cakegirl

My mum, dad and husband have been very supportive. I've had a couple of friends be not so supportive, but I've cut them short with something pretty direct like "Look, I'd rather not have to spend all my time justifying my decision. Can we just agree that I've done the research and made my decision, and leave it at that?" I haven't had a single negative comment from anyone after I've said that to them.

Different surgeons will have different recommendations and preferences, and it will also vary on the patient. I have seen a few people who have just had to have liquid the day before the surgery. Others have to do Atkins for a few weeks, etc. It just depends on the surgeon, and as long as you follow your surgeon's advice, you'll be fine.

I've told some of my friends but not others. I won't keep it secret, but I'm hoping to keep the "pressure" off me for a while. For example, if everyone at my mother's group knew, I could imagine every meetup would become a "Let's ask Rebecca about her weight loss" session... I'd rather just wait until the weight loss is obvious and someone asks me what I did, and then I'll tell them. I've told my family - DH, mum and dad. My daughter (3yo) knows I'm going to hospital but doesn't know the details. I will tell my in-laws after the operation.

I get banded on the 15th too! I have 40kg to lose, which is 88 pounds. I'm partially self-pay and partially insurance. It works differently in Australia Good luck with what's left of your liquid diet. I have to do a VLCD Optifast diet for 7 days only. I'm happy with that - I can eat veggies which are my favourite foods anyway!

I think I have everything ready for my pre-op diet and surgery. Apart from 2 assignments I have left to do for university, and cleaning the house so I don't have to worry about doing it after! For those that are banded already, how long until you were up and about? I know my doctor recommends me getting up and walking as early as possible, but how long till I can drive a car, or until I'll feel like doing grocery shopping or something?

I'm getting banded on the 15th of August, and I've already had this comment from a lot of people - that I don't "need" the band to lose weight. Well, I've been trying to lose it for years. I've lost and regained the same 5kg over and over again, and in the meantime my general health is getting worse and worse. I like the comment about not getting the band to lose weight, but to keep it off. I think I'll use that one.

Oh wow, what a surprise! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!

My surgeon considered PCOS a comorbidity, but there was no insurer that had to be "convinced", so I don't know that it matters.

This is good to hear. I'm getting my band in a week and a half, and I'm worried about being a slow loser too... Hopefully not!

I have had it for years, but was only diagnosed this year. My symptoms are: infertility or inability to get pregnant because of not ovulating increased growth of hair on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes acne, oily skin, or dandruff weight gain or obesity, usually carrying extra weight around the waist type 2 diabetes (I don't quite have it, but am borderline, with pre-diabetes) skin tags, or tiny excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area sleep apnea―excessive snoring and breathing stops at times while asleep

I use the Obagi system for acne on my face (it has a wash, toner, skin colour evener, glycolic acid, retin-A and sunscreen), and I've had two salycilic acid peels. I'll have another peel a couple of weeks after I get my band. I'm starting laser hair removal for the chin/neck hair on Saturday. I also have some hair on my belly, but that doesn't bother me as much - because I'm overweight I don't really wear anything that reveals my belly anyway. Maybe as the band helps me to lose weight I'll also get laser on my belly.

I'm so glad for all you guys getting your insurance approvals, and I'm sending my positive thoughts in the way of the people who are still waiting. It's a strange concept for me - in Australia, if you have private health insurance, there is no wondering - you are either covered for the surgery or you're not. If you are, you will probably have to pay a "gap" fee to your surgeon - it's the difference between what the government medicare will pay plus what the insurance will pay when compared with the total cost that the surgeon charges.

