink go down better, but the main thing is that it stops the cramping. It was awful, really awful. Now, I'm learning to like coffee. My son went back to our home in Australia last month. Waa! Waa! I can't tell you how much I miss my home!!

Great, will look forward to hearing from you. As I mentioned, our local group allows anybody and everybody to join. If you can do that, then it's a win-win for you. Good luck!!

So, you are at goal? That's great! I'm finding the closer I get to goal the "looser" the skin is. I probably will wait at least 6 months after I stabilize, besides I figure the last 20 or so pounds may take me another 4 months or so to lose anyway, because the last bit is going S L O W!!! Thank you!

I have never been a coffee drinker. Now all of a sudden, I can't get enough of it. I add a cup of coffee to my Protein drink in the mornings. It helps the horrible cramps I was getting in my thighs every single night. Since the caffeine..no cramps. Wish I had known that sleepless nights before. I think you will find you just aren't supposed to have it for the first couple of months. Take care and good luck!!

STOP THE PEANUTS. And, don't use the dinner as an excuse to eat. Bottom line, you are in 2 weeks of liquids, that is it. You are to be on liquids..ONLY. You have to get all of this under control or you will not be successful. Your dad will understand, or take an Optifast with you and just enjoy his company. But, if you don't want to get to the surgery and wake up and find out they didn't do it, then you'd better stick with that liquid diet. Now is when you learn to stick with it. NO excuses. Good luck, it really is a wonderful thing you are doing, but you have to tell yourself that you are committed to this. Peanuts and going out to eat, etc..that's not really committed is it? Two weeks is not much, you can do it!!!

Whoa, I didn't know you were on the pre-op either. STOP THE PEANUTS. If you can't stay on the liquid diet now, then how do you know you are going to be able to control yourself afterwards. You need to make sure you don't have a fatty liver for the surgery and peanuts are fatty. My advise..STOP NOW.

Whoa..that hospital sounds yucky!! That would be a BIG consideration because you are going to see them (the staff) more than the doctor. As for the pain meds, I don't know if you will get "do it yourself" pain meds anyway, this surgery is really no big deal. But, regardless..go with your gut instinct. You make some really good points and you need to listen to what YOU are saying. Surgery is surgery and you need to go to the best place and get the best person for the job. It's your body and you will be the one to have to deal with the "cons". Afterwards is too late. Take care, you sound very intelligent and present some awfully good arguments for the OTHER person. As for the local group, we have some people here that had surgery several hours drive away and they still go to our LOCAL group. I don't think they care where you had the surgery, just that you had the surgery. So, you might be able to get in with the local group for your group sessions. I am a bad example for that, though, because I have only been to 2 sessions because I didn't really get anything out of them but a lot of people complaining about their jobs. Oh well. Take care.

You are expecting too much from a fill. The fill is not going to make you lose weight, it is only going to keep your appetite in check. My friend, Patty had surgery the same day as myself and she keeps wanting fills so that she can "lose more weight", but the fills don't do it. When she started exercising, the weight started falling off. So, yes you need the fills for appetite control, but please don't expect too much from them or you are going to be disappointed like my friend Patty. Now, if you are eating TOO much, then that is a different matter. But, a fill is not magic, it is not going to make you lose more weight. It just helps you by helping you to eat less. But, remember, ice cream, candy, etc go down very nicely even with a tight fill, so up the protein and down with the carbs and up with exercise and I think you will start seeing an improvement. Make sure you are getting enough protein. I drink liquid protein every single day after I get home from the gym, it really does help. Good luck.

How long do most people wait till they have plastic surgery..tummy tucks, arms, etc? If you exercise is that tightening it at all or is something that can just be fixed by the knife? I know some of it is your age, but at what point do you know it's just not going to tighten by itself?? :tt2:

Hang in there, it'll come off. You have just begun your journey. If you haven't already, but best advice is to make sure you have added exercise..GOOD exercise, the kind that makes you sweat. When I find myself not losing as much as I would like, I go on Optifast for a day, it seems to kick start the loss again. But, the main thing is that I have added a LOT of exercise and that has made the most difference. Good luck, one day you'll start losing again and it will be awesome!!:tt2:

I would cut out the peanuts till AFTER your liquid period is over..just in case. However, afterwards, I find that nuts are one of the few things that I never barf up (yes, some things I DO throw up..especially bread, potatoes..basically anything white doesn't agree with me). But, for now..you are healing and if you can't stop eating peanuts NOW when you aren't supposed to eat them then you might not be able to stop later and by that I mean, you may not be able to control your quantity. But, heal...you need to heal. There is plenty of time later!!! And, good luck to you, you made such a good decision!!:tt2:

Pick the doctor with the most experience. I went "local", since non-local was at least 2 hours away. In retrospect I wish I hadn't. He was fine, but most of the people he has done here have had some little issue that seemed like perhaps a bit of "practice". Now, of course a doctor has to get practice somewhere, but most everybody here had a slightly different experience..whether it be how the sutures were done, or whatever. I would go for experience. But, bottom line is that it has to be a doctor that YOU feel comfortable with.

