TheGh0st

:bump: Nume - how are you doing on the bandside of life? I see the weight is falling off you by your ticker but how about the home front? I've been with you on this thread since you started it so I know your background. Has anything come of the decisions the two of you made? Are you feeling any better about the situation? I've been praying for you on all fronts and am behind you 100 percent on everything you have been posting.

I love too eat Indian/Pakistani foods as well. I have steered clear of the very hot Vindaloo's but using that 0-10 scale I think I've climbed to a 7 as well. I do sip small amounts of water while eating. It's not reccommended but for many of us it is still do-able. The problem is that it can "flush" the food through the pouch faster making you hungry sooner or if you wait until you have already started eating to take the first sip it can set on top of the food already in the pouch and feel very uncomfortable as someone else already mentioned. When it gets a bit hot I can also eat very small amounts of rice and Naan if I chew it EXTREMELY well, I chew and chew until by the time I swallow it is the consistency of a very thin paste. A possibly better alternative to any of the above is actually to try using some a little extra Raita with the dish. I find it very helpful on removing the heat from my mouth and its definitely better for the band that the water, rice or Naan breads.

Nume - Thank you for your kind words. It is good to hear from you, I haven't seen you on Lapband lately. Guess we've been frequenting different threads. But I've got to congratulate you as well. Last we spoke you hadn't been banded yet and now here you are amongst the banded and down over 25 pounds already. You ROCK! Keep up the great work and we'll be looking at your PS thread before you know it!

Cindy, I hope your ready for a novel. I'm not exactly known for my short responses.... No, I didn't get to my goal first. I originally thought my final goal would be around 135-139 and I ended up doing the PS at the 165-170 range which was still nearly 30 pounds from my goal and I knew that the surgery would probably take less than half that off. BUT, I'd reached a point in my weight loss that I was starting to doubt my original weight loss goals, it had really only been an arbitrary number picked from a combination of what would put me in a healthy BMI range for my height and a silly desire to be in the single digits for the British method of weighing in Stones and pounds (with a Stone weighing 14 pounds, making my goal 9-Stone 9-Pounds, to 9-Stone 13-pounds) this was a VERY SILLY way to set a goal. When I reached the high 160's that put me at a BMI considered "Slightly Overweight" for my height. (Gotta love that "Slightly" bit) I was starting to fit into size 10's and thinking how thin do I really need to get before I'm going to be happy with this. After all I use to think that I'd kill to be a size 10 and if I were to lose another 30-ish pounds where would that put me? Then the Band Surgeon I'd had hosted a group meeting with a local PS that was familiar with doing surgeries on Banded patients so I went, thinking I was just doing "early" research and would still need to lose another 15-20 pounds. After the group meeting I started thinking it wouldn't hurt to meet with him one on one and get his formal opinion on how much more I needed to lose and how long I'd have to maintain that loss as I'd heard most PS' won't do surgery unless you have maintained your weight for over 1-year. So I met with the PS and to my surprise he thought I'd already lost enough to start the process. He said even if I continued to lose after the surgery that there wasn't enough left on me to lose to make the remaining skin start to look baggy again. Needless to say I was in SHOCK! I was convinced he was going to tell me I needed to lose another 15 pounds minimum and I'd have to wait till next year. I also met with a 2nd PS in town familiar with band patients and he had the same opinion that I was ready now and that I only needed an extended TT not a full LBL. In summary on this issue since they both thought I was already at a good weight for PS they never really did say what weight was necessary for my size, therefore my best novice advise would be to get down to that magical "slightly-overweight" category. Not all BMI charts seem to have this terminology, I've included a link to one of the sites that does. looking at your ticker I'd guess your are much closer than you think, maybe only 20 pounds away. Now, considering it took me over 1-1/2 years to get there and your racing to it in months there is a chance the PS surgeon might want you to also wait a bit longer to show that ability to maintain the weight. who knows? BMI Calculator - the Bariatric Center of Kansas City, Providing surgical solutions to obesity But I'd agree you should definitely start looking around and researching your options now! There is nothing worse than being ready emotionally & physically for the PS but being slowed down with trying to research all your options. If I'd started researching a bit sooner I might have looked more into going to Mexico to save some money, But in the end I LOVE my doc and my results so far it was worth EVERY PENNY! Lastly, you asked about the timing. I looked back (on lapbandtalk) and found that the group seminar with the PS had been in early April and that I had just hit 168 for the first time back then (after a bout with the stomach flu but still I hit it) I think my first one on one appt wasn't until the end of May beginning of June I knew as soon as they told me my body was ready that I wanted to do it but it took a few more months to convince my husband and our budget which is why I ended up with surgery in October. Actually several family members were pushing for me to wait until the first of the year when they would have more time to help with my recovery, but once I'd convinced my husband there was no stopping me from doing it as soon as humanly possible. The only delay I put on it then was to wait until just after my, and more importantly my son's birthdays so I wouldn't be trying to bake cakes, and blow up balloons with stiches and drains in me. Overall, with PS I think once you have the $$ in place and a doctor picked out the timing is MUCH faster than with the band. The docs might have a bit of a backlog but there are none of the pre-surgery hoops to jump through like the band and the wait times are usually just a couple weeks, not months like some of the better band docs around here. Cindy, if you are still awake and reading this novel of a post I hope I answered all your questions. Feel free to ask me anything.

:spider: I am so Sorry for you. Is there no hope you can still get it scheduled for this year? Can you get on some wait list or something? I will pray for a solution. :pray: And until then know that we are hear for you. I think you are beautiful just the way you are but also can completely understand how you are feeling. Sometimes the compliments are almost harder than the criticisms. As if the people making the compliments are negating the validity of your desire/need for the PS. Keep posting and try to keep your spirits up.

Congratulations on your surgery. I am glad it has gone smoothly so far! And am blushing at the thanks. Lord knows I have failed so many times in my "banded life" but then I pick myself up and try to start all over again, and isn't that what life is really about. Picking yourself up after your failures as opposed to being so perfect they never happen? Or am I just excusing my behaviour? Who knows/cares? I'm happy for you. Keep posting. Sometimes you will be right, sometimes you will be wrong but wether you ever know it or not you WILL be an inspiration to someone else. Some of my biggest heros and inspirations have actually started this journey after me and are wonderful reminders to me of how I need to stay (or get back on) track each day.

Congratulations on such a wonderful NSV. I'm an "F" Cup and I think I cried when I finally got my stomach smaller than my chest. It felt SO GOOD! I AM PROUD OF YOU AND YOUR HARD WORK!:clap2:

Hey Chickie - The drugs must still be throwing me off a bit. I thought I was posting my pics to the PS Before & After Thread last night not your personal thread. Sorry, for the mess up. I've loved reading your PS thread and everyother post of yours I've stumbled on. You have been and are an inspiration to me throughout my band journey.

found this site Online Conversion - Women's Clothing Conversion it says an Aussie size 10 would be a US 6. Sounds like a great goal size to me!

I got to tell you I'm pretty amazed at my scar line as well, after seeing some of the others on line. I was expecting worse. Not only is it amazingly straight but it is so friggin low. I'm not sure it would have been possible for him to have gone any lower. My surgeon was Dr Dillow with Monarch Plastic Surgery in Kansas City. I don't know the exact number but his nurse said he had performed 100's of TT's & LBL's on lapband patients over the last several years. He is around 42-ish and very friendly. His price for the extended TT with the Lipo was approx 8.5K. This included the hospital & anethesia fees as well. His full LBL price was much higher at around 12.5K if I remember correctly and the arm lift price that he quoted me was 4.5K though I don't think I'll be doing that one either. The Breast Reduction will be covered by insurance and I plan on doing it sometime next year. Would like to do it in the spring to be healed in time for summer but may have to wait until fall for the time off from work. As far as the leg wraps, I think I forgot to mention but the morning of the surgery I was somehow able to "Sweet" talk him into just the smallest bit of lipo on my inner thighs for "FREE":whoo:, or at least for no additional money. Don't know if it was the fact we were both from the same small hometown or if he was just feeling genorous (sp?) that day. He only took off about 100cc's (total I think,not per thigh) I could do with a lot more I'm sure. But it was enough to supposedly remove an annoying lump on my upper inner thighs I've had since highschool and didn't involve any skin removal. At my highest weight it was like a large grapefruit had been cut in half and tucked under the skin on each side. At my current weight it looked more like a tennis ball, but still VERY noticeable. My hopes are that with that lump gone I can learn to live with my thighs as they are now. Since I doubt I could afford another 8+K in PS just for a body part you only see when wearing a swimsuit.

