JUST REGISTERED

[phatmomma]

Leanne, first off yes we've all done the diets and pills and ended up larger than before you started.

Seriously now if i were you i'd get down to the gp and explain to her that you've done weight watchers and also Orlistat which is all in your records and still no joy with losing weight you are actually heavier than when you started. Tell her you wish to be considered for wls! Research the type of surgery you want so that you know exactly what you want. Do you have any comorbidities? Such as diabetes/sleep apnoea? You may well have sleep apnoea and not be aware of it, if you google it you may recognise some of the symptoms.

I know wls is expensive but your gp must be aware that by having wls the effects to your health will be so good that you will more than save that amount of money for the nhs by not getting illnesses as you get older if you don't lose the weight....

If you can get flustered then can i suggest you take your husband with you and also make a short list of bullet points with why you think you should have the surgery. Also work out your bmi beforehand and see if you can find your pct guidelines for wls.

Wishing you all the luck in the world xx

 

[novamay]

Hi, I just saw my doctor on Friday, said to him "I'll come straight to the point, I want to be referred for bariatric surgery" and he was ok about it! Goodness, I have been building up the courage for a couple of years at least and chickened out many times - and like everyone else on this site have tried every diet/class/exercise going - just can't stick to it, or it's not resolving my problems (I think I am a compulsive eater and I definitely use food as a reward/comfort as that's how I was brought up!). I'm diabetic and it was my diabetic nurse who suggested I think about surgery in January this year, so I did just that and researched as much as I can. I wasn't going to say anything to anyone, but since the doc said he would refer me I have told everyone that it might be a possibility... I'm a terrible liar and I can't keep secrets! I've not had any negative comments from people (not to my face anyways). My sister is worried about the possiblity of surgery, but I honestly I think I have a better chance of living with the surgery than without it.

I hope that you do get the chance to speak to your doctor. I too have been monitored, measured, lectured, weighed, scanned and on tablets (Xenical - made me constipated!) over the years... without any positive lasting or substantial effects. Its true that you don't know until you ask; and if you don't ask, you certainly don't get. I hope your doctor is as sympathetic as mine was - if he/she isn't, ask to speak to another doc at your practice. I think the criteria for Sunderland PCT is as per NICE criteria (look on the bospa website or you can contact the PCT direct by letter and ask them). I am in Teesside so funding is from North Tees/Hartlepool and theirs is as per NICE, but I also have evidence of weight management through the docs not working already on my files.
Good luck!

 

[poo bear]

Hi and welcome to the site hope you find it helpful.Marie:welcome2:

 

[LET.ME.OUT.OF.THIS.BODY]

Thanks everyone for all of your advise and support. as i mentioned earlier i first went to my GP about my weight two years ago. Not to request to surgery but just to ask for help and she put me on the weight loss by referral programme which basically ment she gave me vouchers for weight watchers, i explained that i had already been a member of weight watchers 3 times previous and that i could fund this myself i hadnt gone to her for free vouchers but she encouraged me to give it a go. then when that failed again i went to her asking about Orlistat and she agreed to prescribe it which she did and as always these things work in the short term until i fell of the wagon. i cant image what else she could suggest next that i havent already tried. i made an appointment today to see her on Wednesday 21st July at 10am an have already decided that i am going to write to her before i attend the appointment as i know i will go there with so much to say and i wont say half of what i need to.
as for discussing it with anyone, i think i will just discuss it with you lot for now and only if i get referred for surgery will i cross the bridge of dicussing it with family or friends.
thank you all so much for your support. x

 

[LET.ME.OUT.OF.THIS.BODY]

i am away on the 29th Liz but please let me know when you are meeting again i would like to chat with people about this. and thank you x

 

[Jemx]

Hi I've just registered too, its my husband who's having a gastric bypass on 27/07/2010 and I've joined so I can find out as much as possible about it all so I can help him. Know exactly how your feeling. I'm really worried about it all, just wish the op was over. Think I'll feel better when he's through it. He's starting his pre op diet on Thurs 14/07/2010. Its to be milk only, I think this includes something like slimfast, have to check. I'm gonna try do it with him it will do me no harm need to lose a bit of weight too also means I'm just cooking for the kids. Think this weekend going to be really hard for him. But I know its for the best, he's tried everything else, but that doesn't stop the worry or the over active imagination at times though and I can't share all that with him have to be positive and supportive and talk his fears away.

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

i am away on the 29th Liz but please let me know when you are meeting again i would like to chat with people about this. and thank you x

Augusts meeting is 26.08.10 6pm be nice to meet you then if possible x

 

[poo bear]

Hi and welcome to this site and good luck with your wls journey, Marie:welcome:

 

[LET.ME.OUT.OF.THIS.BODY]

Well i wrote a letter to my GP and post it at the weekend to make sure she got it before my appointment this morning and to my amazement My GP has referred me to MR Small at Sunderland Royal. i honestly thought id leave with yet another voucher for a slimming class or appointment with a dietician but when she said she@d read my letter and would be happy to refer me i was left in shock.
so now i just have to wait to get an appointment through to go and see Mr smalls team at SRH. can anyone tell me what happens next please?

 

[dottychic]

Bloody brilliant! It pays off to keep fighting Cant help with what happends next though as Im at a different hospital......Good Luck X

 

[Grace]

Hi Leanne and welcome. You've come to the right place for support and understanding. Well done on writing to your GP and congratulations on getting referred.

You've embarked on the fist step of a quite lengthy journey. I was referred February 2009 and am having my surgery in 3 weeks in Sunderland.

I can tell you a bit of my journey to give you an idea of what you might expect.

Probably the first appointment you'll get, is to attend an information seminar with the surgeon, specialist nurse, dietician and also post-op patients who've done/are still on the journey. There are loads of people at this. You can take someone with you and I would. It's quite a lot of information and pretty hard-hitting too.
If you decide to do that, obviously you're going to need to tell someone you feel safe with about your decision.

straight after the seminar you get weighed.

your next appointment is with the surgeon and dietician. They decide if and advise you on what type of surgery's right for you and give you a goal of a certain amount of weight to lose in a certain time (that's to prove your motivation/commitment to weight loss surgery)..........it's good you've done your research before that.....it helps to know what they're talking about and again shows your motivation.

in the meantime you have loads of tests.....

third appointment is to see if you've lost the target weight. That may be the time you get put on the waiting list..you won't be put on the list without losing it.(I didn't get waiting listed then, despite having reached and surpassed my target weight loss. I had to have some more investigations first!)

the waiting list is I think at the minute 26 weeks (Liz will be able to tell you more and more up-to-date)
If you re-gain the weight you lost while waiting for surgery, it gets cancelled.

I hope that helps Leanne. I think the more you know, the better you cope. Just don't expect it to be a quick process because it isn't.
But at least you've made a start...a journey of a thousand steps begins with the first one!
Charis xxx

 

[poo bear]

:welcome2:Hi Leanne and welcome to the site.You have already made a big leap by joining this fourm. I was very embarrassed going to my GP and talking about my weight problem to, as i am sure most of us were. Good luck with your wls journey. Marie.