Goannabanda

susannah - one site you could try for exercise and diet tips & tracking is www.sparkpeople.com Although it's American based, I have found it to be very good. Based on the profile you set up for yourself when you join the site, the thing will suggest a diet & workout for you, or else you can use the information to help you, or enter in your own. bron - hang in there, you ARE doing great, and like Cam says, once your band is in, and properly adjusted, it WILL get easier. That's the whole point of the band!

Hi Bron - how are you going today? Back on your game again I hope. We all slip up, don't be hard on yourself, just get up and get going again as soon as you can. We're all thinking of you. You are doing great starting the Optifast before you had too, just hang in there, March 9th is not far away!

Congratulations Sharyn, that's BRILLIANT!!! I don't know about any plastic surgeons, but I think that Pavarthi (Jess) was pretty happy with hers. There's a couple of other mums near me who have had work done recently, if I get an opportunity I'll ask them who they had, what they thought and who else they'd heard of.

Wishing you a restful sleep, and that you wake up in a pain-free bandland! Good luck Dionne!

Another great Aussie thread! Thanks for setting this up! Karen - There is a GNC store at Southland. If you googled their home page, you'd no doubt find a store closer to you. And I'm not big on that Protein schmotein thing either. I'm an Aussie after all - I love my fresh and varied Aussie foods! (Can't you tell from the enourmous post! LOL!) I hope that you find some inspiration here. I'm not big on processed or branded foods (I like to cook from scratch when I can), but there are a few that I'm enjoying right now. Anyone who knows me would vouch for how much I loved adding yoghurt to almost any of my thick liquids and mushies. I prefer the "pot-set" low-fat styles like Jalna or Tamar Valley. Or I make my own in an EasiYo. For a real treat I go to Coles where they have Chris' Greek Yoghurt (as in the brand of dips - just don't heat a heap of it at once, as it's not low fat!). Light sour cream was great in liquids / mushy stage for me too, although I am avoiding it now as it's fairly high in fat and not as good nutritionally as yoghurt. The protein kick from the yoghurt / sour cream helped keep hunger pains away. I like the tip about lite philly for mushy stage - will remember that after my next fill. A mushy stage favourite was fish patties - use any cooked mashed veggies, tinned or cooked flaked fish, a bit of grated cheese, an egg, some herbs (try the Gourmet Garden ones in the tubes - store them in the freezer, no need to defrost as they'll still squeeze out), and some breadcrubs if you need it to hold it all together. Yummy with a bit of lemon and fat-free mayonnaise. Treat it like fried rice and don't reheat the leftovers, or you'll get a belly ache! Another one for late mushy stage - "Grandpa's Favourite". It's great for when you want a bacon and egg fix! Cube a potato and/or sweet potato and fry in a non-stick pan with a spray of oil. If you like add some cooked veggies and cook until they are heated through. Maybe add a sprinkle of a herb blend (eg. Masterfoods Tuscan seasoning), although I don't usually bother. Smash the veggies and spuds with a fork, then slowly fold in an egg or two, letting it fry a bit as you go. Once your diet rules allow, you can add minced or chopped bacon and onion as well or instead of the veggies, and stop fork smashing the veggies. Serve with tomato sauce and salt and pepper. Since my second fill I am finding that fresh fruit and veg are going down the easiest. Also, I am eating almost no bread (Hard to believe when I think about how much I loooove bread, but who has the time to take all day to eat just one sandwich? LOL!). I have switched to wholemeal / wholegrain lavosh breads (Sorj brand are very good) for days when I want a "sandwich", and just take it very slowly. I am also loving dry biscuits, especially VitaWheat 9 Grains as a bread substitute - awesome with cheese slices, cream cheese, Vegemite or a bit of Peanut Butter (Sanitarium Natural). I find Breakfast is easiest after a warm drink first thing. Museli is best for me if I let it soak in the milk for 10 mins or so to soften it up a bit. Porridge is good to - I buy instant or quick oats and microwave 1/4 cup oats with 1/2 cup low fat milk, served with a bit of extra cold milk and a teaspoon of honey. On work days I just grab a banana or apple and nibble on the hour plus drive to the office. The crock pot is also getting a great workout - it's so great for bandster-friendly cooking that I reckon that all new bandsters should be issued with one as they leave the hosptial. LOL! It was great for liquid stages for Soups, then for mushy and later stages for really tender and tasty meals. I found an awesome recipe book for it at Angus&Roberston bookshop - "100 Great Ways to Use Slow Cookers and Crock Pots", Simon and Alison Holst, ISBN 1-877382-00-0. There are also heaps of recipes online for slow cookers, although many are in US measurements - devotees of living frugally and FlyLady websites are big on crock pot cooking. The CSIRO diet books have a great range of recipes as well - almost no potato, rice, Pasta or bread products in their meals, which suits how many bandsters tend to eat. We made an asian salad with calamari last week out of the new book and it rocked! Finally - a list of "stand-bys" that I keep on hand for quick meals: frozen mixed veggies (diced for adding to recipes, and winter cut (chunky) for side dishes), canned foods (beans, lentils, baked Beans, beetroot, corn, chick peas, plain & flavoured fish), frozen fish fillets (not crumbed), frozen chicken tenders (Ingham), ready meals (eg. lean cuisine etc, most are easy enough to eat). ...mmm! All this talk of food is making my head hungry! LOL!:heh:

Hiya RoSey!!! Glad to see you came out to play! We didn't bother with Valentine's Day this year - our 10th Anniversary is on March 10th, so are planning family lunch and and a weekend away to Celebrate that. mwahhh! Love ya! Anna.

Geez this thread is active! Hard to keep up with everyone! Bron - congratulations on your date!! That was quick work! Hi dionnem - good luck for your surgery! My hot tip post op is to avoid sucking ice chips after the first day, and sip all day long on liquids. I was nauseous for about the first week or more post op due to dehydration - apparently sucking ice chips for the first few days only made the nausea and dehydration worse. Once you are on full (thick) liquids, stir in a generous dollop of lite sour cream or natural yoghurt to soups / smoothies for a protein boost. It helps a bit to keep hunger pangs away, and was a lifesaver during my last week of liquids when I was starving. My hospital (The Valley Private) makes its band patients wear TEDS (surgical stockings) during the day for 2 weeks post op, and also air-pump stockings while in bed in hosptial. The air stockings looked really stupid, and meant I couldn't get out of be without help, but they felt like a gentle lower leg massage. Very cool. I needed help with the TEDS for about a week. My mother in law came in the mornings to help get them on after my shower, then I was right for the day. Also - I am up for a get together. I think I'm free that weekend in March at this stage. susannah - you are doing great. My port was sore for a few weeks. I couldn't roll onto it for about 3 weeks, or sleep on my tummy for about a month. If the area is red or inflamed or weeping, obviously see the doc straight away, otherwise it sounds like normal post-op port pain, and will settle down in time for you.

Hi Mark, Rosey is shy - I hope that this thread encourages her to come out and play with us! Hiya Rosey!!! How are ya?? I had PM from Rosey this week - she is doing well, although has had a sore back for which whe is currently having treatment (physio and the like). How are you going? Great work on lowering your weight over the holidays, especially since you are still getting your band filled to optimum. Looking forward to catching up with you and Rose at Bandworks later this month. Cheers, Anna.

feebs - thanks for the extra info! hlayne - there are a few different types used in the US - it seems that many doctors there favour the Inamed bands, including VG (Vanguard) bands which seem to be in common use there. There were the most common type used here in Australia from what I gather. There is also a Swedish band and one made by Johnson&Johnson (which might be one and the same type of band?). Ask your doc, and check out other threads on LBT - you will find many bandsters with different types and sizes of bands.

Hey thanks feebs and susannah, I'll update your band details in the list, and appreciate any new info or experiences you have to post. So far I have 5ml in my 14ml band, 1st fill was 4ml, then 1ml for the second fill. I have a moderate amount of restriction, that varies widely from day to day and morning to night. It seems to be looser the last few days. I even ate a thick piece of toast with p'nut butter and jam this morning (bad food choice, I know). I couldn't eat much Breakfast at all this time last week! I am due to go back for a fill in a few weeks, and think it could go a little tighter (but not much) - maybe 1ml. I'll see what the doc says.

