elcee

I have had my band since 2009. It is coming out and being converted to RNY in Jan

Surgery causes facial hair to grow!

I think they are right, I don’t think I will live 100 years after mine and that to me would be a long time. The majority of people however live as long as anyone else.

I know there are lots of differences with regards to carbs proteins etc but I was under the impression that the phased liquid, mushy, soft diet progression was a universal thing. Im pretty shocked at the eating solids a couple of days after surgery thing

I am going to preface this post by saying that everyone on this site has or had an Obesity problem. None of us are perfect. It has been recognised that Obesity is a complex disease and that the solution is a complex one. Now one would think that this would be a safe place and a supportive community but so often people come across as "holier than thou". If someone is struggling the finger of blame is pointed at them - it is their fault, it is never the surgery , or the tool. They don't seem to recognise that sometimes what was once thought of as a fabulous new innovation that could help so many people may not be the great solution that it was initially thought to be. We get told that "luck" has nothing to do with our success. We also get asked "what has changed" or "what are we doing differently". So that set me thinking about what has changed for me and what I am doing differently. I got banded 9 years ago. At that time my daughter was away at uni and my son was still at school. I was working casually - now both kids have left home and I am no longer working. That means less time playing Mum's taxi and less time cleaning the house as it stays a bit tidier so I probably get less incidental exercise. When I first got my band I did a Bollywood class once a week. Other than that I did no formal exercise. I still do no formal exercise. I do belong to a bushwalking group and we do a bushwalk every fortnight. At weekends if the weather is nice I try to get out with my husband and or daughter and go for a bushwalk. I recently went on holiday to Vietnam where we spent 2 days trekking. When I'm at home I don't sit watching TV I sit at my sewing machine and am forever getting up and down to the ironing board and back again. I also enjoy taking my camera out and about to new places and taking photos. I am older, I have had a hysterectomy and my metabolism has probably slowed down. When I got my band I was happy to eat small portions and they would satisfy me. I found it easy to ignore foods such as chocolate . For example a steamed dim sim or a small tin of tuna with a couple of crackers would fill me up for lunch. I couldn't eat raw carrots or celery , corn was a major issue and there have been a number of occasions when I have been stuck on a lettuce leaf. Now I can eat a much bigger portion of tuna, a salad including lettuce, raw carrots and celery and still be hungry. If I went out for lunch with friends I might choose cake instead of lunch, these days I try to behave and eat the "proper" food. It is generally a case of either or - I don't do a main and dessert except on rare special occasions. When I was first banded reflux wasn't a problem for me. Now I am very sensitive to fills and the teeniest bit too much ( I have hardly any fill in) has me waking up at night choking on acid. The level of fill I have is so negligible that it may as well not be there, it certainly does nothing for my hunger. When I first got banded it freed me from the tyranny of trying to work out what diet I should be on. Lo carb, no carb, cabbage soup etc. Now I am back on that cycle of not knowing what works and what to do to lose the weight. But it is not just me that has changed. Research and science has also changed. When I got my band I was told that the pouch held the food for 20 minutes or more and that it trickled slowly through to the stomach. We now know that this is not how the band works. Surgeons have discovered that bands over time can cause oesophagal failure due to the oesophagus having to work so hard to push food through. Research has also shown that consciously or subconsciously people choose softer foods because they are easier to eat. That is a no brainer - if steak won't go down and makes you end up in emergency why would you eat it. But the problem is that those softer foods do not give the same levels of satiety. Research has also shown that for the majority of people bands are not a successful long term solution. If a person is one of the minority that is still having long term success then whether they admit to it or not there is a certain amount of luck involved. So yes we should all recognise what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong but we should also refrain from being so judgemental to others because we are not walking in their shoes and we do not know what they are experiencing

I hate winter. Cold, dull miserable days. They definitely drag the mood down. Love the sun, it puts a special shine on things. No real tips other than try not to become a recluse! I sometimes have to force myself out of the house to do things even when i know that it will be fun.

Phone your Dr's. You are obviously allergic to the adhesive on the dressings, I have the same issue, ask them what antihistamine is safe to use.

From 1 El Cee to another, hi!

I feel your frustration, the difference between dieting pre and post op is like the difference between day and night. Hopefully they won’t make you wait much longer

Only 3lbs? What is with the only, that is a heap! Remember a lot of the initial weight loss is actually water, once you start losing fat it’s a little slower

Wow that is major! Presumably 2 different surgeons?

That all sounds awful

A dose of negative can help just so that we are aware of what may go wrong but I don't think its something to focus on. Focus on the positives, how much healthier you will be, how much better you will feel etc. As for dumping it's not something I'm looking forward to but for some having it helps to keep them on track.

What happened to cause the kidney failure?

Potassium or Magnesium would be my guess. You have to take the supplements for life, I have been told there is a very high risk of a B bit deficiency which can cause irreversible nerve damage and even paralysis. Not worth the risk when it’s so easy to just take the pills

Vitamins and minerals are extremely important after wls. You are at high risk of all sorts of serious deficiencies if you don’t take them. You may feel fine but in reality your body is missing something and by the time you address it serious irreversible damage may already have been done.

I also have a tiny shower , I’ve given up trying to shave my legs in there. Not only because it’s difficult to bend over but I also can’t see the hairs without my glasses on! It’s much easier to shave before I get in the shower

I have issues with white spirits like gin and vodka. I don't know if what I get is a form of dumping or something else. I get a pain in my head and my shoulder and stomach , feel sick and as though I am about to pass out. Sometimes palpitations as well. This also happens when I drink very sugary drinks e.g sweet ciders and slushies. I have a band so dumping is not supposed to be an issue .

Have you been taking the recommended vitamin and mineral supplements?

I have a bigger problem. We currently have 2 horses , 2 dogs, 2 cats and 2 ducks. My kids used to housesit when we were away but now they have their own homes and pets so that isnt really an option anymore unless its for a day or 2. Planning a big overseas trip next year so I may have to start looking at housesitting options.

When I saw my dietician on Tuesday she said there are a lot of people that struggle with water after surgery, even those that loved it previously. Apparently it can feel "sticky"! She said if that happens to put a little apple juice or cordial in it to help.

You don’t like Kit Kats? Lucky you Did you know that there are now hundreds of flavours. In Melbourne we have a speciality shop that only sells Kit Kats

The episode that was on Aussie TV last night was all about weight. One patient had extreme anorexia and the other patient needed to have his very successful bypass reversed because he had Crohn's disease. It was more dramatic because he had never told his husband that he used to be obese and had had a bypass.

Yes I cringed too. Unfortunately that is the popular perception. What would have been good would have been if someone had corrected him .

I added various types of beans or legumes and then blended them