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The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has analysed the cost-effectiveness of bariatric surgery, and concludes that patients should have a BMI of 40 or above to qualify for the treatment Until January, most of the Birmingham PCTs, in the area where Heartlands hospital is based, followed these guidelines, but suddenly the eligibility criteria was set at a higher level, a BMI of 45, so that with a perplexing twist of illogicality, patients now need to get fatter in order to qualify. It's as if people who are being treated to help them lose weight are being perversely incentivised to put on more weight. http://www.guardian....ple-big-trouble Is this true? Any experiences??

Hello Amy! What was the point? Better life. Period. Longer life expectancy, free of obesity related complications, better chances in everything starting from finding a mate to getting hired for your dream job. Even employers do discriminate against fat people. We move slower, we are clumsy, we can't control ourselves as far as eating goes how could we became good employees and it is not easy on the eye to look at us. You have done your body the best thing you could have done. Trust me. I am not sleeved yet. I don't know about sagging skin but I know the pain of being fat and I know you remember clearly too. Every time my left knee is killing me even from simple walking I would give anything to lose 40-50 pounds at least. I would much rather have a hanging belly on any days then a painful joint from carrying this huge body. The other day I dreamed I was running - I can't remember the last time I was able to run. It hit me in the morning...so sad... I think you should be thankful for going through this life change without any complication and losing weight, bettering your looks and your quality of life. A bit of hanging skin is nothing but vanity. It will not kill you as high blood pressure or diabetes would have if you stay the way you were. I hope I was not harsh but you have asked for the bad and ugly too. Just be happy, glad and thankful, and enjoy your bright future.

I bought me the Impact Whey Protein in Raspberry flavor from Myprotein.com. There are plenty of protein powders available, and that is super confusing. Impact is low carb (1.5g) and low fat, protein is about 20g in a serving and comes in 20 flavors. Beware of the products that are being marketed as weight loss supplement, sometimes they are very high on carb!! Like the Sculptress from Maxitone, with 24g carb can be hardly considered low carb yet they are selling as a weight loss Protein shake. Hehehe I know i could never lose a gram on that shake! I am not sleeved yet, I'm trying to lose weight with dieting for now. Good luck finding the right protein powder!

I guess you already know what to do when the cramp hits, but just in case: -Stretch the muscle by straightening the leg and flex your foot upward. -Massage the muscle to relax it and apply a cold pack to reduce the blood flow and relax the muscle. Another good cure for a muscle cramp is to take a hot bath or use a heating pad for relief. -In addition, here are some practical ways to prevent muscle cramps. As far as long term solution: -Stretch before exercise. I would say stretch in the morning before work. We are carrying lots of extra weight on our legs, our muscles work extra hard to support our body. for us a regular day at work is like an excercise for a normal weight person. -Moderate training - easy on you workout! Also, try to sit down during your workday and stretch stretch stretch -stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water. -Obviously, if cramps become a persistent and recurring problem, you should immediately go to be evaluated by your doctor. "Many times, electrolyte imbalances in the body can cause cramping so your physician may want to take some blood to analyze that the levels of potassium and other electrolytes are normal. There are also multiple muscle-relaxing medications that can be prescribed if the muscle cramping is a chronic problem, particularly at night."

I am not sleeved yet but I am an expert on hives. First my skin would start to peel off on my palms and feet, I've been to several doctors, I've been told I have bacterial infection, medications didn't help, later they said I have eczema, again, nothing helped, spent tons of money to see the best doctors, nobody seemed to be able to help. Later started to get hives on my body, legs, arms, belly. Itchy, big red spots. If I scratched it it would flare up and grow. It took everything out of me not to scratch them. And they would only last a day or two. Heat, dust triggered it. Some fruit too like kiwi, pineapple, but even avoiding those would not stop the hives. And one morning I woke up with swollen lips and arms. That was it, went to my GP, he took a look at me and my hives and prescribed me antihistamine. I mean I spent weeks trying to figure out what would cause them but really, you can not. My GP told me this: There are many causes of hives including foods, drugs, infections, and diseases. Oddly enough, even though there are many potential causes, in the majority of cases of hives, the cause is unknown. So he said mine is Idiopathic hives (cause unknown, it just happens). I have to take antihistamine for 3 months, my hives are gone, my skin on my palms and feet is back to normal, no more itching and swelling. I'm thinking about all the money I've spent on dermatologists and meds, and my GP diagnosed it in a minute for free.lol What I'm trying to say that most of the times there is no trigger or cause. You just got them and they will not go away or if they do they will return, so I recommend you to see your doctor and he can give you the medication to control it.

Oh My God Holly5.3, and everybody else, uhhh I laughed , I'm sorry but I did. I broke a lawn chair too and it was super embarrassing but hey, life goes on and you just have to laugh when you look back. Gosh we are super clumsy being fat...I can't wait to get rid of this huge body, some day I feel like a whale...))) Thanks for sharing those stories!

Hello to All! First let me introduce myself. I am a 37 years old female with a BMI of 42, no co-morbidity. I live in the UK. I've always been overweight. Even as an infant, being seriously sick and spending months in the hospital with asthma - I gained weight! My mom says I was the only one who gained weight out of all the babies:) I became a chubby kid, cute little round thing, but then I grew to be a fat adult, not so cute anymore. About a year ago my mom approached me with the idea of weight loss surgery. I refused it, I said I can do this alone, I did it before, and this time I will not regain. That was a year ago, I'm 7 pounds heavier today. So I started to look into bariatric surgeries about 6 months ago. I fell in love with the gastric band, and thank God I did not go ahead with the process. The more I read about it the less I like it. So i have found the sleeve, and I'm reading here for the past few months, and I have decided to talk to my GP about it. My consultation is tomorrow, and I want to put a list together about the negative impacts my weight had on me and my everyday living. I know it's kind of last minute as I have my appointment tomorrow, but I would love to hear your input, what was the worst for you when you were overweight? How it held you back? Thanks in advance for every comment!

Hi Cathy yes, to be honest I don't have high hopes, but worth a try. According to BOSPA - PCT funding criteria, in the city where I live I do qualify. Although this was in 2008, and I can not seem to find anything newer... http://bospa.waxwing.co.uk/information.aspx?page=46

OMG that sounds horrible, did you try to stretch and stretch and stretch??? I mean to the point when it really hurts but then the pain gradually goes away? And iceing? I remember I could not get out of bed without stretching first. And eventually my pain went away...

Hi Sassypants, Oh I am not trying to pad my issues with other's, I was just curious. Obviously I can't put nothing on that list that is non existent, like diabetes because I do not have it. And anyways, this is just a list for my GP, so I don't have to sit there and try to collect my thoughts when I have my appointment tomorrow:) So I will have to see tomorrow what my GP has to say, as I'm not sure about the PCT Surgery Funding criteria, tried to call them but could not reach them, and even though I am within the NICE guideline criteria I might won't be eligible for surgery. (the PCT info I have found on the web is 4 years old, according to that I'm eligible but it probably changed since then..?) Congrats to your weightloss, and thanks for the advice!

I have knee pain too. Especially my left knee, and i had to have a steroid shot because the pain was so unbearable. Now I feel better, but I know it is only a temporary solution, plus I really try to avoid steroid joint injections as they are very bad for your joints. Plus I have horrible rashes on my limbs due to the shot... So tell me please, how is your knee pain now? Does it get better with weight loss? That is my only hope....

Great comments everybody, I'm working on my list and you all gave me a few good ideas what to put on it. Funny how we are pretty much all battling the same issues -or for those who had the surgery maybe it is already the past - yet it helps to read these comments and to collect my thoughts and realize: I have that too!!!

