angie324

Wow Flirty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's here at last!!! Are you all set for travelling tomorrow?? Good Luck! we will all be waiting to hear from you when you get back!! I am seeing Dr Chris tomorrow and can't wait! so you must be extatic!!! I can't wait til my band is finally fitted and i am back home and on the start of my 'journey'!! Did you get any waterproof dressings to bring with you? and what about food? someone mentioned cuppa soups. but are they suitable? angiex

Hi Nick, i am going to see Dr Chris tomorrow in Dublin so i guess he will tell me then what time i have to see him in Brussels. I fly in early in the morning on the Monday, so anytime will do. Hope you don't mind me asking but are you bringing someone with you? and where are you flying from? I'm bringing my parents with me. Hubby can't go cos he can't get off work (teacher). It's actually my poor dads 60th Birthday on the Thursday! so i booked an extra night cos i didn't want him spending his birthday travelling all day! I wonder if i can order a birthday cake from anywhere?? angie x

hi Englishrose! good luck with your fill! how much does Dr Chris put into the band on the first fill? and did he stipulate how long you have to wait before your first fill? angie xx

Hi Flirty! Yeh some people can say pretty nasty things, but they are often due to lack of education and ignorance!! My post man just arrived with the new book i ordered!! yippee!! it looks good! i read somewhere on another thread that this book was worth buying. it's called 'weight-loss surgery with the adjustable gastric band - everthing you need to know before and after surgery to lose weight successfully. Authors; Robert W. M.D and Linda Rohrbough.' I bought it new off ebay for around £10 including delivery. but think you can get it on amazon too. Angie xx

hi English Rose, Wow you really seem to be adjusting to the band well! i hope i do as well!! Thanks NIKKX for the tip about the sunday mail article! i have just checked it out online. yeh! pitty it was the belgium one that didn't work out, but from what i can gather, failure was due more to her chosen diet/willpower than the band. The band isn't a miracle quick fix, it requires a lot of work from us too! yes it makes losing weight easier, but my excitement lies in knowing that every pound off is a pound gone for ever!!! heres a link for anyone interested in reading the article!! I've lost 10 stone thanks to a gastric band ... Could you? | Mail Online Thanks Nick!! and welcome to the site!! angiexx

mine too!! ha ha! i can't wait to buy clothes in any shop i choose!! Wow you've lost 21 pounds in 3 weeks!!! is that all post-op or did you lose some pre-op?? And what are you eating?? angie xx

Thanks for that English Rose!! I bought myself a book in which to keep all important information and tips etc!! i have a section for foods to avoid, recommended foods at each stage, personal diary, contacts etc. It's already well used!!! I have started to buy in things for after the operation like a pill crusher and vitamins etc but i didn't have waterproof plasters down so thank you for that tip!!! I'm still questioning my decision, but i think that is more down to the amount of savings i am spending!!!!!!!lol!! Thanks again! angiex

Hi Flirty!! I,m sure you will be fine!! it's natural to worry about all the 'what ifs' but i don't think dr chris would say you are suitable for surgery unless he was pretty sure you were. He knows how expensive it is for flights etc! I'm sure we will still be able to have a good knees up after a couple of months, but we will probably get drunk on a thimble full!!!! Don't think my hubby will complain!! cheap date! lol! angiexx

Hi Nick, Is your operation on the 23rd in Belgium?? wow! i have started the low fat diet too, but i,ve been speaking to a couple of girls in America who are at the same stage as us and their doctors insist on a low carb / high protein diet (bit like Atkins). I know that all doctors have different ideas about what shrinks the liver more, but i am concentrating on at least reducing the carbs and upping the protein. Hope it works!! And as for carrying weight on the abdomen --- I carry a lot of weight there too! that's why i am worried about having a fatty liver! Are you seeing Dr Chris for a consultation before you go to Belgium or have you already seen him? Good luck with your diet today! stay focused!!! Angie

hi, Jackruss, i,m due for banding by dr Chris in 3 weeks. You say that he does not recommend slimfast post op? what sort of things did he suggest for post-op? and were you given advice about vitamin supplements and protein amounts etc before you left the hospital?? trying to get as much preparation done as possible before i am banded! Thanks! angie324

hi Flirty!! Poor you!!! I really hope that chest infection clears up soon for you! Take plenty of vitamin c supplements!! i started on the slimfast meal replacements. They are high in protein but think they may be too high in carbohydrates?? i have been keeping in good contact with a lady tin Mexico who has been put on her pre-op diet (3 weeks!!!!) and she has told me that her doctor insisted on the high protein/low carbohydrates of the Atkins diet! so i have found a uk company who sells products fro people on the Atkins and low and behold was able to find the shakes, bars, soups etc!! The Atkins stuff is very expensive but their own brand products were much cheaper. This is the website if you are interested? Avidlite Low Carb Products . I started a degree course in health and social care last year and start my second year the week i am in Belgium!! lol! figure they won't do much the first week so not going to panic! You must be so excited to start your new course! i would love to have been a hairdresser but don't think i have the natural flair! i am so excited about seeing Dr Bruyne on Thursday so i can imagine how excited you must be for Friday!!!! lucky you! not long now and the waiting will all be over! just been to lift my pill crusher and some multi-vitamins. still need to get ones for hair and nails etc, but might have a look in Dublin for those! Well good luck flirty! i will definately be thinking of you! Angie xxxxxxx

