Hi all, I'm from Australia and waiting to meet with my surgeon on 10 October.. I believe my op will be not long after that. I have been overweight pretty much all my life but have found that in the last fews years it has started to affect my health. I'm 52 yo and weight 102 kilos (205 lbs). The lowest I have been is 73 kilos (160 lbs) but that was many years ago. I lost 16 kilos (35 lbs) about 3 years ago but have gradualy put most of it back on in the last year or so. After a lifetime of struggling to lose and especially keep my weight off and the fact that my health is suffering... BP, diabetes, sleep apnea, I thought enough is enough... so here I am a prospective bander. It wasn't an easy decision but the thought of losing weight again and not being able to keep it off has left me so demotivated and uninterested in trying again that I feel I have no other alternative but this. I have been feeling really anxious about the op and what will come after it and have found myself eating even more. Reading the posts on this site has helped me and I'm glad I found it... good old Google ! :eek:

Better every hour! Thanks! I think I'll sleep better tonight, too, since some of the pain has subsided. Last night was okay but I was restless.

I just had a Slimfast low-carb and found it much more satisfying than the Protein powder mixed with Propel. I'm supposed to be on Clear liquids but the list of foods mentioned Protein Powder mixed with milk so I don't see how this is much different.

You've got about a half-day headstart! When are you planning to go back to work? I'm returning Tuesday, I hope. I teach and tutor at community college so I can sit down if I need to. And I have long periods between classes.

I've been drinking apple juice and broth but don't think I'm drinking enough. My sister is going to buy me some Hospital Sustigan Formula, some clear soups and some jelly. Hopefully I will survive fine on those. My plan is to go back to work on Monday ... I can work from home for a few days... I work as a PA for a large IT company. That way if I need a break I can take one without too much hassle. I still feel a little surreal about all this.

Hi Sades, good to hear u are back home,,

make sure u have all ur liquid requirements cause i felt fine all morning and i got my friend to take me to supermarket and all of a sudden i felt weak and she called me and i got all disorientated and felt lost, i havent been having all the requirements...

i just had yoplait tube of yoghurts that are for kids and now i feel a bit guilty cause there is a bit of sugar in it and ive been really harsh on myself cause i really want this band to work..

hope i got energy to get through liquid phase!

All the best to you!

Gina

I've just had 1/2 mug of clear vegetable soup... strained any extra veggies out of it. I feel better already. I drank it very slowing just in case. Used my medicine measuring cup... that's 40 mls... seems to help. Next I'll have some Sustigan Formula... chocolate flavour. Not sure if you get that in the USA. This is going to be a battle but I think as long as we listen to what the doctors and dieticians are saying we should be okay. I wouldn't worry too much about the yoghurt Gina... I'm sure that little bit of sugar will not ruin your diet.

Sades, im in melbourne not usa, im currently drinking sustagen mocha chocolate flavour..The emotional side of been banded hit me this afternoon ,i have had a good cry, i think its because i felt really weak and tired, and very guilty cause i took 2 roast potatoes and mashed them well and thinned them a bit with milk and had a few tiny spoonfulls, i didnt have much but i felt better but then i got really guilty cause thats classed as mush..and im no where near that stage,, automatically felt like a failure and thought of my band stuffing up...oh well , ive had a good cry like a baby...

I must say I'm feeling too unwell to eat at the moment... having my sustigan drink. No point in feeling guilty about what you ate Gina... it's guilt that helped most of us get to our weight in the first place. What you did was not totally out of control... obviously something you might need to rethink next time. Of course you would be feeling emotional, you'd just been through a life changing operation and there's no going back. I know you can get unbanded but for now this is all we have, so we need to make the most of it. I've cried a couple of times, mostly because I let myself get to the point where I felt I had no alternative but to do this op... now that I have, I need to look after myself so I reach my goal and know it was worth all of this.

Hi there,

Glad to hear that your operations went well (Sage, Ginaki & Longhorn). I can fully relate to how you guys are feeling. I'm nearly 10 weeks out now and I felt how you are describing. I thought I'd be fine after 2 or 3 days, but it took 3 weeks for me to feel better physically and emotionally! (especially as I have 2 small children) It is like a grieving process of sorts. Don't be too hard on yourselves yet as this is the healing phase. Use your support networks and remember every day is one step closer to the new you! I'm so happy I was banded.

