Personal
Experiences of Surgery
This
site is all about sharing information; here we include real experiences
of surgery. We want to hear from people who have undergone bariatric
procedures who are willing to tell how it has changed their life –
for good or bad. We have included these experiences as an informative
source only and Big Matters does not endorse any procedure or surgeon.
These comments are those of the individual only, surgery will always
carry risks and you should discuss these with your consultant after
initial consultation with your GP. You will see we encourage people
to update us over the years so the ups and downs are seen over the long
term. We look forward to adding your experiences, or if you are wawiting
surgery why not contibute tby keeping a journal ? info@bigmatters.co.uk
Personal
Journals of Surgery
We are looking for people who are due to
have surgery as well and we will follow them in sharing their journey
through surgery and are happy to include journals on the site. To read
about Deborah click on this link . please mail
us your journals to info@bigmatters.co.uk
Jane
DS update March 2008
Where has the time gone! In May it will
be 6 years since I was wheeled into theatre for my Duodenal Switch.
The past years have seen me living my life
to the hilt! I'll never forget those morbidly obese days I lived through,
how tired and depressed I felt. For the first 2 years after my surgery
I made BIG milestones and had moments of great excitement...the first
pair of boots that fitted, shopping in any clothes shop, fitting into
any chair! My first run! Being able to walk miles without perspiration
and feeling I would collapse. Fitting in airplane seats with space to
spare (and not having to ask for the dreaded pregnancy safety belt!).
Climbing flights of stairs with ease. I had so many moments of elation
as my weight fell off me. Now, I have less of those, but everyday I
still find some reason to celebrate the chance I took back in 2002.
I live with a quiet but solid sense of gratitude.
I currently weigh 54 kilo's. I started
out at 120 kilo's - I have lost an entire person! I've gone from size
26-28 to a size 10. That's 18 dress sizes down! I am maintaining well.
Food is not an issue for me. I still eat a lot of protein daily (Seafoods,
steaks, cheese, eggs, any meat, milk etc) and plenty of veggies. I still
eat butter, cream and have full fat yogurts - in fact I have whatever
I like in moderation.
People sometimes ask me if I eat chocolate
which makes me smile - but if you are wondering - yes I do. A few times
a month. I could eat a little junk food and simple carbs if I chose,
but I lost my taste for them after my DS and seldom eat them. I eat
around 80% of a 'normies' plate of food. It's a lovely aspect of this
particular surgery - I never feel like I am being deprived in any way.
My diet is so healthy there are times I look at it and I could cry with
relief! (It is high fat but my fats are from natural sources and as
the DS malabsorbs iro 80% of the fat I eat, I probably have an intake
on par or less than that of a normal person). All those years of food
torture are behind me. I'd like to put on a little weight now (never
thought I'd say that in a million years!), but if I don't that's fine
too. My focus is much more on my health than my weight.
So has it all been perfection? No, of course
not. Life is not like that. In March 2006 I had a bowel obstruction
caused by a hernia. It was a shockingly painful and scary thing to have
gone through, but I am still very much here and have recovered fully
from it. Both DSers and RNYers run a risk of this happening. It is around
2-4% in the data I have read. It could happen from any abdominal surgery.
People ask if I had known it would happen would I have had the DS? I
point out that I did know it could happen. Before I had my DS I was
fully cognisant of all the risks involved as I spent a lot of time researching
it. I still have no regrets about my decision at all.
I have had the odd vitamin deficiency.
Some deficiencies such as zinc and iron deficiencies come and go. At
the moment zinc is revisting, but I just take my supplements and know
it will resolve. I do however take a load of vitamins during these phases
- on top of my usual 12 daily. I knew before my DS this would be a trade
off - vitamin & mineral compliancy in return for no more obesity.
It's been a great 'swap' for me. But bear in mind not all Dsers feel
this way, some struggle with this aspect. Anyone researching the DS
should bear this in mind. Not being compliant is outright risky, this
surgery is major and it is a powerhouse. It will give a lot, but compliancy
is not negotiable. If anyone considering the DS feels they can't do
this in addition to getting yearly blood labs - better not to get the
DS imo.
I'm still optimistic about my future. I
feel I would not have had such a high quality of life without my DS.
