mumof2

Thanks for that. It was our wedding anniversary on Saturday but we are waiting another 2 weeks until I can eat to go out for a meal (I am still on liquids). I was interested in knowing how people get on when they go out as most of my socialising is out in a restaurant or at the movies, that kind of thing. I dont go out too often though, now i have two kids, but its good to know I can still enjoy it now and again. I have no idea yet what I can or cannot eat, I guess I will know in a few weeks time when I start trying.

I had my band done almost 2 weeks ago. I was a little bit sore for a few days but not so much that I had to take any pain killers. On day 5 after the operation I could sleep on my tummy again and I'd say day 7 I was totally back to normal. I am a stay at home mum and was lifting my 10 kilo (24lb) baby the day after surgery but didn't get back to house work until about 7 days when i was back to normal. Maybe people recover quicker than me, unfortunitely I got a really bad chest infection after the surgery and have been pretty sick with that since. It's still not better so its zapping my energy a bit and probably slowed down my healing a little.

I would LOVE to be 180lbs for christmas day. It would make my year. i would have to lose 2lbs a week for that to happen. I am only in my second banded week so i dont know how its going to work for me but I will definitely give it my best shot.

I have Medibank Private blue ribbon hospital. It covers everything (including the actual band). So your insurance has to cover prosthetic devices and elective surgery and I think you would need the top hospital cover to get all that. The out of pocket expenses (this is what your dr charges above what the health insurance pays them) was SURGEON: $3,000, ANAESTHETIST: $400, SURGERY ASSISTANT:$500. Total $3,900. So you have to be prepared to pay your premiums for a year to serve out your waiting period plus put aside about $5,000 for your out of pocket expenses. The good thing for me is all my follow up appointments and fills are bulk billed to medicare, so no out of pocket expenses. I think its probably the same for all Dr's here in Australia.

For my liquid diet I was told only things that can be sipped through a straw. no puddings, no jello, none of that. I am allowed, 2 protein shakes, a half cup of drinking yoghurt and one cup of vegatable juice. Thats it. I wish I could have pudding, oh yummy, only 11 more days to go until mushies.

I'm not sure of the answer to that. I had my band done on Tuesday and just had acetominaphine for pain, I took two yesterday and just one today. I am a bit sore but I wouldn't say I have pain. So from my experience I would say you probably shouldn't be in that much pain. Everyone feels pain differently and sometimes what you feel is really painful I might think is a niggle or what i think is awful pain you may feel as a mild pain. So its really hard to say for sure exactly what you should feel, but I would say if your feeling any pain that you think isn't normal or worse than you expected and not getting any better just get it checked out, just incase.

I just logged on to post about this exact problem. I got banded on Tuesday and have had diarrhea since. I mean diarrhea in the real since, pure liquid. I don't think i am taking in as much as is coming out, I just dont think I can, I have been feeling headachy and unwell and run down etc, I know its from all the diarrhea. I am glad to see its normal though, I was begining to think there was something wrong.

I had my surgery on Tuesday also except I didn't have any morphine or anything, I am quite jelous now, I only had paracetamol (acetominophine). Lucky you hahaha. It's so exciting starting off but I dont know how I will survive two weeks on fluids only.

:biggrin2: Hi, I had my first consult today and getting banded 26th August. I am so excited and so nervous. I am having my surgery in Greenslopes (Brisbane). Just wondering if anyone else is getting banded in August as we will be around the same stage all the way through our journeys so we can keep in touch with each other.

I GOT MY BAND YESTERDAY :biggrin2:I am on my 2 weeks of free fluids now. There's not alot I can eat...well....drink, but I'm not that hungry yet anyway. Its still a little sore but its not that bad really. I went into theatre at 10am and at about 4pm on the ward I was bursting to go to the toilet so I just got up and went. It was less painfull being up and walking about than it was lying in the bed. I am home now and doing fine. Lifting my baby, making his feeds, tidying around the house. So here goes, day one of being banded, I already weighed myself this morning aand was a kilo heavier than yesterday and all i had yesterday was a few sips of water. I think its all the gas and stuff as my tummy is still bloated from the op.

Thats a great idea. I will definitely do that!!! Lucky hubbie, he'll be eating for two hahaha. I am SO nervous now. I am having my lap band tomorrow. I'm on clear fluids all day today and fasting from midnight. I have butterflys in my tummy, so nervous. I guess next time I speak to you I will have my band in.

I start my clear fluid diet all day tomorrow fro surgery on Tuesday. I am getting so nervous. I am wondering how I can keep it a secret if people are over for dinner or we are out and I can hardly eat anything. I am worried about vomiting or having problems. I think its all party of the pre surgery nerves. Tess how are you getting on?

