Hi everyone, i posted this in the general introductions but Majj pointed the Aussie thread out to me so i figured i would post here too...

I have been floating around the site for a while and thought it was about time to introduce myself. I am Carissa... 22 from Perth, Australia. I had my LAP-BAND® op on Monday 1st Feb 2010 so am currently 6 days post op.

I managed to lose 11kgs in the pre-op Optifast diet for 3 weeks and to admit, it was the easiest 11kg i have ever lost. I was hungry, tired and grumpy yes, but knowing i was doing it for the operation made it so much easier. I started at 150kg, and at the time of the op 6 days ago I was 139kg. I'm not sure what i would be today but i see my doctor on the 9th for the first checkup so hopefully i can weigh in then.

I have really just been sleeping since I came home on Tuesday. moving about a little bit but mostly sleeping! A friend of mine suggested to place a pillow on my side and try sleeping like that - and im glad she did, soo much easier to rest. My incisions seems to be ok, although there is a yellow-ish bruise-like colouring on the larger incision, but reading around i see this is normal (??)

I go back to work on Monday - have found out some of my superiors opened their mouth so not very happy about that, i told only certain people for a reason!

Well I continue to enjoy weaving my way through this site, plenty of info and general chit chat, nice to know we are not alone

Hi everyone, i posted this in the general introductions but Majj pointed the Aussie thread out to me so i figured i would post here too...

I have been floating around the site for a while and thought it was about time to introduce myself. I am Carissa... 22 from Perth, Australia. I had my LAP-BAND® op on Monday 1st Feb 2010 so am currently 6 days post op.

I managed to lose 11kgs in the pre-op Optifast diet for 3 weeks and to admit, it was the easiest 11kg i have ever lost. I was hungry, tired and grumpy yes, but knowing i was doing it for the operation made it so much easier. I started at 150kg, and at the time of the op 6 days ago I was 139kg. I'm not sure what i would be today but i see my doctor on the 9th for the first checkup so hopefully i can weigh in then.

I have really just been sleeping since I came home on Tuesday. moving about a little bit but mostly sleeping! A friend of mine suggested to place a pillow on my side and try sleeping like that - and im glad she did, soo much easier to rest. My incisions seems to be ok, although there is a yellow-ish bruise-like colouring on the larger incision, but reading around i see this is normal (??)

I go back to work on Monday - have found out some of my superiors opened their mouth so not very happy about that, i told only certain people for a reason!

Well I continue to enjoy weaving my way through this site, plenty of info and general chit chat, nice to know we are not alone

Hi Acidic

I am new too and also from Perth ( southern suburbs)....loving my band after the second fill but I think I might need one more to really get some restriction. Had the same problem as you with telling people. I didn't want ANYONE to know but told a few close family friends who I thought should know if we were eating together, before I knew it it was everywhere....still I suppose it doesn't matter as long as I keep losing and the results are obvious.

I was banded November 2nd 09 and still have the remnants of the bruises you mention, they do take ages to fade. Take care you don't go back to work too early and do too much, be kind to yourself and your new band friend.

Jackie

hi carissa!

congrats on getting the band :thumbup:

i'm 21 and am hoping to get the band in august

i'm so excited! i am a little scared about the reaction from my friends though, do you think some people will be jealous of your weight loss?

it's so hard to be young and overweight!!

keep up the great work, i look forward to reading about your journey

-alyce

Hey!

Congrats on loosing 11kg, that is great. If you were to pick up something weighing 11kg you would really realise how much it is.

I am in Perth and was banded Jan 12th. I have lost 7kg and have starting to feel better already, although I still have a long way to go and im very excited to loose more!! What doctor did you surgery?

I had my first fill last week and still feel little restriction, I can still eat quite a lot (which I am kind of concerned about) but I guess as I get more my restriction will kick in.

Good luck, hope to read more of your posts as the KG’s come off!!!

Hi Jackie, Rara and Alyce,

Thanks for posting your comments

A little update for me…

17 days out of surgery. My first week I was very sore and tender, thinking when on earth the feeling will pass!? I couldn’t eat (drink) much, only some Sustagen Hospital Formula, Optifast, prune juice and home made chicken broth and sipping Water all day. I added some Benefibre to my drinks to help with the slight constipation which luckily only lasted about a week. I didn’t do anything that week slept a lot, felt pretty miserable but trying to stay positive hoping I’ll be back to normal soon!

Week 2 I went back to work. Hard at first and very exhausting! I was so tired by the end of that week. I was still on liquid only but was getting hungry so decided to stick with Optifast for Breakfast, lunch and dinner because it kept me full the most out of all the liquids allowed.

Large yellow and purple bruises broke out on 2 of my incisions and I panicked a little bit because they were delayed and I thought I did something wrong! But no, all was fine I bought Rosehip oil and massaged into them every night before bed, it seemed to help – but felt nice anyway!

Finally I started to get back into a regular routine and felt much better within myself.

Week 3 (this week) I was allowed to start mushy foods (this is THE BEST feeling in the world!!) I soon discovered I don’t have any restriction or problem eating most foods. I have steered clear of chunky/tough/dry foods like steak and chicken breast and bread. I tend to eat a lot of Beans and eggs and yoghurt and fish. I’m trying to be really strict with my food intake and I am really worried about putting on some kg’s since coming off the liquids. Although I know this is normal, I really don’t want to undo any of the 15kgs I worked so hard to lose! I am trying to stick to a low GI eating plan and it seems to be working with keeping me full.

I have my first fill on the 4th of March and I cannot wait to get the ball rolling…

To answer your question Rara, I was banded by Dr Chris Couch at the Mount Hospital. How about everyone else?

