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Kristen WTG! I hope that two lbs is gone for good! Brad, step away from the cookies! Lol! No seriousloy, you've done so well, it's nice to stop and smell the roses sometimes. I'm sure you'll be back to blitzing your weight loss again in no time. Claudine, I'll be waiting to send congratulations when you cross over the onederland! Well done everyone who's lost this week!

I love this thread. I love seeing tangible proof that the lapband has changed the lives of so many people! As I am finally at goal, I guess this will be my last post in here. I was officially weighed at my Dr's today and was dead on 65kgs (143lbs). I started at over 98kgs (215lbs), which was what I was when the first set of photos were taken. I don't know what I was at my heaviest because I didn't dare weigh myself. My lapband Dr is happy with my current weight and had said that I should be able to eat 'normally' (eg some 'norti foods' like chocolate and ice cream sometimes) and I can exercise 'for fun' but not with the goal of losing anymore. Personally I've really enjoyed working out and getting fitter over the last 8 months or so, and don't really want to give it up. In that respect, I suppose I may lose a bit more but it's not something I'm purposefully trying to do anymore. However, should I never lose another lb, I think I'd be happy too!

Juli, All I have of my tummy tatts are the remnants of two butterflies that are now coming out of my new belly button. I'll take a pic soon and you'll see what I mean! Lol! I hope you'll be upright soon, Juli. I think that was the most difficult part - being hunched. I still get hunched if I push myself too much. My incisions feel tighter, I imagine from increased swelling and I have to hunch a bit. But it doesn't mean I don't try to push myself a bit anyway. I'm walking 2 miles now and tonight I will start back on my bike. Just at a third of what I used to do, and will try to build up from there. But I miss my bike and I really want to get back on it. I've also moved my next fill (to get me back to where I was pre-BL) to this Wed. My lapband Dr put 5.9cc back in the week after my BL, and while I'm holding steady with my weight at 65kgs (143lbs) I don't like how hungry I'm getting between meals. So I spoke to him and he's happy for me to get another fill now. I can't wait!

Congrats and welcome to flatlands! Apparently when I came out of recovery, I reached down, felt my waist and said 'omg I've got a tiny waist!' LOL! I don't remember but the nurse assured me that those were my first words. You look great, matey! It'll only get better from here!

Fanny, I'll PM you. I'll also add you as a friend, so you can check out the before and after pics. And as far as doing as well as me, you've already done better than me, matey! You have a lot to be proud of!

I went from a 18DD to a 10D but I tell you, even though it looks like I only went down a cup size, it LOOKS more than a cup size to me. But luckily they actually haven't done too badly, in that they don't look too 'empty'. Plus I BFed 4 children, so they were never going to look like they did when I was 16. And they look proprotionate to my frame now. I think if I went down to an A or B cup, I probably would have been tempted to have implants. I would miss the cleavage too much! P.S. plain, I think my DH would agree with you there. When he realised how much smaller I was gettting up top, he asked why. I replied, well, it was obviously fat. To which he said very petulantly, but it LOOKED like boobies!

My son is 15kgs (over 30lbs) and I was carrying him within a week of surgery. I checked with my surgeon and he said it was fine. Your dr is probably being cautious. But if he's put a lifting restriction on you, surely it means you can't go back to work, then?

As of today: I'm no longer leaking and my last drain site is healing over No Fluid is collecting under my skin I am completely upright My incisions are completely sealed And my swelling is down to a point that I can see my ribs again. I am so grateful that my recovery has been so uneventful. I am incredibly happy with the results! I am so glad I did this and I am now a huge fan of my PS! I wanted to thank everyone who has posted in this thread offering advice and support. Being from Australia, I knew no-one who'd been through a body lift here, and I felt quite alone apart from those of you who were contrbuting to this thread. It was all of you who helped ease my worries, allayed my fears and who were generally there for me. So thank you! You are all wonderful, amazing people!

Bigpapa, I didn't have as much to lose as you have, but I do get where you're coming from. I weighed myself everyday, and despite doing well, I never really was happy with any loss I'd already had, I only worried about what I still had to lose. I knew I would not be satisfied until I got to goal. Then I got to goal and I still wasn't as satisfied as I would have liked to be. I started to worry - was I ever going to stop obsessing? I didn't seem to enjoy my successes, only focussed on the next goal, the next number I needed to strive for. But in the last few weeks, I'm actually starting to get comfortable with having reached a point where I don't want to lose anymore. It takes your mind some time to catch up, and I think that's normal. Wanting to reach goal, and being single-minded about it, in one way, though obsessive, also shows your incredible commitment to this change in your life. Try to take the time to smell the roses, but I actually admire your determination, and I think these last few lbs will be gone in a matter of months, and you will have the time then to adjust and allow your psyche to catch up with your success.

I can eat bread no problems. I can eat Pasta as well. The thing I sometimes have trouble with is rice. And pork. Not that I can't eat those things, I can, I just have to go slow. But bread? Sure, I can eat it! I don't eat much of it anymore though simply because when you can only eat 1/2 to 3/4 cup a meal, you want to make sure you don't fill up just on bread.