Off to bed for me. I only got up to take another round of meds, and see if I couldn't pass a poo, but that's a subject for another thread.

Oh, Great! I'm a knuckle biter myself (literally, pain transferrance and all) You should see the bite marks I left after my hubby pulled the pain pump lines, and they were MUCH smaller. Maybe I'll save up some pain pills and take a double dose before going in. I could always threaten to bite the doctor instead, maybe that would help.:heh:

5' 2-1/2" (That 1/2" is still important to me :Banane35:) At heaviest 254 a size 24 was extremely tight (picture leaning backwards on bed to get button on then much jumping up and down to get the zipper closed. A couple weeks ago at 165 (Pre-Tummy Tuck) I was a size 10. I'm post-op now but can't tell you what effect it will have on my sizing yet as the swelling is still atrocious and with the drains still in I can't wear anything but my pj's & sweats at the moment. The doc seems to think it will bring me down to around 155 and a size 6 though. Seems pretty heavy to me for that weight but then I still have pretty hefty thighs, arms and a size Holy "F" chest.

Mine is talking like one or both should be out by this Friday. If not maybe the following Wednesday, which would be just over 2 weeks. He didn't say anything about infections, but I've been worried myself. He did put me on a round of pre-medative anti-biotics, maybe that is one reason why. He also seemed to think my drainage was dissapating faster than most. Right now I'm only emptying it twice a day with 20-30cc in each bulb. I could actually go to once a day but didn't like the idea of leaving it there that long to coagulate. (GROSS) I'm always extra carefull to wash my hands thouroughly as well as around the drain incision site and it's "drain" opening. I use an antibacterial soap and some polysporin on it each time I empty it. Still I will be glad to be rid of these as soon as possible.

They shaved only the "necessary areas" but I guess our opinions of necessary differ. They shaved around the incision site but not at all around the drains. Which is where it keeps pulling the most. Nor can I really shave it myself now, without nicking the stitches they've used to keep the drains in place. Oh well, hopefully they will be out with in a week or so.

Congrats!!!

I'm with Laurend, Wasa & Marimaru - I would like to think I would not personally choose an abortion, though until I am in that position it would be wrong of me to assume an absolute stance. Either way, I would never presume to force my own opinions onto others through laws.

Thought I'd go ahead and add mine to this thread as well.... The post-op pics are less than 24 hours after surgery.

Hi everyone! I finally got the pics from my neighbor. They don't look too terrible considering the swelling. I can't wait to see how I look once the swelling begins to go down instead of up.

Karey, It can vary from person to person I hear. But I will agree 100% the drain tubes are the WORST. It sure doesn't help that they have to be placed right in the middle of my pubic area. VERY uncomfortable. I wish I would have shaved pre-surgery though I'm not sure how much that would have helped or if I would have just been complaining about the painful stubble. I ended up with 2 drains, the doc said there might have been as many as 4 but he didn't need that many on me. Don't know how he decides that. I have to empty them whenever they start to get full and record on a log sheet how much fluid came out of each drain tube. At the end of the drain tubes are these fist sized plastic balls that catch the fluid. When you empty it you squeeze as much air out as possible before resealing them to create a bit of suction on the tubes. After the first few days the fluid changes from bloody to kind of yellowish with some pink tones to it. The doc says he uses the log of how much fluid comes out of each to decide how long they stay in. He might even pull one out before the other. I've only been draining mine twice a day and even at that the ball are only about 1/4 full. The doc seemed a bit surprised at how little fluid I was getting out and says that is a positive sign. I hope he is right but I am very "puffy" everywhere else, feet, hands, face. I feel like a giant staypuff marshmallow girl. The hospital gave me a special compression garment to wear after surgery. it is a strechy back brace thing with 3 pairs of velcro flaps that come round the front. They want me to wear this for the first 3 weeks then switch to the spanx for another 3-4 weeks. The spanx would be hard to put on right now because of the drains. I only take it off to shower and wish I could shower with it on as well. It's not that it hurts to have it off it just feels VERY WIERD. I can't describe it. It's almost like you feel if you don't have it on your insides might fall out. Kind of a seasick feeling, not painful. That's one reason I still don't really know what I look like, I rush to put the binder back on as soon as I get out of the shower. I don't even want to take the time to stand in front of a mirror right now. Hopefully I (we) will be able to look at the pics tomorrow night. I've left an e-mail and a phone message for the neighbor that the pics didn't come through. So hopefully she will get them resent tomorrow.

