libertysuzanne

Way to go Annie! You are now Tickered as well as Banded!

Aww Saggi! *Bug Massive Hugs to you!* I am the same with PMT, funnily enough I never really had any problems period wise for years but since having the thyroid diagnosed and the band fitted. I am a woman from hell two days before and I I comfort eat as well. Wonder if they are connected, or is it old age creeping up on me Wish you hadn't mentioned the sleep thing. I have been waking up bright as a bunny for a good few months now, but this week I have just wanted to sleep. Mind you that could be my body wanting to catch up, after being put through the mill an hour a day! I shall see how things go, before I start experimenting with my dosage again. I know my most obvious sign of thyroid getting sluggish is the appearance of little black hairs on my chin. I spend ages plucking them out. They still haven't appeared *touch wood*. I certainly would recommend a P.T. I know Iw ill have probablyg ained some weight this week. I know I feel it despite hte fact my clothes are getting loser lol. The added weight is muscles not fat. Johnny says that will eventually mean I burn more calories naturally, feeding the muscles instead of the fat reserves. I just have to remain positive. What is so good about Johnnys weigh ins, it measures the amount of muscle you have, as well as your weight. It's weigh in day today, if I want to. Part of me doesn't want to, but the other part knows I have to or else i will be beating myself up on my own scales, without the ability to take the muscle weight out of the equation!

I'm not sure if this is a complication with the lapband. I'm really hoping it isn't but for the past few days well a week I have been getting odd pains on the right side ofmy torso. I thought at first it may be from the exercise I've been doing. But, I know that isn't the case. It seems to stop for awhile once I've emptied my bowels but then it slowly creeps back again. I really don't want to go to the docs about this, has anyone else had the same sensation/pain? I will go if it is absolutely necessary but I want to get your opinions first. Yours kindly Suzanne

AVOID THE CHOCOLATE! I had a phase where all I was eating was chocolate, it does go down so easily and it did start making a difference to my weight. I have now replaced chocolate with nuts. Yep I am complete agreement with the doc, you do need the exercise as a partner to your band. I was unable to exercise until I lost 2 stone, my joints just laughed at me. Now with the help of the P.T I am strengthening those pesky joints, building muscle mass and getting a more streamlined figure! I have only had 8 sessions with him but I already feel the difference. I am so lucky to have the opportunity to do it. As for my Thyroid, all is good, I am sticking to the 100mcg, my blood test came back and my thyroid is nicely balanced and I can feel the difference. Still haven't plucked up the courage to fess up that I had upped my dosage. But, as all is well, I shouldn't be such a coward! You really are looking ahead! I've noticed a lot of new bandees already preparing for cosmetic surgery in two years time. I find it hard seeing what I will be like in 3 months time! I think cosmetic surgery is very low on the agenda for me, I want to lose the weight first and then make those decisions, but, it is sense to start saving now. Just don't tire yourself out because that will make it even harder for you to resist all the gooey, quick fix foods. So you may end up doing a disservice to yourself.

Well lets hope it isn't the gall bladder. What is a gall bladder for anyway? I never have understood it's function! I hope all is OK with you Geller. Sx

MRSA is a concern but hopefully it won't affect you luna. It does seem to be quite random and I gess it will depend on where you had the band fitted. Like I said in a previous post, the Belgians state categorically that they are 99.9% MRSA free. My sister that lowland people are extremely paranoid about cleanliness, so you kno for a fact their hospitals are going to be spotless. I don't know if all the MRSA sufferers are just UK based but lets hope that they all get sorted soon!

