Bariatric surgery thread 3

[HotSteppa]

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

@CakeIsLife

Good luck to your husband. I am intrigued how long your husband has waited? I was offered a NHS surgery just before Christmas. I don't want to wait a year as i am very uncomfortable.

Hi @TinselTottyTart
He’s been waiting around 3 years. I don’t think this is typical waiting time!
He was initially seen and accepted pretty quickly, his case was complicated by his epilepsy, his neurologists opinion was needed due to potential impact on his medication. Our local NHS trust has 2 hospital site’s, the more ‘basic’ site usually deals with the bariatric surgery but due to his epilepsy they wanted the back up from the larger site which meant a longer wait for an available slot. Then Covid hit so no surgery of this kind was happening. Its been a while but understandable for an elective surgery on the NHS.

Can I join the discussion . I had sleeve surgery 1 week ago in Turkey. We flew home yesterday and I'm so glad to be home. I had a really good night's sleep and my mum made the most delicious clear broth for me.
I weighed my self and I have lost 15lbs since 26 Dec. I'm so happy and feeling really well. I can actually walk further without chest pains and breathlessness now than I could pre surgery.

Hi @gabsdot45 and welcome. It sounds like your surgery went really well.

I'm having a sleeve on the 21st and start my LRD on Saturday. I think I'm actually almost more worried about managing 2 weeks of that than I am about life post-op! Any top tips from those that have been there already?

@Brindille

Hi *@gabsdot45* and welcome. It sounds like your surgery went really well.

I'm having a sleeve on the 21st and start my LRD on Saturday. I think I'm actually almost more worried about managing 2 weeks of that than I am about life post-op! Any top tips from those that have been there already?

For me planning ahead was key. I was on 800 cals and 100g carbs and mostly ended up on 600-800 cals and 80-100g carbs. Some people find it easier to do a liquid diet but I found the food one good. I planned the day before what I would eat so I knew everything was accounted for. I lost 18 lb over 2 weeks in my Lrd but the scales only came down so slowly in my 2nd week.

Hope all goes well for you

I'm in Ireland. I'm 1 week Post op and I'd be happy to meet up or talk on the phone with you about my experience so far. I'm in Dublin.

I have bitten the bullet and have a phone consultation tomorrow to find out a bit more about the gastric balloon. Still unsure, but it is that or nothing as I do not want to have any surgery. I have been doing a lot of research and the results are mixed. I guess I will find out some more tomorrow and then give it some thought.

I went to Turkey so we didn't have to do any LRD, which I'm really thankful for as I wouldn't have been able to do it!

I had a Gastric sleeve via a private UK hospital in August 2021 happy to do a AMA

Has anyone had a bypass as opposed to a sleeve?

Lost 50 percent of my excess weight in a little over 3 months. Can't believe it I feel like I'm getting my life back no more sore feet , sore back and loads more energy 3 stone 6 left to go until healthy BMI weight , I could cry !

I could kiss my surgeon

I’m having my sleeve done on Sunday at the London Clinic.
Strangely, I am SO excited to get it done and have a good start to 2022.
I’m doing the slimfast LRD and haven’t found it hard at all. I’ve supplemented it with itsu miso soup (liquid only) and drinking Bovril.
I have to check in at 7am on Sunday so I guess my surgery will be mid to late morning

Good luck @QueenNala22 Hope it goes well tomorrow!

@TinselTottyTart

Has anyone had a bypass as opposed to a sleeve?

Yes, I had a bypass in Sept 2021. It was actually revision surgery - removal of a gastric band and revised to bypass.

Hi, I wondered whether I could join and perhaps get some insight into a few things related to weight loss surgery. I am only at the very beginning of even considering it but at the heaviest I've been, I'm not sure I can do another diet and start the yo-yo all over again. Anyway, firstly I wondered whether everybody gets loose skin, I certainly won't have funds for more than the initial surgery. Secondly, how much did you pay for your surgery and what did you have done? Was it worth the money would you say? What was recovery like for you and finally is it dodgy going abroad or perfectly safe? Sorry for the questions, so interested in first hand info. Thanks in advance xxx

@Veeveeoxox so interested to hear your experience at the London clinic if you don't mind sharing x

Hi @coffeealldayandnight, welcome!

Some of your questions I can't answer I'm afraid - I'm having my surgery on the 21st, so in the final stages of the run up to it now.

