Australia - Melbourne

[sweetcaro 2]

Hi all

I have decided to have the sleeve done. I am 42, 153cms, and estimate around 140 kilos. Married, two kids and graduated as a primary teacher last year. I have been doing casual teaching this year and hope to have my own classroom sooner than later.

I am in the Northern Suburbs (Roxburgh Park). Where do I even start? I will be paying myself, I know that much and am hoping to get it done sooner than later. Ready to get this new phase of my life underway!

What surgeons did you use and where are they, what hospital etc?

Caroline

Edited October 27, 2014 by sweetcaro

[steveelea 61]

@@sweetcaro Welcome Congrats on your decision....how exciting for you!!!!

I am from the other side of the city (knox area) and I know my surgeons will not do self funded pay (well I think thats still the case anyway)

I know some of the girls here went to great surgeons and can give you more advice.

The sleeve was the best decision that I have made health wise (after having a failed lap band first)

I started at 150kg, got down to 140 with the lap band and went into sleeve surgery at 140.

I was sleeved at the end of Feb this year and am down to 103kg's and gone from a size 28-30 down to a 20 going into 18's now.

This has been life changing for me so I am very excited for you.

Hopefully Chez and a few of the others can help you out with surgeons

Edited October 28, 2014 by steveelea

[Pilbara Girl 4]

• Hi All, I am new to this and admit I am not from Melbourne, but am in Australia (Pilbara area WA), and would love to speak to some people in Australia who have had it done and can speak in kg and not pounds lol.

I Had my sleeve done on the 8th October, and am coming into my second week of puree diet tomorrow. Had my surgery in Perth, and in 20 days I have lost 10kg..

How quick was all of your weight loss?

[steveelea 61]

@@Pilbara Girl Welcome and great to hear from you .....we don't mind if your not from Melbourne

Sounds like you have lost weight super fast so far....was that including your preop diet??

I have lost 37kg since end of Feb till now....which has been exactly 37 weeks (since my preop which was mid feb)

So averages out about 1kg per week but I know I lost more than that per week and now losing around 0.5kg per week and the nurses at my specialist told me that that's completely normal and I'm on track.

Hope this helps

[Pilbara Girl 4]

Thanks for your reply steveelea, I am happy with it so far, I didn't have to do much of a pre-op diet, just the day prior to surgery was Clear liquids... I am getting tired of the puree diet and not really sure if what I am doing is right or I should be doing something different. Everything is going down fine and I am able to keep everything down - just wish I could move on to the soft diet stage already.. I find I am REALLY thirsty of a night and in the morning, I am trying to drink atleast 1L of Water per day, I know I should probably be drinking more. I am frustrated because the diet guidelines and the things it says I can have in my information booklet I received from the surgeon differs from the one I received from the dietician, and I feel I am not really getting much post op support from anyone..

I haven't been taking any multivitams because I don't really know which ones I should be taking.. The dietician said a chewable one but I can't get them here at the chemist, and I don't know which brands are good ones and have the right things in it that I need, and also do I have to take Iron supplements, Calcium supplements etc, I just am not sure about it all..

[nerms 237]

welcome @@sweetcaro and @@Pilbara Girl !

I thought I would pop in to say that I have officially lost 20kgs, 20.5kgs to be exact

I had a fill last week, 4mls in total, and I've lost half a kilo since then.. I'm still not being 100% and still being pretty naughty, weight loss could be better but to be honest I am still over the moon and am obviously doing something right!

83.5kg so good! It's been a long time. Now I really do believe I'll hit 75 by the end of December! 10.5kgs in 13 weeks since surgery, not bad in my books. I thought I was losing pretty slow but now I'm impressed haha. My next goal is only 8.5kgs away, and my big goal is only 23.5kgs away.. as the weight goes the goals seem so much more reachable and so much more possible.

At 104kgs a 45kg loss felt impossible, the number felt so big and I never thought I'd get there.. Only 20kgs down and already feeling so much better and now I KNOW that I can do it!

@@steveelea 37kg in 37 weeks, whether its a kilo a week or 2 one week and zero the next, is an amazing achievement

Edited October 29, 2014 by nerms

[nerms 237]

I just did a poop and I'm now 82.8kgs LOL <3 u mr poop

So now my total loss is 21.2kgs

[steveelea 61]

YAY @@nerms well done you are doing fantastic!!!!

The way I look at my diet is that I eat healthy most of the time but love to have a little bit of something thats not great for me now and then....I make it a sometimes food

Last night I had a magnum mini and it was devine!!!!!

Great to hear that you are doing well nerms...proud of you girl!!!!

