::tracy::

Hi Dale and Flax, you both are an inspiration ... i hope in another 8 months i can be writing about how i have lost 35kg too! i had the surgery 4 months ago now and i have lost 16.5kg so far. The last bit has felt slow, i am averaging 3 kg a month, which ... as we all do, wish is was faster, but when we add it up it is like 36kg in a year .... so that doesn't sound so bad huh. i have been ok with my food intake, i have had a few problems with over eating ... some days i can eat an amount i would expect to eat ... like a sandwich or something like that ... then the next day i will try to eat the same thing in the same manner ... slow, chew chew chew, little bites ... and it gets stuck or i get full ... whatever it is, it hurts! i have been working out most days too ... i hav so much more energy, which is awesome ... infact i think i am going to learn to ski this year, though i suspect i will break a bone and get carried off the ski field! Best i lose a little more before then, to save the paramedics backs. i do love hearing about peoples progress ... it makes it seem like it might actually work out for me and that i might get all this excess weight off ... i would just be happy being overweight ... not obese or even worse ... as i am now ... morbidly obese.

I had my first two fills with no drama, the third however ... did not go so well ... not sure what happened but there was a whole world of pain. In the end i decided to flag the fill and go back next month. To be fair, i do have good restriction and am losing weight albeit slow. Slow is good

i had my first fill too on the same day. mine felt too tight to begin with also, however it has settled now, but like you i can certainly feel a difference. i ate somethig yesterday, just a small amount and i obviously didn't chew quite enough, though it didn't get stuck i felt it going ALL the way down. near bought tears to my eyes! it was my first experience of getting anything close to stuck ... probably not my last ... but certainly has been being very careful now. All good though! Hey wouldn't it have been nice to keep up the initial post surgery weight loss rate!!

Hi Hoodoofan, I guess every surgeon is different with their rules and preferences. Mine was very specific about not letting anything get stuck and bringing it back up. He said that is how you cause damage. I guess the down side to being allowed to try new foods sooner is that risk of causing damage by PB-ing. It must hurt having the port so close to your bra-line, mine is an inch or so below. i haven't had too many problems laying on mine either, just in the first few days. Which i really quite fortunate as i would not have been happy as that is the side i sleep on. Hi Tia, Yes scrambled eggs are on my mushies list. It took me over 45 mins to eat one egg and each little tiny bit was dissolved in my mouth and mixed with so much saliva, i think my optifast might have had more texture going down. i was nervous through the entire meal however i felt infinitely better afterwards, tasting something different. As mentioned above, my surgeon said the key at this time is to not bring the food back up ... to chew chew chew. And that is what i did!! my nutritionist has given me a great list of mushies, i must make an appointment to go back and see her too. she was very nice and helpful. I need to talk to her about calorie intake. The best advice is to follow the instructions of your own surgeon however with regard to food and when to try things. I am nervous about getting my first fill. If he is happy to do it on that day, he can do so, i doubt he will though, unless something changes between now and then ... i still have not been felt anything remotely like hunger pains. Then again, i am eating more than i ever did before. I used to only eat once a day ... and by that stage i was always too exhausted to cook so it was the wrong foods. Hi Ange, Thanks for the words of support. I am fortunately not worried about Christmas day, it is my first day on mushies but as mentioned above, i have not had anything resembling an appetite since my surgery. It takes such a small amount of make me full that food is not high on my list of priorities for that day. Overall i have been feeling good, i have been a little tired the last few days, though i am not consuming very many calories at all , so that is probably part of it ... that and the stinking hot days we have had. Everyone enjoy christmas ... hope you get some nice presents and enjoy the time with your family! The day doesn't need to be about food.

Quitting smoking is easy ... I have doe it 100's of times!!!! I quit smoking about 6 weeks ago now - a month before banding. I have smoked on and off for about 15 years. Never a huge amount about definitely every day. I have gone cold turkey and have no suffered at all, perhaps i am just fortunate or was ready this time. I did it so I would be in better shape for the surgery .... Making a good recovery, feel great, loads of energy.

mine is on the left had side a couple of inches below my breast. Not too sore. i think the rate of weight loss will slow down, thats all. i am going back on the 22 Jan ... not sure if it is for a fill or not. i had scrabbled eggs last night ... they were the best tasting eggs i have ever tasted!!

oh ... where is your port site? have you had any problems with sleeping on it?

I have been very good up until today. Today pain wise has been worse, it feels like i have done 100 sit-ups. How many nights did you spend in hospital? i spent two, during that time i had alot of pain meds, however i haven't required any since i was discharged. Not even today. Yes i have been weighed, i am now 8kg down since i started the preop diet. i know it won't last, but i am making the most of it. I have fortunately haven't had any indigestion, however i have eaten more than i could cope with, just a matter of taking time and learning what is enough and what is too much. I still can't drink an entire optifast. I have been walking everyday too, which i am enjoying alot. Have you started exercising again yet?