Sorry to hear about your fill problem Debs. I had my op in Chimay, Belgium and I haven't used their preffered fill specialist. I was lucky and found one in Telford which is only 30 mins away from where I live. Here is their web address, they might be able to help you with finding a doc up north. www.bandster.co.uk They started up to cater for the bandees that are going abroad to have the op and have problems finding a doc in the midlands, but I am sure they wll know of othe docs in the country. I wish you luck in your search. Kind regards Suzanne

Yep, the hospital in Chimay was so clean I could walk bare foot and my feet were still spotless. We could learn a lot from the Belgians and Dutch. They can say that they are 99.9% free of the risk of MRSA. They are meticulous when they clean. As Saggi says there is something wrong with our hospitals in having such a bad record! In the 19th Century the saying was 'cleanliness was next to godliness.' That seems to have been forgotten. The NHS has been cutting the wrong corners! I'm sure your T/T will go fine and I cant wat to see how you look. Sorry, shouldn't go on about the NHS when you are having op done in the UK. Not all hospitals are the same :bolt:

Welcome back, what a bummer getting food posioning on holiday! Glad it was a good one even with that little distraction! Yep I've had 7 sessions so far withim, he is brilliant, although now he is getting tough! I guess it has to happen if I am to make any real physical changes. As for the weight, I've been bouncing in between 15.7 and 16.2! At the mo I am 15.11. Johnny is going to do a complete body scan every week. Th first one was really funny. I had more fat on my organs than around my body! I was close to being dehydrated and my muscle mas was 7.10! My metabloic age was 50! So have a lot of work to do! He weighed me at the end of my fifth session. My organ fat has dropped a bit, I am now well hydrated and I have gained a pound in muscle mass! But, I am still 50! I guess that is going to take along time to come down! And even though I had gained muscle I had lost some weight as well. So it's all working out nicely at the mo! Sorry to hear that you've given up on the salsa lessons, couldn't you bribe a friend into joining you?

I am experiencing something quite peculiar. I had thought that my first fill hadn't been making much of a difference, I was eating wihtout the feeling of restriction, although mentally I had already cut down the amount. I started with a Personal Trainer 2 weeks ago and he suggested eating nuts instead of naughty food that could still go down with no restriction. Since I have changed to the nuts in the subject title, I hav enoticed a marked difference. I tend to nibble on a bag of nuts through the day and drink lots of Water. I now find when I eat the noraml 'helthy meal' the restriction is twice as fast, in fact it is gutting, I have been cooking some really nice food. It ends up going into my son (which is no bad thing as he is in the middle of a growth spurt!). I didn't expect to feel like this and I'm not entriely sure it's a good thing, I am taking extra Vitamins but I suspect I am missing out withonly eating nuts. Does anyone have any experience of this. I would if I should be moaning? I should be pleased that I am feeling more restriction than I did in the beginning and that was a good restriction. I just don't want to make myself ill. Has anyone got any advice on food that is good and handy like nuts but with more of the necessary vits? Look forward to reading your replies Kind regards Suzanne

Macadamia, has bad fats! As do cashew and almonds! Oh brother. Mind you the chances are I will be exercising the excess calories off. I shall just have to try and cut down the amount of nuts I consume. Oh that berry Cobbler sounds nice and you say it's wheat free? If you could I'd really appreciate it if you could send me the recipe. I am intolerant to wheat and I always like to try new recipes. Kind regards Suzanne

This is after 1 week of Personal Trainer punishment/pleasure I have another 2 months nad 3 weeks to go. It will be interesting to see waht changes happen. I wish I had been brave enough to take a pic of me just before the lapband. I do have a group pic, maybe if I put them all on here, it will give me a better eye of how things are changing! It is time to stop being a coward. January 2007 Oct 2006 I'm the one on the left, I've just started to realise how I used to try and dress to hide. It is amazing how a scarf can hide a multitude of sins! I should never delete these pictures, they will always be a good reminder and a positive image of how I am helping myself change. Even with the band there are days when I feel like I am sabotaging myself. I have to learn not to beat myself up, it is detrimental! I am still learning and hope to keep learning all day!

