judych

this is so exciting and well worth your posting. everyone of these items you mentioned here im identifying with to the hilt. lol.. way to go... im thrilled for you. Do you have any tips or lessons you learned along the way this first year?? could you share with us please?

thanks so much girls... hearing and reading words that are positive is powerful.. it does a power of good. i appreciate your input more than you will know.

so you are having more than just clear liquids? was there any fill put into your band when you had it put in?

Celeste.. do you have to travel far or is this where you live?/

i love the sounds of your last meal. lol. i wish i had some choices about where to eat out for mine. i live where there are no places to eat out. nothing worth while anyway... im going to miss steak.. certainly goign to miss salads in the short term, ive got them growing in my little garden.. rocket, dill, all that . im going to miss them. Has anyone here managed salad veges before four weeks post surgery are up?/

all the best for you tomorrow.. i hope it all goes very well and you have a quick recovery. keep in touch

\ thanks so much girls.. i really draw a lot of comfort from your support. this time next week is my banding day.... wow.. i hope all is well with you there.

im pleased to read that its not impossible to have a few... providing its done with common sense, that is. However, i dont think i will be having any more red wine. it has been giving me problems with my hernia, or what i asume is a hernia. it could also be some gastritis.. not sure.. but red wine does it to me, as much as i enjoy a glass of red.

have you ever thought of buying a powder, for example, barley green, which is in powder form, and you mix with water?? ive got a new jar of it here now. im going to start with it tomorrow and just keep it up. its got heaps of nutritional value, and its all organic. if you can tolerate the taste, i think its the best way to go. Certainly easier to digest, thats for sure. ( it smells and tastes like green barley ) just a thought here as well. you can spinkle it onto your salads as well... its very versatile.

hi iM over 50...Im 65 going on 66. i have the same issues with arthritis. im not taking any meds for it though, just some osteo painkillers when really necessary. but, having said that, im not exercising much. apart from doing my housework im not out and about. i would like to walk but im concerne a lot about falling at this stage. i need to get into swimming. im hoping to set up with family and a friend so we can travel regularly to swim for a few hours. as much as possible. im sure this will start to work well with my joints. then, perhaps, i can start walking again. i have wonderful walks here.. we live close to the sea.

you will do it Celeste... and not only prove to your mum that she is wrong, but you will find out how much strength you have as well.. just a thought for you. im in australia, my dr has not wanted me to go on any diet or change my eating habits at all prior to surgery.. and the day of the surgery i can have a light breakfast, as im being done at 3pm. so.. it sounds to me that there are different protocols in place, and you wont jeopordise your surgery by doing what you have done. i think the main issue here is to have more confidence in yourself. from the material ive read, its not only changes in weight that go on but changes in the emotional baggage that we carry as well. All that will change for you as well. When the negative thoughts come, deal with them quickly. Dont let them get a hold. if you are going through a bad time, get online and read some of the success stories .. and there are way more success stories than there are failures, thats for sure. Everyone has doubts before the surgery. its how far you let those thoughts go thats the issue. Hang in there, you will do wonderfully well Im sure.

i hope so too.. ive gone into most of my major surgeries really concerned about vomiting.. im goign to have a good talk with them about it all. if there is a patch i can wear or anything else i can do i need to see them about three days before surgery. i have to work out my schedule beforehand as travelling isnt easy for us here. we have so far to drive.

what a marvellous job he has done.. was it hard for him?/ like you, im sick of the see sawing involved with weight loss and weight gain. its really demoralising

im good.. looking forward to getting my surgery over with. im spending heaps of time on this forum and making notes. ive written a lot down which is great. tell me... did you have a pre op diet that you had to go on?? apart from you at the moment i havent discussed with anyone else what protocols their drs here in australia have . im no pre op diet. i know that Wilkie ( dr ) is one of the best surgeons in the state, he introduced banding here and has done over 20,000 procedures with them. i have to trust that he knows what he is talking about when it says its not necessary for me to diet. so, what did you have to do?

