Hi Everyone!

[sararob23]

Hiya!
I'm a 31 yr old female, and I've been overweight all of my life! I got diagnosed with PCOS when I was 20 and have used that as my excuse for being overweight so my weight has gradually increased to 22st (sorry I haven't worked it out in lbs)
After trying most diets, pills, counselling etc. I have decided now is the right time for me to look at wls. My Dr is behind me, but living in Wales, my chances of getting wls on nhs are practically '0' so I am going to be self funding.
After originally thinking I would go for a band, I have now booked a consultation with Prof. Ammori at Spire Manchester with the hopes of having a gastric plication (wrap). He is the only surgeon in the UK that I have found that conducts this op.....does anyone know any different.
I suppose my main concerns are its long term benefits, as the procedure is so new....I suppose I'll find out soon

 

[lolalou]

Hi, welcome to the site, I thought I was reading my own page there! I turned 32 last week, I have pcos, I've always been big,my doctors couldn't support me though, I just kept getting told to diet. I know that is the proper answer but I'm not the only big one in the world so it's not that easy for everyone! I went private but had a band done on the 12th June, I want to lose about another seven stone and at the minute that really does seem like an impossible goal, but with my band it's much more likely to happen than Before I desperately wants baby and that's my main reason for this last ditch attempt at getting my pcos improved enough, my pct won't give me clomid until I lose two more stone so wouldn't be able to conceive until I lose pre anyway. After a band you shouldn't get pregnant for a year so I hope to be at least three to four stone lighter by then and have a healthier pregnancy fingers crossed! I didn't have the same op that you are looking into or the same consultant, but thought I would say hi as your story sounds similar to mine x

 

[Tobi]

Hi and welcome! I'm fairly new too and I also felt like I'm reading about myself!

I'm not really familiar with the wrap so can't really say much about that. I'm hoping for a gastric band - although I might be suggested another type of WLS and it all depends on the consultation I will have in a couple of weeks.

At the moment, I'm mad busy at work and cannot take the time in the week to go for an appointment and booking something for the weekend is pretty much impossible.

So while I wait, I thought I'll try to get my BMI down to the 40s and lower the risk factor in the op. I'm on Dukan diet's attack phase (pure proteins, low fat, no carbs) for a week to kick start my weight loss.

Fingers crossed for us all and I look forward to sharing our WLS journey.

Tobi x

 

[julezitbandtosleeve]

I became lager after the birth of my three children 24, but as I was younger I could always manage to dietand exercise after each birth, then as time went on depression got the best of me and my weight fluctuated more and more, the older I got the harder it became to remove it.

The largest I got to was 136kg and the lowest was 87kg, this continued for about 20 yrs till I finally decided enough was enough and was worried about my health, with heart failure and diabetes in the family history and for my own self image..

I then decided in May 2009 that I was going to do something more permanent about it, I looked into Gastric Banding, saw a friend of mine go through it and joined a Insurance fund as the waiting time was 1 yr I was booked in for surgery on the 23rd June 2010 the day of the anniversary, I was 126kg I got down to 97kg about 8 months after the surgery, the vomiting then begun, and the doctor played with the fills to try to adjust it, in that time I went up to 101kg to 104kg which is what I have been fluctuating with between for the last 12 months..

I persisted for with absolutely no weight loss for over 1 year but I had been not able to keep any food down for about 3 months, I had fluid removed a few times to no avail, the doctor I had kept telling me to keep following his diet instructions of no breakfast, tuna or chicken only for lunch and the same for dinner with a cup of vegetables.. Yet I could not even keep down soups or other soft foods.

I got to the stage where I could no longer put up with the constant vomiting and went to see another doctor for a second opinion. I made the decision to get the band out and have it checked, which he did on the 15th of June 2012, My GI tract is scared from the constant vomiting, I had a glue like substance around the outside of my stomach and other organs, he believes this is due to an infection at some point.

He has told me to have 6 weeks for recovery after which he is going to sleeve me, he did give me the option to re-band but after what I had already experience I made the decision to go for the sleeve instead.

 

[Evenstarr]

I became lager after the birth of my three children 24, but as I was younger I could always manage to dietand exercise after each birth, then as time went on depression got the best of me and my weight fluctuated more and more, the older I got the harder it became to remove it.

The largest I got to was 136kg and the lowest was 87kg, this continued for about 20 yrs till I finally decided enough was enough and was worried about my health, with heart failure and diabetes in the family history and for my own self image..

I then decided in May 2009 that I was going to do something more permanent about it, I looked into Gastric Banding, saw a friend of mine go through it and joined a Insurance fund as the waiting time was 1 yr I was booked in for surgery on the 23rd June 2010 the day of the anniversary, I was 126kg I got down to 97kg about 8 months after the surgery, the vomiting then begun, and the doctor played with the fills to try to adjust it, in that time I went up to 101kg to 104kg which is what I have been fluctuating with between for the last 12 months..

