Shopgirl1301
New Member
I'm not too sure where to begin to be honest, I don't want to bore people and I'm sure everyone would want to fast forward and scroll down to the nitty gritty info about the surgery, but I think it's important to start at the begining and explain why I needed the surgery and why I chose to go with Cosmetic Bliss....
I haven't always been overweight, my mum used to call me "big boned" or "cuddly" but I never actually felt overweight, I wasn't bullied at school for my weight, even though I think I was probably a little bit bigger than my peers, but not a great deal more, in my teens I had no emotional problems until I hit the age of around 14/15 when my dad died, that I think catapulted me into eating for comfort, although I don't blame him, well I used to, calling him selfish for dying at the age of 42 from a heart attack, not actually realising 24 years later I would be told I'd be heading the same way!
Past my rebellious teens and countless arguements with mum I just wanted to leave home, so I do what any other normal 17 year old does - joins the Navy!! Well it got me fit for sure, lol. It didn't last, a knee jerk action for leaving home, but I didn't want to be on my own, met a boyfriend, left the Navy, lived with him, broke up and then, tail between my legs, went home to mum! Couple of months later a boy wrote to me that I'd met the year before in Plymouth and we met up, cut a long story short, fell pregnant and got married the following year! At this stage I am now 19 years of age and that is when the weight started creeping up, fast forward 20 years and I am on my 2nd marraige with 5 kids and approximately 6 stone overweight!
I was warned I was at a high risk of heart attack/stroke/diabetes etc if I carried on eating, but no matter what threats the doctor told me I just couldn't seem to break the cycle. I've dieted in the past, I've tried most of them to be honest, but I would lose, and then just pile it back on, after each pregnancy I would struggle to loose so after 5 children it was not easy.
What made the difference, what made me make the decision.
It was the realisation that I might actually die, just like my dad did, at a young age, due to being overweight, although I gave up smoking a few years ago, food and drink was obviously an addiction and it was slowly killing me, I think as soon as I knew I was going to be in my 40s I started to panic.
I was refused help via the NHS so self-funding was the only way, business was going well, so the money was there to pay for the op, but hubby wasn't keen, however I decided to go ahead for me and my children.
I researched EVERYONE and did lots of research into results and procedures etc and a name that kept coming up was COSMETIC BLISS.
Of course, none of you will know me, but let me tell you this, I do not go into anything without major research, and I did loads, the decision to go with Cosmetic Bliss was an easy one, they were the only company I spoke to who actually knew where I was coming from and didn't mind sitting on the other end of the phone for 1.5 hours talking to me, not another office phone went in the background, or a "can you hold for a sec" nothing, complete attention and I think that goes a long way!
I'm not a "I'll wait a while" kind of girl so I wanted to book straight away once I had made the decision, I just waited on a company invoice to be paid and then booked with them, then the hard work started........
The pre-op was a little bit of a worry, because I thought I would never loose the weight, I've tried for years to loose weight being told I could die, so here it is, just paid 5k for an op and still not feeling the emergency to loose 7lbs to shrink the liver!! What is wrong with me, even after being told they might not operate! Anyway I tried really hard and managed to loose 7lbs and then on the plane over praying it was enough, the pre-op wasn't difficult, you can literally just follow a weight watchers plan or something, cut out crisps, chocolates, alcohol etc and there you have a couple of lbs off straight away, but everyone is different and will choose to diet the best way for them, for me it was trying to eat sensibly, I didn't have a great deal of time for the pre-op as I booked for a quick date.
At Stansted airport I met up with another girl who was having the op at the same time, we went to share a room together and still keep in touch weekly via facebook which is great, keeps us both motivated!
As we got off the plane we met up with Michael and then to the hotel where we met up with Deborah, after settling in we had our "last supper" and headed for bed, I was really restless due to nerves, but excited as well!
In the morning, early, we were driven to the hospital where we would be booked into our room and have our pre-op examination and blood tests etc, it was very easy, quick and painless, we then had the rest of the afternoon to settle down and watch some tv and relax, we had a sandwich and not alot else due to the op the following day, my stomach was growling at me and I remember thinking to myself omg if I can't manage a couple of hours without food, how the hell am I going to get through the next week!! Before bed we visited the surgeon and he told me that my liver had not shrunk as much as he had hoped, possibly due to an infection (I did have a cold a few weeks beforehand) and that he might have to perform the sleeve instead of the wrap, he wouldn't know until the actual op, ok I thought, oh crap I would have to get more cash, so a mad panic call to mum to get her ready to wire over the extra cash if needed!
