How does the Band Work - and what is it?

So how does this band work?  In my previous post I stated it wasn't second stomach.  And that is true.  It does NOT give me a second stomach.  What is does is create a funnel (what the weightloss surgery dietician calls it).

So I am going to break it down for you into parts - and this is where you need to imagine it in your mind.  And then I will post a photo - see if you were right. 

The band comes in 3 sections, the PORT, the TUBE and the BAND.  The port sits on the inside of me just located near my belly button.  You cannot see it, you can't really feel it and honestly the only thing you can see is my scar.  The Tube is what connects the port to the band.  And the band is the vital part.  It sits at the top of my stomach.  Remember those strict few weeks AFTER my surgery.  This was enforced so I have my stomach enough time to mould over the band.  The surgeon actually stitches part of my stomach OVER the band, but the resting and strict eating allows that to heal forming a more solid healing process.

So the band itself, like I said sits on the top of my stomach - and it actually sits just above the hunger receptors.  I was told in my first dietician appointment that BEFORE the band most people just eat and eat until those receptors scream I AM FULL!  In my case my stomach was so large I either ignored those screams or I kept on eating because my brain never triggered that feeling.  With the band because it takes a while for food to pass through the funnel the receptors are triggered quicker.  Sending that message to the brain - hey I am FULL you can stop eating.  And that could happen after 6 mouthfuls of food (that depends on how much fluid is in your band).  That's the basics of the band.  The port is where the surgeon sticks in a needle and fills my band with fluid.  Or saline :)

This is what tightens the band and this is what the tubing is for - it takes the fluid from the needle/port to the band. 

There are different size bands - I have a large on that can hold 15mls of fluid.  I currently have 7mls (I think LOL).

So here is a diagram of what it is...

No I don't have a second stomach...

Having a band people probably think I just eat and eat until I am full and that's it. Nope it's nothing like that at all :(

In fact I endure days where every meal I have what's called a "blockage". This is where food doesn't go through.

My method of eating is small bites think... toddler size. I chew and chew for approx 40 secs. I swallow... if it's not chewed it gets stuck. And then I have this horrible pain. Kind of like indigestion. And I can't eat or drink until it has passed through my band. Otherwise it makes it a lot worse. You have two options with blockages... wait until it goes through OR ... yep bring it back up. Not pretty and I dread going places to eat now.

Oh and after a severe blockage I can't eat.... so imagine if that blockage is on your first meal and first mouthful?... it's hard.

That photo of my lunch... I will be full quite shortly and I have already had one minor blockage.

10 Weeks POST Surgery

So I am 10 weeks post surgery - but 14 weeks INTO my journey.
I have had a rollercoaster beginning.

I have now had 4 fills into my band - which basically means I have fluid in my band that makes the entry to my stomach a little tighter.  I have my moments where I forget to eat slow - forget not to drink directly after eating - foods get stuck... it's a horrible feeling but I am getting better.  I am now on elimination of foods I can't eat.

I won't get too much into the way the band works as I will do that in my next post :)

But I am happier - I now have a pile of clothes that are too big!  TOO BIG!!!

I have lost 21.3kg since my journey started back on July 1st 2014.  That's an average of 1.5kg a week which is what I was aiming for :)

People will comment - but I shrug it off.  I may be losing weight, but I still have the mind of where I was 14 weeks ago.

I am popping up a photo - I won't be revealing weights until I hit my goal ;)

May was at my heaviest - September was 15.7kg down - October current 21.3kg down total

Surgery - 29th July

So today is surgery day - D day so to speak. 
I left my last post with me near in tears with my two youngest children walking out of the hospital.

The process at the hospital is fairly quick.  I am surprised but I guess not shocked.  And I find out I am first to go into surgery - GULP!

I have my pre-admission check in and I am handed these horrible disposable undies bahahahah they're not going to fit my fat ass!  And they didn't.  So I went in BUTT naked ;)

I was laying in the bed waiting to be wheeled into surgery and I am getting nervous, sooky and quite emotional.  WTF am I doing?  Too late now, I see my surgeon, I get checked over one last time... and I am wheeled into theater.

The last thing I remember is laying on the operating table talking... next thing I know I am awake in recovery and groggy and sore... oh so sore!

I am then wheeled into my room and I doze in and out of sleep.  I get a room buddy at this stage, Alicia.  I am glad I had her :)  She made my stay so much easier and better.  We talked a lot and I think at one stage a nurse asked if I was OK with her being in the same room as me.  LOL.  The next morning waking up I realised I had this band - my life had changed.  And it was true due to swelling, I didn't feel hungry.  I probably had a coffee and a mouthful of milkshake stuff and I was full.  I was discharged at 10am and I had added Alicia on Facebook :)

I went home and rested up - the shoulder tip pain started around now.  Bloody horrible.

Welcome! :)

I thought I would start a blog about my journey with my lap band.
I have always been a large person - I think I finally grew into my body when I hit around 15/16 unfortunately that didn't last long and at 18 I lost it when I ended up in a stable relationship with my now husband.

So let me start from the beginning of my journey - it's a long one but I am hoping to narrow it down quite quickly.  I will stop this entry before I hit the surgery date ;)

February/March 2014

I have decided that I need to do something about my weight and my health.  I was sick of doing the same old diets and routines.  Nothing was working and I was losing motivation.  I told Alan that I wanted LapBanding done.  I researched it as much as possible, the pros and cons and I decided to go down this path as the PROS outweighed the CONS by far.  I made an appointment with my GP and he said that I was his 3rd patient that had decided to go down this path and that his other 2 were currently doing very well.  So I got a referral for Dr Paul Ah-Tye with Complete Weightloss Surgery Group.
http://www.completeweightlosssurgery.com.au/

April/May

I start the ball rolling and getting my superannuation released to help pay for the surgery.  It's a costly surgery BUT I am a stay at home mum, my health is more important.  At this stage I am getting nervous and I hit my heaviest yet :(

June

Super is finally being released BUT it's a long process.  I also have blood tests, lung function tests to get the ball rolling.  Right before the end of the financial year ALL my cheques are in and cleared and I am on the way to a new me.

July

On July 1st I started the Optifast Shakes for a 4 week program.  This is allow to shrink my liver and to make sure my organs are at their best size for surgery to happen.  I am hesitant at this stage.  Shakes, they're filth.  Funnily enough though, the Banana flavoured one isn't that bad to be honest.  My birthday is on the 17th of July and I did go out for dinner as my last hurrah you could say.  It was a lovely meal shared with friends and my kids.  I knew this was my last meal where I could eat at a decent pace.  During this period I lost 8kg or so.  And surgery was booked for the 29th of July in the afternoon.  The 4 weeks leading up to my surgery I was nervous but excited.  I looked at my wardrobe and thought by this time next year it would all be new.  The morning of my surgery Alan and my two younger children took me to the hospital - I gave them all a kiss and hug and nearly burst into tears.