tully

Thanks for your response lellow, that is super helpful. You look AMAZING!!! I am just blown away by your pictures. I couldn't see any tummy pictures, so I have added you as a friend so I can see them, if that is OK. Good luck with BA this month, that is so exciting! I think I will definitely need a breast lift and maybe BA too. So far I am still a D cup, but I tend to lose a lot off my chest (not my belly unfortunately). Here is my blog too if you're interested: You Would Be Pretty If...

Hi everyone, Just bringing up this old thread to see how everyone is going and if anyone ended up having a tummy tuck? I will definitely need a tummy tuck, but have about another 15 kilos to lose first (have already lost 45 kilos). I am just wondering now if I should be changing my health insurance to one that has better coverage for tummy tucks (I am with Australian Unity). Also, should I start seeing my GP about stomach rashes so this is documented (I am have a apron stomach)? I deally I would like a tummy tuck and breast lift, but it appears hard to find consistent information on what is covered by medicare and health insurance and what the cost should be, can anyone help? Thanks!!!

Hi everyone, I am booked in for surgery on the 22nd of May (yay!). :smile: I just had my pre-surgery appointment this morning and it didn't go very well. Since I had my very first appointment I have gained 10 kilos (very bad I know :thumbup:), so I started the Optifast 3 weeks earlier than they asked me to so I could try and get this extra weight off. So far I have lost 5.5 kilos and thought I was doing well and I am down to 124.5 kilos. I am not technically due to even start optifast until this Friday! So even though I have lost 5.5 kilos, I am still showing about a 5 kilo gain since they last saw me. My doctor was very unimpressed with me and made me feel like sh*t. He gave me the impression that unless I lose another 5 kilos before surgery (in 2 weeks) they may not be able to do it or it would be very risky. He also made it clear that he didn't believe that I had started optifast and that I was some fat lying pig. He then asked the nurse to give me advice on how to do it properly because clearly I didn't understand. I am a mixture of scared, upset and pis*ed off right now!!! :tt2:

Thanks everyone, I am feeling much better about the whole thing after all your kind words. At the time I just felt like a big fat failure and was humiliated. I am now down 8 kilos and counting, I can't wait for my surgery! :thumbup:

Thanks for all your support. I was majorly freaking out for a while there and thinking he was going to cancel my surgery. Suzie is right, I think he was just trying to scare me becasue he obviously thought I was cheating. I am now 7 kilos down and 10 days away from surgery. I would love to lose another 3 kilos between now and then and get back to my starting weight- or even lower. Gosh the Optifast has been tough this week. I have had to sit through a few dinners out with friends and colleaugues without eating and it is torturous. I know it will all be worth it in the end, but sometimes I just get so hungry I could eat my own arm.

This pre-op diet is driving me crazy! I saw my surgeon last week and he was really unhappy with me because I had gained weight since the first time I saw him (22 pounds :tt2:), but I have started to lose some of that weight on the pre-op diet and I am down 15 pounds. Anyway, he didn't think I was doing good enough on the pre-op diet and has said that I have to have 3 optifast shakes a day and nothing else, no green veggies, no sugar free jello or broth- just the shakes. I had been having th shakes and 3 cups of green veggies, but he insinuated that I had been cheating and didn't know how to follow the optifast diet. :biggrin: I wasn't actually due to start the pre-op diet until last Friday, but I started 3 and a half weeks early to try and lose the weight I had gained- thank god I did! Now I have the final 2 weeks of my pre-op diet and I have had enough. These optifast shakes make me feel sick and I am just so hungry. I would not reccomend starting the pre-op diet early, it is great to lose that extra weight, but it is just so hard! :biggrin: I know this will be worth it, but if I never see another optifast again in my life I will be happy. :biggrin:

Hi everyone, I am supposed to go on optifast (3 shakes a day and 3 cups of green veg) for 2 weeks before surgery on May 22nd. I am a complete idiot because I decided to start early (just after Easter) and I am well and truly over it now. I wasn't doing it 100% and would have a couple of meals out a week, but from Thursday I will have to be 100%. I can't wait for this to be over, I am so freaking hungry... :-)

Sorry if I am crashing this thread, I normally post on the Australian thread. I am May 22nd- I can't wait!!! :-)

Hey everyone, I am booked into be banded on 22nd May- less than 4 weeks away now and I am so excited. I am due to see my surgeon in a couple of weeks, but I have a couple of burning questions until then that I was hoping someone might be able to help with. 1. What is the insurance code for the lapband? I thought I had it written down somehwere and I can't find it. 2. My doctors said I should start Optifast 2 weeks before surgery, so I thought I would start it 6 weeks before, just to get a jump start. I am doing fine, but in the 2 weeks before surgery I have a few work lunches with clients, do you think I can eat an occassional meal? I was hoping that by starting the optifast early, that might help with this matter? 3. I am booked to go to London for work for 3 weeks approximately 6 weeks after having surgery, do you think this is ok? I am worried it will be too soon... :eek: Thanks so much for your help. I know I'll have to check all this with my surgeon, but I won;t be seeing him for a couple of weeks and it is really stressing me out! :ohmy:

Hi Leah, Thanks so much for your helpful answers! I called my surgery and found out the medicare number (30511 for anyone else who is wondering) because I just wanted to double check that I am definitely all covered. I guess if I have to eat when I am out I will stick to lean meats and veggies, It is so hard when you can smell all that yummy food! It will be worth it in the end. :drool: Thanks again for your help. I am starting to get quite nervous about things now, but more excited than anything.

