Gastric Band

[katherineo1]

Punkie fairy (love that name) hello and welcome. Im pre op so dont know much yet but justed wanted to say Hi and that lots of things in your post resonated with me as it will with lots of people on here.
keep posting lots a love kath xx
PS Im going private 5995.00 with 3 year aftercare and unlimited fills nr liverpool.

 

[katherineo1]

Hiya, Welcome to the forum. Best thing I ever did was have the band, well worth the money and pain.
Timescales - Went to see the Prof in March 08 and a month later was being operated on. I'm with the hospital group and contracted for 1 year, 4 fills and dietician advice. Already had 3 fills, and dietician rings me every month or if I feel I want one on one, can go into there clinic in Leeds.
All the best xx

Better go, as going clothes shopping at Boundary Mills in Colne today. Yeahh

ha ha I live near boundary mills . You know I think there are loads of people walking around with gastric bands Id love to know how many people have them now. I know of three ladies so i bet its higher than we think!

 

[AA1234]

Hi hun, i am with healthier weight. £6950, first year unlimited fills with aftercare for life inc support group, bariatric nurse and dietician.

 

[Punkiefairy]

hi there and welcome to minis, i am a post bander and i had mine fitted 5 months ago privately with wga. It is the best money i have ever spent and have lost a total of 3 stone so am nearly at target and have lost 76% of my excess body fat. I am sure that you will make the right decision on choice of procedure. Julie

Thanks Julieann,
the advice and support I have recieved from this site has been amazing.I cant believe so many are willing to give uo their own time for me. Thank you all xx

My head however is in a spin as how to proceed. Julieann what was your epiphany moment for opting for a GB is for me rather than Bypass or other alternatives.

How difficult have you found manging your hunger with the GB in place?

where did you get yours done? would you mind me asking the cost?

So many question sorry.x

 

[Punkiefairy]

:welcome2:hi Punkie I'm pre op for band so can't really help but did'nt want to read and run. Good luck in your decision on which route to take.
xx Gaynor xx:welcome2:

Thanks Gaynor,
fabulous link you have designed. Love it, Love it.

Nearly to your op date bet your sooo excited.

Hope it goes well and you're back to normal self quickly after the op.

How long did you have to wait till you got a date?

Have you paid privately or NHS?

I shall want to know the in's and out the cat's backside post op tell me everything in detail. Well almost !!!

 

[halve me]

hiya punkiefairy and welcome, all your questions will be answered here its great!! sorry i cant really help with post op questions as im still pre-op having my band done next monday!! good luck with your journey x

 

[Punkiefairy]

hi the twin banded means i have had 2 bands, the 1st was removed and replaced with another band after 3.5 years thro manufacture faults which i must state is a rare thing.

the best thing is that im a new person with a second chance of living a normal life and i can be the mum my son desrves to have now and i feel so much more healthier.

the worst was when i was severly dehydrated by an over tight band, if ever you cant swallow your own saliver or simple water, contact your providor immeadiatly for an emergency de fill.

doomed to be fat no, made and kept myself fat thro my bad life style & food choices, and kept them bad ways up thro my food addictions.

liz x

Liz,
Did you have you GB done with NHS? If so were they happy to reband? Do you need to fit a criteria for rebanding if necessary?

Have you found weight loss easier with GB or do you still have that desire to over indulge to get that feeling of fullness.

Sorry for keeping on with the questions
XX

 

[Punkiefairy]

hiya punkiefairy and welcome, all your questions will be answered here its great!! sorry i cant really help with post op questions as im still pre-op having my band done next monday!! good luck with your journey x

How excited are you ? lucky thing. Well I wish you luck and am sure it is the beginning of a new era for you.

I keep reading about weight loss pre surgery. Is this a condition that the surgeon requests if so for what reason?

 

[thinkbethin]

Hi , I'm nhs and its taken a while as I was forgotten by the surgeons secretary :copon: but I'm on my way now and start my pre op diet tomorrow. Hope you find yourself on the wls journey soon. Take care xx Gaynor xx

 

[halve me]

How excited are you ? lucky thing. Well I wish you luck and am sure it is the beginning of a new era for you.

I keep reading about weight loss pre surgery. Is this a condition that the surgeon requests if so for what reason?

thanks! i am very excited now, this time next week.... the weight loss pre-op is in the form of a liver reducing diet, to enable the docs to perform the surgery your liver needs to be shrunk as it can bleed very easily if during the op the instruments touch it too much (or something that sounds like that you will have to forgive me my words dont come out very well due to lack of food!!) its not a nice two weeks but as others have said it kick starts your mind into the weight loss thought.
all the best for your journey and i hope you get what you want soon x

 

[Punkiefairy]

Hi hun, i am with healthier weight. £6950, first year unlimited fills with aftercare for life inc support group, bariatric nurse and dietician.

Good luck. What is the pre op diet?

