Bariatric surgery no.2 thread

[Seriouslyconfused3]

For everyone following from the last thread...

If you’re new please feel free to join in and share your experiences

@MananaForever glad it's improving.

I'm 8 weeks PO and 2st6 down. I am glad but I can't help but compare and feel disheartened when other people have lost 3 or 4st.

I'm stuck on what meals to have at the moment.

Can anyone suggest a good site for bariatric recipes at all?!

@AwFeebs can you work out what percentage of your excess weight you’ve lost, rather than focusing on the number? I guess 2st lost will mean different things to different people, depending on starting weight etc?

I’d also be interested in any recommendations for bariatric recipes if anyone has any!

@CoronaCurls I've had very minimal hair loss, similar time out as you & % of weight lost. I'm sure it's just luck but I take vitabiotics Vit B Complex daily, drink 500ml of "Get more ViTS" B vitamin sugar free apple & raspberry drink most days and started massaging scalp at reccomendation of hairdresser. No idea if any of it helps. My hair is mixed texture & doesn't require lots of washing (once or twice a week max).

Hi all. This thread is great have spent days reading it and the last one. The results and support are amazing!!!! Well done! I’m researching gastric sleeve and I haven’t decided to progress i’m just getting as much info as possible first. I will need to go private and travel as northern Ireland does not have a provision for bariatric on nhs. I’ve contacted tonic and weightless in UK as they have great reviews on here but I’d like information from those who went to turkey or Lithuanian hospitals of your experience. I’d likely be traveling alone as Dh will need to look after kids/work etc. Also any help with genuine long term results I’m talking 6-10+ years post surgery, are the short term results actually achievable long term? Does the surgery help this or is it more of a mind over gut thing?

Hi everyone.

Sorry to ask so many basic questions, I’ve tried to read both threads but COVID seems to have really derailed many people’s dates and so forth. I am hoping someone will have had experience of the path I am on and be able to share their experience and/or fill in some gaps for me.

Last month I started the tier 3 weight management programme through the NHS.
There was an initial video chat with a moderator as well as about 10 others who were also starting down this path.
I was scheduled that week for an initial blood panel which I completed.
The next week I had an appointment by phone with the therapist which was not bad and she said I should go forward.
2 weeks later I had a face to face consultation at hospital with an endocrinologist. He gave me a choice of 16 weeks of orlistst or if if I could afford it 16 weeks of a once a week injection on private prescription for a drug called Semaglutide which I chose. He showed me how to use the pen to inject and then said he’d see me in 4 weeks.
I am such a meek person I couldn’t formulate all the questions I had.
Perhaps someone here who has been through this can point me straight.
I also have not had further communication yet or the dietitian.

The injections increase in strength every 4 weeks ( he told me this)

What is the significance of 16 weeks?
Are there group therapy sessions? If so how do I find out and attend?
Is it up to me to somehow request the dietitian?
What happens after the 16 weeks?

Many thanks

Also they explained in the first video introduction that there was approximately 2 year waiting list for surgery. That makes me confused about why I’m doing 16 weeks of injections and then waiting 2 years for surgery?

Hi, I am so pleased to have found this thread (and the previous one). You are all so inspiring !!
I have decided I am definitely ready to book a sleeve - I just need to work out where!! So...Did anyone here have surgery at Irmet hospital in Turkey (and how did you rate it)? I won't be able to afford UK prices and I've seen great reviews of Turkish hospitals, but just trying to narrow it down!

Also, I'm a student nurse (career change in a pandemic - what was I thinking?!) and am concerned I won't be able to get enough liquid intake while on shift on wards post-op. @QueenOfPain (and any other nurses/healthcare workers out there) Did you find this a problem at all or am I overthinking it?!

Woah, I lost this thread! Until I got this tag notification.

@goddamncheetah

How long are you taking off after the surgery?

You will eventually get the fluids worked out just right, but are you allowed to keep a bottle on the ward/behind nurses station?

I’ve not worked on a ward since qualifying so don’t really know what the rules are. I managed okay as my job is mostly desk based and I can drink between each patient.

Might as well update my situation since I’ve found the thread again.

I’m 5 months and 12 days out from surgery and I’ve lost 100lbs!!

Although dumping syndrome is a big feature of my life now, as the majority of things that I eat seem to cause it. Even drinking a coffee (no sugar/syrups) did it the other day. Gah, it’s so annoying. Doesn’t make me sick or cause any pain, my heart rate just goes really fast ( as high as 160bpm sometimes) and I feel fatigued.

@QueenOfPain congratulations. Huge win

Is this thread meant for folks who went private?

No, it’s for anyone considering or having had weight loss surgery through any funding option!

Can anyone recommend some small capsules for the calcium and vit d?

All the ones I've tried are huge and since surgery I'm struggling swallowing them.

Has anyone been through new leaf in Prague for surgery and support?

@Keepthefocus I didn't go through them but I was going to at one point.

It seemed like a good company. Only thing that put me off slightly was the language barrier and the fact the hospital seemed dated.

Thanks @AwFeebs. I actually like the fact it’s a proper hospital rather than a private clinic because if anything major was to go wrong there would a a full medical team. I’m still researching. Where did you go? Would you recommend? Anything I should be asking or especially looking for?

I ended up staying in this country in the end. Covid and flying and additional tests were a massive pain.

I used BMI healthcare, the Alexandra in Cheadle to be specific.

I had my surgery at BMI Alexandra in Cheadle too. Couldn’t fault them, tbh. It was a proper hospital with an intensive care.

Although it’s a lot more expensive to have surgery in the UK, I never entertained going abroad as it’s major abdominal surgery. I couldn’t face the thought of all that travelling back through airports and everything but that’s a minor issue. Mostly because I had the bypass, very invasive with potentially massive risk involved if anything went wrong, I wanted to be on familiar territory with a health care system I understand and easy recourse if there were complications.

I would maybe consider going abroad for plastics further down the line (with a LOT of research) but most probably not.

Thanks for that I will look into the BMI healthcare! Like I said I’m still in research mode!! I’m in Northern Ireland and there are no bariatric surgeons based here so I will be traveling whatever I do hence why I am looking at all possibilities! I agree if there was a local hospital I would consider it higher just because of ease but unfortunately not likely. Thanks again for your help.

Hi @Keepthefocus. I'm in NI and having surgery at the ulster independent clinic, where there is a bariatric team.

@Jubilate thanks I’m looking into it now my gp said none in NI!! Thank you

@Jubilate do you mind me asking if it took a long time to get from initial enquiry to surgery date?? All I hear is waiting lists at minute!

@Keepthefocus there is no NHS provision, and very limited on the private front.

It's certainly been longer than I believe is 'normal' across the water. But it seems quite thorough, and I wasn't in a particular rush. But I think there can be an issue with getting a bed, especially as there was a lot of cancellation of surgery during covid and it's had a knock on effect on the private hospitals. If you email the Ulster Independent Clinic, they will give you a contact email. They are quick to get back to you and will give you an approximate cost.

Thank you @Jubilate that was the impression I had, although I’m still interested because it’s here. I’ve sent an email so thank you.

Has anyone have surgery at Royal Berkshire? my close friend has been referred here for her surgery, but we
don’t know much about the hospital. I think her other choices were Southampton and the QA in Portsmouth. I will try and get her to join MN as she keeps asking me lots of questions as I work for NHS but I’ve never been near the Royal Berkshire. This also is not my area of expertise many thanks.