Bariatric surgery thread 3

[HotSteppa]

Relocating to shiny new thread for all those going through or considering weightless surgery in all its forms.

Thanks @WeRTheOnesWeHaveBeenWaitingFor and best of luck with the recovery @vitriolaa, hope you’re feeling well!

the only things I've struggled with so far are the effervescent paracetamol I was sent home with (even though I let it go flat), big multivitamin tablets, and the blood thinner jabs.

yesterday felt like SO MUCH liquid, I could've done with the pain relief in a different format!

I'm swapping to chewable multivits. it's always interesting how different places/ surgeons recommend different things - mine's tablets straightaway.

feel very fortunate that drinking / soup have been totally fine, pretty much since I woke up from the anaesthetic - had some clear soup before I came home from hospital.

Just found this thread. Have tried to read through the previous 2 but there is a lot to get through.

I am after some advice/experiences of the gastric balloon. I wouldn’t want to go for any of the bands or sleeves.

I have yo-yo dieted for years. I can be really successful but I struggle to maintain, getting hungry and binge eating and then falling off the wagon. I also eat far too quickly and I know that won’t help. Looking at the gastric balloon for a year, i would hope it would give me time to get used to slower eating and give me a boost start to weight loss. I have just over 6 stone to lose. If anyone has had this can you help with the below please?

How does it feel? Do you feel it there?
Any after effects? I read some sickness and reflux.
Fizzy drinks - I am a Diet Coke fiend. Will I need to give that up?
Can you eat things like pasta and rice?
Recovery time, do you need time off work? I am assuming not.

I will be going private if I have it done, but need to give it a lot of thought before I look into a proper enquiry.

Thank you

Hi Magenta, welcome.

I started out by researching the balloon but decided against it in the end. I'm having the sleeve in January.

What persuaded me that the sleeve was preferable to the balloon was this documentary (and subsequent reading I've done) which helped me to understand that the bypass and sleeve have profound effects on metabolism, which is why they are effective in both the short and long term.

Obviously I don't know your circumstances but it might be worth watching that documentary anyway. It is interesting viewing at the very least!

Thank you @Brindille

I will have a watch

Hello everyone. I have spent the last few weeks making my way through the previous threads - so helpful and informative!

I am hoping to have a sleeve gastrectomy in January. My sister and I were booked to go to Turkey but she has now decided she doesn’t want to go through with it and wants to do one last traditional go at losing her weight.

So I am travelling in my own in early Jan. I am in the process of convincing myself I will be the one person it doesn’t work for, or I’ll get out there and they’ll scan me and say they can’t do it, or I’ll wake up afterwards and they’ll say oh sorry we weren’t able to do it. I’m convinced this life changing opportunity is only for ‘other
people’, and not me.
My BMI is 40 atm but I’ve been doing all manner of things this year, slinking pills, keto and IM to lose about 2 stone, my BMI was closer to 50 this time last year.
I have been struggling with my weight for nearly 24 years since some #1 was born in 1998. I’ve tried everything, had some success but regained over the years. I feel so sad for me, how many years months I’ve ‘lost’ to weight issues, the places I’ve not been to, the friends I’ve hid away from, the invites I’ve declined all because of how I felt about my weight.
Anyway, enough about my sob story I’m looking forward to participating here if that’s ok. 11 days to go!

@MrsZlatan well done for reducing your BMI by 10 that will make your op and recovery so much easier.
How do you think your sister will cope watching you lose all the weight? I think I’d find that hard if I were her.
You will lose weight but I think having realistic expectations is important. Losing weight will make you healthier, have more energy and enable you to be more active. It may not make you happier about how you look. A lot of people become depressed after losing large amounts of weight because it isn’t the answer to everything.
I’m planning to write some NSV (non scale victories) down and tick them off. One of them will be fitting into a wet suit and swimming in the sea near our home.

I'm booked in for a mini gastric bypass and gallbladder removal at the BMI Alexandra Hospital this Wed 29th Dec. Not so much nervous for the op itself as I've been considering it for a long time but more that either my liver won't have shrunk enough or that they cancel last minute due to Covid. I've been isolating at home with my girls since 15th December to lessen chances of catching Covid myself but still nervous a shortage of staff will cancel it. I started my Liver Reduction diet on 15th too and lost 16lb in the first week but the weight loss has been stuck this last few days. Hoping to drop another couple of lbs before Wed. Has anyone else had a mini gastric bypass with gallbladder removal. Am expecting the wind pain to be really horrendous but hoping nothings as bad as the pain I had in August when my gallbladder last flared up.

I am a teacher and I am considering gastric surgery. Could any teachers give me some feedback on recovery time and how you found going back to work after surgery?

The reason I am specifying teachers is because the surgery has to take place during school holidays as we are unable to take leave. Would the two week break at Easter be enough? Or would you advise the start of the summer holidays?

@cocka best of luck tomorrow, I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed it doesn't get cancelled

[quote MeredithMae]@cocka best of luck tomorrow, I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed it doesn't get cancelled[/quote]
Thanks @MeredithMae So far all is good. Been keeping busy today so nerves aren't too bad.Hopefully everything goes smoothly tomorrow

Hey guys.

Am 5 months post op and 58lbs down.

