Fanny Adams

Feeling a bit better today. Got my period yesterday afternoon and realised that this was a major factor in me wanting to devour the universe in large bites! :smile2: Still annoyed with Dr Bowater but managed a semblance of self control at dinner last night and throughout the day today, so feeling hopeful that I can manage to get back into the losing game at this fill level. I'll try to remember to put up the pics when I get home from site tomorrow night (or over the weekend). Can't do it now, coz I am at work (3,000km away from home PC).

Hi again, Very rara Yes, this is pretty normal. Most people find that it takes around 3-4 fills before they really start to feel the full effects of the band. The second fill will help a little but probably not very noticeable still. Mind you, if your problem before banding was portion control (like most of us), what it should manage to do for you is to stop you eating HUGE meals (like I used to do). You'll still be able to eat a "normal" sized dinner and probably won't have problems with any food types yet. Don't try to find the limits of how much you can still eat - if you take it slowly and chew well, you can probably manage to still push it way beyond a sensible meal size. Just aim for making healthy eating choices and let the band stop you from going overboard completely. The portion sizes will come down with each fill, and then the real power of the band will kick in. Meantime, you can still lose weight with simple healthy eating.

Hi lachica. I had a similar operation in Cotober 08, because of a kink in my tubing. It was pretty easy and recovery was smooth. I hope the same goes for you - good luck!

Thanks everyone. You know, it's obvious that I know I've been doing the wrong thing lately but haven't wanted to face up to it. All I have to do is look at how long it had been since I updated my ticker (DIDN'T want to have to put in the increase!!) and how I have been avoiding coming here, because I was reluctant to admit my weakness. And yet, it is never as hard as one imagines, after one makes the admission - and getting the support from others makes it worthwhile! Funny how you forget that part, in the shame of hiding from yourself...

Wow... I can hardly believe I've made it this far. Tomorrow is my first appointment with the Plastic Surgeon, where I get to ask about possibilities and pathways. I'm nowhere near goal yet, but I can see it in the distance and believe that will get there one day, and I want to start planning for it now. I still have well over 15kg to lose but I'm on a roll at the moment and feeling confident that it will happen. The boob job is a given - I've lost so much weight off my chest that the girls haven't just gone south, they've migrated to Antarctica. They'll need the full reconstruction treatment - lifted back up and filled out again. Of all the weight I've lost, the only bit of it I miss are my boobs :mad2:. After having G-H cups, I'm now down to an E cup, but that's all just skin. Basically, I have to roll the girls up and tuck them into the E cup, but there's not much actual boob inside them. I don't want to do just the basic tummy tuck either. I have 2 very large scars from previous surgeries and these both need removing/disguising. One is 10" long and is the common full line across the base of the pelvis, above the pubic line, which accentuates the flabby pannus that folds over it. That was from a surgery in the 80's where I tried (unsuccessfully :tt2:) to have both fallopian tubes repaired after using an IUD. The other is from a major kidney operation that I had in 71, to repair trauma damage after being run over as a child (I was 9 at the time). This runs 12 inches from a point about 6" to the right of my belly button, just above my right hip bone, up and around my side to the centre of my spine about 4" higher at the back. It is in just the right place to "help" the back fat and loose skin fold over into a really nasty roll. I'm hoping that the surgeon can somehow remove this or incorporate the old scar into the new one so that the foldover effect isn't as apparent. As a result, I think I'll need the full lower body lift, probably with some modifications to work around the old scarring. I'd love to get my upper arms done as well, but not sure if the doc will do all of this in one go and I will only get one bite at this cherry, so I am going to try to push for it. Lastly, and probably one of those "love to have" things but not one of those "MUST HAVE" things would be to get the slightest little tightening done on my neck. I don't have wrinkles around my eyes or lines around my mouth but the triple-chin has been traded in for the turkey neck and I DON'T like it! :wink: When I pull the skin back, it only takes a tiny tug to make an enormous difference - how hard can it be to add that into the Grand Plan? I'm so excited, I don't think I'll sleep at all tonight. I just don't know what can and can't be done to work with the problems I have, but after all this time, I'm at least going to be able to find out!! Wish me luck, folk! :smile:

