Cazzy

U know that untill u start getting fills its unlikely that u will start to lose weight quickly and to be honest this is why this period is called bandster hell, i was told a lot of people even can put on a small amount of weight during this time so u are doing great.. initially we heavier ones tend to lose a lot of weight then even tho we are eating much less we sort of stabalise for a while but it will start shifting again once u start getting the fills u need and just keep burning more calories than u are eating ... we are here for support if u need us Jim

I can remember feeling exactly the same way .. wondering if with all the weight i had to lose why i chose what seemed to be the most difficult road, i kept seeing stories of people who lost 100lbs and 100lbs on the bypass and was thinking why the hell didnt i do the bypass.. this thought hit me quite often at the beginning of my journey but slowly i have come to appreciate just how adaptable the band is .. i feel in control of it even tho it still sneaks up and attacks me sometimes i know that for the most part it does what it says on the label. I can choose to cheat, i can choose to eat the wrong food and i can choose to get some unfilled ... my choices are that i choose not to do any of this .. i am too old and was too fat to go anywhere near that time in my life again .. and now i have the chance to get rid of all this skin and feel normal again .. so no regrets and no looking back ..

i imagine that u cant eat much at the moment, i wonder why your weight isnt falling off, the more weight u lose the more visceral fat u will lose around your stomach and the band should loosen as u lose wieght , warm drinks definitely help the band for me when i was too tight, also u may find different times of day are easier to get fluids down than others so if your best time is afternoons then get as much in as u can when its easiest to keep down, I would look at drinking some hot milk or diluting some premade protein shakes so that they are very thin and not so thick to swallow. u can also do this with greek yoghurt 0 fat and low calorie soups .. u can add milk to them and then heat up .. It sounds awful this fungus u have and i really hope it clears up for u soon, i am sure that if u can get some good nutrition down u stand a chance of getting rid of this fungus quicker .. good luck !

lolol ty for the smiles that really did make me laugh !

I am so with you on the hunger front and i recently gave up smoking .. omg now that is hunger. I cleared the house of ALL bad unhealthy food and now when i am hungry beyond my willpower i reach for greek yoghurt, smoked salmon, ricotta cheese anything that makes me feel not so hungry but doesnt push me over my calories. No weight loss sugery will make good choices for you in relation to eating only you can do that ..,. All WLS requires lifestyle changes and long term commitment, it is better not to live with regrets over what u didnt have done and make the very best of what u did have done ..

so good to hear u are doing ok .. now comes the hard work let us know if u need any support/help always here if u need Hoping u have a speedy recovery and safe journey home

I know some of the US people who have had leaks have silicone fluid put in whioch can help block a small leak, a large leak u are looking at replacement. Its not really a trust issue anything that involves fluid, air, rubber, tubing etc etc stands a chance of leaking, i had 2 brand new typres on my car both got punctures within 3 months of each other .. its just the way things are some are lucky can do what they want, not look after themselves or the band and never get a problem, others do nothing wrong and get a string of problems. I had my band done in the UK but would choose Dr. Chris if i had to go abroad and even with the problems you have had there are still many many people who havent had the problems.. freak occurances in my humble opinion .. let them sort ot out and get this over with quick so u can concentrate on losing the weight and your wedding ...this really is minor surgery like having your wisdom teeth out .. i am a lot older thana most of u here and i am putting myself on the table for 5 hours of surgery.. you have your whole life ahead of you 30 mins more on the operating table if that is needed really isnt worth stressing over in the grand scheme of things .. just concentrate on those wedding pics and how good u will look i really hope it gets sorted for u and might be worth asking Fred about the silicone fluid thing to stop leaks

was wondering the same i go for my pre - op assessment tomorrow and then next weekend boom 5 hours of much needed plastic surgery lol

Welcome to lapbandland and hope all goes well for your surgery in 2 days .. wishing u a speedy recovery

5 days does seem a little quick for staple removal but then i never even had staples i had the glue closure on mine, when i was nursing we used to leave stitches 10 days before we removed them which is roughly the time it takes for the skin to start knitting together .. u can buy steri strips in chemists/pharmacy nothing to stop u putting more on if the others came off quite quickly

Yes it would be possible to get stuck as the band is like a belt around your waist, it still may be a little tight just in size alone so in theory it is possible , which is why some people can feel restriction from day 1 even without fills. Imagine a belt of waist 30 inches it will fit alot of people some it will be a little loose, some the perfect size and some a little tight .. the fills then make the band the perfect size just for you .. a simplistic explanation but i hope it makes sense

Is your friend advising you what to use at the gym or a personal trainer there ? you need to be careful if you havent exercised before as to what u start off at, weights particularly should be a progression like all exercise but it will do u less harm say overdoing an eliptical than lifting too heavy weights when u havent developed the muscle tone yet. My advice is to seek advice from one of the trainers at the gym .. then u can follow a programme tailored to your own needs which will include progression on a safer time scale

looks really good the almond milk u can get here i have only found to be much higher calorie .. which is a shame

good luck for tomorrow .. fast track sounds like a good idea instead of all those lengthy waits for appointments .. hope it all goes well for you !

I do around 20 - 25 miles a day on my exercise and/or road bike along with dumbells and resistance band work .. all of which can be done sitting down and still burn lots of calories and dont put any pressure on the feet might be worth a try anyways .. but if u do have that condition u should have those shoe inserts

OMg that cost is awful for you, wouldnt u be better off just putting the money in a savings account and pay for what treatment u need ? that would give u around $18,000 a year .. am so glad i live in the UK and dont have such problems ..u have my symapthy ... good luck !

Not sure u can get this in the US but Amazon Uk sell Pea Protein, works just as well as any other protein suppliment it actually has very little taste so i add to yoghurt sometimes if i am lacking a few grams of protein

Good luck i hope it all goes well for you

Knew you could do it, you inspire so many people am proud to call you friend

I have had soup before my dinner ever since i was banded 14 months ago and it has never ever caused a problem and my surgeon has no problems with it either, given how much weight i have lost he is telling others to try it too if they have issues with being too hungry by dinner time and rushing eating or eaating too much etc, soup half fills u up before u start on the heavier calories .. It has been well researched under nutritional guidelines called volumetrics .. which advocates feeling satisfied with fewer calories .. i use a weight watchers tomato soup which has 71 calories i think and tastes the better one out of the ww soups

sounds yummy!!

Welcome stacey and hello from London i know some who have had minor leaks in the US their docs have filled their bands with a silicone which can help block a small leak if u have one and its small, not sure if they do that here in UK but might be worth investigating if you have to, otherwise u should be ok if the NHS is picking up your bariatric care that if u need something replaced they should do it .. Sounds like u know what u are doing as a veteran bandster but if u need any other help just ask

Nice work

Good luck for tomorrow, hope all goes well will be sending positive thoughts

absolutely agree.. many people can cheat a band, bypass or sleeve, some bypass and sleeve people even end up having to have a band fitted as well. Use the determination you have to good use and not to cheating and things may improve for you