anon

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone here has a MIDband that was fitted in Australia? I have had mine for 3 years this month. It's been great, but I had it fitted in France (I'm from Europe). I've been getting my after care with a nice bariatric physician here, but the surgeon he's associated with doesn't use the MIDband. I don't have any problems at the moment but if I do I would like to see a surgeon who uses and has experience with the MIDband. I'm in SA but travel extensively throughout Australia for work so an interstate surgeon is a distinct possibility. Thanks in advance for your replies!! :biggrin:

Hi there, As people have been asking about surgeons I thought that it might be useful to have a thread with a list of surgeons contact details on... No advertisement of their abilities.. good or otherwise, but a place to access information on services available to us Brits.... (we are special!) With this in mind here are the few I know.... Mr David Hewin Winfield Hospital Tewkesbury Road Longford Gloucs GL2 9WH Switchboard number is 01452 331111 Dr Jean Pierre Anfroy www.euroband.co.uk Clinique International du Parc Monceau 21 Rue de Chazelles 75017 Paris FRANCE www.obesitechirurgie.com Please add more!

Hi does anyone know of Dr Mignon in Belgium, I'm going to see him next week and would like to hear from anyone who has been banded by him.... Thanks very much

My port was buried deep and I had to have it moved upwards so that I could get a fill! In Europe we now have a ports positioned at the bottom of our rib cage(left side... my left not yours!), because of the discomfort of positioning it on the sternum.... ask for them to move it there... Don't have it under a breast that's just looking for more trouble! Hx

Just tell your boss you're going to have a minor op to investigate some problems you've been having... You're GP will put post op recovery on your sick note... However I was back at work 5 days post op! It really isn't a major thing having a band fitted... Although everyone is different, I never had any post op pain, other than the dreaded wind, which was relieved by walking around! Hx

ROFL!! Might make that phone call today, as I'm sure I'm a bit 'bunged up'!

I didn't tell anyone that I'd had a band fitted. My OH knows, a few of my close friends (3!) and that's it! I've lost 68lb in the 47 weeks since my op... It's slower than I anticipated, but hey it's down and not up! I've lost weight before, so nobody has really questioned my success... it's just Mynie on another diet! I might consider a colonic though.... been having a look at local practitioners! I'm not sure if I'll ever tell anyone.... OH says it's nobody's business but my own! I'm halfway there now and I hope that I'll reach 'normal by my birthday in June! Not target but at least in the realms of =BMI 25! Hx

OMG!!! Have you had one? Hx

Previously, I went every day, sometimes twice a day, but since my I have approached my sweet spot, my movements have reduced to around once or twice a week...I think that this is partly down to the quantity of food I now eat! If I'm not careful, I get constipated, and I'm aware of how much fibre I've eaten.... To combat this I take Benefibre... no taste, no texture, no smell and it doesn't turn into a gel in your stomach so it stays down! I did spend some considerable time taking laxatives, but they're not good to take long term and the fibre is a healthier way to keep everything ticking over! Hx

Wooohoooo!!! It's soo nice to get under the next hundred... I'm hoping to be in onederland in the next couple of months!! only 4 more lb and you'll be down into another stone region too!!! Hx

We can get the Protein powder, but what's Crystal lite? We don't have a costco and I've never heard of progresso soup!! ( sorry, we're from the UK!) H x

Slim fast Euw!!! I have IDS protein shots.... 42g of protein in 100mls! I have half a lunch time and half before bed.... (I read somewhere that you shouldn't have too much at one sitting as the body can't absorb it!) They're not at all milky, which is ideal, for me, and it small volume so easy if you're not keen on the flavour! Hope this helps a bit! Hx

crackerbread with philly extra light, cottage cheese on it's own! pate with crackers Fish in sauce... the boil in the bag portions are good if you hate cooking/faffing! risotto... slow cooked chicken casserole- loads of sauce really helps things slide down Mashed potatoes with gravy (sauce again!) Quorn mince made into chilli con carne/ or shepherds pie again with extra gravy Veg soup homemade (al la weight watchers recipe!) with added minced chicken/quorn.... Keep what you eat 'wet' with lots of sauces and gravy and you'll find it'll stay down... Don't forget.... eat slowly, chew thoroughly and if in doubt leave a couple of minutes between bites to make sure it's going to stay down! You might want to try yoghurts, lots of people can get them down although I struggle unless its greek yoghurt! Hope this helps a bit... the thought of a slimfast as you're only option would fill me with depression!! Hx

Hi, Yes you can still take your prep for a colonoscopy post banding, no problems there. Hope this helps Hx

the most common side effect, bowel wise, is constipation. I don't know if this will affect you less or more. I've suffered with it anyway before the op, but now I take extra fibre everyday to help keep me regular. The other side effect that quite a lot of bandsters get is dyspepsia/heartburn but this is usually if you are quite tight. Other than that everything is exactly the same as pre operatively.... as no alterations have been made to the actual gut. hope this helps a bit. Hx

