puppyphat

I had to pay AUD$5000 before surgery to cover anaesthetic, surgeon and hospital. Our health system is different to yours, but that is a standard out of pocket amount for over here and must be paid in full prior to surgery.

I love my implanon, recommend the nuvaring, having used it in the past. Expensive though, steer well away from depo. That stuff is evil. Made me suicidal/ homicidal and bleed constantly for 6 months. What's the point taking birth control if you can't have sex?

15 months post op, to the day, wet n wild Sydney will be opening 10minutes away from my house. SEASON FREAKING PASS!!!!! I'm so excited, I'll be able to do everything in there and not worry about wearing swimmers, or looking like a beached whale. Most incredible motivator ever!!!

I'm 5'4, had a starting bmi of 36 at 93kg or 204lb. I'm now exactly 1 month out today and am 76kg or 160lb. Weight loss includes pre-op diet. No1 will ever know about my surgery. Work mates think I was off work for 2 weeks with a horrendous gastro bug and I'm now working hard to keep the weight I lost off. I've been overweight for 2kgs and hope to have a bmi in the healthy weight range by Easter, if not new year.

I did the same before pre op diet. I'm now 4 weeks post op. if I can offer any advice... Cut out the caffeine now!!! It will be hard to go through the headaches and withdrawals once you start the pre op diet because your body will be going through a lot of other changes and adjustments.

A lot of people suffer with stalls at about the 3week mark, this was more to help bust the stall, not a constant thing. If you are walking for 1 hour everyday and eating the same thing everyday, sometimes changing things up can help start the losing again. I must say that I have been losing very well so far, down to 77kgs from nearly 100kgs in July. I'm happy with the loss so far and hope it continues.

I'm 4 weeks out today and have been losing constantly, but today, I lost a massive 1 kilo (2.2lb) in only 4 hours. I went to paintball with 25 friends. Released so much pent up stress and had the worlds best workout!!! I recommend it to anybody in a stall. Do something completely different. Sweat buckets, run around, have fun and see the scales move.

Exactly 4 weeks out today and I'm going for the biggest workout ever, 3hrs of paintball!!! I always said no to activities like this as I thought I'd slow every1 else down, or that they only invited me because I was there when they were discussing it. I'm so excited to do a normal group activity and shoot all my workmates (come on, who wouldn't want to do that?)

I can genuinely relate to wanting to purée a marsbar!!! I ate a teaspoon of lemon merangue pie on purée stage. I figured that it was soft and my head really really wanted it. Regretted it instantly. It tasted revolting and made me so sick!!! I would really steer clear of anything high fat or sugar, even if it's just a tiny taste like I had. I have been fine with scrambled eggs, some people aren't. I haven't been very adventurous.

Oh Lila, I'm so so sorry for your battle. I nearly cried when I read what you went through. All I can say is that i'm really glad you're on the mend, and even if the test isn't great tomorrow, sending very positive thoughts for you, you will still be ok, and you will survive another fast because you have proven to be the toughest nut on this thread!!! I envy your courage and fighting spirit. I really hope that if any good comes of this for others is that you have really taken one for the team, and have been the 1 in 200, so our other pre sleevers who are joining us in the next couple of weeks don't have any dramas. Thinking of you too kayargh. You'll be on the losers bench with us shortly. And hopefully without the speed bumps.

That's ok. I posted pics of my removed stomach after the surgeon inflated it. I'm sure that grossed a lot of people out, but I thought it was cool

Eeewww. Lol. I did ask. I'm always amazed at the varying techniques used by surgeons, even in aus. How many stab wounds did you have? I had 5 with the biggest and most painful on my right side, between the top of my undies and bottom of my bra, if that makes sense.

What was the drain for? Again, didn't have one, was anything coming out of it. I'm a vet nurse and we put drains in abscesses to let all the pus drain out. I really hope yours wasn't like that. They are gross.

I didn't have any trouble with the Protein shakes until after surgery. Too sweet. I did a bad thing the other day. I made a lemon meringue pie for my dad and as I'm on purée, figured I could have a teaspoon or two, WRONG!!! Even with the sourness of the lemon it still tasted gross. I apologized to every1 for making it wrong and they all said it was fine. At least I know I won't be replacing my protein with lemon meringue pie.

Hey scotty, you're at the Oclinic right? he is a very good surgeon, but he is somewhat stricter on his post op plan. That why he has so few complications I guess. You will be in hospital for 4 nights, can you stay long enough to round out the week? I just worry because his residents operate out of concord hospital and if you have an emergency, god forbid, you need to get there ASAP. I live in western sydney so am about 45 mins drive in good traffic from the hospital. I was worried that I was too far away and made sure all my close family knew how to get to concord. Where do you live? What's the back up plan if something should require treatment?

I now donate $30 a month to the red cross because I was feeling bad for all the starving kids in Africa as I was throwing all this extra food out. First step to relieving the guilt.

I used to make specifically matched platelets donations before surgery. They called me to make a donation while I was on the preop diet and I thought I was still having the band. They told me it was a 2 month exclusion after the band and they can't wait until I'm feeling better and come back in. Not sure of the exclusion for the sleeve. I guess I'll find out when they call me next month.

Hi Susie, glad to hear you're going ok. I was nil by mouth until my 5th day so I'm sorry, I can't help you with the Water, but I can say that I'm nearly 4 weeks out and I don't think there has been a single day since surgery that I have had more than 1L of water. I've had Protein shakes and tea, but my dr says don't count them. I know how hard it is to get it down. Are you still on a drip?

My surgeon told me at my 2 week visit that it was very irritated and put me on nexium tablets. I didn't have any symptoms, so was thankful for the "inside" info.

I was sleeved 13th. I don't start soft food until next Monday.

It really puts it into perspective. No wonder I could eat a family sized pizza on my own in one sitting. Thank goodness those days are gone.