Sunwyse

I'm fortunate, where I work are 3 other women with weight issues and everyone else is very supportive of efforts to lose weight. They all know I'm going for the surgery and the only ones who haven't made positive statements about (or negative either) are the younger ones, under 25. Everyone else is very supportive. As for socialising, the group I go out with are all accepting as well. Many of the women and some of the men are "larger than life" so there's no issue at all. I tried curves, but got quite bored with it. I did the Terry Ferguson diet and lost a grand total of 900 gms the first week! Everyone goes on about losing 6+ kilo the first 2 weeks. I was lucky to make it to 1.1 the first 2. I don't have clothes hanging up because I won't have the op til October, but I have bought a couple of items in smaller sizes with the full intention of wearing them in roughly a year's time.

My partner is overweight and I love every inch of him. If he got even bigger, I'd still love him and still be turned on by him, but I wouldn't consider him to be sexually attractive. Fortunately, our relationship is about more than just sexual attraction. I voted 'within reason'. I have been attracted to guys who need to put weight on pronto and guys who are the preverbia brick ****house. Its never been about the body with me. Its always been about their mind, their sense of humour and their sparkling, cheeky eyes! But speaking of pure sex appeal, a bulging, overhanging gut does nothing for me.

Maybe that cold feeling is actually a *normal* body temp and we are just so used to being a lot hotter because of all the extra fat?

I'm saddened by all the stories and posts I read about the difficulty you all have. In Australia its so much easier. All insurance companies cover the surgery, you just need to make sure the level you are paying for includes it. We also have medicare, which is a part government payment. To get the part government payment all you need is for your GP to write a referral letter to the surgeon of your choice. To get the insurance payment you simply need to wait their waiting period - 12 months. And that's it. As long as your GP says you need it and the surgeon agrees, you can go ahead. After 12 months paying health insurance, I am looking at paying between $2,000-$4,000 for the operation. Michelle

That's purely at doctor discretion and isn't actually covered. He'll just charge the extra time to medicare and not tell them it was for cosmetic surgery.

Has anyone written to this guy and told him that? Can you see him trying to do his political duty and entertaining people from out of state or overseas, but he gets refused service at the restaurant? Is it 1st April already and nobody told me?? :biggrin:

I doubt very much if little Johnny would have actually said anything like that at all. Just doesn't sound right. I mean he did say all that guff about babies overboard, but this doesn't sound right to me.

I was on metformin for a while. I don't like it, it made me feel ill. I also found if I had that and a vitamin, I ended up having to run to the toilet if I ate anything with more than a thimble full of oil in it! I stopped taking them after a while.

I had my first appointment, with Dr Bowen's nurse today. It went really well. She said I'm an excellent candidate and then booked me in to see Dr Bowen next month. After that I just have to wait til a month or so before the op to see the dietitian and then I'm away! I will have to go back in 4 months or so to get another referral because they only last for 6 months and mine will run out before I can have the op but that's OK. I'll get that no problems. Michelle

I did Optifast a couple of years ago and after 5 weeks on it, I was quite ill. Thank goodness I only have to do it for 2 weeks this time! Well done on starting this phase of your journey. So close, I bet you can almost 'smell' it. lol. Michelle

As I'm not American, I don't care.

I can't get it. I have one eye that I don't use, it works (barely) but only to add in peripheral vision on that side. I've been told they won't risk it incase I lose vision completely in my good eye. Then again, I've always liked wearing glasses.

I like Laura's reply. The other thing you can do is go back and demand the doctor who knows you and your case history is the one who deals with you. Every time you go, just so 'no thank you, I'm waiting for Dr X to see me'. They'll get the message. You have a right to be treated by any doctor you choose.

Who says if you go to 4cc you won't be able to swallow your own saliva? Its possible that you might be someone who does need to go there. Or it may be that you will be fine at 3.5cc. Each person is unique. Don't give up just yet. Try another .5cc and then another. I imagine by then you will start to feel it.

I'd just like to encourage anyone who has an experience like this to write a letter of complaint to any medical governing body in their area. This is negligent behaviour by the doctor and should not be tolerated.

There is an option to monogamy you know. Its called polyamoury. Polyamorous people can have more than one lover at a time. The difference is everyone involved (both lovers, their lovers, etc) all know about each other and are completely ok with it. There are relationships such as triads, where all 3 people are involved with each other (means at least 2 of them are bisexual) or what's called a 'Vee' where I person has two partners. The two partners know about each other and are friends, but don't have any intimate contact with each other. Then partners can have partners as well. If you'd like to know more just send me a private message. I'm polyamorous. My partner was mono before he met me but has decided he'd like to try poly as well. It will be interesting to see how he goes. Michelle

The only thing I'm going to say on this issue is: I'm not forcing you to have an abortion, don't force me to keep a child I might not want.

I also wax my arms when I can be bothered. Yep I have PCOS too. I used to have almost a small beard at once stage, but after 4 years of electrolysis - at 1 hour a week for about 6 months to start with! Its finally barely noticeable, but I still pluck out a few each day. The arms are nowhere near as hairy as they used to be, but still hairy than a lot of guys. I just can't be buggered to get them waxed all the time. I do like the look after they've been done though. I've had a couple of brazillians. I'm still a big girl, I don't care what others think, if I want it done I'll get it done, no matter what size I am. Anyway, its like waxing anything else, the more you do it the more desensitised you become to the pain. I do think the worst bit is the hair in the crack of your behind though. That's a sensitive area!

Hi Bronnie, you need to do a couple of things. First you need to have the photos already online somewhere. Photobucket and flickr are the most popular for hosting. Once the photo is hosted elsewhere, you have to get the url of the photo. eg. http://www. thehosting website .com/your account name/name of pic .jpg. Just highlight the url and then copy it. When you go to post a reply here, you will see a little yellow picture at the top of the reply box, that sort of looks like a square letter. If you go to the very bottom of this page where the quick reply is, you'll see them. You have an A, B, I, U etc. 2nd from the right is the picture symbol I'm talking about. Click on that then paste the url in the box that appears. And that's pretty much all there is to it :scared2: Michelle

Hi all, I'm 41 tomorrow!! woo hoo. My first appointment with the nurse to begin the process is on Wednesday (can hardly wait!) and I then have to wait until October to have the surgery because of health insurance waiting periods.

I've been allergic to oranges all my life. Strange cause I can eat any other citrus, just not oranges. I've heard they are supposed to be an issue, but aren't necessarily for everyone. Just depends on what works for you after I spose.

The best advice I can give you is to do your research. There are pros and cons for each. At the end of the day, lap band is reversible and doesn't cause permanent change to your body if it is removed. That's why I'm going with it. But you need to research which is best for you. Do you know any surgeons in your area who do both? They might be a bit more unbiased about what is best in your individual case, than a surgeon who just does one or the other.

Biggestloser2be, I think your spot was when you had that .5 out. Being able to eat almost anything after having chewed the life out of it, is what everyone should be aiming for. Having restriction to the point where you can hardly eat is just as dangerous and damaging as the way we ate before, in my opinion. It should be about losing weight sensibly and re-learning what is a healthy amount to eat. Not about who can eat the least!

Astrid, can I ask what level of hospital + extras cover you have? I'm thinking about insurance shopping to prevent myself having to pay a large sum at the end. Michelle

Kylie, you will get out of those habits, but it won't happen straight away. Even 3,4 years gown the track, you are going to be out shopping and catch yourself in the plus size clothes section before you realise. Its just human nature. But just as buying larger clothes and thinking of yourself as the fat one are habits, so will be the thin one and buying smaller clothes become habits, they may just take longer to get used to Michelle