Sarah.R

You can always use vitamin E creams, they help alot after the scars have healed, you can get them basically anywhere just make sure you rub it in twice a day, it won't fully go away but it does help with the overall appearance of the scar

So I was wondering about this the other day, I've read numerous accounts of people who don't eat in the morning because there too tight but I have a dilemna, I'm currently on medication that has to be taken with food or directly after, I can't swallow tablets with food and I usually take them plus all my others and then eat breakfast so I was just wondering what anyone does? I'm not banded at the moment so I don't have to worry about it straight away but I'm wondering what to do once I am banded. Thanks

I was thinking about the first thing I would like to eat after the band and after the liquid and mushie stage - and I'm thinking it's going to be jelly lol only because it's soft and tastes good and I figure it won't hurt going down that or I might try some potato bake or something along those lines - something soft that I only need to have 2 mouthfulls and I can feel the effect. So what was the first thing you ate?

I guess I could definetly do that, it's also hard with the certain types of medication as well because 2 of them I have to take with something other than water otherwise they feel like they get stuck so I dunno I suppose because milk is dairy and stuff it would definetly help and be easier than taking my meds and then eating - Thanks I'm definetly going to have to try that =)

Uh I know what you all mean, I'm not banded yet but I've NEVER been an energetic/gym going person you know? I joined with my sister one year and it was good because we would "race" each other on the treadmills lol but then she stopped going and she was my only way of getting there so I stopped going and eventually we cancelled our memberships, I think the biggest motivation is definetly someone going with you whether it be your brother,mother,sister, daughter, son you know? For me my sister is great because she makes it ummm "fun" lol just because she's a total idiot when she does it - also once I do get the band I'm taking my Ipod and putting all the fast/up beat music on there to help as well

Another aussie yay - lol - Im in brisbane, Australia

Lol I know what you mean at the moment I'm on Vitamin d and caltrate because I'm on steroids and then I take vitamin B1 because mosquitos bite me constantly and then theres these other ones for "stuff" lol. All up I take 15 a day that works out to 105 a week 420 a month and 5040 a year lol and that doesnt include if I get sick and need to take antibiotics or I have a headache and need aspirin - I'm actually suprised I dont jingle at the end of the day Edit * Also that reminds me I haven't even taken my tablets tonight so thanks for reminding me - I would of been screwed if I hadn't lol

I can't believe how some of you bruised, it looks so painful, and some of the surgery points look incredibly painful as well but then again some don't. It's funny because about a week ago I started thinking about how the surgeon would close the surgery point eg glue, staples, stitches and that night I had a dream that I had the band and it was a big 2 inch cut and it was still open and being held together by only one stitch - needless to say I woke up with a fright and now I'm paranoid and hoping that the surgeon uses glue lol but I'll definetly be posting pics once I have surgery =) Also for people whose scars are still red and bruised try bio oil http://www.bio-oil.info/en/global_availability/index its available in america and I got it when I had a lung biopsy last june, put it on every day after a shower and before I go to bed - I'm usually the worlds worst healer but it's definetly helped and also it's good for stretch marks - so another bonus!

What do you mean when you say scrambled hamburger? It was like mixed well with egg? Sorry I dont exactly get that, maybe you didnt chew well enough? Or maybe you ate too quickly? If it's still happening in a couple of hours maybe try an antacid for your stomach

It may have just been food poisoning, that sounds like the symptoms of it, if it lasts more than 3 days I personally would go to your gp just to make sure everything is ok, if they think that it's just a stomach bug then at least you can get over that but if it's something related to your band it's best to at least have a checkup with your surgeon/nurse just to make sure everythings ok

Im pretty sure there is, just browse down the left side of the home page until you come across it, if not you can always start up your own little website and link it by your profile so that people can read your progress/story

Its pretty stupid that they do say so long to wait I mean swimming is the least strenuous excercise, it's actually helping you and if its in a salt water pool its definetly good for you. Oh well - docs they think they know everything right?

I was just wondering because I only have to have 3 little things for my pre evaluation and Im already getting surgery so really its just a precaution, I only had to have an ekg, see the endocrine part at my hospital and do a excercise test (which I have to do every 4 months anyway because I have a lung condition.) I know others have to go through heaps of other stuff and I was wondering what those were? And if you really thought that some of them were necessary?

So I was in the chat the other day and told some people that I had this recipe that they could possibly try later on after the band if they wanted to try steak. It's a pretty good recipe if you leave it marinating overnight as the muscle or whatever really breaks down and makes it softer and easier to eat. Also this is in the australian form so it will have to be converted. 1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce 1 Teaspoon Curry powder 1 Teaspoon Ginger (usually we leave it out cuz I couldnt be bothered cutting it up) 1 Teaspoon Bicarb Soda 1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar 1 Teaspoon Dry Sherry 1 Teaspoon Oil 1 Clove Garlic Salt & Pepper Usually the mixture is double just to make more marinade Mix well in a large bowl. Place meat in marinade making sure it is covered. Leave covered in fridge for at least 2 hours or for best results leave overnight. Then cook accordingly to how you like your steak - Also if you want to keep it soft while cooking at the mixture as well when your cooking so it kinda stews in it or whatever.

Id assume as soon as your scars have closed and are on there way to healing, although if you in salt water it would definetly help as salt water helps with healing and everything but if it were a chlorinated pool I would say longer as the chemicals would affect your surgery points and possibly irritate them a bit

I guess it depends on if you have health problems before, I would have thought that I would have more evaluations but I don't which is kinda strange, I mean yeah I have to have the blood work done as well but everyone has that done before surgery just to see stuff

See that seems a bit fishy, I don't know about anyone else but I have NEVER heard of anyone with the lap band loosing that much - gastric bypass yes but not the lap band and if that is true are you even really eating?

