Sydney Susan

Which fitbit do you use Misty? I'm interested in getting one of these too.

I really feel for what you folks go through with your insurance companies. DownUnder (well, the Australian bit of it) if your GP says this is suitable surgery for you and refers you to a bariatric surgeon that's the end of it. Insurance company has no say in the matter, and it would be considered an intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship. As far as I know all the insurance companies cover it - well mostly cover it, as a "co-payment" is normal. For me it was $5250, and my health insurance is pretty decent. I don't know if we pay more for insurance than you folks, but it's a private matter - not part of your employment - so perhaps we do. Good luck with the process.

I'm nearly at the 3 months point and haven't vomited once (looking for wood to touch....). But as per others posts here, the times I've felt close to it have been when I've over eaten, and I think always Protein. I don't eat bread, rice or Pasta as my dietician said they have a tendency to "get stuck", and I'm in no hurry to experience that. I can eat more runny foods (Soup, casseroles, yoghurts), and like them so they tend to make up most of my diet. - no problem with a cupful at a time. I think that's why I've made a few mistakes with dense protein (eggs, chicken, salmon) - I'm not as in tune with the volume of dense foods I can eat - about one third of cup fills me up. I eat with a teaspoon most of the time and that may be why I've managed to get enough "notice" that I'm over-full and stop before vomiting. Don't really know, just a thought. Others have said this elsewhere - the full feeling is not like it was before surgery. It's discomfort bordering on pain. It demands you listen to it!

Personally I love anaesthesia... I've had to have a number of ops in the last 15 years and it is sheer bliss! Wake up from a dreamless sleep after all the horrible/undignified/really painful stuff is over! Lie in bed and get waited on. People bring you flowers. Wish I could use it in other parts of my life... laundry, washing up, arguments with the teenager... all gone, flowers arriving.

On the Aussie ABC (news... A cousin to the particularly fine BBC) website today... Exercise won't prevent or "cure" obesity: http://www.abc.net.au/news/4813126 Well, that's one less thing to worry about... walking the dogs is - and will remain - my preferred form of exercise. It makes us all happy!

I saw a great brother and sister on YouTube - a number of posts. It came up easily when I searched on V S G and versions thereof.

Pre-packed Protein shakes Misty - they'll keep your protein, calorie and Fluid requirements up, and allow you to "soldier on" even when food is hard. I have a steady supply of Aussie Bodies coffee flavour for when I'm out and about (30g protein). I'm sure you'll be able to find something suitable in a supermarket or larger pharmacy (I'm assuming you're in a big city like Mumbai). I find Soups the easiest thing to get down in social situations - hard to get to "vomit point" with liquids. Not sure how prolific India is re soups though. Stay away from the rice - it can cause no end of problems in the early days. Good luck!

You may well have an infection in the skin fold/flap... Thrush perhaps? Can probably get canestan cream (or another thrush treatment "over the counter", and it should do no harm between now and when you get to see the doctor.

I was in recovery and had only regained consciousness a short time when the nurse assigned to me learnt over and whispered "Why did you have this done, you just need to eat less and exercise more". My BMI was "just" 36 (the smallest person to be sleeved that day) but I had very significant co-morbidities. I thought the whole episode was bizarrely amusing, but then I was certain of my choice and my recovery was pretty straightforward.

My dr keeps his patients in 4 nights as a minimum. It's a pretty big op and I wouldn't go anywhere near a doc who thought it ok to do this as a day procedure. It is v similar to a resection done for stomach cancer, and patients are kept in at least a week for that.

Sarah, I meant to also say that if you haven't had your thyroid checked its always worth doing that. If nothing else it puts the "bad metabolism" thought out of your head and allows you to really focus on what you can do. And if there is a problem getting it sorted will make a huge difference. Good luck, again.