Ahhh tell me about it, the other day I was trying to give money to a homeless on the street and he politely declined, he said he would not take money from a pregnant lady. I was about to scream:D

I had it for about a year due to wearing those Ugg Boots. I wore them for a month like every other day, and suddenly this sharp pain developed in my heels, I could barely walk. I threw the boots out, never again!!! and was stretching and iceing for long months. Stretching really helped. Although I did not lose a single pound, actually I have gained (I'm not sleeved yet), the pain went away. My dad had plantar fascitis also, and he is not even overweight. His pain was so severe that he opted for steroid shot. I am not going to lie, he said it was the most painful thing he ever experienced but his pain is gone. He also started to wear shoes with gel in the heel, and he swears it's the best and refuses to wear anything else. His pain is copletely gone. Try stretching, iceing, and consider a steroid shot in your heel. It will help you ride through the time til your surgery.

I am glad you are sharing your experiences, and please do not stop coming to this forum and keep sharing with us. I am not even banded yet, just trying to get all the information about all the WLS available to make the best possible decision I can, and comments like yours are a big help. It makes me think and check out what is really the sleeve is about. I really like the band as it is not permanent, but I like the sleeve as -if everything goes well- there is not hassle with it in the future....So thanks again! And best luck to everybody on this journey!

I hope everything will go well for you, well, actually I am sure everything will be just fine!) Yes, £5000 is about the lowest price I found here in the UK too, well, not cheap but it is all going to worth it at the end!!!!!!!!)

I know how you feel. I have saved up my money for this surgery and last week I have lost my job. Now I'm afraid to touch my savings because I will probably live off of it in the next coming months. I guess my surgery has to wait a few more months...:/

Yeah, that is understandable, but ouuch, how about the cost? I believe it is much more expensive here in UK. I will get my lapband in Hungary in January, much cheaper there. Try to relax and think of the the benefits and your new life after banding, don't worry now... Yep, keep us updated!

Thanks for the answer, and here is an article about the 5 day pouch diet! Good luck! http://www.livestrong.com/article/522399-the-5-day-pouch-diet/

What do you mean by "eat around the band"??? Like not eating the right food? I am just curious:) And I wish you strength and commitment on your journey!

Good luck to you and keep us updated! (Is the hospital stay included in the price?)

I am so shocked reading about disapproving mothers. In my world a mother is the one who wants the best for her child. She is there to comfort her. I honestly can not imagine how hard it must be to have a mother like that... I'm having weight issues since I know my mind. I was always a chubby kid. Cute, round little thing. But the I grew up and stayed chubby, and then became fat. My BMI is 42 and I am miserable! I am constantly fighting kilos, and losing gaining losing gaining. My struggle is obvious to my family, and actually my mother was the one who opened my eyes to weightloss surgery. She told me she thinks I should get banded. I refused the idea, I told her I will lose it alone...It's been almost a year ago, I am 3 kilos up. So I have decided to get banded. I am selfpay, so it will happen in January and I am more than ready. I have my whole family behind me along with my fiance and I am super happy to have such a strong support "system" I know you guys need to be extra strong without your mom's support. It must be hard to always feel like you are not good enough and you will be criticized whatever you do. I'll pray for all of us to have the strength in our journey!

Wanna buy a cute pair of boots without looking for the wide calf ones! Wearing high heels again. I need my knee pain to be gone, that is my biggest wish. Get dressed in 5 minutes, not to think about my choice of clothes for half an hour every day, trying to figure out what makes me look not that fat - when in reality I look fat in whatever I put on:/

I soooo agree with you guys! I don't think I realize how fat I really am. There are days when I actually feel pretty and sexy!!! I put something tasteful on, nice hair and make-up, and I feel allright. Then someone takes a picture of me, and I can't believe what I see. I see myself in the mirror totally different from what I see on a picture! It is so sad. Or when I see somebody's picture who has the same parameters then myself (weight, height...), and clearly she is fat, I see her obese, but I feel I am "smaller" then her. When in reality I am the same... Oh, Facebook, long time ago I have disabled the function of anybody being able to tag me on anything!!! lol And if for some reason they would still successfully tag me, my account is set to "only me" who can view my tags! That's how much I hate to be the size I am!!!!!