cate

Hi everyone, sorry, been AWOL for a while - and not really focussed on weight loss at all. Hope all are well, & looking forward to catching up with everyone's progress. Cheers, Cate

HI Kiwis, well I transitioned to mushies a couple of days early, but all is going fine - although I do feel a bit of pressure in the chest of an evening. Weight loss has certainly ground to a screeching halt though (mainly due to a couple of easter eggs which were enjoyed over the past couple of days methinks! :rolleyes) Anyhow, hope everyone else is doing fine. Cheers, Cate

HI Dale, nice to "connect" at last. I've seen your posts on the Marchies thread, but it is nice to have our own little NZ thread. SO your transition to solids is going well? Did you gain at all when you went from liquids to mushies? Alot of people seem to & as I start that transition this coming Wednesday, I'm trying to mentally prepare for that. Cool that you were able to have surgery in C/Church too. I'm in Auckland & have to drive from one end of the city to the other through all the traffic to get to the doc is enough of a hassle, so I can only imagine the headache it would be having to come here from the SI! Take care, Cate PS hope the Optifast is going ok Ellen!

Congratulations Julie!! :clap2: And doubly so for hanging in there & keeping focussed with 1lb a week loss - to me that is the real victory - that you persevered & didn't give up! Well done!!! Cate

Sorry to hear about the port drama. I don't have that problem, but mine is still quite sore (I was banded on the 28th) & I still need to lay down on the couch of an evening as it aches after being on the go all day. Other than that, every day is better than the last & take comfort in the fact that I am on 2 weeks of liquids too before mushies! (If I suck on it hard enough, I'm sure that I can make an Easter egg liquid tomorrow!) Cheers, Cate

Hey Kiwis - Happy Easter! I'm going to enjoy a taste of Cadburys on Sunday lol!:nervous Drive safely! Cate

Janine: Ketosis is when your body starts burning fat for fuel INSTEAD of Carbs/Sugar....... (It is a joyous place to be even though the breath that comes with it is BAD! LOL) Thanks for answering Tracey - I'm in such a different time zone that I easily miss posts. Once you are in this mode Janine, your appetite really does decrease & that is what Optifast puts you in. Well, day 8 post op for me & every day is certainly getting that bit easier. The port site is still very tender as is sitting upright for any length of time, but I'm basically back into regular routine. Had my first NSV today too! Jeans seem to be the flavour of the moment, & when I got out of the car today with my 14 year old daughter, she exclaimed "Mum!!! Your jeans are so baggy!" Love it!!!! I've nearly worn through the knees too, so am hoping to drop a size before I have to get new ones. Mind you, I probably have some now pretty out of date ones in the next size down in my wardrobe somewhere:rolleyes Now my turn for questions: I mentioned n my last post that I found out at my post-op appt that I already have 3cc in my band - is this something unique to New Zealand, or have others surgeons done this too? Also, I'm very tight in the chest of a morning (think this is also exasperbated by sleeping on my back all night) - it takes a few hours for me to feel normal - is this the case for everyone? Have a great day Marchies! Cate

Hi everyone, had my one week appointment today - all good. Doc removed the steri strips which were still hanging in there, weighed me (down exactly 10 kg/22lbs) from when I started opitfast 3 weeks ago & gave me the all clear.....to continue liquids for another week lol!:tired I was told that if I transition a day or two earlier to mushies it's not too big a deal. Anyhow, like Cascadian who was banded on the same day, my port site is still quite sore & my head hunger is driving me a bit mad. Interestingly though, I haven't had real physical hunger like many of you other folks & thought it was just the band healing yada yada-but was surprised to find out today that the doc had put 3cc of Fluid in the band during the op. I must admit that this was a pleasant surprise as it sounds like some of you poor folk are doing it tough with the hunger. My only suggestion in coping with that scenario would be maybe go back onto optiyuk so that at least you are back in ketosis and not driven mad by hunger? I did make one decision today - I am going to enjoy a glass of wine & suck on an Easter egg on Easter Sunday lol! Take care Marchies! Cate

Hi, was wondering where all the Marchies went! Great to see so many going well. I was banded on 28/3 (we write it the other way round downunder!) & apart from high temps resulting in a course of antibiotics 3 days later, have been doing ok. Like most, I am still quite sore around the port site & get a bit light headed of a morning. Am drinking heaps of Water, milo, Soup, Protein drinks & peppermint tea & doing gentle walks on the treadmill. Hit 10kg (22 pounds) loss today, which is just under the 3 week mark of starting Optifast. (I did gain in hospital, but 3 days later, that dropped off.) Am struggling with the head hunger though lol! Got another week of liquids yet:tired Cheers, Cate

Hi Alysa, I'm only 6 days banded so can't tell you too much there. I would say that I was very similar to you pre-band though, & by gritting my teeth & sticking to the Optifast & some veg through the first killer 3 days, ketosis kicked in & the hunger disappeared. Keys for me were stay away from the family when they were having dinner & go to bed really early! Hope this helps a little, Cate

Hi again Pinkybar (your name is making me crave chocolate lol!) Try this link: http://au.messages.yahoo.com/health/lap-band/ It is another board I am on, & their top thread is for people on the Optifast stage - they have some great ideas for adding flavours. Personally, I used very cold Water & whizzed it in my magic bullet before sculling as quickly as possible! I would be hanging for my serve of brocolli & cauliflower with some salt & lemon juice of an evening! Those were the days...now it is liquid all the way for another week or so! I'm using Miada Protein drink (a NZ company) & various Soups this side of the band & my treat is frozen iceblocks. Hang in there! Cate:)

