Australian Bandsters Chat Thread

[Leah28 0]

grb679,

My out of pocket costs were as follows:

Surgeon's fee - $1904

Anaethestist - $361

Private health excess - $400

Pre-surgery appts (with surgeon, psychologist, dietician, exercise physiologist) - $350

Hope that helps!

[longingtobelean 0]

Hi Tracey

I had Dr Peck at Port I live West of Wingham on the Mid Nth Coast banded May 2008 and love it! Do you want to chat

Ronni

Hi Ronni,

Nice to hear from another Mid North Coaster!:smile:

I have my 3 week post op visit with Dr Peck tomorrow and I am hoping he will tell me when my first fill is due as I seem to be hungry a fair bit and even though I only eat small meals compared to what I used to, I still feel I am eating too much.:scared2:

Without any restriction I can just about eat anything, but on Jodie's advice I still have not touched bread yet. I had roast pork for tea tonight (chopped up fine) with some baked and steamed veges (enough to fit on a bread and butter plate) and smothered it all in gravy........Yuuuum:drool:.

I don't know whether this will change after I have a fill or not..........I am hoping I can still eat most of my favourite foods. Is there anything you love that you can no longer eat?:crying:. How many weeks after your Op did the Doc do your first fill? How are you going with your weight loss.......are you near your goal?

I am down about 8kg since the start of Optifast but fear if I don't get some restriction soon I will undo all of the good work done in the past 5 weeks .

The rain has been lovely over the past few days. We have property so we really needed it, but we have had enough for now. Hate spending the weekend indoors .

Talk again soon, Cheers from Tracy

[ozzie 0]

Hi Tracey

Have been flooded in for the last week,we also have property. Have to get out today to go and babysit on the central coast!

Had my first fill 7 weeks after op, Cant eat white bread but you get over that! have had 3 fills in the last 9 months I dont go every month for clinic visits I can usually tell if I have no restriction.The longer you have the band the better you become at knowing what you need eg:fills

I try most foods in small amounts some times they go down ok sometimes they get stuck just remember to chew I can usually tell in the first swallow if the food I am eating is going to be a problem, My favorite at the moment is Vita weet biscuits with cheese and Tomato home grown of course!!!!!!! and any thing with a sauce I can eat noodles but another bandster I talk with cant eat them .Weare all different.

May be we can catch up when I return from Grandma duties

Am down to 75kg (goal set by Dr Peck 70kg ) started at 96kg

Going slow and steady dont weigh my self only when at clinic its only a number on a machine, I prefer to take notice of how I feel more than worry about scales

Well that was a speech and a half

Cheers Ronni

Edited February 21, 2009 by ozzie
forgotten name

[skinnyminney 0]

Can anyone tell me what this pain in my central chest is? It is hard to explain, not quite heartburn, or reflux, maybe a burning burp that doesnt escape or oesophageal spasm?? It comes and goes quite quickly it almost feels like something stuck? But that is impossible I was only banded last Friday and I am on liquids. Will this go away or is their something wrong. There is no vomiting or anything, once i had like a pooling of saliva but that passed to. Thanks in advance for your help.

Deb

[shaggs 0]

Hi Skinneyminney, I think you have what I had during my first week also. It seems to be a deferred gas and or stomach pain (rather than in your shoulders but it can be in both) I found that patting (sometimes thumping) my chest really helped disperse it and then as the week went on I would cross my arms over my chest and "hug" myself squeezing my shoulders in which created a kind of deliberate burp and a huge relief from the pain. People suggested mints and I did get quite attached to mentos (peppermint) they helped alot but the squeeze was the best. The pain in my chest is pretty much gone now (its day 14) so hopefully yours is on its way out. Good luck with the coming weeks!

[AussieTrace 0]

Hi all, i get my band on March 11th 09. is there anyone else getting lapband then?

Also how do u add the ticker? I have filled it, but don't know how to add it. Someone said add it to my signature... buti don't know where or how.