It's my best friend. I love it! It gave me back the body I should have
had years ago, a body that is no longer cumbersome, that is despite
the deficiencies and the obstruction, in so much better health than
it was when I was morbidly obese. I have no sleep apnea, no stage 4
fatty liver, no aching joints and swollen feet. No breathlessness. My
asthma resolved, my acid reflux resolved and I have'nt had one episode
of the frequent bronchitis I used to have. Infact I cannot recall getting
the flu! It's raised my confidence levels and enabled me to be an active
participant in life. My family say I am a much nicer person to live
with now. It's doing a fine job of keeping my weight off. I can't complain.
I have a lot to be grateful for. :-)
Jane
- DS original article submitted 2004
We
all deal with morbid obesity differently. The Duodenal Switch procedure
is a masterpiece in my book, taking weightloss surgery into a new age,
but for some it is a terribly difficult thing to come to terms with
and it's certainly not for everyone.
Please read my story remembering that it is my experience I am relating.
Never go blindly into something as big as surgery. Please take your
time to do the research. There are other surgical options available
and although they were not for me - they might suit others better. At
the bottom of my story I include my website address, the Duodenal switch
USA website and the link to a support group for those in the process
of undergoing surgery.
JANE'S
DUODENALSWITCH(DS) STORY (2004):
2
am January 2002 - I sit up in bed plastered with perspiration and gasping
for breath. I also have an acrid taste in my throat - arrrgh it's the
dreaded acid reflux again. It progresses to a solid burning sensation.
I get up and take various self prescribed meds to ease it. They appear
to work...well, for now anyway.
4
am - again I awake in a sitting position - I am having difficulty catching
my breath but am too tired to care much, I roll over onto my other side
and fall asleep.
5
am - usually I love birds but right now I could murder the twittering
lot outside. I am upright again only now getting back to sleep is not
easy because of the bird choir. But I manage to doze.
7.30
am - jolt again - gosh I am so so tired but it is time to get out of
bed. I can barely do it. It is going to be one long , loooong day.
My
nights are like this most of the time. I have been obese for 20 years
incrementally gaining – I am now morbidly obese and I know it
is just a matter of time till I am super morbidly obese. I'm an expert
in diets and nutrition and quick fixes. I have tried drugs & counseling
too. Nothing has worked.
I just keep going even though I am exhausted a lot of the time. I am
ashamed to admit now that I actually thought this was normal and I never
went for medical help. I just thought it was part and parcel of my life
really. I adapted by being able to get back to sleep very quickly (usually)
and never knew I had sleep apnea. It can be life threatening and there
are treatments for it, but I never knew until it was diagnosed by hospital
staff just after my surgery. I accepted it much the same way I accepted
I would always be overweight and much the way I accepted my ongoing
heartburn and my aches.
I thought I would just have to grin and bear it and in between hope
to get temporary relief by dieting. I could generally get some of the
weight off but keeping it off was my problem.
Then
things suddenly got bad. Overnight I could no longer garden and my physical
activity level plummeted. I had an experience that scared me where my
heart raced and I thought I might be having a heart attack. My knee
began to ache badly, in fact my entire body was full of overwhelming
aches and pain. Exhaustion and depression consumed me. I had already
been told by my endocrinologist that I had a protein breakdown in my
cells and that I had mild pcos. He felt I was heading for type two diabetes.
I puffed and panted walking only a few meters. I developed a horrible
ruddy colour that I know was consistent with a system in distress. My
eyes lost their light and became a nondescript muddy green colour. I
felt very very afraid.
A
little later on we went on a holiday during which I suffered emotional
trauma because of my weight. It just took away all the joy of what should
have been a lovely time. I felt I could not interact with others. I
also could not participate in most things with my family and I realised
that mine was a 'sideline' life. I was an onlooker not a participant
- and I so badly wanted to be participating!
When
I returned from this holiday caring for myself physically was getting
very difficult. I had an epiphany. I knew I was NOT going to live like
this any longer. I knew I was not going to beat this with another diet
- I had not even one more diet left in me anyway...my willpower had
all been used up. I knew I would search in earnest day & night if
it was required, until I found a cure for my disease.
I
looked through all my other surgical options but they just did not resonate
with me. I was looking for something that would not leave me struggling
with deprivation feelings - I'd had enough of that! We often go out
and entertain so the idea of not being able to eat a decent meal was
highly disturbing to me.
Then at last late one night, I stumbled upon a website all about the
Duodenal Switch procedure. At first I discounted it - I was put off
by the stomach being partially removed & I went back to looking
at the RNY for a few months - but then I re-read about the DS and discovered
how the stomach is left vaguely intact with a fully functioning pylorus-
and how eventually it stretches out to almost be back to a normal size.
