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The episode that was on Aussie TV last night was all about weight. One patient had extreme anorexia and the other patient needed to have his very successful bypass reversed because he had Crohn's disease. It was more dramatic because he had never told his husband that he used to be obese and had had a bypass.

Are you talking oral, vaginal or somewhere else? For me surgery of any kind can trigger it, it upsets the delicate balance of everything in the body. Speak to your Dr they should be able to give you something to clear it up

Here in Aus only the top (most expensive) policies cover it. It is because it has become so popular that their costs are blowing out.

Awarewness is definitely key. The rule here is that surgeons have to give a patient an information sheet with all the pro's , con's and possible complications prior to scheduling any surgery. It's called informed consent. Isn't it the same there too?

I was also wondering but didnt want to ask in case it was obvious......

For most people the "hunger" comes from the head not the stomach. Unfortunately they haven't yet found a way of shutting that off yet. Too many confuse appetite with hunger or think the noises their stomach makes means that they are hungry. True hunger is not seeing food and thinking ohh that looks nice I could eat one of those, or looking at the clock and thinking hey its noon it must be lunchtime. Most of us rarely get to the point where we are really "hungry" .

That's a slightly but not vastly different list to the one I have been given Anastomotic leak Gallstones Dumping Syndrome Stomal stenosis Bowel Obstruction Marginal Ulcer Persistent constipation or diarrhoea. Risks for WLS in general also include Poor healing Vomiting Poor weight Loss Persistent abdominal pain lactose intolerance Incisional or internal hernia cardiac arrhythmia Hepatitis Life long vitamin supplementation Loss of muscle mass Depression Death!!!!! It's all about being aware. Following instructions. Managing issues when they arise. Most of the risks are minor when compared to the risks of remaining obese

New year, new you

When she told me I don't have to do a preop diet before my revision surgery in Jan! yay, so happy, the first time was bad enough

I went to visit my daughter at Uni for her 21st. It was approx 9 months after my band surgery. We went out for dinner. I was fine until I started walking across the carpark when I got a sudden severe cramp in my stomach. Carried on into the hotel and the next thing I knew I was coming around on the floor of the lift with a number of concerned people standing around me. I got to go for a ride in an ambulance and spend the night on an uncomfy hospital bed instead of in the hotel. My BP was really low ( I was on BP lowering meds) and so was my potassium.

Its normal to be nervous and start second guessing one self, its a big scary change you are about to make. Yes some people have complications. As part of the process your surgeon should have given you an information sheet explaining what the possible complications are and you should also have been given the opportunity to discuss these and any concerns that you may have with him/her. Its called informed consent. When I started using this site again one of the first things I did was to deliberately search out threads about complications. Maybe I'm weird but I feel that forewarned is forearmed. The actual likelihood of you having a serious complication is pretty low and they are things that surgeons can deal with. I got my date yesterday and I was having a discussion with my surgeon about the fear of surgery and him not killing me( when I'm nervous about things my weird sense of humour kicks in). He said the fear of surgery is normal , it's the fear of the unknown and also it is his job to worry about not killing me not mine! Now things you should worry about are how to manage your shopping addiction once you lose weight and see how amazing you look in your new clothes, and what you are going to do with all your extra energy etc As for timing it's like most things, there is no such thing as a perfect time. The sooner you have the op the sooner you will start your journey to better health. I now have a surgery date of Jan 17 which means that I still won't be eating solid food on my 25th anniversary in Feb!

Good luck

This is so true WLS is a tool not a magic wand. I have a friend that thought it was, she didn’t educate herself beforehand, she didn’t change her eating habits , she ate ahead of her schedule etc and she lost very little. Now a couple of years later she is bigger than when she went for surgery. Personal responsibility is very important.

If this is how we measure then I should probably leave now, my reputation score is way lower than my no of posts. Maybe Im not likeable or my posts are useless or maybe it has something to do with the way the system worked when it was still LBT. Personally I find all the liking a bit shallow, we shouldn’t be in a competition for likes, especially as a lot of the likes are for posts that may have been amusing rather than helpful. This should not be a popularity contest To the OP yes things do sometimes get really annoying. Sometimes moving on and ignoring something is better than responding but that is not easy, I know it’s something I really struggle to do. Whilst this site. may not be perfect in general I still find it a lot better than the alternatives. Some of the peeps on the other site are so sanctimonious I’m surprised they have received their sainthoods yet

Why buy something you can make yourself. Homemade soups are far tastier than any you can buy and they are so easy to make. All you need is stock, veggies , herbs and spices and a blender of some kind. Pumpkin Cauliflower Broccolli Tomato let your imagination run riot

I would be really annoyed. Unfortunately now it’s out you can’t put it back in. Having WLS isn’t something we should have to feel embarrassed about.The more open we become the easier and more normal it will eventually become.

You have to have private health insurance as Medicare covers very very few procedures. I do know a few people that got a band that way but the process was long and arduous. The insurers have changed the rules in the last couple of years , previously wls was part of most policies but because it has become so popular you now have to have the top ( most expensive) policy for it to be covered. Private health insurance policies in Aus are paid for by the individual not the employer. Even with insurance you still have to pay pretty substantial out of pocket expenses. My out of pocket for the surgeon is $3000, anaesthetist $750, hospital excess $500 just to mention a few. That doesn’t include all the Drs and dieticians visits etc. It wouldn’t be so bad except I have paid all these fees before for my band, I feel cheated, I want a refund! I also live in the country. The hospital I am going to is approx 40km away but that’s not an issue, I’m used to not having anything on my doorstep. Now I had better get out of bed and get dressed, I have a dieticians app this morning

That was terrible timing, hope you are now well and ready to go

I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you

Saw my surgeon today and got my date. 17th Jan. Lapband removal, possible hiatus hernia repair and revision to RNY

Mine used to gurgle so loudly I swear it could wake the dead. It has nothing to do with hunger, the plumbing just tends to be a bit noisier after surgery

Sometimes stomach and mouth have a competition

I'm allergic to the glue they have on the dressings, its very annoying when they miss that in my notes because it itches like hell. Hope your reaction resolves soon

Get blood tests done, you may be low on iron

Important thing to remember, digestion starts in your mouth - chew your food well . What you can and can't tolerate after surgery is impossible for anyone to predict. Some people can chomp on celery, corn and raw carrots whilst others struggle with soft foods. Only time will tell