lellow

Thanks for your lovely comment! It's a great start to believe that you will succeed. I think being positive is so important! Good luck, and I look forward to seeing your 'after' photos sometime very soon!

Hi! I had a lower body lift 18 months ago and initially had loss of sensation around the scars but luckily, I got 99% of sensation back in the months that followed. Not that it would have bothered me much if I didn't - I was glad for the skin to be gone and it's made such a difference to my quality of life.

I just had a BA 3 days ago (no lift) and had inframammary incisions and no loss of nipple sensation whatsoever. I believe there is a higher chance of loss of sensation with a lift and/or areola incision, but that's the chance you take, I guess. For me, loss of sensation would have been an acceptable trade off! As far as affects of aneasthesia, have experienced nothing! Fatigue is normal of course, but nothing on-going.

I have body lift photos in a private album in my profile, only avlb to people I've added as friends, so will add you so you can have a look. No BA photos as yet, but they'll be added soon.

Happy to chat some more, feel free to ask any questions you like!

I went to Reilly's in Osborne Park - their number is 94403677 and they're at 1/219 Main Street. They did the design free hand and they were just bloody awesome. It was a young guy named Tyson who did my tattoo. It started with just the vines but I wanted him to add the lilies so it ended up bigger than I intended! But I love it! I also had other tattoos that were cut up and they had to work those in as well.

Tell Tyson Janice sent you. They're not cheap (about $180 an hour and mine will take about 11 hours all up) but they are by far the best tattoo shop around, as far as I'm concerned!

Good luck! If you want someone to come hold your hand for a session or two, let me know and I'll see if I can make it!

acidic,

thanks for your picture comments, hunny! How have you been? Taking care of yourself? I don't come here much anymore (today has been an exception) so if you want someone to chat to about band stuff or anything else, I'd be happy to PM your my mobile number!

hey hunny, don't know how often you come on here anymore but wanted to let you know that I got a tattoo on my tummy and back around and over my body lift scars and my tattoo looks bloody awesome! The pics on my my profile page in my body lift album . And I'm getting my boobs done (decided I really wanted to after all) on the 28th of Oct, so maybe already done and dusted by the time you read this! Wish me luck hunny and hope you're doing marvellously! If you want to stay in touch, would be happy to PM my mobile number! xxx Janice

Hi Kelsey,

thanks for the comments in the before/after thread. I lost 100% of my excess weight in 7 months, but went on to lose approximately another 30 pounds in the year following that. I now tend to struggle to put on weight rather than lose. My band is pretty loose now but my appetite died a long time ago!

Good luck with your journey. I hope the band works for you as well as it did for me!

Hi melaniediva1,

I got a lapband It was the only thing I was offered!

Hahah just saw your second picture comment! Ok, I was 215lbs at surgery, and I lost all my excess weight and got to 150lbs within 7 months. My Dr (Australian obviously) didn't believe in no carbs or anything like that, so I mainly ate from all food groups whenever I was hungry, and lost about 7lbs a month doing that and exercising 40 mins three times a week (I cycled on a spin bike). When I got to goal, I reduced my exercise to incidental exercise only - so walking, running after my son, that sort of thing - but continued to lose for the next year, and am now 125lbs. I have about 7.5cc in a 10cc band, but it's quite loose now, I don't get stuck anymore, I can eat almost as much as an unbanded person, but I don't get cravings, I don't love food like I use to, I only eat enough to stop me being hungry and I still only eat when I'm actually hungry. I haven't had a fill in over 6 months now and I don't think I'll be getting one soon either. My weight seems to maintain itself these days.

Hi,

I had my body lift in Australia and it was partly covered by Medicare (our public health system) so I don't know that any figures I give you will be of any use to you. But thanks for the photo comment nonetheless!

Good luck with your band, nel! It was a lifesaver for me! I had my surgery in August 2008 and lost all my excess weight in 7 months. I've maintained now for over a year. I wish you all the success in the world!

Hi thanks for your comments on my photo. I definitely had excess skin and had this removed with a lower body lift in April 2009. Since then I've lost another 20 odd lbs though.

Thank you!

Oh and about the body lift, yes it was under the knife. Full circumferential scar with a vertical incision. Which is why my torso is so 'tight'

Hi! I just read your comment on one of my pics and thought I'd leave you with the answer to the question you asked.