...and im really glad that this question was asked as well.. it sounds like pasta and rice are a no no. im not a big lover of either of them. no sweat.

what a wonderful success story, and thanks for being so honest about it all. congratulations to you, youve earned it. thats what i call using the band as a true ''tool'' of weight loss. im sure you will keep if off now. it was a hard row to hoe by the sounds of it.

i havent been banded yet but it seems to me that you are having way too much right now?? arent you supposed to be on just liquids?? what did your dr say to you about immediate post op?? AS much as your family loves you and cares for you , they dont know how to give you the best advice, unless they are telling you to just stick to the liquids for now.. ( did you dr tell you that you could have semi solids already?) if it were me i would be doing some research online here with the forum. i would be writing it down and if its in line with what your dr told you , stick with it. never mind what the others are telling you to do. Its a huge change that you are going through, i understand the enormity of it all. ive yet to go where you are ... and i may have some issues as well. What ive done is keep a journel.. covering every aspect of the surgery and adding recipes as well for the different stages of recovery.This is all from learning online. Ive still got to talk with my dietician. If you are still confused about it, what about ringing your dietician?? she can help you.

ohh.. wow. thats fantastic. it really is. way to go.

.. at least you can get liquids in. how scary. im not having any filler at all when the band is inserted apparantly. i did ask the dr about that. i think i do prefer that. i reckon there will be enough swelling without any fill for a while. i hope that your problem eases very quickly.

thanks for that. im going to talk with the anesthesiests, not sure if i will see the surgeon again. perhaps i need to ring him and talk with him as well?/ it sounds like im going to need something like this as well. i cant think of anything worse than heaving away and dislodging the band... im talking with the anesthesiests on tuesday, so i will ask about all that.

lol.. i guess we are going to have to accept that this is going to be an ongoing issue... i just love the aroma of roasting meat.. im hoping that im nowhere near anyone elses kitchen for a while. lol. im going to be dishing up salads with jacket potato with a piece of meat for hubby. he is pretty good really to cook for. we are very basic here. thats a real plus for me now.

JohannaMae.. you will do this.. and you will be so happy at the results afterwoods. im two days after you with surgery. .I havent done anything to prepare.. my drs orders...im going to start winding down this week with serves etc. though. i understand how you feel having a little one to look after... this is a great group for bonding and sharing... keep up the posts. we want to hear from you .. whatever is on your mind, share it. there is so much good advice and so many encouraging words here.. good luck.

just a comment here... and im aware that im not banded yet.. but, has stress got anything to do with the tightness you are feeling i wonder?? i know that air travel, stress, illness can tighten the band. i agree.. you must keep yourself hydrated. how about gatorade when you arent having much else? ive never tried it though, does it have sugar in it?/

hi Carla... its so good to read how positive and encouraged you are by the banding.. you will do great as well.Thanks for the encouraging words for me. it is exciting and its a huge step to take. How long have you been leading up to this surgery?? a year?? 6 months?? ive only been on this path about six weeks. lol. in a way its a heck of a lot of mind sets to change, and dealing with surgery as well, all in that time. .. prior to my seeing my specialist last week, i really had no idea whether i would even qualify as far as he was concerned. my g.p. was positive but i didnt know how it would turn out. then to have my consult with him and know that it was happening within two weeks?? wowzie.. lol. im sure you know exactly what i mean. Im just so glad i found this forum when i did...i joined on here weeks before i saw my specialist. its from here ive learnt and gotten positive encouragement and i think thats everything. without being on here i dont think i would have opted to have it done. way too soon, if you know what i mean. Too big a shock for me. i would have known nothing about it except for that consult over the desk with the surgeon. its about much more than just a few moments talking about it in a consult, thats for sure. yes, im positive, but scared all the same. i know that each one of us has a different story to tell. we are all unique in the way out bodies and minds work. its going to be a really fascinating and positive road that we travel down now. im so glad to have met everyone here. eventually i will know everyone by name and where they live. im looking forward to establishing great friendships here. gotta close now. hugs everyone.

hi.. how neat that you are doing so well.. congratulations on your weight loss so far as well. im in australia as well. in Tasmania and i have surgery on the 22nd of march. did you have to do a pre op diet at all?? im just curious as i dont have to?? i have to lose about 90 lbs.. which is about 50 kilos.