Hi all, Just a quick note (it hurts to sit at the desk! LOL!) to let you know that I'm home. Thanks for your messages and good wishes - especially tarajane (Judy) for you call last night in the hospital. It cheered me up heaps. I just got home from hospital. I ended up staying two nights - I had low blood pressure and pain issues, and Mr Hensman is such a sweetie he let me stay the extra night. My surgery all went well, although my recovery is taking a little longer than I thought it would. For now, I am just happy it's over, and that I'm now "in the band"!!! I am also grateful to have you all here at LBT / IRL to talk with about it. It's nice to know that you're not the only one walking along this road. I met up with Rose and Chris who were banded on the same day by Mrs Gilholme / Hensman. I was first, then Chris, then Rose. Chris went home after one night, as he was feeling great. Rose and I both came home today. They'll both come to the next bandsters, and Rose is going to join us at LBT. I think there may have another person banded on Thursday, but I'm not sure. Anyway, that's it for today, I'll catch up with you all again over the next few days when I'm feeling better. Thanks again for your good wishes and prayers. Anna.

Geez, who wudda thunk it - 3 banded Aussies in our midst with MS. You guys should start a banded with MS thread (as well as hanging out in our local threads of course! LOL!). There's sure to be other bandsters with MS around, and the insights and advice that you could share with each other about your unique needs and issues would no doubt be a great reference and help to all of you. I'll be keeping this very special and brave set of bandits in my thoughts and prayers.

Hiya Jenny - thanks for asking after me - I am doing great thanks, although have been very busy over summer with holidays, work and starting DS in prep. I've had very limited computer time. I've been reading posts as much as I can though. How are you going? Would love to catch up with you again soon.

Cool thread Meredith - and you look fantastic. I'm going to take some updated pics over the weekend, so will post into this thread soon. I've never posted pics to LBT - I have a couple of pre-op pics over at b2g's site. Hiya Jacqui - try a program called Irfanview - its a free download, and is wonderfully easy to resize pics with. Even a dufus like me can do it.

So far our AP band rollcall reads like this: Goannabanda - APL band Pavarthi - APS Curley - APS oldspark - APS? susannah - APL feebs - APS So far we are all Aussies. Anyone else around here got the AP type band? There must be more of us around now, as I was banded waaay back on October 5th.

Cool! So far we are all Aussies - must be 'cos we're all speeecial (in best Bruce Macavaney tone, LOL!) Our little AP band rollcall reads like this: Goannabanda - APL band Pavarthi - APS Curley - APS oldspark - APS? susannah - APL? Anyone else around here got the AP type band? Here's the AP band thread I started, if you want to post into it: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/ap-bandits-t24564.html?t=24564

WOW!!! Anissa, welcome to LBT - so glad you found us! :clap2: :clap2: :girl_hug: And so glad that you searched me out!!! At the time, two things really helped me to decide to get banded - one was reading your published story, and the other was LBT. You just never know who is out there and helped by things like that. I am sure that I wouldn't be the only person. Thank you so much for sharing something so personal in such a public way. I hope that you enjoy hanging out here at LBT - it's a fantastic place to be for the banded - for support, advice, information and a decent helping of fun too. Looking forward to chatting with you more in future.:clap2:

Hi Feebs, great to meet you. I am in Melbourne. See you around on the boards!

Gee - I was only here yesterday, and so much chat has gone on in such a little time!!! What a talkative bunch! LOL!!! For dionnem - I had gas pains in diaphragm, sternum and between shoulder blades for 7 to 10 days post-op. Often it was just a dull ache, but sometimes could be a sharp and short-lived pain. Walking / moving around helped, as did my wheat pack. Otherwise, you just gotta tough it out for a few days. As for getting through post-op liquids, I found that adding protein to soups / drinks (eg. dollop of natural yoghurt, lite sour cream etc) helped once the hunger pains started coming back in weeks 2 & 3. Time to break out your fave soup recipes and the bamix. Frozen berries and mango were great for smoothies. Post-op mushies were reasonably easy too - I lived on soft fish & veg patties, using cooked veggies, tinned fish, egg, breadcrumbs, finely grated cheese and herbs / seasonings to taste. As for the Biggest Loser - what happened tonight??? We missed it!!! I loved Cat - she was so SMART and insightful - I was hoping she would win. Great to see her looking so amazing. As for Susan - she is very young (23?), the show makes it look like this is the first major life test she has had to face, and that she's running away. That may be the case, but impossible to ever know what her life is really like. But given that she didn't even hang around long enough to even give the program a decent try, doesn't convince me that she wants to change her life yet. I hope that she finds her inner strength and will to succeed.