That night we were each given a tablet to help us sleep, not sure if it worked as I'm pretty good at going to sleep quickly, and I was definitely settled and felt comfortable, the next morning I remember a nurse coming into the room and giving me an injection to help the nerves and get ready for moving to theatre, well the next thing I remember is waking up at some ungodly hour of the night in ICU, it was all over and done with!! Where did those 5 hours go???
People mention the machines bleeping and waking up at all sorts of hours, to be honest they didn't bother me, I was obviously dosed up with pain medication, but believe me when I tell you I cry when I give blood, the worst part for me was when the nurse put the needle in my arm to take the bloods, I still have the picture of my bruises, my fault entirely because I moved!! The rest of it I could deal with, it was not painful, more uncomfortable, the worst being the wind! The drain was taken out in the morning and did not hurt at all, it was all over very quickly and I was encouraged to go to the toilet as soon as I woke up, I remember the nurse putting on all the taps to run because I couldn't go and I was laughing, (obviously the medication!!), anyway the morning after the op we go back to our room, at this stage the sickness comes in due to the wind, (they use air to blow up your tummy for the op), I didn't suffer a lot, just sicking up bubbles really, so wasn't too bad, but we did have to walk alot up and down the hospital corridor, it was deserted so no problem, but walking did the trick, each day you asked "will this get easier" and Deborah was with us every step of the way. It did get easier, you do panic thinking you won't be able to get on the plane, but your body is an amazing thing and it mends, it really does and then this fantastic thing happens...you want it to work, you need it to work and you desire it to work, so as soon as you get home your whole mentality changes, I don't know whether it's the fact that you have paid out money so don't want to waste it, but this opportunity you have just been given is so precious you don't want to squander it.
I haven't got an amazing story, and I'm sorry if you've read it through and nearly fell asleep, but I tried to keep it as short as I could, lol.
I had my op on 18th October 2011 and I weighed in at 16 stone, it is now 24th January 2012 and I weigh in at 13stone 5lbs, I'm so pleased and for the first xmas EVER I didn't put weight on!!
I hope that if just one person reads this and makes the decision to have weight loss surgery, whoever you decide to go with, although of course I would recommend Cosmetic Bliss, you will realise it is the best decision you will ever make and I wish you the very very best of luck x
I haven't always been overweight, my mum used to call me "big boned" or "cuddly" but I never actually felt overweight, I wasn't bullied at school for my weight, even though I think I was probably a little bit bigger than my peers, but not a great deal more, in my teens I had no emotional problems until I hit the age of around 14/15 when my dad died, that I think catapulted me into eating for comfort, although I don't blame him, well I used to, calling him selfish for dying at the age of 42 from a heart attack, not actually realising 24 years later I would be told I'd be heading the same way!
Past my rebellious teens and countless arguements with mum I just wanted to leave home, so I do what any other normal 17 year old does - joins the Navy!! Well it got me fit for sure, lol. It didn't last, a knee jerk action for leaving home, but I didn't want to be on my own, met a boyfriend, left the Navy, lived with him, broke up and then, tail between my legs, went home to mum! Couple of months later a boy wrote to me that I'd met the year before in Plymouth and we met up, cut a long story short, fell pregnant and got married the following year! At this stage I am now 19 years of age and that is when the weight started creeping up, fast forward 20 years and I am on my 2nd marraige with 5 kids and approximately 6 stone overweight!
I was warned I was at a high risk of heart attack/stroke/diabetes etc if I carried on eating, but no matter what threats the doctor told me I just couldn't seem to break the cycle. I've dieted in the past, I've tried most of them to be honest, but I would lose, and then just pile it back on, after each pregnancy I would struggle to loose so after 5 children it was not easy.
What made the difference, what made me make the decision.
It was the realisation that I might actually die, just like my dad did, at a young age, due to being overweight, although I gave up smoking a few years ago, food and drink was obviously an addiction and it was slowly killing me, I think as soon as I knew I was going to be in my 40s I started to panic.
I was refused help via the NHS so self-funding was the only way, business was going well, so the money was there to pay for the op, but hubby wasn't keen, however I decided to go ahead for me and my children.
I researched EVERYONE and did lots of research into results and procedures etc and a name that kept coming up was COSMETIC BLISS.
