Cazzy

gratz on the bandiversary and the weight loss ... awesome pics .. looks like us Jan 2011 bandsters did well

Elcee answered right on your questions so do some investigation on the internet and read up on it. If your husband had a spinal fusion believe me having a band fitted will seem like a walk in the park I hope all works out well for you both !

There are many scenarios where you could end up having to have a foreign object in your body, like having joint replacements, pacemakers even down to fillings in your teeth . The band is just a small piece of plastic, its really not that bigger deal but can have excellent results. The cost of maintaining being overweight by food and clothing bills alone would cancel out the costs of any fills .. I didnt eat unhealthy food i had a big appetite too, i was never full.. but the band helped me eat and be satisfied with smaller meals, i hated that feeling of being 'hungry' now i dont feel that hunger any more, i still get hungry before meals but its no longer the desperate hunger i used to get. Maybe its time to ditch those sweets and swap them for some sugar free ones and get your hunger under control, after all will anything change if you dont do something good luck !

Are you not able to get them your medical records from when you were banded ? granted 5 yrs ago is a long time but surely they keep medical records longer than that, the hospital where u were operated must have done some pre-surgery tests etc, just supply the insurance company with proof. In the UK this would be classed as a pre-existing medical condition for private medical insurance and they wouldnt touch it here even with proof !

Welcome to lapbandland !

Nothing surprises me with her responses tbh i think shes is more than a sandwich short of a picnic

would be cheaper to fly to the UK and pay privately to have the surgery here lol.. poor you thats a huge bill to find

If you are talking post - op lapband ... then age and genetics definitely play a part in how your body recovers from weight loss. If you are left with flabby bits that could be helped and toned with exercise then i would seek the help of a personal trainer to specifically target those areas with specialised training. It may well be if its just loose skin like i have tons of all the exercise in the world wont make any difference to it, then its time to seek the plastic surgery route

Thanks for the review i am on the point of getting my xbox and your info has been great, will be interested in reading about zumba too

Welcome Molly and good luck with your journey .. keep in touch !

Most likely u will not notice much difference, u may be lucky and feel restriction after your first fill, but many dont it can take at least 3 or 4 fills for some to start feeling it. Just think of it as another step on the road to be lighter but give it a chance and dont worry about it , it will happen eventually

I lost 16lbs in the first month after banding but everyone is different, we all lose at different rates so would be hard to make a definitive sort of response. A lot of people dont lose weight at all till they start feeling restriction from fills. My first month was all liquid diet, followed by 1 month mushies then solids after that. I ate a lot of soups, broth and 0% fat greek yoghurt mixed with skimmed milk made into a drink, i did not do protein shakes I am still losing a year post op but have slowed down considerably. Average was 2 to 3lbs a week now its maybe 1 or 2 lbs a week at most .. not far to go now but will continue just eating healthy food and exercising to maintain what i have lost. Some people manage to lose just from eating smaller portions of normal type food u will have to learn what works for you .. good luck

You will need lots of patience post-op as u might not feel any restriction till several fills later over a period of a few months .. Band land is notorious for needing patience so use this time waiting for answers to get used to it a little more. Nothing to stop you getting into a routine now of eating and exercising that will help you post band. Might make the time go quicker for you while u wait for answers .. good luck

Well done, good honest hard work and good healthy food make such a difference

Absolutely can make a difference, when u are close to full restriction even .25 cc can make all the difference in the world. So if u need a slight unfill make sure its a small one

Very interesting read elcee thanks for the link. I fel sorry for the OP sounds like she had a nightmare and its still going. I see that our resident kill joy already posting there too !

Great news am so pleased you found someone to do it for you. Good luck and speedy recovery post - op

Gratz on your weight loss ..

Have u explored getting your flat tummy by using say a personal trainer, I would have thought that at 24 yrs you may stand a chance of getting a nice flat tummy with some form of specialised exercise. It sounds like you would like a lot of surgery but maybe or at least some of it could be avoided. Good luck with it

It is quite common to retain fluid while menstruating so u will weigh heavier. Fluid intake can affect weight loss so try and increase your water intake if you can .. Sometimes my scales differ from those at the doctors depending on what time of day they weigh you, what u had to eat that day etc, so u could easily weigh 4lbs different from what u were expecting. Dont sweat it and keep looking at your own scales

I was told to get liquid forms of my meds to last one month post - op as i would be liquids only for that long. If you cant get them in liquid form get a pill splitter, they are inexpensive but work well.

Exercise can help lift the mood, i have days still where things seem a little pointless and i feel like crying but i get on my bike and go for a ride and by the time i get home i feel much better and dont even think of the down mood i was in before i went. Maybe go for a brisk walk to ease the blues. Dont forget its winter in most places and some of us will be under the effects of the time of year where a lot of people feel like you do. I am sure you will feel happier once you get your routine back and start to really see the band do its work. I used to cry a lot more before i had the band fitted so the odd days of it now are far far less

Congratz on your weight loss so far the main thing with protein is that you get enough of it, not that it has to come from shakes .. i stick to a healthy and organic diet most of the time and eat no preservatives. I am 57 and thought my weight loss would be slow due to menpause too but i found what worked for me and stuck to it, if u work out what is best for you and you continue to lose then stick to it and i am sure you will do fine ! good luck !

Agree ..........grin and bear it you will soon feel a little better

Dont forget to get back to exercising too that will help a lot and keep you fit to keep up with daughter