Well the time has come... My ticker said "you have not updated in 80 days..." this morning, so it was time to bite the bullet and acknowledge what I have been in denial about since my surgery. I have GAINED 5kg since the operation - that's 12lb!! No, I can't put it down to swelling anymore, no I can't put it down to fluid rentention or any of the other excuses I've been trying on for the last 2 months. Plain and simple, I'VE BEEN EATING TOO MUCH!!! After having the band really tight to get to my pre-op desired weight and being very uncomfortable for that, I wussed out when the surgeon went to refill me and asked for the fill to be less than his recommendation. Of course, I didn't consider the fact that their office is booked out months in advance and that I wouldn't be able to change things easily if I wasn't happy with the result. Well of course, the inevitable happened. The operation swelling went down within a week or two of the fill and the hunger came raging back with a vengeance. It took me 6 MONTHS to lose that last 5kg before the operation and a mere 6 WEEKS to put it back on. GAH!! I could kick myself!! What's worse is that, now that my skin is so tight, it is REALLY uncomfortable and I'm all bulgy and have lumps and bumps in odd places. I feel like a sausage that's about to split its skin and I hope I haven't already stretched out my new tight-fitting skin *cries* I've been struggling through, thinking that it will get better when I get my next fill (22nd Feb - not far now, thank goodness!), but I've finally realised that this is the wrong attitude. I need to do something about this RIGHT BLOODY NOW!!! So... for the next week at least, until I get the fill, I'm going right back to basics - back to the original pre-op diet for the band!! Yes folks, that means I'm doing the Optifast thing and I'm hoping that by posting this and making it public, I will STICK to it for the whole week! Wish me luck!

I think you've hit the nail on the head with this and this is my theory also. Surgery of any kind is generally a big decision for a person and comes with a lot of emotional attachments. People want to believe that they have made the right choice for themselves and, for many, supporting someone in having chosen a different type of surgery is tantamount to admitting that their own choice wasn't right. To be honest, I feel the same about lapband surgery and the alternatives. While I might try to be supportive of someone's decision to have gastric bypass or the DS, deep down inside, I know that I would believe that they have chosen a dangerous and unnecessarily drastic option. I know that what I "should" be saying is "lapband was the right choice for me, you make whatever is the right choice for you" but what I'd really be thinking is "OMG, don't do it!!" if they said they were having the bypass or even the vertical sleeve.

Obese people have all sorts of emotional connotations attached to the word "diet", so you'll hear many people saying that you don't need to diet with the band. The truth is, if you want to lose quickly, good old-fashioned diet and exercise are the best ways to do it. The difference now is that the band helps to control the Hunger Daemon that rages inside all of us, so that we can actually STICK to the diet week in and week out for the long haul needed to lose all the weight. Yes, you can lose slowly if you don't consciously diet, provided that you make reasonably sensible food choices. The restricted portions will allow you to eat pretty much anything in moderation and the scales will still slide slowly down. However, if you allow too much junk to creep into those restricted portions, you can stall your progress or even gain weight. The key word there is "IN MODERATION". If you want to lose quickly though, pay attention to what you eat, count your calories, do the exercise and let the band (wonderful invention that it is!) HELP you to achieve success. I think that one of the best things about the band is it's flexibility. You can control how quickly or slowly you lose. When you get to goal, you can let go of all that focus on "dieting" and live like a "normal" person. That means that, like normal people, you need to keep a general eye on what you eat and try not to overindulge too often, but can get away with treats now and then and not have to worry about binge eating or rollercoaster weight gains and losses. Good luck!!

Congratulations to all new members of the 100lb Down Club!!

