Perth newbie waiting to be banded by Dr Stephen Watson

[lellow 1,713]

Hi all,

I've got my 1st appointment with Dr Watson on the 21st of August (soooo far away) to get banded, and was researching lapbanding when I stumbled onto this site and was excited to see an Australian area!

I've been lurking and see that many Perth people have had their bands put in by Dr Watson. I am 37yo, 95kgs and 162cm, so my BMI is about 36. My family has significant hereditary medical problems like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease so my GP has been encourageing to lose weight for years. I have really tried, but for every kg I lose, I usually put on two after a while. My GP suggested banding about 6 months ago and I've only recently found peace with the idea, and now I can't wait to have it done.

Am looking forward to chatting with what looks like a supportive, inspirational community as undertake this change in my life! :thumbup:

Edited July 6, 2008 by lellow

[nat36 2]

Hi Lellow,

You are in good hands with Dr Watson I was banded by him in March this year and it has been the best thing I have ever done. Good luck and welcome.

[lellow 1,713]

Thanks Nat! I'm glad to see you're a happy patient.

I'm a little nervous about the op, yet also paradoxically so impatient to get it done already.

Can I ask: was the op painful? Mind you I've done had many laproscopies and done many cycles of IVF so can take quite a lot of pain, but would like to be as prepared as possible.

Also how long were you laid up after the op?

[ozscot 0]

Hi lellow,

My husband got banded 17th March 08 he complained more about the gas than anything else, I went out and bought him degas tablets and he also took a couple of pain killers and he was brand new. So much so I am going to go and get banded and I am a woose when it comes to pain. I have my first appointment with Dr. Copps on the 23rd July.

He took a week off work as the doc advised him to (he is a plumber) he was up and about after one day of bed rest.

Sam

Edited July 6, 2008 by ozscot

[lellow 1,713]

Thanks for that info, ozscot. I am pretty sure I'll manage the pain.

Right now I think the worst part is the waiting for something to happen. I have always had a pretty good body image, and never really worried about my weight much, which is probably why dieting has never really worked for me. I quit dieting about a year ago and accepted that I would always be overweight. And in that decision, found a certain freedom in not constantly watching what I ate.

But now it's a health issue. I have a 2yo I want to be around for for a long time, and my family has so many health issues it's just a matter of time for me. My younger brother has recently found out he has type 2 diabetes, and it's so out of control at the moment that the Drs are saying his days are numbered if he doesn't change and soon. He's on masses amounts of pills atm. My sister is showing indicators too and my mum's diabetes is controlled by very strict diet. My dad had to have a quadruple bypass 4 years ago from heart disease.

For a long time, I thought if I wanted it badly enough, if I wanted to be around for my son, then all I would have to do is eat less. I already exercise a fair bit. But eating less is not so easy for me. And today, after months of not caring what I ate, succumbing to my hunger and having two pies for lunch had me in tears because yet again, because with having made the decision to have the surgery, I've become aware of how little control over what I eat all over again. That's why I can't wait until I have the surgery. I need some help getting some control back.

I've found inspiration in your stories. I guess I need to hear this will work. So as long as there are those of you out there willing to chat to me, I'm willing to chat back. So thank you for replying, ozscot and nat. I appreciate it.

[emmaf106 0]

I was also banded by Dr Watson in March. He's a great guy and makes you feel really comfortable and at ease. I had about 10 days off work after the op and was pretty uncomfortable till about Day 7 or 8 with terrible shoulder tip pain from gas and port pain. But turned the corner and have never looked back. I'd recommend staying the extra day in hospital - I left after the first day and regretted it.

All the best,

[Cherry_Blue 0]

Hi all,

I've got my 1st appointment with Dr Watson on the 21st of August (soooo far away) to get banded, and was researching lapbanding when I stumbled onto this site and was excited to see an Australian area!

I've been lurking and see that many Perth people have had their bands put in by Dr Watson. I am 37yo, 95kgs and 162cm, so my BMI is about 36. My family has significant hereditary medical problems like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease so my GP has been encourageing to lose weight for years. I have really tried, but for every kg I lose, I usually put on two after a while. My GP suggested banding about 6 months ago and I've only recently found peace with the idea, and now I can't wait to have it done.

Am looking forward to chatting with what looks like a supportive, inspirational community as undertake this change in my life!

Hi Lello. I was banded by Stephen Watson in January. I have currently lost 30 kilos and am doing great. he is a wonderful doctor and have nothing but good thing sto say about him.

I only had to wait about 5 weeks from first consult to operation, so with any luck you will be banded soon :biggrin: I had huge reservations about it and freaked out the night before, but now i am sooooo happy, its the best thing I have ever done.

I am having trouble finding the right balance, I had a fill, it was too much so they took some out and now I can eat nearly everything, so i think its just a matter of finding the right amount of liquid...

Coincedently I have an appointment on August 21st with doc watson too :thumbup:

[lellow 1,713]

Cherry and emma, so nice to hear of more of Dr Watson's patients! And with such great results!

I emailed Dr Watson over the weekend actually as I had concerns about the timing of the op (which I assumed would be sometime in Sept/Oct). That's the busiest time at work for me, with a few training courses scheduled, and as I'm also at uni, it would make it pretty close to the pointy end of the semester as well.

Well he replied to me to say he might be able to get me in earlier! He was excellent about understanding my time constraints and offered to find me an earlier time if I wanted. How wonderful is he?? :thumbup:

I have been in contact with his receptionist and have provided him with details regarding my height/weight/medical conditions/health fund etc and am waiting to hear back from his rooms tomorrow morning.