 

[Punkiefairy]

Hi hun, i am with healthier weight. £6950, first year unlimited fills with aftercare for life inc support group, bariatric nurse and dietician.

That sounds pretty reasonable price wise compared to some I have seen.

Healthier weight policy re aftercare appears to be comprehensive also.

Do they give you any idea how frequently you may need "fills" can you request them or does it have to be a suggestion from the Bariatric nurse?

 

[AA1234]

That sounds pretty reasonable price wise compared to some I have seen.

Healthier weight policy re aftercare appears to be comprehensive also.

Do they give you any idea how frequently you may need "fills" can you request them or does it have to be a suggestion from the Bariatric nurse?

Hi, My op is 30th April and I am on pre op now (doing an extra 5 days). They will give you as many fills as you need until they get it right for you and you are loosing 2lb a week on average.

 

[fatbutnot4eva]

HI
I am a prebander I live in manchester and have to go through a 6 month weight management course before i can be refferred for surgery at salford royal. I started Xenical 4 years ago andhave had hardly any success so my GP mentioned the band to me, that was a year ago this May and hopefully by September I should have had it.
I have lost 2 stone since last may with the xenical and gym which I am sure will help.

I chose the band for the following reasons
I dont eat many sweet things
I didnt want my insides permanently changing (silly I know)
I wanted something that can be reversed shoudl something go wrong
I like bigger portions so hope that teh badn will reduce the need for a big plate of food.
I also dont want to feel deprived from having things so everything in small portions is my outlook and I hope that is how it happens with the band.
I also have 3 children who are young and think my family is complete but I am "quite" young and always wanted 4 children so in time might have another child and I am sure with the band this woudl be easier (sorry if I am wrong peeps)
I hated being put on the 6 month course - as many on here will probably tell you but to be honest it has been an eye opener to my food choices and I have a different outlook on food now, it is also my last appointment in 2 weeks and I cannot wait.

I have spent this last year reading everything and watching everything I can on bands and bypasses just so I know what I am talking about when I try to explain to people who are not sure on my decissions.
My advice to you is to speak to your gp about it and go from there and also do what you want, dont be railroaded into somehting that you dont want
x

 

[Punkiefairy]

HI
I am a prebander I live in manchester and have to go through a 6 month weight management course before i can be refferred for surgery at salford royal. I started Xenical 4 years ago andhave had hardly any success so my GP mentioned the band to me, that was a year ago this May and hopefully by September I should have had it.
I have lost 2 stone since last may with the xenical and gym which I am sure will help.

I chose the band for the following reasons
I dont eat many sweet things
I didnt want my insides permanently changing (silly I know)
I wanted something that can be reversed shoudl something go wrong
I like bigger portions so hope that teh badn will reduce the need for a big plate of food.
I also dont want to feel deprived from having things so everything in small portions is my outlook and I hope that is how it happens with the band.
I also have 3 children who are young and think my family is complete but I am "quite" young and always wanted 4 children so in time might have another child and I am sure with the band this woudl be easier (sorry if I am wrong peeps)
I hated being put on the 6 month course - as many on here will probably tell you but to be honest it has been an eye opener to my food choices and I have a different outlook on food now, it is also my last appointment in 2 weeks and I cannot wait.

I have spent this last year reading everything and watching everything I can on bands and bypasses just so I know what I am talking about when I try to explain to people who are not sure on my decissions.
My advice to you is to speak to your gp about it and go from there and also do what you want, dont be railroaded into somehting that you dont want
x

Thank you for that, it was really sound advice, I enjoyed reading your reply.
I was able to relate completely to the reasons behing the choice of GB.

I too feel concerned about a surgeons knife and the dramatic alteration that is involved with bypass. It is so permanent. The jury is still out on this one.

I had no idea that there was a period of weight management pre surgery and how long it was.Is that compulsory pre surgery for all NHS GB patients? do you know?

I believe I have the knowledge about food and its nutritional value (certainly not everything) its just controlling the beast of an appetite I have. My portions are enormous my biggest downfall and I can never leave anything on my plate. I love food and would love to able to eat smaller portions and feel contented. I do feel very ashamed of how much I eat.

With your dietican, surgeon, research, etc are you happy that the GB will give you the answer to weight loss once and for all?

You say you have spent the past 12m researching any good articles you could recommend ?

Thank you again and good luck.

 

[Punkiefairy]

Hi, My op is 30th April and I am on pre op now (doing an extra 5 days). They will give you as many fills as you need until they get it right for you and you are loosing 2lb a week on average.

Good luck Thursday. Its the new beginning you have worked so hard to get.

Tell me all about it post op. I feel I may well follow you on this one. Love the after care package.

 

[Punkiefairy]

Hiya... not nosey at all. Thats what is so brilliant about this forum, you can ask anything.

For me, I was already fairly certain I wanted bypass over band before my hospital appointment. My own research has shown me that the bypass is better suited to my eating habits. I eat large portions, which will be restricted by the bypass as well as fatty/sugary foods which could just slip through if I had the band. I personally felt that the band required more willpower, and whilst I am currently feeling very strong and focused about WLS, I know I will have my weak moments and the fear of dumping will hopefully stop me indulging in the wrong foods.

At the hospital, the doctor told me that a band could still potentially leave me obese after I had stopped losing weight, due to the amount I need to lose. That was the deciding factor for me. Im not putting myself through all this to still be fat at the end of it.

You are asking all the right questions hun. Keep on researching as much as humanly possible. You will reach the right decision for you.

Thanks Sam,
Its so hard knowing which route to take. Does the Bariatric Nurse and Dr advise you the better options?

I too consume massive portions can't bear to leave anything on my plate and pretty adept and finishing my sons left overs too.

I sometimes watch him eating(secretly dont want him, having food issues) and think how I used to be able to control my appetite and know when I was full.

Over time I have re educated my eating to disaster levels and have lost the knack to know when I am satisfied.

If I'm honest I worry about Bypass it is so permanent. But so is ill health if I dont do something quick that has some longevity I feel thats my journey into the autumn of my life.

But in your reply you intimated the surgeon felt a GB could pose problems in that you wouldn't lose enough to meet the "average "weight criteria.

Oh Sam now I'm in a turmoil I think we have similar amounts to lose ? approx 7st-8st.
Like you I cannot put myself through so much then to fail with getting the desired result.
Not sure what to think or ask really.

Your replies are always helpful and supportive thank-you so much for that. you're a star.

 

[AA1234]

Hi Hun, I have 7 stone to loose and am having the band. Every consultant is different but my research has shown that over 5 years the weight loss with band and bypass is about the same. Although you loose a lot more weight in the early days with bypass over a lover period of time it evens outs. the good thing with a band is even 10 years down the line if you start to put on weight again you can just go for a fill and loose the weight. ALso, if you want children you can have the band emptied whilst you are pregnant to make sure you are getting enough nutrition to the baby and then after have it filled again and loose the excess weight. I am not sure how it works with bypass.
Don't worry about how much you have to loose as there are people out there that have lose over 10 stone on the band.

 

[Punkiefairy]

Hi Hun, I have 7 stone to loose and am having the band. Every consultant is different but my research has shown that over 5 years the weight loss with band and bypass is about the same. Although you loose a lot more weight in the early days with bypass over a lover period of time it evens outs. the good thing with a band is even 10 years down the line if you start to put on weight again you can just go for a fill and loose the weight. ALso, if you want children you can have the band emptied whilst you are pregnant to make sure you are getting enough nutrition to the baby and then after have it filled again and loose the excess weight. I am not sure how it works with bypass.
Don't worry about how much you have to loose as there are people out there that have lose over 10 stone on the band.

Thank You so much for that. It was just the reassurance I needed. Yes you are right I have seen on the TV only the other evening someone had lost 30 st with a GB.

feeling positive now

 

[Sambucca]

Thanks Sam,
Its so hard knowing which route to take. Does the Bariatric Nurse and Dr advise you the better options?

I too consume massive portions can't bear to leave anything on my plate and pretty adept and finishing my sons left overs too.

I sometimes watch him eating(secretly dont want him, having food issues) and think how I used to be able to control my appetite and know when I was full.

Over time I have re educated my eating to disaster levels and have lost the knack to know when I am satisfied.

If I'm honest I worry about Bypass it is so permanent. But so is ill health if I dont do something quick that has some longevity I feel thats my journey into the autumn of my life.

But in your reply you intimated the surgeon felt a GB could pose problems in that you wouldn't lose enough to meet the "average "weight criteria.

Oh Sam now I'm in a turmoil I think we have similar amounts to lose ? approx 7st-8st.
Like you I cannot put myself through so much then to fail with getting the desired result.
Not sure what to think or ask really.

Your replies are always helpful and supportive thank-you so much for that. you're a star.

Aww Thank you

Take your time in reaching the right decision for you. You are asking all the right questions and eventually you will see a clear path that shows you which option will be right for you.

I probably need to lose a little over 8 stone to reach anywhere near a healthy weight. And yes, my consultant did imply that it would need a lot of willpower to achieve that with the band. I'm not saying it can't be achieved, It can, if someone is willing to follow the rules to the letter and work incredibly hard.

For me personally, I didnt want to take the chance. My eating habits are similar to yours in that i eat mahoosive portions and then finish the kids leftovers too. I also have a sweet tooth for things like cakes and pastries. Many bypassers (but not all) suffer from dumping syndrome which will prevent them from consuming fatty/sugary foods in any volume. This I felt for me was another swing in the favour of bypass.

Dont let one persons opinion sway you though hun. You have to do what is right for you. Keep asking questions and doing as much research as you can. Good luck with your decision xx