She Smiles

I strongly believe that my back pain was due to my excess weight, I had LOTS of tests, and lots of physio which didn't help all that much - I used to take the anti-inflammatories daily, and now, I take them maybe once a week or two when it flares up. I think my loss of 70lbs has been the main contributor to this, so hopefully you will have the same results. Back pain is the worst! That said, if I do take it, I take a soluble feldene tablet immediately before eating my dinner as advised by my GP and band surgeon. There is less chance of it doing any damage if it is disolved in Water (and won't sit as a large hunk in your pouch) and will be "worked through" the pouch in the next hour or so with the food.

Thanks! I really appreciate it!

Any chance you can point me towards some info/literature that supports this? I am cautiously on anti-inflammatories for a back injury and am very interested in this about-face in this theory.

I'm past my surgeon's goal. He predicted that I would only lose 30kgs (60%) of my excess weight given the stats (which show that a 50% excess loss is typical). He gave me an extra 10% because I "seemed determined" - I told him I would lose more than 60% of my excess weight. I weighed 65kgs breifly in my early twenties and I was very happy with my size then. I think this time though, I might end up a little more toned at that weight than I was then cos I am doing a lot more exercise. I really want to fit into an Australian size 12-14 (US 8-10) comfortably.

I agree with Anna on this one Lisa. I had the same experience in my transition from thicker liquids to mushies and I spoke to my surgeon about 5 days into my thicker liquids stage and he cleared me to start mushies a little early. If you aren't having any probs with what you are having now, your Doc will might give you the green light to go ahead too, but please check with him first! But just a note, I found I was hungry as heck between weeks 1 and 3 post op. Nothing seemed to satisfy me once all the swelling had gone down. But you have to remember you won't have much restriction to start with. This time is for healing, so look after your self! Well done on the weight loss by the way! So, I just did my very first RPM/Spin class at the gym! I loved it! I think I will make it part of my regualr routine!

Thank goodness for that, I was disgusted to see it on there. I wasn't sure what action would be taken when I reported it, but I am glad its been deleted.

A fav of mine is a can of lentils, a can of chickpeas, a can of salmon, a can of crushed tomatoes, an onion and garlic and herbs to taste. Makes about 5 or 6 1 cup serves. I just pack it up in containers and freeze it. I pop it in the microwave at work to warm it up and its super tasty.

Oh and I am doing ok Susie. Had a big/late night last night for a friends birthday. We went dancing, and I wore heels and my feet are killing me haha. I felt incredibly old being in nightclubs though, I haven't been out on the town for ages! Good job with the loss too! You're gonna be under 100 in no time!!

My Doc didn't come in to see me, but then I didn't expect him to. His offsider did and so did the anethetist. I was happy with the after care I received.

And Susannah, I am finding the new layout makes the pages slower to load up. Anyone else got that prob?

Dates are a winner for me. 3 or 4 of them and I am fine and dandy for a few more hours until dinner.

I am currently organising my wedding (which is 2 months away) and am having a generally stressful time in all other areas of my life (work, my relationship, my friends and so on). I've no appetite at all, but I am making myself eat 3 times a day because I know I have to, I'll get sick otherwise. But I have found that even found that eating half of what I normally do is making me feel quite ill. I'm not PBing, but I have a teerrible aching feeling in my stomach. I am worried though, last night I was drinking a glass of Water about 2.5 hours after dinner (had maybe 200mls) and I felt a horrible ache in my stomach. I paced around my house for about 10 minutes and then had to run to the bathroom where I dry retched. In the end only a little water came up, no food. I am SO stressed out right now and it is not only having an affect on my relationship, but its seems also my band :eek: Has anyone else experienced this, and how did you fix it (the band side of things I mean). I know I'm not too full - its not that at all.

Thanks for the suggestion, but unfortunately I can't actually submerse my body in Water because I have incredbily dry severe eczema prone skin. The water dries it out too much and I end up with cronic rashes and need steriod cream to fix it (I try to stay away from it as much as I can). I haven't had a bath in years (I do shower though lol).

Thanks guys. I know that the heaving isn't good for my band, I was thinking that as I was doing it - "Oh man this is no good". Thankfully it was only the once and in my banded life I have only PBed one time too. So I don't think it would have done any damage. That aside though, I felt terrible afterwards. I just went to bed (it was like 9:30pm). I try to go to the gym when I need to get it all out but it wasn't an option yesterday. Perhaps meditation might be something to try. I don't know....I'm a bit, uh, lost right now. Sigh.

