gastric band is looming

[moe]

hi my name is moe and i am having a band fitted on the 21 august.

i would like to know about life after the event, what sort of size meals will i be able to eat afterwards, if i go out for a meal would i be having a starter as my maincourse.

i have been overweight for about 20 years now with the occasional win against the bulge, i am 5ft 2in and about 13 stone, i know i am not morbidly obese but i am gaining a stone a year and its about time i did something about it .

so any information on the other side would be grately appreciated.

thanks moe

 

[icemoose]

Not sure Moe but just wanted to wish you the best and welcome to the forums and sure one of the gang will answer you shortly.

Mike

 

[lovebug]

hi my name is moe and i am having a band fitted on the 21 august.

i would like to know about life after the event, what sort of size meals will i be able to eat afterwards, if i go out for a meal would i be having a starter as my maincourse.

i have been overweight for about 20 years now with the occasional win against the bulge, i am 5ft 2in and about 13 stone, i know i am not morbidly obese but i am gaining a stone a year and its about time i did something about it .

so any information on the other side would be grately appreciated.

thanks moe

Hi Moe, I'm a bander and due for my first fill next week so i can answer from before a fill and the info i have been told from my clinic. At the moment 6 weeks on i can eat a normal dinner again...The restriction i first felt was swelling and i could only manage a yoghurt and i was full but slowly the swelling goes down and now that has gone my hunger has returned and i can eat almost normally again. on the 23rd of Aug i have my first fill but i do know that my band is 11cm which means there is alot of space for the saline so my first fill may not cause much restriction. Once i have my band fully restricted (may take 2-4 fills) i will be only able to eat a small amount like i did before. Yoghurt for Breakfast or Small portion of Cornflakes. Water biscuits with Scraping of Cheese x 3 for Lunch and Dinner was half a serving of Cottage pie with Veg. To be honest until i have my fills its a bit hard to say but a starter serving is correct. I was actually told that volume wise the food intake of a Bander at full restriction daily !! would be the size of a portion of Fries and Hambuger sat side by side from Mc'ds. ( No not to eat them i mean in VOLUME ha ha ) i was told that because Mc'ds is the same size all over the world. I found that helped me understand how much i'd be able to fit in daily. but to be honest that sounds alot to me...when i first had the op i couldn't even eat a full yoghurt !! was a great feeling but it doesn't last nor is healthy but once filled things should start up again and my weight loss will start up again and my hunger will lessen....eventually.
Hope that helps !

xx

 

[moe]

that helps alot thanks for the reply, i have really enjoyed reading your diary. im sure i will have more questions as the time looms nearer at the moment i am even having trouble sticking to the pre op diet.

moe

 

[shelbell]

Just concentrate on the goal Moe, focus on the band at the end of it. It's only for such a short time that it is extremely possible to stick to it 100%.

Just keep that goal in sight and any time you feel weak come on here and shout. There's nearly always someone about to talk you through x

 

[alliecat]

Hi Moe, welcome to Minis!! The pre-op diet is a killer for the first few days but it does get easier, and as I was told the fact that if your surgeon finds you have not stuck to it they will not operate should be enough motivation to keep you going (they can tell from one look at your liver!!) It scared me into submission anyway as I wanted the op sooo much. I am a bit behind Livvy, and am 4 weeks post -op, but as you think of those quetions keep posting and we will all offer you as much help as we can xx

 

[moe]

thanks alicat, that has put the frighteners up me just what i needed i have been a 100% on the diet since your last posting, im sure i can do this last week well now.thanks moe

 

[alliecat]

just take it one day at a time moe, drink lots of water to help fill you up and the results will be worth it i promise x

 

[lovebug]

Well done Moe !! Your doing so well ! It does get a bit easier along the way. Just keep thinking of the result at the end so worth it ! xxx

 

[moe]

is there anyone else going into dolan park hospital on the 21 august to have a band fitted would be good to hear from you.

moe

 

[bungalow_bill]

Hi Moe

I am scheduled to go in for banding on 21 August too - but not at Dolan.

I have been on the pre-op diet for about 10 days, and thought I was coping really well. Until today. Out of nowhere, I just fell off. It could have been worse - and I am determined to get back on for the last few days, but I am now worried that my liver won't have shrunk, and that the surgeon will have to open me up.

Can anyone advise if this blip will have rendered the whole diet useless?

 

[hopelesscase]

Depends what you bliped with.

 

[bungalow_bill]

About a dozen digestives and a packet of Wotsits

 

[shelbell]

you should be ok, so long as you now stick to it 100%

good luck for the 21st

 

[alliecat]

Just get back on that wagon and do it 100% from now on and all will be fine - you are only human! Good luck for the op this week to both you and moe - all will be fine - and don't forget any questions just shout and we will all do our best to help x

 

[bungalow_bill]

Hi

Thanks shelbell and alliecat, for your support - it's rather pathetic that I can't manage two weeks on this to give myself the best chance of coming through the surgery. But, new attitude today, and the determination is back - and I know where to come first when the demons appear!

Sorry Moe, didn't mean to hijack your thread. Hope you're keeping strong, not long to go now...

 

[shelbell]

it's not pathetic, don't put yourself down. The pre-op diets are darned hard! Just stay focused, keep the end in sight and like you said, you know where to come when you wobble.

 

[moe]

dont worry about the hijacking i to have sucommed to the lure of anything really, i dont eat sausages or things like that and the other night i could have really scoffed one, i have only unitl thursday but i have been eating but only an evening meal and then having two shakes one for breakfast and one for lunch, i dont mind a liquid diet if i could stay full but those hunger pangs are killers, after the band does anyone know if i could have one for breakfast and stay full untill lunch

 

[Silversurfer]

Bungalo Bill - dont worry i went through the same, 4 days into my pre op diet standing outside Burger king waiting for a train home watching some guy munch into a whopper and i was almost in tears, the desire to eat will take a long time to go away, its a human desire to eat that your fighting against, i'm 3 days post bypass op now and still the desire to eat is there, bread still smells good and my heads telling me to eat, however my body now says i cant and i'm already full.

Moe - Good luck and keep going, it will be all worth it in the end

regards all

Richard

 

[alliecat]

dont worry about the hijacking i to have sucommed to the lure of anything really, i dont eat sausages or things like that and the other night i could have really scoffed one, i have only unitl thursday but i have been eating but only an evening meal and then having two shakes one for breakfast and one for lunch, i dont mind a liquid diet if i could stay full but those hunger pangs are killers, after the band does anyone know if i could have one for breakfast and stay full untill lunch

For the first couple of weeks after the band you will only be able to eat very small amounts anyway so not to worry! Liquids only to start, and you wont feel like much, then onto very sloppy mush - a few spoonfuls will do you - sounds odd but true. Eventually you will be able to eat normally again, and that is time for your band to be filled - around six weeks post op is the norm.
Hope that helps x