She Smiles

Spydr, I'm glad you've decided to post the pics, I'm interested in seeing your transformation too. PS is almost a certainty in my future and it sure does ease my mind about the $ I will have to spend to see the results people get.

I have no probs at all eating sushi. As some one else said, its nibbles of it now rather than gobbling the whole piece in one go, and I eat it slowly and with plenty of soy sauce, but its fine for me.

Arcael, that website rocks! Thanks so much for posting it. Its got some great stretches and execrcises I can try for my patellofemoral syndrome!

Angel I am so sorry to hear your news. I don't blame you for wanting to tell your first Dr what for!!! Try to be strong for your baby, I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but it is a good thing that they have finally found what is wrong and are going to make you feel better and have a safe end to your pregnancy. Cry and scream all you need, We're here for support if/when you need us (((big hugs)))

I agree Doc, but on the flip side, just cos you are losing some weight doesn't mean that you DON'T need a fill. Luckily my Dr understands that most of my weight loss since my surgery last November has been due to my commitment to exercise, not because I have been at the right restriction.

Karen, the same thing happened to my Dad when he was sent to hospital by his GP with a bowel issue (ended up being a blood clot in his intestines). The Dr at the 1st hospital he went to wouldn't even touch him cos of his band, so I had to go pick him up and take him to the hospital our surgeon works out of and he had to wait hours for the surgeon to turn up. And he was in hospital for 2 weeks because they wouldn't do anything to him without consulting his surgeon, even though the problem had NOTHING to do with his stomach or band, it was in his small intestines and totally non band related. I mean I can understand their caution, but when the surgeon had cleared him to another Dr you'd think it'd be ok. So take heed guys! If you ever go into hospital expect the run around, because even the mention of a lap band makes most Dr's go running!! And yeah, 3mls more is a big jump in fill!! Bronnie, sorry about your crappy night! The worst is almost over! It all gets better from here (after day 5), the others will vouch for this too I'm sure!

Its the codeine in it that is the bad stuff unfortunately and thats what would have made the pain go away I found it hard not being able to just pop the pills I was so used to taking too (advil's not allowed either and I used to take them for my back pain). I even had to get the anti inflammatory I HAD to take for my back (I would have been a cripple with out it) in a soluble form. So I just made an appointment for another fill next Wednesday. I've eaten like a pig the last 2 days, so the restriction I *thought* I had was a fleeting moment. I don't know if the hungriness has anything to do with being PMS-ing, but I guess it could do. Either way, now that I have had a glimpse of what proper restriction is like (for those couple of days last week) I know what I am looking for, and I want it back!!!!!

I don't think you would actually feel a slippage of the band in the port area. Your port site is hurting because the port actually gets stitched into the muscle. So its the healing and the settling of the muscle and port that you are probably feeling. My port area hurt for about 3 weeks (progressively less over time of course). Now, I only know its there when I go for a fill and the Dr presses on it! I just thought I'd share though that my Dr advised me against taking nurofen ever again. It is a NSAID (non surgical anti inflammatory) and can irritate the pouch. It has also been seen that a NSAID pill (even when crushed up) can sit in the pouch (and not make its way through to the big stomach) and erode the side of the pouch because there are no stomach juices there to keep it from directly touching the stomach tissue. If you must take a NSAID, a liquid/medicine option is your best bet. Do a search in the archives of LBT on NSAIDs if you want to know more, you'll get more thorough info than I can provide, I'm sure Of course this is just my Doc's adivce. You can call your Doc to discuss - he might have different views on this.

Becky you're back! Great to hear from you again, and you look wonderful!! All that hard work is paying off :girl_hug:

Totally normal Dionne! I didn't have any restriction until my last fill (my fifth) last Wednesday (and I am already considering that might need another tiny one in a couple of weeks cos the initial restriction I thought I was feeling has loosened already :cry ). But I do think that up until then, a lot of the time, my self control had to come into play. I mean there is no way that I could have eaten the monster serves I did pre banding (I was totally gluttonous), but at least once a week since my band I could have easily gone back for seconds and probably thirds, but stopped myself by telling myself I didn't need it (where was that self control pre banding??). Also, my band is a temperamental little thing. Some days I am famished, hungry as heck with a grumbling tummy when I wake up and others, I have a mouthful of cereal hours after getting up and just don't have the appetite to eat much more until well into the afternoon. Try not to put too much pressure on your band or yourself to be losing huge amounts of weight until you have at least some fill in your band. You'll certainly notice the difference with each fill as you get closer to perfect restriction. And if you want to jump start the weight loss, I couldn't be a more strong advocate of exercise. There is no way I would have lost as much weight as I have already with out being committed to making exercise a part of my life now.

Thanks so much for your advice!