Hi mspickle, I went to my first info session for The Avenue at the end of December 2008. I then got a referal from my GP in January and made an appointment to see Dr Burton at the start of February. We set my surgery date for May, because that is when my private health insurance will be ready to pay for the surgery. It was all quite simple and he seemed like a nice guy. I have a pre-surgery appointment at the start of May and then my surgery at the end of May. :rolleyes2: I think you could probably get it organised quicker than me if you already have your private health insurance ready to go. I have two friends that had Prof O'Brien and thought he was wonderful, I ended up seeing Dr Burton because he was quicker to get into and cheaper, but obviously still an excellent doctor! You can imagine Prof O'Brien is quite popular and is harder to get into see and can charge more for his services.

Congratulations! I found the hardest part of making this decision was admitting to myself that I needed help to control my eating, so I know how hard it is. I am going through The Avenue where Paul O'Brien is, so far I have had great experiences with them. My surgeon will be Paul Burton and I get banded at the end of May, I can't wait! Good luck!!! :wub: :wub:

Hey Megsy, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! That is fabulous and certainly not a minor event! You must be so excited to be able to wear tops from 'normal' size clothes shops. I am thinking a big shopping spree might be in your future... :thumbdown: :blushing: :confused: Cheers, Tully.

Hi Retta, I have a very similar story to you, I am a few years older and a few kilos heavier, but pretty much the same. I have decided to get a lapband and will be having the surgery in May and I can't wait. It is a personal decision though and I guess it is just something you need to think about. I have already spent almost 20 years of my life losing and gaining the same weight and letting my weight hold me back from life and I am finally ready to start living my life. Good luck with your decision. :-) Cheers, Tully.

Hey there, I am booked in for the band at the end of May, I can't wait. Good luck with making your decision. Not sure if there are any other kiwi's here, I haven't been here too long. I am also unsure about the ticker business- sorry! Cheers, Tully.

Hi, I can't really help you with your questions, but i'll try! I am looking to be banded in a couple of months at a cost of $3400 in the private system (I am in Melbourne). I believe it is between about $10,000 - $16,000 to have the operation without insurance and the public waiting list is around 2 years. I think you have to have a BMI of at least 35 to be considered for the operation. This is just from reading different things other people have said, so I am not quite sure how accurate it all is!

Hi Kygie, I only just saw this after posting on your re-banding post. I am so sorry to see that you have had to endure such a horrific attack. My thoughts are with you.

Hi tomjerry, I am really pleased to hear that everything went well for you. I am being banded on 22nd May, so I look forward to hearing how things go for you over the next couple of months. Good luck with recovery and enjoy being spoilt by your parents! :cursing: :tt2:

Good luck Kygie, I really hope every went well and things work out better for you this time. :cursing:

Hi Em, Congratulations! :lol: I just realised that I have already been reading your blog, I am not sure where I came across it, but every time I find a good lapband blog on someone elses page I add it to my google reader. I am getting banded on 22 May, so hopefully I'll be as successful as you have been. Keep up the great work. :frown: By the way, my blog in cse you're interested... You Would Be Pretty If...

Hi everyone, In the past few months I have been reading a lot of message boards about lapband surgery (most are American) and I am starting to feel slightly worried that I am missing something big that I should be doing. It seems like so many people get refused surgery or are undergoing rigerous testing and diets before they can have the surgery. In comparison, this process has been very easy for me and I really haven't had any obstacles- other than dealing with unsupportive people! I went to the info seminar last year, then I got a referal from my doctor and then went to see a surgeon and I now have a surgery date- 22nd May! :eek::w00t: I have my insurance, I'll be going on Optifast for 4 weeks before surgery and I have another appointment with my surgeon 2 weeks before my surgery. Is there something else I should be doing or is it really this easy? :cool2: Thanks for your input. :tt2:

Thanks for your responses guys! That is a relief to know that I haven't missed any major steps along the way. The closer the surgery gets, the more nervous I am that something will happen to stop me being able to get the surgery or I will have forgotten to do someting. I think it is because I just want this so badly!!! :frown:

Hi everyone, I had my first appointment with a surgeon at the Avenue in Melbourne last week. I was so excited to take the first step! Anyway, because it looks like my health insurance won't be availble until the end of October (was supposed to be April but it's a complicated situation...) he has put me on the public waiting list and said I would be a good candidate for the public list because he would recommend me as healthy and fit (as can be at my weight... :thumbdown:) and if I got called up I would be operated on by one of the private surgeons from the Avenue and at no cost. So this seems too good to be true! Has anyone else heard of this happening, anyone know what my chances are of being called up for a public place? I thought the public waiting list was years long??? So confused... :eek:

Just wanted to say that you look amazing Nat! I am getting the surgery in about 10 weeks (and counting...), so your pictures are really inspiring.

Hi Jacquitiger, I had to attend a seminar in Melbourne for the Avenue hospital before they would see me. I am so glad I did because it was incredibly helpful! :-) Good luck. Cheers, Tully.