I use the Isopure low carb, but there are a lot of good brands out there. Just watch the protein "count". Sometimes things (esp protein bars) say HIGH protein and you find out that they really don't have much at all. Try the coffee with the Protein Powder, it really does work. D.

That was great! I knew they had a segment time, I'm hoping I can do it. I went to your site, wish I had known about it before I booked and paid for my room since they only give you guaranteed entry if you book 3 nights..bummer, I would have done that. Well, next time I will know. Thank you SO Much for letting me know, I appreciate it! D.

My friend, Patty, and I had the surgery the same day. She was just before me. Bottom line is that she doesn't exercise and she has lost 65 pounds (since Feb 18), I EXERCISE and I have lost 108. So, if you want to lose and more importantly if you want your skin to tighten AS you lose..do the exercise. Honestly, you will feel better and after while it will become a HABIT. Take care and hang in there. D.

What kind of exercise are you doing?? Since I took up running, the weight has been coming off quickly. Also..I swear by protein powder, but buy a GOOD brand, mine has 50gr of protein. D.

I had my 3rd fill in July and it STILL is uncomfortable..even if I drink too much at a time, it feels like a brick and up it comes!! There are some foods you can eat and some you cannot. I cannot eat any kind of bread, chicken, salmon, potatoes (even mashed), but I take protein powder ever single morning (with a cup of coffee in it and some 1% milk) so I don't really think I'm malnourished. But, bottom line is IF YOU ARE WORRIED, GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR, THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE THERE FOR. D. PS..I'll bet the tums don't really help???

Yes..absolutely self pay, $18,500. I was still getting bills in 3 months after the event, HOWEVER..saying that..your health is worth any amount of money. I know if you don't have it, you don't have it, but my surgeon had some very attractive finance plans. Besides, I save enough now by not eating fast foods! :lovechoc: Yes, I had an entire day of pre-op, it was a week before the surgery. But, that is good to make sure that everything is hunky dory beforehand. I know you are nervous, but I can say it was one of the best things I have ever done. I feel better (even though I am 55) than I have in many many years. I go to the gym 3 times a week and I have even started running. OMG..I never imagined!! Take care and GOOD LUCK, but you are absolutely making the right decision!!! D>

Lynn..were you getting cramps just in your legs or all over? I like your caffeine idea because I found that worked for me also. The cramping in my thighs was awful. So, I started drinking Protein powder (in 1% milk) and adding a cup of coffee to it..voila..no more cramps!! You are doing well if you are still eating lollies and twisties and holding the weight down nicely. Even though everything in moderation I think that sometimes you have to have something you are really craving. By the way..I MISS twisties, I love them. My husband...I think those are his favourite food! :lovechoc: Besides as I saw in something the other day..they say to eat more "orange" in your diet..and aren't Twisties ORANGE??? D.

I was banded in Feb (2008). It was the best thing I have ever done. Yes, I had complications..I had an infection and I was in terrible pain for over 2 weeks, but it was still the best thing for me. At the rate I was going, I was heading for a heart attack, so if I had to have 2 weeks with pain, whoopee, better than having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, bad heart. MUCH better! Stop it before it gets to that point. Now my blood pressure is 102 over 68 and I have never felt better in my LIFE!! I still have 27 pounds to go, but I know I will get there. I go to the gym 3 days a week and I have signed up for some running/walking races. Never in my life did I think I would do that!! The main thing with me is that I have probably lost 1000 pounds in my life just to regain them PLUS. This is to make sure it comes off and STAYS off. I like that fact that (unlike gastric bypass) I can get a fill and get tighter if need be. I have taken back my life!! :lovechoc:

Just to let you know, most American insurance companies will NOT approve the lapband, regardless. Some approve gastric bypass, but not many. Most of us here have to pay cash up front ($18,500) to have the lapband. If you don't have cash up front, they have finance plans. I wish I had done my in Brisbane and saved the $18,500! :lovechoc: Regardless, it was worth every penny.

That is so awesome! I will remember the coast to coast one, that would be really neat. I tried to sign up for the half marathon, but by May it was already closed out. I wish you so much luck! What time did you finish the 1/2???? D.

Most Marathons (and half-marathons and 10K) you CAN walk, it depends upon the organizers. Disney (and some others) require you maintain a certain segment time, i.e. Disney Race for Taste you have to maintain a 15 minute segment (mile) for the entire race. The Disney Marathon is a 16 minute segment. That is a pretty fast walk and they can pull you off if you do not maintain it. But, some other ones just require you to finish in 7 hours and that's it, so my advise is...TRY IT!! You have gone through so much and you have proven you can accomplish so much, just prove to yourself you can do this also. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, just that you cross that line!! Take care. D.:smile: