Sarah.R

Hey Bem don't get too discouraged if you only stay full for like half an hour on soup, it's thin and it'll just go straight thur but you probably already know that. Anyway I had surgery May 12th and had my first fill about 3 hours ago and yeah I cried lol. Todd my nurse told me to lie down. The needle wasn't painful but I kept hearing a clicking and then it hurt a little and I ended up crying like a big baby lol. Oh and I had absolutely no restriction previously but turns out the surgeon put in 4cc/mls during surgery and then today he put in another 4 which I'm a bit peeved about because they said they where going to do this all slow so I was expecting about 1-1.5cc and now I feel like my throat is tight but I have no problem getting Water or juice down soooo we'll see what happens when I wake up in the morning and attempt to drink something. Apparently I'm on liquids for 24 hours and then I just have to chew chew chew which is a bit annoying. I don't think I'm going to follow his advice, instead I'm gonna do 24 hours of liquids, then some mushies for a day and then eventually get back to the solid food. I just think that 24 hours and then going straight back to normal food is too soon. Anyway lol I had to go see my dietician afterwards and Todd the nurse came down and was saying he felt bad about it but the guy he did after me he got it first go lol. So I go for my next one in 5 weeks and hopefully I won't look like a wuss when I get that one lol.

Wow that sucks. Maybe your surgeon won't put you on the shakes and instead have you on low calorie foods for your preop. Things like broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, etc. I'm not sure of any shakes out there that don't have those ingredients but I imagine there would be, they can't not have any shakes for people with allergies.

You know I heard about this, and I think the woman had previously tried other weight loss surgeries that had failed. As for going anywhere near the brain, I believe that is the last resort and only if you have cancer or something along those lines. But if it worked for her then I guess that's great for her then.

You forget to factor in their height. If someone is 5'1 and weighs just over 200lbs then they are classified as morbidly obese. Who are we to say who can and can't get this surgery? We know the reason that us as individuals are getting the surgery and if someone is just under 200lbs and needs this surgery and can afford it or their insurance deems that they are entitled to it we have no right let alone judgement in saying they can't have it.

Well my surgeons nurse just rang and I asked him if I should postpone eating before my fill and he said not to worry about it. Sooo yeah not really informative which sucks lol. And then he was just like you'll be on a sloppy diet for like 48hours afterwards (yeah I pretty much knew that) But another thing they do at my hospital is they make you wait around for a while so you can drink something and eat something and make sure it's not tight which is good I guess.

I was going to say juices but the acidity in them might be painful. For the liquid stage I basically lived on water, apple juice, milk, popsicles and sustagen which is an all mineral and vitamins drink. Then when I went onto mushies I just had whatever the family did but added more liquid so it was a thinner consistency. It's easier and if you can't afford to go out and buy different things then it's better. As for comfort things? Heat pads are great for most afterwards =)

Uh no not just in australia. General healthcare is the same everywhere unless you live in a 3rd world country. And it's not just for long procedures either.

Well I thought I would update my situation. My sister and I went shopping on sunday and she bought a milkshake and asked if I wanted some, thought about it and decided I'd try a little bit with the straw and I don't know if I was being paranoid but I swear I felt like there was air going in my stomach and my stomach actually puffed out a little bit. I guess it could of just been me being paranoid but I dunno lol. I don't think I'll be using a straw from now on though just because of that.

Maybe try ringing your surgeon first? My first one is this wednesday and I actually have to ring the nurse to see what if anything I'm allowed to eat before hand. Obviously stay away from a big meal before hand as that's just common sense. I think I'll probably just eat yoghurt as it'll slightly fill me up but won't be in the way I guess for when I get the fill. Good luck with everything.

Hey Andy. Honestly I had pain around where the band is, but it was more discomfort with the fact that I could actually feel something on my stomach (weird) as for that feeling, it subsided for me about 2 weeks out. Straight after surgery though I felt like my stomach muscles where going to wreck the band as they where being weird and pushing out. Hope everything goes well =)

Some people will say yes you'll be up to it others will say no but really it depends on how you feel. I thought having previous surgeries that the band would be a breeze for me - Well 4 days out and I was still in a little pain but heaps of discomfort. If your sitting for the entire thing though, maybe take a tape recorder in case you miss anything and ask your lecturer if you can bring someone with you just to help out.

There are heaps of people on here that where under 40 and got the band. As for getting approved DO NOT suggest putting on weight intentionally to get surgery. Alot of people use weights in their clothes to up their actual weight so that they'll be approved. Good luck with everything.

I don't think it is necessary but they sometimes do it alot. I've never had one (thank god) and they always ask if I need to pee before surgery which even if I don't I go anyway. I don't mean for this to sound offensive so no one take it that way but I think maybe the older you get maybe the more they think about doing it.

I had pain for about a week or two on and off but the worst pain was probably up until day 3. As for getting out of bed, I still live at home so I had to get my mum or sister to help me out of bed lol - Hence why my back was killing me for a week still after surgery as I couldn't move when I sleeped lol. I hope the pain gets better for you. As for the fluids part. I lived on milk, water, apple juice and sustagen just to get extra vitamins and minerals in. You could also try like icy pole things that are low in sugar. Everyones says they have to be low fat and low sugar but you aren't getting nutritious in at the moment so the sugar will definitely help.

