| Reached Goal 28 July 97 Reached
Weight 69 Kg Reached BMI 23
Problem Started end of 97 ReBanded March 99 and December 2002
Before you read any further I just want you to know that I have
had a fairly rough ride on the weight loss merry go round, however,
if I had to do it all over again, I most definitely would. The
ultimate thing to remember is that I am still 44 kilos lighter
(as at June 2003) than when I started this journey!! Please don’t
think that just because a few things went wrong with me, that
the same will happen to you. I have quite a few friends who have
had plain sailing with the whole journey. You are quite welcome
to write to me and I will promise to try and respond in a timely
manner.
The band is the best thing I ever did for myself. I know it
was an expensive option, but so were the various diets and stuff
that I used to try. I got so sick of losing the battle all the
time. I heard about the band on TV one night and thought to myself
"that's what I need". The band is the tool that helps
control what you eat. It isn't the total control but hey it's
the best thing I have ever come across, especially as my will
power is practically nonexistent.
My journey starts in March of 1996…………..
I first had the
band placed in about March of 96. Over the next 12 or so months
I had no problems and got to my goal weight. I started out at
126kg and ended on 69kg. My actual goal was 73kg. After I got
to my goal I found the weight was really easy to maintain and
I was able to eat small but normal meals. You still have to make
good food choices but it is not hard to do. And of course chew
chew chew.
Port. My port is on the side and has never been a problem to me.
I can feel it if I push down into me but it has never stuck out
or been a problem (even when I was at goal weight). I know some
people have them placed more to the centre but my doctor put mine
to the side. To try and give you an idea it is probably in line
with my left breast. It cannot be placed too deeply or you would
have major hassles with fills. The other thing with the band is
that you have to make good food choices as well. It is up to you
not to live on ice cream and jelly and custards because they are
easy to get down. No matter what, nothing is a complete solution
as we still have to modify the diet but hell; it is all worth
it in the end.
I was never really worried about the surgery side of things,
especially as I had a fantastic surgeon. But since I have been
a part of the support group here I have managed to find out that
the statistics for mortality with regards to banding is far far
less than it is for say something simple like tonsils or appendix
removal.
The surgeon here was excellent in that he made sure we had all
the tests before the surgery including a check with a psychologist,
endocrinologist and a dietician. Since the operation I find it
very easy to go along and get fills when I want them. It is a
very simple procedure in our surgery and you can be in and out
in a couple of minutes. Fills are bulk billed.
A couple of months down the track (after getting to goal) I was
playing a lot of vigorous sport and gym work. I was also throwing
up occasionally which was my own fault from over eating or trying
to eat too fast. In those days, they didn't do the backstitching
on the band and it was far easier to displace the band. After
a major weekend of doing stuff I realised that something was amiss....I
had had a slippage and my stomach prolapsed (meaning it came up
through the band and stopped me from drinking and eating). I had
surgery and fixed the problem.
I was fine.
A few months later I was over at the islands enjoying a day out
when a very drunken man fell overboard from the boat next to us.
Being a lifesaver in a previous lifetime (teens) I dived in and
pushed him up from the bottom. This guy was a heavyweight (about
130kg) and I had a hernia at the same place as my band. Again
I had surgery to fix the problem. After this problems started
happening all the time for me and after a few months I figured
that the band had to go. I had had another slippage and had to
be medically evacuated out of PNG again.
I decided to have the band removed and boy was it the worst
decision I ever made. In the next twelve months I managed to put
41 kilos back on. It is a great tool for losing weight but once
it's not there we go back to our old bad habits. Now I have got
the long road back in front of me to losing again.
I went back to the doctor and asked if I could have another band.
He agreed. The second band never really worked properly for me.
I had so much scarring from previous surgery that my gullet never
quite got it right again. I haven't been able to get an optimum
fill after going back and forth many times to get it right. No
matter how little we made the fill it was always either to little
or too much.
The doctor has been asking me to consider BPD/DS surgery for
a number of months and I have been putting it off until I was
comfortable with the whole idea.
I know now that he uses the best method and I am really looking
forward to having the surgery. I have a surgery date in February
2001 and am really excited that something is finally going to
happen again in the weight loss stakes. I figure this is also
cheaper as there is no band to pay for separately.
