Chickie

Thanks Kathy. I think you are right. I will end up with an unfill at the very least. I will update as soon as I get home. The pain worries me too. That is why I had hoped that some one could shed some light on it for me. It has slowly been getting worse since Monday of this week. It is at the point now, that if I breathe too deeply, I get a sharp pain. So maybe it is not band related? I have not had any problems till now, so I guess I am just freaking out a little. Or a lot. lol

Wow Jodi! You are doing really well! 14kg is a very modest gain for 30 weeks. My son was born in may too. May is a good month to have babies! Good luck hon, and do keep us posted.

Maybe it is worth putting a year into getting and waiting for private insurance to kick in? I still had an out of pocket with my banding, but it was far less than I would have paid if I had been 100% self pay. Even 1 year of private health + my out of pocket was less than 10k. Way less. And I think you will struggle to find a doc to do it for less than that.

Thanks Janet. I see my doc in the morning.. And it was the first appointment, sadly. He was interstate till tonight (it is 10.45pm, Tues night here in Oz) So I got the first appointment he had. DH is going with me for moral support, so that is something. But to be honest, with the pain I am in at the moment, I think I need him to drive me to the doc, more than I need the support! lol. I know that no two bandsters are the same, but I was kinda hoping that someone would be able to say "Oh, I had the same thing happen.. And this is what it was" Wishful thinking I guess. I am the type of person who is comforted by facts. If I know what it is, I can deal with it. Good or bad. KWIM?

The pics are on my docs site.. I will have to chase up the URL.. I have lost it in the mess that is my "favorites". As for your loss to date? You are doing so well! 10.4kg in just over a month? That is fantastic. Be proud. Not feeling restriction after your first fill is fairly normal. And if your surgeon put in 4ml, you would have a 10ml (I think) VG band. So it may take a few fills to really feel it. We have a few Aussies who have a VG band (I have a 4ml band) so they may be better able to help you out with that one. But way to go! :clap2:

Way to go Jess! You have done so well! I cant wait to see before and after pics of your plastic's.

The thought never crossed my mind. I would not even take the advice of one of the surgeons who post here as real medical advice. Thanks :biggrin1:

1. Weight when banded 296 2. Study duration (between 6 and 12 months) 12.5 months 3. Percentage of meals where you drank during the meal or within 1 hour after the meal Maybe 20%? Less perhaps? 4. Average minutes per week you exercised during the study period About 200 5. Number of fills you received during the study period 6, I think. 6. Regularly used diet drugs during your study period (yes/no)? No 7. Race (race showed as a significant success factor in the initial FDA trials for lap-band surgery, leave blank if you object to testing this factor) Cacu 8. Weight loss during the study period (in pounds) 127

Thanks Jenna, and Dody. Dody - would a tear in the esophagus account for the nasty, worse than the pain I had post op- shoulder tip pain? It is pertty bad, to the point of having to take pain killers, and they dont do a hell of a lot to kill the pain either. I have had burning where my band is too, to the far left.. I just find this all so confusing. lol. I like being healthy and complication free. It is far less work, worry and stress! lol

Thanks guys! And I have brought myself an anniversary gift! A realy nice gold bangle. It is just devine, cost far too much, and is perfect! I had it engraved "To me, for being me, Love me" The engraver looked at me like I was a weirdo! Maybe I am lol!

I would LOVE to have a personal trainer on my back 24/7 like that! It should be interesting to see the outcome no matter what the real motivation for being on the show is. I must say.. They have picked some very pretty women for this series!

I have only seen a few eps.. But what I have seen! WOW! Are they there to lose weight? Or win the cash? I really have no idea.

Thanks Kathy, Fee. My Dr said if it was not for my tattoo on my lower back, he would have thought it was someone else! LOL I have to agree with him, I do look very different.

Thanks everyone! This year has just buzzed by! I have no idea where it went to be honest. I was almost a week post op when the "before" pics were taken... And I lost like 25-30lbs on Optifast (I was on it for 3 weeks pre op. 3 weeks of hell) Then I lost another 10 lbs or so before these pics were taken. I really regret no keeping better records. *sigh*

It would be nice, huh? But people need to undertand that what is funny to you might not be funny to me. It that such a hard concept to get? *sigh* I think I will just give up....

What you consider funny, is not the same as what I consider funny. Clearly. You imply that I am a bad person for giving a teacher, who will do the right thing with bloody Cookies, to give to the childern. I do not find that funny. You imply that that is the cause for overweight and obese children. It is not. The reason for childhood obesity is poor diet, and no exercise. It is that simple. If you are concerned about kids being fat, go help out with a PE class or two a week. Help teachers with cooking classes. Its what I do every week, mate. Do not preach at me about fat kids. And I will retract NOTHING. Good on you if you can deny yourself to goal weight. Good for you.

yep. Thats me. I am a murderer because I am teaching my child to have a balanced diet. Teaching him that treats CAN be a part of said healthy diet. People who deny themselves treats and such, long term do not lose all their weight and keep it off? Why? Deny yourself things you want for too long, and you will get sick of, and resent the "healthy" lifestyle, and throw in the towel. If having a coffee, and a chocolate once in a while make me a "bad bandster" and a bad human, so be it.

Fine. Whatever. Kids need treats, in moderation. The teacher will moderate HOW many the kids will have. I cannot see how a tin of Cookies is any different to the birthday cakes parents bring in? Or are you all down on that too? And for the record. My DS is 145cm tall and 30kg. Not overweight, obese, or anything of the like.

I supply myself with my own drugs of choice (Cheese and coffee are two off the top of my head). Butter cookies are not my thing, nor that of my family. But I *know* that my DS's teacher will allow the children who can have cookies (and this year I know all the parents in DS's class) one cookie or so a week. It is a flipping treat. I am not trying to kill the children. Nor was my MIL. We simply do not LIKE the cookies she sent. They are really not all that bad, as cookies go. But yeah, not good enough for me, so I pass them on.... And yes, Fee, I have eaten plenty that has not been all that healthy. Plenty. Being a bandster is not about perfection. It is about being healthy. And even un healthy stuff can be part of a balanced diet.

Not long after my surgery, I ate something at MILs house that had me sliming for hours.. NOT her fault, but it was the only thing in the house kinda thing (And I was fairly new to solids at that stage too). Soon after that I drew up a list of the kinds of things I can eat. I thought this would offend her, but she was happy to know, so she could stock her fridge with "bandster" type foods.

Scratch that. I would rather not be involved. Thank you.

Its funny you say that... My MIL just sent us a 5lb tin of butter cookies :heh: I am re-gifting them to my sons class tomorrow.

I totally see where you are comming from. I guess it is just hard for some people to adjust to the new lifestyle. Some people never do. It took some time for me to give up all of my charming habbits that I had formed over a life time. Old habbits die hard. KWIM?

Was a post just deleted on this thread? Or have I finally lost my mind? lol

I would say that it is fairly normal to be "wide open" still after only 2 fills. Depending on the size of your band, and the size of the fills your doctor gives, it can take some time to get to your "sweet spot"