Hi Tia, I agree with the protein shakes, i am only drinking one a day in the morning, eating Soups and smoothies also. Had my first visit to the surgeon, he is really pleased with my progress, he said I can go onto mushies on Christmas day, and said if i was very very careful i could try some other food too. He said the most important thing was to not vomit. I am not sure if i am ever hungry or not, i don't think i am, i just eat because it is time to now. I am not consuming alot either ... and as always i am struggling with my water, i have to really push myself to get enough fluids. How have you been feeling post op? my tummy has been a bit sore today, at the incision sites, it feels like muscular pain, healing. If i don't get better by monday i will give the surgeon a call.

Hi Ange, I was banded in Hawkes Bay by a surgeon here, Mr John Fleischl at Royston Hospital. Both Mr Fleischl and the staff at the hospital were absolutely wonderful. Optifast tastes fine, i have no issue with the flavour, just day in and day out it is boring, so being having some yummy homemade vege soups etc blended and watered down. You have a great Christmas too ...

Well i am now at the end of my first week with my band ... it has been all good so far. The weight is falling off at present, I know it won't last like this, but i am sure as anything going to make the most of it. I have now lost 7kg :clap2: i went to see the surgeon today to get the staples out - it all went well, he is pleased with my progress. Feeling a little tired of optifast so i have been having some soups instead sometimes - nice for a bit of variation. I haven't really been tempted to eat anything shouldn't and i have turned into obsessive calorie counter. I went supermarket shopping tonight ad it took about 3 times longer than it should have because i was checking the calories on EVERYTHING. Great to hear everyone is going well ... long road ahead so it is nice to have some inspiration from others.

I feel the same also - no pain but certainly discomfort. I feel like i need to burp, I find though, eating less helps ease the discomfort.

I had a dreadful time with headaches, i had to tke time off work they got so bad. They do pass eventually - mine was gone about day 5 or 6. Hang in there!

I am 6 days post op (banded 11 Dec) and feel like i could go to work today, however the surgeon doesn't want me to go back to work until he has seen me again and given me the ok. So I will be back on day 8. Everyones experience is different. But this has been mine so far: The first 40 hours was hellish but I spent that time in hospital so had plenty of meds to deal with it, but once i came home on day 2, i stopped taking pain meds - only taking antibiotics. Everyday i am feeling a bit better than the day before. And i too have been suffering the liquid in - liquid out - that is not much fun at all!! Makes me kind of pleased to not be going back to work straight away. Overall - it hasn't been a bad experience tracy

Well, the surgery is done!! It all seemed to go ok, had an extra night in hospital - which was not a problem at all as it was a lovely place to stay and they kept me well dosed on nice pain relief. Home has been good - i am definitely a bit uncomfortable but nothing that i can't deal with. i am looking forward to being able to lay on left side again ... i think once i start eating again, it is going to be a huge challenge - but i don't have to worry about that for a while.

I have my surgery in .... 5 hours!!!! wow -- i can not believe it is time

Well i am home now ... i can't believe it is done!! Pain is very average, but religiously taking my meds. i haven't encountered too many problems, bit of gas pain at the moment, but will go for a walk this afternoon once hubby is home. 2 days into the start of my new life ... wow!!

Thanks Betty Lue

Thanks Donna

wow, good luck with that! i have a week to go - this time next week i will be feeling very nervous!!

It is the same ol story - i like it when i go - it is just getting there that is the problem.

i go to curves - well - i have a membership at curves - it is more like a "gym donation"

Hi Hoodoofan wow ... you are doing great. i am a week into my pre-op diet. one week to go ... though it is not too bad ... and losing weight too ... bonus!

Hi, I have just started my preop Optifast. The optifast doesn't taste too bad but I have had a headache since I started!! It has only been two days, but it has been a L O N G two days. I do hope it goes away soon! Someone assure me it will ... pleeeease! tracy

It is almost all gone, still lingering a little, but nothing that isn't tolerable The pre-op diet itself is no problem at all, the Optifast isn't that bad tasting and my 2 cups of low starch and green vege's in the evening is something i have really come to look forward to. Most of it is a mindset i think - i mean - i am not hungry at all, but i keep thinking about all the yummy things i would like to eat i want to stick to this religiously for the 2 weeks - though my birthday is next week - i am tossing up whether i should go out for dinner or not. At this stage i am leaning towards no, but as the day aproaches, i might feel different tracy :biggrin1: