Bariatric surgery thread 3

[HotSteppa]

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

@Outbutnotoutout

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

Which hospital are you using?

I am meant to be having a gastric bypass next Monday - after 3 years of waiting on the NHS list due to Covid delays - but I went in for my pre-op assessments today and got a phone call just as I got home to say the blood tests have shown I am anaemic ... I was a bit taken aback as I have zero symptoms and haven't felt any differently recently, but didn't think to ask how this will affect my surgery.

The nurse is meant to be calling me back tomorrow but I have spent all afternoon googling and now I'm worried my surgery will be postponed because of it :(

Has anyone else ever had aneamia and have any idea whether it will affect my surgery date?

Boogaloony

I’ve just returned from Turkey where I had a gastric sleeve. I was 99kg on admission, age 44 and am only 5’1 so my BMI is 40. Been dieting ever since my dc1 was born in 1998. Must have lost and regained 50 stone so just had enough.

I travelled there alone me and returned alone and don’t feel I could have been cared for any better. I paid 2,300 plus my flights which were £39 going out and £179 I think coming back bc it was a Sunday.

I sent the query in December and had the op 6th Jan once I had decided I wanted to get in asap

Melj1213 did they say what your levels were? I had blood tests etc before my op last week (in turkey) the day before my op and they commented that my levels were low but they did the op and provided me with vitamin&iron syrup to last me a month and advised some iron once that ran out. They gave me a print out of all my levels if I wanted to approach my GP to make sure they’d improved.

I hope your op isnt postponed after waiting so long. Maybe they would have said on the phone if that was the case. Surely if you have no symptoms it can’t be bad

Hello all. Has anyone had WLS as a single parent? DH died in 2020 so I'm on my own with my (almost) 4 year old now. We could stay with family while recovering in the short term but would it be doable to have it done and still look after my daughter? I feel so trapped by my weight and I'm so scared of becoming incapacitated by it when I'm older.

@Curlyreine

Dr Isa

@mrsZlatan thanks for the reassurance - apparently normal range is 150-180 and my blood was testing at 70, so half the normal range.

The nurse on the phone didn't mention whether it would affect my surgery date but she was giving me so many numbers and medical info I didn't get a second to stop and think, never mind ask, how it would affect the actual surgery until I put the phone down because it came so out of the blue.

She should be phoning me back this afternoon once all of the tests have come back so hopefully it will be good news but at least I will have the wherewithal to ask this time.

@Curlyreine

@MrsZlatan

Boogaloony

I’ve just returned from Turkey where I had a gastric sleeve. I was 99kg on admission, age 44 and am only 5’1 so my BMI is 40. Been dieting ever since my dc1 was born in 1998. Must have lost and regained 50 stone so just had enough.

I travelled there alone me and returned alone and don’t feel I could have been cared for any better. I paid 2,300 plus my flights which were £39 going out and £179 I think coming back bc it was a Sunday.

I sent the query in December and had the op 6th Jan once I had decided I wanted to get in asap

Which hospital did you use?

I have been in touch with one via WhatsApp.

I really want to do it but DH doesn't want me too.

My BMI is 38 and I feel awful about myself.

I can add you to a group of people who are either booked to go, looking into it or have returned.

@Curlyreine pm me if interested

Mine is going to be £2650, plus flights

The package includes
gastric sleeve surgery
Transfer from the airport to the hospital .
Transfer from the hospital to the hotel
Transfer from the hotel to the airport
Total seven days
3 days in hospital
4 days hotel
You can bring your partner or another escort with you it is included in the package
Operation time nearly 1 hour 10 minutes.

Total price 2650pounds

Flight tickets are not included in the price

optimedhastanesi.com/360/optimed-2-bina/optimed-2-bina.html

I went to Mediterranean Healing Hosptial in Antayla their UK patient coordinator is lovely. He is a Turkish guy with good English. He always has his phone in his hand and will answer questions pretty much any hour he’s awake. I can give you his what’s app number if you want to speak with him.

My partner didn’t want me to do it he was against it (we have now split up but that’s another sorry) but it was coming from a place of fear. He was scared I’d die or something would happen to me.

I pointed out the risks of remaining obese were far higher than the surgery. Dug out some facts about how safe the surgery was and I went on and on about what a huge negative impact living with obesity has had on most aspects of my adult life. I would have gone anyway regardless of what his thoughts were but he did start looking at it with fresh eyes in the end.

Bariatric surgery is the only thing that will work with huge success in a relatively short time frame when a persons BMI has gone above 35.

[quote melj1213]@mrsZlatan thanks for the reassurance - apparently normal range is 150-180 and my blood was testing at 70, so half the normal range.

The nurse on the phone didn't mention whether it would affect my surgery date but she was giving me so many numbers and medical info I didn't get a second to stop and think, never mind ask, how it would affect the actual surgery until I put the phone down because it came so out of the blue.

She should be phoning me back this afternoon once all of the tests have come back so hopefully it will be good news but at least I will have the wherewithal to ask this time.[/quote]
How did you get on with the call. I hope it’s positive

Just FYI - I had a lot of tests for my op which all seem common in Turkey. Not sure what the NHS or UK private situation is but in case anyone is interested :

I had full blood tests, pre and post op everyday I was there after to note any significant or unexpected changes,
a full ultrasound and /or CT scan of all abdomen area including liver and kidneys, pancreas, spleen, uterus and ovaries (found out I have a cyst on L/O) with commentary on their health, size and appearance.
Inspection of gallbladder and if it had been stoney I would have had it removed. I have a
Polyp apparently but no stones so that was left in.
Heart scan
A CT scan of stomach and lung area post op to check for leaks and check lungs were ok from anaesthetic (this might be cos I have asthma and have dodgy lungs)

A video CD of the ct scan
A video of my operation taken with the camera attached to the surgeons tools. Which is so fascinating and gory. But it meant I saw all the horrible yellow fat all around my liver and stomach which made me feel sad for myself.

A visit to the dietician who weighed measured and told me my metabolic age, fat distribution, how many kg of pure fat I was carrying, how much I needed to lose etc.

All the above printed out and given to me in a snazzy folder when I went home.

Including letters for my GP detailing what vitamins I was on, what I might need testing for and when and what I’d had done with a surgeons report on how it went.

I was stunned at the amount of info I had and how quick it all took.

I have limited experience with medical matters and have been used to the ‘wait 18’weeks for an appointment, go back in 6 weeks for the results’ system of the NHS so I was really impressed.

Five full days post op and I’ve lost 9lb and not had a shred of hunger. Suddenly had an urge to cook for the kids and not even wanted to taste it. Such a strange feeling.

@peachgreen

Hello all. Has anyone had WLS as a single parent? DH died in 2020 so I'm on my own with my (almost) 4 year old now. We could stay with family while recovering in the short term but would it be doable to have it done and still look after my daughter? I feel so trapped by my weight and I'm so scared of becoming incapacitated by it when I'm older.

Im sorry to hear about your DH I’m a single parent, 5 days post op. My youngest DD is 6 though so doesn’t need picking up and carried or anything so depends what your DD is like in terms of do you need to do any lifting or carrying. I am driving and feeling normal a little tender but not in pain. I can fill the dishwasher, make meals for the kids etc but I might be the exception. I’ve had 3 c sections and recovered really well each time which may help as my body has been sliced and diced before ! I have a 13 yo ds who had put the wheely bins out today and carried my washing basket downstairs but the majority of things I can manage.

It’s difficult to tell though as everyone is different.

Thank you so much @mrszlatan, that's so reassuring.

@MrsZlatan unfortunately when they called me yesterday it was to say the results hadn't come back yet (usually they're back within 24hrs but because they were running the full screenings due to the initial haemoglobin result it took longer) so they will call me at some point today.

Hopefully it will be good news and it was just an anomalous result because if not then my surgery will definitely have to be postponed

Well it wasn't good news - the full screening came back the same and my haemoglobin level is just too low for the surgeon and anaesthetist to feel it was safe to operate on Monday.

So now I have to see my GP and get some iron therapy and then once my iron levels are high enough I will be relisted for surgery, so I won't be on the waiting list I'll be basically "standby" - once my iron levels are high enough, I will get the next available slot rather than just being back on the waiting list - but I'm still looking at another couple of months waiting

At least now I don't need to do the LRD I can console myself with some chocolate - I'm not usually an emotional eater but after doing this extreme diet for nearly two weeks I just want chocolate and a massive bowl of pasta to make myself feel better

I went with DR Tuna Mediterranean weight loss clinic Adana in Turkey . He has a 0 percent leak rate and uses tri-staple technology which minimises leaks the hospital has an ICU attached and was very nice like a posh hotel it's not the cheapest costs £3100 now but much cheaper than the UK and he's one of the best in Turkey . I'm 3 months out 3.5 stone gone. I've also heard DR Tamer in Egypt is good .

I decided not to go ahead with the godze international. They were so pushy with their messages, even though I explained that I was waiting to see my doctor and discuss the procedure with her. They changed tactics regarding promotions.

I also sat up online reading reviews from people who had travelled from the UK. There were mistakes with every single review that I read, that clearly indicates everyone was not mother tongue English. It all felt a bit off for me.

I feel a bit flat today as I was so gung ho to get the procedure done next month but DH is now feeling much happier that we can discuss with consultants in our local hospital, and our health insurance should cover it.

@Curlyreine

I am feeling the same. My DH is happier if I wait for UK surgery. I have lost 4Ibs over the last 7 days by giving up booze.

[quote SavBbunny]@Curlyreine

I am feeling the same. My DH is happier if I wait for UK surgery. I have lost 4Ibs over the last 7 days by giving up booze.[/quote]
Well done!

Yes. When I think rationally rather than emotionally (I obviously want to get my weight issue solved ASAP) he has a point. It's a very big decision to take, to allow my body to go through a big procedure without any check ups, only internet/Whatsapp contact and so far away from home. And I have to take his feelings into consideration, he is the one running the fort while I do this, and he couldn't accompany me.

My doctor was actually wonderful, she took the time to listen to me, didn't make me feel bad and I have appointments for bloods and to discuss my options with other doctors already. She was not keen on the Turkey, which swung it for me, really. I know it's for the best for me.

Hello everyone!
I'm so impressed by all your stories (and your openness). I'm halfway through the qualifying year of maintainable weight loss as part of the Specialist Weight Management Team programme and am working towards bariatric surgery. What I wanted to do, if it doesn't bring down your lovely thread, is ask how your friends and relatives reacted when you said you were going down this path? I've found mine are really negative and unsupportive; my support from the medical professionals has been wonderful, but not from anyone else. I learned early on not to talk about it, but wondered what anyone else's experiences were? Thank you for re4ading!

Hi @Mildmanneredmum and welcome!

I'm glad you're getting such good support from the HCPs.

I found my family were initially against my decision to have surgery. But I showed them the Rachel Batterham documentary which someone linked on a previous one of these threads and it really helped them to understand my reasons and how and why the surgery works.

My surgery is on Friday so I'm getting pretty nervous now, but also excited to get started on my life afterwards.