I know how you feel. I've come from an Aus size 26 (US 22) to an Aus 12 (US 8), had plastic surgery to get rid of the skin rolls and lift the boobs and what size compression garment does the nurse fit me for? A freakin siz 2XL!!! 2XL!!! I cried! As it turned out, it was pretty loose once the swelling had gone down but even so! I think I look pretty good now. I want to lose another 5-10kg but most people tell me I don't need to. Yet, I'm still classified as "overweight" on the BMI charts and by society's standards, I'm still fat *sighs*

Firstly, congratulations on the weight loss! You've done great already and should be very proud of yourself. However, you're right in that vomiting once or twice a week isn't a good long term situation. Given that most of the time, you are okay with foods, I'd have to agree with you that it isn't the band; it is most likely making "mistakes" when eating, e.g. eating too fast, not chewing well enough. Here are some tips that have really helped me, when I've been unsure about bite sizes, speed of eating, chewing, etc: * Cut all your food into TINY pieces - about the size of your pinky fingernail, then chew each piece to liquid before swallowing. * Don't cut up all your food in advance at the beginning of the meal. Cut one tiny piece off, put it in your mouth, put the knife and fork down, chew and swallow, cut the next piece, and so on. This gives you time between each bite to listen to your body and consider how each bite is going down. * Don't worry about quantities so much, just eat like that for 20 minutes then STOP. Cover what's left of your food and put it in the fridge. * After an hour, think about whether or not you're still HUNGRY. If you are really hungry, eat the rest of your meal in the same way (small bites, rest in between). If not, discard the food or save it up for your next meal. * Don't try to eat until you feel "FULL". The sensation of "FULL" has changed now and it can be hard to recognise. Instead, aim for "not really hungry". If you're not really hungry, you can stick to making good choices for what you do eat and can resist snacking between meals. If your snacking is mostly done out of boredom not hunger (like mine), try to find something to occupy your mouth with, e.g. sugarfree sweets or gum (being careful not to swallow gum!). Hope this helps!

It sounds like you have good restriction and now the "bandster rules" are really kicking in. If you are still getting mushies and liquids down, you may not be too tight but are finally feeling what "restriction" is really like. It's something that you hear and read about a lot at the beginning but can't really "get" until you experience it for yourself. Try giving yourself a day's rest on just mushies and liquids, to make sure that any swelling from previous "stuck" episodes has gone down, then start to introduce meats and solid foods slowly. You need to cut your meat into TINY bites - about the size of your pinky fingernail - and chew until liquid. Pause for a few seconds between each bite and listen to your body. Don't take the next bite until you are sure the first one has gone down. One way to achieve the right "pace" when eating is to not cut up all your meat in advance. Cut a tiny piece and put it in your mouth, then put your knife and fork down while you chew and swallow; pick up the knife and fork and cut the next piece, etc. This gives you time between each bite to feel the results and determine if it is safe for another bite. If you still get stuck on meat and solid foods when eating in this way, then it is time to think about maybe you are too tight. If that's the case, don't let it go on too long. It is a miserable way to live and can be very damaging to your health long term.

At only a month post-op, you are still swollen inside from the operation. It can take 6 weeks or more for that swelling to completely subside, so you may start to see the weight loss in your waist soon.

Often when people say "I don't have restriction", what they really mean is "I still feel hungry" but they're not actually the same thing. If you are getting stuck often, you DO have restriction - otherwise you couldn't get stuck. However, you may well still be feeling hungry all the time, and so not realise what is happening. In fact, you may already be too tight and this is causing the getting stuck and throwing up, etc. When you have restriction, you need to take TINY bites, about the size of your pinky fingernail, and chew each one to liquid before swallowing. Too much at once or not enough chewing will get stuck and cause problems. When you get stuck and start to throw up, your stomach will swell up, making the restriction even tighter and it will get harder and harder to eat solid foods. However, because you are not eating solid foods, you will still feel hungry all the time and want to eat! When you get stuck a lot, you tend to avoid the foods that give you trouble and stick to "slider" foods like icecream, Cookies, chips and chocolate. Slider foods do exactly that - they slide straight through the band, leaving your pouch empty and you feeling hungry again very quickly. It can easily become a vicious cycle - you are tight or swollen from throwing up, so you eat slider foods, leaving you hungry. You are hungry, so you want to eat more but can't because you're too tight... The way out of this loop is to give your stomach at least a day's rest to recover from any PBing. Go onto "liquids only" for at least one day. Try creamy Soups with lots of Protein to help you feel full - have as much as you like but no solids. On the second day, eat mushies, taking care to take tiny bites and chew thoroughly. Again, don't worry about quantities - choose high protein, low fat/low cal mushies and eat as much as you want but concentrate on taking it slowly and NOT getting stuck. On the third day, introduce solid foods again, choosing things like tender lean meats and cooked veges. Be even more careful to cut your food into tiny pieces, eat tiny bites, chew each one at least 30 times, pause for a little while between each swallow and see how you are feeling. If you do get stuck and start to PB, go back to liquids for the rest of the day and try again tomorrow. You should find that you are able to eat solid foods in this way without getting stuck. Solid foods, eaten the right way, will sit in your pouch and stop you feeling hungry. If you can't manage solid foods at all after several days of trying this routine, you are too tight and need some Fluid taken out. You only need a fill when eating solid meals of protein and veges still leaves you hungry and wanting to snack between meals or eat lots more than a cup at at sitting.