I also realised that the intestinal part of the procedure is actually
reversible in case of a dire outcome & I thought 'YES!'
The
DS is primarily a malabsorptive-restrictive procedure. The restriction
is intense initially allowing minimal intake of food but unlike other
surgeries it slowly allows less restriction enabling me to eat a good
plate of food and to feel very normal indeed.
Mind you I could most certainly not have 'seconds' without a wait -
my restriction would immediately come into action and I would be most
uncomfortable indeed. The nice thing is I am satiated for the first
time in my life. I know what it is to be satisfied and I very very seldom
have wanted second helpings of food.
Currently at 2 years out the malabsorptive aspect has come into play.
I have no fear of major regains because of it. It will keep my weight
relatively stable in the years to come.
On
May the 2nd 2002 I had my surgery in Germany. At the time the DS was
not being done here, but now we have several dedicated surgeons in the
UK doing it. It is becoming a very popular choice of surgery as it offers
not only superb quality of life afterwards but also much less late regain
than other procedures. My surgeon remains my hero. Once he opened me
up it was apparent I was in a bad state. He repaired two hernias, removed
countless adhesions on my bowel & intestine, removed my gallbladder
and appendix. He did a very good DS surgery on me. He worked deftly
despite a liver that was extremely fatty and distended filling my abdominal
cavity.
When
people said to me 'oh my gosh isn't that a bit drastic to have surgery
' I would think 'if only you knew just how drastic my life has been
without surgery.'
Two
years on I firmly believe that for me not to have had this surgery that
has swung my whole life around so positively - well, to have remained
in my prison of morbid obesity, that would have been devastatingly drastic
for me.
After
surgery, it was an adjustment because it is a major surgery. At first
it is rough - naturally it hurts - there is discomfort and one can tire
quickly. It is not a picnic. This is major, major surgery. Only knock
on this door if you have exhausted all other options for yourself and
are desperate.
I had to learn from scratch how to look after my DS optimally. On the
positive side for the first time in my life my body started giving me
signals - real signals and I had to learn to interpret correctly. There
are many emotional adjustments too.
Nutritionally I make the effort to know what is good for me. There are
blood labs to be done and occasional deficiencies may have to be corrected
by supplementation. I have to comply daily with vitamins. I take 12
of them a day but now I barely think about it, it's become a habit and
I feel it is a small price to pay.
I also have to eat 100grams of protein a day as DSers malabsorb proteins
as well as fats. That sounds like a curse but I enjoy fish, eggs, cheese,
milk, meats and vegetable proteins abundantly....I also never worry
about fats - I have butter if I please, cream if I want it and full
fat tasty yogurt. These are delicious, healthful foods and I am grateful
my surgery lets me enjoy them freely.
Too
often words fail to express my delight that I am so very nearly a normal
weight person. I am deeply happy and would have been had I only lost
70% of my excess weight as opposed to the 97% that I have.
For me this has been transformative. I'd do it all over again if I knew
what a profound difference it would make to my life on so many levels
- from the emotional to the physical.
The
Duodenalswitch procedure is a process. Really I am a work in progess!
I am by no means finished with my learning curve but I am optimistic
for the first time in a very long time that I have a future! A future
in which I get to enjoy my grandchildren. A life that is full and possible,
was once just a dream for me. Here I am running up stairs, canoeing,
swimming, snorkelling, travelling the world in a celebration of being
released...
Nowadays
I sleep right through the night. In the mornings I awake refreshed.
Do I have bad days - of course I do, just like any other person I have
challenging times - I live with my DS daily & sometimes I do have
to manage the occasional symptom.
Then I think about it and it makes me smile again -
I have no apnea, no acid reflux, no joint pain, no aches, no swollen
feet, no more summers spent hanging drenched over a fan, no hysterical
insatiable appetite, no ongoing exhaustion, no breathlessness, no pcos,
no weeping myself to sleep every night, no avoidance of others, no displaced
limbs, no continuous awful dieting, no deprivation, no constant inflammation,
no asthma, no backache, no longer term health risks, no fatty distended
liver, no deep aloneness, no depression, no constant excuses not to
go out ...no sitting on the sidelines wishing wishing wishing with all
my heart I could join in...
Wendy
- RNY
March 2008
Hi ive lost 14 stones so far i feel
great a bit upset about the amount of loose skin i have but im
healthier
June 2007
Hi just to update you on how im doing.
i saw my surgeon this week and to my shock found out i weighed
more than what i thought i did when i first saw him about the
surgery, i was 27 stones 8 pounds over 2 stones more than what
i thought i weighed, and im now 14 stones 9 pounds i was pleased
in a way i suppose, now i have a big problem and feel i should
share it with others who are considering weight loss surgery and
its NOT to put them off but to simply make them aware of what
they will probably be told by the NHS after the weight has gone
i was PROMISED a tummy tuck as part of the deal ,now i saw my
surgeon this month and he informed me that i was not going to
get the tummy tuck i was assured i would get when i started my
journey with the gastric bypass, he told me at the time that it
was part of the package of having the surgery done, can you imagine
my dissapointment in this here i am nearly half the woman i was
and i get told i cannot have the tummy tuck which by the way would
remove at least nearly a stone in weight from my stomach according
to my surgeon, i am absolutley devastated by the fact that there
is no funding for this, if i were to have taken the decision not
to have weight loss surgery and stay severely obese in the long
run i would have cost the nhs a lot more money than it will cost
to fund a tummy tuck. i.e the very high risk of diabetes, hip/knee
replacement asthma not to mention countless other illnesses that
come with being overweight, surely you see my point , i have to
tell you that when i was at my heaviest i could undress in front
of my husband but now im the weight i am and because of all the
hanging skin i cannot undress in front of him i have all on looking
at myself in a mirror, i know i am healthier for loosing the weight
but the way i look can be just as mentally damaging as being severly
obese, i dont know what i would do if i have to spend the rest
of my life living with all this hanging skin, im sure you know
that excercise will not get rid of it no matter what i do i excercise
everyday and go swimming 3 times a week and have done for a long
time and i know it will not shrink from the size it was to a normal
type of shape only surgery can help me,lets hope the NHS change
their minds and realise what people like myself are going through
it not fair when you make a decision to have surgery that could
kill you so you can loose weight so you DONT die from obesity,
its a brave decision to make i should know, thanks for reading,
kindest regards wendy.
Update
- Jan 2007
Thought you might like an update
on how i am doing ,well have now lost 10 stones and thought you
might like a before and after picture of me from a happy wendy.
Wendy - orginal
article 2006
I'm 35 years old
have 3 boys aged 18/17 and 11. i married my second husband in
2001 i have been overweight all my life it started to pile on
from the age of 7 i remember weighing myself on those enormous
scales they used to have in bus stations when i was around 9 years
old and i weighed 11 stones, i was pit on a special diet then
i was at school but it didnt work, i went up to 24 stones when
i had my second child then hovered around 22 stone i was always
miserable with my weight i did try all sorts of things to loose
weight but after a couple of stone shifted that was it no more
would come off unless i starved myself and then it stopped, last
year my weight ballooned up to 25 stones it was probably the highest
weight ide ever been at and i could tell, i was having problems
turning over in bed, walking, sitting, sleeping and worst of all
i stopped going out, i became a prisoner in my home i was scared
of going out because of what people would think of me, my husband
django has always been supportive of me whatever i look like he
loves me anyway i am,but i was not happy about myself, so i looked
up on the internet about weight loss surgery and decided that
it was the road i was going to go down it was for me, i saw my
gp and he referred me to a surgeon who does this type of surgery
at my local hospital and thank god i had nhs funding,but the ultimate
decision was made for me when 2 weeks after i had seen the surgeon
my auntie was in hospital she had always been overweight i think
her top weight at one point must have been over 35 stones i always
looked up to her ,we had a connection and i loved her,she had
developed diabetes due to being obese and this in time caused
problems with her kidneys and liver and she died 2 days after
her 54th birthday, i saw her at the hospital lying in the bed
fighting for breath and i saw myself there in a few years time
and i would not allow myself to get like her,i have always said
i would rather die trying to do something about my weight then
die doing nothing, so i had my open RNY surgery on 11th december
2005 and am nearly 3 stones down now and feel great and i havent
looked back since its the best decision i have ever made for myself
( © 2006)
Wendy
|
|
| Jo-Duodenal
Switch
Update 2006
I'm now 20
months post opp DS lap and at my goal weight of 11st 4. A comfortable
size 14.
Earlier in the year me and my husband discuss plastics for a tummy
tuck and a boob lift as my breasts had just completely disappeared.
So, in October we decided to go for it!!!
i priced up surgery here and it was just too expensive and i had
been given a great recommendation from Prague, so we booked 17th
Oct to go to Prague and Ihad breast augmentation with lift and
implants and a full tummy tuck.
total cost for both £4,000.
However, before leaving Prague they found a blood clot in my left
breast and Ihad to be re operated on, i flew back later in the
week.
Then once home more problems and Ihad to be rushed by ambulance
to Leicester Royal as another blood clot emerged.
all was well with the tummy it was just the breast, for some reason
i just wasnt healing well and kept getting infections too.
After another infection set in I spoke to the surgeon in Prague
and decided to go back and let him 'sort it' and he did, he re
operated again (opp number 4!! in as many weeks) but touch wood
im ok now.
regrets????
well, yes, if I knew what i know now i would not have had both
operations together, i think it put too much strain on my body,
i should have maybe had the tummy then gone back later in the
year for the breast surgery.
i truly believe the malabsorbtion element of the DS stopped me
from healing as well as a 'normal' person would.
to recover from surgery you really need all your vitamin levels
to be at their best.
My life has been transformed since my DS, at goal weight now i
play with my 2 toddlers and generally enjoy life much more. I
don't regret having the plastics done just wish i had not been
as impatient.
The only issue my husband and I face is paying for it all now,
over the last 19months ive spent so much on surgery and im not
done yet, i would still like to have my 'bingo' wings done as
they are really bad and its still a massive tell tale sign of
my previous weight.
but im all fit and well now and have the boobs of an 18 years
old..... it feels great.
my tummy is still at bit swollen but im sure it will go down over
time, its only been 3 months since the operation.
Jo-Duodenal
Switch - 2004 article
|
|
“I’ve
always been a big girl, I left school at 18 stone!! I was at Weight
Watchers at 17 years old, then Cambridge diet, Slimmers World (where
I lost 3 stone),
soup diet. You name it – I’ve done it, plus I’ve always
been a member at gyms. I consider myself to be fit and healthy and have
had no co-mobilities related to my weight.
My weight has probably been the biggest issue in my life constantly
battling. Losing a stone here and there, then putting back 2 or 3. Each
year I was heavier and heavier.
I grew up in a big family with 2 brothers and a sister, my sister had
anorexia as a young woman age 15-18 and went down to 6 stone, I would
be praised as a good girl for eating ALL my dinner and even hers!! She's
still tiny at only 7 stone but she’s only 4ft 10, I’m bigger
totally at 5ft 7in. At 13-15 I started to get much bigger than my older
sister, but wasn’t worried at that stage.
I always had loads of boyfriends as a young woman so weight wasn’t
a really big issue for me, until I hit my 20's, I tried everything but
the bottom line is 'I just love my food
I knew I had to so do something drastic when I had my kids, I had two
children jst a year apart, so very close and its such hard work, especially
being obese.
My weight soared to 23 stones whilst carrying the babies and my blood
pressure rose, plus I had gestational diabetes, which I was told many
times was a serious warning sign.
But the hardest times are when I’m playing with the kids, I got
so tired and couldn't bend easily, plus taking them to the park was
always a chore, I wanted to go down the slide and in the pool with them,
but hubby always played as I watched on the sidelines making my excuses.
I would dream of them getting older turning into beautiful young woman
with a fat mum that looked and acted and dressed twice her age! It scared
me..
So in Jan 04 I spoke to my GP about it, thinking she would just dismiss
it, but she listened and advised me to do my research, so I did.
I decided the DS duodenal Switch was the best option for me as it was
the most effective at weightloss, the least likely to regain weight
and it was permanent unlike the others I had read about. This operation
is mainly focused on malabsorbtion of calories and food stuffs, so I
have to take many Vitamins and minerals daily, 75% of my stomach has
been taken away (but should stretch back over time) and my priority
is to eat proteins (as they are malabsorbed) rather than Carbs.
The operation took 6 hours and cost about £10K, I decided to have
it done at Leeds Nuffield Hosp, and after speaking to the secretary
in Feb she booked my 1st appt with Mr. Dexter and my OPP date for 3rd
April 04, it was that quick.
My husband has been very supportive all the way and he's just amazed
how good I look now, I met him at 19.5 Stones and now I’ve gone
from almost 22 stone to now 16st 10!! I haven't been this weight for
years. My main support has also been the Weight Loss Surgery site at
wlsinfo.org.uk its given me support and guidance throughout this tough
time.