I know the feeling at the time I decided I wanted this only my mum knew and the doctors and everything and then we were at my cousins birthday and my mum told my aunt which is fine with me but then she came up to me and whispered in my ear "your beautiful now but your going to be even more beautiful" needless to say I ended up bursting out in tears and luckily passed it off as aheadache but I understood why my mum told my aunt, she needed someone to talk to because she was worried about me, so I think its fair you know? And then I was put in hospital about 2 weeks ago and had to tell my dad before the doctor mentioned it and my dad would have been like "uhhh wtf?" So there the only people in my family that know, I was planning on doing this whole dinner thing when I found out my date you know like before I was about to go on the shakes Id go out for dinner that night and tell my dad and 2 sisters, don't have to tell my dad now just my sisters and they will be the only people that know. I'll definetly be telling them I don't want other people to know mainly for the fact that people are judgemental and even though I'm close with friends and family I dont want them to know, especially a family that we know - the daughter is the same age as me and basically around the same size and I know if she found out she'd just be a total bitch to me just because "she can't have the surgery" lol but I definetly know what you mean when you say you only want certain people to know

I would have thought it would be easier when your out with family and friends I mean you can take a bite and then talk you know? I find when I'm out I eat soooooo slow and I'm not even banded yet and I notice I get dirty looks from people because they must think I've ordered something huge and I just keep eating it you know? Like recently I went out with my sister to a pasta place and we both got entree size pasta's as there pretty big and I just eat slow for some reason, always have and there were people behind us just looking really rude and kept staring, needless to say I didn't finish my entire meal because I was p*ssed off that some people can be that rude - usually it doesnt affect me but this time it did anyway back to the eating lol, maybe just talk while your around family, like about your week or something, it will take the focus off food and give you time to eat without looking like you haven't if you know what I mean?

Personally I don't, I was reading a magazine the other day and there was a thing about a woman how she'd struggled all her life with her weight and she was shopping one day when the woman next to her asked what the diet bar she had in her hand tasted like and also went on to say " I havent been able to eat anything like that since my weight loss surgery" Needless to say this woman looked it up and quoted from her own words "was booked into surgery a month later" I absolutely hate these stories, I don't think that any one no matter what should gain money from there weight loss surgery in the form of a story like that it just makes it come across as if the surgery was something she decided to do because she couldnt of been bothered to get off her bum. I know I sound pretty rude about this and everything but this story really annoyed the crap out of me and then they post it in this magazine and the chick gets $500 just for her story. I don't think it's fair at all. Also one more thing that annoys me if the fact at all that there are ads for weight loss surgery if anyone knows what I mean. I saw an ad for weightlosssurgery.com.au and its just wrong how they advertise it, they way they do it's like there advertising a new food that any one and everyone can get. So what are your views on this? Do you think its wrong that people are benefitting money from this? On the other hand if people are informing others to actually help them in a decision such as weight loss surgery I dont think that its AS bad, I think that if they aren't benefiting from the story and have no alterior motive other than helping those that are in serious medical distress then it isnt as bad. Another thing I couldnt find the exact article but on the website where it says attend an information seminar the woman in the black guess shirt is the one that benfitted from the story http://www.weightlosssurgery.com.au/

So I'm not banded at the moment but I read about things like people have to eat the protein first, that's fine I mean I know some protein foods but I was wondering what a good like overall gram of protein would be good? I recently had a chocolate breaka (choc milk) and yes I know your not supposed to drink calories or whatever but I was reading the side of it and it said it was 8g of protein so I thought ok I wonder if that's a good amount? Then yesterday I had an Easy Mac for lunch (best thing ever lol) and it also said it was 9g of protein. So just wondering what would be the best percentage? Anything over 6g per item? Or what? Thanks

Yeah it is just mac and cheese but because I dont have the band yet it doesnt bother me at the moment if you know what I mean? And it was the only thing I had for lunch so I figure it's all good lol.

I havent been scheduled a surgery date yet but my surgeon has told me that I'm currently category 2 which basically means surgery within 3-6 months which I'm absolutely fine with. The thing that has me worried and thinking alot about it the things after surgery, they sound kind of petty and stupid to me when I think about them but I'm so used to these things I wonder how I'll be once I've lost the weight and from there on. So I thought I would make a list of things that I'm going to miss or find annoying. My boobs - Lol I know this sounds sooooo strange but it's true, I am so used to having big boobs that I don't want to loose them, I hear alot of accounts of people saying personally for them that's the first place it goes and hopefully I won't be like that. Wrinkles - I'm only 20 but I've noticed that bigger people don't have as many wrinkles on there face, I'm not really looking forward to the fact that my skin isn't smoothed out and eventually it will get wrinkles. Pasta, Bread, Rice - I think as stupid as this is to say, this will be the major thing, I'm italian and I have pasta almost every single week, I've grown up on it and yes I know some people still have it maybe once a month but it will definetly be really hard. I have bread almost every day. Rice & Pasta almost once a week, whether it be fried rice for dinner or a fresh bread roll for lunch with ham,cheese and tomatoe. So that's kind of my rant about the things I won't be able to eat and if I do only once every 2 months or with the case of bread - only toasted. So what are the things you miss and wish you could just have them once every 6 months without some consequence?

So I'm sorry if I did offend when I used the word disghusting, I know that alot of people have problems but when there only 16-17-18 and they get to a size that wasnt even mentioned 20 years ago at that age you can kind of understand why some people feel the way that they/I do if that makes sense? Also good luck on your surgery Ryan