Congrats Sarah! I agree with the advice to see a dietician and also to avoid carbs (bread, rice, Pasta and Cereal... And of course all manner of sweet treats and spuds). At 132kg you may still be finding exercise hard on your joints (I've dropped 17kg from 103 to 86 and have found that's made an incredible difference... Far more than I expected), and if so diet will be your main strategy for a while yet. So a good dietician could be particularly helpful. I'm not a fast loser by any means and am happy with a low carb 1000 cal per day... It is giving me a consistent loss but I'm just walking the dogs every day. Looking to add Zumba now my joints can take it ... Good luck with it all.

It might help to realise that some bariatric surgeons would still have you on "nil by mouth" at this stage, because of the swelling in your tum post-op. All drs seem to have different requirements, so many - like yours - do progress their patients much faster. But if you were with my surgeon you wouldn't even be aware of the difficulties swelling can cause... Well not yet. So relax and allow some time to pass.

BMI hit 29.9 today... Been a long time since there was anything other than a 3 at the beginning.

Neither the band nor the sleeve cause 'malabsorption' as a means to lose weight (like the bypass), so that means every bit of food we eat has the potential to help us lose weight or cause us to gain it. The same types of fatty, sugary or otherwise high calorie foods slide down a sleeve and pass through a band, so I can't see how there's any difference there. The positive difference for the sleeve (IMO) is the kick start we get with grehlin producing cells in the stomach fundus being removed... I believe it doesn't go on forever (the human body has an amazing ability to adapt), but boy is it helpful right now. What worried me about the band is the introduction of a foreign object, the need for follow ups and the stories I'd heard of slips and erosions. For me the sleeve seems far simpler after an initially bigger surgery and longer recovery period. I'm currently watching a friend who chose the band a few weeks before me lose weight at a rate equivalent to or better than mine, but experience a lot of discomfort during and between meals. I can't see how she can go on like this indefinately. I have very few issues even worth commenting on, am completely pain free, don't fear future breakdown of my stomach and have no regrets at all about my choice. Everything I've read on this site since a few weeks before my surgery has made me feel my conclusions were right.

I believe real laxatives... which have a stimulating effect on your bowel and cause it to contract... are not recommended at all for some weeks after surgery, as these might damage your very tender new tum. "Stool softeners" are, and there are a myriad of those on the market. Best to ask a local chemist as if you're not in Australia anything I mention might not exist 'Up Top', or have different ingredients. I believe the ones that draw water into your bowel are safe and effective, and the occassional enema is fine too. Of course if you feel you are getting into 'trouble' with constipation, then a laxative may well be unavoidable, but hopefully that won't happen too early in the piece. Good luck.

As everyone has said - reality check girl! I'd have been lucky to lose a pound a week (consistently) pre-sleeve and I would have really suffered for it.

Brendani, not a fall at the hurdle at all IMO. We should all take a long hard look at ourselves before we embark on something as monumental as this. And you seem young and healthy enough that you have time on your side - so take it. Frankly, when I see young women leaping into this I worry (it's usually women on this site, with such a focus on "thin" rather than "healthy"). Of course that may be because I'm old and want everyone to suffer as much as I have... Again, good luck. Misty, I've always been a fan of Smith Family and St Vinnies stores in more upmarket suburbs - often get lightly worn, good brands cheaper than at Target/Katie's etc. Ironically they are often cheaper than Vinnies in less affluent suburbs - perhaps less competition for their wares?? Until the last few years I'd never bought a new pair of jeans ever, but as I grew bigger the available stock grew smaller. My now 14 year old son has been almost exclusively dressed out of these places, yet I'm sure none of my friends know this... One child families abound in the wealthier suburbs and the labels are usually not worn out, far less the clothes. I spent $20 recently on 2 really beautifully cut size 16 pants, a very elegant red top with funky buttons and a sheer, flowing top in red and black. I love them all!

Know just what you mean. And I had no idea my head could be so clever at making these idle thoughts into deliciously real images, smells and hunger pangs. A (thin) friend of mine swears by cleaning her teeth whenever this starts. Personally I alternate between thinking of it as "food porn" (quite fun, a victimless crime, ok in the privacy of your own home, etc etc) and thinking there's just not enough toothpaste in the world.

