Mrs.M

I am scheduled to have the surgery on the 31st of January - just two days away. I'm nervous as well as excited. My biggest fear right at this moment is the anaesthetic risk. Everyone keeps reassuring me that I will be fine, and logically I know that I will, but I suppose it's just a case of fearing the unknown. My next fear is that I won't be able to lose weight. I'm still on the shake diet at the moment and my weight loss plateaued at a 6kg loss! I've been exercising every day, following the very strict diet, and nothing. My husband has also decided to diet, not that he's very overweight, but he just cuts out a few cookies and the kgs fall off him. Isn't it always the way? :rolleyes2:

I'm now 3 1/2 weeks post surgery and chewing again! Yay! My weight loss has stopped, which I knew would happen and I'm fine about, but I'm not gaining anything either, which is a bonus. I went to see the doctor today for my (early) 4 week appointment. It was pretty much a formality. All he did was look at my wounds, put me on the scales and asked me a few questions about how everything was going. So far he's happy with my progress but warned me that I might start to put on a bit of weight again until the first fill in another four weeks time. I'm feeling really good about myself lately. I still have LOTS of weight to lose, but just getting a bit off the top has made such a big difference. I imagine that the exercise is also helping me, as much as I hate it! Nevertheless, I find that I miss it if I skip a day so that's really good. I am noticing a little bit of restriction, in that I get full a lot faster than I used to. My challenge is to now STOP eating when I am satisfied rather than when I'm full. But it's very hard to do, especially when the food tastes so good! But the fullness seems to really sneak up on you with just a couple of extra bites. Definitely something to keep my eye on.

Good luck for Wednesday fat2fit!

I'm glad all has gone well for you M. It really took me 2 1/2 weeks to feel pretty much back to normal, and before that I even felt a little blue. I hope all goes well for your recovery and you are soon back on your feet. Just remember to take plenty of time to rest.

This doesn't sound too good to me Dionne. My surgeon was very specific about coughing at night. He said that it shouldn't happen and if it does it meant the band was too tight and I would require an adjustment. (Mind you, I haven't even had the first fill yet!) Did you have acid reflux beforehand? I would ring the doctor in QLD and just ask him what he thinks. Maybe he can help you get in to see someone faster in Vic.

Great to hear that your surgery went well Labec. I'm glad you are home and doing well.

Good luck for Friday Kylie! Your surgery sure seems to have come around fast!

Keri, I didn't realise that the bands sometimes contained Fluid when they went in. I was under the impression that they were left empty until you healed. As for the blues... I was fine the first week, but half way through week two I have felt a little down. No tears though, just not really my usual cheery self.

I had shoulder tip pain after my surgery for about a week. Applying a heat pack helped but I think it just takes time for everything to settle back down again. My surgeon told me it was caused by the two things mentioned above - the gas and referred pain.

I agree that the optifast is really hard and I too had a headache and felt lousy for the first couple of days. I never want to see another diet shake again and hopefully with the band in place I'll never have too. I never got used to them I'm afraid. Anyway, I hope the time passes quickly for you. I know when you are in the middle of it it seems like an eternity, but soon enough you will be in the home stretch.

Good luck to both of you! I'm sure you will be just fine, since the doctors and nurses really do take excellent care of you. I completely understand about being nervous and excited at the same time, and let me tell you that the waiting is definitely the worst part about the whole procedure. I'll be thinking of you both tomorrow and sending good vibes your way!

Nat36, I think 20kg will be easy for you to lose... I would imagine you'll get the whole 30kg off by the end of the year, especially if you are exercising as well. I'm now at the 2 1/2 weeks point and fully immersed in the liquid phase. I'm finding that I'm quite hungry throughout the day and starting to long for something to chew. My doctor has said that I can't start eating any mushies until after 3 weeks, so I'm hanging out for Thursday! I've had a bit of a head cold during the last couple of days and all the sneezing and nose blowing has resulted in a little tenderness at my port site (or at least where I imagine the port is located). It's not too bad and I really only feel it when I'm bending a certain way. On a positive note I'm finally noticing a difference in the way my clothes are fitting. There seems to be more room in my pants! At the start of this process I thought I would be at the mall enjoying shopping for smaller items, but to tell you the truth, I'm actually enjoying how it feels to have loose clothes on. And maybe, just maybe I'm still a little nervous about buying anything smaller... just in case. I wonder if that feeling of "here comes another failed attempt at weight loss" ever really leaves.

Oh Nat, I can so relate to what you're saying! I have started avoiding friends and social gatherings and the thought of meeting my husbands colleagues leaves me cold. Thankfully he works remotely from home and his office is based in Sydney, so trips down there for all of us are few and far between. I had been tossing up about this surgery for about a year, but when I realised that I was starting to isolate myself I made the decision to go ahead and do it. And like both you and Soriminah, I have a little black dress, size 12, that used to fit me many years ago that is still hanging in my wardrobe as incentive. I don't expect to be there by the end of this year, but maybe sometime next year.

Well, it's now been a whole week since I had the band put in. My pain has mostly subsided now and I'm on a roll with the liquid diet. With everything I've read and all that I was told I was expecting not to feel hungry during this last week, and it's true to an extent, but my stomach has still be growling. Mind you, I guess the fact that I've even got to the point where my stomach has been growling is amazing for someone who LOVES to eat! Now that I think about it, I guess I haven't really been thinking about food too much at all. Before surgery I would constantly think about what's in the fridge, what to cook for meals, what to buy at the shops, which treat would be nice right about now... but I think that's mostly gone now. Hmmmm...... could this actually be working?