One of the best factors of this whole journey has been finding
the support group. I have learnt so much from these people and
have come to rely on them. It is a great place to learn and to
just have a shoulder to cry on. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ozband/
I suppose once I have had the BPD/DS I will be a font of knowledge
from both sides. It will be interesting to know then which I recommend
the most. I think it is best you know that things can go wrong
so that you can make an informed decision.
September 2001
I had the BPD/DS in February and it has not been the help that
it was supposed to be. I have not managed to lose any weight but
have some of the side effects that are not so great to live with.
I do know some people who have done well with this procedure but
I guess I am one of the unlucky few that it hasn't helped all
that much. It has been suggested that I need to have more surgery
but at this stage I am not ready to do that.
After having surgery about 6 times now for this weight loss process
I am tired of it and need a break.
I will update this story if anything else happens, but for now
I am stable and happy to have kept 30 odd kilos off.
October 2002
Time for another update I guess.
I have had an appointment with George to discuss what possibilities
are open to me now. We decided that there would be no point in
shortening the common channel as this would only exacerbate the
side effects I am having already and it would make things almost
unbearable.
After much thought on both of our parts we have decided to try
another band. There is one person in Sydney who has had a band
after a bypass and that person seems to have done okay.
The main concern will be ensuring a suitable intake of protein
rich foods. I was offered surgery in November but opted to wait
until after Christmas and have the surgery sometime in February.
I am sitting at approximately 95 kilos, so I am maintaining weight
quite well. I will update this page again after surgery.
January 2003
Well I have had the third band installed. The surgery was done
on Boxing Day and the recovery was very quick considering the
surgery was done partially open. I managed to lose about 5 kilos
in the first ten days and then have had very little change since
and I am sure half of that is fluid loss. I am booked in for a
fill on the 13th of February and hopefully this will kick off
some further weight loss. It is great to have the gatekeeper back!!
August 2003
Figured it was time to give another update on where I am at. At
my last weigh in I clocked in at 82. It is not fantastic but it
is great nonetheless (13 kilos). Mind you I haven’t been making
the most fantastic food choices all the time either. But all in
all I am happy to be a “loser” again. I am planning on my next
phase and that is the tummy tuck, hoping to be able to get rid
of these spare tyres on the 20th of October.
I love my band!!!
In the meantime I am still going back every so often to have fills
and hopefully I will be able to lose a little more over time.
I am going to have to work at it this time but hopefully having
my wedding next year will be motivation enough to do something.
November 2003
Well the Tummy Tuck has been and gone. It is such a wonderful
feeling to be rid of that huge roll of fat above the panty line.
I was told that I was to be in hospital from 5 to 7 days after
the operation but being me I was out after two days. George allowed
me to go home on the proviso that I rested. I have to admit here
and now that the pain I expected with this op was unrealistic,
maybe I have lost some of my pain threshold but this one “Bloody”
hurt. I took all the pain meds and was still taking them after
five days.
The wound care is tantamount and I was very careful in this respect.
I have heard many stories which state that this op is often dogged
by infection afterwards and I did everything I could to avoid
this. When I first came out of hospital I had rubber skin across
the whole scar and one drain, under the rubber skin were butterfly
stitches. The rubber skin was fantastic and very supportive. I
was given new drainage bottles and changed these on a daily basis.
5 days after surgery I was allowed to take the rubber skin off
(the stitches came off at the same time) and started taping the
wound with solugel along the scar to stop it sticking. After 7
days I was back at the surgery to have a check up.
I love the fact that I have a flatter tummy now and am loving
being able to wear tops that don’t cover my gut. There is still
a big roll of fat under the breast line and I will probably put
up with this.
May 2004
Am managing to maintain my weight at around the 78/80 mark. I
have been having a great time with food lately and now that the
wedding is over I am booked in for a fill. I don’t feel stressed
about getting to goal but I will be unhappy to gain weight, so
it is best that I do something about while I can.
So all in all that is 46/48 kilos down.
See you soon………
March 2005-03-09
Everything is still going fine. I continue to see the Surgeon
every three to four months and am having maintenance fills along
the way. I am booked in to the plastic surgeon in May for a removal
of that upper roll and then everything is done.
I am still hovering around the 79 mark and am managing to maintain
this.
Still love my band.
September 2005
The tummy tuck went really well and I now have a flat stomach for the first time in my life. Weight is stable at 78 kilos and food is under control. Life is good!!!
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