This is after 1 week of Personal Trainer punishment/pleasure I have another 2 months nad 3 weeks to go. It will be interesting to see waht changes happen. I wish I had been brave enough to take a pic of me just before the lapband. I do have a group pic, maybe if I put them all on here, it will give me a better eye of how things are changing! It is time to stop being a coward. January 2007 Oct 2006 I'm the one on the left, I've just started to realise how I used to try and dress to hide. It is amazing how a scarf can hide a multitude of sins! I should never delete these pictures, they will always be a good reminder and a positive image of how I am helping myself change. Even with the band there are days when I feel like I am sabotaging myself. I have to learn not to beat myself up, it is detrimental! I am still learning and hope to keep learning all day!

:clap2: :rockon: :becky: :welcomeB: :banana :banana :banana :banana Hi ya H! Couldn't resist my own funky form of 'WELCOME TO THE OTHERSIDE!' I am so pleased for you, I know it's been quite a journey. I was going to say I would buy your size 16 next year. *giggles* Then I realised by next year I may not be a 16, I could be a 14. That is a very weird thought! Big hugs Suzanne xxx

Thanks everyone, I feel a little foolish. Yes, the pain was REALLY bad and it didn't feel like anything I have felt before. But, on a hunch I tried a Windeze tablet, it cleared the pain! I was suffering from very bad wind! I'm such a drama queen, thank you everyone for your kind words and advice. Sx

Thank you both of you. I did wonder if it could be gas. I have suffered from bad constipation before and had to drink lactulose, which is seriously sweet (bleurgh!) But, things have settled in that department sort of, If I think about it, it is probably connected, so best to go to the docs to check it out. As the old adage goes, 'better to be safe than sorry.' Although I wouldn't be suprised if my internals are stretching as well. I have a condition called Hypermobility Syndrome. I know it affects the ligaments so and I am sure that I have heard of it affecting the internal as well. Might do to do a surf on it. My doc has been brilliant but she does know everything about the condition. Don't you just love the net! Forums are just genius, it really stops you going off the deep end!

Ah shucks, it would be so funny to say 'I drowned my kidney.' Yep I'm thinking it would be an idea to make an appointment. *sighs* I was doing so well in not having to see the doc for ages. Ah well. My body is probably just protesting at being treated so well, it's in disagreement with my brain. It liked the lazy life *he he* Can you stretch internal organs? I know the fat around my organs was alarming. There are these scales that can measure your body fat, Water and muscle mass, as well as your weight. I went on it last week and apparently my body's metabolic age is 50!!! Hopefully after three months of 5 hours fitness a week, I'll be at a more suitable metabolic age. Preferably late 20's. Wouldn't mind recovering some of those wasted years Thank you. Kind regards Suzanne

It feels internal not muscular. Although I have just had a session with my P.T. With the exercise the pain disappeared complteely (which I thought was odd) but now that I have stopped it is back with a vengenace, I'm starting to feel quite miserable. It's just so weird. It feels like it is inside sitting just under my rid cage bang in the middle, neither back or front but if I was to make a judgement call it would be closer to the front. Ah, I wonder if it could be a kidney infection? I have been drinking a litre and a hlaf of Water everyday since starting with the P.T. Can a kidney drown??

As an ex smoker, all I can say is chewing gum. I have given up a couple of times but promised my sisters after our mother's death that I would give up for good. Well I didn't give up staright away but was forced to if I wanted to visit my sister. I didn't want her to know I'd broken my promise. So on the 5 hour journey down, I smoked my last cigarettes then hit the nicorette chewing gum. That was it for me, I spent about a month on the nic gum but got really sick of the taste and tried Wrigleys Extra, been chewing them ever since. Infact I think I've replaced one addiction with another! I get grumpy if I don't have a gum close to hand. It's bizarrely funny. You have to be ready to give up, if your not there really isn't any point in trying. I know that the risk of putting on more weight was a definite worry for me but to be honest I don't think it had such a detrimental affect, the under active thyroid caused the worse damage. It could be that I still kept my mouth busy with gum, so it stopped the food cravings! I know surgeons are great at scare mongering sometimes, but they can work with most things. But, as Sugarplum says there are more risks to a smoker than a non smoker. What ever you chose will be the right decision for you. Kind regards Suzannex