Mazie - Sorry to hear about your husband. I'll keep him "and your budget ;)" in my prayers.

Hi all. I am really trying to take it easy. It's just so BORING. I've got a pile of books here and love to read but everytime I start I just doze off. And I NEVER fall asleep reading. I suppose that's a good sign I'm really not ready to go back to work. The pain has really been ok. Just a sore muscle pain like you worked out too hard, combined with that very annoying hair-pulling pain when I move wrong. Today I think I'm going to only take the pain meds once every 6 hours instead of 4 and see how it goes. The swelling really is starting to set in. They said it would peak at 5-10 days and this is 5 days right now. My whole body is swollen my little feet look like I was right back at my highest weight and my fingers and face are also very puffy. I think I'm glad I had the band loosened before surgery, I think if I hadn't I wouldn't have been able to swallow my own spit at this point. Not everyone reacts this way I hear, lucky me. I'm trying to force down lots and lots of water today in the hopes it might help speed up flushing out the swelling. Last night I ended up sleeping with an ice pack on my nether regions. Being they are the only area not wrapped up like a mummy they were really swollen and tender. I swear I have no idea how anyone could bear a mons lift. All I have is some drain tubes sticking out of there and I'm cringing like a baby everytime I shift wrong. The ice packs really helped bring the swelling there down to a bearable level, and the tenderness has come down as well. I'm frustrated that I still haven't get those pics from my neighbor. Unfortunately she spends most weekends with a boyfriend, so I'll probably have to wait until tomorrow night to get her to resend them now. Crazy but I still don't really know what I look like now either, but I am finally starting to feel well enough that I might just unwrap myself long enough to take a look in a mirror.

My husband pulled the pain pump tubes out of me this morning. One didn't hurt at all the other felt like he was trying to pull out a nose or pubic hair. I kept grabbing his arm and digging my nails in. He is lucky I didn't draw blood. But over all I guess it wasn't too bad. I have two drains in me right in the front center of my pubic hair area, which makes it a bit akward and uncomfortable to wipe in the bathroom. If I barely brush against them or tug on them it feels like I'm pulling on my pubic hairs. I've been taking 1 pain pill every 4 hours like clockwork, the doc said I could take as many as 2 but so far I've stuck with just the one. It leaves me with kind of a dull pain across my stomach, sides and inner thighs. With the pain pump gone today has been the most uncomfortable but still bearable. Getting up and down is difficult but do-able. It almost hurts less if I just do it myself. I even wanted to go into work for an hour or so yesterday and today but DH & DM (Dear Mother) refused to drive me over. They are probably right not to let me go back so soon, I'm just getting antsy stuck at home with work piling up over there.

My neighbor took a couple after pics Wednesday night and just e-mailed them to me today. Only with such a low dial-up speed at home I'm having a terrible time opening the pics in order to get them posted. If I can't get them to open soon I'm going to try to get her to resend them one pic at a time as an attached zip file instead of imbedded pics in the body of the e-mail. Hopefully that will help. I'm actually just as anxious as you guys to see the pics as I've had this binder on 24/7 since surgery except for when I took the pics and showering today. And both times it felt so wierd not being wrapped up I was too focused on getting re-wrapped to take a good look in the mirror.

BooBoo Brandy, I am glad the appointment turned out well. Hopefully you won't need the anchor scar, but whatever they end up doing I'm sure you will love the results. You look absolutely fabulous without the TT right now (clothed that is) but I can totally relate to not feeling as fabulous when you know what is lurking underneath. Keep us posted on insurance and a date.