Preband, I would wash my meals down with 1/2 to 1 litre of liquid. It's a very different story now. It takes practice and some getting used to, but here's how I usually play it nowdays: I drink right up to just before I start eating, and then wait 1/2 to 1 hour after meal for another drink. If the meal looks a little dry (eg. BBQ'd steak or chicken) I'll reserve a tablespoon or two of Water in my glass, in case I want to use a drop or two it to help liquify food as I chew. (Useful when dining out, so I don't have to spit stuff out in front of others). If the food is too dry that I've had to use the water, I just leave it after getting that mouthful down. I don't sip liquid as a drink during meals as this causes pain / blockage feeling in my band, which ends the meal right then and there.

Hi everyone! I haven't checked in here for a while, life has been hectic with holidays, work and getting my little boy ready to start prep. Great to read up that things are moving on for all of you. Hope there will not be much more waiting on those public lists now... ...and it was Loretta Switt in M.A.S.H., she played the part of Major Margaret Hoolihan (aka Hot Lips). I love Loretta Lynn's music too - she was 'the coal miner's daughter'. Growing up in my house, we only "had two kinds o' music... ...country AND western". LOL!

Hi Karen - we've already met on the other site! Hi everyone else whom I haven't met yet! And G'day to those of you whom I haven't chatted to for a while! I am in Melbourne.

Well done dionnem - hang in there. The video really helped me too. Some of the other things that helped me when I was stuggling on the pre-op diet were: 1. to stop and think about what your new life will be like, picture the wonderful health and things that you'll be able to do / do better. Take time to be thankful for the opportunity you have, for the people who make it possible, for those who support you, and also to congratulate yourself on how far you've come so far. 2. to take time to "feed your inner health" - with a sit in the sun, a short walk outside, some nice music etc... 3. good old fashioned diversion tactics - find something more interesting to do or take a change of scene (if you can) Maybe some of these ideas will give you a spark of inspiration... ...keep going, not long now!

Hi Susannah, Great to read from the chat thread that you are now safely "in the band" - congratulations on your banding!!! I haven't been into LBT for a while, things are very busy around my place at the moment, resulting in only limited 'puter time. I am sorry that I missed wishing you well for your big day, but really pleased to read that you are doing so well. Keep up the good work!

Hi Susannah, Hang in there on the Optifast - it is the worst part of the whole process, and each meal brings you close to the end of that phase. You CAN DO IT!!! Cam is on the ball - I was told to even stop taking herbal supplements in the month before surgery, as some herbs can interfere with the anaesthesia, and also can affect how readily your tissues will heal afterwards. Some tips that helped me: I ended up having more than 2 cups of non-starchy veg per day, due to hunger. I had a 1 to 2 cup salad for lunch, and then 1 to 2 cups of veg for dinner. I spaced the shakes / bars out to afternoon tea and supper. I checked with the nurse who said that would be fine to do. I found that mushrooms and mung beans were really satisfying and filling, and included them in every meal. Sprout mung beans in a jar and add a handful to salads & stir-frys. My favourite pre-op diet meal was a BBQ ratatouille (sp?) - use mushrooms, mung beans, zucchini, onion, capsicum tomatoes (cherry / grape variety work best) and any other allowed veg that you fancy. Cook on a BBQ hotplate with a little olive oil and pepper & salt or herbs (I like Masterfoods Tuscan or Lemon Pepper), or a dash of soy / lemon juice. Did you get a list of allowed condiments? Things like stock cubes, lemon juice, herbs & spices, soy sauce, fat-free dressing etc are okay, and if you're a bit creative, you can whip up great veggie treats with the "legal" list. I'll try and find my list and post it. Hang in there - nearly there now!