POSTED UNDER Gastric Sleeve Surgery REVIEWS
Finding a Different Way - Perth, AU
ORIGINAL POST
After many years of trying different ways to lose...
WORTH IT$5,500
After many years of trying different ways to lose weight and keep the lost weight off, I decided that it was time to take a different step. A friend had band surgery and that got me doing a lot of research. For me the best option seemed to be the sleeve, while drastic, I felt this would be the best way for me to go.
Fia.Nell's provider
UPDATED FROM Fia.Nell
6 months post
Photo dump.
These are a series of photos of my journey.
Over time I will upload my experience of the Sleeve, if anyone is interested.
Over time I will upload my experience of the Sleeve, if anyone is interested.
Replies (0)
UPDATED FROM Fia.Nell
6 months post
Before the surgery
Tale of the tape
Weight - ~115kg
Height - 1.75 (5'9")
Waist - 106.5cm
Bust - 123cm
Hips - 127cm
BMI - 36
Weight has always been a battle that I have generally lost during my entire life. I seem to recall the only time that I didn't have a weight issue is when, as a young girl, I had to ride 20km from where I lived to ride my horse. For my wedding I worked hard to drop down in weight, reaching 64 kg. After my child was born, there are only a few times that I have managed to work really really hard to shed the weight. Months of living on Chicken and Broccoli and walking many many kilometres.
I am now at the age where my body aches and walking is becoming more and more difficult. So far, in the last two years, I have had to have two operations on my one ankle and my hip is starting to ache all the time.
After meeting a woman who had band surgery on her stomach, I decided to start investigations. I wouldn't say I am a control nut, but with certain things it's always good to understand what is happening. Many, many hours of Internet research, speaking to people, I had decided that the Sleeve option was the better option for me. The band surgery seemed to create a side effect that I really didn't enjoy, vomiting under certain circumstances, and the thought of having the port under a flap of skin just freaked me out.
More research and I had a surgeon, Dr Watson, who I was comfortable with. Reviews were excellent and it was time to make an appointment. I got a referral from my GP and made an appointment with Dr Watson's rooms. The first meeting in June was with the Surgeon's GP. He was the man who had all the answers, all the knowledge but didn't seem to be an actual knife man. After he agreed that the Sleeve was my better option and that I was comfortable with my understanding of the procedure, a date had been set.
Yikes, now there was no turning back. At the end of August I would only have a sliver of a stomach and it would be like that for the rest of my life.
Weight - ~115kg
Height - 1.75 (5'9")
Waist - 106.5cm
Bust - 123cm
Hips - 127cm
BMI - 36
Weight has always been a battle that I have generally lost during my entire life. I seem to recall the only time that I didn't have a weight issue is when, as a young girl, I had to ride 20km from where I lived to ride my horse. For my wedding I worked hard to drop down in weight, reaching 64 kg. After my child was born, there are only a few times that I have managed to work really really hard to shed the weight. Months of living on Chicken and Broccoli and walking many many kilometres.
I am now at the age where my body aches and walking is becoming more and more difficult. So far, in the last two years, I have had to have two operations on my one ankle and my hip is starting to ache all the time.
After meeting a woman who had band surgery on her stomach, I decided to start investigations. I wouldn't say I am a control nut, but with certain things it's always good to understand what is happening. Many, many hours of Internet research, speaking to people, I had decided that the Sleeve option was the better option for me. The band surgery seemed to create a side effect that I really didn't enjoy, vomiting under certain circumstances, and the thought of having the port under a flap of skin just freaked me out.
More research and I had a surgeon, Dr Watson, who I was comfortable with. Reviews were excellent and it was time to make an appointment. I got a referral from my GP and made an appointment with Dr Watson's rooms. The first meeting in June was with the Surgeon's GP. He was the man who had all the answers, all the knowledge but didn't seem to be an actual knife man. After he agreed that the Sleeve was my better option and that I was comfortable with my understanding of the procedure, a date had been set.
Yikes, now there was no turning back. At the end of August I would only have a sliver of a stomach and it would be like that for the rest of my life.
Replies (2)
February 29, 2016
Hi ,
I'm in Perth. And thinking of getting this surgery.
I'm wondering if you had a waiting period before allowed the surgery and how long you had a liquid diet for before / after the surgery ?
Also I know this may be a Little intrusive but I have issues with constantly having upset stomach / diohrea etc. Would you say your bowel movement is the same as before the surgery . I'm very worried it might make my bowels worse .
