elcee

Sorry , still new and not very good at working out the best place to put things!

I was referring to the boards in general!!! So far the only fighting,bickering etc that I can see on this particular thread are the ones directed at me for daring to have an opinion that differs from the opinion of "other" people. Maybe I misinterpreted the tone of certain posts. If so then that is my mistake.

If your doctor says you have to wait, ask him why because neither I nor my Dr. have any idea why you can't drink before a meal. I've been wondering this as well. I understand the not with or after bit but why not before? Does anyone know

Amazing how quickly a difference of opinion can deteriorate. In my opinion there appears to be a lot of band bashing. However that is my opinion and it is quite possible that other people can read the same posts and interpret them differently. I have no problem with stats however all stats should be read with caution particularly when the source of the information is not known. It is also well known that stats can be made to suit the purpose. Ask any marketing expert or politician. I am sure that people are and should be allowed to post the negatives of the band. Ditto the sleeve. I am glad that you can see both sides, that is wonderful.It is something I try to do myself as far as possible which is why I like balance.If you don't think there is a balance that needs to be restored that is fine. I am entitled to my own opinion .:thumbup:

Wow Indshark your wife must be awful. Hope my DH doesn't tell people he would pick a colonoscopy over me!

Thanks Airkuhl that was really interseting. I am getting banded on 2 June and have noticed that there appears to be a lot of band bashing on the boards. I have also read lots of messages saying how wonderful and safe the sleeve is and how few side effects there are. We all know that there are risks to every surgery, some because of the procedure, some because of the surgeon and some may be because of the patient (e.g Auto immune disorders can cause problems). What your post does is help to restore some balance. It will be interesting to see more data on the long term effects/risks of the sleeve further down the line when it becomes available.

"Just Pray" @*!!!! Would they say the same if you had cancer or heart disease etc. I'm not religious but isn't there a saying that " God helps those who helps themselves"? This just reconfirms for me that it is not a good idea to tell everyone. Its your body, your health and your business.

Just wondering why she doesn't think you should get it done. Is it because she really thinks that you wouldn't be able to handle the lifestyle change or is it maybe a bit of jealousy? That she is happy with what she has done but maybe she doesn't want you to feel better and look good too.I think that although we may not admit it a lot of us do feel that way sometimes. So check why she is advising against it and then do your own research. Visit your doc/ surgeon etc and make an informed decision based on their advice.

I'm using a combination of Celebrity Slim and Tony Fergusson. The shakes taste quite good but they don't really fill you up. Had a bar for lunch as I needed something to chew. Have also bought Soups as I don't want only sweet stuff. Problem is they have a weird taste,can't quite explain it, maybe chalky . Don't know why they can't make them so they taste like normal Soup. Good luck with the op. i am 2 June in Melbourne.

I don't like any of these names. I do remember someone came up with a really nice name - she had put some effort into googling all sorts of combinations but LOL I can't remember what it was and don't want to go over every post to find it. In the big scheme of things its just a name - so whatever everyone else decides I am sure will be fine.

I am wondering if you were able to drive after the op or if you were advised to stop for a while? I have spoken to a couple of people that have told me they couldn't drive for a couple of weeks after the op and this concerns me. No I'm not expecting to jump in the car the day after surgery and do a cross country trip but I do need to be able to drive to the school busstop etc. I see my doc for my final preop appointment next week and I shall talk to him about it then but in the meantime I am wondering what other people have done. I have had 2 Caesareans and started driving after those as soon as I was given the all clear which I think was about 2 weeks afterwards.I would have thought that with the lapband I should be able to drive again quicker than that?

What happened to some of the other names that people suggested? There were a couple of others that were quite good yet they don't appear to be on this list.

I have only told my husband, I haven't even told my children. DD 20 away at uni would probably try to put me off and tell me I just need to exercise more, DS 14 not very good at keeping secrets so it would slip out when I didn't want it to. Apart from that only the people in the support groups I have joined know. At some stage in the future I may tell more people but I don't see why I need to tell everyone. I am a fairly private person and feel that my medical problems are exactly that MINE!

At least you'll have someone else to share the experience with.

No - too many bits! plus "maybe" alcohol is not a good substitute for food! It would be nice though wouldn't it.

Its a 2 week preop diet. Op is on 2nd June.

