Swans

Well Bronnie, I reckon you deserve to treat yourself to your favorite meal the day/night before the op. It wont be your last chance to ever eat it again, but could be quite a while...however I can say this...you wont miss it either! Cheers, Chris

Hi Jacqui I am similiar to you on the eating front re toast. Bread is not problem but I do have to be careful eating toast. I will also have to be cautious with dim sims. I havent tried them yet since being banded but I have been looking forward to having my favorite ones from the South Melbourne market. Was interesting reading about your difficulty with eating fish. Is canned fish ok for you (salmon tuna etc)? Cheers, Chris

Thanks for the welcome Susannah! If I may give comments about hospital stay..... The Avenue is a wonderful hospital and have a lot of experience with banding ops. You will be issued with hospital gown (and one that fits...and thats something they like to spruik!) and will probably stay in that the day and night following your surgery. I was admitted the night before (Prof O'Brien requests that for all his patients) and wore my own night attire. The morning after the op I was out of bed and showered and put my own clothes back on...just make sure they are loose and comfortable (track daks etc). You will need to have a barium swallow x ray and then you will be allowed to go home. Apart from toiletries and books, I didnt need anything else. The rooms there have phones (private room), TV etc. I didnt have to do the optifast thing, but on the night before the op (I was admitted 4pm the day prior) the staff helped me order my dinner...they ordered EVERYTHING on the a la carte menu lol...the last supper, they said...and it was lovely, even had a red wine too. I the spent the next hour or so walking around the place to settle it lol.

Thank you Meredith for the welcome! Spot on comments there, as old saying goes "When the student is ready, the teacher will come". Maybe when Bronnie's work colleague realises she is 'morbidly obese' she may rethink her attitude. I do believe that cost is a major drawback for many...it just seems so out of reach for many who really need this procedure. I am a member of Ozband Yahoo Group also and I agree its a fantastic support network and lots of information there. Hey, congratulations on your weight loss! Thats a fantastic result. Cheers, Chris

Thanks for the welcome Bronnie. As you probably already know, types of food you can eat varies from person to person after banding. In my case I have been able to eat anything without a problem, including my favorite meal of steak and salad. Of course I am eating much smaller portions than before banding. But as She Smiles said, steak can be a problem to a few. I find if I take very small mouthfulls (half teasp to a teasp.)and chew it like mad then I am ok. Congrats on your decision Bronnie and I hope the next couple of weeks fly by quickly for you! Cheers, Chris

Hi All This is my first post on these message forums. Pleased to find a Melbourne group! Cheers Chris