That's great news Soriminah! Congratulations on receiving your op-date. I'm sure the time will just fly by... it did for me.

I think you should respond something like this. When she next makes one of her comments say, "Yes, you have already said that before. I'm actually getting concerned with how obsessed you are with people who are overweight. I looked up your problem and discovered that psychiatrists say that people who are obsessed with a topic are usually suffering from a disorder. Maybe you should get some help." Or how about, "Yes, you're probably right, but at least I can lose weight. I don't think doctors have yet perfected a personality overhaul so you might be stuck with your insensitivity problem for a while yet." And then of course, you must strut away, hair flinging and a big smile! On a more serious note, her behaviour really does amount to harrassment and I agree with Sades that you should phone the anti-discrimination board. However, I think you should approach your employer first and get his / her reaction to the situation. Good luck with it all.

I can also relate to the gas pains and the inability to burp. It just rumbles in the top of my stomach and then hurts terribly for a second or two. The last few days have been better with the air actually escaping, but the pain is still there with it. I also get a pain in my left side around my ribs, usually when I breathe in deeply. Thankfully, I'm noticing all the pains are easing as the days go by (I'm only day 6).

I'm currently at day six and there's no way I'm ready to rejoin the world. I still get pain in my shoulder on and off and also around my rib cage on the left side. My wounds look good, but they are quite tender and I am only wearing really loose clothes over them. I am doing light house work but get tired quickly. I imagine this is due to a very limited food intake as well as my body using energy to try and repair itself. I am pleased to say that there is a noticeable difference every day in how good I feel. I'm expecting that I'll be pretty much back to normal by about day 10.

That's terrific news for you Kylie! I remember feeling the same way you are now, both nervous and excited. The things that you mentioned in your first post are all normal. I found the doctors were particularly concerned about DVT while in hospital, hence the stockings. I also had a shot of heparin (blood thinners) and wore balloon things on my legs that blew up every 30 seconds or so to keep the blood flowing. I'm happy to report I had no problems. The stitches are necessary to keep the band in place. That's because the stomach is very slippery and the surgeon doesn't want the band moving. I'm surprised it's only three stitches. That's something I didn't ask, but I assumed there would be at least 6 and maybe as many as ten. The barium swallow after surgery is also normal. Mind you, my doctor doesn't do that procedure anymore since he is so experienced in this operation. Good luck on your journey Kylie. I'll keep my fingers crossed that an earlier appointment becomes available for you.

Yes, I agree with Coo. It's been a hard enough struggle without having to "educate" people about how hard it is to lose weight. I just want to be left alone to get on with it, and not have to face a million humiliating questions from people who are curious. I have only told three people. My husband, my mother and a dear friend who is also considering the same surgery. These are the people who support me and will help me through this very personal experience.

If you are motivated to do it, then go ahead. Losing as much weight as you can before surgery can only be beneficial. As to when to replace your meal, I would say it depends on when you are the hungriest. I'm always famished in the evenings but can hardly bother with breakfast so I found it easier to have the shakes for breakfast and lunch and then the meat and veges for dinner. Good luck with it all!

First of all, throw out your scales! Weight is one of the worst possible ways to check your progress because of the way your body composition changes. If you are working out, you are building muscle and muscle is significantly heavier than fat (which is why fat ladies like me float so well! LOL!) Anyway, use your tape measure and record the difference in body SIZE. Keep doing your muscle building exercises because muscle will speed up your basal metabolic rate, meaning you'll be burning more kilojoules / calories than ever before. Next, you really need to get this all in perpective. Take off the "week at a time" goggles and look at the big picture. If you must weigh yourself, do it monthly, that will give you a much more accurate picture that takes into account your regular, and very normal, body cycles. Lastly, remember that the exercise and good eating that you are doing will be beneficial to your heart, lungs and other vital organs. You are slowly the ageing process, increasing your strength and stamina and toning those muscles. Keep going... I know you can do it!

Thanks so much for all the encouragement. I'm pleased to report that the surgery went well and my doctor was happy with everything. He said I had a "slim stomach", which I took as a compliment of course, so I only needed the smaller band. I am now at day five (day one being the day of surgery) and relatively pain free, although I do get this sharp, stitch like pain in my left side over my ribs. I have to admit that I was surprised by how uncomfortable I was after surgery. With everything I had heard and read I was expecting to be back to normal by now, but that's not the case. The stomach pains from the gas were awful, but I expected those since you hear a lot about shoulder tip pain. Right now I'm having a lot of trouble burping, and that can be a little painful but only for a second or two. It just feels like a bubble of trapped air. All in all, I'm feeling very well and very positive. I'm actually looking forward to getting back into the exercise program I had started before surgery, and I'm excited about the potential. I know I've done the right thing and now it's time to really put my nose to the grindstone and do the work.

A lapband is a tool to help achieve optimum health and prevent early death or chronic disease. The fact that it's put in surgically is beside the point. In many ways it is comparable to a pacemaker - also put in surgically and also used to prevent early death or chronic disease. The kind of weight we are talking about is not just your average "I've put on a few pounds over Christmas". Our weight issues are serious and life limiting. I think a lot of people cannot or will not accept that chronic obesity is an illness in itself. All of us need to stay strong and simply focus on our goals. We need to stop worrying what others think of us and sort out the way we feel about ourselves.

She Smiles, does that mean you all have a lapband in your family? Was it a decision you made together? I'm still tossing up about whether or not to even tell my family...