Why Bronnie? Is it the pain? Do you have anyone who can duck out and get you some pain stop, I swear its HEAPS better than taking crappy old panadol. Keep your chin up, the worst will be over soon! (((hugs)))

Bronnie, just running out the door to go to work but will answer your questions quickly - I took my stockings off when I got home, cos I was starting to walk around. I was given "pain stop" liquid medicine to take. Its meant to be for kids, but its quite strong and I went through several bottles. I was told to take 40ml at a time (theres a day or night version - don't get the night its got codeine in it and bansters aren't supposed to have codiene). I will be surprised if you get a fill on the 23rd. Doc usally like to wait until you are on solids before they start doing fills! Hope you managed to get some sleep!!

Oh don't get my wrong, I am a wuss too! But nothing in the world could be as painful as when I got my wisdom teeth out. NOTHING I tell you!! haha Yeah thats awesome about medicare. I'll have to ask my Mum about it, she works there. She'll be able to make sure I do it all right to get the max amount of $$ back.

Hey cleo, well done on the pre surgery diet! 4 kilos is awesome! As for who I have told, my family knows, and a handful of close friends. I told my employer I was going in for surgery and took 2 weeks off (but didn't say what kind) and haven't told any of my workmates at all. They see me trotting off to the gym and eating healthier smaller serves of food for lunch so they all just attribute my weight loss to my lifestyle change. I don't anticipate telling anyone new at all. And it hasn't really come up that I've been in any situation where I have had to explain it. I had a couple of negative reactions from a couple of friends I did tell, which is why in the end I decided to just keep it a secret between myself and the select people I chose. Because while we are all educated about the band via seminars and this site and our surgeons etc, the general population is not and will jump to conclusions - its surgery and drastic and blah blah blah. I just didn't want that negative energy floating round in the universe about my band which I personally think is the bees knees!!! As for the pain when you first wake up, I was in pain, sure, but with in minutes of waking up they pumped me full of meds and I was fine. The first couple of days it was uncomfortable pain (not agonising though). And I had no energy to do anything but lie on the couch and walk a few laps of the lounge room each hour haha. I'd have to say my worst day was maybe 4 or 5 after surgery. My port really ached, and I had pretty bad gas pains. But by the end of the first week I was ok. I think I drove on day 4, which may have attributed to my bad pain that day. I was just sick of sitting around the house!! Apart from a slight ache in my port site, I was feeling pretty ok by day 10. But I say all of this with the fact that I have a very low pain threshold in mind - so you might go through it and think its a piece of cake (no pun intended!). Good luck for the 23rd! :clap2:

Thanks guys. Thats about what I was thinking it was going to set me back. So at least it wasn't a rude shock to hear the dollar figures haha Chickie I will definitely follow your advice and get a referral from my GP, hes very supportive of my band, so I am sure he'll help me out on this one too when the time comes As for kids, my fiance and I aren't planning on having any children, so thats why I'm asking now. Its will just be a matter of getting down to goal and having the blessing of my Drs, oh and having the $ and its a goer. I was talking to my fiance about it earlier tonight and I said to him I didn't want to do all this hard work and got down to a healthy weight and not have a body that reflects that. Having excess skin from a 100lb+ weight loss himself, he understands my reasons behind it and he is totally supportive me wanting to do this should I need it (I told him we could get his and hers TT surgery - they might give us a discount :biggrin1: hahaha).

Hey guys, I've tried to google this without much success :help: But I am seriously considering that I will need to have a tummy tuck or apron removal or some kind of lower body/tummy surgery once I get to goal. The skin on my lower tummy is ruined by stretch marks and just won't snap back. Its pretty yuck and hanging over after 26 kilos loss already actually Anyway I have no idea how much this is going to set me back. I was going to buy a new car after my wedding in July, but heck I'd rather a new tummy. The old car can last me a few more years lol. But I just want to know what kind of $$ I am looking at having to spend to get my bod reflecting all the hard work I will have put in by then. Of course, I probably won't be at goal until the end of the year, so I have some time to figure it all out, my surgeon likes for you to be a goal for a while before having PS. But just wanting to see if any one has any ideas of the costs here in Australia? Anyone had one they will share details of, or know some one who has? Thanks!

I don't think you are missing anything at all! If you are anything like me, you got the band to feel BETTER not worse! I simply could not imagine functioning if I was PBing several times a day. That is not normal band behaviour. Either the band is much too tight, or the "rules" aren't being followed (types of foods, chewing, serve sizes, bite sizes etc). I admit it takes some getting used to, but we have to work with our band, and vomiting up everything you eat is NOT a healthy way to lose weight.

Tupperware rocks! I am thinking of having a tupperware party for my bridal shower, so how daggy is that!! I hear you on the not wanting to spend ages cooking when you get home! A couple of nights a week, I make those frozen fish fillets you can buy (no crumbing on them) with a lemon and herb sauce (they are 97 or 98% fat free and much cheaper than buying "fresh" fish alot of which has been frozen anyway!) and steam some broccoli and carrot. I make some rice or Pasta for my fiance which I have a spoon or two of. Super quick and easy and yum as well. I am by no means a good or extravagent cook!!! And you most certainly don't have to eat gourmet to eat healthy - thats what I think anyway!!

Yay Bronnie! Great to hear from you! Rest up and let us know how it all went when you feel up to it!!!

