Laparoscopic Gastric Banding – My Transformation
Laparoscopic Gastric Banding – My Transformation
I was discharged from hospital at 9.30am armed with my discharge information from Mr Nottle and Digesic for pain relief. I wasn’t in any pain as such, but I felt uncomfortable.
I stopped off on the way home to pick up some DVD’s to watch in the preparation for my two weeks of rest and relaxation that is essential for anyone recovering from surgery. It is amazing just what surgery and anaesthetic does to your body.
I was fortunate that my husband Rodney had two weeks off work to look after me; my children were not going to be in need of my services, being adults they can look after themselves, so I only had to concentrate on getting myself better. I wasn’t eating anything for three weeks so Rodney only had to cook for himself and prepare me some soup.
The first problem I encountered was …… that as I am a stomach sleeper it was very painful to lie on my sides let alone even thinking about sleeping on my stomach. So as I slept I would wake up with a jolt of pain as I automatically tried to roll over, apart from this I have to admit the only time I felt real pain was when I was getting up and down. The stretch that this movement caused made me grasp my stomach. This uncomfortable sensation resided after about day 6 and to be honest I didn’t realise that it had stopped I just recalled that I got up and I realised that it didn’t notice any sensation at all.
The first time I found myself lying on my side or attempting to sleep on my stomach it was a really weird feeling, if you can imagine feeling like your whole insides were dropping or oozing slowly to the left or right whichever side I was on. The first time gave me such a shock sensation that I jolted onto my back so quickly I almost made myself vomit. When I lay on my stomach for the first time I felt like my stomach was being pushed through my mouth, and the hard lump that is the port It was so hard I imagined it breaking my ribs as it was resting just under them. Anyway after a few days I almost forgot all about it and accepted that my body would adjust to my sleeping circumstances as it felt comfortable, and that I should just go with the flow. By day 9 I noticed I would wake up and realise that I was either lying on my side or had been without any discomfort. I can’t remember when I woke up on my stomach without any signs of being uncomfortable, it just happened.
For the first three weeks as I mentioned I was on the liquid diet phase, this it to allow the band to settle in place and reduce more swelling. So I drank lots of soup, yoghurt, custard, anything that was runny enough to suck up through a straw.
Then I visited the Clinic to check on the band and see if I needed an adjustment. They were thrilled with my progress I had lost 4 kilos since the operation (three weeks). As a result of that loss they decided not to do an adjustment, they would see me in two weeks and do an adjustment then. This would allow the swelling to reduce even further.
Then I started the transition diet phase. A gradual build up in the texture of food helped to prevent complications such as vomiting due to a blockage or slippage of the band.
My diet consisted of yoghurts, soft cheese such as ricotta and cottage cheese, eggs, mashed veges, puree fruit, porridge, pasta, soft cereals, fish and chicken. I was limiting my portion size to a small plate and eating it very slowly so that it took 20 minutes to complete my meal.
Key Points to Remember:
Do Not Drink With Meals
Have small mouthfuls and always chew thoroughly
Eat 3 small healthy meals a day
Avoid snacking between meals
Choose a balanced diet
Stop eating when you feel full
Drink plenty of water in between meals
Five weeks from surgery I went for my first adjustment. After jumping on the scales to find I had lost another 4 kilos and a total of 10cm around my waist so far I felt pretty good. It was pretty easy to find the port. It is quite prominent below the scar line; I have been able to feel it for about a week now. Wendy, the Dr who is monitoring my progress could determine immediately where to inject the 1ml of saline solution into the port. I will go back in a month’s time to have my next adjustment another 1ml (maybe more it just depends), by then I will be eating a normal diet, of course it will only ever be an entree size portion for the rest of my life, but that’s cool I am generally satisfied with what I am eating, I haven’t had any problems with what I have eaten and I haven’t overeaten. Only a couple of times have I felt like something else to eat before the next meal and I have found that it hasn’t taken much to fill that small gap. Sometimes I forget to eat because I am not hungry and more often than not it is the rumbling stomach that tells me it is time to eat.
The next step for me is to continue to learn to eat to satisfy my new stomach size. To increase my exercise to complement my weight loss and to join the Lap Gastric Band Support Group so that I can share the experiences of others and assist in their journey where possible.
I appreciate that this series has covered all the aspects of Lap Gastric Banding; we have covered my history, my choice to have surgery, the preparation phase, the surgery and the transformation.
I will continue to write my story and share my transformation as I progress through my rebirth. If you know of anyone that has considered having this surgery then please forward this information to them, it may just be what they need to make their own life changing experience. As a result of me having Lap Gastric Banding some of my close friends have decided they will have it done as well so I am really looking forward to sharing their experience as well.
Laparoscopic Gastric Banding
http://www.laparoscopicsurgery.com.au/lapband.html
Associate Professor Peter Nottle
http://www.laparoscopicsurgery.com.au/peternottle.html
Your Destiny Unfolds with
Rodney & Vicki Williams
