Sleeve in Belgium November 2016 ......

[Mazza]

Hi Mazza, wow band then sleeved. Why did you change? Was the band not working? So to come back again shows it is worth it! I went to a farm type park and they had boats/pedlows even ball on water thing. All the mums were on them with their kids...I had to pretend My boy didn't like that stuff (possibly true) and headed off to the animals which he liked but still felt I left him down. The trip is running next year and want to get on pedlow! We went on a UK park holiday again parents in pool with their kids except me. Want the next one to be in the pool or running round kicking a ball. Wow you are making fast recovery and moved through stages fine. Congrats for 6 weeks tomorrow. Eek I can't live without a cuppa that is the worst ever!

It's a very long story so I'll be brief! The band worked really well and I lost all my weight quickly and easily. I developed a hernia about four years out, a muscle wall one and my intenstines etc were and still are stuck in it. I then got oesophagitus and reflux. SO my band was emptied while they worked out what to do. The plan, after two years of going round in circles was 1. band out 2. convert to sleeve when my stomach had recovered (nine months for me) then finally when I'd lost the weight I regained and I'm back to a healthy weight, 3. repair the hernia.

I have about four stone to lose, so not loads but its coming off slow and steady.

Re the cuppa, can't even stand the thought of one, just like when I was preggers lol

 

[Want2b3]

It's a very long story so I'll be brief! The band worked really well and I lost all my weight quickly and easily. I developed a hernia about four years out, a muscle wall one and my intenstines etc were and still are stuck in it. I then got oesophagitus and reflux. SO my band was emptied while they worked out what to do. The plan, after two years of going round in circles was 1. band out 2. convert to sleeve when my stomach had recovered (nine months for me) then finally when I'd lost the weight I regained and I'm back to a healthy weight, 3. repair the hernia.

I have about four stone to lose, so not loads but its coming off slow and steady.

Re the cuppa, can't even stand the thought of one, just like when I was preggers lol

Sorry to hear about the problems you have had. 2 years going round must have been frustrating but you here now and it is happening soon yay! You must be so excited as you know the pluses afterwards.
I am the same with bananas since pregnancy lol but can live without them no problem.

 

[maggy]

Great that Starryeyed mentioned the 5 day pouch test. I tried that at about a year out and it worked nicely. More recently I haven't been so successful because I was so hungry on it. Perhaps my willpower isn't all it should be! I think the thing is that we're all different. We can learn a lot from each other on this site which we can apply to our individual experiences - these of course will all be different because we are all will different people with different circumstances and bodies. I think what I've learned in retrospect is that a) the grhelin part of the sleeve process just didn't kick in for me (I must have super ghrelin cells or something ;0) ) and b) the pouch test would probably be a good exercise for me to use before everything falls apart, and c) to learn more quickly what a full pouch feels like (I found that quite difficult to judge) and stick with those portions. There are some great long term members who are inspirational and always offer wonderful support and inspriation.

 

[Want2b3]

@Iwannabeslimagain thinking of you and hope it all went well update when you are back/out of fog post op.

 

[Heidi C]

Hello everyone, what a great website for support and reassurance. Is anyone else having a gastric sleeve around my dates - would be good to have a buddy for encouragement and support. Most of my family and friends think I'm mad; they just dont understand I need to do this for me.

Hi, I'm having a gastric sleeve done in Prague on the 29th Nov. I would love a "buddy" as I have told very few people about it and my husband says he will support me but does not understand why I'm doing it. He has no weight issue! He also says he loves me as I am and always has done, so what's the problem.....oh man. Gotta love the guy. When do you have yours done? Are you going alone?
Have an awesome day hx

 

[Nixon]

Hey, I had my sleeve done on Tuesday. It's not as bad as you will think. Currently laid up in a nice hotel down the road trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in.

Also I went alone for mine. It was ok, but some support would have been nice too. I ended up having a big a chat with a girl who had hers the same day as me. We were chatting in the ICU for a bit. You will more than likely be there the same time as a couple of others having the same op done are there. There were three of us, and in Brno they seem to only do sleeves on a Tuesday.

 

[Heidi C]

Hey, I had my sleeve done on Tuesday. It's not as bad as you will think. Currently laid up in a nice hotel down the road trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in.

Also I went alone for mine. It was ok, but some support would have been nice too. I ended up having a big a chat with a girl who had hers the same day as me. We were chatting in the ICU for a bit. You will more than likely be there the same time as a couple of others having the same op done are there. There were three of us, and in Brno they seem to only do sleeves on a Tuesday.

hi nixon
im not in brno, i did start by contacting beautiful beings but the woman in the uk - the liaison, was very impatient with me. i obviously had a lot of questions to which she said "i am only a sales person, i don't have these answers for you". i asked questions like, for the endoscopy - will i be sedated, can i stay an extra night if needed, do they offer any extra medical insurance other than my own etc.........
so i have decided to go with Dr Cerny who will perform the surgery on tuesday the 29th nov. im excited and nervous.
more worried about getting follow up care in the uk really. NHS seems to frown upon us who "elect" to have the surgery.
when was or is your op?
hx

 

[Nixon]

Mine was on Tuesday just gone.

