Gastric band

[RefuseTheLies]

I’m having a gastric band fitted in a few weeks. I’ve gained 6.5 stone since 2012, and I cannot lose it all without help.

I’ve tried everything. One of my more extreme attempts included privately prescribed appetite suppressants and having a feeding tube inserted.

So, I’m admitting defeat and surgery it is. I’m terrified, but hopeful. I’ve been so miserable these last few years and I am HUGE (17.5 stone at 5ft 4”). Most worryingly, I am still gaining as well.

Reasons for my weight gain? Comfort eating, mainly. My younger brother died, then my dad died a year later. I had an ectopic pregnancy, then ivf and had my daughter - and then, the biggest kicker - my mum died.

I’ve had counselling and cbt, and I’m on anti-depressants, too. I have a good understanding of why I use food for comfort, but I need something other than will power alone to break my bad habits.

Wish me luck!

Hey! Good luck...I’m in a similar position to you. Are you having the band on the nhs? i know how difficult weight issues are so wishing you all the luck in the world; will you keep this thread updated? I’d love to hear how you get on? Are you on a liver shrinking diet prior to surgery?

I’m paying to have it done privately. I do qualify for bariatric surgery on the nhs, but the waiting list is about two years, and in that time, I could easily have gained another two stone I have a family history of heart disease and I’m terrified of having a heart attack.

My liver shrinking diet starts next week. I will definitely keep this thread updated!

I had a very short pre-op appt with the nurse today. Checked my blood pressure, asked me a few questions about my health and booked my surgery date. Next appt is with the dietician to tell me about the two week liver shrinking diet. The words ‘slim fast’ were used today at the clinic. I really, really hope not. I cannot bear slim fast (I may still be holding a grudge because they look so much milk shakes, but taste nothing like milkshakes )

Ask to join Facebook group gastric band support uk. You will find amazing advice on there and food ideas. It is not a easy path though. Good luck

I’m on there already - I think I’ve joined every support group going. I know it’s going to be tough, but the alternative is morbid obesity and possible premature death, so I’m prepared for some hard work.

I cannot bear slim fast (I may still be holding a grudge because they look so much milk shakes, but tastenothinglike milkshakes)

To be brutally honest, they are not meant to.

They don't taste like regular milkshake because they contain non of the heavy fats in the cream and ice cream that make up a usual milkshake. And far, far less for the processed sugar (although slim fast still has artificial sweetener in). And, of course, hundreds of calories less than a regular milkshake.

I say this because if you hope for your surgery to be successful long term, you need to start retraining your food tastes in a very drastic way. My understanding of the milk diet is that this marks the beginning of trying you teach you that calories are for nourishment, not sweetness and unsaturated fat.

I spoke to my surgeon this morning and I start my pre-op diet tomorrow (1000 call per day). He said I should lose a stone in the next two weeks.

We’re having a huge take away tonight.

I feel scared about what’s coming, but also very relieved that things are going to be different.

Two weeks until my band.

I’m half way through my two week pre-op diet of 1000 cals per day and I am STARVING but I have lost 5lbs.

I don’t think I’ll quite lose the stone that the surgeon said I would, but I’d take 10lbs as a good result.

Prawn salad for dinner. My huge takeaway from this time last week is a distant memory (sob).

Well done on the 5lb loss . Your takeaway might be a distant memory but here's to your extra weight being a distant memory too, once your band has been fitted and starts working.

The very best of luck,best thing I ever did over 10 years later 10 stone lost and stayed off. Lost 8 stone in the first year and 2 in the following 6 months.

Sitting in hospital waiting for my op. Shitting myself . Am so scared. I hope this is worth it.

Hope all went well today OP

It did, thank you! I’m back home in bed snuggled up with my three y/o - who so far has managed to avoid her usual habit of repeatedly body slamming me and has instead been very (comically) gentle with mummy’s poorly tummy

I feel surprisingly good so far!

I’m a week post-op.

Recovery has been a little slow, but I’m getting there. I’m nearly 40 and I definitely feel it atm. My incisions are healing nicely though and I’m 10lbs lighter than I was when I started my pre-op diet.

I’m mainly eating liquids and soft food, and it’s fine. Mostly. I’ve tried to eat solids a couple of times and have swiftly thrown it all up again (learn a lesson, eh!?) so I won’t be trying that again any time soon.

I’m booked in to get my first band fill at the beginning of November - my band is a 10ml one and is currently empty.

Hoping the next few weeks see more lbs drop off!

Well done on your progress so far. I am watching with interest having decided to take a similar path. I'm 51 & have gained weight steadily now for years, lost it, put more back on.... for the sake of my physical health, mental health and relationship I need to get a grip. Keep us updated & good luck!

Hi RefuseTheLies
This is my first post, hoping it works
I am also having band fitted on Monday, feeling a bit nervous. Hope your recovery is still going well!

Good luck for tomorrow! Take lozenges with you as the sore / dry throat after surgery was tough.

I’m now two weeks post op and almost a stone down. I can feel a difference already. I’m mainly still eating soft and mushy foods, but have also attempted bread a couple of times. It did not go well

My portion sizes are quite small now, but I’m still eating way too quickly which is really painful but a ridiculously hard habit to break. I’m trying though.

I’ve got an appointment for my first infill the first week in November, so that might speed up the weight loss a bit too.

My next target is to lose 7lbs before a wedding we’ve been invited to. My dress is a little on the tight side atm.

Thanks for this thread OP, I'm contemplating the band and this is very informative. Good luck with your journey. I'm not sure what's stopping me, whether it's the cost, or feeling like I should have had the control to do it myself, or the fear of surgery/anaesthetic/pain.

I was furious with myself that I had to resort to surgery to stop me putting yet more food in my mouth. But, I had to face facts that I’d tried and tried and tried to lose weight and failed. Repeatedly.

Post surgery, I’m much more accepting. It is what it is and I wish I’d done it some time ago instead of waiting until I was morbidly obese.

The cost is eye watering, but I’ve got a two year interest free loan, with no early repayment penalties. And, the money I am paying back, I’d only have spent on bingeing anyways so I’m no worse off financially, really.

Pain wise - I can’t really say I’ve had anything worth shouting about. It’s been a bit uncomfortable at times, and I was pretty exhausted the first week after surgery, but generally it’s been fine.

I totally hear you about the anaesthetic - that was the primary reason I delayed surgery. However, the band is a 30 min job which hardly feels like anything at all, and - as my nurse said to me - anaesthetic isn’t anything like it was 20 years ago. It’s all far more sophisicated now. That made me feel better, for some reason.

I was reading the thread about food demons earlier this evening, and a poster who had been overweight before but had lost weight and was now slim said she still had a voice screaming in her head to eat things all the time. That was me. Constant battles with the voice shouting at me to eat bread, or crisps, or chocolate and I felt compulsed to do it because the voice did not shut up until I had.

Now that voice has gone because I just can’t eat loads of anything (well, I could, but I’d be in a lot of pain and I’d just bring it all back up again), and the relief of just NOT being able to shovel food in my mouth is immeasurable.

Can I be cheeky and ask how much your surgery cost?
Did you discuss with your surgeon which operation was best for you or did you specify that you wanted a gastric band?
My consultant has told me today that he wants me to lose 17 kg in the next six months; going by my BMI, I actually need to lose 71 kg.
I am seriously considering Bariatric surgery of some sort but don't know where to start.
I shall probably have to go private as, like you, I don't think I could wait two years.

I specifically asked for the band.

For two reasons
a) it cost much less than the sleeve (£5000 for band vs £10000 for sleeve) and that’s what I could afford and
b) recovery time from the band is shorter because it’s less invasive (I have a toddler and I was excessively worried about the amount of time under anaesthetic and risk of complications are higher with the sleeve. Band is also reversible which I thought more appealing in case I didn’t get on with it for whatever reason).

If money hadn’t been an object, and I didn’t have my little girl, I’d probably have gone for the band though. It does get better and longer lasting results.

Well I am 3 days post op and still feeling pretty crap. Taking codeine and liquid paracetamol for the pain- refuse the lies did your chest feel as if it was pulling down when you got up? Not sure if I'm being a wimp, but I am sleeping a lot and the wound sites hurt when the meds wear off.
I am looking forward to this part being over (especially those fragmin injections which sting!) and getting into smaller clothes for Christmas 🤞Also feeling a bit emotional which I suppose is normal

How are you today, Deb? I also slept a lot post-op. I wasn’t in any pain though and didn’t need much by way of pain relief. I also didn’t get pains from the trapped air or shoulder pains. Maybe I’ve been lucky? The first week after surgery was not much fun overall though. Hope you feel better soon!

I had a band fitted in 2012, I weighted 14 stone 12 lbs, and was a size 16/18, not huge I know but I have Rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia and due to my mobility problems I gained a lot of weight and couldn't shift it due to being so inactive.

I lost a small amount of weight, however I had loads of issues with the band being to tight, then not being tight enough, the cost of fills was £120 a time and a 160 mile round trip to get it done. I never got down to the weight I wanted to be with the band. I then went abroad in 2016 and I had such serious stomach problems while I was abroad that I had to call the hospital in the UK for advice. As soon as I got home the band was deflated due to risk of slippage. It has stayed that way since as it scared me so much. I found a new surgeon local to my home and he told me he does not like bands, he states there are far to many complications with them and he does not recommend them to anyone. He also states they are only helpful for a short period of time and then cease to work. I will support that statement completely. He has suggested a gastric sleeve or by-pass. I am currently considering these options. I weight 14 stone 10 lbs and I have today started the Cambridge diet. I am hoping to lost weight this way for now.

Six weeks post-op and 16lbs down. That’s the most I’ve managed to lose in quite a while (generally yo-yo dieting, losing and gaining the same 10lbs over and over again).

I had my first band fill recently, too. I have 3ml in a 10ml band which is not very much, but I have a good degree of restriction already.

It is so incredibly hard to remember to slow down when eating, to take small bites and to chew properly. Sometimes I forget about the band and eat too quickly, but I’m reminded pretty quickly when the food gets stuck and I have to run to the bathroom before it all comes back up again.

Next target is to get to 20lbs off. I think I’ll really notice a difference then.