Avril67

Jess I guess it doesn't really matter how much fluid is in there as long as its helping. :-) Thank-you for responding. I was beginning to think I was odd!

Elcee: I was with Mutual Community (now Bupa) I have hospital saver plus - nil excess with general extras. It's a single parent family membership and costs nearly $300 per month. I've recently downgraded to a $250 excess as the premiums were killing me... I guess when you factor in the premiums, it doesn't work out to be all that cheap but I am very happy with the result.... and it wasn't anywhere near as painful as I expected.

Elcee, I went privately the whole way... I kept my top cover with nil excess on hospital stays, which I joined to get the banding, and the entire ps procedure cost me just under $2000 out of pocket. I had it done in Adelaide by an awesome surgeon named Robert Coren. The issue with the braces is that they had to build up 2 of my top molars with stuff to stop me from biting down on the bottom braces. Consequently, my teeth only meet at 2 places which complicates chewing food. I think I overdid it and inflamed things and I have been nursing it with just fluids for a week. I think it might be getting better but will see the specialist on Friday and have a chat. It's been inflamed before to the point where I couldn't even hold Water down (pre braces) so I'm a little sensitive/paranoid when it gets hard to eat stuff. Absolutely loving the new me though! Don't regret it for a minute! Well done to you too! Feels good doesn't it?

I guess each person is different... For me, it is like this.

I had gastric banding surgery 2 years ago and it was a raging success. I've lost more than 30kg (don't know pounds sorry) and have had a radical apronectomy to get rid of excess 'bagage'. I also recently bit the bullet, so to speak and have been fitted with dental braces... I really wish someone had have warned me that one can't chew food to the extent required to get it through the band when one has braces!! I am heading off to the specialist to get some fluid removed from the band as I am back to almost clear fluids and losing more weight than I need to!! Although there is a part of me that is curious to see what under 60kg looks like on me, I am expecting that I might look a little emaciated.

I am so where some of you are and SO SO SO pleased to hear that I am not the only one!! Since 2 weeks after banding (Jan 19th) I have been able to eat whatever I please and, although the amounts I am eating are smaller, I am able to eat at least 2 cups or more of food at a meal and STILL don't FEEL full. I had 2mls put in 6 weeks post op and that made absolutely NO difference. I asked the specialist when I had the fill if I could come back earlier if I felt it wasn't enough and he said I had to wait 8 weeks. Now my weight loss as stopped dead. 19 pounds in the first 6 weeks and only 2 pounds since. I am eating fairly healthy, but I know I could do better, however the more disheartened I get by watching myself eat more than I am meant to be able to reduces my confidence and I start emotional eating... I am terrified this isn't going to work. I saw the nutritionist and she has told be to ring the specialist and insist on another fill.... so Monday, that is what I am going to do. Fingers crossed I can get the restriction I so desperately need.

Don't panic Lavender! Everything thing in there is adjusting to the restrictions imposed and all sorts of weird sensations and carry ons happen. Providing you haven't been lifting weights and overdoing the housework and stuff like that, it's likely to be a bit of indigestion or yes, some more gas, it hangs around for a while. Take it easy walk around with our hands over your head for a while and stretch things out... it will settle! Let me know how it goes!! Av

Bobbie, I was in the same boat... I asked my nutritionist and she told me to thicken up the food a bit.. go with yogurts and stuff, just don't overdo it. Some people heal faster than others and can tolerate thicker food faster. Av

Kathy, I too was very worried about doing the wrong thing and making the band slip. This was why I spoke with my "nut". Essentially, I am staying fairly mushy and soft in regard to the food I am eating and keeping with the high protein foods. I am also being very careful not to over eat, eating slowly and no more than a cup of food. As it is after that amount of food, or less I am feeling pretty full. The trouble is that I am not feeling full for as long as I would like to and this means looking for food 3-4 hours after I've eaten. I am hanging out for the next 4 weeks to be done with so that I can get an inflation and be back to feeling satisfied for hours. THe scales hace stopped falling and I expect I will not lose much more weight until after the next inflation. I've lost 6 kilo's (that's about 12.5 lbs) and that puts me right at a barrier I haven't broken in years... 1 more kilo and I've broken it... <sigh> A lesson in patience. :confused: Av

