In thinking about bariatric surgery?

[cheekymonk]

I am 37. Weigh 28 stone with a BMI of 58. My Mum describes me as greedy as a baby. I was noticeably overweight from age 7. I was bullied for my size in secondary school. I was size 20 at 12. I was an 18 in year 11 then got bigger, at Uni being a 26. I have tried most diets and been most successful with WEight watchers when I lost 8 stone and was my lowest weight for years at 17 stone. However we moved house, found out both DS and DD had Autism and I lost it from there so am now 28 stone. I have been going to the priory for weekly cbt sessions and whilst me eating is better I am not losing weight. I struggle to walk and am forever scared of breaking furniture. I am scared for my health. DD is 5 and DS is 11. AIBU in considering surgery? I do have a lovely DH btw.

Good luck!😁

Update- I saw GP last week and have been referred to tier 3 weight management service. Booked in tomorrow for ECG, bloods, wee test and blood pressure check as I need a large cuff. Am now just wondering what's next and how long the wait will be!

I would love some help in this regard too - but I don't qualify for surgery. I have the high BMI, in my area you also need to have diabetes. I would like to try and STOP getting diabetes, rather than waiting until I'm there.

I've put on the weight since becoming disabled and am a wheelchair user. I can't exercise in a way that would help me lose weight, although I do hydrotherapy/pilates.

I just don't want to live my whole life fat. I feel inhuman at times. Invisible. I have no partner and never have had one. Have tried every healthy eating plan going.

I was once given counselling for eating problems, but the funding was cut so they only saw children. Tried CBT.

Just feel so low.

Glad your GP has referred you OP. Good luck!

It's hard glitter nails, it really is. At my weight am not in a position to give advice at all but can only say I feel your pain X

You could also try reading Brain over Binge by Kathryn Hansen. I have found it very useful when I've felt unable to stop eating.

Just thought I'd update. I've lost 5% so am now eligible for surgery. I find out if I will get NHS funding this week.

I had the sleeve four years ago and it has changed my life. It's difficult and sometimes I resent not being able to enjoy the same sort of food as everyone else, and the loose skin it leaves you with is not sexy, but I am much healthier and feel like I have my life back.

How much does it cost the NHS for you to have the surgery? Just curious. And what happens if you still can't manage to stop eating so much after the surgery and don't exercise?

P.s also the loose skin - I know someone who had this op and after had to have tummy tuck, arm lift, thigh lift. Cost her a lot of money. And she has a lot of scars. Very long journey.

The cost I believe is around £5000. But the point of the sleeve is that 90% of your stomach is physically removed so you can't eat more than a small amount. The capacity of my stomach is about the size of a felt tip pen, and if I have just one mouthful too much I am violently sick. I didn't exercise much for the first six months because I had complications from.surgery and sciatica so exercise was difficult. I still lost 10st in the first 9 months. I can now exercise and walk everywhere. I can't eat bread, potatoes, pasta, spicy food, sugary things, fizzy drinks. I have developed a fondness for liver, which I never liked previously. I have vitamin D deficiency and am on a high dosage of supplements, and you have to take a multivitamin regime for the rest of your life.

I haven't bothered with surgery for my loose skin because I can't afford it and it's annoying but not medically an issue, although some people do get sores from the loose skin. On me I just look like a deflated balloon on my torso, arms and thighs.

I do not mean this in a cruel way - there are all types of addiction but I have never understood, and I mean this genuinely: if overweight people are so miserable as to want this surgery and know that their lifestyle is killing them, why can you physically not just stop putting excess food into your mouth? Is it a willpower thing? I just don't understand how people let themselves go to this point. And then the NHS pay to fix it for them.

But are you comfortable being naked now with the loose skin? I don't think I could deal with it.

P.s one of my best friends had this surgery but she lives in europe and ended up paying herself. She is in her late 20s and with all the scars she still does not have the confidence most people take for granted. I feel her pain I just don't understand how people let it get so far - it's so dangerous

I had a food addiction, and the only thing that could stop me from eating myself to death was this surgery. I was on the NHS waiting list for 5 years and tried everything from diets to pills to hypnotherapy. I am married so getting naked isn't a problem, my DH knows what I look like and isn't turned off. I hate having to tuck my pouch into my knickers and having to cover my upper arms but I am alive and healthy so it's a small price to pay. I cost the NHS less money having my op than treating diabetes and suchlike, and I am no longer at risk of many of the health issues I could have contracted. In terms of the NHS paying, I have worked all my life and paid my taxes and NI. I had an addiction and the treatment was life saving - we don't complain about smokers with lung cancer being treated on the NHS or those with drug addictions or alcoholics.

Good luck! The science behind the benefits of weight loss surgery is very solid.

I would recommend it. Once I've dragged myself out of the crap my husband got us/me into, I'm having a gastric bypass.
The people I know who have had it have said that live is far far improved for them.
3 people I know of who have had it. 12 years on, my friend is 12 stone lighter (she's put on 3stone in recent years, but that's through stretching her stomach.
The other people are boss man, who was 25 stone, is now 17 and feels amazing in himself. He's only had it done this year
His daughter had one a year and a half ago, she was a size 28, she now wears a size 10 and is six months pregnant.
All of them have much improved help and are so happy now.

The first year is very, very hard. Good luck Hun xx

Thank you reup, have contacted imperial for the trial of the endobarrier.

Your posts are the reason I am very selective who I talk to this about in RL User. If it was as straightforward as not putting excess food in my mouth then I would not be voluntarily choosing to undergo surgery. I have had to prove commitment, do numerous health checks and attend psychologist, physio, healthy eating and weight loss surgery groups. It's not easy or a quick fix. I am aware of the excess skin but consider that I would rather have that than the extra weight I am carrying now.

I did an online course with FutureLearn about causes and effects of obesity and a very leading bariatric doctor ( OK, perhaps biased) said it was a disgrace that it was so hard to get help because the life changing effect of the surgery was phenomenal for correctly selected patients.

It won't cure disordered eating or make your husband love you more but for many it is the only way to lose a vast amount of weight.

Good luck, OP. And see a different GP.

I just don't understand how people let it get so far - it's so dangerous

That's because everyone is different. I don't understand how people can drink gin - it's vile - but they do. C'est la vie.

Good luck OP - I work for a Plastic Surgeon who performs abdominoplasties and other skin reducing surgery after massive weight loss. Speaking to those patients who have undergone weightloss surgery etc it can make such a huge difference to their quality of life. Fingers crossed the CCG grant funding

congratulations on the weight loss Lulu

Oh, and this may have changed but someone I knew had surgery for both her abdominal loose skin and her arms. To be fair the abdomen was causing circulatory problems and was a massive operation but her arms were cosmetic afaik.

Rather than put yourself through surgery go back to weight watchers - you have lost ten stone there before so why not again? I'm sure you can do it. Don't mean that in a negative way either, I mean that to lose 10 stone is extraordinary and proves you have the will power and courage to do it again