Sunwyse

PCOS = Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Waxing is a good idea, but I have PCOS and a wax barely lasts the week. In fact by the seventh day I need to shave as I have long stubble (just not long enough to have it waxed again). As for shaving, if I'm going out and I shave in the morning, I have 6 O'clock shadow (worse than a 5 O'clock one!) by the time I need to get ready to go, so I if an event is coming up, I actually wait a few days so the hairs are long enough to do a decent job! I haven't shaved in ages. It is winter here (Australia) but even if it was summer, I still wouldn't be shaving. I can't reach the back at all and doing my lower legs is murder. After surgery, I'll be waiting till Xmas I think. (surgery is 22 Oct.)

Hi Jaclyn, its perfectly normal that you will be going through all this, your body has been through a major trauma. It doesn't matter that we willing have surgery, to our body its still a trauma. Its going to need a little time to settle down, I know its hard but just be a little more patient with it. As for your family, can you go for a walk or read a book in another room while they have dinner? You can let them know you want to have togetherness time with them still, but after they've finished their dinner would be best. As for seeing food, well that's quite normal too. Are you seeing these foods as things you are being deprived of now? If so, can you turn it into a positive by choosing to say these are things you choose not to have right now? It may help lessen the need for them. The hunger will be with you still for a bit, til you start getting the restriction. I've read that for some people this can be a big let down time, but please stick with it. Take it one day at a time. We are here for you. Another thing to consider, did you use food as a way to shove emotions down? When we get to a point where we can't do that anymore then all that anger and sadness we've been trying to bury under food suddenly comes up. Try keeping a journal and writing it all down. Let yourself cry if you need to, or take it out on your pillow. Allow yourself to experience whatever it is you are feeling. You are perfectly entitled to have your feelings. Michelle

Thanks Marie, I replied, but I wasn't as tactful as you

I am a woman who was diagnosed with PCOS at 22. I am now 41, so I've had it a few years and I know a fair bit about it. I know for instance that the jury is still out on whether fat causes PCOS or PCOS causes fat, but they never the less, go hand in hand. I know water retention has NOTHING to do with PCOS and is simply part of the weight. I know after trying just about every dammed diet in the world that my only solution is weight loss surgery. Now. I don't preach on what I don't know. Please Brian, tell me with what great experience you've had with PCOS that you are speaking about? You can have an opinion, that is one thing, but when you start spouting out medical opinion/advice on something you know NOTHING about, you are crossing a line and being dangerous. Oh yes one more thing. Not sure how old you are, but women no longer need men to tell them what they should and shouldn't do. Get a clue.

Not that I know of bindi, but you could just start one. Also, there are various yahoo groups. I'm in one for Australia but also Brisbane. I know there's a Sydney group you could look at joining.

I imagine they will essentially be the same, but if you do want to go to a few, why not ring various hospitals that offer the surgery and ask if they do seminars?

Hey Tess, I'm going with Dr Copp at Greenslopes 22 Oct. Isn't he great?

lol this is great news! I so can't wait to be there myself. The bras don't sound like too good a thing, but you could get yourself some size 16 for the mean time, til you reach goal. Congrats on the great job done!

Hi gladididit, welcome! There seems to be a high % of couples splitting up after a lap band. Its not about the partner, its about the person who has the surgery (in this case your ex). There are a lot of emotional reasons behind putting on weight, some of which we have no idea about until the weight starts to go, then we can't hide them or pretend anymore. Whatever her issue was, she is now in a place where she has to deal with it. Unfortunately, she's decided that isn't with you. Never mind, it just means someone else is out there waiting for you, when you are ready. Take your time and do the healing you need. We are all here for you. Michelle

Good luck Tess, I hope everything goes well for you. When you feel up to it, come back and let us know.

Please post the link, I'd like to reply *evil grin*

Hey Fanny, I'm with you! lol I tell people way too much at times. I have a saying - if you want to keep a secret and never be blackmailed, either tell no-one or tell everyone - I can't possibly tell no-one, so I'm left with telling everyone.

Jewels, this is great news. I've had to wait a year because in Australia, when you take out health insurance, you have to wait 12 months before you can claim for a "pre-existing condition", so I know how hard it is to have to wait that long. My waiting is up 22 October, I set my date on Thursday. I know it seems like forever, but the time is going to pass before you know it. All the best on the last remaining months.

You don't get unfilled. You will need to go back once every 6 months or so for a minute top up, as some of it can leak out over time and if you don't get those top ups, you can end up with less restriction and put weight back on. Once you reach goal, you do something super special to Celebrate and then get on with living the life you always told yourself you would when you lost all the weight. Some people even give consideration to cosmetic surgery.

Congratulations! This is wonderful news. Hope you fully recover soon. Don't forget to let us know how things go as you go along.