Okay this will sound weird but I just wanna go thru the computer and give you a hug, I have lung complications as well but couldn't imagine having the necrotizing pneumonia and being in icu for so long. I hope everything goes well for you - It wasn't your fault that your body rejected the band because you where sick, that's just how it is I guess when things get really bad. Keep us all updated on how it goes!!! Good luck.

This is why I didn't want to weigh myself heaps lol. I didn't wanna be a scale whore - In having said that I said to myself I would only weigh myself twice a month and that's all I've done - I measure myself once a month as well (did it today) and even if I haven't lost any I've definitely lost the inches, it's great. I've lost 6cms on my hips. 6cm on my waist & 1.6cm on my chest lol. To me the kgs don't matter as long as I see that the inches/centimetres are going down =)

I'm 5 weeks out next tuesday and at the soft food/normal food stage cuz they kind of combined it and I'm eating way more than I think I should. I can eat 2 scrambled eggs with some milk and cheese and it doesn't fill me at all and this is in the morning, ok giving that though they're tiny eggs which would probably only equate to about one egg but still. Today I had 2 toasted sandwiches and ate the entire thing - And let me say again they where tiny pieces of multigrain bread, I went shopping and found gluten bread and bought it because it's tiny, it's like the size of my palm but smaller and I ate 2 UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Having said that, I haven't pb'd though (although writing this I've probably jinxed myself) I mean after I ate lunch today (toasted sandwiches) I could definitely tell I overate, felt like I was going to be sick if I ate another bite (I don't know what I ate that much, honestly I think I"m still in pre-band mentality) but I didn't pb so I dunno. I'm so worried that I've stretched the pouch (which is any paranoia worry of someone just banded) but considering I actually don't get full then I worry less. I dunno - Thankfully my first fill is on tuesday and hopefully that'll give just a tiny bit of restriction (fat chance tho) so I can eat a little less =(

OMG exactly!!!! I hate that, I'll be exactly 5 weeks out, just getting used to soft foods/normal foods and they do a fill. I mean fair enough hardly anyone has restriction after the first fill but come one!!! Lol

I take the Centrum Multivitamin, it's about the size of your thumb nail I guess and it's pretty easy to swallow. But we definitely need chewable ones here in aus.

Straight after surgery I was taking a liquid multivitamin but it ended up taking me half the day to drink and it wasn't that great so I switched to a complete vitamin and mineral substitute. At the moment it's fine but I know once I start getting fills I'm going to have to change it or cut it up in case it gets stuck

Hey! Congrats - I never had to do optifast after and even if I did I would of told my doc to shuv it, hated the stuff lol. As for the burping yes that's normal, you usually have gas after surgery because they put it in your stomach to make it easier for surgery - If you have any pain just walk around and it usually subsides, also people get shoulder tip pain and walking helps withthat as well. Port pain - use a heat pillow. I had a variety of things when I was on liquids, sustagen, milk, water, apple juice and that was basically it. Uhh what else? My back was sore as well for about a week mainly because I couldn't move alot when I went to bed, once I started trying to lie on my side it was way easier. Congrats that you've lost 7kgs, no clue how much I've lost cuz I just started the soft foods and can eat heaps =( Definitely need a fill, thankgod I get one next week =) Oh and chances are they won't give you a fill this early, your still healing from surgery and 20 days out they won't do one (sorry to sound like abitch) but the usual waiting time for a fill is past 4 weeks as your still swollen from surgery. Good luck with everything else.

My last meal was about 12 days before I started my preop and honestly I can't remember what I had lol. I think I went to maccas as my sister works their and got half price - Doesn't bother me anymore though. I'm 4 weeks out and don't really miss the things I would - Had an addiction to bread but hasn't really phased me anymore thankfully.

Oh my god! Was that the whole barium swallow thing people go on about? I am so glad I didn't have to do that but in saying it, I feel horriblet hat you had to go thru that. It doesn't sound like the best thing ever =S Good luck with surgery next month =)

My response to those people would be "Yeah you've lost 45lbs while I've only lost 35 but at least in a year those 35lbs will be gone plus more, unlike you who will probably gain it all back plus more" Horrible? Definitely but it's true. At least with the band if you gain weight you can get a fill and continue to loose, so what about them? The people that do weight watchers it usually isn't their first time and definitely won't be their last. At least with this your being proactive and taking measures to loose the weight and keep it off. Even if I was thin and never needed the band I would be happy for people that needed wls, their taking steps in there life to be happier and healthier people so who are we to judge what they want and what they think is right in their life? It sucks that you had to go through that, they should make a specific board for people that have weight loss surgery and decide to stay with weight watchers.

Congrats Lauren!!!! Honestly I wish I could of stayed on liquids for longer after surgery, felt like I was loosing - As soon as I went on mushies I feel like I'm at a standstill - Oh well I guess that means it's time to start excercising lol.:cursing: