newbie and a little confused

[iwanthelp]

Hi
Have just found this site and have been looking around it tonight. Must say I am very encouraged by the posts I have read so far .
I am a yo yo dieter and have been all my life , but atm am the heaviest I have ever been at 17 stone, for my 5 foot 3 frame you can see I am very very overweight.
I had my gall bladder removed earlier this year and clapped on 2 stone since then , I dont understand why that should be , but it is.
I would like to have wls and can fund it privately and dont know where to start .
Any advice would be much appreciated

 

[suepat10]

Hi and welcome x x

If I was you I'd start by looking at the websites for the local private hospitals, find out the names of the surgeons who operate there and then Google them to see what you can find out about them.

Also find out as much as you can about possible procedures and get some idea which is best for your eating problems. Your surgeon will also guide you but it helps having some knowledge. Good luck with your journey x x x

 

[chubby funster]

Hi and welcome!
I can't really comment on picking a surgeon as I was NHS.
However I wholeheartedly agree with the last post, you really need to research your surgery choices. When I started the process I was beyond any shadow of a doubt having a band, and completely dismissed bypass. So here I am a week on from bypass surgery!!! I took some looking into and some soul searching!! BOSPA website is quite helpful as is bariatric cookery.com. but genuinely the people on here have been amazing for good honest advice!!!
Fingers crossed, see you in the losers bench soon! X

 

[bobsbigboy]

Me too I am an NHS case and like Chubby Funster was completely convinced I wanted a band, I had my initial appointment and discussed the options, bought home a mountain of info and realised that the band was not going to do the job, main reason, it gives you the scope to cheat and completely ruin the purpose of the job the band could do. I was scared stiff to have any surgery but now I am one month today since I had my bypass I can only look forward and upwards to a new me. As long as you remain disciplined in what you do things should be good. There is far less scope to cheat with bypass as you will pay the consequences when you have your first bout of dumping syndrome. Streamline Surgical is the best known, as it is the Baby of Shaw Summers, probably now the most famous Bariatric Surgeon in the country. Good luck in your journey and don't be afraid to ask any questions here, its like a brother and sister hood here were all in the same boat together!! Take care xx

 

[iwanthelp]

Thanks guys
I have been looking at some of the stuff on here and a Dr Akroyd seems to come up well in Sheffield .
So what happens after the surgery , is it painful and can you eat normal food , just in smaller portions?

 

[jo_ jo]

Hi and welcome

In time you feel normal and start to love life. Eatting wise I am lucky coz i can eat most things but I know when to stop.First few months are really hard but now 2 years on I dont think about it that much. My kids like to sit next to me if we go out for a meal coz they know they will get whats left of mine lol. Kids like the fact that I play with them and go to theme parks and go on the rides. It really is a whole new life

Good luck with whatever you choose. Any questions just ask coz someone knows the answer

Jo
xx

 

[Mazza]

Hi

Dr Akroyd is probably the top surgeon in your area ! If I was you I would try and get an appointment with him to talk over your options and whats best for YOU.

You being the most important consideration here. Whichever option you chose will only be a tool, you can cheat with all forms of surgery but whether you chose to or you stick to the rules is down to you.

Which surgery to have depends on your eating habbits. The surgeon can advise you but its best to research as much as poss before hand.

This link gives you the guidelines for chosing which option might be the best:

BOSPA - The British Obesity Surgery Patient Association

I have a band, am at goal and cannot cheat with my food of destruction, ie rice, pasta and chips. If however I had a sweet tooth I could still eat chocolate, which is where the comments 'easier to cheat with' come from (I think!?)

Your eating habbits will change to higher protein, more veg and fruit and less carbs. Your portions sizes will decrease dramtically and if you can exercise more as well you should get the results you want!

Good luck x

 

[bobsbigboy]

Hi again, today is my 1 month surgiversary, depending on the procedure you have will determine what you can and can't have. The people I know who have had bands can usually semi normally but smaller portions, and they have the option to be able cheat, which sort of defeats the object of the operation and if private, a waste of money. I opted for the bypass so that I couldn't cheat, there isn't an option or you really will pay for it when you get dumping syndrome. I had keyhole for my op and I have 6 scars plus one small nick in the skin for some reason. The 5 big scars are just over an inch long and the small one is half an inch or so. I was stitched on the inside and they used surgical superglue to close the wounds on the outside. The only pain I had was from the stitches pulling and considering that this is a major operation I was very surprised and relieved, as I don't do pain very well. My pain relief was paracetemol and childs liquid neurofen, which was yummy and orange in flavour.

As I said I am now on week four of the post op diet, at the moment I am still on sloppy stuff, but I have enjoyed some nice things, sausage and mash, beans and sausages, chicken stew, all pulverized in the blender until really sloppy. My co by-passers in the support group who have been done a few months now are eating pretty normal food now but as you say in smaller portions. One lady last night had a nice curry, another tucked in to sausage and mash. The important thing is to realise when you are full. This is done by eating small amounts slowly, so that your brain realises you are full. If you have a support group nearby I would recommend going to it, they are a wealth of knowledge and can answer every question you come up with, one way or another. Just talk to your surgeon once you are happy with the person you want to do it, they will guide and advise you in the way forward. This is no quick fix, a lot of time, patience and self control needs to be invested to make it work. I wish you all the best and any questions please feel free to ask. Take care. Bob xx

 

[Kevin1708]

Hi and welcome. Good luck with your journey.

Great advice from Maz (as always)

However, even though you can go privately WLS is not means tested so you may want to explore the NHS route first. I went private as I want everything NOW and I would not have met the current criteria. At 5’3” and 238lb you BMI will be IRP 42.2 and you would most likely qualify for funding (esp. If you have any comorbidities) xx

 

[sheffieldgirl]

Hi! I am 11 days post op (band) and my surgeon was dr ackroyd, he is fantastic! Really nice at all pre op apps! Obviously I'm very new post op so can't really help on that but I feel fine! I've lost 21lbs so far including pre op diet xx

 

[Mazza]

The people I know who have had bands can usually semi normally but smaller portions, and they have the option to be able cheat, which sort of defeats the object of the operation and if private, a waste of money. I opted for the bypass so that I couldn't cheat, there isn't an option or you really will pay for it when you get dumping syndrome. xx

Bob, as many banders will agree you cant eat anywhere near semi normal, the portions are not just smaller they are dramatically reduced. You also are advised to avoid bread, rice and pasta - so that rules out a pretty large food group too. I dont have a sweet tooth and I dont and infact cant cheat with my band.

I hope that you get what you want from your bypass but to assume that you cannot cheat with it and that banders have that in built option to go ahead and do so is a little shortsighted in my opinion!

 

[bobsbigboy]

Hi Mazza, Sorry bit of a typo, I meant to say can eat semi normal food types, rather than portion sizes, I realise you can still cheat with the bypass too, but the consequences can be horrific from what I understand, as yet I am dump free but I guess that at sometime it will get me. My point wasn't to knock the band but how you use it is up to you, I have experienced one lady who couldn't understand why she put 3 stone back on until she told she had chicken nuggets and chips for her dinner, closely followed by a pork pie, I know that's an extreme case and she is being silly to herself. I have full respect and praise for anyone who has begun this journey and no way meant to upset or offend any one so if I did I apologise. Take care. xx

 

[gailm]

Hi
Have just found this site and have been looking around it tonight. Must say I am very encouraged by the posts I have read so far .
I am a yo yo dieter and have been all my life , but atm am the heaviest I have ever been at 17 stone, for my 5 foot 3 frame you can see I am very very overweight.
I had my gall bladder removed earlier this year and clapped on 2 stone since then , I dont understand why that should be , but it is.
I would like to have wls and can fund it privately and dont know where to start .
Any advice would be much appreciated

All I can say is don't use the hospital group they have proved very poor for me and another friend of mine!!
Depends what you are wanting band or bypass or sleeve
Try healthier weight in
Manchester as I've seen there aftercare is second to none
Good luck deciding
Xx

Sent from my iPhone using WLSurgery

 

[Mazza]

No need to apologise Bob x

Wow I cant understand why she would eat chips, pastry and processed meat - yuck! It certainly sounds like she hasnt got her head round healthy eating at all

I cant eat chips anymore - poor me ha ha :cry:

 

[phatmomma]

I have to dispute what Bob says too (sorry bob), i am a bypasser and i can eat anything, well almost anything. Rice sometimes likes me but i tend to avoid it as it's made my pouch have 'rabid dog' syndrome before now. I CAN also eat chocolate, cream cakes, croissants, ice cream etc etc. I DON'T eat these things, but i could if i wanted to as i do not dump! I'm a little further out than Bob, i am 13 months post op and just over 80lbs lighter. I am no longer medicated for my type 2 diabetes and am slowly turning into the Green Goddess (for you younger people she was a bit of a keep fit freak in the 80's)...

All surgery will only be a tool, it's how you use that tool that will affect your results. Obviously eating chips n pork pies will not help anyone. However making good nutritious choices will....

Don't rush into any decisions. Find out what your options are and if you qualify on the nhs be sure to be prepared for a bit of a wait..

If you go private, be sure to use any and all forums you can find to see if you can find patients with experience of your surgeon.....

And finally my last piece of advice. Taking into account today's current economic climate try haggling with the providers, play them off against each other to see if they will lower their prices to get your business...

Hth julie x

 

[bobsbigboy]

Thanks Julie, I didn't mean to start world war 3 LOL!! Obviously it is up to the individual how to use thier tool to get the best out of it, I sort of dumped 2 days post op on a protein milk shake thing given me by the hospital, although they say it wasn't dumping syndrome, so I now err on the side of prevention is better than cure, even at our group meeting last night one of the ladies sat there and ate 3 big scoops of ice cream and chocolate sauce. It is a big learning curve, I look forward to some of the things I am missing, I dread dumping again whether it was dumping or not it was awful. My type 2 diabetes is almost non existent, always now been under 6. I am just trying to do as they told me, paranoia of bursting anything is a big thing with me, maybe I am worrying too much about that. Take care xx

 

[phatmomma]

Bob don't worry, its a learning curve for everyone post op. I must warn you that i am not the only non dumper and as a diabetic you fall into the elite group of other non dumpers i know. All of us are diabetics, seems to be a theme going on there... Please never ever lose the fear and try something because as you go further out apparently you become more resistant to dumping syndrome....

 

[Katkit1]

Hi
Have just found this site and have been looking around it tonight. Must say I am very encouraged by the posts I have read so far .
I am a yo yo dieter and have been all my life , but atm am the heaviest I have ever been at 17 stone, for my 5 foot 3 frame you can see I am very very overweight.
I had my gall bladder removed earlier this year and clapped on 2 stone since then , I dont understand why that should be , but it is.
I would like to have wls and can fund it privately and dont know where to start .
Any advice would be much appreciated

Hi and Welcome to the forum! :welcome2:

You have received some great and advice already on here from all these experienced people who have undertaken surgery.

Just ensure you find out as much as you can to help make your decision......whatever you decide, will be about how you deal with the surgery and all your choices after. Begin with a healthy mindset regarding food and you wont go far wrong!

Good Luck with whatever you decide!




Take care hun x






Love Kat x