Lap Banding

So I have had 2 requests in the past couple of hours for what I should blog about next.  I will go with my easiest first - it may give you an idea as to why I went down this path once I finish my blog after this one.  It was basically a process.
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There are 3 different weight loss surgery options - each is relative to the persons decision and honestly not one is better than the other.  A lot would say don't go band because such and such had issues with it.  Go a sleeve or a gastric bypass... Three choices I have just typed there. 

1. Gastric Band
2. Gastric Sleeve
3. Gastric Bypass

There are a couple of other ones but I am sticking to the main 3 that I had to make the decision to have.  The decider of course was money - when you're self funding it plays a big part in what you choose.  Honestly I could have waited another year and saved and paid for Private Health, but at the time I wasn't working we couldn't afford the private health option.

I am not going to go into much detail about the other two options because there is solely no point.  I can't offer advice on that procedure and I also don't know enough to give advice on if they work.  They of course DO work - but with any weight loss required, the head is a powerful tool and it's what you do with that, which will make all 3 work for you.

The band is 3 parts.  A port, tube and band.  The port is attached to the inside of your abdomen this allows your surgeon to add fluid - which will travel through your tube into your band.  The band sits just start of your stomach.  It creates a funnel like system.  This is why Gastric Banding is such a great tool.  And that's what it is - a tool.  This is why many people choose not to go down this path.  This tool makes you work to lose weight.  You need to adjust your eating habits.  You can certainly still have "treats" but you will quickly find treats become less existent with the band.

The band is what gets tighter and tighter with the fluid that is put through the port.  It's not a lot of fluid, maybe 1ml here, half a ml the other time and sometimes even less.  And at times, they can take it out.  It's not a permanent weight loss surgery.  It's something you adjust to you.  This is where many people fail - they don't treat their band with respect.

People think because I have the band I am "cheating" I don't see how you could call it cheating.  I eat slower than the average person - 20 mins to eat a child size serving, I also get these horrible things called blockages.  This is where food doesn't pass through the band and sits above it.  Creating pain and almost jumping up and down above the band.  Most times this doesn't pass through - most times I need to purge it back up.  You also get this lovely thing called sliming - it's where your body turns your saliva into slime as it tries and breaks down that food quicker.  It's a horrible feeling - and when I have these blockages - I am reminded it's not the easy way out.

BUT I also have my issues - my issues aren't with the band but myself and my self control.  I started to indulge in "slider foods".  Foods that would pass through my band.  I was going through a stressful period and I would eat - comfort eat.  This is why I had the surgery to begin with!  A year later, alcohol, ice cream, potato chips... I had put on 15kg.  I don't blame the band, I just fell off the bike.  I am slowly getting back on.  But I need more fill.  I had some about a month ago but will require more so I get that restriction back.  It's not an easy thing. 

This procedure doesn't change the way you think about yourself - it doesn't give you an automatic feeling that you have your shit all together.  And it certainly doesn't stop you from eating or consuming all things bad (but taste oh so good).

Am I glad I got this done?  Yes... as much as I want to be 15kg lighter again and back to my wedding weight I know that is through no fault of my own.  I go back to when I told you about my alcohol - this was a big factor in why I stopped drinking.  I didn't want to go back to the way I was!  I may not be a size 24/26 anymore... and I definitely probably never going to be a size 8 either.  But I will get my happy place/weight.  Once I get to there I will be happy.

A size 8 doesn't determine if you're going to be happier or even healthier.  Yes BMI wise I probably would be.  But my conscious wouldn't of caught up.  I think I needed this hurdle to remind me of who I am as a person.  Honestly getting to a size 14/16 I would be ecstatic, elated and proud!  No shame in being a bit on the curvier side.

I have attached a couple of pictures to show what and where the band sits.