For those who are interested (and if no-one is, please tell me or I'll post and post and post on here) ... I got a reply from my nutritionist about the food I am eating. She states that some people heal faster than others and it seems if I am able to eat normal food without discomfort then that is okay, just DON'T eat fibrous fruits and veg and meats. Meat needs to be minced and taken with a gravy or at least very moist. The reason for this is that the fibrous nature can irritate an already sensitive area around the band that needs time to heal. She said I am showing all the signs of needing an inflation except they will not do one until the 6 week mark as there is so much healing that needs to happen. So, in the mean time, she instructs that I eat up to a cup of food every 3 hours, keeping it nutritional and as soft as possible and only eating if I feel hungry. Do not eat in between each 3 hours and take the nutrichew supplement rather than another one I was taking as it's better rounded with all the needed good stuff I might be missing out on. I am feeling a bit better about it all now. At least I know I'm not damaging myself. I guess it's a lesson about listening to what your body is telling you and moving through the stages of this banding business at a pace that feels comfortable! Viva la bandsters!! Cheers Av

Candyglg, Yep chicken, fish, made spaghetti bolognaise last night and had about a cup of it and there was no problem at all... had porridge for Breakfast, 2 chicken wings for dinner the other night... I am trying my best to keep it healthy and I am hoping I can keep it going like that. BUt it feels like I'm doing the wrong thing given that I'm only 10 days past surgery.

Ranch417, I'm 10 days out from surgery and still feel very sore around the port sight... like a badly pulled muscle or hernia. It's worse when I bend down and still hurts when I cough, but not much... do take it easy, you've been stabbed in the stomach through muscle tissue that will take some time to heal. Take Care Av Ps haven't heard back from the nutritionist yet but I am definitely on to normal food now, just very small amounts of it. Nothing has disagreed with me yet and I am hoping that the answer I get from the 'nut' will be a positive one and not one that says "STOP! You've mucked it up!" Fingers crossed.... pps we don't have Walmart in Australia and I've never heard of the products you mentioned but there's lots of similar stuff. :biggrin:

Just wondering if anyone else is feeling that they are able to eat normal food less than 2 weeks out of surgery. This is really bothering me. I am not eating anywhere near the amount of food I was eating before I had the banding, but ... Im eating and I am so worried I am doing the wrong thing. I have access to a dietitian by email so I will be sending an email today to find out what she has to say about it. I liked that the band (for the first 10days at least) made it that I had no inclination to even try solid food but now that the pain has gone, its a different story. I don't really feel hungry but I feel like I could eat 'something' and that is a dangerous place to be for me. I still have a considerable amount of pain around the port sight but all other pain is gone. Even the build up of pressure in the top part of my stomach after eating or drinking is gone... this was the stuff that kept me in check. I feel VERY lucky that I didn't experience ANY nausea... I really feel for those who do/did! What an awful experience for you. I am so keen for this to work!!! But it has to give me a consequence for eating or my stupid head will just eat whatever... We have done the right thing, I am certain of it... it's a learning curve isn't it... I just pray that I am a good pupil! Thank you for all being here!

I've been having some really strange and enlightening experiences with this banding. When I sit down in the evening after the children are all in bed that I automatically begin to feel low, guilty and a failure about my weight. The next thing I do is go through in my head what I've eaten through the day (usually to beat myself up a bit more about how useless I am) I've done this for years but haven't really noticed it until now... Since the banding, every night that same feeling hits, and I list off what I've eaten/drank thought the day; 1. Protein Drink 2. Soup 3. Optifast 4. 4 Ritz crackers 5. Two or 3 cups of tea 6. A Barocca 7. Lots of Water And then I go through the day in my mind and look at all the times when I had opportunities to eat (and before the banding would have eaten)... the list is enormous!! Little picks and pecks here and there, a boredom cookie or 5, a snack with the kids after school, many many samples of whatever I'm cooking for dinner, an after kids in bed pig out session.... the list goes on... I have to really talk myself into congratulating me for how well I've done... I have to counteract, the self talk that says 'it's the band thats doing it, not you' and 'give it time, you'll probably stuff this up too'. My head is being terribly negative about this even though the achievement is there staring me in the face!! After so many years of failure, I am finding it so difficult to believe in myself but despite that, I am doing it! (negative me says 'It's only been not quite 2 weeks'). I am fairly certain now that the battle with the brain is going to be the hardest one. I have to be very aware of my self talk and recognise and correct it every time it drags me down. I would be really interested to know how others are experiencing the psychological aspect of their banding. Thanks for listening to my ramble. Av

I am feeling very excited for those who are about to take the plunge!! My surgery was exactly a week ago and I am feeling SO much better than when I posted on here a couple of days ago. I will regularly check in an see who's posted and how your feeling and am more than happy to offer whatever encouragement I can! Just getting responses to what I put online has been an enormous help. More than I expected it to be! Thank you and I am hoping I can pay it forward! GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!! Av ps: Happy Australia Day! :wink: (couldn't resist!)