[daisy120 0]

hi i am new here and i thing i need some help

[xtanyax 0]

Hi, new here and thought i'd introduce myself. I'm on the Sunshine Coast in Qld, and have had the band for 18 months. My starting weight was 108kg, and I am currently on 78 - 6kgs from my goal weight. All I can say to everyone who has only recently got the band - even if the weight falls off slowly - keep persisting!! I have had times when I stood still for a month or 2, before I slowly started losing again. I have had a new band put in place after my previous band slipped, but no matter what goes wrong, or how i've suffered, I wouldn't change it for the world. Keep going, and keep the support around you as comfort. Also, don't be afraid of people finding out you have had the band - it's only a tool to help those of us who have spent a lifetime dieting, getting depressed about our weight, and feeling like nothing will help anymore. People who have never been overweight will never know how it feels. Good luck to you all, and keep persisting!!!

xxx Tanya xxx

[xtanyax 0]

AUSSIETRACE - when you have finished your ticker, you'll see two bunch of codes underneath. copy the first code, and paste it in underneath your message, it will appear when you post it. :thumbup:

[jacquitiger 0]

hi everyone

i am so close to having surgery im just organising my finances havnt got a date yet but it will be soon i hope.

im just curious to know how much time off work i need to put in for when i get my lapband. i work in a office at my desk taking calls all day. should i put in for 2 or 3 weeks off ?

[xtanyax 0]

hi jacqui - i only had 2 weeks off before i got into work again, and started Water aerobics after 3 weeks - very mildly. i guess it does depend on your own recovery though. doing a job where you will be sitting every day, you should be alright with just two weeks off. maybe put in a tentative 3rd week just in case. good luck!!

[longingtobelean 0]

Hey Jacqui,

I also had two weeks off work....probably could have gotten away with one but you will still be a little tired :smile2: in the second week and if you can afford it it will help your recovery to get some rest. I wouln't take any longer though......you are on liquids still then, but starting to feel really hungry and the distraction of work will help with that. Everyone recovers differently but if everything goes as planned you should be OK. I was told not drive for a week but was good to go after 4 days, so it just depends how well you heal I guess .

Good luck.......you will not look back.

Tracy

[susiep 0]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new here too and will be banded on 17 April 09. I'm very nervous about it all. I actually considered the gastric sleeve first because the doctor was really keen on it however I got frightened. Was anyone else considering that route? I love to read your comments and can't believe how ignorant I was before I found your site. Thank you so much for your info.

SusieP

[drawingmagic 0]

hi im new to this site and would like to hear from anyone having trouble with food i had my band done 9/2/09 and i think that i have lost around 22 kgs i think that is right . but i dont seem to have much luck with food just drinks Soups and pkts of chips. hope to chat to anyone that can show me the light .thanks

[Fanny Adams 7]

Hi drawingmagic and welcome to the site. Congratulations on the 22kg! That's a great achievement. However, Soups and chips only doesn't sound too healthy. By this stage, you should be comfortable eating most food types (in small quantities of course!) If you are still only on liquids, it sounds like you are too tight. Have you had a fill in your band since the operation? If so, how much and how many?

The idea of the band is that you adjust the fill levels until you reach the "sweet spot". That's the point where the band is curbing your hunger but you are not too tight to eat healthy solid food. If you've had some fills, it might be worthwhile having some taken out (just as easily done as putting it in!).

If you haven't had any fills at all, you could be one of the lucky ones who doesn't need to fill the band, but you will need to be careful with your eating patterns to get yourself into a "good place" with food choices.

One of the issues with the band is that once you start having trouble keeping food down, you will irritate your stomach if you keep trying and only make things worse. You need to move very slowly from liquids to solids through several phases. You may also find that you are really tight in the mornings but not so much in the evenings. If that's the case, do liquids only in the morning, maybe mushies for lunch and try something a little more adventurous for dinner, making sure that you chew chew CHEW! If you try to eat something solid in the morning and it makes you throw up, switch straight to liquids for the rest of the day and try the gradual approach the next day.

If you tell us a bit more about your history, we might be able to offer more targeted advice and food recommendations for different times/stages.