shaggs

Hey Sunshine. sorry to hear about your bad experience but it was a good learning experience, right? You have to keep in mind that if you get stuck or do even a tiny little productive burp or a full blown vomit, for at least 24-48 hours after your little pouch and where the band sits is swollen and you will be tighter than ever and get stuck. You may be fine eating toast another time but after an "episode" its best to steer clear of those known trigger foods especially first thing in the morning. Best to test the situation with liquids and go slowly until you know where your band is at. And yes, I learnt all this by one of those bad experiences! Not pretty! Good luck babe!

I have heard that bands do naturally lose tiny amounts of fill over time and it does need to be topped up (evaporation etc). The best way to know if you need a fill is if you are getting hungrier than usual and eating more and only you can answer that and you have. Also, many people report finding themselves very comfortable at a fill level that has, in the past, left them very tight and uncomfortable. Its not as cut and dry as putting in or taking out the same amount and getting the same response (does that make sense?). Every day is different with our bodies and what is right one day may not be right the next. If you're feeling you need a fill then maybe you should. Whats the worst that can happen? You get a bit of an unfill? Keep in my that you're 5 kilos under your goal weight and you've got some room to play with there. Good luck and let us know how you go.

Megsy girl, you're on fire! What an inspiration - I cant wait to be properly filled - does the fill make you want to exercise too? Or does that actually require me to exercise my (lack of) motivation? You must be stoked girl - way to go!

Hi everyone. I'm a Feb 10th 2009 bandster - Happy 1 month Bandiversary everyone! Its been up and down but I must admit mostly up. My food intake has cut dramatically although I am now exercising self control with a little restriction. I dont get my first fill for another 2 weeks and I think I can wait. I'm being extremely careful (totally agree with small portions debbie) as I've had alot of pain and a PB when I've overeaten although no food has been stuck (not for too long anyway). I have to stop eating long before I feel full as it ends up hurting my scars half an hour later when my intestines start filling up. Still losing (20pounds so far) extremely happy so far, although have had my moments of doubt that this will work but I'm kinda making this my responsibility and the fill will just help me out. Cant wait for total restriciton though - had a taste of it after the op but its long gone now. Its hard but its workin so far. Love this band!

Hi there! Emmsie there is no such thing as "only lost" - you're doing great! Megsy, way to go, top loss keep us posted on the latest fill.

You're doing a GREAT thing for yourself, good for you! I was so unsure but I really knew it was for the best. I got in really quickly and just went for it (sounds similar to you). You wont look back! There may be times you'll wonder if its working and why do it if it is still hard but those times are minute and overall, so far, I love it! Good luck for the next few weeks esp the pre op diet which is the hardest bit of all. The rest is easy!

Yeah but you're a freak Megsy! I had shocking pain in recovery but I cant have morphine so maybe thats why. You're a bit wobbly for a few days but the recovery is SUPER quick and I was at the shops 3 days later and driving about 4 days after. Back on full motherhood duties (not easy) on day 6 all by myself with husband away for work. Eating pretty normally now at 3 weeks later (only small amounts though) still a little discomfort around port scar and if I eat too much but lower abdominally not around band. And I cannot say enough how BRILLIANT it has all been and I would do it all again even despite the hideous pain straight after. U walk within the hour after op. Gas pain is shocking but manageable. pain killers knock you around so you learn to live without or stick to panadol. All up, totally fabulous!!

I went through SIOS as a fully covered private patient in a private hospital and I only had to wait 2.5 weeks from first appointment to op. It cost me $7000 up front. $5500 was for SIOS which I get almost $1000 back from fund and medicare. $1000 to the anethetist and get $300 back and $450 in fees before the op (surgeon $180, psychologist $150 and dietician $120) I got $320 back from all of them on very good private cover. so thats a net amount of about $5380 and that covers all of my fills, and further ops if anything else needs to be done or replaced or repaired plus dietician, pyschologist and all follow up situations for the entire life of the band and or me. Plus, our medicare safety net situation is now looking good and we can claim the op back at tax time but I dont know how that will pan out yet. Because the dietician is covered in my health fund everytime I see her now I get a receipt and can claim her back also which will be about another $480 back over time. I know that NSW is higher than Melbourne and QLD adelaide etc because of different hospital situations etc. I know a self pay customer through SIOS at a public hospital was $9000 or $15000 through a private hospital with no difference in wait. Fully funded on Medicare is virtually impossible with a long wait on pre op diet (which is horrendous) for the entire wait which is known to be up to 5 years by which time you've lost all the weight! Other Doctors in NSW charge pretty standard $4500 plus anethetist which is variable but that does not cover any follow up appointment or situations. I think I got a pretty good deal and.... IT WAS WORTH EVERY CENT!!!! AND MORE!!!!

Totally agree Sunshine, best thing I have ever done. Would like to have a fill (have to wait over 2 weeks yet) but this is more than manageable at the moment. Glad yours went so well and its working for you! Cant wait! Emmsie, been wondering where u got to. Do you realise you've lost 14 kilos in 11 weeks? Which equals 1.2kg a week???? I dare you to find a better weight loss program than that. ESPECIALLY considering alot of that time is about healing and not being able to get around and exercise like you might normally. That is phenomenal!!!!! I go to a support group for the band once a month and yours is a great outcome already. Keep it in perspective. Let go of your old goals. You really cant make goals under circumstances you've never experienced before. Its an unknown and unpredictable situation and I would dare say, if you expected more than a consistent 1.2kg a week effort (500g is exceptional) then I would say your goals have been unrealistic (esp considering Xmas, healing etc etc). Give the situation time, go easy on yourself and think of the big picture. Its so easy to micro manage and get bogged down in the day to day but look at the big pic. 14kg in 11 weels AWESOME!!!