Take care everyone will keep in touch J

Well you sound like you are doing just fine ..I hope my journy go`s as well , so far day 2 on the optifast diet and not feeling too bad ...The days are fling by I will soon be banded and we can compare notes....

I hope things continue going well and those Kilo`s drop off.....

Hi Everyone

I have now had my 3rd fill and still don't feel full after meals. Something must be going well though as I am now up to 18.5 kilos. I am watching what I eat but have been told by Dr to cut down my portion sizes....I think I am going to starve. I am with Dr Couch at the Mount too. One thing to share with you all, my hair has started to fall out, every morning another brush full. Has anyone else experienced this? Mentioned it to Dr and he says to keep taking multivitamins.....I guess I had better go buy some, LOL.

Good luck all

Jackie

Hello everyone, hope you are all getting on ok!

Jacki - my hair is not falling out any more than usual... I have PCOS so I suffer from a male hair grown pattern (losing hair on my head but gaining it in unpleasant places like chest and face) due to the off balanced hormones.

I do take Swisse Multivitamin for Women. It's a giant capsule but i snap it in half, and its fine - and i cant remember the exact price but i do remember thinking it was good value when I purchased it.

It sucks that you have had 3 fills and still arent really feeling the effects of the band... but CONGRATS on the 18.5kg!

I had my first fill last thursday and no difference, but i kind of expected that from what i have read.

How do you find Dr Couch? does not say alot does he... do you know how much ml's in your band? he mentioned after the first few fills he would transfer me to another doc? has this happened to you as yet?

Take care everyone x

HI there, I havent been on here for a while now, but its all good. I got my band done in March 08 just over two years now. I lost most of my weight 35 kgs in the first year and have kept it all off since my banding.

I think its the best thing I have ever done, and love it as I know I will not let myself go back to how I was before.

I am a bit like you that I have not told many people, as they judge you different and a lot of people are jealous of you. I have only just two of my family members last week, and still havent told my mum yet. As I did not want to be judged every timeI had to take a trip to the toilet to remvove the food that got stuck. Which is no fault of my own for eating the wrong foods.

Over the past two years I have been back in twice to have my port hole loweedr into my stomach as it was sticking out everytime I was standing up. But it is great now.

I go thru stages that one day I can eat what I like and the other day I cant, so I know I can handle this as I have good and bad days, depends on what I eat and who I am eating with. If I am stressed more, then nothing stays down. But I dont over eat also.

The only thing I dont like like is that my hair is falling out heaps. The doc just recommends taking heaps of Vitamins, as he says its just your body adjusting. I would like it to stop, as I dont want to have to wear a wig. hehehehe.

And now I have no boobs so I am looking into having them replaced, I dont want to be vain, but I like to have something there, now that I can wear a bikini in summer.

My Aunty has also had the banding and she has lost 70 kgs and is still going, I am her support person as she can fall off the band wagon sometimes. She now has to have excess skin removed form her legs, stomach, arms and reduction in her boobs. we are going to KL to have all this done in July. So lets hope this wil be all the end of it.

Good luck to you all, dont give up, use this band as a tool and dont think it will work for you if you dont use it correctly.

:thumbup:

G'Day from Kalgoorlie ... Surgery date 20th September so thought i would come and check out some of the posts!

Hi, my name is Kristy.

Just thought i would logon and introduce myself. I am 30 and from the south of the river. I am currently 140kgs and am getting banded on the 28th Sept and cant wait to start my new life although im not looking forward to the preop diet!!!

My Doc is Dr Ahmad and so far he has been fantastic. Any advice is more than more welcome as i madly reading everything i can to get prepared for my journey.

Hopefully talk soon, Kristy

Hi i had my op in ireland when i lived there and was wondering if anyone knows how much a fill costs in perth?

Hi I'm mon, I was accepted as a patient by Dr. Tan last week.

I am on the pre surgery weight loss section of the programme and want to tell people that there is an answer to hair loss. While I was waiting for my appointment I was setting next to a woman who has been banded for 7 years. Probably a size 8 or 10 who said she was 150 kilos. She had long brown hair and said that when she was losing weight she lost her hair in hand fulls and started looking about 90 years old. She said she realy started to feel what was the point, that was not what she wanted. Then said that the answer for her was something called Spirulina and Silicea Gel. That the Spirulina came in a powder which was horrible or tablets and that she took 9 tablets and that the Silicea Gel wasn't all that bad. I have thin hair to start with so have looked on the internet found both and purchased the Spirulina I have to go to a health food store for the Silicea Gel. I just started taking the tablets so don't know if I will benefit however I thought I would pass this on.

I have just started taking the first few steps in organizing my lap band surgery. I must admit that so many things are running through my brain, will this work!! Will I have complications, how can I avoid those complications, will I still have a life, have I picked a good doctor to perform the surgery and how fast am I going to loose the weight.

I have struggled with my weight in the last 10 years; I have tried diet pills and number of diets like the Cohen’s diet, I am up and down with exercising (to be honest I don’t have time anyway) nothing seems to keep it off. My current BMI is 42 and that’s the highest it’s ever been.

I am looking forward to receiving advice from the people who have already gone through/experienced this. I would love to hear from people that live in my home town as well.

Hi guys, does anyone know which health insurers cover the band? I have a band fitted but its too loose and at full capacity. I have no restriction and I'm so upset. My doc recommended getting private health insurance to get the new surgery. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Hi guys, does anyone know which health insurers cover the band? I have a band fitted but its too loose and at full capacity. I have no restriction and I'm so upset. My doc recommended getting private health insurance to get the new surgery. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

hi i was talking to my private health the other day as i need to have my band reviewed due to slippage, and they told me that as long as i have a medicare provider number they should be able to cover it, as it is a health issue or something along those lines. I'm not sure about other health insurances. i hope this helps in any way. :smile: