Hi all,

Tomorrow is my first appointment in this process and I would have to say that there is a feeling of nerves and excitement going through me at the moment. I know that this will change my life in many different ways however will I like those changes ?? I guess only time will tell.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Narelle and I come from the sunny Gold Coast in Queensland Australia. I am 32 years old and have been overweight my whole entire life. This process has been on my mind for many years but up until now I have not had the courage to do anything about it. That changes tomorrow.

If there is anyone out there who is in the same predictament I would love to hear from you and also anyone from Australia who is doing the same thing. I know that I will have heaps of questions and I say thank you to those who take the time to answer them.

I guess I will have more news after tomorrow

NB

Hi Narelle, Welcome to the board!!! Here you will find answers to any questions you may have. Don't be afraid to ask about ANYTHING that troubles you; many of the people on this board have all "been there, done that" and are so helpful and non-judgmental. I would venture to say that without exception the people here have gone through the same questions and nervousness that you are experiencing right now. I started the process this summer, and was banded last week 10/30. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made because it concerns the rest of my life. Many of us have been overweight the majority of our lives and now have a magnificent tool to help us make the most of our future. Good luck to you!

Thanks Lulu for your reply - was nice to hear from you. How has your first week of banding been?? Any suggestions/regrets or information you can pass on??

Thanks again for your reply.

NB

Hi MissNarelle! I can so relate to the stew of emotions you're experiencing just about now. I spent a year working on insurance issues and during that time my emotions were all over the map.

How did your appointment go? Are you on the road to banding?

Suggestions:

* Try to be patient. This is not a quick-fix process, and although we all want this done yesterday, it doesn't work that way. It may be months until banding, and in that time learn as much as you can from others. I must have read every post on banding on the internet, and in doing so there were no surprises. Hearing what others went through - good and not so good - prepared me for anything and everything.

* Walk; walk; and walk some more after banding.

Regrets:

* I regret not taking the time to "cut and paste" things that I read that grabbed me at the moment. Now when I read a post that I feel I may want to refer to in the future, I copy and paste it into a Word document, otherwise to try and find it again later is almost impossible.

My first week:

*..... has been just fine. Although there has been some pain, it's been minimal; mostly just mild discomfort. Rather than thinking too much about the present, I'm trying to look to the future and imagine what it will be like to move and breathe without pain; to cross my legs, to shop in regular stores, etc.

My faith sustains me through everything. I'm not going to turn this into a religious forum, but you asked what worked for me. When I have pain, I think about what Jesus went through and realize this is nothing. I gain a lot of strength through prayer. Everyone has to do what works best for them. I can only repeat what many have already said, that this is one of the best things we've done for ourselves.

Please let us know how your appointment goes. We really do care!!

Hi Lulu and Alexandra,

Yesterday went really well and I was feeling quite good when I got home from it all. All of my questions have been answered (although I have thought of new ones since then) and I am still determined to go through with it all. At this stage I have to wait for the 2004 surgery schedule to come out which will be in early December and then I shall book it.

I have been practising what they say about chewing food and drinking before or after meals so am starting to get into the banding habits now

NB