Struggling to get my protein in, especially over Xmas, been eating alot of crap but starting gym in Jan so hopefully can get the remaining 32lbs off!

amazing stuff @LiloandTwitch - i find before and after pics so helpful, thanks for posting.

can't believe I've already shrunk in various places just a week post-op, but i definitely have, it's bonkers. i get the stuff about your brain needing time to catch up now.

good luck tomorrow @CockapooMum. my surgeon said he's never had an op he couldn't do as long as someone's at least tried to stick to the LRD. you sound like you've done great!

sorry, also meant to say - i had RNY bypass and no gallbladder removal, but the gas pain was tolerable and short-lived. gone within 3 days, completely soothed with codeine, everything everyone tells you about moving around is true. and quite liberating to be totally free to belch and fart (i'd usually die of shame), because the nurse said you need to and it's good for you

i've had no pain relief at all since day three.

@CockapooMum

I'm booked in for a mini gastric bypass and gallbladder removal at the BMI Alexandra Hospital this Wed 29th Dec. Not so much nervous for the op itself as I've been considering it for a long time but more that either my liver won't have shrunk enough or that they cancel last minute due to Covid. I've been isolating at home with my girls since 15th December to lessen chances of catching Covid myself but still nervous a shortage of staff will cancel it. I started my Liver Reduction diet on 15th too and lost 16lb in the first week but the weight loss has been stuck this last few days. Hoping to drop another couple of lbs before Wed. Has anyone else had a mini gastric bypass with gallbladder removal. Am expecting the wind pain to be really horrendous but hoping nothings as bad as the pain I had in August when my gallbladder last flared up.

I had a sleeve but also had my gallbladder removed at same time.

It walls t that bad. The incision that my gallbladder ame out of was the sorest and I think I would have healed quicker with the WLS alone but wasn't too bad at all.
Glad I had it done as a few of the girls I got sleeved with are having GB issues now.

Wasn't that bad*

@MrsZlatan

Hello everyone. I have spent the last few weeks making my way through the previous threads - so helpful and informative!

I am hoping to have a sleeve gastrectomy in January. My sister and I were booked to go to Turkey but she has now decided she doesn’t want to go through with it and wants to do one last traditional go at losing her weight.

So I am travelling in my own in early Jan. I am in the process of convincing myself I will be the one person it doesn’t work for, or I’ll get out there and they’ll scan me and say they can’t do it, or I’ll wake up afterwards and they’ll say oh sorry we weren’t able to do it. I’m convinced this life changing opportunity is only for ‘other
people’, and not me.
My BMI is 40 atm but I’ve been doing all manner of things this year, slinking pills, keto and IM to lose about 2 stone, my BMI was closer to 50 this time last year.
I have been struggling with my weight for nearly 24 years since some #1 was born in 1998. I’ve tried everything, had some success but regained over the years. I feel so sad for me, how many years months I’ve ‘lost’ to weight issues, the places I’ve not been to, the friends I’ve hid away from, the invites I’ve declined all because of how I felt about my weight.
Anyway, enough about my sob story I’m looking forward to participating here if that’s ok. 11 days to go!

I had my op in Turkey. They were absolutely fantastic. Where are you going?

Best of luck tomorrow @CockapooMum. Hope it all goes smoothly. Will be thinking of you.

Thanks for your inspirational photos @LiloandTwitch. It really is extraordinary how much your body has changed in this short period of time.

I'm starting to feel a little apprehensive now. My op is booked for the 21st Jan so it feels like it is getting quite close!

I told DD (5.5) today and she took it quite well. She is most concerned that I will be away for a couple of nights but she's pleased that her beloved Granny will be coming to stay during that time to support me and DH.

Good evening everyone.
I keep thinking about a sleeve as a last ditch attempt to lose 8 stone and start living again.
As a single parent I worry I won't come round from the op which puts me off. Is the cost abroad significantly lower than UK? I have been on a few websites and can't find the costs.

I’m going to Antalya, Mediterranean Healing Hospital and it’s costing approx £2,700 I think.
I will have an abdominal ultrasound before the op and if the gallbladder has stones it can be whipped out at the same time as the op for an extra £250 save having another operation in the future.
I am just wondering how many pairs of pyjamas etc to take. Only got hand luggage so want to travel lightly !

Love the inspirational photos you look fabulous

How did you get on CockapooMum? Hope it went well

@Sunshineandrainbow

Good evening everyone. I keep thinking about a sleeve as a last ditch attempt to lose 8 stone and start living again. As a single parent I worry I won't come round from the op which puts me off. Is the cost abroad significantly lower than UK? I have been on a few websites and can't find the costs.

I’m having mine in the UK for £8,250 but that’s cheap it’s often more like £10,000

My op was £2400 in Turkey and I paid 400 extra for gallbladder removal.

My UK quotes for sleeve alone were all above £10k

£10k was not possible for me so I had to go abroad.

I will be going back to Turkey for a breast lift/skin removal.

@LiloandTwitch

My op was £2400 in Turkey and I paid 400 extra for gallbladder removal.

My UK quotes for sleeve alone were all above £10k

£10k was not possible for me so I had to go abroad.

I will be going back to Turkey for a breast lift/skin removal.

Thankyou, are you able to say the clinic you went to or give me any tips how to research into some please. Was it easy enough to arrange and did you go on your own? How long did you have to stay?

I'm paying £10k for my sleeve here in SE England. That seems pretty standard tbh.