I look forward to hearing of your progress

Nikki S

Thanks Nikki. I'm not feeling too bad emotionally just trying to deal with the physical changes and trying to sleep. Thought I would sleep more easily in my own bed but nothing so far, still can't relax.

Hi All,

Just got banded on 10/30/07. Was doing great then all of sudden started feeling a little down:confused:. I am trying to get in all the requirements I need and making sure I keep drinking plenty of water but today is a little tougher. I am still happy I did it and know it will get better but feeling a little blue today. I went for a small walk yesterday and that helped. I think I'll treat myself to some orange juice this morning.

Glad to hear everyone is doing well!

It seems that this is one of the hard parts of this process... not only trying to keep to the diet but also trying hard to deal with the pain and the strangeness of this new body. I know everyone seems to say that it gets easier but that thought is so alien to me at the moment. I'm not going to be too hard on myself but I wish I could sleep... I think the last lot of liquid I had did not agree with me so I'm finding it hard to settle.

Guys, i am an emotional wreck, ive cried for the past 2 days and really i dont know why! im so depressed all of a sudden, im fine when i wake up, i clean house abit and by lunchtime i feel weak and very emotional,, i know i can get through this, i was crying on my best friends shoulder before and kept saying i havent regretted this, i love my band.... is it the initial shock of the whole process and procedure? i dont know.....

Hi Gina, I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling so down. I am feeling better than I was yesterday... still sore and swollon though. I truly believe that even though we desperately want to do this, the prospect is very scarey... have I done the right thing, will I be able to stick with it, what if I don't want to do it any more... these thoughts have been running through my mind in the last 48 hours. Our system is still in shock and we need to be gentle with ourselves. I'm sure if you give it a few more days, you will start to feel differently.

Sades, dont get me wrong, i dont regret getting banded, i love my band, i was fine from tuesday when i got banded till saturday, i got emotional...

i think it must be 3rd day blues, like childbirth,,haha

i wonder if others had the same reaction? it is a big shock to our systems and lifestyles.

my husband took me out of the house just to change scenery and im feeling better now...

the swellings gone down and my stomach has stopped churning and i think right now hunger is starting to kick in...but i got willpower im strong and can get through this..

i know wat ive done will make me feel happier within myself and already my clothes are loosening...best decision ive made and the best 12,000 ive spent in my life..

I must say I haven't left the house since returning from the hospital.. a change of scenery could well be a good thing. I just feel I haven't caught up on my sleep which I tried to do this afternoon... no real luck. From what I've read here people get back to the normal world in about a week or more of their surgery. I've had a lot of family around me in the last couple of days, so lots of distractions. Even though I've had those questions in my mind, I know I've done the right thing for me. I think that trying to work out if I'm drinking enough or too much is what's worrying me. I don't feel unwell, so I assume I'm doing the right thing.

Hi Ginka and Sades

Couldn't help reading your posts and just wanted to add my bit. I was banded just over 6 weeks ago and can relate to some of the feelings you have gone through and just wanted to say you both need to relax and take time out for yourself.

Re liquids I didn't worry too much about how much i was drinking just stuck to the saying "should be able to drink through a straw". Found oxo cubes in hot Water great for savoury cravings, prune juice helped the bowels. I would often make a cuppa and only have three four sips and that was it. I progressed over the first week to Soups (pumpkin tomato non bitty soups) By end of the first week I started into custards .

I think I found the mushies the harder stage as really wanted to chew things. Heaven was a shepherds pie I cooked for the family and mushed up .

The main thing you need to do is take time for yourself ( I know this can be hard with young kids ) but if you need a nap take it. My husband would often come home midday and find me asleep on the sofa. I would highly recommend getting up and walking around just a little and changes of scenery do help.

In all just remember your body has gone through major surgery give it time to heal. It will tell you what it wants and welcome to a new start in life.

Take care and thoughts are with you

Jane