I started out by walking, but as I got stronger, and lost weight, I started cycling. Cycling (on a spin bike) became my main source of exercise, and I cycled 40 mins 3 times a week most weeks. It was good because my knee was arthritic and cycling was low impact. As I approached my goal weight, I did take up some running but it aggravated my knee, so I stopped.

Doing that, it took me 7 months to lose 66lbs. And I've lost another 19lbs or so since my body lift, though since my lift, I don't exercise in a structured way so much anymore.

Heya!

I finally put up some new body lift photos. I realise looking at them that the scars haven't changed much in the last year!

Not long now until your surgery!

Lol! I know! Only seems like a little while ago we were all watching each other go in for surgery! I'll take new pics soon, I promise. My weight's low at the moment (130lbs) so I too am thinking I need my boobs done!! Lol! Very jealous of you!

Will PM you when I get the photos up.

Hi! It's so funny when people tell me I'm an inspiration, because not long ago I was exactly in the same place you're in now - just banded and a little worried that it wouldn't work for me! It's nice though to speak to another Perth girl as there are so few of us who regularly use this site.

Fanny is a great chick (met her IRL) and she and I had the same band surgeon and plastic surgeon. Our band surgeon was Steve Watson and our plastic surgeon was Bruce Allbrook. And yes, Bruce is here in Perth. I had my surgery in SJOG Murdoch, and Fanny had hers in Hollywood Hospital. Bruce is a bit of a legend, to be honest!

Happy to chat about any other questions you have! I'm sure you'll have great success with the band - us Aussies seem to do well with it!

I'm not sure how I did so well. I guess I followed the band rules from day one, meaning that in my 'losing' phase, I generally only ate a cup of healthy food when I was hungry (as in stomach growling hungry). Then once a week, I'd let myself 'go' a little and a 'bad food' like fried chicken. That way I never really felt 'deprived'.

I got fills religiously too, every month until I got good restriction.

And I exercised. 3 times a week minimum for 40 mins (until I was sweating up a storm), without fail.

And by doing the above things, I consistently lost 7-10lbs a month until I got to my goal. Once at goal, I found that I didn't need to exercise like crazy or constantly watch what I eat to keep the weight off.

And I too was worried I wouldn't be successful. But put your mind to it, and you'll find that success will likely happen for you. It does for most lapbanders!

Hi and thanks for your lovely comment on my photo. I have been banded almost 18 months now and I lost all of my excess weight in 7 months. I went on to lose a little bit more after hitting goal and my BMI is now 23, which is perfect for me.

I probably didn't notice a difference for a long time, but other people started to notice after I'd lost probably about 20lbs. I'm sure in a month or so everyone will start to see the difference in you!

Good luck and I wish you all the success in the world. The band has been a Godsend for me, I hope it is for you too!

WTG xavier! I remember saying that you'd soon be an inspiration for others and I was right! Glad to hear you're getting the fills you need and are back on track with the weight loss. I too recently had a fill, just because my appetite was returning and I was having to work a little more than usual to maintain. But the fill did the trick and now I'm back to maintaining easily again. Always a work in progress, aren't we? Lol!

I don't visit much this site much anymore but I'm glad I did today because your avatar put a smile on my face. You're doing fabulously, matey! Your avatar proves it!

Lol my port does stick out! My hubby can see it clearly. It's right next to my belly button on my right and that was the place they thought it would look the least 'obvious'. My lapband doctor did tell me that no matter where they put it, they wouldn't be able to completely hide it.

Hi ebonymc,

I was afraid too before I was banded - what if something went wrong? What if it didn't work for me? What if I regretted it? Would I ever be thin?

The band did work for me. It wasn't that hard! I learnt to exercise and like it. I learnt to not think about food all the time. I'm very seldom hungry. I don't worry about my weight anymore. The worst is over and now i have the rest of my life to live.

Good luck with your op in two weeks! I'm sure you too will experience good results! Remember it takes time, but you'll get there. And once you're there, you're there for good.

Actually no, it was a lot easier than I expected! I guess I was expecting it to be incredibly painful and something that would knock me around for ages, but it was so easy I'd do it again in an instant. I was driving within a week, exercising within 2 and now 3 months out I mainly forget I've had the operation most of the time. Very happy with it.

Hi cutiew/booty,

I have posted new post body lift photos taken today, if you wanted to have a look.

Do you mean some updated ones? Sure, I try to take some in the next few days and will post them so you can have a look, matey. Will drop you a msg when I've put them into my album.