kermit

Hi all - Hope the meeting was great and that it was good to meet everyone in person. Had some family stuff to do here in Limerick and couldn't manage both unfortunately. I was raging because I wanted so badly to be there but hopefully the next time I will make it. I was sorry to hear Jerome won't be back and gobsmacked to hear he is 72 years old! Hope I am that youthful when I am the same age. Thought he was mid to late 50's at most. Hope the new surgeon is fill friendly and personable.....Jerome seemed to have a great understanding of obesity as a disease rather than as a personal failing in life. Kermit

hi Paulamurf and Nikki I am so sorry to hear that Drs are procrastinating about WLS for higher BMI. I can only imagine that it is heart wrenching to be told no after building up the courage and making the drastic decision to take this route. I hope that Coco's link to the UK Weight loss specialist will help you, Paula, and your Mum, Nikki. Congratulations, Nikki, on your good news! I can't wait for the day I can finally make a similar announcement! Bummer about the 'all or nothing' attitude to the unfill though. I imagine it is more about insurance than about your body though. The minute anyone hears 'pregnant' they immediately take the ultra conservative approach. Good luck and will send loads of best wishes your way.

hi Coco I read your comment about whoever controls the procedure controls your weight loss and I have to say THANKS! It is EXACTLY what I wanted to say but couldn't express it when talking with Tara last week. I got my first fill on Thursday (after two cancelled appointments when Dr. couldn't make it) and after an ear bashing I left the clinic feeling humiliated and crying my eyes out for the journey home. She made me feel like I couldn't control myself - but isn't this why people get the band? I know it is supposed to be 80% band and 20% discipline but I felt as though there was no band at all. This week I can't feel much in the way of restriction and am hoping it will 'kick in' as I am hungry all the time but controlling my food and dieting like mad. I have to go back in 2 weeks as I still haven't spoken to the Dr. since my initial consultation with ACS . I had hoped that speaking with him would result in another fill but your post doesn't 'fill' me with confidence (geddit?).

Hi Alesha sorry to hear the fill isn't doing the job for you - did they say you had to wait a certain amount of time before organising another one?

sorry Edie - I got the math wrong - if you are 142 lbs then you are ten stone 2 lbs.

hi Edie a stone is 14lbs. Most people here in Ireland and in the UK use stones as the unit of weightloss, e.g. I lost half a stone = I lost seven pounds. If we say how much we weigh then you can say I weigh 14 stone 2lbs which is 142 lbs. Hope this helps to decode some of the posts from Ireland or UK! In the rest of Europe it is mostly kilograms. One kilo is 2.2 lbs. By the way I have seen some of your posts and I have to say I am delighted for you on your great achievement. Well done and best of luck for the future.

hi all thanks a million for the kind words, Alesha. I was on to the clinic today and have a fill booked for 20th Sept. Can't wait! I am hoping that it will do the trick. Skinny and Alesha - I am so sorry that your fill isn't working out. I read on some of the forae that a few people didn't feel the restriction kick in for a couple of weeks for some strange reason....Hope it happens for you. Skinny, sorry to say I haven't a clue about putting pics in the signature:confused: Welcome Twinkle Toes and hope it works out for you on the next fill. The MED1 form is available on ros.ie. It is a pain to sign up for doing tax stuff online so you might be faster calling up. I can send it to you as an adobe attachment if you PM me and give me the email address. go neirí libh lads.

hi Skinny - thinking of you and hope the eating is manageable. I know how hard it is to forego pizza when there is little restriction! Hi Laura - thanks so much for the med1 information...I am definitely applying for that asap! Hi Alesha - I got a call on Thurs to say that the Dr is not available and I was deferred for my fill AGAIN! Starting to panic a little bit because my weightloss went from 8lbs back to 2lbs in six weeks. This is like Atkins and Weightwatchers all over again - after the intitial flush of success I wreck it all for myself and feel miserable. I'm going to have to ring the clinic and try to organise a fill asap. But after rearranging my entire life TWICE to free up the guts of a whole day for fills - I am disappointed. I am back in school teaching now and it is difficult to get time off....wonder if they do fills etc on Saturdays...hmm. Pressure, stress, and misery contributed a bit (in addition to lack of willpower) to me eating SIX Cadbury snack bars today IN ONE SITTING. Worst binge ever - even before band. They didn't even hit the sides as they went down their chocolatey seductive way...like a whale eating a goldfish. Sorry to moan - have just kicked my own ass for that and resolve to start afresh! :heh: When I got the op I secretly fantasised about being 3 stone down for my friend's wedding in November. Now I will have to find EXTRA STRENGTH MIRACLE knickers.....

hi there just to let you know that in the introductions forum there is a thread called Hi from Ireland that has recent posts from loads of people who were banded in Ireland.Drop in and best of luck with your op!

Sorry guys - I have a question related to the self pay op here in Ireland. I am filling out revenue forms for medical expenses and the thought struck me that maybe this medicalprocedure may be something to claim on for 2007? Do any of you know whether it falls under the Med1 form for tax back?

hi Alesha Good luck with the fill today. How do you feel after it? Was Jerome ok? I have mine on Friday - I hope it makes a difference because I need to start losing - plus it is a four hour round trip for me just to get a fill.

hi Coco - sounds like a great holiday and the kids must have had a blast! it is fab that your de-fill has brought you to the point of eating solids again - the 10lb weightloss is a great thing but the psychological impact of being able to eat a bit of solid food must be wonderful after a lot of liquid! Fair play to you for the upbeat attitude and patience to keep working at it. I probably would have done a lot of moaning and whinging in your place - kudos!