In some really hot countries, where Water to drink is an issue, the body learns to excrete urine through the skin. Could be something like this is going on? I had my gallbladder removed several years ago and I discovered I sweat a sticky, sweet smell (can't explain it better). I've sort of figured out its the bile that my gallbladder would have collected at one stage. Its fine as long as I wash at least once every day. Maybe something similar?

I don't think its just depression that you are battling or needing to work through. It sounds like a life time of a certain way of thinking about yourself and probably stems from your childhood. Have you seen a counsellor for your own personal issues, not just the clinical/medical side of depression, but for your emotional well-being? I don't have children, but I've had a life time of thinking I'm basically worthless and fighting depression, since I was 13 (now 41). I've been suicidal too many times to count and attempted a few. I was terrified of living, almost had a death wish, yet was even more terrified of dying. I'm waiting to see a psyche to see if I'm bipolar or what the hell I am and to do something about it. I'm also thinking of going to another counsellor to finally deal with my personal issues. When I was a child I was abused by my mother's second husband. It affected me all my life, to the point it now interferes in my sex life with my partner. I know its had something to do with my weight issue, besides the PCOS and my bad choices in relationships. Its also why I've found it so hard to trust anyone or connect to anyone. I think it all had a lot to do with the depression on and off over the years, but not all of it, sort of a contributing factor really. I'm just telling you this, because I think there might be something else behind the depression and if you could see someone to speak with, you might be able to find out what it is and heal.

bbanded, I'm interested in the changes after banding you talk about. I'm getting done in October and I've noticed recently that I'm going through some psychological changes, as if my mind as well as my body is gearing up for a major change. Did you have counselling help through this change or did you just crash through it on your own? I'm considering lining up a counsellor for myself to go through it with me.

I don't want to be jumped on by people, but is it a general thing that Americans are sexually repressed? To call someone a shore because she swallows? To not have facts about sex, about orgasm, about sperm? I did answer on that other personal thread. Approx. only 13 or women can orgasm by penetration alone. As for the question "when people say they need manual help..." Manual comes from the latin word Manus meaning hand. Manual always refers to the hand, so they are talking about getting their or their partner's hand down there. Why is touching your own genitals a problem? They are a part of you, a pretty awesome part. They give you pleasure and are the only way we know of to create human beings naturally. To not like your genitals, to feel they are dirty or there's something wrong with you is the very essence of not liking your own womanhood. Did you know the female clitoris is the only thing created in the entire world that is solely created for pleasure? A woman doesn't need an orgasm to get pregnant. A woman's orgasm is solely for her pleasure - end of story. And if you are religious, every time you think poorly about your own genitals, you are thinking poorly about one of your god's creations. Just a different way to look at things. Did you know, no 2 vaginas are ever the same? Absolutely unique. Now you may think I'm some kind of weirdo because I know this stuff. I tend to think I'm just a well educated woman on sexual matters. I love sex. I love my genitals and I love the pleasure I can get from them, whether by my own hand or another's. And yes, I do enjoy going down on people and very much enjoy the taste of my partner when he comes. Have no idea what it is, but he tastes really nice - and not that great a diet either!

Hi Nikko, you may have some infection going on, or you simply may have some weakened muscles around the bladder or the bladder itself. Don't be embarrassed or ashamed, just go to your doctor and explain. I'm sure there's an explanation for it. If it is weakened muscles, then there are exercises you can do to strengthen that region, but go to your doctor :thumbup:

Due to intermittent vagnismus I can't use tampons, so I'm a surfboard girl all the way. I find at my heavier times I have to use two, end to end with a little over lap. I can leak in any direction lol, so I've found this works for me.

I'm not in Melbourne, but originally a Melby girl! Anyway, just butting in to say, if you can't make a get together, then why not just arrange one for when you can? Simply put up a time, day, place and everyone can turn up. Michelle

There's a yahoo group called ozband. They have members from all over Aus and someone in that will be able to help I think.

Hi Tessj, welcome to the forum. I haven't started the pre-op diet yet, but I have been on Meal Replacement diets before, including Optifast for 5 weeks. What you are going through is perfectly normal. Your system is basically cleaning itself out from all the stuff left from how you used to eat. They are all symptoms of detox. It takes about 3 days so you should start feeling better any day now. Stick with it, it will be worth it very soon. Good luck with the op.

I haven't had surgery yet, but what I'm becoming more and more aware of is the amount of life change I'm going to have to do. Not just what I eat and drink and if I exercise or not, but my mental attitude, my thinking processes, how I cope with stress, etc. Getting the band and losing the weight is just the physical side of things, how you cope with things that come up in life is the emotional/psychological. No band can fix that. That's the hard work we have to do that most people don't think about. I have yet to talk to the psychologist pre-surgery, but this is definitely something I will be raising.