Awkward customer

Is there a brand name for that scar cream? I have never seen it in the pharmacy.

Hi, I had my operation on Feb 11th and in the letter to my doctor the hospital wrote "AP large band, 14cc, 5mls added". I thought there was no "fill" at the time of a installing a band. Does this mean they gave me my first fill at the same time as the operation? Does 5mls mean there is only 9mls of space left in a 14cc band? cc and ml are not the same thing, are they? I am on a liquid diet, and having 3 slimfast shakes a day. Because of not wanting to eat too quickly and possibly throw up or have more wind, I am drinking the shakes slowly and they seem to be filling me up, although I am not sure if the 5mls are "restricting" me at the moment, or whether I am just more worried about recuperating from the operation than eating, and so managing just fine on shakes at the moment. Thanks for any explanations!

Thank you for your help!

I had my gastric band on February 11th - and felt very bad on the 12th, and much better today. I am still wondering - isn't the operation meant to be one hour only? I went in about 4:30pm and didn't wake up until 6:30pm. The doctors said it went well, but does the length of the operation mean there is something they're not telling me? I have 2 little scars on either side of my stomach, left and right, that they didn't put dressings on, and then two big dressings on wounds in the middle. I haven't taken the dressings off yet of course but the size of the dressings makes me think I will have two bigger scars as well as the two little ones. I thought there was only meant to be one bigger-size scar. Did anything go wrong?

Thank you for your reply! Yes, I think it must be normal to have low appetite afterwards, as I don't feel too much like eating, but I think he will need to eat to get the Proteins etc that he needs. I have had a cream of tomato Soup today - that was very taste, and very appropriate for the liquid diet post-op. Maybe you can try that.

I have been told not to try bread in the first three months after surgery.

Thank you. I'll ask them. I'm three pounds lighter than I was 2 days ago! I just can't wait until the dressings are off and the pain all gone!

I was finally done yesterday Feb 11 by Dr Sigurdsson of the Hospital Group. Today is my first day home - and yes I feel quite unwell and sore. I am looking forward to that passing.

Hi, I am booked in for a lap band operation in October and as it i set up I would like to go through with it, as I don't want to be on constant diets for the rest of my life, and I want to make sure I can just lose the weight I need and then start living properly. But my family members have heard of the Cambridge Diet - just 500 calories a day. Apparently the carbohydrate content in the shakes and Soups the Cambridge Diet programme sell their members is just enough for the body. You don't need to eat or drink anything other than what they give you. Because the carbs in the sachets are only just enough, it forces the body into ketosis, burning fat instead. When the body enters ketosis, apparently you feel full up although you are only eating 500 calories a day, and there is a feeling of euphoria, that helps you keep on. The trouble is, I don't believe that I could do a 500 calorie diet for a long time without breaking it. I am sure it wouldn't fill me up. I am going to go on it so I can lose something before my lapband operation but I would still like the operation, to make sure I feel full on smaller meals just to ensure I ace the Cambridge Diet over the next year. But my family members are urging me to cancel the lapband operation, and just do the Cambridge Diet, on the basis that you shouldn't have operations you don't need. Can someone give me any advice? Would you do both?

Thank you. I am planning to make the appointment, whatever my family say. I am afraid I am 40 now, and don't want to reach 50, have got even fatter, and then look back and think "I still had some good years left, my 40s, if only I hadn't changed my mind about the lapband"! But my Mum and sister are very difficult to talk to on the subject. They seem to be saying: "this is typical you - you think you can just go for a quick fix without losing it like everyone else!" I have read the forum and know the band is not a "quick fix", though...