SageTracey

I was chatting with a work colleague who I respect for her straight talking. She is one of the few here who know I have had the band. She asked how much weight I have lost and how I am feeling. I was my (new) positive self and told her how great I was feeling, what a fantastic ride I had to work this morning etc. Her next comment stunned me! She told me that in the past, i.e. pre-band days, I would only ever talk about how sick I was or how much my knees ached. While it might sound negative, it was a real reminder of just how far I have come and how much changing my life for the better is also have a positive effect on others. I publicly apologise to all those who I had brought down with my misery guts outlook on life in the past. Life is glorious!

I didn't mean to reply to your post that you didn't mean to post in this forum.

How does your husband not know! Wow, I couldn't keep something like this from my hubby. And I would be furious if what happened to you at work happened to me. But try not to overreact - easy to say from a distance, I know - but you still need to front up to work each day. I didn't tell anyone at my work until I had made some really good progress and was happy to talk about.

It's frustrating that the band seems to have a mind of its own! It could be hormonal, stress or just plain luck. Regardless, it sounds as though you are now too full and may have to get a small unfill. Don't leave it too long to get medical advice.

WTG! My husband has been my biggest cheerleader and supporter on my journey and it means so much to me. I am sure that your wife will appreciate your support as well. Things my hubby does that support and encourage me.....exercise. He is NOT a morning person but he has decided to get up early each morning to walk or cycle with me. Tonight he starts his adult swim classes because he also wants to be able to come swimming with me. (My chance to show him some great support!) And we go dancing together. He doesn't tell me what to eat or not eat, but when he does the grocery shopping, he doesn't buy crap. He had a go at myfitnesspal.com because I use it for logging my food and exercise. Although he hasn't continued with it, he now understands why I use it and how important it is. The benefits for him - our love and friendship is continuing to grow stronger even after 30 years together. I am healthier, happier and fitter and will be around for a long time. Possibly the only real disadvantage is that I have had to buy a complete new wardrobe of clothes over the last 10 months! But that is a small price to pay for my life. Become a hero for your wife. She will appreciate you for it.

that was overdoing it! Not eroding. Sorry

Build it back up slowly and listen to your Dr and your body. O eroding it too fast will only set you back. good luck

Oh dear, that must be so frustrating! My biggest beef about my hubby today was that he wasn't ready to head off for our bike ride when we had agreed. And he had been caught on the phone to the insurance company so it wasn't really his fault. Good luck

I think your clothes are trying to tell you something! I've just bought a new drawerful of knickers and bras, then hit the op shop for a stack of new (secondhand) clothes.

I'm not as young (48) and was worried about loose skin as well. I have lost 56kg (about 120lb, I think) and while I can "see" plenty of loose skin, my DH made an unprompted commented last week that my stomach was tightening up. I may eventually have something done about my bat wing arms and tummy, but at the moment I still have more weight to lose. Plus I am just loving life at the moment so these things are not bothering me as much as I thought they would. Best wishes

No gasx suggested or used but I certainly appreciated the TLC from my DH. Make sure you have a supportive person around for the first couple of days just to help out - more emotionally than physically. And have loose waist banded trousers/track pants for wearing home.

NSV = Non Scale Victory. They make you feel soooo good! And this is a great one.

What can I eat immediately post-op? Don't laugh, no one mentioned anything about this until I was being discharged from the hospital and it never occurred to me to ask!

I'm 10 months post op and definitely not negative about my band! How could I be after losing 55kg? But the biggest thing for me is that I have changed my mindset completely about weight loss. It's now about a healthy lifestyle - for life. I don't diet anymore. I live healthily and I will live for a very long time!

Definitely morning exercise for me and before I eat breakfast. My DH and I either walk or cycle in the mornings. The days I ride to work (75-90 minutes), I shower at work and then have breakfast. otherwise it's exercise, shower, breakfast, work. The only exceptions are those days when I know that we are going dancing that night.

Seems to depend on each surgeon, but Elcee makes a great point about booking your next appointment as you leave this one. In fact, that is exactly what my surgeon requires.

You are losing 1lb a week? That's great and an ideal rate of weight loss.That may not be what you want to hear when you have so much further to reach your goal, but take heart in the fact that you are doing it really well at the moment. After your very rare complication, you are definitely on track! It took a long time to gain the weight and it will take time to lose it. Good luck and keep up your great work.

I've been away in the bush for the weekend without phone or internet access. DH and I stopped for lunch on our way home and he was checking Facebook on his phone where we learnt that my cousin had died very suddenly and unexpectedly. I had been out of contact for a couple of days and no one had any way to contact me so I wasn't upset that the news had come out on Facebook before I heard directly. Found out later my Mum had tried to phone and email me repeatedly. But....I had already finished my lunch, eaten slowly with very small bites and lots of chewing. No problems. But as soon as I realised my cousin had died, I had to rush to toilet to vomit because my band suddenly tightened. Has anyone else had this reaction?

I have to return the offending food stuff! Not pretty or pleasant so a very good reminder about eating slowly and chewing lots.

All normal! As you lose weight you lose a pad of fat between your stomach and band so your band can feel loser and you need another fill. It's different for all of us but I haven't had a fill on my last three visits and definitely feel restriction. I am still losing weight well but the band is only one part. I also manage my food choices and exercise well. The band helps me to manage my portion size.

My first goal was to get under 100kg which I have achieved. My next wa to be able to dance all night which I am very close to achieving. I want to look great (and not be the fat one) at my son's wedding in April and I will. And I have always wanted to ride the Great Victorian Bike Ride which I will, with my husband, this November. As I get closer to or achieve each goal I am setting new ones to work towards. Note that only one of them was a weight number!

Thanks Elcee. it was definitely a major shock. I'm still trying to process it, especially as we don't know why he died.

Definitely drink more water. I used to get a lot of headaches pre-band but now I drink at least 2 litres a day, more if I am exercising, and I only get headaches now if I am really stressed at work.

I saw my surgeon yesterday for a follow up. No fill required, still losing weight, all good. However, he was in a very chatty mood and started telling me about some books that his practice now gives to patients when they are banded. They have been thinking about changing and moving to a new book. Next thing he is running around gathering up copies of said books and asking me to review them and give my advice on which ones they should be giving out to patients! I had a look through and recommended two out of three. One of them can be found at www.spoonsforthought.com.au (I think that was the address on the cover)

You are doing very well. Keep following your dr's rules and you will be just fine.