I persisted for with absolutely no weight loss for over 1 year but I had been not able to keep any food down for about 3 months, I had fluid removed a few times to no avail, the doctor I had kept telling me to keep following his diet instructions of no breakfast, tuna or chicken only for lunch and the same for dinner with a cup of vegetables.. Yet I could not even keep down soups or other soft foods.

I got to the stage where I could no longer put up with the constant vomiting and went to see another doctor for a second opinion. I made the decision to get the band out and have it checked, which he did on the 15th of June 2012, My GI tract is scared from the constant vomiting, I had a glue like substance around the outside of my stomach and other organs, he believes this is due to an infection at some point.

He has told me to have 6 weeks for recovery after which he is going to sleeve me, he did give me the option to re-band but after what I had already experience I made the decision to go for the sleeve instead.

Poor you, it sounds horrible.
Hope everything goes well for you with your sleeve.
There's some very positive sleevers on here
Em xxxx

 

[fjsinc]

Hi and welcome. I'm another one with a similar story. 30, diagnosed with pcos when i was 20 (had symptoms since 12). I'm also from Wales originally, but now live in Kent. I'm lucky that my pct is quite forward thinking regarding wls funding, and have granted it to me. I'm about 22st at the moment too.

 

[Tonibones10]

Hey im the same too was diagnosed at 20 (im 23 now) but had symptoms since I was about 13 ish it took years to get reffered because I was too scared to ask before I knew id tried everything I could, but when I was finally referred I was accepted 5 weeks later that was november last year and ive now gone through all the tests etc and waiting for a date should be in the next 8 weeks eeekkk im 24 stone now but was 27.7 in feb xxxxxx

 

[sararob23]

Thanks for the welcomes and advice.

Lolalou, I know how the desperation feels, I am clomid resistant, tried metformin for a while as they believe it helps with weight loss and fertility for people who are insulin resistant. That didn't work either! I have since adopted a beautiful little girl so my desperation isn't as bad, but I would give anything to give birth myself!

So sorry everything didn't work out for you first time around julezitbandtosleeve, fingers crossed for next time!

I've got my consultation tomorrow, so I'll keep you updated.

xxx

 

[lolalou]

Thanks, I tried metformin too. One doc said it was helpful then another doc took me off it saying that it wasn't all that. So will let nature take its course. That's great news that you adopted a little girl. If this doesn't work that will be our next step. Did the process take long for you? Good luck with it all!! X

 

[kangaroo77]

My fertility doctor gave me metformin and my gp said it made no difference.

 

[sararob23]

I am unsure of the virtues of metformin....have been given it twice, normal version which made me ill and slow release, which didn't make a change!
People with diabetes have been taking it for years.....and they're not all pregnant lol!

Adoption was the best thing I have ever done, and will always be, even if I didn't get pregnant! My daughter is amazing, and the process was really exciting, nerve racking, but exciting! It took 1 1/5 years from start to finish which is quite quick I think!

xx

 

[lolalou]

That is quicker than I thought it took. That's reassuring. Thanks. Hopefully in a year I will have lost enough weight to start the clomid if things don't happen naturally then. First time in the last ten years I've been trying not to get pregnant!! X

 

[sararob23]

Well you know what they say *wink wink* You stop trying and it happens!

I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for you x

 

[lolalou]

Thanks they said at the hospital I have to wait a year so hopefully all will be well x

 

[fjsinc]

I'm on metformin too, although only to regulate my pcos. Although my husband and I would dearly love to have a child, I'm terrified of carrying at my weight. I'm told its unlikely we can conceive without something like clomid, and that I wont be given it until I reduce my bmi. Hence surgery.

 

[lolalou]

That's the same as me too, but the metformin did nothing for my pcos. Pcos has a higher chance of miscarriage too, I have miscarried twice and my friend with pcos had one baby then miscarried the second then had a third. But the more we weigh the less healthy it is, so I need to lose two stone before they will give me clomid, and about five stone before I would be happy being pregnant. But I don't think I will lose that much in a year. Fingers crossed for us all x

 

[fjsinc]

No it doesn't seem to be doing much for me either to be honest, since I've been on it I've been suffering with bouts of hypoglycemia. I took it about 9 years ago when I was first diagnosed, but it was really sick, Now they put me on the slow release, but no changes. Its so depressing, my endocrinologist wasn't happy with me last time, I'd put on a stone.

 

[sararob23]

Hi all!
Well it's done, I've had my consultation and booked for a gastric plication (wrap) with Mr Ammori in Manchester! Think he's the only one doing the surgery in the UK!
He did say the by pass is best for PCOS, but there's not enough data for the plication. Although any weight loss is bound to help, but it may be slower going and harder work! Not the best news, but I just can't afford the bypass!