Hi there, I am new to this forum. I have my first consultation with the surgeon next Friday March 30th:) . I am so excited but also nervous.

I have been reading through a few posts and it is so good to see that the majority of the feedback is positive.

I will be having my surgery done in Dublin and I was wondering if any of you have any advice as to questions I should be asking the surgeon next week.

Thanks so much. Brenners x

Hi all. I'm back from my holiday. I don't even want to know what I weigh. It was a very typical "British" resort and the only thing I could find to eat were chips and more chips. Had a few embarrasing PBs when I tried other things so I sort of gave up trying. (Pbd in a bin in Barcelona and had to tell staff I was pregnant and thats why I was sick - mortified:redface:). So I played it "safe" and probably gained a stone

Anyway, another week begins and I'm off to cook a nice healthy dinner. Fruit and veg was hard to come by in Spain which surprised me. I actually missed it which surprised me even more :thumbup:

Hi folks, the fun starts again. I had a call from ACS today to cancel my appointment for Thursday. No one available to do fills, apparently they have cancelled the full days appointments. I hope this is just a blip and not sign of more problems. Girl said they should have an appointment within the next two weeks, fingers crossed. Anyone else hear from them?

Hi Marge,

Just noticed you are logged on, how are you feeling now? Has the pain around the port diminished?

Ailbhe,

Hope you enjoyed your holiday apart from the choice of chips with everything! :thumbup:

I'm disappointed that I won't be getting a fill this week but I suppose it could be worse at least the weight is still going in the right direction.

Yes. All appointments cancelled. Apparently ACS been taken over again - this time by The Hospital Group (English company). They will be bringing over their own doctors and nurses. Was told that they are covering only patients who have had surgery with ACS since March 07. The girl on the phone didn't know if they would be in the same premises and said that Owenstown is closed. All a bit worrying!!

Hi All, Im back. Havent posted ina long time but have been lurking. I rang ACS, or whoever they are now, yesterday, to confirm my app for Thursdaya nd yes they told me all appointments have been cancelled and that they will contacnt me in June for a new appointment. If am sick of this now. I havent seen anyone in ACS since I got a fill in January. Now thank God I have had no problems but I want to get a small fill and a review and I want to ask thema few questions too. About our aftercare.

WEdding was great, we had a ball. If we meet up soon I will bring the photos along and maybe Allure you can bring yours too. I wouldnt have made it last Saturday. Let me know when the next meet up is.

Talk later

Hi All..

Sounds like this ACS thing is a right mess..I hope a reputable company get hold of it and sort things out!

Allure...you pregnant? Congratulations!!!

My band is tight as F***...but I'm surviving. You'd think the weight would be falling off me seeing that I'm eating feck all!!

I never truly believed that saying "You're not loosing coz you're not eating enough" that never made sense to me..

Anyway, I'm down 18 lbs and in a better place right now then I was getting my most recent fill in march..my doc really filled me up..holy moly there's so much i can't eat..I'm dreaming of big juicy burgers!!! lol

where are the meetings taking place? I'm down the country

Hi guys hope everyone is doing good. I havnt posted in ages Im just so fed up with this band thing.:confused2: Its almost 8 mts since being banded and just a stone &1/2 down, & that was in the first weeks. Now thers more bull with ACS. Heading on hollidays at end of June :shades_smile:I wish they were over:embaressed_smile:.I realy thought this would be the holiday of holidays in my new swimsuit. I may pull out the old tent again. On to better things. Gerri I see you are on. How are you doing have you restriction? I only got 1/2 ml last time Chris De Pr said he couldnt get anymore in, if I had my hands on the needle I would have got it in. anyway thats my bitc...ing done for today so Ill sign off. Love Roe:wub:

Hi folks,

Its looks as if messing around is starting again, I can't believe that the person who spoke to me yesterday didn't have the decency to tell me that they have been taken over again! I really don't understand why they give some people the information and not others. I've emailed venting my frustration won't start holding my breath just yet for the reply.. Hopefully the new owners will get a hold of the situation and sort it out, as we all know there is money to be made if the service is up to standard. Sorry for the moan.

hello gerri and all

I'm sorry to hear it's all up in the air again with ACS. I still have a bit of soreness around port area. I'm down 5.5 kgs but I have to confess I'm eating rubbish again. I'm going for a fill on the 5th I emailed CdeB but he didn't give any time should I phone miss tush. Is anyone meeting up on the 5th?

Marge

Hey Lunasa, good to see you back on and posting and it looks like you are in a much better place than the last time you were on! I know that you are down in Clare but if you are due up to the "big smoke" at all over the summer post on here and we will arrange a meet up to suit. There really is great support from any of the meet ups that I have attended and it is a way of getting focused and sometimes even seeing the error of your ways when you talk in a group situation!!!

