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Hi everyone

i had a gastric band fitted in 2009. Was great for a while but sadly, blockages and breakages (from a faulty batch) and I have given up. I started at 260lbs, down to 175 with the band, now back up to 225 so time to stop that growth!

i have a revision to a RNY (Fobi pouch type) on 14 December - and today heard insurance will pay 20% which is great news.

The bypass involved no special diet, really, so am a bit apprehensive: Protein Drinks (less variety here in New Zealand I think), dumping, and having the RNY by open surgery not laparoscopic - all make be a bit nervous...

Thanks to you all for keeping me company on this journey.

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Hi everyone
i had a gastric band fitted in 2009. Was great for a while but sadly, blockages and breakages (from a faulty batch) and I have given up. I started at 260lbs, down to 175 with the band, now back up to 225 so time to stop that growth!
i have a revision to a RNY (Fobi pouch type) on 14 December - and today heard insurance will pay 20% which is great news.
The bypass involved no special diet, really, so am a bit apprehensive: Protein drinks (less variety here in New Zealand I think), dumping, and having the RNY by open surgery not laparoscopic - all make be a bit nervous...
Thanks to you all for keeping me company on this journey.

Wow...I would be nervous too. The recovery is going to be very difficult, but not impossible. You will need a really good support system with your doctor and family. Hopefully you will be able to take the time off from work to truly heal like you need to.

I had my lapband placed in 2009 and it was removed in April. I have surgery on Dec 21st. I am having my gastric bypass laproscopically. I know I would need about 6 weeks or more of recovery if I had to have it done open.

So glad you're posting your story. Please let us know how you are doing.

Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

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Good luck on your surgery and let us know if we can be of any help.

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Quick update - insurance approved today. In New Zealand we have free (tax funded) universal healthcare, but the threshold for bariatric surgery is really high. So I am going private. About US$30,000 for lapband-to-bypass, and my health insurance pays 1/4 of that.

Woo hoo - smaller bump on the mortgage!

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Hi bariatric pals!

I have had an endoscopy - not for the faint hearted, but at least now I have photos of the inside of my intestines, for the family Christmas card!

Bloods good, ecg good, chest x-ray good, nutritionist visit done - three weeks til surgery, no tasks but to wait! Not even per-op diet cos it is open surgery!

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    • LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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