Cool, just checking I've always felt pretty restricted for a few days after a fill and then it eases off after about a week. As we lose weight (and you are going great guns with that), the band will be loser around our stomach cos there is less fat around it too (this is a GOOD thing :biggrin1: ). I think thats why I am starting to feel like what was a "perfect" level of fill is easing, and that the fill can evaporate, I guess. Its a tricky thing this finding the right fill level!!

Good idea Susie! Did you get my PM yesterday? PS enjoy the restriction while it lasts

I couldn't agree more with Jacqui. How on earth does jogging down the street dripping with sweat and looking terrible warrant a whistle or horn honk? I'm exercising, so what? Is my exercising really the highlight of some guys day?

No worries! Its going to be a great run, I'm excited too (Although I have tickets to the Missy Higgins concert the night before so I may be a little slow on the day due to lack of sleep hahaha)

How was she ever big enough to be approved for the band if its true? She was what, maybe 25 pounds overweight? She looks awful (well more awful than before now). So gaunt and thin. I want my band to work, but I don't want to lok like that!

2 weeks of optifast for me, and I could have 1 cup of non starchy veggies (broccoli, yellow squash, bok choy, onion, cauliflower zucchini etc), a day. It was super hard. Harder than anyday since being banded, thats for sure!

Ok maybe my fisr post was a tad harsh, I wasn't so much kicking her, but her attitude. But all I was trying to say is she doesn't seem to have gone into her LB with all the knowledge and preparedness as I can claim I was. I researched what I was spending my hard earned money on - I spoke to other patients. I saw an optional nutrionist, went to a seminar, spoke to my surgeon's consultant and had several appointments with my surgeon. Again, I wouldn't let some one cut me open unless I knew what I was getting myself in for, for the long term. Any one with any insight into the band KNOWS that its not a quick fix, and it isn't easy. I've worked hard to lose the almost 70lbs I have. There is a lot of info and research out there about the LB now, if you go looking for it. So, why kick the surgeon? Do you mean the LB surgeon? She CHOSE to go with that surgeon. She went ahead with the procedure with the apparently limited info she was given. She made the decision. She could have done more of her own research, or gotten another opinion. If you are talking about the bypass surgeon, then yes, kick him hard. He is taking advantage of disheartened people who are at a point of desperation. Shame on him. But still - I can't help think that the failure of her band can't just be because of the surgeon/surgery. Maybe I am wrong - I'm not a qualified medical profesional, obviously. I don't know, if my LB surgeon said the things she said hers said to her, I would have gotten a second opinion immediately.

Did you get signed up Chickie??

Yes, there are some leading questions asked, if you watch the clip. This is just my opinion (and I think is why my Dr makes his patients see a psych pre banding), but if you aren't ready to make the changes, then why get the surgery? If you're not ready to eat a quarter or less of what you used to, and exercise, and make better food choices, and CHEW more than you have ever chewed before and listen to your body (ie when you are TOO full), then maybe the band, or WLS in general just isn't for you just yet. Its not just a physical change, you have to change your way of thinking, and living too. Maybe I was lucky that I had a Dr who educates his patients and has a consultant on call 24 hours a day to call if you have any complications or just need to run ideas/thoughts/problems/questions past her etc. But I would have never had some one cut me open and do the surgery if I wasn't 100% sure that I could commit to the changes required of me. I just sounds to me that this girl wasn't happy about the changes the band meant she had to make in her life. She sure sounds like she thinks the bypass will be the fix for her. Maybe it was, I just hope this Youtube Dr educated her about her eating habits and how much they needed to change again.

Hi Denise, I think you'll find the more posts there are on a thread, the more "spam" it will get. I frequent the Melbourne Chat thread which has 600+ posts (I think) and we get porn spam all the time. Theres not much you can do except report the poster by clicking on the exclamation mark at the top right had corner of their post.

In most cases IS your fault if it fails! You have to work WITH your band. Its not a cure. What a moron. Sounds to me that she was way too full. And now she has no fill its still "hard to eat" and she feels "restricted"? More like she couldn't adjust to the smaller portions. She wasn't willing to change her lifestyle. I bet she has issues with her bypass. I know the band doesn't work for everyone, but I can see why her band surgeon wouldn't then do a bypass afterwards.