Oh and Mc Donalds chicken ceasar salad is TOPS! and at 5 -6 points on WW its a no brainer. Great take away!

Hey megsy, finding decent food in a hurry is hard so I keep a stash of pre cooked things ready to go. I boil up a batch of eggs and keep them in the fridge to have with some cooked haloumi cheese (fry in non stick pan no oil needed) with some beetroot and lettuce or whatever YUM! Some turkey or chicken with cheese and vegies. I also make sandwiches or burgers without the bread yesterday i had a low fat mince pattie with fried onions beetroot lettuce tomato and grilled cheese a perfect burger but without the bread. woolworths pasta or potato salad makes any meal interesting. woolworths select also do salt and pepper squid in the freezer do it in the oven very low in points for weight watchers whole box is 8 points and soooooo yum. I love a good gourmet sausage blended up with the above salads. Brekkie is a mashed fried egg with some turkey and cheese in it. Super high protein keeps you going for hours could also take it for lunch or keep in fridge for later re heated. Salmon rissoles are tops in the fridge go down like a dream and very low fat can give you recipe for them. Its mostly about being prepared but if worst comes to worst go and by a roll from a sandwich shop and use the roll as a plate and just eat the contents, leave the bread or ask them to put it in a salad container instead of roll. Oh and canned refried beans heated up in microwave with lowfat sour cream, cheese and avocado are TOPS! Mexican wonderland! I blend any meat I cook for kids with a little water or sauce and its ready to go for a couple of days. I've got some more involved recipes these are just quick ideas let me know what you like and I'll find a recipe in my collection for it and good luck!

First of all - go Megsy you ol' devil! Good to see the old girls' got some juice left in her yet! Hope you had a top time and thanks for testing out the alcohol thing, I'll be trying that myself tonight (husband away again this week) Funny that you had a bad experience yesterday, I have found out alot about bad experiences since I started whinging about having no restriction and eating all the time. Well, I do feel pain and now I know what comes after the pain I will do everything I can to not go there. Unfortunately I also know that you dont know theres a problem until its too late but I can only try. ALOT of people have mentioned this problem after eating rice. I've always had a prob with rice so I havent eaten it as yet but given the right circumstances I'm sure I will. Others have also experienced pain afte the PB on a par with post op pain and I definitely dont want to go THERE! Crossing my fingers for a better week, thank you for sharing hopefully we can catch up on chat one night???

Hey Megsy, god I want that restriction! The most I get is a little tightness if I havent chewed properly (pretty much on normal foods although I am careful no bread as yet). The worst thing I get is a horrible pain when I sit down after I eat not around the band but behind the wounds like my full intestines are pushing on the scars! Yuck! Time to cut back and pull in the reigns on the quantities I think! I guess its back to me and will power (or lack there of) for now. How's your restriction going now? Is it still good? God I cant wait! I want it back!!!!!!!!

Oh man! I am on that slippery slope! Please everyone tell me you're doing the same. I swear its getting so hard to control the constant nibbling, I feel like I'm going to be over 100kg within the week if not the day. One half of me is freaking out and cant believe I'd do this after all I've been through and the other half just aint listening. I am trying so hard to reign it in. So far the scales are good but I know thats not going to last. I still have sore spots on my tummy and a god awful pain if I sit after I eat (not in the band area but under the port scar). I cant WAIT for a fill only 3.5 weeks to go! And then I will probably need about 5 more fills for it to work. Help!

I think it is the same IMhopeful. I was scared too but I soon got over that, mushies has been sooooo great! However, has anyone else noticed their post op restriction wearing off? I am slowly being able to eat more, and its not lasting as long but it is still good but the worst thing ever is, I have started to "seek out" food again. My emotional/entertainment eating is creeping back in. I am hoping its just a phase that after not being able to eat anything i am just excited about eating again and I really want to put back some self control before things get out of hand. How's everyone else going? R u hungry, restricted or slipping back to old habits?

Hi Megsy, Ive been wondering how you're going! I hope this fill gives you some good restriction. I have often thought of you when you said you've had no restriciton and I've known all along my day was coming and after great restriction after the op I can now feel it slipping away and I want it back! No fill for me for another 4 weeks though! Keep me posted on how it is for you

Hey Debbie, we dont have staples here in Australia for lap banding, we all just seem to have only the steri strips. One of the incisions between my boobs lost their strips within a couple of days from rubbing on my bra and sweating etc. The rest of them were still stuck hard and fast but I was over it and pulled them all off last Friday. It took a little pulling but they came off and underneath everything was beautiful and I doubt if those strips have been doing anything for the past week or so. I know my c section scar the stitches are removed after 4 -5 days and the skin is perfectly healed so go for it - just rip them off (carefully) you'll psychologically feel new again! And if they're a bit itchy you'll be sooooo relieved!