Good for you Coco! Hope the hols were fab! I hope the band did its work for you and you are happy with the result.

bumpin her up as it is hard to find this each time I log in

hi there - I had it done in Dublin on July 27. I checked in and found that there were five others having the same procedure. There is some time taken up with antiseptic shower, getting changed, having to insert two suppositories (I know!). The staff there are very kind and depending on when your op is you might meet some people before it.Then it is off to theatre where you have a snooze (I was really nervous and thought they might not give me enough anaesthetic or something)...but then I woke up and had a conversation with the nurse and it was back to the bed with me. I had no pain, had a snooze for a while and then wanted to get up and about. The biggest annoyance for me was the drip line in the hand....couldn't lie comfortably until it was gone. The night was longish as I was snoozing and waking a lot. I was very thirsty and the nurses were so attentive all the time. Next morning I had half a yoghurt and a cup of tea and then discharged after the doctor had spoken to us individually. They give you antibiotics and painkillers to take home with instructions about food etc. Dr Jerome advices liquids for the first four or five days but then onto mushed food and gradually to solids - much faster than other posters on the foum. I think he likes you to get into normal food asap so you can start getting a normal life routine as a banded person - learning to chew and regulate bite size off the bat. So that was my experience and since then I have lost a few pounds in the first two weeks and then I have had a humiliating return to loads of food and binge eating (volume less but pattern same). I wish sometimes I could wave a magic wand and have no mouth at all! I am due my first fill on Sept 7 and have to find a way to solve this before then. I am thinking of doing a week on liquid then mush in strict quantities to get my pouch smaller as I think I have probably stretched it. I can't believe I amsabotaging myself and feel very disgusted. I thought that spending all that money (which I borrowed!) would have helped me to focus but of course the habiits of a lifetime are not broken in a few weeks or months. Thank God other posters on the forum have been honest in cataloguing their fears, regrets and mistakes. It is great to hear the fabulous weight loss stories but the day to day honest confessions are so helpful to me personally and I will use them on bad days to regroup and tackle it again. Sorry to ramble but hope this mail was useful - it is a warts n' all picture of my experience so far.

hi there - banding is now being done in Ireland through Advanced Cosmetic Surgery. As far as I am aware this is the only company doing banding and fills. I did read somewhere on the forum that they cost in the region of 200 euro for 'outside' patients but I cannot confirm this as I haven't spoke to ACS about that. A google search for gastric band Ireland or Adavanced Cosmetic Surgery will provide you with contact details.

aw Alesha I am SO sorry to hear about the infection. I hope it is something that can be taken care of easily. I have four wounds - two tiny crosses and two horizontal lines the same size - although these feel bumpy and wierd I think that is normal. If there is infection and it is oozing then I think at least get a topical cream or dressing. You might want to leave the antibiotics though until you get home (if that is soon). There is a big difference between medications and what is prescribed over here and there - a quick call to the clinic for advice might be a good idea? Hope it gets better soon and our restriction will solve the eating! good luck!

I think everyone is on hols........

Hello -I am a Primary School Teacher in the West of Ireland, teaching children from 4 to 12 years depending on what class I have each year. Last year I taught Junior and Senior infants mixed in one room (I was one of three teachers in a tiny village school of 57 pupils). Primary School teachers here teach all subjects including Gaeilge (Irish Language). It was a temporary position so I am job hunting for September. I am banded since July 27th and have managed to lose a paltry and shameful six pounds. I have no restriction whatsoever and could eat Moby Dick with fries in one go. The lack of restriction is matched only by my lack of willpower to STEP AWAY FROM THE CARBS. My surgeon was supposed to see me today but deferred my appointment for admin reasons until Sept 7th. I cannot wait until I lose lots of weight (I'm a whopper at about 300lbs and I make sure to remind my DH that he got a lot of Me for that ring and that if I was livestock he would be a wealthy man). Teaching infants can be tiring when you carry this much weight as there is a lot of bending down. Rather embarrassingly, one cunning little guy used my voluptuousness against me by hiding under the shadow of my belly all the time. I love teaching and spend a good part of each day laughing and enjoying the kids - a thousand times better than being an education manager for a blue chip in my previous career. I have enjoyed reading all your posts and the very best and kindest wishes for your continued band success.

Got a call to say that my first post op consult has been moved from tomorrow to Sept 7th. Will have to try and get a day off on my first week back at school...bummer.

hi Skinny - I don't know if Dr. Jerome will give me a fill on this visit. It is my 1 month check up? I definitely need it because I feel I could eat a whale. I lost eight pounds and gained back four of them in the 2nd/3rd week and I have managed to lose two of them again....so a six pound weight loss in a whole month is going to get me a right old telling off I'd say. I'm dreading my visit on Wednesday.

God you are strong! Any one of things is stressful but the whole lot together is scary! Good luck with the house move and congratulations on the finance. Hope that in a couple of months in your life will be bliss!

Hi Skinnyirishbabe Don't worry! I was in a state of major panic because not only did I stop losing - I started putting on weight and it has been only two weeks for me too! I have been reading a lot of posts though and apparently this can happen to loads of people - a lot of long term banded people reckon that the real weight loss only begins after a fill (or some people have only started noticing the weight loss after their second fill). So I have taken a big chill pill and I'm going to relax about it. (By the way I can eat a whale without the slightest feeling of restriction at the moment!). When did you get banded?

hello Death the fact that you have considered the band means that you can see a solution. When you can see a solution then there is hope. I was terrified that if I got the band it would just be another way for me to fail and then feel even more miserable but I can honestly say, friend, that the feeling of control I have now is worth so much. From your posts I can see that you are a very intelligent and feeling person - love yourself enough to find the way to feel good. If that is the band then good for you. Kindest wishes! l

hello Tralynn - hope your approval comes through - I think it is a great step to take.