Hey everyone! i just came accross this site and it has great tips and advice for diet after banding!! Check it out! Lap-band diet and nutrition

well i went ahead and tried the slimfast shake for my lunch! used soya milk and have to say that it tasted ok!! And really filling! could only manage 3/4 of it - really filling!! and thats before the band!!! HA HA! angiex

had my first slimfast shake for lunch today!!! wow! those things really are filling! i could only manage half before i felt full and thats before i'm banded ! lol! great news!! my doctor has referred me to a dietician on NHS for after my op!!!! so now means that i'll be able to get aftercare free!! i will still see dr chris in dublin for my fills, but won't feel so isolated up here in the north should i have problems!!!!!!!!!!! YEHHHHHHHH

Wow Coco!! thats great info!! I have printed it off! THANKS Angiex

Hi English Rose!! Thank you so much!!!! that was so good of you to go into such detail!! if i don't get it right this time then i will have to accept that i am computer iliterate !! right i'm off to try this out!! lol! i will let you know if i am successful (hopefully with a fully working ticker at the bottom of my reply!!) THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

Thanks MissBS and Becky!!! I started my pre-op 2 days ago and think i have lost about 4 lb so far. i have checked the slimfast tin, but it neither says optima or low carb on it but reads 14.1 Protein, 34.5 of carbohydrate, and 223 calories per serving. (its a meal replacement). i haven't started taking it yet, was gonna start today but mainly bought it for my post-op liquid diet. What you think? how much protein, carbs and calories are in yours? Angie xx

Hey English Rose! can you tell me how you uploaded your ticker?? i couldn't get mine to upload so had to just copy the picture and paste!!! but it doesn't look good and i am unable to click it to get an automatic link to the ticker website for updating it. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! angie xxx

Hi Flirtylass!! just wondering how your pre-op diet is going? not long now!! i started a pre-op diet yesterday. I know its a week early but i figure the longer the better for me! Not gonna be overly stricked this week just gonna replace breakfast and lunch with a slimfast shake and a piece of fruit mid afternoon. then my ordinary dinner minus carbohydrates! hopefully it won't be such a shock then for my body when i go onto liquids only!! good luck!! angiexxx

Weigh (ha ha!) to go!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am getting banded the day after you Becky so will be interesting to see how each of us are getting on and compare notes!! Don't need to start my pre op til next week but figure better sooner than later!. I gave up the cigarettes 2 and half weeks ago and feel great for it!! will never smoke again! Going to the Chemist this afternoon to by my shakes etc. are slimfast shakes the same as Protein shakes??? sorry but this all new to me!! angie x good luck!!!

Hey everyone! great to see this group rapidly expanding!! i am getting banded on 23rd Sept. can anyone tell me what they are eating/drinking for their pre-op??? my doc was a bit vague and just said a low-fat diet!! good luck everyone!!! how excited are we ???????????????

Wow Ailbhe!! way to go!!!!! that's great encouragemnent for all of us newbies!!!!!!! I am wearing a size 24 now which is the biggest i have ever been!!!!!!!! i have 2 bin bags of beautiful size 18 clothes that i have from the last time i dieted!! it will be like christmas opening them up to wear again!! infact it may well be christmas!!!! lol!! Well done girl! you must be working hard!! angiexx

HI Skinny! ah sorry!! not same date!! i am going on the 22nd to be banded on the 23rd Sept. Goodluck and please let us know how you get on? HI ailbhe! yeh, i guess i will just have to make sure and stick to a rigid diet! He said i didn't need to start til 2 weeks before had but i think an extra week won't do any harm!! thanks!!! angiexxxx

Hi all!!!!! just wanted to thank you for your help with my flight times!! Dr Chris was sooooooo good!! he offered to let me see him morning of operation and then take me to the hospital with him!!!!!!!!! wow!!! I didn't want to put him out so i changed my flight with aerlingus to the morning one instead! was cheaper than the evening flights so i booked the night before into the Bewleys airport hotel with a complementry shuttle bus at 4.30am!! saves me panicking about making such an early flight lol!!! OH by the way, i am starting my pre-op low-fat diet today! (not sure what i suppose to eat though lol!!) But just wondering???? HAS ANYONE BEEN REFUSED SURGERY IN BELGIUM DUE TO A FATTY LIVER?? be interesting to know! can't afford to get to belgium and be refused banding!!!!!!!