Morning all! There is good news! I've stopped draining! And because my PS's nurse showed me where the drain was situated, I've been keeping an eye out for Fluid build up under the skin. But the area is actually looking good - not doughy with underlying fluid and quite flat in general. So I'm hoping this means that it's dried up and healing now. It's also my baby's birthday today - he is 3! My other son took a pic of me and my baby this morning and I'll add it to the bottom of this post. It's the first pic of me in years that I actually like, despite the fact that I hadn't washed my hair in 2 days when it was taken! My baby, as usual, isn't even looking at the camera. I've not managed to get a pic in the last year where he's looking at the camera instead of squirming on my lap!

Juli, good to see that it's pretty much a common occurence then, though I guess it would be better if a seroma didn't form at all. But if it does, it does! And your PS is right, it's more comfortable without the drain. I still sometimes reach down for it when I get up from sitting down, before remembering it's not there anymore! The good news is, the seeping is slowing down. Not stopped, but not as profuse as before. I got by on only 2 changes of dressings today. And my port - I can't miss it! It's sticking out of my tummy like a sore thumb. My DH can see the lump from across the room! But both my PS and my lapband dr reckons it's as deep as it could be positioned, so I guess I can't complain. How's your swelling going, though Juli? Are you starting to see it subside a bit now? I'm off to your thread now to check on your progress. :wub:

Back from my PS appt and he's not worried by the leak. He says it's good that it's leaking because it means a seroma isn't forming - the Fluid is coming right on out. So my instructions are to keep re-dressing every time the seeping starts to escape, and if I have any other issues (such as liquid building up under the skin when the leak finally stops) to come back anytime. His nurse re-dressed my incisions, and they're all closed over and healing nicely. They have scabbed over too. So all in all, still going well for the time being. I'm hoping the leak stops soon AND no fluid builds up underneath the skin - that would be the best outcome. Though the dressing I put on this morning is still holding (no seepage as yet) so I'm hoping it means it's slowing down some.

It's pink, mrgrta, so there is some blood in the Fluid. It's the same colour as what was draining into my drains - looks like red cordial. I just googled 'seroma' and am now wondering if you may be right, though. I'm leaving soon for my appt with my PS so will ask.

Yes, shopping! I can't wait to go shopping for new clothes! I posted this in another thread, but will recap: yesterday I started leaking from the site of my last drain. I don't know why it happened, but my PS sent me to the hospital to have the drain removed (as it was after hours). Unfortunately the site leaked all night and I woke this morning with it having seeped past all the dressings the hospital had put on and into a puddle on my bed! I changed the dressings this morning while DH cleaned up for me, and I'm hoping it stops soon. I've gone to the chemist (I drove!) to get more dressing, JIC I need another change before I see my PS this afternoon. It's all a bit icky but I suppose if this is the worst thing to happen, it's not too bad all things considered. At least I don't have any drains anymore, and that's a plus, even if I'm still draining from the site!

I felt like my pants were damp a couple of hours ago, so checked out the dressing covering my last drain site, and it was leaking. It stopped after a bit, so I wasn't too worried when I called my PS's rooms and spoke to his receptionist. She said it sometimes happened, and not to worry, the drain will probably come out tomorrow anyway. But now it's leaking again, and badly this time! The whole side of my pants is wet from it. It's pink, so not blood, but how am I going to sleep with me leaking Fluid everywhere? Has this happened to anyone else? What should I do? I'm waiting for my PS's receptionist to call me back, but his rooms are going to be closed soon...

It's okay. My PS's receptionist called back and sent me to the hospital to have my drain removed. I still leaking but they've reinforced it with extra dressing to get me through to tomorrow, when my PS will check it out.

When I'm well restricted, I find I need at least 2 hours between the end of my meal and the time I start to exercise. Any less time than that and I feel uncomfortable. So I think it's pretty individual. I can tell when I'm okay to exercise again just from how I feel.

Heartfire, OMG! How scary for you! I'm so glad you got sorted out so quickly, though boooo to his nurse for not taking care of you properly the first time so there was unnecessary waiting for you. Don't be scared about being unfilled. I was completely unfilled too for my body lift surgery and despite gaining a little, once you get your fill back it'll go again. This is a small set-back but you need time to heal so you can carry on in future, hopefully without any other similar such incidences preferrably!

congratulations on your decision! I'm in Perth so can't help with recommendations, though of course I know of Paul O'Brien, him being one of the pioneers of the band. Good luck with your preparations!

My Dr picked my weight at a BMI of 25, which gave me 63lbs to lose to get there. 50% of that would have been 31.5lbs. But there was no way I was getting surgery to lose just 31.5lbs. I fully intended to lose 100% of my excess weight.

Kareyquilts, I've PMed you, matey! Thanks everyone for your lovely comments! When I took those photos, I was still pretty swollen too. The swelling eases a little more everyday, and I have to say, I can actually see a bit of a waist happening now! My PS said that once all the swelling is gone, my stomache should be almost concave. OMG, I can't even imagine what that will be like! I'm still shedding weight too, which I suspect is my body burning energy to heal, my band being filled (though still a little loose) and the swelling receding. I'm now past my personal goal of 145lbs and am 143lbs, and I suspect, still losing. I see my PS tomorrow and I'm hoping the drain will come out then. He said I'd have to be draining less 30cc per day before he'd take it out, and in the last 24 hours I've only drained 20cc, so I think it should be removed tomorrow. And Juli, I'm on leave until the 4th of May. I was saying to DH that I could probably return to work before that because I feel about 70% already, but he's insisting I take all the leave I'm entitled to, and just rest. I think once I can walk completely upright (I'm about 95% upright now, just a slight hunch at the shoulders) and have the drain out, I'll feel almost 90% better!