I’ve much more energy and self-confidence and I feel wonderful.
My eating habits have changed- food is not a major player in my life
anymore I eat purely to function now, I can eat most things, still in
small quantities, but I actually enjoy my food more. I’m really
starting to enjoy life, and just wish I’d done it years ago, but
at 32 years old I’m hoping that next year when I’m 33 I’ll
look younger than I did at 23!!
(
© 2004)
Jo, 32
Stephanie
My story.The crux came for me at
size 32 and 20stone 4lbs (BMI 50.4).I was in so much pain an couldn’t
even get upstairs to the loo without feeling like I had run a
marathon by the time I got up there !
Diet after diet and struggling with
exercise due to the amount of weight that I was hauling about
with me and that’s without all the bad feelings I had about
my appearance and me. I was desperate ….desperate for help.
I spoke with my GP about surgery and he told me that there was
in fact a surgeon here in Taunton!!!! But he only did private
work………….I was gutted. Turns out my Gp
were wrong and referred me via NHS to the Surgeon. Whilst waiting
for my first consultation I researched and researched even more
.I saw each person in the MDT (Multi Disciplinary Team) over a
period of time and then my case was heard.
WOW I got funding!!!!!!!!!!! This
was sooooo exciting.I wanted to know as much about what was going
to happen as possible and set to finding out even more. The internet
is a great tool, I spoke with people In South Africa /America/Canada
that had undergone WLS .
November 04 (remembrance day to be
exact.)
Oh boy was I scared but had done
every bit of research possible and now the time was here. Well
the surgeons did me proud and I thank every one of them involved
for such a wonderful job.This is being typed at 15mths of me being
the new me J Im now 11stone 4lbs and size …………………….
14 top and 14 bottom Goodness never thought I would ever be this
size (BMI 28)
My life has become more enjoyable;
my eating is very different (everything is fresh!!) I am lucky
enough to have a very supportive partner who will go the greatest
lengths to prepare foods just for me (my own personal Chef ) Hmmm
money making idea wonder if I can hire him out ? JI suffer dumping
very easily so stay away from sugar glucose and fructose.
|
So keys things I would like
to get across really are: Do
your research, then go and do more … you can never do enough.Go
out of your way to find and chat to others that have had the surgeries.Pre
op diet is there for a reason, please do it (you will only be
cheating yourself if you don’t)Accept the new you, when
people say “wow you look nice” say thank you and accept
it with a smile, this is something I have had to learn but you
know what ……it feels good.This is no miracle cure
and certainly no an easy way out, if you are thinking it is then
sorry to disappoint. I now have my own online support group that
is free , I enjoy helping others through the process email me
if you want to join Steps40@hotmail.com apply to join. I am happy
to help just email me
|
Stephanie update
2 years on.............
After my Gastric Bypass in November 2004
life has been a bit of a rollercoaster.(Pre op 21 stone.)Health
Various health issues have arisen but thankfully now all sorted (thyroid
cancer , hernia and gall bladder) as I say now all under control.I
feel fitter and healthier than ever. I am now 11Stone !!!!!
Media .....as well as helping people on
a daily basis via my own support group for pre and post opers and people
trying to gain funding or just trying to find out more http://groups.msn.com/GastricKeepinTouchGroup/_whatsnew.msnw),
I have been in the Mail on Sunday Newspaper re Obesity/weightloss surgery
and also on the Trisha Show.
All quite good fun but the buzz for me
is helping others.Surgery is not for everyone but until its explored
as an option how does anyone know , research is the key.If i just help
1 more extra person in life I am satisfied ..........This is what i
plan everyday.My motto in life is ... ‘A stranger is a friend
just waiting to happen’
Me ......Im getting married next June wooooohoooo
,I have been with my fiance for over five years and whilst we were on
holiday he popped the question. He has been such a gem and without him
I would never have managed surgery and life since ,he deserves the biggest
gold medal ever.
Image...... wow Im impressed that I have
shed over 10 stone changing from a size 32 to a size 12. ( well thats
when ive stuffed all the excess skin into whatever im wearing)This is
the part of my image im struggling with.In the beginning I was assured
by involved in my surgery that the excess skin would be sorted .........now
ive been turned down three times!!!! I could go on forever and bore
you so I wont. Stay tuned for further updates.............. (
© 2006)
Stephanie
Cyndamarie
- Gastric By Pass
Hi , My name is Cyndamarie I had
weight loss surgery Oct 8th 2004,by Mr Dexter in Leeds , Nuffield
hospital. I am writing to you a week later. I weighted in at 132
Kilograms, and I now weight in at 128 Kilograms. Whoohooo a 4
pound weight loss in just a week.
