mrs kaje

It's because having a cake and going out for dinner used to be rare and special, so it was a true treat. Now we can do those things whenever we want (and worse). There would still be nothing wrong with celebrating with food, if we were able to just eat properly/normally in between.

I particularly want to know: . Will he look for hernia and at gallbladder, and if so, will he repair or remove if required? . Will he stitch as well as staple? . I definitely want him to fit the support band to avoid stretching. . Will he check for leaks during surgery, and how? . What rate of patients later convert to bypass, and what are the main reasons? . What rate of lap procedures are converted to open, and what are the main causes? . Do I need to do a barium swallow after surgery? . If stitches are used on the incisions, are they dissolving. . Will I have a catheter, and will it be placed and removed while I'm under sedation? There are other smaller things but those are the important ones to me.

I never understood the big deal about egg whites, until I found out how much Protein and how little calories they have!

Jacq, I'm not in Melbourne, but in my area there is around a 4 year waiting list to get this done in the public system. I know someone on another forum waited around six years. I assume there would be a greater number of surgeons in Melbourne, though, so the weight may not be as long. I'm not sure that she'd get to choose what procedure she gets, since she's not the one paying for it. If any surgeons in your area have the free seminars, she'd be better off going to one of those where she can question them about it all. In my opinion, she'd be better off joining a health fund now and waiting the year, unless the public system in Melbourne is super fast.

Yes, it can certainly make it harder to lose weight, but taking the medication should get your levels back to normal. Although this won't actually *help* you lose weight, at least it won't be working against you. Maybe do a shakes phase to try and get back on track?

Apparently you can get it at costco in the US - not saying that they would stock them here just because of that, but maybe it's worth asking? There is a Costco at North Lakes. I couldn't find any stockists, either.

Ha, these tips are great! I have my first consult in two weeks but I have lost over 11lb through dieting the last couple of weeks and I only have to lose another 3lb for my BMI to drop under 40. I obviously don't want to sabotage the diet and put weight back on, but I want to be able to present the best possible case for getting surgery. I had been thinking of weights in my bra, a big meal beforehand, and drinking lots of Water - I am taking note of all these ideas. What a stupid predicament, lol. Good luck, OP - let me know what works for you

Apparently it can indicate iron deficiency.

Yay! I gave up on mine because I didn't like the texture, but now I want to try them again. How long did you boil them for? Chia seeds were how I discovered tapioca pudding (non-American here), I read a comment comparing them to tapioca and I bought some and made a pudding and loved it. I realise it's considered a pretty unclassy dessert but I think it's awesome, lol.

Sorry - duplicate post.

Serious question, OP - if you know you will be able to follow a perfect diet after surgery, why aren't you currently doing that (I assume you aren't, otherwise you wouldn't need the surgery)?

How exciting! Good luck, mate - hope all goes well :-)

Only a couple of weeks - you're so lucky! I started the ball rolling in September last year and can't even get an initial consult until mid-February. Then I need to wait until early December to get the procedure, when my insurance finally kicks in. I'd happily swap places

You remind me of my husband. And this similar behaviour is precisely why I choose not to talk to him about my choice to have surgery. Sorry, but I think you need to back off a bit.

I'll be 37 this year and I have two kids. I wish I had done this when I was in your position (younger, and pre-kids). I highly recommend doing it now while you've got the chance.

bandingtogether is a good Aussie forum; there is a section for sleevers, too.

I'm Central Coast-ish, but I don't think I've seen any Sydneysiders here, surprisingly. Surely there would be some!

I have seen a recent post about a surgeon in Brissie who doesn't charge over the gap (or something), so it's quite cheap. This would be using a health fund, obviously. Not sure what type of hospital it was in, though. It was in one of the other Australian sub-forums here, but can't remember where, sorry.

I am in the same boat - I have no support from my husband, he thinks the surgery is "stupid". My initial consult is in a few weeks, so I guess the next he'll hear of it is that I have a surgery date, then I'm happy not to talk about it until "Hey, I need a lift to the hospital"! I would get in touch with the support group and let them know you would be interested in any potential out of hours meetings/groups, and maybe also check whether any of the current members do meet up after hours where you could join them. Surely there are other people that daytime meetings don't suit - I know it wouldn't suit me at all, either. Don't delay your appointment just so you can get in better shape (unless the surgeon requires it); why drag it out? You'll possibly find it easier to get into heavier exercising once you've dropped a bit of weight, anyway.

I've been late-night-bingeing on Peep Show (UK) the last couple of weeks, but I think I've watched all the episodes I have recorded, so I'm going to have to find something else.

I agree with the above - just stop talking about it with her. Change the subject every time she mentions it and she'll soon get the message.

Interestingly, I have seen TV programs from the UK where patients drink literally nothing but milk on their pre-op diet, for the purpose of shrinking/preparing their liver for surgery. Often the surgeon comments that "the liver looks good, they must have followed their milk diet". So even if your surgeon prefers you not to have it for whatever reason, it's obviously not going to harm your pre-op preparation.

I'm in the same boat so am glad to hear all these positive experiences!

Aussie here, too - my 12 months is up on 2 December 2015. The wait is killing me!

Yay! Can't wait until I go from excess to XS