I'm hoping everyone who reads this thread is clear - hypothyroidism makes it difficult to lose weight. ALL the medications for hypothyroidism make it easier to lose weight than not being medicated. Your medication may not fully address your hypothyroidism - so you may still find it harder to lose weight than before you needed the medication, but the medication itself is NOT making it harder to lose weight. Many doctors seem hell bent on giving their patients the minimum medication they can get away with, partly because low-level hypothyroidism symptoms are "vague" and partly because there are other health consequences to too much thyroid medication - like heart palpitations and osteoporosis. Lowering your medication without reference to current blood test results showing how well your thyroid is functioning is likely to lead to weight gain, not loss. Some of the responses in this thread sound like a few of us are convinced the medication itself causes weight gain.

Brendani I agree with everything Sue said a couple of posts earlier, although I've been sleeved a lot less time than she has. After only 9 weeks (not even a footy or tv series "season") I find that my thoughts about eating have changed a lot - not my love of food and taste, just amounts and speed at which I eat. "Restriction" is a beautiful thing - you WILL slow down your eating because it will be bl**dy uncomfortable if you don't! I eat with a teaspoon a lot and have no problem with that, but sometimes I get carried away with the taste of something, take a whacking big bite and then realise I have to chew it a lot and swallow in stages. It works fine for me. As Sue said, only you can make the decision for you, but try not to equate everything you do today with something you'll experience as a loss later - you almost certainly won't. I was a big portion eater of mostly v good quality food - no junk food, not particularly sweet stuff and nor do i tend towards "two fat ladies" style creamy or fatty dishes (my hubby does though, but he's thin... a story for another day and a different forum). I now watch my husband and son eat their "huge" meals at a pace that seems obscene, but didn't used to. I don't feel deprived because I'm not hungry - it's the "new normal" people speak of. What we do or did around food is also only one way of eating - there've always been people who ate slower, took smaller mouthfuls and ate less quantity and less calorific food. Our "normal" was/is only one of many. I'm no saint by the way... I could quietly nibble exquisite cheeses and sup good wine all day long, and my sleeve would let me! But it would be no real achievement to lose my excess weight if there was no work left for me to do, would it??? A few days before my op I posted on this site that I didn't think I could give up the enjoyment of food and was thinking of backing out. Lovely people reassured me I would still enjoy my food, just in smaller amounts. And they've been right. At this relatively early stage I'm still avoiding bread, rice, Pasta and cake/biscuits ... but I find plenty of stuff I like when I'm out and about. I enjoy socialising and was eating out very early on... eating around the solid food in an Asian Soup while still on thin liquids! My BMI was "only" 36 but I had several serious health issues related to my weight and a huge family history of early death. I'm 52 and earlier this year realised my state of health was significantly worse than both my parents at this age, and they died well before reaching 60. I can't begin to tell you how great it feels to have "hope" (and even "positive expectations") again. Health may not be your biggest concern, but for many of us it is or becomes a big black cloud in our lives. I wish you well with your decision and your journey, whatever it is. Have faith in yourself to cope with the transitions you face. If we can do it, you can too. Good luck.

Yesterday I went to a Vinnies (op shop) in a posh Sydney suburb and purchased 2 v stylish pairs of black pants and 2 tops - all in "as new" condition and a size down from anything I own - for a grand total of $20. Wearing one of each today I felt like a million bucks... still got a long way to go but having lost 15% of my starting weight (the half way mark for me) I feel like I'm walking on air! Woo hoo!

Nessa, your post is perfect for newbies. Why not copy it into a "mainstream" thread so the non-Aussies can benefit from it. Oh, and huge congratulations too. You clever thing.

I've been on thyroid meds for 30 years, my mother was on them for a similar period before dying from an unrelated issue (although she'd also had thyroid cancer) and my grandmother for something like 60 years before dying of old age at 101. There are lots of things that cause thyroid meds to need to be changed but thyroids have a habit of simply "turning up their toes" progressively, so more of a "top up" is required. It's just the way it goes, so get monitored regularly to ensure adjustments are made in a timely manner. Good luck.

Very, very good stuff... Pay for quality not quantity! Fine Australian (of course) dry white wine is my preferred "lapse".