So far...

I've just started this because I really don't know anyone who has had gastric lap banding and done what they were told to do. My Uncle, who lives across the country whom I hardly speak to had it done but didn't follow the Dr's advice and my partners Aunt had it done a while ago and same thing.

I went to an online forum I have been following for some time leading up to the operation and finally got the nerve to post but my post went unnoticed. I am a bit down about that but I guess a lot of those people were conversing a fair bit leading up to the operation.

I wont go into details yet as to why I wanted to get this done but to give you a brief oversight - I had dieted all my life (since I was 9 actually -despite my Mothers protests she let me go to weight watchers) and it has set me up for food being THE thing in my life. Recently we were almost pregnant and after things settled down my Doctor had some reality checks for me on health, weight, pregnancy and happiness. I had considered this surgery before but I really didn't know much about it so I kept the questions to myself. She suggested it as a possibility and it wasn't too far from what I was considering. Anyway, I booked an appointment to see a local well known surgeon and the secretary was quite cold and smug. I felt uneasy about being just a cash cow - I wanted someone who had my health as the priority not my wallet. Someone gave me the name of a surgeon who I just happened to research the week before and I booked in.

He was doing a trial at the time on the benefits if any of pre op dieting using optifast and a low calorie diet. I signed up and was assigned the optifast rather than the control diet of eating what you liked. No biggy. An opportunity. However, I did tell my dietician that I was slightly lactose intolerant. Turns out I am rather lactose intolerant and spent the first 4 days of the LCD on the loo with severe stomach and bowel cramps. I called them twice and asked someone to call me back as I wanted to drop out of the trial but no one bothered to call. I just dropped the trial as I figured I would rather not go in for an op with no nutrients in my body and a stressed stomach. I hope it was the right thing. I watched my food intake anyway because it was just a good idea to start thinking (but I did have a couple of goodbye favourite food meals ;))

So, April the 2nd - my op date - rocked up and I was terribly nervous but I luckily was placed in a shared room with someone else getting the same thing with the same surgeon. She was fantastic and I think I would have been much more stressed not knowing someone at the time.

Post op - turns out all 3 of us had surprise hernias which our surgeon repaired. I was in a great deal of discomfort and I think the nurses kind of dismissed it. There was a point when they first got me to get up that I coughed while I was getting up from my side and I felt something pop..I am still worried about that because I have been in a bit of pain since and most people seem to be good by this point. I also felt the surgeon kind of didn’t care much for me either as the time he spent with my roomie was much more and much nicer than time with me. He also prescribed medication that was a bit more pain relieving to her than me..not sure what that was about but basically I could have in hind sight used a bit more quality post op talk time with the surgeon.

At home was rough. My partner is great but he is busy with work so the day I came out he dropped me off home, popped me in bed and left to go back to work. I have no family here either so I felt a bit alone. I have had a lot of nose bleeding and have been coughing up mucus with blood in it which I am certain is just from my nose. I think the oxygen may have just dried out and cracked my nostrils so I hope thats all that is though my nose is blocked a lot from dried blood which when I blow out - it just bleeds again :/ I also had what I am sure is akin to pleurisy - well it felt like it! but as I don’t know anyone who has gone through this who I can talk to I don't know if the lung pain is normal.

I got shoulder tip pain as well - yay - that was damn painful and 1.5 panadine forte later I pretty much knocked my self out (it helped).

I am on day 4 right now and I cant seem to have more than 1/2 teaspoon of soup which is much thinner than required. I don't know if thats normal either :/ I feel right now a tad bit alone and a bit left out in the dark. I don't know what to do about food, I tried cold and warm soup but my oesophagus really spasms and hurts when I swallow down that bit of soup... I guess I will have to stick to clear liquid a bit. I am so looking forward to 'eating' without pain!

I am getting loads of fluids and taking a dissolved and flat supradyn soluble vitamin every day so I will see how things go. Wish I knew people who were going through this as well.