Congrats, MaggiesMom and Blaze! Feels good, doesn't it?

Many of us go through a "my God, what have I done?" phase immediately after surgery. Hang in there, think positive thoughts and you'll find that in a few months, you'll almost certainly be one of the happy bandsters saying "Best thing I ever did!" Have a look through some of the "Would you do it again?" polls. You'll find an overwhelming majority of people saying "YES, YES, YES!!" in response to that question and you can't get a much better recommendation than that. The first few weeks are an emotional rollercoaster, mixed with all sorts of physical changes (surgery, anaesthetic, new diet, changed sleep patterns, changed exercise patterns, etc, etc) that impact upon your head space. It will take some time to settle down but it will be worth it in the long run.

Ladies, for those of you having trouble with the taste or texture when swallowing, the secret is to push him down as far to the back of your throat as you can stand and swallow rapidly, when he's cumming. Not only does this mean that the fluids go right past your tastebuds, so you don't taste or feel it, but your man will think he's died and gone to heaven when he feels the back of your throat tightening around him as you swallow. Believe me, you'll both thank me for this tip :eek: I've never had a problem with my band related to swallowing and I have to wonder what sort of consistency would actually cause problems! Getting HIM to drink more fluids sounds like one possible solution but make sure that the Fluid isn't beer. Beer and cigarettes WILL make it taste nasty, no doubt about that. pineapple juice can help but it can't disguise it completely if he's a beer drinker

My apologies, Bushidomaster. My "lol rofl" was in response to the woman getting her knickers in a knot over a topic that she doesn't need to read if she doesn't want to, not in response to your post. I hadn't seen the extra posts past hers and by the time I realised my error, it was too late to go back and edit in the quote to make it more clear.

I can't really answer that, Tracey, coz I only did it one way, so have no basis for comparison. I did 3 shakes a day plus steamed green veges only at dinner. The first couple of days were definitely the hardest and the green veges at night really helped. I was only on it for 10 days, as my surgeon had a last minute cancellation and moved my surgery date up and that's all the notice I got. I think I lost 5 kilos in 10 days (might have been 7 - it's been a few years now, so I'd have to go look it up). PS: Do you mean Boyanup? Coz I don't know where Boya is!

*hugs* Hang in there, Allie! Tomorrow will be a brand new day :biggrin:

Aww... I didn't see this in time to vote in the poll (I have notifications turned off). I'm in the 110-119lb lost group and have been doing really well. Had an unfill for my plastic surgery in December (op was on 7 Dec, just 3 days shy of my Bandiversary on the 10th) and managed to gain a whole kilo in the week leading up to the op (rats!). Got refilled 2 weeks after the op but was chicken and didn't put enough in, so have been hanging out until my next fill in February to hopefully get back to my sweetspot. Meantime, it's taking all the willpower I possess to simply maintain and not gain further. I'm not really sure whether I have or not. I came out of hospital 2kg heavier than when I went in, even though the doc cut off 4kg of skin and fat! At the time, I put it down to swelling (LOTS of swelling, LOL!) but I don't know if that still applies. The visible swelling has gone down slowly but I think I'm replacing it with fat, as my weight hasn't changed - still 2kg over the op day... Can't wait for the next fill as I have nearly 10kg I still want to lose to get to my dream goal, and then I am DONE!! I could live at my current weight forever and still be happy but why stop now, when I am so close to the dream? Hope everyone else is having fun and maintaining their successes! Cheers all!