Well I am now officially insane.

I got this surgery so that I never felt that overwhelming feeling of hunger ever again, but now all I feel is gut-wrenching hunger. I am all right for the first few hours of the day, then when it gets to dinnertime and hates everyone who is allowed to eat.

The sane me – knows that it’s not their fault, knows that this will all be over in a few days… but the insane me… well she couldn’t care less.

No pain to report.

Haven’t weighed myself.

ARRRGGGGHHHH.come on… mushy stage…

Current Weight: 124 kgs
Goal Weight: 72 kgs
Only 52 kgs to go…

So here’s the thing! For the past few days I have been addicted to sleep. I think it might be the painkillers.

Mr. Gary Crosthwaite has suggested (well ordered) that I do not eat anything solid for the next two weeks. So it’s two weeks of water, juice, ice coffees, yoghurt, ice cream, custard and soup. I actually really love most liquid things… Liquid is how I gained most of my weight… I just love a few litres of Coke. Now that I have given that up, I need to get my arse moving and coke guzzling.

Today was more painful that the past few days. My tummy kinda hurts and I have some back pain from the gas used during surgery. I was told this might happen. So I have been taking the painkillers. Which I have also been told to do… Apparently pain should be managed before you really feel it.

So I have been sitting around a lot. Lying on the couch… Spending time with my animals… Which I thought would be difficult, because I thought my dog wouldn’t understand that he couldn’t jump on my stomach. But he totally understood and somehow he just knew.

I also have some more good news.

Current Weight: 129 kgs
Goal Weight: 72 kgs
Only 57 kgs to go…

Today was a mixture of pain, embarrassment and happiness.

My father picked me up to take me to the dietitan at about 10am. This was the first time that I have been in a car since coming home from the hospital.

Now let me tell you that after stomach surgery… Speed humps should be illegal. Every bump and nick goes right through your body. Now, while I haven’t been in massive amounts of pain, I still feel not quite put together. So by the end of the trip I felt like I had to pick up my intestine from the back seat.

The next part is not for the faint hearted
So I got out of the car and found the building that I needed to go into. Then I went to pass gas and yes… it wasn’t gas! I am not sure if it was because I had been constipated since the surgery (all the morphine does that), or because I hadn’t eaten solids for almost a week, or maybe it was just a general body not doing well-ness, but I had liquid pooh all over my favourite underpants.

I ran into the dietitans and searched for a toilet, washed my underpants and threw them out.

The whole meeting with the dietitans I was uncomfortable and nervous. “Was it going to happen again?”

After going through what was on offer next week “The mushy stage”, I was so hungry I could have eaten a mushed onion.

It’s amazing how hungry you can be when you have only had liquids for a week.

Before going through the diet rules for the rest of my life and the integrated stages before that, I got on the scales.

GOOD NEWS!!!!

Current Weight: 124 kgs
Goal Weight: 72 kgs
Only 52 kgs to go…

Well, well.

So I no longer feel like a human marsh-mellow. Well I still feel like a human marsh-mellow on the outside, but at least I know that is changing. The Lap Band™ has changed my life. Sometimes the changes make me sad. But I know that it is all for the best… I just have to give up some of the things I like, no love.

Now that feeling better, I thought I might give you a run down of what the surgery and first few post-op days were like…

Surgery Day:

I was told to arrive at the hospital at 8am, after fasting from 12am. Fasting wasn’t hard, because I was asleep.
Traffic was good and we (my lovely boyfriend and I) arrived at 7:45am.
I was checked in and shown to my roomy private room. I was starting to get excited about my new life.
At about 8:30am the anaesthetist came in to see me. He was really nice, but for the life of me I can’t remember his name.

At about 9am a nurse came in and measured me for this plastic inflated things that wrap around your legs. Then my elastic compression stockings were put on and I loved them. I would wear them in public if I didn’t look like an escaped mental patient.

About 9:30am the nurse took me to the theatre. At this stage I was so excited about my new life my boyfriend sick of me. My mother arrived in time to spend some time with me before I left.

Getting wheeled up to the theatre in a bed was kind of strange. It reminded me of all those hospital shows. Which is probably why I started to get scared.

Once I was in the theatre, I was placed in a queue between a middle-aged woman who was getting a tooth implant and an elderly lady who looked like the bravest lady in the world. The nurses were continually checking “if I was ok” and I didn’t for one moment feel unattended.

Then it suddenly realised I was just about get surgery. I was just about to get opened up.

Why didn’t I just get a tooth implant? Why can’t I be as brave as the elderly lady next to me?

All of sudden I started crying. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop crying. It wasn’t even a loud cry just never ending tears that seemed like they would never stop.

Then my surgeon Mr. Gary Crosthwaite popped his surgical masked face in front of my teary one. Mr. Crosthwaite’s confident stance and assuring words immediately mopped up my tears. And then I was wheeled into theatre.

When changing from my bed to the surgical table my blanket (a really nice heated up blanket, which did comfort me somewhat) fell off. This is when I found out how nice the anaesthetist was. He was so quick to grab the blanket and make sure I was only publicly naked for about 20 seconds.

The nurse gave me some of that laughing gas. As the anaesthetist asked me what cocktail I drink.

“Long Island Iced Tea”, I said.

He asked what was in a Long Island Iced Tea and I responded

“Vodka’

And that was it I was out.

* * * * *

I woke up in recovery what felt like ten minutes later, but it was more like 2 hours. I was really thirsty. I kept telling the nurses that I was thirsty, but no one would bring me water. I didn’t understand why at the time, but it was because you shouldn’t swallow anything major before they x-ray you, to make sure everything was in properly.

I went back to my room and saw my mother and boyfriend. I had a few visitors throughout the day, but I didn’t really remember what I said to them, the anaesthetic took more out of me than I thought it would.

Later on that evening I had an x-ray to check that everything was ok. At this time I was so thirsty I would have drunk anything. The white stuff, which is like ink so they can see where it goes in your tummy and everything, was tasted awful. But sometime you just have to do what you have to.

After that I was allowed to drink water. I gulped the water down like I had been without it for months. At that moment it really hit me. I have a Lap Band™ and my life has changed. The water came back up at the same speed that it went down. I have been assured that it won’t happen forever, but to take everything slowly.

I sleep on and off for the rest day and night.

Mr. Gary Crosthwaite came to see me at 6:30am, because he had a busy day ahead of him. Talk about dedication! He told me that the surgery had gone well and that the Lap Band™ had been placed perfectly. The minute he left I called my parents and asked them to come get me. I couldn’t wait to go home and see my family, friends and pets.

Stay tuned, for Day two…

Current Weight: 130 kgs
Goal Weight: 72 kgs
Only 58 kgs to go…

Good Morning!
Well I am banded.
I got home from the hospital about 20 minutes ago (about 26 hours all up, absolutely no complications).

This will have to be a short post, because I am nicely toasted from the painkillers and the general anaesthetic. It’s amazing how much an operation takes out of you.

I am not in massive amounts of pain, I basically feel like I have done about 200,000 sit-ups. Not great, but I am sure it could be worse.

Now that I have a Lap Band™, I can finally understand how this is going to work. It’s hard to even drink water. I am sure it will get easier, but still I have absolutely no hunger. Which I am sure will change somewhat.

I will write up a full description when I don’t feel quite like Syd Barrett.

I do however, have some good news.

Current Weight: 132 kgs / 295 lbs
Goal Weight: 72 kgs / 158 lbs
Only 60 kgs to go…

My name is Catherine and I am in my mid twenties. I live in Melbourne, Australia.
Once upon a time I was an overweight girl, and now I am an obese woman.
So it’s time to do something about it.

Tomorrow, I will be getting a Lap Band™ put on my stomach.
If you don’t know anything about Lap Band’s™ check out this web site The Centre for Bariatric Surgery. This is also where I will be getting the surgery, my surgeon Mr. Gary Crosthwaite, is the most calming doctor I have ever been the presence of. He seems so know everything about what he does, which of course is makes me feel great!

So basically the lap band separates your stomach into two, without the dangers of a long and invasive surgery. Having a Lap Band™ is a weight loss surgery, and it is not something to be taken lightly. Essentially when you have a Lap Band™ you feel fuller sooner. So after I eat an entrée serve I will be stuffed. It’s hard to believe, but I am assured that my new life starts tomorrow. Let’s just see…

I will be writing my first few posts in a few days once I am home from the hospital and recovered a little bit… Stay tuned

Current Weight: 134 kgs / 295 lbs
Goal Weight: 72 kgs / 158 lbs
Only 62 kgs to go…