Isn't it interesting how everyone's pre-op regimen is different. Some are on liquid diets, some on Atkins, some on low-cal. Some for a week, some for two, some have no pre-op diet at all! I find it very interesting. My pre-op diet starts on Monday. It's 7 days of optifast low-cal with veggies added. I think I am having my operation in the afternoon, so I'll probably be able to have an early light breakfast and then fast for the rest of the day. I'll get confirmation about that Friday next week. I'm just trying to get myself all organised. I'm at university, so I'm trying to get all my work for this Study Period done before I go in for surgery. That will give me two weeks of "vacation" time before I have to go back to my study, which will be nice. I work to, but I work from home and can set my own availability, so I've given myself the week of the banding as a vacation. I'm having a good time looking in my wardrobe at what I will throw out first! :lol:

I intend to get most of my transitional clothes from op shops/thrift stores (not undies or bras!), and only splurge out on the good stuff once I'm at my goal weight

Yay, it's August! Good luck to all you A11ers getting banded this week! This time in 2 weeks, I'll be waking up in recovery! I'm excited and terrified and happy and anxious all at once!

Hi everyone, I'm Rebecca... I'm also getting banded on August 15 at 2:00pm. Sydney Australia time though - not sure what time zone you are on. I only met my surgeon today, and he slotted me in for the 15th! I have to do 7 days on optifast prior to the surgery. How excitingscary!

I thought it was about time for me to introduce myself... I'm Rebecca, and I joined this forum back in February I think, when I was considering lapband and went for an initial consultation at a clinic... Since then, DH was VERY against it and I tried a couple of other weight loss options, with no luck... Then I found out out have PCOS so have started on metformin and the pill... And then I found a clinic in my local area that can do the surgery for much cheaper... Anyway, I'm 34yo, a married mum of one, from Australia. And surgery is booked for 15 August! Hi everyone!

Thanks guys for your help. My gut instinct was that it wouldn't be a problem because it's liquid in the band, but then I worried about the contraption itself - you've put my mind at ease

I was just thinking about diving, and I was wondering if it's safe for people with the lapband to do scuba? Does the increase in pressure under the Water do anything weird to the band? Ta, Rebecca

Thanks, Kortni. I suppose they might have a less wrestling-unfriendly spot to put it!

I know my husband *thinks* I don't listen to him, so if I just went ahead and booked it and had the surgery, it'd probably be the end of us I guess I'll have to try to keep winning him over. Both my parents are supportive of the surgery, so maybe if he hears it enough times from the three of us, he'll give in...

Hmm, interesting - seems to be very different for different people... I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I would LOVE to be fit and healthy enough to do BJJ again, but I guess if it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be...

I want to get the lap band, but my husband is against it. He's an anti-medicine type of guy - he thinks just about anything can be cured with a glass of Water, and that, for example, diabetics should just lose weight, depressed people should just cheer up, etc. He thinks he's supportive of me - and hey, he hasn't left me for being fat - and he's getting me an exercise bike for mother's day next month. But he's against the surgery. I've done my own research and investigating, talked to people with the band, had the prelim appointment with a clinic, gotten all the information together... but this roadblock is still in my way. I've read a few posts on here where people have said that their partners were against the procedure at first, and i was wondering if you could give me advice on what I can do to make him realise that this is the only option I can see that might work? He still thinks that conventional weight-loss methods will work, because they've "worked before", and he doesn't believe me that I have never been a healthy weight. I lost weight doing Jenny Craig pre-pregnancy, but even then, I was over 3kg above the maximum healthy weight for my height, and I plateaued for 4 months, unable to get below that weight, before I fell pregnant and had to go off the program. My actual healthy weight range - well, I haven't been there since I was 12 or 13. Thanks in advance, Rebecca

I've had comments here and there all my life, but I've also mostly been another "fit fat person", so because of my muscle density I've always looked lighter than I weighed, if that makes sense... Well, that was the case pre-pregnancy and before I had to give up my sport!!! The absolute worst comment, though, has come repeatedly from one person.... my beautiful little daughter. She's only 3 years old, and she doesn't have the concept of "fat" being a bad thing, but she points out that I have a big tummy (which she pats and kisses and cuddle and tells me she loves), and the one that broke my heart was when she said "When I'm a grown up, I'm going to have a great big tummy like you, Mummy!" ---- Oh if there was ONE thing I could wish for her future it was to not have to battle her own body and health issues the way I have had to!

The clothing sizes have adapted over the years, and as the average woman is MUCH bigger than 10, 20, 30, 50+ years ago, the sizes have adapted to suit the population.