I have finally decided that enough is enough and at a BMI of 39 its now or never. I just need some reassurance from anyone out there that this is the best thing they ever did and they don't regret it, I can handle the bad news too I just want some realistic views on this procedure and how much it costs out of pocket with top health cover (full hospital etc) and is there anyone out there who does the procedure on Ezyclaim as my insurance will fully cover it then. Anyway thats not the biggest issue, I'm getting this done no matter what the cost but just cant seem to get any kind of cost info approx or otherwise. I would have an appointment today only that every single clinic is shut for xmas. Is it really worth it when it can get "undone" with the same old bad habits? Is it just a good kick start or is it really a long term solution? and what is the whole pre op diet thing about.....if I could go 2 weeks on liquids with my huge stomach capacity I wouldn't need the op!!! HELP! I am not scared of pain or any of that I'm scared that like every other diet aid - I will make it fail through bad habits and emotional over eating!

Megsy, r u allowed to drink anything other than water?

Hi there

How is everyone going?

Megsy how are you feeling? I hope the recovery has not been that painful for you. Well done on losing 7 kgs already

Leah - How is the pre-op phase going? How are you coping with the meals and minimal alcohol?

Shaggs - Have you managed to make any appts yet? If not I am sure you will be on the phone first thing Monday :cool2:

Barb - I am sorry that you had such a bad experience with the infection and the follow up care. How are you doing now? What an awesome job to have lost the weight you have.

joyoc - Welcome and good luck with your surgery on the 3rd. You may be able to manage the job. I am sure that I would have been able to go back to work if I had to. Make sure you have breaks and go for small walks.

I am going ok. No weight loss this week which I am disappointed about but I think it is from the bloating seeing as my monthly visitor is due in the next day or so :grouphug:

Hi All.

tully I answered this in another thread but will go again.

I went thru the Centre for Bariatric Surgery and was operated on at The Avenue Hospital. My surgeon was Paul Burton and he was great. My friend had hers done there as well by Stuart Skinner.

I can drink anything that goes up a straw, but I have been sticking to the Optifast over the last couple of days as It is nutritionally balanced. Having said that I making a chicken and vege Soup tomorrow and I will blend the crap out of it!!! The shakes are ok for Brekky and lunch but by the time it comes to dinner I dont want another sweet drink and the Optifast soup is CRAP!!! Drinking yoghurt is a good option to have as well.

I have NO pain! i can feel some pressure when I bend over etc, but nothing major. It's all good people.

Catch ya

Megs

:cool:

Hi everyone!

Got an appointment with the top of the list today - 21st January. I have read other's experiences with this place and they were done within the month!!!!!! Yay! That's my earliest estimate so far and I'm more than sure the one I'll be taking up!

Megsy and Emmsie - I am so inspired by your progress! You guys are doing so well and it makes me even more excited!

Having said that, I've stumbled across some Youtube footage that is quite graphic (I advise anyone to not go looking!) but even the worst case scenarios are still worth it - I think and the patients all say it is still after some horrific issues - most caused by procedures done a long time ago before much was known about the bands and some done in Mexico on the cheap so really I'm not tooooo worried but seeing the inside of the procedure was a little confronting but something I had to see (as a technically based person who usually deals with blood and guts pretty well). Alot of the failed situations were ending with people having mini gastric bypasses. It all kind of hit home that this is surgery, being cut open and messing with nature but you know what - bring it on!!! I have to keep this all in perspective and hold on the fact that this road I'm on is going to lead to surgery anyway (either heart or gall bladder or some other horrendous disease) so this is by far the preferred surgery of all especially while I'm still reasonably healthy and in control.

I've been told I think too much.....

Anyway, I'm loving hearing your stories and keeping up with everyone's progress thank you all for sharing, it has definitely kept me inspired, in check and out of my own head!

Hi All,

Hey SHaggs, well done with the first step of the journey.

To report in on whats happening with me, well I have hit a bit of a snag over the last couple of days (had to happen didn't it?). It is an issue that no-one had informed me of earlier, but when I have mentioned it to another post-op and the Clinic, it is apparently quite common and all due to the Optifast.

Constipation.

Constipation soooo bad that even Microlax (enema) couldn't budge it. By yesterday afternoon I was having hot and cold sweats, nausea, headache.... the whole gamut. When I went to the chemist to give the microlax another go, they wanted me to go to the hospital.................no chance!! I opted for another un-recommended dose and came home to 'deliver' (it really was like delivering a 4.5kg baby!!). OMG what an ordeal!!! Still not completely recovered but much better than yesterday - thank Foxtel for that!

My advice to pre-ops on the Optifast. When they say keep your Water up - they mean it. This is something that happens accumulatively. Your food intake is so reduced, regardless of the vegies at night, that your digestion slows right down, resulting in an unbudging solid ball at the end.

My advice for newly post-ops- start taking softeners and additional fibre NOW!!! After I had the kids they gave me 'fibre-gel' so maybe that is the way to go.

The nurse at the clinic told me to get off the Optifast imeadiately. So now I am restricted to water, juice, milk and Soup (BTW the Optifast chicken soup is VILE!!). IT's all good though as hopefully this dilemma will result in a better weight loss for my first week. And once everything that isn't coming out, comes out, that should be an even better loss on the scales.

Anyway, apologies for the graffic account of my exploits. I thought it may help someone avoid this issue.

Hope everyone is well.

catch ya'll later

Megs

Oh no! That sounds horrible. I have already got myself some Benefibre as recommended by my dietician, so ready to go with that. I've also been practicing drinking Water often in little sips.

I am starting Optifast tomorrow. I don't really have to start until the 21st, but I just want to get things underway! Plus I am going to ease into it by having Optifast for Breakfast and lunch, and a healthy dinner. Then from the 21st, on to 3 meals a day.