I can see both sides of this. I think when reading a message it is important to be able to understand the spirit in which that message is intended and the problem with electronic communication is that you can't. That's why there are so many problems with emails etc. I understand perfectly what 2fly is trying to say. That its all a matter of perspective.To date as far as I am aware there is no perfect, easy, foolproof method of losing weight.(correct me if I'm wrong). Everything in life has a certain payoff.Whilst we would prefer to have no issues at all that surely something that is annoying but non life threatening is better than something that is life threatening. But as I said I can see both sides. If you are the person that is having the problems then they are real and shouldn't be taken lightly. I think the whole band thing is a big learning curve and I'm not talking from experience here as I am only being banded on 2 June.All os us going through this have to learn how to eat again. Learning and forming new habits is not something that happens overnight. It is a process that can be long and difficult. From what I have read on the boards getting it right can be difficult. That is why this website is such a valuable tool. You have the support and knowledge of people that have already experienced what you are experiencing. Whether your problem is something "minor" or major someone else will have already been through it and remember a problem shared is a problem halved. I certainly know a lot more about what to expect than I would have done without this site.

Well not long now. I have to start the preop diet on Monday so have to try not to eat everything in sight this weekend. LOL - last meal syndrome! I am going out to dinner tonight for steak or ribs as I figure it will be quite a while until I can eat them again! Still nervous and still excited. I think my main worry is going under cos there is always that fear that you're not going to wake up again. It's really stupid as I've been under a number of times previously with no problems.Maybe I'm worrying more because this time its "elective surgery".

My surgeon does all the procedures but didn't suggest any of them for me , probably due to a low BMI. He did say that another option for me would be gastric ballooning but as it only stays in for approx 6 months we both agreed it would not be a good idea as i would probably just regain everything i had lost as I have done with all my previous diets.

I am not banded yet and have found reading this thread very interesting. I agree that choosing a surgeon carefully is very very important. I believe that my surgeon has excellent experience and credentials. A few people have commented that he maybe lacks a bit of bedside manner but that is often the case with top surgeons. So far I have found him to be nothing but pleasant but if I had a choice between expertise or bedside manner I know which I would opt for. Yes there are problems with everykind of surgery.My father had a hip replacement and nearly died from that and that is a fairly standard, long practiced, well accepted surgery. Personally to me one of the advantages is the adjustability and the reversibility of the lapband. I also like the fact that it does have a long track record. If I were to opt for the sleeve then I would wait a few more years until they have more data. There are always different opinions on the best way to treat something. e.g with a malignant breast lump some surgeons will decide the lumpectomy is fine whilst others will prefer the radical mastectomy. I also do not have a problem with having a "foreign body". There are lots of different ones that are in common medical use. Sometimes they give problems sometimes they don't. It all depends on the individual and the surgeon. Just a few:- breast implants, shunts, artificial heart valves, hip replacements, metal for holding bones together etc etc. Even something as common and everday as the IUD can cause problems. I have a friend who's IUD ended up embedded in the bowel! I feel sorry for those that have had a bad experience with the lapband and am glad that at this point the sleeve is working for them. However the reverse could have happened and I still don't think that there is sufficient info on the sleeve to make that a first choice.When looking for a surgeon don't look for one that does surgery including lapbands . Look for a surgeon that performs weight loss surgeries and is an expert in the field. One that can give a balanced view of all the available options is the best way to go.

I think things are slightly different over here. Yes I have to do the 2 week Optifast thing but insurance doesn't require any other kind of preop diet like some of you have mentioned. How does your insurance work? Does it pay the full cost or only part of it? In Aus the full cost of the op is approx Aus $13 000. With insurance it costs approx $3500. It is possible to go through Medicare but there is a really long waiting list and my BMI is not high enough to qualify. I am off to see the physician this afternoon to get the results of my chest X-ray and lung function test and to find out if there is anything else i need to do prior to surgery.Keep your fingers crossed for me that that will be it.

Jubilant Junes

My doctor requires all patients to do Optifast (or similar) for 2 weeks regardless. I think its because you can still have a fatty liver even with a low BMI and he wants to make sure that their are no hitches with the surgery. My surgery is on 2 june so I start the preop diet on May 18.

I'm in Aus where things seem to be a little different. This is the list I have been given 500ml dairy or soy per day. e.g low fat milk, runny custard, plain or flavoured yogurts(no bits), drinking yogurt, soy drink, Breakfast Cereal drinks. 500ml fruit per day = home made or no added sugar juices. 500ml veg per day e.g home made or commercial soups blended to a runny consistency Avoid jelly, ice cream, cordial, energy drinks etc as they are high energy and have low nutritional value. This seems quite different to the foods that you are looking at. Seems strange that there are such huge differences between continents. I think the aim here is to get people onto proper nutritous food as quickly as possible and to avoid the so called empty calories as they are part of what has contributed to the problem. Good luck with your op. Mine is scheduled 2 June. I haven't started shopping yet. I figure I should be well enough to be out and about fairly quickly so will only get enough food in for the first couple of days. I have to start my preop diet in 2 weeks so have started shopping for that. I'm allowed to use a Meal Replacement program 3 times per day and have 2 serves of veg.Not looking forward to that part of the process.

Me too - I got a proxy error.