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Hi Bronnie the blood tests were probably a general blood picture, to check that you are not anaemic, renal function, liver function, electrolyte levels- ithelps the Surgeon/anaesthetist assess your overall health ready for the surgery. As for the stockings, this is a precaution, DVT is a risk for anyone after surgery and increased rsk for us because we are overweight. Your Venous circulation is usually helped by muscle activity and for surgery they give you muscle relaxants that decrease your muscle actvity a good deal- necessary for the surgeon to work and for the anaesthetist to be able to control your breathing in this type of surgery. The stockings apply compression that help make up for the lack of muscle activity during surgery and the decreased activity in the post op phase- they will still want you up and moving as soon as possible for your circulation and your lungs. Sometimes they use knee high antiembolic stockings, sometimes thigh high, and sometimes they if you are not going to be mobile enough they will us pneumatic leggings (inflatable things that are connected to an air pump that varies pressure to improve circulation- not common for this procedure as you will be up and walking usually within a few hours)- All surgeons have personal preferences for how they like things done that they will adapt for each patient- not everyone will have to wear the lovely stockings.

Hi Gerbera I was actually banded back in 2001 and intially started losing weight- dropped about 20 kg but ran into a lot of medical problems that took a long time to diagnose properly- had to have all the Fluid removed from the band because of the problems. I have been wheelchair dependant for 12 yrs and eventually was also diagnosed with MS that had affected ability to swallow- once that was properly diagnosed and diet was modified a bt to allow from the problems I have started losng weight, I have now lost 28kg since nov- have a very long way to go tho! Have just been able to have a small fill put back which, s taking a while to get used to again- I was a bit worred that I may have to have it removed/reduced again but I am gradually improving- its been a week since the fill and am alsmost back to the same type of foods I was managing before the fill- so I am happy these days! Hi Goanna, Amazing the people you bump into! I have seen a few familiar names here!

I used to work at a hospital where Dr P Leong worked, and agree that he is experienced and a lovely man. My surgeon was Professor James Toouli, he's based at Adelaide Bariatric Centre www.adelaidebariatriccentre.com.au He and Dr Lillian Kow (practice partner) are very experienced. Professor Toouli was one of the surgeons who introduced helped introduce the band to SA back in the 90's. he is based at FMC and flinders private Can't help you much with costs as I had mine a quite a long time ago, but a phone call or email to the various practices should give you a rough idea. Sugery Date was quick, only a few weeks - bascally long enough to have what ever pre op tests you need but I know that the public hospital list was quite a long wait as they only had funding to do a small number each year.

Occasionally you can have fluid being absorbed very slowly from the band too- they should check how much is in it when they access the port prior to doing the new fill. Your band will not stretch- its too tough for that, if anything stretches its you pouch, but that does not sound likely on the quantaties your are eating

Sorry to sound like a killjoy but you really need to follow the guidelines that you were given unless you talk to your surgeon/nutritionist. The post op phase is a challenge but better safe than sorry, you do not want to put your band at risk

I agree with Betty, chcken noodles soup is going to go through really easily- solid food is what we are supposed to aim for- chew and swallow carfully though - you could get a surprise! Good luck

Its hard for some of us to recognize the emotional eating, or at least the degree of- you are recognizing more now which is good, it means at least you can do something about it. We don't break habits, we replace one with another- sounds like you are in the limbo, can't use food but have not figured out what to do instead. Each of us are different, some wll use excercise, relaxation stuff any kind of distraction and if it is having a big impact on you talking things through wth a therapist can really help- sometimes we need someone to help us reframe the way we think- nothing really changes except the way we think about the same situation. I have used a therapist to deal with some past issues and has taught me some great new coping skills, to recognize my strengths rather than focus on my weaknesses

I think it would have to be pretty "intense" to do damage

I Did, except I stayed in hospital overnight for the one night- mainly because I have other medical problems and the surgeon said for saftey sake eiter I needed to have another adult present for the first 24 hours or stayed in overnight. I was already wheelcahir dependant but had minimal pain and felt that I could have managed but respect the saftey concerns. Everyone one is different, some people experience minimal pain others have a tough time- I would say that at the very least, it is highly desirable to have support and assistance available if possible. if you don't need it, all well and good but if you are having a tough time and have no one to call on it could be rough

I have a cavalier spaniel called Penny, she gets called Penn, Penny wenny, Woobie doo and various others ( mainly when I thnk no one else can hear) she answers to anything really but faster if there is a smile in the tone of voice- if that makes sense

I found the same thing as Jack re carbs stimulating hunger, don't avoid them completely but do avoid processed and high GI carbs- cravings gone! Having a fill will not help if you are not "working with your band"- the drinking with food is a tough habit to break but it makes such a difference. I have a small warm drink before a meal ( helps stop me from being too tight) but nothing afterwards for an hour- if I am really desperate to refreshe my mouth etc- I will have a teasspoonful of ice chips and let it melt in my mouth- now that I have broken thehabit i rarely do this. I agree with Jack that a part of this whole thing is learning to replace old habits with new habits- no easy way round this, the band will not do all the work, we still need to do the head work! Good luck- you can do it! in fact you are part way there when you recognize the problems as you do!