@@Pilbara Girl

Wow I am so disappointed to hear that your after care has not been great.

I don't know where these surgeons get off thinking that they can just get the money from you then leave you to your won devices....that sux big time.

Ok so I can tell you what I was told to go on but it's not medical advice so you might want to check with your gp.

As far as I know this is what my dietician gives to sleeve patients but I suppose some may require different things.

We are required to take

1 Elevit for Pregnancy Multi Vitamin per day (in the morning)

1 Citrical plus D (at night)

Vitamin B (not oral capsules as your stomach wont absorb easily after sleeving)

You will also need to get your Iron, Vitamin D and vitamin B levels checked to see where you are with them and also.

I get the vitamin B injections from my gp every three months, or you can get the dissolvable tabs you put under your toung and take them every day.

If I were you I would definately be taking the multi and Citrical as I have been told that sleeve patients need to be on a good multi for good.

As far as food afterwards is concerned, I am finding it hard to remember what and when I was allowed.

I do know that I had to see the nurse at 2 weeks post op then the dietician at 4 weeks post op to discuss food and weaning onto full solids again.

I think by 2 or 3 weeks post op I was on mashed food then gradually increased from there and by 6 weeks I was eating normally again although only small amounts.

The amounts that you are eating and how small a bites you are having should have been explained to you too as it's very important.

A great tip for getting more fluids in is ICY POLES ..... My faves were frosty fruits!!!!

I snacked on them over the day (i couldn't have a whole 1 in a sitting though) and it helped with my Fluid intake.

I will try to find my post op info and am happy to email them to you if that helps.

Are there nurses at the clinic that you can call or make appointments with????

@@Chez and Anyone else, Can you remember your post op diet and what Vitamins you are on?????

[steveelea 61]

@@Pilbara Girl I forgot to add that until you are ok with swallowing the Vitamin tablets, you should use berocca.

Its good but not as good as the elevit but will help you until you can swallow them.

I was on the tablets about 4 weeks out I think...maybe 3 weeks out but I cant remember for sure

[Chez 91]

@@sweetcaro

Welcome! I went through simon Banting. He consults in moonee ponds and operates at St Vincent's private.

Pilbara girl I started taking mini multi Vitamins and that worked for me. If you're finding it hard to get nutrition in try the Optifast shakes. Just take it day by day is my advice.

Well done Nerms and Leanne on the weightloss!! Whoop whoop!! I'm hoping to lose another 10 by the end of the year. See how I go.

[sweetcaro 2]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! I've decided to go private, makes more sense really and will be an easy road for sure. Joined 2 days ago so the countdown is on. Lots of time to research and get it all organised in the meantime. Any recs I am happy to take!

steveelea - your success to date is awesome and inspiring!

Hi PGirl - congrats on taking the step, looking forward to see you melt away!

Well done on your success to nerms! I cannot weight to be where you are! No problems with your band? All those I know with it regret it, one is getting hers removed (she has lost about 80 kilos) and another has since had a bypass and is looking awesome. I think the sleeve is more for me.

chez - thanks for the info re dr banting. Moonee Ponds for consulting would be awesome. One to remember.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

[darwinlady33 16]

Hi everyone.. Im flying to melb on 10th.. Surgery on the 15th December..

[steveelea 61]

@@sweetcaro Thank you for the lovely comments... that is exactly what I did re private insurance.....and funnily enough it was cup weekend that I took it out too haha. I waited the 12 months to get the first lot of weight loss surgery done (Band in November 09) Now sleeved

At least if you have decided to get the sleeve it will be a lot cheaper for you as if you have to pay for longer hospital stay or intensive care it will end up costing you a fortune I would think

I went into intensive care the first night (both with my band and with the sleeve they think I had sleep apnia and I also get asthma) just as a precaution (don't be scared if they suggest it as it's just a precaution and its nothing to worry about) and then had 2 more nights in a ward so was in for 3 nights all up

@darwinlady Welcome and wow exciting times ahead for you.

What weight loss surgery did you decide on?? Who are you getting to do your surgery??

[darwinlady33 16]

Sleeve on the 15th December.

[nerms 237]

@@sweetcaro yeah a lot of people have problems with the band, luckily none for me. There was a bit of regret, wishing I'd have got the sleeve instead of the band.. but I am where I am and I'm not too fussed anymore because it's working for me!

It's still early days but I have high hopes, it's worked for others in my family.

My mums band eroded after about 10-11 years, it wasn't adjustable so was crap, went pretty deep inside her stomach, they cut it out a few months ago and she's looking at getting a bypass in January!