Also how much can you eat ? I've been researching and one site said I would only be able to eat 1/2 cup of food at a time . I'm very concerned about being able to substantiate nutrition. Have you had to take any daily vitamins etc
Any advice is welcome .
I'm in Perth. And thinking of getting this surgery.
I'm wondering if you had a waiting period before allowed the surgery and how long you had a liquid diet for before / after the surgery ?
Also I know this may be a Little intrusive but I have issues with constantly having upset stomach / diohrea etc. Would you say your bowel movement is the same as before the surgery . I'm very worried it might make my bowels worse .
Also how much can you eat ? I've been researching and one site said I would only be able to eat 1/2 cup of food at a time . I'm very concerned about being able to substantiate nutrition. Have you had to take any daily vitamins etc
Any advice is welcome .
March 1, 2016
Hi there,
I guess it depends if you are going private or public, I believe the public wait can be up to 5 years!! I went private and I saw my GP in May, got my referral for Dr Watson, phoned made an appointment, saw his GP in June and then made the date for my surgery (24/8/15), I then had an appointment with Dr Watson about 2 weeks before my surgery, where he got to see the results of my blood tests. He then decides whether or not you need to go on the pre-op Opti or not. I didn't have to as my liver was fine and he said I wasn't heavy enough. I am 1.75m tall and I weighed in at 112kg before my op. I had managed to lose 3kg on my own between June and August, just by watching what I was eating.
For the first 2 weeks after surgery you are on a liquid diet, so unfortunately, liquid in = liquid out, so yes I had diahrroea for the first two weeks. Once I moved onto pureed food my bowels firmed up. Now they are mostly normal, however if my new tummy doesn't like something (like milk - I now have to drink either lactose free or soy milk), I can end up having an upset tummy. However, due to the small amount of food we intake, I no longer have daily bowel movements. The usual post op diet is 3 days clear liquid, 2 weeks full liquids (custard, soups (strained), smoothies, basically anything that can go up a straw (however you aren't allowed to use a straw due to air getting in your tummy), then 2 weeks of pureed food, 2 weeks of soft food and then onto normal food.
As for vitimins, I currently take (in gummy form) Nature's Way womens multi-vitimin, Nature's Way Fibre, (in liquid form - 1 - 2 times a week) Vit D, Vit B12, (chewable form usually when I am on my monthly) Iron melts, and I need to find a new calcium that I can take in a non-tablet form or chewable form. I recently had blood tests done and all my vitimin levels are perfect, in fact in some cases they are better than they were before I had the sleeve done. With the sleeve there is less liklihood of you having a vitimin deficiency than if you had the bypass, however they do strongly recommend that you have your bloods tested once a year. The only reason I take the gummies is that I find I am really struggling to take tablets, even when I break them in half or quarters.
I also started taking hair and nail gummies, due to the fact that I am losing some hair (which is totally normal after an operation like this, and it doesn't tend to last very long).
As for how much food you can eat, that really depends on what kind of food it is. You have to change the way you eat and the types of things you eat, you have to eat protein first then veggies and last if there is space you can have a few carbs. Protein has all the necessary stuff in it to help repair your cells, (very important for when you are healing after the operation), protein also helps keep you fuller for longer, so you are less likely to snack on foods that are bad for you.
My average day consists of a cup of black coffee on the way to work, 1/2 a sachet of the instant oats cooked with water (I have the Hi Fibre with Oat & Linseed fibre ones) with some brown sugar and a splash of milk, this keeps me full until around 12 noon, then I have lunch, this can range from a piece of steak (those minute ones), or chicken and either some zucchini or broccoli, or like today I have an 85g tin of shredded chicken & mayonnaise with 4 lite cruskits. Tonight I will have two chicken kebabs with capsicum & mushrooms. Mid-afternoon I usually have a lite baby bell cheese cut in half and between 4 vita wheat crackers (the small round ones). In between this I have as much water to drink as I can. I really struggle getting enough water in and try to have at least a litre at work and another 500ml at home at night, plus I will have another cup of coffee after dinner. Remember you can't drink whilst you are eating and for at least half an hour after you have eaten, otherwise your food will just get washed through and you will be hungry again. Sometimes as a treat I will have some ice cream (but I choose either the Skinny Cow range or the Peters no added sugar low fat optoin).
I now make much better food choices, I always read the nutrient lables on food in the shop, if the fat and/or carb value is over 10g per serve, back it goes on the shelf. I have come too far to stuff it up by eating things that are just going to sneak the weight back on again.
Good luck with your decision, have a chat with your GP. If you have food issues, you may be required to speak to a psychologist before they will proceed with the operation, and you will have to speak to a dietitian before you see the surgeon and after you have had your operation as they give you your eating plan and assist you will any problems you are having.