I was on the phone to Coco yestaerday and sure a 10min chat to her and I was able to see that I wasn't trying hard enough to get the right foods in to me and she was able to make some great suggestions. Perhaps we should get her to give us a recipe seminar as she is great at eating variety and enjoying her grub...and most importantly working with her band and loosing weigh! (I've even seen her fit in pieces of pavlova successfully in to that eating plan!).

I am indeed 17 weeks pregnant and I have been as sick as a dog. I haven't eaten anything except popcorn and smoothies and boiled sweets in 13 weeks. God what I wouldn't do for a bite of some meat. I am constantly nauseous and not a happy bunny at all! I've still got my full fill in at the moment but will try to make contact with the new group who have taken over the after care to see what they recommend doing.

Alesha - welcome home, dying to hear all about the wedding and swap stories and photos!! Hope you didn't manage to get up the duff like I did on my hooneymoon!!!

I'm still on for meeting up with fellow banders so if there is anyone else interested let me know.

Roe - just reading your post there and you seem very down on yourself. What would be good is to have a chat with some of the bandits who have successfully lost weight and see what they have done that could be of help.

PM me your # if yo want and I'll give you a call and have a chat.

Hi folks. <e again.

I'm just wondering what I should be eating now. I'm avoiding stuff thats getting stuck (like chicken/bread) because it hurts but find myself gravitating towards mushies which go down too easily.

Yesterday I ate the following....

smoothie for Breakfast

cheese, grapes and Soup for lunch

banana for a snack

minced beef with carrots and oinion and a tiny scoop of potato (a small bowl of food)

Some strawberries and a few jelly babies as a treat.

This is pretty average. If I eat bread the first mouthful gets stuck. I'm not sure if I need another fill or not. I can eat a lot of mushy food but I think I shouldn't be eating mushies as of course they will go down easily.

I'm a bit confused as to what I should be eating to optimise Vitamins etc but also maximise weight loss as I'm pretty much stuck where I am.

I don't drink with meals anymore (I was) and have the occasional diet coke and occasional cookie or chocolate bar but aside from that I am being pretty good.

What do you guys think? What do you eat? Should I have another fill?:sad:

Gerri and Holly123: Sorry to hear that the ACS cr*p has started again. I hope they sort you out soon.

Lunasa: Good to hear from you again. I’m glad the weight is on its way down .

Hi Marge: Glad your doing good. A bit of pain around the port at this stage is normal. Yes you will need to ring Ms Tosh to get an appointment for the 5th June. I will also be getting a fill and would be happy to meet up. Simone and her friend (who is getting a consult) will also be up. My fill is at 2.40 in Pembroke Street.

Allure: Hope you and baby Allure are doing good. I also think a recipe Seminar with Coco is a great idea. She posted a few recipe on the board a few months ago which were great. I’ll dig them out maybe and start a thread. Hopefully some more of the experienced Irish bandsters will contribute.

Will you be able to make it into town on 5th June for a meet up?

Ailbhe: Welcome back from holidays, hope you had a good one, apart from the PBing and fake pregnancy!!

I wish I could help you with your food choices but I’m confused too. We are meant to stay away from Mushy food but chew everything to death, does that not make everything we eat a mushy food? You don’t seem to be too bad at getting your portions of fruit and veg in. Its so hard to give up the rubbish isn’t it. It goes down so easily. I figure that if I cut it out completely I will crave it so I allow myself something small everyday (about 100cals) and try to make the rest of it healthy.

Anyone else up for a meeting on 5th June in town?

Elsie

Hi Everyone,

Things are going slowly but surely here. All my 'wounds' are healing or have healed - had a bit of heart burn last week but it's gone now and Im focussing on trying to get enough Protein in my diet. My eating has been pretty good, Ive moved on to scrambled eggs, tuna with super low fat mayo - weird thing is I've not had or wanted bread since the op.

Weird question maybe but have any of you had issues with fibre intake? Im going to start adding in some Benefiber to my diet to try and replace what ive lost from reduced amounts of fruit and vegetables.

I'm up to see Dr DeB on Thursday - I'm bringing my friend who has a consult booked with him and is getting operated on Tuesday 10/06. My appt is 2.20pm but I'd love to meet up with anyone who may be about. Not sure what time Ill be in town yet, Im getting a lift up but I will be there prior to 12.30.

From what Ive read has Dr DeB moved away from doing fills for ACS patients? I struggle to keep up with who and what is going on with that, it must be a pain for those of you that are in the middle of it.

Talk soon

Simone

Hi Simone, I don't really think supplement fibre is a good idea, I tried it myself. I find if i eat weetabix and proper brown bread soaked in soup, this really helps. Much healtier