I'm going with Chris Pring at Streamline, and having it done at the Nuffield in Guildford. It is costing me just over £10,000, but I do think Streamline are one of the most expensive providers in the UK. I have seen other people paying more like £8,000 for surgery in the UK. It probably also depends a bit where in the country you are.

I think the excess skin thing is very variable. Some people have lots, some don't have nearly as much. Not everyone has it removed by any means.

Thinking of you and sending you healing vibes @QueenNala22

@coffeealldayandnight

Hi, I wondered whether I could join and perhaps get some insight into a few things related to weight loss surgery. I am only at the very beginning of even considering it but at the heaviest I've been, I'm not sure I can do another diet and start the yo-yo all over again. Anyway, firstly I wondered whether everybody gets loose skin, I certainly won't have funds for more than the initial surgery. Secondly, how much did you pay for your surgery and what did you have done? Was it worth the money would you say? What was recovery like for you and finally is it dodgy going abroad or perfectly safe? Sorry for the questions, so interested in first hand info. Thanks in advance xxx

Welcome and congratulations on taking the first step! It honestly will be the best thing you've done, my only regret is not doing it sooner if I'm honest. There's a taboo that it's the easy way out and you lose your life style which isn't the case at all. I can do everything now that I could do before, but if I go out for meals etc I choose from the starter menu or kids menu. I posted earlier in the week about my experience with Turkey and would highly recommend it if it's something you'd consider, especially if funds are a worry. The company I used were around £3600. I know there are other companies in Turkey that do it cheaper too but for me it was a fraction of the UK price and the bigger package of having genuinely nice people around me, being taken to a salon etc to refresh and make myself feel better when I felt grubby. More than happy for anybody to ask me any questions if you have any

Hello! Just wondering what the first step is? I am British but not in the UK but would like to fly in to have it done, preferably at Manchester.

How is everyone doing?

I'm on my LRD and so far it has not been as bad as I expected. I'm hungry, but it's manageable. (I'm doing yogurt and soup. I was going to do milk but couldn't face the thought of drinking all that milk so changed my mind at the last minute!)

Surgery on the 21st.

Any packing tips? Anything that was really useful in hospital that I might not have thought of? (I'm having the surgery in the UK.)

I've just dug this thread up after following the previous ones in the past.

How are you all doing? I am seriously considering a sleeve but am terrified. I would have to go abroad as I don't think I'm even a serious cantata in the U.K. and I don't want to gain more weight over the years just to be eligible when I want my life back now.

I am mid forties and 102kg. Not terrible but I have rheumatoid arthritis and need two new knees. I have other issues too and I am in constant pain with my knees. I'm huffing and puffing and get out of breath far too easy. I think I need to lose weight first, then get my new knees in a few years and then they will last longer. I'm starting teacher training this September so ideally want it in the next 4-6 months but don't even know if this is reasonable?

Congratulations to all you people on your amazing weight loss journeys. My daughter has struggled with her weight since her 20s. Particularly after her children were born. She has tried every type of diet going. She initially succeeds but then gains more than she lost. It's a vicious circle and now in her 40s it's really getting her down. My question is have any of you had successful WLS if you have been a binge eater? We have discussed WLS and I am willing to pay half the cost if it is likely to succeed. Does the sleeve prevent binge eating or would surgeons refuse to do it because the desire to over eat would still be there and the weight would go back on? Please give me any positive or negative experiences any of you have had with this. Thank you

@shiningstar2

Congratulations to all you people on your amazing weight loss journeys. My daughter has struggled with her weight since her 20s. Particularly after her children were born. She has tried every type of diet going. She initially succeeds but then gains more than she lost. It's a vicious circle and now in her 40s it's really getting her down. My question is have any of you had successful WLS if you have been a binge eater? We have discussed WLS and I am willing to pay half the cost if it is likely to succeed. Does the sleeve prevent binge eating or would surgeons refuse to do it because the desire to over eat would still be there and the weight would go back on? Please give me any positive or negative experiences any of you have had with this. Thank you

The sleeve is probably the best option for binge eating, you physically can't binge eat otherwise you will be in pain, nauseous, vomit etc. Eventually it forces you to face your demons as you can no longer use food as your emotional crutch/binge eat! No surgeon will turn her away for being a binge eater, that doesn't matter as like I say after the operation she won't be able to do that. She might try in the initial days but trust me the side effects of over eating are enough to put you off doing it again!

I am booked in for a Gastric sleeve on 6th February in Turkey.

I am 50, spent years trying to lose it,

I have 6 stone to lose