susannah

Hi, Mate I must be a moron cause I can't get it to work.:rose: I am gettin banded tomorrow, ao I have much bigger fish to fry right now. But I will get The bloody ticker working! Ahhhhh:biggrin1: Susannah

Hi Melissa, A chocolate fish drink?!!!:rose: :biggrin1: The vanilla one is g-d awful to be sure. Susannah

Gday Yanks!!!:rose: I am getting banded tomorrow morning. I am bloody scared I wont lie. I have finished my three weeks of Optifast, and didn't cheat once. That is a record for me. Mate My liver is gonna be the size of a pea!:biggrin1: Bless you all. Keep truckin. Susannah

Hi Gals and Mark:biggrin1: Well It is nearly my time.:rose: Today I cleaned my place, did my washing, packed my hospital bag and exercised. I am feeling scared I won't lie, but I feel I have prepared myself as best I can. I finished the Optifast today.You little ripper! :Yay another three weeks of different liquids! :) I will check in with you all, as soon as I am up to it. Keep up the good fight girls, and Mark.:biggrin1: Will see you on the other side. Susannah

Hi, I am so touched by this thread. Thankyou so much Mark and Fee and everybody. It is wonderful to be able to come here and share ideas and have a few laughs. Struggling with weight issues is so hard, and it helps to know that we can pick each other up and keep on walking in this battle. I am a little anxious and scared about tomorrow morning, but I know that I have done everything possible ,physically and mentally to prepare for the surgery. I am going to tell my surgeon that he has to revise my BMI downwards, due to my pre surgery weight loss!:rose: Mark it is nice to hear from you. Please don't be a stranger on our chat thread. I know we are all women on it, but I would like to learn about weight issues from a man's perspective also. I will check in as soon as I am able. Susannah

Hi D,Tomorrow is indeed a new day, take it one day at time. I didn't have a liver ultrasound, but I did have a battery of blood tests done. Did you have to have a sleep study done? Tomorrow is my last day of three weeks of Optifast. Yay!!! My tip is that the chocolate is nicer than the Vanilla. Eight different flavours would have been good. I was told Optifast only. Not that I asked for any other brand. Susannah

Hey, Bronnie ask your surgeon when you see him if you can be banded at The Avenue. Then you'll be an Avenue Bandster like a few of us here.:biggrin1: Susannah

Gday Daniel, My name is Susannah and I am day 20 of 21 days of the Optifast pre surgery diet. It is hard in the first week, to be sure. Believe it or not the body adjusts in the second week and you feel less hungry. Check out www.optifast.com for tips. It also helps to keep yourself really busy throughout the day to keep your mind off eating. What kind of things do you like to do? Also you could go theough magazines and cutt out some of the clothes you would like to wear and keep a little book as a visual reminder of what you are working towards. Good on ya!:clap2: Susannah in Australia

Gday, Tracy Yippppeeeeeee!!!!!!:biggrin1: Good on ya! Baby Grl Yippppppppppppppppppeeeeeeeee!!!! Great weight loss. I am day 20 on the Optifast!!!! Tomorrow is the last day!!! I am stoked!:biggrin1: Susannah

Hi Girls, Bronnie don't be hard on yourself mate. I know how bloody horrible mri's are. That is why I am overdue for scanning, coz I avoid em! What else are they going to tell me, '' Another x amount of lesions, blah,blah"' I know I have MS. Loretta, it must be so hard for you waiting as a public patient. You will get there no doubt. Jacqui, I read that one of this years contestants on the Biggest Loser who weighs 190 kgs, had a lapband and lost 70 kgs. He decided to have it removed and is hoping that the show will be his last hope. You know what I wish him well because we all know what a struggle this whole weight loss caper is. Meredith, why don't you watch The Biggest Loser on sundays on channel 10 @ 7.30 pm. That is the weekly weigh in. Mate I know what being a soap addict is like, I love Days and B&b! :biggrin1: Yes I am tragic too. Dionnm, Keep posting here. I used to love drinking diet coke here and there. I have not drunk it for nearly a month now. It is amazing how you lose your appetite for fave things when you abstain for a while. I think constant consumption of any food or drink just feeds the addiction. Fee what's happening? Lastly a big hello to any Aussie lurkers. Come on in the water's fine!:rose: Susannah

Hey Bronnie, ooh the Gadolinium! Yuk. I always drop a Xanax each time or I will flip out. Have a good rest to get over it all. You are off to a good start pre banding. Is anyone planning on watching the start of The Biggest Loser on Sunday night? I will be watching it from my sick bed! LOL. I am going to milk the poor patient routine to the hilt! Susannah

Hi, Like anything the band may need servicing and updating in the future. There will probably be a newer more advanced device in the next decade. It is exciting to contemplate really. Susannah

Hi D, I have nearly finished 3 weeks of Optifast. Every surgeon has different requirements of their patients. It could also be related to your current BMI. Welcome, and good luck with it. Susannah

Gday, I am day 19 of 21 days of pre op Optifast. Nearly there! Look there is no denying it is hard and a major change from one's regular eating pattern, but if it prepares you for surgery and makes it go smoothly, all the better. I am starting to think that it is also a test of your mettle and character. Can you tough it out and come through it? etc. Good luck with it. I am looking forward to some new and different liquids post op! Susannah

Hi All, I am day 19 of 21 on the Optifast, and powering away. I like it with ice cold water and icecubes blended through it. Its ok actually. Mind you I am looking forward to having some different liquids for a change. Bronnie good luck with the scanning. I have all of mine at the Royal Melbourne Private. Hope they don't find any new lesions or progression. Good on ya for walking too and going on Optifast. It doesn't sound like Dr Nottle makes many of his patients have the sleep study so you could be lucky. As for me I have to be in the high dependency unit after my surgery as I have weak lung muscles, and they have to keep an eye on me. The respiratory physician doesn't know why this is the case, as my sleep study was fine. It could be because I have MS or not. We are not sure. Meredith, any wedding news/updates? Susannah Banana

Hi All, I just have been wondering with a poulation of approx 300 million people in the US, and a huge obesity problem, are many people getting banded? It just seems that this forum should have a lot more members than it does. Are there areas in the US where there is more obesity than other areas, or is it widespread? Australia is also starting to experience an obesity crisis. Very interested to hear your thoughts. Susannah

Hi D, My name is Susannah, and I am getting banded this coming friday. I am day 18 of the liquid diet. It is hard, but I suggest that you keep yourself really busy with different activities that you enjoy. The first week is the hardest. I found that my body adjusted to the Optifast in the second week and it was muh easier. I am nearly there, and I haven't cheated once. Where are you getting banded? Susannah

Hi All, Thanks Chris. Hey Greg top effort mate! Get those pounds off.:biggrin1: I am not really excited about the surgery, just excited about losing weight and feeling better. Susannah

Hi Girls, Wasn't it a tragedy about the 26 year old woman who died last week having liposuction. She was young and beautiful and of normal weight. I think the lesson here is to only see a plastic surgeon who has the letters after their name, and serious years of experience. I don't know all the facts of the case, but from what I read the woman usd the services of a cosmetic asthetic surgery centre. I would like to have a breast reduction down the track as big boobs are uncomfortable and and cumbersome. Cam, Bio oil is excellant. Susannah

Hi All, thanks for the insights here. In Australia the band is the surgery of choice. Banding has been being performed here since the early nineties, so it has been around a lot longer I guess. Australia has pretty strict regulations on medical advertising and while advertising the band in newspapers is allowed, it is not allowed on tv commercials etc. The media is allowed to cover it in news stories though. Susannah

Hey, Does he have a brother??!!!LOL!:biggrin1: Susannah

Sam, the story was in todays edition of the Herald Sun. www.heraldsun.com.au Susannah

Hi meredith, I am sure you will have a wonderful wedding day. Where is your fiance from in the US? My older brother Simon lives in Brooklyn NY. He and his partner are trying to get pregnant, and will move back to Australia for the first few years of the baby's life. Losing the weight will be all the sweeter for you when you go down the aisle in your dream dress. It is nice that your fiance loved you even at your highest weight. Most men are not so generous like that! Susannah

Hey, Make that reflux, not refux!:biggrin1: Susannah

Hey Bronnie, I have lost 7 kilos since being on the Optifast program. I rarely get refux/ heartburn. Let the fun begin. Susannah