You are making big assumptions with your comments that we assume that health care is the same in every country- we know that is not the case and it is not right that your countries government puts so little concern behind the health of its citizens. However, if you know that the health system is a bad as it is in you country at the moment- that they re use needles etc, why on earth would you put yourself at risk for an elective procedure- under the situations you describe I would only submit to any surgery under emergency situations! I love my band and am so glad that I had relatively easy access to the surgery i needed to help with weight loss- but if I had a BMI of 39 and knew that the medical system is a bad as you describe i would rsk it- used needles carry a high rsk of hepatitis B & C not to mention AIDS- the risk is not worth it for me. You know your health system and made the choice to accept the risks of poor care Don't get angry at the rest of the world because your system sucks

All the suggestions that the others have made are great, try not freeze up, propping up with pillows or recliner heat pack etc. support your abdomen with your hands or a pillow if you are coughing snezzing or things that put addtional tension through you abdominal muscles and do not forget to use the pain meds you have been given- if the dosage and meds that has been prescribed is not helping and you are in pain despite the other non medical ideas ring your Doc- post op pain control is an important part of healing it will get better

Can easily palpate port but an not aware of it otherwse. Can't say that I can feel the band other than restriction when eating

Have you reached your goal? are you still trying to lose?? revise the band rules first to remind yourself on what you should be doing, if you are following all the rules and having problems go and see your Doc, could probably do with an adjustment-

good luck with the path you have chosen-

If its yourTOM tell the staff and they will gve you a pad- OT staff are very focused on the job in hand- getting you positioned and preped correctly for the proceudre, protecting your airway, maintaining your IV etc etc- A professonal team is not going to ingnore the important tasks and focus on your hoo ha!

For many people the band actually helps reflux improve, it does not necessarily make it worse. It is normal to be scared before surgery, I'd be more surprsed if you did not have some anxiety. As Devana said- most of us have done the yo yo diet thing- its the keeping the weight off that is tough usually and the band is a good tool to helath with this. You may have read some problems and sorry if that has scared you- I admit to having problems that have taken a while to get undercontrol but I have never regretted my decision to have the band! Would make the same decision now- Yes! You have to do the research and become comfortable with the idea before gong down this path- that means looking for the good, the bad and the (rare) ugly- I think if you look at this sight you will see far more "good" than bad or ugly. Problems can be managed. Finally, being severely overweight has problems that are down right scarey too- no action guarantees problems, losing weight and keeping it off ( by what ever means) may be a scarey thought- but there are a whole heap of positves along the way

those of us who have more "internal fat" as in fat around the abdominal organs as opposed to between the muscle and skin, will notice this more. We are all different in terms of exactly how we and where we store the most fat- I did read some articles that reported that men had a tendancy to have larger fat pads around the stomach etc, it went on to remind people that while this internal fat was associated with more health risks, it was the fat deposists that tend to shift first and quickest! Losing your restriction would be frsutrating but at least it is a positive sign that you have less fat clagging up your internal organs!

Hi Wheetsin I am an RN, here in Australia if a person works in the operating theatre we usually shorten the term to theatre. I dont work in "OT" these days- its telehealth now ( no thats not tv, its telephone triarge etc)

it is more dfficult simply because they are working on the same area of the stomach and there will be scarring and adhesions to varying degrees- I have heard of t being done but have also heard many surgeons say they will not. I thnk the suggestion of contacting inamed is really good-they should be able to point you in the right direction

Different surgeons have different choices, is saw one clip that showed the surgeon standing between the legs but it was a feamle surgeon who was not very tall so it would have been the best position for her to reach everything properly. But most of the stand at the side. I have worked in theatre as an RN in the past and if they insist on no underwear, they will often allow the paper ones as long as you understand you may wake up without them eg if they have decided to pop a catheter in during the procedure. The paper ones are easy for staff to remove if needed. but as has already been said, you will be so covered up in green drapes that the only thing they will see is you abdomen and they will not "expose" you at all until you are under.

There is lots of research to say that lapband is successful for the majority of patients, it has a signifcantly lower risk particularly in the immedate post op period. Do your own research- search for stuff through databases like pubmed, medline if possible-these should give you reliable information from medical & nursing journals-don't overlook research from europe, mexicao and Austrlalia- they have all been doing lap band for longer than the US and have more long term stats There is also a book titled "Lap Band for life" (sorry i don't have the author at present but you will find it easily on amazon) Ask questions in places like this forum, give your PCP a kick in the pants for being so unsupportive (Do it the hard way!!!!!! even if she thinks this she should not say it to the patient!!) Once you have found all the info from as many different sources, make the decision that is right for you- you are the person that has to live with your choice, which everway you chose I am an RN and I get so angry when I hear of health professionals pushing there own biased personal thoughts onto patients- they are supposed to be your health advocate, someone who helps you make decisions rather than dictate. All surgical procedures require informed consent and I do not believe a patient can make an informed choice/consent if they do not have the information about all the options

No pre op diet but 2 weeks clear fluids, 2 weeks full fluids, 2 weeks mushy then gradual increase to solid over the next 1 to 2 weeks

I had a real scale addiction in the past, could not go near the scale without getting on! It became really negative because if I did not lose weight for a few days I would be more likely to cheat ( pre band -old dieting days). Years ago I lost a lot of weight but the charts said I needed to lsoe another 10 punds to be at ideal and I just could not do it, instead of focusing on what I had achieved and that I looked good, felt good I gave up and gradually regained all the weight! I threw the scales away to break the habit!! I have now gone back to weighing maybe once or twice per week as it s really difficult to see weight loss or gain when you start at 385 pounds- I have lost 56 pounds and take a weekly update photo and it is only in the last one that I am beginning to see a samll difference So last thought is- as long as it does not become an obssesion it is useful tool-I now team it with measurements and find often when the scale is still the measurments drop. If the scale becomes a real slave driver that threatens your progress- lock it away for a couple for weeks to teach it some respect!