I am getting banded on Tuesday 26th. I always enjoy a diet coke as a treat when the kids go to bed, so now I am looking for a substitude so I still feel like I am having something special when I sit down at the end of the day. Also that is the time of day I am usually hungry so that drink takes the edge off (although I hoping I wont feel hungry when I have the band). I was thinking of getting a nice coffee machine, but I think I read comewhere that you cannot have coffee. What about tea? Is milk considered a food? Can you have some milk in your tea?

I am on the pre op diet also for surgery on the 26th. Are you having 4 shakes and 2 bars each day? I have been having 2 shakes and 1 bar each day. I was just wondering if i was doing it right. I was so dizzy yesterday that I skipped the dinner shake and ate a dinner. I had to because I wasn't able to pick the baby up for fear fo dropping him and I had to drive my toddler to swimming today and was in no fit state to drive the car. I feel much better today and am backon the 3 meal replacements again, As long as your eating low fat I think its ok, you will still be losing weight. Good luck

oh no, danafreda, what are you allowed eat at the moment? Hopefully once you get your fill you wont be hungry anymore. How did your surgery go? Did you stay overnight? Are you feeling all recovered now?

Tess, how are you getting on? Are you feeling any better? How are all your aguast people who have been banded feeling? I can't wait to hear how your all doing, how your finding the new way of eating and how your weight is going. Michelle, I am being banded on the 26th also. I have a feeling the 26th is going tobe a very successful day hahaha. How are you getting on on your pre-op diet?

My Dr's information says to go on a low calorie diet such as Optifast. What is the Optifast diet? Is it 3 shakes a day and no food? I used to do Tony Fergusson and he said I could do that but that is 2 shakes and a meal. I was just wondering if i shoudl just have 3 shakes and no meals. I want to do the very best thing I can before the op. Thanks.

Best of luck Tess, the brand new you is just around the corner. This is it, your big day, make the most of it, I know you can do it and come back soon and tell us how your getting on.

17 days till surgery. Diet going ok so far. Been on the low calorie diet for 2 days although today when I was out shopping I was SO hungry and usually I'd put some yummy stuff in my trolly but I resisted, one half of my head said ' its 17 more days to go, just a little blow out today wont make any difference' but the other side said that this is a new life and a new me and I wont ever be eating that rubbish again in future so I should start now and not eat it. I felt so good when I got home, empowered. I am now excited about getting the surgery and actually succeeding for once. I haven't seen the dietician yet, seeing her next week, looking forward to finding out whats going to happen, casue I really dont know yet, like what can you eat after surgery, and after that and what happens. How are you girls feeling who have had your band in?

TessJ, I am not sure how long to take off work but one weeks sounds good to me. When I had my gall bladder removed I was up walking about that day and home the next day and I think pretty much back to normal a couple of days later. With my lapband my husband is taking 2 days off work and after that I am back to looking after my baby and toddler and the home all alone!!! AGHHH, so I am hoping I can be recovered within 3 days as my baby weighs 9 kilos so is heavy to be lifting in and out of his cot and carrying around. I don't feel excited or nervous or anything. Its sort of like I dont really believe it's happening. maybe its cause I have been battling my weight all my life so I can't believe that something is happening that could help me put an end to that. Gosh I really hope it works for me, I hope I am strong enough to stick to the eating plan. I wonder is it a real struggle, like do you have to hold yourself back from eating (cause at the end of the day its my lack of being able to do that that put me in this position to begin with). I see all these people here with massive weight losses, is that just the exception or do we all have the ability to be that successful? i dont know why I am questioning all this now cause I would never have consented if I didn't believe it would work for me. Maybe i am nervous ha ha ha

Sam, Thats great that you and your husband are doing this. I am hoping that I can be as successful as him and my husband will do it. he is even more over-weight than I am but he is a bit scared of having it. So I guess i am the guinney pig hahaha. Look forward to chatting with you about our experiences.

Just wondering if there are any support groups around, or other banded people who meet up so we can chat together and get to know each other so we have support from a familiar face when the going gets tough or you need a boost or to Celebrate your achievements. People who are all going through the same thing and understand. I was just wondering

Hi Sam, I am being done by Dr.Greenslade. I am so nervous but I can't wait for it. I am hoping this is goign to change my life. I know its going to be hard work and alot of will power but I need this to work for me and my family. I am from Ireland but living here. I haven't told any of my family or friends as they wouldn't understand and having already sort of dropped this type of thing into converstaion with my mum I know she is totally against it and thinks its an excuse because you dont want to make the effort. So I am doing this on my own with my husbands support and one friend here that I have told. She is trying to lose a few kilos (the old fashioned way haha) so we are doing ti together, being a support to each other and doing some exercise together.

Thats great Ange05, you must let me know how you get on, we're only 2 weeks appart.