Hi Pinkbar, have fun with the optiyuk - get through the first 3 days & you'll find it bearable. :girl_hug: How are you other guys doing? I'm on day 5 post-op & getting fed up with liquids already! Cheers, Cate

Hey Jason - so sorry to hear of your "complications" (for want of a better word). That is scary stuff - good to hear that you are through it all though & hopefully onto a great recovery. Lisa - you go girl! I'm downunder too in NZ (am an Aussie by birth though). Stay in touch won't you? lilnena - think the Fluid bloat is over - yay! Weighed lighter today than when I went in to hospital, so that is encouraging. Ibelieve in magic - hope recovery is going well for you as well as for Cascadian & Jono & all the other March bandits. Well, my update - after posting yesterday I actually came down with high temps, so after ringing my specialist, went to a local medical centre & was checked & put on antibiotics. Temp has certainly settled now, however, any antibiotic seems to give me an upset stomach so that isn't pleasant. On the other hand, it is Sun morning here in NZ & apart from some port-site pain, all is really good & I am about to jump in the treadmill to do a slow meander for a little while to get the blood moving. Will check in later & see how everyone is. Cheers, Cate

" " Hi Jono - I was actually March 28th, but given the time diff (Auckland is a fair way ahead of the rest of the world!) - we were probably in surgery at the same time! Good to hear that you & Cascadian seem to both be doing well. I've popped on and off the treadmill for very slow walks a couple of times this morning & although the bloated feeling hasn't gone, it has diminished just slightly. I need to remember to breathe deeply too, which the surgeon was quite adament about. At this stage, it is certainly hard to imagine going about daily life without being conscious of this thing inside & how you feel different. I presume that that day does come, experienced bandsters? Cate

"So week #2. Lets see - I woke up to some thrush I'm still having intense pain in my lower stomach which according to my dr is from where they put the instruments in. I'm sick and tired of Clear liquids and so grateful my nutritionist gave me permission to have some Protein supplements! Besides that the port is ok, and my incisions don't hurt - just some itching " Eww - sorry about the thrush, there's an annoying thing you just don't need!:phanvan Well, day 3 today for me. Incision pain is very minimal - I just take the paracetomal regularly & I'm fine - getting the odd little taste of itchiness though. Have woken up very uncomfortable & tight though, feeling like I have a corset clamped around my chest - I figure that this is probably a build up of gas as I feel like I need to do few large burps, however, nothing is moving. Everyone else go through this one too? Am very uncomfortable & have been walking around & am about to have some peppermint tea.

Hi guys, I just got banded in Auckland on March 28th. Still got nothing but liquids ahead of me for a little while yet (joy!) All good though. How are you guys doing? Cate

Hi Meli, it's a bit of a pain coming out of hospital heavier that when you went in isn't it? Never mind - just looking at your ticker, you have lost an incredible amount of weight, yet are really only beginning your band journey too. How's week 2 faring? Cate

Yep, I'm home & well too after my op on the 28th. Had a couple of bads bouts of nausea in the hospital after a particular painkiller & the antibiotic were administered, otherwise, all was very good. Pain is certainly nothing like the 2 c/sections & hysterecomy I have endured in the past, and I had lovely nurses. Got liquids for about 2 weeks now. Protein drinks, cup a Soups etc. Amazingly - at this stage - I am not hungry woohoo!! Anyone else leave hospital heavier than when they went in? I'm still a good kilo & a half heavier than Wed morning - figure it must be all the gas + Fluid. Hope everyone is recovering well, Cheers, Cate

Hi again Marsene, Just checked online & my BMI is around the 33 mark, but I suspect that it may drop a point after another week of the awful liquid diet that I am on. All the best for Thursday - it's getting closer! cheers, Cate (in New Zealand)

HI, I've got relatively low BMI for this operation too, but there was no question of me needing the surgery as I already have sleep aponea, aching joints, high blood sugar. As it was, my weight sky rocketed by another 6kg just in the last 2 months, so the doc felt that this would be preventative measure for me. All the best, & let us know how you go. I am 6 days after you on the 28th. Cheers, Cate

Hi guys, count me in on the 28th of March. I'm into day 4 of my doctor's ordered liquid diet & am shuffling along ok. I started the process of doc's consultations back in December, and have had "last supper syndrome" for the past couple of months. I managed to gain an extra 6 kg over Christmas! As awful as the liquid diet is, I'm sort of happy to have had the brakes put on my out of control eating. Hope all the newly banded March folks are healing up well! Cheers, Cate

You look great Tracey! Congratulations on your hard work. (The trophy should say number one don't you think??) Cate (in New Zealand)

Hi everyone, just wanted to "formally" introduce myself . I'm Cate, live in New Zealand & have started my pre-op liquid diet today. My surgery is scheduled for March 28th. Looking forward to getting to know you all, Cheers, Cate :wave:

Wow, thanks for all of the friendly replies! I noticed that some of you have also lost huge amounts of weight- to save you writing it out all over again, is there somewhere on the site where you have shared your journeys? I'd love to hear how things have gone -have you still had to "diet" with the band, or simply modify your eating a little ? Cheers, Cate

Hi guys, I'm new to the site too & got my notice today that my surgery is in 2 weeks too, so I get to join you down here in New Zealand, on the "delicious" liquid diet. What fun! Cheers, Cate (also 41 )