Congratulations Mrs D! I hope that you experience the same amount of success that you had with your band.... but without the horrible MRS A! Wishing you all the luck in the world. Hx

Hi, I was banded in March 2007... I've had a couple of hiccups with my port firstly it was inaccessible and then the tubing became disconnected. I thought I had 5cc in but there was only 2 in when I had the port replaced a month ago. the doc wanted to put 5cc in, but I negotiated it down to 4cc as I felt I would have been too tight!(I have a 9.5ml band) Initially, it was perfect! no guzzling liquids and small meals in the evenings I lost the 10lb I'd gained during the preceeding 10 weeks almost immediately. Problem is that my restriction has worn off somewhat... not Loads but enough for me to be hungry in the evenings... My food choices are limited still and the junk seems to go down without too much trouble :cry The upshot is that I've not lost any weight now for 3 weeks I'm back to being able to down a pint of Water without taking a breath. My surgeon says that if you can do that, then you can afford tighter restriction! I don't have any other problems... no reflux, not much in the way of pb's (thankfully) You opinions please...... Would you have another fill?

Thanks very much...Am just going to phone and book now! Hx:)

Hi Shand, Your posts are really useful, but I think the OP was complaining about the lack of service from the Hospital group.... esp. as she paid more than double the fees I did. the reasons for this are complex and multitude, IMHO, THG are in fact victims of their own success. They didn't think through the amount of aftercare and support bandsters need post op and as a consequence they don't have enough appointments for fills etc... particularly in the London area. the post op diet restrictions are roughly the same as those in the USA, with the exception of the Protein intake... we are not told that we need that much. Hi UK Angel, If she has to pay for the fill anyway, I really can't see the problem with approaching her original surgeon and paying him instead. OK, I acknowledge that it would have been nicer to have a good service and it's not the first or even the tenth complaint I've heard about them tbh. I'm the sort of person who seeks to solve problems by my very nature, I'm not one to join in with complaint. I don't think that it's productive to spend time doing so. My posts reflect that, and offer solutions, rather than sympathy... I know that sometimes, people just want somebody to listen to them.... I genuinely believe that the OP was looking for a solution to the problem.

cool bananas. I hope that you get your fill! Hx

let us know how you're getting on... Constant pb'ing is horrid, anti social and makes you feel :faint: Especially if you're no longer losing any weight! Good luck!

Hi, I'm asking this question in advance, so I know what I'm letting myself in for when we get there! 1st let me introduce myself. I'm a 35yr old Pom who is currently in the process of applying for a permanent visa for Australia. I was banded in France March 21st 2007, I paid for the operation privately, and chose France as it was half the price it is in England (yes, I did say HALF!) I have lost 17kg so far, and I think that I've finally hit my sweet spot with my last fill.... it's taken so long because my port had been leaking and I had a new port last week! It's been a long saga and in the end I had to change surgeon to get the treatment I needed, despite the fact that I'm paying!! The question I have is, when I arrive, which med insurance will cover my fills, what is available, if anything on Medicare (possibly a stupid question...., bear with me I'm new to Aussie healthcare!) Oh and if anyone has had a TT lately... how much did it cost (for comparison to European prices!) Thanks very much for your replies, they're appreciated.

Totally normal to feel this way... at the moment you're stomach is swollen, you have loads of restriction, and it's a bloody shock to the system! Once it all settles down (usually 2-4 weeks) you'll feel so much better about it all, I promise! Chin up and know that it will only get easier from here on in! Hx

Are you sure that you're not just overeating to the point that you pb? If you are sure that's not the reason, then I agree with Harley Nana.... Go and get your band checked out... You might just have tightened up over time If all is well consider taking the following actions 1. have a few days on fluids, throwing up a lot can irritate you stoma and lead to further throwing up... it's a viscous circle. 2. keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, noting when you are throwing up and exactly what you are eating... It's not revolutionary, I know, but it may show you what you are/aren't doing that's hindering further fat reduction. Follow the bandster rules: SaggiJ, You do know what the bandster rules are regarding meals, don't you??? they are as follows... 1. No drink 30minutes before and 45 minutes after food 2. Eat good quality, solid food that will stay in your pouch and give you satisfaction. 3. Eat you Protein FIRST, then your vegetables.... then if you have room you can eat the carbohydrates!!!! If you eat the mash first, then you are asking for trouble in the weight loss stakes..... You also know that it's small bites.... no bigger than 10p piece then chew chew, chew!!! taking larger bites and swallowing them before they're well and truly mushed in your mouth, is asking for trouble, especially when you're tight! Success depends on following these rules and working with your band, not against it! Come on girl, you know what you should be doing!!! Taken from a previous post! Hope that this helps a bit! Hx

Actually yes now you say it that makes much more sense!