PS - Totally agree about the Optifast chicken soup being vile. It literally made me vomit when I had it before!

Megsy, Awful awful business. Do you have an allergy to dairy products? Optifast is made on dairy. I had the same response to optifast and also immediatley post banding. Found out the Benefibre is based on wheat of which I am also allergic to! Anyway post op I had to develop a proper bowel regime with aperients and suppositories because if I let it go for more than 4 days I was in a real state.

Metamucil and others that swell are not recommended for bandsters. Nulax, lactulose have been said to be OK.

Since my band has now been removed due to infection things have only improved slightly. I have yet been given an adequate answer to why this has occurred. Barb

Oh Megsy!! I'm feelin for you girl! I do feel a little guilty that bandsters after you (like me) will probably not have to go through these horrors thanks to the guinea pigs (like you)! How did you know it wasnt something more serious? With those symptoms I would have though the worst and thought I had an infection???

So glad you're on the other side of that one and wow, what a lesson for us all. When I used to do weight watchers and was down to pitiful amounts of food I would get that way (also sometimes when pregnant) and I know this sounds simple and naive but a cup of boiling hot Water (as hot as you can stand) stirs things up and has got even my most constipated friends up and running. I have also used a chinese tea called Ballerina Tea (I dont know if its ok with the band but it affects the bowels and intestines not the tummy??? must check with doctor) it doesnt taste too bad it takes about 8 hours to work but man - it would liquify cement and you are empty!!! Make sure you're near a loo for that one! And then for the next week or more you are regular as and in perfect order. I didnt do that one pregnant but I do wonder if push came to shove I think I'd do it with a band. Ah all the tip and tricks us dieters pick up! Been there done that with suppositories but they only work for the absolute lower bowels issues (right at the gate that is).

I hope someone out there has a magic trick for us all but I guess the answer to everything is just water water water! How's the hunger? R u hungry at all? Emotionally or physically hungry? I think I might grieve a bit for my friend food???? What to do with emotions when you cant eat them.....

Thank you once again for sharing with us, loving watching your weight loss I am so excited now, I have even started to think differently, I'm not bitterly wondering why I'm not skinny anymore but instead I'm planning outfits and feeling the feelings already!

Keep us posted!

Hi, Thanks - I think!. Very graphic but good to be aware that such a thing might happen to anyone. Thanks for all the hints of which I've made a note.

I start my pre-op on Friday this week and I am behaving like a dying man with his last meal. Having the feast before the famine. I realise this is silly but can't seem to change my mind set but determined to follow 100% from Friday onwards.

Ha ha Joy! I'm the same, the last hoorah! And I dont even have a surgery date yet! I'm torn between starting being good now to ease the pain later and making the most of my freedom now! What will be your last supper? I have just read a msg from a man who just got a call to come for surgery tomorrow, no warning no pre op diet no last supper, I think I'd be in shock! Thanks for posting nice to know we're all in the same messed up boat!!! Good luck for the pre op diet, let me know how you go!

Hey Shaggs,

I do get hungry, but it is a physical hunger. Once I have something to drink (Not Optifast!!!) it goes away. I haven't really been mentally hungry where I am just gagging to ram something in my mouth. I have however sampled things (a grape, piece of ham, hot chip....)without thinking when making the kids brekky/lunch/snacks/dinner - I just grab a drink to make sure it flushes thru. Prob not the best habit to get into but paranoid about things getting stuck. the one thing I am kind of thinking about alot is vegemite toast. Of all the fantasy foods I could be dreaming about, i choose vegemite toast.

When I was doing the Optifast before surgery I was STARVING!! I couldn't stick to it. I ate something at every meal but just made really good choices (fruit/yoghurt etc) and still managed to lose a fair bit. There is no way I could do Optifast or similar as a regular diet, it would kill me.

On a better note, I did my official 1 week post op weigh in this morning and I have lost 4.4kg. I reckon it would be a bit more if a certain bodily function was working correctly.

Hope everyone is well and happy

Seizure

Megs

p.s. I went out for a Thai meal the night before my surgery as 'my last chew' and strangely enough, it wasn't as gratifying as I thought it would be.

I started my pre-op diet today. I am doing 7 days of 2 Optifast and one normal meal, then 2 weeks of Optifast 3 times a day.

I wasn't hungry today, though, which was good. I had a bar for breakfast and a bar for lunch with some vegie soup I made last night from "free" foods. I definitely drank the 2 litres of Water (and then some!) because it was 46 degrees here today and I had to spend quite a bit of time outside

Having chicken and salad sandwich for dinner. Its too hot to cook!

Megsy, I hadn't thought about having "one last chew" the night be surgery... I don't think my surgeon will allow it though and its even worse because I'll be some where with restaurants and food choices!!

Oh God, I didnt tell my surgeon!!!! i knew I was scheduled for a 1.30pm surgery and therefore had 16 hours to digest the food so I took the gamble. I also dranks Heaps!!! of water to help digest it overnight.

Hi everyone,

Great to read all your great stories, thanks for great advise on constipation.

Im currently on my second day of Optifast althought im not really hungry im as sick as a dog.

Is it normal to have a massive headache joint aches and sweats? i have heard its bad to the third day. unsure if im just being a baby.

Im in Perth my surgery on the 27th of jan is covered by hbf, i had to pay $1000 to docs admin as they follow you over several years also $250 for docs assisintant in surgery and deictican some covered on hbf and doc visits $100 b4 medicare.

Im only in hospital 1 night then 2 wks off work.

AT the moment it all feels to hard, thank you for sharing you stories and keeping me ontrack aleast for one more day.

Tas