I guess it depends if you are going private or public, I believe the public wait can be up to 5 years!! I went private and I saw my GP in May, got my referral for Dr Watson, phoned made an appointment, saw his GP in June and then made the date for my surgery (24/8/15), I then had an appointment with Dr Watson about 2 weeks before my surgery, where he got to see the results of my blood tests. He then decides whether or not you need to go on the pre-op Opti or not. I didn't have to as my liver was fine and he said I wasn't heavy enough. I am 1.75m tall and I weighed in at 112kg before my op. I had managed to lose 3kg on my own between June and August, just by watching what I was eating.
For the first 2 weeks after surgery you are on a liquid diet, so unfortunately, liquid in = liquid out, so yes I had diahrroea for the first two weeks. Once I moved onto pureed food my bowels firmed up. Now they are mostly normal, however if my new tummy doesn't like something (like milk - I now have to drink either lactose free or soy milk), I can end up having an upset tummy. However, due to the small amount of food we intake, I no longer have daily bowel movements. The usual post op diet is 3 days clear liquid, 2 weeks full liquids (custard, soups (strained), smoothies, basically anything that can go up a straw (however you aren't allowed to use a straw due to air getting in your tummy), then 2 weeks of pureed food, 2 weeks of soft food and then onto normal food.
As for vitimins, I currently take (in gummy form) Nature's Way womens multi-vitimin, Nature's Way Fibre, (in liquid form - 1 - 2 times a week) Vit D, Vit B12, (chewable form usually when I am on my monthly) Iron melts, and I need to find a new calcium that I can take in a non-tablet form or chewable form. I recently had blood tests done and all my vitimin levels are perfect, in fact in some cases they are better than they were before I had the sleeve done. With the sleeve there is less liklihood of you having a vitimin deficiency than if you had the bypass, however they do strongly recommend that you have your bloods tested once a year. The only reason I take the gummies is that I find I am really struggling to take tablets, even when I break them in half or quarters.
I also started taking hair and nail gummies, due to the fact that I am losing some hair (which is totally normal after an operation like this, and it doesn't tend to last very long).
As for how much food you can eat, that really depends on what kind of food it is. You have to change the way you eat and the types of things you eat, you have to eat protein first then veggies and last if there is space you can have a few carbs. Protein has all the necessary stuff in it to help repair your cells, (very important for when you are healing after the operation), protein also helps keep you fuller for longer, so you are less likely to snack on foods that are bad for you.
My average day consists of a cup of black coffee on the way to work, 1/2 a sachet of the instant oats cooked with water (I have the Hi Fibre with Oat & Linseed fibre ones) with some brown sugar and a splash of milk, this keeps me full until around 12 noon, then I have lunch, this can range from a piece of steak (those minute ones), or chicken and either some zucchini or broccoli, or like today I have an 85g tin of shredded chicken & mayonnaise with 4 lite cruskits. Tonight I will have two chicken kebabs with capsicum & mushrooms. Mid-afternoon I usually have a lite baby bell cheese cut in half and between 4 vita wheat crackers (the small round ones). In between this I have as much water to drink as I can. I really struggle getting enough water in and try to have at least a litre at work and another 500ml at home at night, plus I will have another cup of coffee after dinner. Remember you can't drink whilst you are eating and for at least half an hour after you have eaten, otherwise your food will just get washed through and you will be hungry again. Sometimes as a treat I will have some ice cream (but I choose either the Skinny Cow range or the Peters no added sugar low fat optoin).
I now make much better food choices, I always read the nutrient lables on food in the shop, if the fat and/or carb value is over 10g per serve, back it goes on the shelf. I have come too far to stuff it up by eating things that are just going to sneak the weight back on again.
Good luck with your decision, have a chat with your GP. If you have food issues, you may be required to speak to a psychologist before they will proceed with the operation, and you will have to speak to a dietitian before you see the surgeon and after you have had your operation as they give you your eating plan and assist you will any problems you are having.
Welcome to the community and thanks so much for offering your opinion of your doctor.
It would be great if you could give us a little more detail about your experience, like why you had the surgery, your tips for getting good results, pros/cons, and info on the recovery process.
Our community members especially love seeing photos from before, during, and after — a realistic look at what they can expect. Photos grab the attention of the community and encourage more support for you.
As a community manager, I get requests all the time from other members who want me to to keep encouraging people to share their experiences, which are so helpful for others considering these procedures. So please accept this as a well-intentioned request from thousands.