Of course, none of you will know me, but let me tell you this, I do not go into anything without major research, and I did loads, the decision to go with Cosmetic Bliss was an easy one, they were the only company I spoke to who actually knew where I was coming from and didn't mind sitting on the other end of the phone for 1.5 hours talking to me, not another office phone went in the background, or a "can you hold for a sec" nothing, complete attention and I think that goes a long way!
I'm not a "I'll wait a while" kind of girl so I wanted to book straight away once I had made the decision, I just waited on a company invoice to be paid and then booked with them, then the hard work started........
The pre-op was a little bit of a worry, because I thought I would never loose the weight, I've tried for years to loose weight being told I could die, so here it is, just paid 5k for an op and still not feeling the emergency to loose 7lbs to shrink the liver!! What is wrong with me, even after being told they might not operate! Anyway I tried really hard and managed to loose 7lbs and then on the plane over praying it was enough, the pre-op wasn't difficult, you can literally just follow a weight watchers plan or something, cut out crisps, chocolates, alcohol etc and there you have a couple of lbs off straight away, but everyone is different and will choose to diet the best way for them, for me it was trying to eat sensibly, I didn't have a great deal of time for the pre-op as I booked for a quick date.
At Stansted airport I met up with another girl who was having the op at the same time, we went to share a room together and still keep in touch weekly via facebook which is great, keeps us both motivated!
As we got off the plane we met up with Michael and then to the hotel where we met up with Deborah, after settling in we had our "last supper" and headed for bed, I was really restless due to nerves, but excited as well!
In the morning, early, we were driven to the hospital where we would be booked into our room and have our pre-op examination and blood tests etc, it was very easy, quick and painless, we then had the rest of the afternoon to settle down and watch some tv and relax, we had a sandwich and not alot else due to the op the following day, my stomach was growling at me and I remember thinking to myself omg if I can't manage a couple of hours without food, how the hell am I going to get through the next week!! Before bed we visited the surgeon and he told me that my liver had not shrunk as much as he had hoped, possibly due to an infection (I did have a cold a few weeks beforehand) and that he might have to perform the sleeve instead of the wrap, he wouldn't know until the actual op, ok I thought, oh crap I would have to get more cash, so a mad panic call to mum to get her ready to wire over the extra cash if needed!
That night we were each given a tablet to help us sleep, not sure if it worked as I'm pretty good at going to sleep quickly, and I was definitely settled and felt comfortable, the next morning I remember a nurse coming into the room and giving me an injection to help the nerves and get ready for moving to theatre, well the next thing I remember is waking up at some ungodly hour of the night in ICU, it was all over and done with!! Where did those 5 hours go???
People mention the machines bleeping and waking up at all sorts of hours, to be honest they didn't bother me, I was obviously dosed up with pain medication, but believe me when I tell you I cry when I give blood, the worst part for me was when the nurse put the needle in my arm to take the bloods, I still have the picture of my bruises, my fault entirely because I moved!! The rest of it I could deal with, it was not painful, more uncomfortable, the worst being the wind! The drain was taken out in the morning and did not hurt at all, it was all over very quickly and I was encouraged to go to the toilet as soon as I woke up, I remember the nurse putting on all the taps to run because I couldn't go and I was laughing, (obviously the medication!!), anyway the morning after the op we go back to our room, at this stage the sickness comes in due to the wind, (they use air to blow up your tummy for the op), I didn't suffer a lot, just sicking up bubbles really, so wasn't too bad, but we did have to walk alot up and down the hospital corridor, it was deserted so no problem, but walking did the trick, each day you asked "will this get easier" and Deborah was with us every step of the way. It did get easier, you do panic thinking you won't be able to get on the plane, but your body is an amazing thing and it mends, it really does and then this fantastic thing happens...you want it to work, you need it to work and you desire it to work, so as soon as you get home your whole mentality changes, I don't know whether it's the fact that you have paid out money so don't want to waste it, but this opportunity you have just been given is so precious you don't want to squander it.
I haven't got an amazing story, and I'm sorry if you've read it through and nearly fell asleep, but I tried to keep it as short as I could, lol.
I had my op on 18th October 2011 and I weighed in at 16 stone, it is now 24th January 2012 and I weigh in at 13stone 5lbs, I'm so pleased and for the first xmas EVER I didn't put weight on!!
I hope that if just one person reads this and makes the decision to have weight loss surgery, whoever you decide to go with, although of course I would recommend Cosmetic Bliss, you will realise it is the best decision you will ever make and I wish you the very very best of luck x
x
