Bel

Hi Kyleigh, I was banded sept 2002 so maybe i can help? I did/do have the same issues as you do and have found i needed to be accountable for my eating once again...unfortunatly as time goes on it can be easy to not get fills and as the Fluid in the band evaporates a little you get less restriction and don't realise your portions gradually get larger. I went and got a good fill last week and am now down 1.3 kgs in less then a week. I started to think hey i can have a lil of this and a lil of that and got lazy, life also got in the way with a medical issue that popped up, i found a great help was to start from scratch. Get a fill and eat like a newbie for a week (baby the band) and be a concious eater again, concentrate on what you feel while your eating and stop when you get that soft stop. Unfortunatly i found you really just need to give yourself a kick in the butt and when you do get restriction again you remember what it was like when you first got the band. Pm me if you wanna chat :-) Bel

my 2 cents....when someone is referred to as a cheat it usually means they are in competition and are cheating to get an unfair advantage. Don't know about anyone else but i sure as hell never got the band to compete with other people! I got it to get healthy and enjoy my life which it has helped me do. Having a helping hand when you need something to change in order to save your own life isn't cheating, its using your brain to take advantage of whats out there. Sure it may mean i have help but where is the shame in that? at least i won't be dead and gone because i was too proud to 'cheat' So i am hear to say i am a proud CHEATER and if anyone has a problem with that i will happily go on my skinny ass way lol :-) Bel

Hi Sally, I just wanted to offer you some support...its important to remember that being newly banded your body is going through a lot of changes. You are also going to have the anastesia in your system still and can have it for up to 6-12mths which causes you to become tired more easily. When i was banded this was a huge problem for me. It is important that you take a good Multivitamin and a probiotic is also helpful, i found these things to be a great help during my first year. Having surgery affects people differently and you should try not to compare yourself to others, just take it slow and try your best throughout the day to get in some exercise...the more you do the more energy you get. Simple things like taking the stairs at first will make a difference ! It will get better :-) Bel

hmmm, good point. The directions i have are from when i was banded 8 years ago so there is a good chance it needs updating.. lol who knows you have me baffled now Although i do feel when i drink my band temporarily loosens and i can eat more if i drink immediatly before but that is just me

My doc says you can drink up to ten minutes before eating but you need the 10 min break because if you still have liquid in your pouch when you eat it helps the food slide through faster causing you to be able to eat more. Bel

hi Special, I am now 24yrs but i had the surgery just after my 16th birthday, if there is anything you wanted to know just pm me and i would be happy to help being banded 8 years and all through my later teen years i would hope i could answer at least some of your questions Bel

Hi Sarah! I live in Redbank Plains 2 OMG

omg i see Dr Duncombe 2, she is the one who referred me! The legs i am not entirely happy with because he does not lift the skin only tightens it around the leg....hope u know what i mean! anyway the recovery was harder with the legs as they are more prone to infection and i made the mistake of sitting down after having them done too quickly and it kills!

I had my port flip twice in my 8 years with the band, the first time i had surgery to fix it and i swear it is a piece of cake, its day surgery and your in and out, its like having a deep but small cut on your tummy and thats it (for me anyway) The second time it fixed itself after a few months (dont ask i have no idea how and the doctor was baffled) the only reason i didnt get it fixed was because i was pi**ed off it had fliped and was too stubborn to get it fixed again lol Bel

Dr Cockburn is fantastic he did my tummy tuck and removed skin from my legs (2 surgeries) one hint though, his name is pronounced CO Burn not COCKburn lol a mistake i made :-) Dr Cockburn can help with your insurance questions, for me it was around 3 years ago so i can't really help with that one but i don't believe it is considered reconstructive because it is something you can live with but you usually get it removed for cosmetic purposes hope this has helped Bel

My surgeon has always said as long as you CAN get Water in and can eat food you are not to tight, i personally feel im at perfect restriction. I can drink a mouthful at a time but i have difficulty gulping down several in one go if that makes sense Hope this helped

Hi, Im 24yrs, i have been banded 8 years next month. I tell people these days, i didnt at first because i experienced a lot of jealousy and lost a lot of what i thought were true friends because of it. Now i figure if they have a problem it's THEIR problem. Life with the band is great, i now do things i could never dream of doing when i was obese and i have many true friends. I love going out clubbing and drinking with friends and the band hasn't ever stopped me being able to get a lil um...tipsy with friends lol. My goals were to get healthy and be happy in my own skin. It did take a while but i got there, it is a huge emotional change and thats something you just can't prepare for. Hope i have helped, pm me if you would like to chat more :-) Bel

lol something tells me i wouldn't want to be around when you run out of coffee Jack! Unfortunatly for me i don't drink hot tea, coffee or anything herbal lol its either Water, iced tea or softdrink so i don't really get a lot of variety :-( I appreciate you taking the time to post!