barbC

:wink_smile::confused: I feel a bit of a fraud posting hrere now that I am bandless but how many people have had the band removed for infection? Infection poorly managed from the outset and the final straw was when the tubing was said to be stitched in ' a pit full of pus'. This acted as a wick tracking up the tubing until there was only a very short tube left, too short to be meaningful. The band was the best thing for me. I had researched the band for 3 years prior to surgery and I still want the band. I am now anxious that my BMI 31 does not meet the criteria of 34 + if there are medical problems indicated for banding and of course fearful of regaining weight. My head is pre-occupied with band/bandless, food/not to eat, packing a wound/when will it heal, why did I have such a hard time/did I contribute to this outcome. I had changed surgeons with the removal of the band and he said he will discuss this at my next visit. I would appreciate if anyone else has had similar? Barb

Thanks shaggs, I am an emotional train wreck at present. Fed up, great set of words as I am stuffing my face silly, emotional eating yet my weight is stayng the same. Real professional during the day though! I don't let go this pretence. Example last evening after work 5 peaches, 1 mango, 1x 250g block of chocolate then sat down to a smallish thai mince - lots corinander and chilli with vermicilli noodles- still hungrey so finished off my sorbet a small bowl. I was still hungry. Pehaps my body is saying I need to eat for wound healing but that was a massive amount of food, shamefully. I haven't heard from the other surgeon and I see the new one Monday so I feel I am in limbo land. I may also be suffering new PTSD from all this. Last Op, new hospital the narc nurse took my glasses off when I had to walk into theatre and I cannot see without them! From an assault and torture from an unsupervised prisoner in an ICU with bips and beeps and machines that make much noise I felt I was back there again. I threw the blanket over my head when I finally got to a trolley in order to keep safe from blows!!! If there is a next time I will keep my contact lenses in and LIE. I am having flash backs and feeling guilty I did this to me- typical. Sometimes death has been a friend walking beside me getting closer.

Ses, Dr George Hopkins- Holy Spirit Northside and RWBH is pretty good and well known. He can band in the public at the Royal but generally most see him as a private client at Chermside. You can email his practice as well which is what I initially did when I wanted a second opinion. They were very obliging, non-judging and extremely supportive. Don't expect a lengthy chat however as he is very quick in/out nor does he expect you to jump the hoops in attending dietiticians, psychology etc. Another quiet achiever is Dr Carmody who works out of the Mater. Barb

Megsy, Awful awful business. Do you have an allergy to dairy products? Optifast is made on dairy. I had the same response to optifast and also immediatley post banding. Found out the Benefibre is based on wheat of which I am also allergic to! Anyway post op I had to develop a proper bowel regime with aperients and suppositories because if I let it go for more than 4 days I was in a real state. Metamucil and others that swell are not recommended for bandsters. Nulax, lactulose have been said to be OK. Since my band has now been removed due to infection things have only improved slightly. I have yet been given an adequate answer to why this has occurred. Barb

You need 24 hours post GA, then if you are taking strong analgesia that affects your ability to drive do not. Personally op late Thursday and driving back at work Saturday evening. Everyone is an individual and every surgeon and aneathetist have different techniques so check with them. Barb

Hi, I do not regret one bit being banded. Apart from loosing weight my objective was to have a better lifestyle, reduce the devastating effects of diabetes medication and regain confidence. I did all that except I was mis-managed. CoC- excellant surgeon however liked to 'train' people so like most private hospitals has several operating theatres operating with trainees being supervised at the one time.Perhaps it is the ego! Great concept- dietician, psychologist, nutitional based specialist. 13 days after surgery I had an infection, hospitalised twice for intensive antibiotics, wound finally healed 7 weeks after surgery then broke down one month later resulting in the port being removed. The band was then removed one month later by another practice as the tubing had been stitched in a 'pit full of pus'. Supervision of a trainee at removal of the port perhaps as I never got an answer what was found at that operation when this trainee saw me post-op. Ask your surgeon if he is focused on you and only you at your operation, check then with the hospital how many operating theatres/teams have been allocated to this surgeon, ask what their practice is once you become their stated 1% complication as I have felt I became a problem and I had been shunned from their glamour support. I am hoping I will be able to be re-banded within 6 months of this wound healing- perhaps August/September. Barb

I am totally dairy allergic. I am looking for non-dairy optifast liquid meal replacement alternative please? Ingredients need to exclude whey, casein, some calcium products that are dairy based. I am dead scared of regaining weight whilst in this hiatus stage so getting information early if needed. Thanks for any suggestions. Barb

Hi Bluez, Try de-gas chewies they help with gas. Congratulations in getting banded. The journey has started. Keep up your protein intake to help with healing. Barb

Good luck Sam. The journey has started. Barb

Hi, Yes I had great results from optifast. I first saw the Team on the 8th July and from that day I started optifast x 2 meals a day plus another low GI meal. Pus the gym 3 times a week and my job was very physical. I actually found optifast easy, no real thinking and filling. The weight was measured then and the day of the op 7/8 88 kgs was the weight I was weighed in at pre-op on different scales. I have yet to be weighed since but I invisage I remain stable. Stable because of having to think more about what I can eat and also because I had a nasty wound infection. I was in a poor nutritional state post op because of the lack of protein I had- lactose intolerant and the fluid choices given by dieticians were based on dairy products leaving me to vegetables soups, water, low cal juices. I am fortunate now I am adding natural soy protein in two textured meals to help my wound healing. I am now struggling to ensure adequate calories, low GI and protein choices in the right amount. I have yet to be given how many serves a day of grains/cereals, protein, fruit and veges etc I should be having. My diet for the last 5 years before optifast was very restrictive- near vegetarian and low GI so having this choice is new to me.

Hi I struggled hard to work out how to create these wonderful looking tickers. Thanks to a Melbourne person Roheryn on another thread I found how to. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f183/how-guide-creating-your-weight-loss-ticker-72359/ It is important that we really Celebrate our achievements. After a life time of hating to stand on scales- I even declined to stand on dietician scales when I went for advice as I did not want to share my slow progress nor experience the put down when your weight would fluctuate so dramatically between visits.

Hi Sunwyse, Your post made me smile because it was torn plantar fascia ligments that forced my hand into being banded. I had researched for over 2 years and kept thinking I would be OK without a band! Don't ignore the exercises, find a really good podiatrist who has some sports medicine background because there are many who only look at the large person. I had a great person who recognised that my calf, achilles tendon were so tight hence tight plantar fascia, that finally snapped playing beach cricket on Australia Day, because the amount of walking I did- after 12-14 hour shift as a nurse then a 7 km quick walk almost every day following the long shift on my feet. Now I have been banded one month, have been out of a walking boot for 2 months and I feel great, finally on the road to some control over weight, eating and my foot now feels normal. I have had a few hiccoughs trying to get my head around not being so strict on my diet at this stage. <a href="http://www.tickercentral.com"><img border="0" src="http://www.tickercentral.com/view/9z9z/1.png"></a>

Hi, I don't know if you are still within their size range but I always go to Toowanda, located in one of the little side streets near the Little Bourke, Big Bourke st- you can tell i no longer live in Melbourne. And then to Chapel St oulets where one can still find some special. I try and fly down once a year and have found Toowanda has young designer clothes and it isn't all the standard Melbourne colour of black! Cheers Barb

I haven't even told my kids-22 & 26 just hubby. However this nearly backfired as I was admitted with a serious infection at my port site. I felt I was going to die and then I felt guilty as I hadn't told my kids. Hubby says not to tell them. He told them the past 5 days I was at a conference! I feel like s... not happy