The gastroscopy was not pleasant, but over in maybe 3 minutes max. I would have had the opportunity to be sedated for it but only after trying a couple of times with just the throat spray. But it's over quick, I found biting down on the plastic mouth piece, and breathing through my nose made it easier. Then a quick tissue to wipe my face off as my eyes were streaming.

I'm not sure how the NHS will deal with me when I come back. I will make an appointment to have my stitches removed and a blood test. I will hopefully be able to discuss with them any other concerns. Look at it the other way, there is considered cost in the western world for obesity care, so it should save the NHS money in the long term.

 

[Iwannabeslimagain]

Hi, I'm having a gastric sleeve done in Prague on the 29th Nov. I would love a "buddy" as I have told very few people about it and my husband says he will support me but does not understand why I'm doing it. He has no weight issue! He also says he loves me as I am and always has done, so what's the problem.....oh man. Gotta love the guy. When do you have yours done? Are you going alone?
Have an awesome day hx

Hi Heidi, I had surgery on Tuesday. However, the outcome was not good for me as the surgeon was unable to proceed with the procedure as during the operation he found I had a very large hiatus hernia so sleeve (or any other WLS) is not an option for me - and never will be - even if I get the hernia fixed. Naturally I am gutted - my dreams of finally overcoming my yo-yo weight problem being dashed. This is a very rare occurrence; my only advice to any fellow would-be sleevers is if you suffer from acid reflux have it investigated prior to surgery. Acid reflux is a symptom of hiatus hernia and whilst I was convinced that I had one; I did not realise the degree of severity. Most surgeons will repair a small hiatus hernia during sleeve surgery. However, if the hernia is too big this is not possible. I wish you all the best with your surgery and weight loss journey.

 

[Heidi C]

Hi Heidi, I had surgery on Tuesday. However, the outcome was not good for me as the surgeon was unable to proceed with the procedure as during the operation he found I had a very large hiatus hernia so sleeve (or any other WLS) is not an option for me - and never will be - even if I get the hernia fixed. Naturally I am gutted - my dreams of finally overcoming my yo-yo weight problem being dashed. This is a very rare occurrence; my only advice to any fellow would-be sleevers is if you suffer from acid reflux have it investigated prior to surgery. Acid reflux is a symptom of hiatus hernia and whilst I was convinced that I had one; I did not realise the degree of severity. Most surgeons will repair a small hiatus hernia during sleeve surgery. However, if the hernia is too big this is not possible. I wish you all the best with your surgery and weight loss journey.

So so sorry to hear that. Hx

 

[Heidi C]

Mine was on Tuesday just gone.

The gastroscopy was not pleasant, but over in maybe 3 minutes max. I would have had the opportunity to be sedated for it but only after trying a couple of times with just the throat spray. But it's over quick, I found biting down on the plastic mouth piece, and breathing through my nose made it easier. Then a quick tissue to wipe my face off as my eyes were streaming.

I'm not sure how the NHS will deal with me when I come back. I will make an appointment to have my stitches removed and a blood test. I will hopefully be able to discuss with them any other concerns. Look at it the other way, there is considered cost in the western world for obesity care, so it should save the NHS money in the long term.

How are you feeling now? Are you home safe and sound, aches and pains?
Xx

 

[Nixon]

Feeling ok now, a little weak from lack of calories, so will try to address that better today.

Had a very strange night last night though. I woke up about 2 hours after going to bed, soaking wet, no idea why. It was pitch black in this hotel room, so I assumed the worst and thought my guts had fallen out or something. I got to a light, checked everything over, and all seemed ok. My back of head, neck, back, and chest were all wet, and my tshirt was soaked too. Still not sure what happened. It happened again a little later in the night too, but not as bad. I ended up switching to the other bed in the room, and seemed ok after that. So I don't know if I threw up on myself while asleep (didnt seem like vomit, and throat didnt hurt), or I had very severe night sweats (didn't seem like that, and it kind of smelled like apple sauce???), or there was a leak in the roof, or the mattress was wet I was sleeping on, or a wound had opened up and squirted my stomach contents everywhere (not that I had eaten apple sauce since about 20 hours before).

Really confused me, and still does today.

Apart from that, I feel ok, a little sore in places, so finding a good position to sleep in is proving difficult so far. I didn't realise until last night that I have stitches in my belly button, so they will need to be removed with the others, and I hate that being touched for some reason.

I'm back in the UK on Monday, where I will stay a night in a near by hotel, then make the journey back home for a week and a bit of rest before hopefully returning to work.

So my current worries are only about stitches, and keeping infection away from them really.