Gastric Banding

Dear Reader,

A break from gleaming interesting snippits from the web, as there are always those who do it so very much better.

Inspired by Lockjaw's story of weight loss (you will have to listen to his podcasts), here is mine about Gastric Banding.

Here is my story - BMI 41 prior to using Optifast and KicStart. The latter tastes less worse and available in Coffee flavour... Hint #1 - I found adding Benefiber helped to make the shakes creamier and more filling. Hint #2 - Coffee (well Caffeine - Sorry all you LDS'ers ) is good....

The gastric banding was interesting! From the Fluoroscopy I was so full of gas (CO2 I presume) that I ached from both my shoulder tips. In the fluoroscopy it was interesting to see the intraperioneal gas - it was "frothy"... I would not have picked that up from the static xrays or from my research prior to having a lap-band.

I am still getting L) shoulder tip pain!!!!

The Anaethetist had some interesting ideas, post operatively, it is apparently important not to vomit (and risk a perforation or displacement of the gastric band) he wanted to avoid using opioids. So in surgery he apparently likes to add Clonidine to the mix and therefore maximising the analgesic effect of the perioperative fentanyl with out post-operative opioids. I have to admit I used absolutely no opioids post-operatively (I know it is only an N=1 trial, non-blinded).

One fellow "Band"it undergoing surgery at the same time, she is 51, Insulin Dependent Type 2 (42 IU of sustained acting insulin a day and about 10 of immediate acting insulin) She stated that the shoulder tip pain was just like when she had angina (LAD stented last year).

Currently it is taking about an hour to have lunch or dinner, I'm supposed to be on a liquid diet (anything that will go through a straw). Well toast isn't too bad in soup (Bread esp. white bread is supposed to be bad) and as long as I chew it thouroughly meat seems to be okay, cashews were okay, but chips (esp fast food crap ones) really really causes indigestion (Yes BJ I am sure you would have known just that!!)

Doc: (to the surgeon who did the op) or the dietician who works with him, If you think that your patients are not going to challenge the limits of the band and what can be tolerated, well... I have this bridge I need to sell real cheap, Jesus died for you sins and the check is in the mail, and John Howard really is the hero of the Working Classes.

I am sick of custard and canned soups.

A really good example of what is required and recommended can be found in this booklet .

I lost about 4 kg pre-surgery, but I couldn't do the ketosis thing (using Kickstart or Optifast). I got so sick - coincidence??? the two times I got to 3 days (aborting it the first time was interesting, it took about 750ml of sugary soft-drink).

So - 4 weeks ago - BMI 41
Last week prior to surgery - BMI 39 (well if I relied on the hospital's scales BMI of 36)
Now BMI of 38.

Let me know if you think it is worthwhile for me to continue? (I mean I am not as eloquent as BronzeJohn).

Cheers
Benedict