Spitfire
New Member
Hi all
Well I am 10 weeks out from having my gastric sleeve and wanted to update you all on how it has been. This site has been very helpful for me and I hope that this post may possibly be of help to others contemplating surgery of some sort. I've done it in chunks so as not to go on too much.
Part 1
One day in June (my Decision Day) after years of being unhappy with my every increasing size and faddy diets I decided enough was enough. Heavy boobs, inner thighs rubbing, a fear of buying new clothes, bad menopause symptoms and an unhealthy attitude to food; that was me. The previous March I'd seen a surgeon about having a band fitted but after meeting with him I decided that option just wasn't for me and I went away and got bigger. One Sunday a friend came round for a BBQ. I told her see looked lovely, she looked and me and said "errr you look errr summery" in that sort of voice that said what else can I say. That when I thought enough!!!
The very next day I started my research into the gastric sleeve.
So after research and reading and reading again on this site I knew that the gastric sleeve was what I wanted. I was at a fairly low BMI for weight loss surgery of just under 32 and on D day was weighing in at 14 stone and a size 18. Fortunately I had the funds to go privately and managed to find a fantastic weight loss group Phoenix Health who would accommodate my BMI (many wouldn't) and the following week I saw my new surgeon (a lady too!) in a local Kent private hospital. She was so understanding but also very realistic about what weight loss I could achieve, loose skin, lifestyle changes etc., however she insisted that I had a long conversation with both a dietician and psychologist. They were very open discussions about my reasons for wanting the surgery and what I had done I the past and quite an eye opener. Anyway I passed the assessment and booked for surgery the following week.
My pre-op LSD was normal food without fat and sugar and just much less of it. Around 800 calories a day. I must say it was hard but I did manage to get down to 13.7 stone. A great loss but I would never have managed to keep that going long term. So come the op day I checked in @ 11:00 and after seeing anaesthetist and physio was walking to the operating theatre by 12:15. Joy of joy I didn't have to wear surgical stockings (my surgeon/Phoenix don't think it's appropriate for this op) but had a great pair of paper knickers on. Hubby tells me that I was away from the room for about 3:30 hrs not that I would have know. For the rest of the evening and night I was pumped with antibiotics and paracetamol via a drip and I got up late evening for a stretch and a wee. Didn't get much sleep as the nurses were constantly checking me but by the morning I felt fine. I can honestly say that I had no pain other than a little back ache from being in one position in bed. Next day I saw my consultant at around midday and she said I could go home later that day as long as I rested and came back the next day for a blood test. So armed with vitamins, calcium, injections for DVT, spare plasters and a pillow for the journey I was on my way home.
To be continued.......
Well I am 10 weeks out from having my gastric sleeve and wanted to update you all on how it has been. This site has been very helpful for me and I hope that this post may possibly be of help to others contemplating surgery of some sort. I've done it in chunks so as not to go on too much.
Part 1
One day in June (my Decision Day) after years of being unhappy with my every increasing size and faddy diets I decided enough was enough. Heavy boobs, inner thighs rubbing, a fear of buying new clothes, bad menopause symptoms and an unhealthy attitude to food; that was me. The previous March I'd seen a surgeon about having a band fitted but after meeting with him I decided that option just wasn't for me and I went away and got bigger. One Sunday a friend came round for a BBQ. I told her see looked lovely, she looked and me and said "errr you look errr summery" in that sort of voice that said what else can I say. That when I thought enough!!!
The very next day I started my research into the gastric sleeve.
So after research and reading and reading again on this site I knew that the gastric sleeve was what I wanted. I was at a fairly low BMI for weight loss surgery of just under 32 and on D day was weighing in at 14 stone and a size 18. Fortunately I had the funds to go privately and managed to find a fantastic weight loss group Phoenix Health who would accommodate my BMI (many wouldn't) and the following week I saw my new surgeon (a lady too!) in a local Kent private hospital. She was so understanding but also very realistic about what weight loss I could achieve, loose skin, lifestyle changes etc., however she insisted that I had a long conversation with both a dietician and psychologist. They were very open discussions about my reasons for wanting the surgery and what I had done I the past and quite an eye opener. Anyway I passed the assessment and booked for surgery the following week.
My pre-op LSD was normal food without fat and sugar and just much less of it. Around 800 calories a day. I must say it was hard but I did manage to get down to 13.7 stone. A great loss but I would never have managed to keep that going long term. So come the op day I checked in @ 11:00 and after seeing anaesthetist and physio was walking to the operating theatre by 12:15. Joy of joy I didn't have to wear surgical stockings (my surgeon/Phoenix don't think it's appropriate for this op) but had a great pair of paper knickers on. Hubby tells me that I was away from the room for about 3:30 hrs not that I would have know. For the rest of the evening and night I was pumped with antibiotics and paracetamol via a drip and I got up late evening for a stretch and a wee. Didn't get much sleep as the nurses were constantly checking me but by the morning I felt fine. I can honestly say that I had no pain other than a little back ache from being in one position in bed. Next day I saw my consultant at around midday and she said I could go home later that day as long as I rested and came back the next day for a blood test. So armed with vitamins, calcium, injections for DVT, spare plasters and a pillow for the journey I was on my way home.
To be continued.......