I'm wonderfully surprised at how quickly he responded and how easily he listened to my concerns. I haven't even met him yet and am pretty sure I've found the dr for me!

[Rastis100 0]

Hey Lellow, your little blurb at the beginning spun me out. I am also 37, was 97 kgs and had a BMI of about 36. But after having surgery with Dr Watson back in Oct, I am now 78kgs and have a BMI of about 29 - YAY. It's been the best decision I have ever made, and I have no doubt that it will be the best thing you have ever done. Dr Watson is awesome, I had some minor complications, and he was brilliant, even seeing me on a Saturday morning to try and sought things out, he's great! His reception staff are also great, understanding all our concerns and fears, as they have had the surgery too. It's great to know that you have an understanding person on the other end of the phone. Hope all goes well and you get the date you want for your op. Keep us posted! Rastis x

Edited July 7, 2008 by Rastis100

[nat36 2]

I live in Geraldton and was worried about having to constantly travel backwards and forwards for appointments, I emailed the contact email on the website expecting nothing or a receptionist to reply and within a day dr watson had replied with a consultation and date for surgerey all in the same trip it was great.

I went straight home the day after surgery and with hindsight it was probably not the smartest move but it was the day before good friday and I wanted to get home to my kids. It only took me a couple of days and I was on track again. Dr Watson sends you home with plenty of drugs to get you through the first week, my advice is dont be scared to take them whenever you need them.

I am trying to decide if I need to go back next week for another fill or not, at this stage Im thinking I dont need it yet I might put it off for another month.

[lellow 1,713]

Rastis,

wow that's a spin out! I'm really encouraged by your success. I worry that I will be one of those people who won't lose weight at all, even with the band. Though Portion Control has worked for me before, so I don't know why I think that. I guess I've been overweight for so long the idea that I might not be one day seems surreal.

Nat, how can you tell if you need a fill? And can you decide whether you want a fill or not?

The lightest I've been in the last 10 years is 86kgs (and even then only for a couple of weeks before I broke a bone in my foot, had to stop exercising and started gaining again). I'd like to get down to 60kgs though I was 65kgs when I was 18 and I would be happy with that weight to be honest. :biggrin: It seemed completely unachievable and nothing more than a pipe dream for so many years! But looking at what you wonderful ladies have achieved, it's starting to sink in that with the band and some work on my part, it may just work after all.

I am interested though in how much everyone exercises? I enjoy exercising but I started back at work this year, so I work fulltime and I started uni part-time this year as well. ATM, I leave for work at 6.45am, get home at 6.30pm, cook, clean, spend time with my hubby and kids, then when bub goes to bed at 8.30pm, I start studying and won't finish until 10.30pm. I am wondering when I will have time to fit in exercise.

I cycle and walk on weekends but during the week, I barely have time to breathe let alone exercise. I'm worried that my lifestyle means I'm setting myself up for failure IYKWIM. Any suggestions?

Anyhoo, I'm currently waiting on the call from Dr Watson's rooms now. His receptionist reckoned she'd call me first thing this morning. I've faxed my referral letter to him already at his request, so am keeping my fingers crossed that he manages to find me an earlier appointment.

Thank you all you ladies for coming into this thread and providing support to someone you don't know. You have no idea how much I appreciate being able to talk to people who have BTDT!

Edited July 8, 2008 by lellow

[emmaf106 0]

Ugh - I don't envy you the study/work thing. I did it for 7 years and didn't even have the hubby & Kids and still found it difficult for anything else! I try to exercise 5 days a week. Some weeks good some weeks not so good. Currently we go to a PT twice a week (although that will stop in a couple of weeks), play squash once a week, go to the gym once a week and try to do a walk on the weekend. We usually walk our dog for half an hour most nights too.

Given your time constraints during the week, maybe you could take hubby and kids for a walk on the weekends. You can only do what you can do. I've read plenty of blogs of successful bandits who don't exercise very much, but I think it would help with toning which is my main concern.

All the best,

Em

PS - You kinda know when you need a fill because you start to get hungry, eat more and don't lose as much. That's what I've found anyway.

[Rastis100 0]

Lellow, I know what you mean about possibly being the ONLY one to fail loosing weight even with the band - believe me I felt exactly the same. But once you get the band on and get the correct fill, things just seem to happen as expected (well that was the case for me anyway).

I joined Fernwood Fitness back in October and I try to go 5 times a week, but sometimes that's impossible (I have 3 children under 9). I generally go first thing in the morning (by 6am), so I can get it over and done with and then I don't have to worry about it anymore. But with your schedule it sounds like fitting in exercise may be a little difficult. I think the best thing you can do is to fit in whatever type of exercise you can whenever you can. Even little things like, taking the stairs instead of the lift, parking your car further away from work and walking that little bit extra, every little bit helps and it doesn't have to happen in big chucks as long as you are doing a little extra than what you are doing now - every LITTLE bit helps. I hope this helps!! Did you get a better date for your op? Rastis x

[lellow 1,713]

Thanks for the encouragement, emma and Rastis. I said to my DH today that we may have to walk during lunch (we work in the same building) so from tomorrow I'm taking my trainers in to work and will walk for the full 45 mins. Rastis, I agree, maybe I shouldn't look at starting big. A walk is still exercise, and I will try to do whatever I can whenever I can.

Are there any support groups in Perth for banders? To exercise together or even exchange tips and encouragement?

[mss 1]

Hi

I am another of Dr Watson's happy campers! My weight is coming off slowly compared to lots of others however I have kept off everything that I have lost which is wonderful.

Congrats on getting your surgery date as well.