I had the PCT of Milton Keynes paid
for my surgery, due to many health reasons. I wish to start a
weight loss support group in the West Anglia region but unsure
how to begin.
I have been overweight since I was
16 and due to mobility problems after a light stroke in 2002.
I became obese. I tried fad diets, I tried exercising and eating
less. It just doesn't always work.
This surgery is not a cure it is
a Tool for weight loss surgery. I think it is important that the
NHS wake up to the idea of this surgery. They treat drug addicts,
they treat drink Addicts..why not treat food addicts too. The
eat less, exercise more idea , is just that an idea. it doesn't
work for everyone. People with disabilities do gain weight and
not always can they exercise to burn calories.
I did this surgery to GAIN my life
back..and I am pleased to say now I AM ON THE LOSING SIDE.
(
© 2004) Cyndamarie
My website is
www.ngunn.net/weightloss
2006 update
Cynda has set up a support group in Milton Keynes. This group
is open to those who have had Gastric Bypass Surgery or are wanting
this type of surgery to gain more information You can contact
her at cynda@ngunn.net
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Phillipa
Sept 2009
I initially weighed in at 22 stone before
my gastric banding. In September 2008 I was down to 13 stone. However
just after returning from holiday in September I developed a problem
and was taken in to the local hospital with dehydration as a result
of not being able to swallow anything. The local hospital transferred
me to QMC in nottingham as the consultant who had done my banding privately
also worked for the NHS there. After tests my band was deflated and
I regained the ability to swallow things down again. In seeing the consultant
as an outpatient, I was informed that the band had slipped but as he
did not perform this procedure on the NHS I would have to be referred
to Derby. Derby had to apply for funding from my local PCT. However
whilst waiting for this, in April 2009, I developed the problem of not
being able to swallow again. I contacted the emergency doctors who asked
me to visit them at the local hospital. I was seen by him, who ordered
an x-ray and it showed I had an obstruction again. I was admitted into
the hospital and given IV fluids. Following further investigations,
it was found that my band was causing the obstruction and the only way
to solve this would be for me to either have emergency surgery there
to remove it, or transfer to Derby for it to be resited. I asked for
it to be removed as I so fed up feeling as rough as I did. Once I had
consented this, during a pre-op chat with the surgeon, I found out that
the consultant in Derby was on leave until the following week anyway
so I would have had to wait to have the band resited!
The surgeon had tried to remove the band with ke-hole surgery, but as
the band had slipped so much, he had to open me up! Having had the band
removed, I had problems with the healing process. I had an infection
and then the wound would not heal properly. In total I was off work
for two months.
Before the band was removed, My weight was down to 12 stone. However
I have gained 3 stone already, partly because I was unable to exercise
as a result of not healing well then and also I have just had another
bout of surgery to remove my gallbladder because of developing stones,
and also having PCOS.
I don't regret having the band done because it helped get rid of the
majority of the weight. However I am now finding it very hard to loose
the weight and do feel depressed about this, but am trying my best to
do what I can. I would not have it done again because I would have the
fear of the same thing happening again. I also have the financial burden
of having a £9000 loan to pay off which I took out for the surgery
because the local PCT could not fund the procedure at that stage.
2007
I am a 31 year old female who had gastric
banding surgery done privately in April 2006. To date I have gone down
from nearly 22 stone to 18 stone. I still have a long way to go and
perseverance is the key thing . One side effect I have developed is
that I have problems swallowing, although this is being investigated
in case it isn't from the banding procedure. I suffer with acid which
I was informed could happen. My diet is limited to wheat free and now
I cannot drink milk. I do lose faith sometimes and my loving partners
always reminds me he loves me no matter what. I am looking for inspiration
and guidance on my journey to a slimmer, healthier me
Fiona
- RNY
I had an Open RNY in August 2005 and since
then I have lost over 8 stone, I was 23st9lbs the day before the Op
and I am currently 14st?lbs.(I weigh myself no more than once a month).
I am living in Ireland and I had the surgery in Belgium, I am finding
it quite daunting as there are no professionals here with experience
of the procedure. Still, I am happy because Its working for me and I
hope it continues to do so.
.2007