I can totally understand your concern and aprehension Susannah! But your band will be healed enough to handle solids now. Just take it really slow and chew it to mush and you will be fine. You'll know if something is not quite right, and if that happens, just stop, go back on to liquids and see your surgeon asap. He would have mentioned if he thought there might be a problem with the stiches on yor band too. It'll be ok, go and enjoy that sushi! You deserve something yummy at last. Plus you should start getting your calories from solid foods so your band can do its thing and make you feel full !

You know what Susannah, I saw a show on frozen vs fresh veggies and there really isn't all that much difference between them! Because the vegies are snap frozen so soon after they are picked they are still really good for you. Heck any veggie, frozen or not is better for you than a huck of chocolate (shame about that hehehe) One thing I have invested in are some of the fridge smart tupperware containers. I've only got a couple of small ones (which is enough) I cut up my brocolli and carrot and put that in one, and the other I put mushrooms in (they are the veggies we eat fresh the most) and they keep for 2-3 weeks! Even the mushrooms, which is awesome! If they are on the way out though, I will cook up a stir fry with some chicken and hoiken noodles and freeze that in lunch sized serves. The veggies aren't as fresh tasting and crisp one you have cooked them and frozen them, but they are still totally edible! I guess I am lucky though becuase my fiance works in the fruit and veggie section of a supermarket, so I just text him and ask him to bring some home with him if we are out of something hahaha

I got my last fill last wednesday and I would have to say that I am at my sweet spot now. I have to eat super slow. And teeny bites at a time. And give it a chance to make its way down. I can't just load it in or it HURTS (a sharp pain in my chest which I have to sit out for a minute or so before it passes)! I've never pb'ed thank goodness. But I am eating about half of what I was before this last fill. I never stopped losing because I go to the gym and work my butt off 5 days a week, but I am hoping that now the exercise won't be the thing doing all the work, the band will play along too. I've only felt hungry between meals once since my last fill. I had a couple of crackers and felt fine. Before, I would have something mid morning and afternoon nearly every day. I'm hoping to be able to keep my restrcition at this level through regular (2 monthly?) tops ups of 0.1 or 0.2 ccs. Fingers crossed!

Jacqui, if you have proper restriction as the Drs say it should be, you should lose that last 8kg in 2 months and will then be able to go onto a maintenence fill level. 2 months is such a short while to know that you will get to your goal!! As for food, yeah susannah, I spend a lot less on food because I used to buy my lunch nearly every day. We spend more on groceries now becuase I am buying better food, lean meats and lots of veggies etc. Plus my fiance still eats like its going out of fashion, so we still have to cater for him. But I'll make the same amount of spagetti or stir fry for dinner as I did before my band and my fiance and I will eat dinner and I will get 3 or 4 lunches out of it to freeze too. Or if we do go out, I'll get the smallest serve, instead of the largest like I used to. And I don't snack much either. I'll keep some rice crackers handy just in case, but if I need a snack, 3 or 4 of them and I am right. A packet lasts for ages! Dont' be scared of sushi! Just take tiny bits and chew it to a mush. Nows probably your best time to try it (get a hand roll and cut it up into bits at home) because you don't have too much restriction. I was worried it would be a no go after my last fill, but phew! its still ok!! I love it too! As for the clothes situation, I have a lot of clothes from when I put all my weight on over the past 6 years. I'm your typical obese person who lost a heap of weight on their own (I got down to 63 kilos from 90 when I was 22 and at uni and had time to go to the gym for a couple of hours a day). But of course, I put it all back on and then some as soon as I stopped going to the gym (this is why I realise now the exercise has to be a part of my life FOREVER). So I have clothes from about a size 10-12 to a 24 in 3 cupboards in my house - good thing I hung onto them all! The only thing is I am losing it slower off my tummy this time (I think that might be an age thing??), so a lot of the pants I have don't fit me even though I weigh less than I did when I wore them on the way up because my body is a different shape now. So, I have bought bits and pieces. I generally just buy things on special or if they are cheap to start with. For example I got some 3/4 pants from crossroads for $15, and a tshirt from jay jays for $15. And I am having to buy all new bras and undies as they get big too because I threw all the smaller ones out. And I do wear them until they are big and start to look a bit silly haha But I try not to even go into expensive shops like jacqui e and places like that yet because I know the clothes will only fit me for a month or so! I figure if I'm doing all this hard owrk, I can treat myself every now and then with some thing new! i deserve it!!! And so do you!! :woot:

I can eat about half of what I could before my last fill, which is what I wanted (I guess thats the great thing about the band being adjustable, we can all have it how we want it and how it works for each of us). I was starting to feel like a lot of my weight loss was due to the commited exercise I was doing, I want for it to be a combo of the band and my hard work at the gym. As for how much I can eat now, we went to the sushi train for dinner tonight and I could only eat 2 pieces of sushi in tiny bites at a time. And I was full. I'm a cheap date - my dinner cost $3.50 haha I think the trick is to eat slowly and savour every bite. I love the taste of food, but thats how I got to the weight that I was to start with. I need to develop a different relationship with food, and yeah, thats going to take some time :girl_hug: