I was banded in May 99
had a BMI of 63.7 I was just under 500 pounds, I was taken
into surgery at 9 am on a Tuesday morning and was the
first to be operated on. The op took a little longer than
normal and I was out in just under 2 hours. Recovery
was great I was wheeled on my bed back to my room
where I was monitored for 2 hours post op and then I
was getting restless and wanted to get up and move. I
shocked everyone as I asked for towels and had a shower
and washed off all that yellow muck they put on me,
the nurse stayed with me the whole time I showered
in case I fell - but I didn't. She did give my back a
scrub where the stain was as I couldn't reach it.
I had some pain but not a lot, here in Australia we are kept in for an
average of 4 nights while they make sure you are
healing up OK. I was out after 3 nights as I only had the
pain killers for the first night and I was up and
about walking every where with no problems,
OK this diet sucked with those CLEAR fluids -- but I stuck close
to them and lost in first 10 weeks just under 70 pounds!.
Then it slooooooooooooowed down but I was happy with
that and the reduction in pace as I felt I lost it too fast.
Everyone I know here in Australia, who has had this
procedure has lost a lot
right away but then reached a more consistent pace .
3 months down I had my first adjustment. It went well; could feel
it for the day causing a funny feeling inside but that is
normal on most people once again. Back to those Clear
fluids for the next 24 hours as every adjust will bruise
your tummy and make normal eating very hard. Weight
loss had increased but only by a little more each week.
Ok 4 weeks past; I went for check up which in Australia is every 4
weeks, and had second adjustment, I was now feeling sick..... it was
tight - but I gave it a few days to see if it would settle; and it
did. Suprisingly it didn't make much difference to the speed of my
loss, but did slow the eating down a lot, my meals were now very
very small. Next 4 weeks flew by and had my check up
and a third adjust. I now have 3 Mls in band and went home
feeling good but over next few day I noticed that I was
able to eat easier than before and tried to eat that one
thing we bandsters here, can't eat BREAD and it went down
no
problems....
I now was getting worried and called the nurse at the
clinic and she said come in and I did, the band was leaking
-- my doc hit the tube on the last adjust - not the port. so it
leaked out and was back to "0" in it. Its now November, and
I had my
Port replaced, 1 night in hospital (as I live so far
from the facility
as normally this can be a day op).
All going great from there, February
comes along and I got a bad chest infection and started
coughing a lot and in one of these long coughing fits the
band moved and I was in pain at first as it tore the
stitches holding it. I was eating more than normal no full
feelings at all. On my next check up they X-rayed me and
did that god awful swallow test and yep it had moved down
2 inches.
May had a repair done 3 nights in Hospital and open
surgery this time to repair, it was very very sore, but once
again I was up and showering within 4 hours of getting
operated on. Went home, tried sleeping in bed but without
strong pain killers it was almost impossible, I hate
taking pills since the band, they just sit in there and
feel like they are in your throat. So I found I was sleeping in
a reclining arm chair, I was in no pain and sleeping very
well, did that for 2 weeks........
Continue here for the
following twelve weeks
Malcolms Story II
Malcolms Story III
