allure

Hey Lunasa, just checking in to see how you got on with your procedure on Tuesday? Hope all is well, let us know how you are feeling. I went to meet with a new Consultant they have in ACS, Bernd Ablassmaier last Saturday. He was great and totally reassuring as he explained everything and he definatly confirmed for me that I am making a very sensible decision. However, he is not in Ireland agian until June 6th to perform surgery again and I fely that that was just too far out! So I went back to get me bloods done on Tuesday and booked in tentatively for the procedure on May 7th with Jerome Manceau. I have to go meet with him on Monday next to confirm. So if there is anyone out there scheduled for the same day let me know. I met with a fab nurese called Tara who was very informative and gave me all the successful stories of her other banders! She spoke of a really nice lady called Brendsadue for the op - I'm presuming this is you Brenners!!! You and Holly123 are nearly there. I'm excited for you both and looking forward to hearing all about your experiences. I spoke to a lady on Saturday morning who had it done on Friday in ACS and she was in great form, not a lot of pain just discomfort and no hunger at all! That was very reassuring. Looking forward to hearing from you all.

Great news that you are nearly there, Brenners! It's obviously going to be an emotional time and you need to just embrace this and I suppose use this forum to express yourself and you'll get tons of advice and support from the existing banded members and those of us who are in a similar situation as yourself awaiting banding. So chin up and keeep posting your feelings. I think that anyone who has come as far as considering gastric banding has been struggling for a considerable length of time with their eating and let's be honest, emotional eating. So what I'm saying is that we are all pretty much in the same situation. Any of my fears are quelled when I go and read the positive threads of the people who are successfully adjusting their life to living and eating as a banded person. As for the shakes, why not go on the internet and search for ones that you can buy online. Any of the American or Australian contibutors might be able to recommend alternatives to what is available in Ireland and tell you what best to go for as they would have tried them. loving the Tickers at the end of the mails - I think I'll have to get me one of them!

Well, I am back now after a lovely Easter weekend of hard physical labour!!! - I painted the garden fence in an effort to keep away from all the chocolate eggs!! It helped but I still managed to nibble a bit! Bright, if I'm not mistaken I saw your pictures in the Before & After pics of this site. What an inspiration to see how all your hard work and effort paid off! You look happy and healty, which is brilliant to see. Well done. I am counting down the days until Saturday when I am going for my consultancy with Advanced Cosmetic Surgery (ACS). I have done so much research on the web and the questions that have been provided in this thread (thanks to all contributors) have made the job easier and I am really looking forward to getting there to discuss my options and hopefully confirming a date. Lunasa & Brenners must be getting very excited now that their surgery dates are coming closer. Let us know how you 2 are feeling?

Well girls I am over 18 stone and have a BMI of 50 and I am only 5ft.1" so I am definatly in the at risk category. I have been a dieter since my first trip to Weight Watchers at the age of 13 but in the last 12 months have not managed to stick to healthy, non-binge eating for 1 day and as a result have put on 5 stone alone in a year. (The same 5 I lost last year and the year previous!) I have been doing loads of research on the web about all the alternatives and it was great to see an Irish representation to ask local, relevant questions to! The thing to finally spur me into going down this route was a month ago when at a friend's hen party a girl I didn't know very well was talking to a group of other girls about her infertility battle over the last 10 years and to make herself feel better she turned to me and said "...at last I've found someone bigger than me though!". Well first off I nearly died and then I really began to think about my own fertility and that I would not like to be 10 years down the line trying for a baby and still carrying the weight. Most of the research I have come across indicated that the greater risk to my health is to remain this way without taking such a drastic step as Gastric Banding. Like you, Brenners, I have had very little wrong with my health up to now as I am quite a fit person despite my size and I have always gone to the gym, swim and walk regularily with the girls but my partner does say that I snore like a pig and I definatly associate with you lunasa about the dead arm thing as I'm always waking up like that to as a result of lying on it myself! The big thing for me also is not being able to fit in to regular clothes or get bras to fit! I'm up to a size 22 now and there is just no choice or style out there in that size. I'm looking forward to hearing about your experiences and hopefully will be able to lend support to you both over the next few weeks and months.

Hey Brenners, well done for taking the step to inquire about Gastric Banding and then to arrange to go ahead! I have just arranged a Consultation for 2 weeks time for ACS in Dublin after building up to it for about 12 months of failed dieting. It is great to hear that you have been and can share your experience. From my research on the web it appears I definatly fit the criteria for this but how exactly do they evaluate your suitability at the Consultation?