Sara, you don't have to worry, your concerns are perfectly normal and I think I could safely say all of us felt the same. As a bander I can tell you that it really does make a huge positive difference. I was thinking I would be gutted that my food would be dull and boring. That I would still feel hungry even though the band was making me feel sick because I was full. The truth is that the band makes life a whole lot simpler. It is amazing how quickly you adapt to your new 'friend.' Don't think it's all plain sailing, there are days when your brain and your stomach are at odds and those are the days you discover what it means when people talk about PB'ing. In a peculiar way it's bit like a badge of honour if you do PB. Mind you only once! Hopefully you will learn what foods are no good for you pretty quickly. But, I know there are still some foods I try to eat and then end up going 'DOH!' All your fears are natural and that is what these forums are here for, to educate and support. Great to hear how you are doing G, well done! Let's hope that the hospital gets in touch with you soon. But, it is good to hear that you are healing nicely and feeling good. Kind regards Suzannex

The telemetric band is really new. Hopefully you will be able to find someone to chat with. I seem to recall that there was another lady having it done in the UK. Hope you find someone with experience, the concept sounds brilliant! Let us know how it goes. Kind regards Suzanne

That is a right pain in the proverbial for you Cheri! I know it isn't easy to get a fill doctor when you have had the surgery done by someone else. I was lucky in finding the one in Telford. I was given the details of one in Manchester and another in London that deal with patients from the Chimay clinic in Belgium. If you want I can root out the details for you? Kind regards Suzanne

Saggi, Sorry I haven't got back sooner on here, I have let it slip somewhat. How did the Salsa dancing go? I'd love to do it, just need a partner to go with. One of the downsides of being decidedly single :eek: I have been really fortunate an old flame has got back in touch and he is treating me to 3 months, 5 hours every week of personal training. I've only had 3 sessions so far but I feel absolutely brilliant. I think it may prevent me from having to go for another fill. I was getting worried that the second fill wasn't working but with the exercise my appetite has dramatically decreased! Shall write more later, have to go to the docs to check on thyroid and general health stuff...fun fun. Hugs to you saggi kind regards Suzanne xxx

I thought i would start this thread. For the past two weeks I have been having body 'issues'. Some good and some downright scary! As I said in a previous post, I am using my chin as a sign of my losing weight, my kirk douglas dimple is back. (It think its been nearly 5 years since I saw it!) So that gives me a reason to smile at my image in the mirror every morning. It's feeling as I am starting to fit into the slim image I had always seen in the mirror, even at my heaviest. It was the most frustrating thing, knowing my body was a blob and yet in the mirror i fooled myself into a morphic body change. Not healthy at all. So I get to smile morning and night. Another positive is that when I walk now, I feel lighter, I have extremely sensitve joints, and the concept of walking quickly was an impossibility, until now. I'm not super quick but my joints feel so much freer, no longewr weighed down with the weight. Sadly the pain is still there but it is far more bearable! Now for the downers. Every diet I ever did never took the fat off my breasts. I was fairly confident that I would keep the cup size c, which grew during my weight gain. Tragedy has happened! My breasts are disappearing! I only noticed that this week. I am starting to see my collar bone. But Ia m losing my breasts. It's stupid. I have never had huge bazoomers but I had loved my slightly more voluptious breasts. I shall have to get used to it I guess. But, seeing my breasts disappearing I am worried what else is going to happen to my body. Can I really cope with the concept of having a new body? It is all well and good taking the weight off for all the health reasons. The more I lose the weight be it inches on bust or lbs the better my body feels. But, my subconcious is not so comfortable with the changes happening. I am running a bit before I can walk but I have always seen myself as a size 14 but what if I go smaller? What would that be like? Could I cope? Part of me wants to go down into the little league, every woman does in someways. The reality though is a different matter! Does anyone else feel like this?

Thinking of you H. Sorry I haven't been int otuch recently. Lot of positive things happening :eek: Wishing you the best of luck and we shall chat when you are out the other side and an official Bandster! Love n hugs Suzanne