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Gastric Balloon Spatz balloon!

ginzeh

New Member
I'm excited, got accepted with nucleus for half of the payment with finance!

I have posted multiple threads and in introductions but not replies!

I'm going to use this site as support hopefully as no one except my father will know about the balloon as he has offered to pay for it all, but I wanted to pay as well, my fault I'm fat! So half cash half finance!

My mum or my friends not even my other half will know!! I'm all excited about it tho! Probably September I have it as there fully booked up!


Just wanted some info, experiences shared of ppl having it!


Xxx
 
Hi and welcome. Not sure how many people who have had the balloon are on the forum...but hopefully someone will be along soon to share their experience with you. In the meantime, everyone else I am sure will be wishing you all the best :D
 
hello hun i had the balloon on sept 2011 and unfortunatly its not a good story from me, i just doesnt have any effect on my appetite so basically doesnt work and i dont sit around eating 10 packets of crisps a day etc, i have consistently tried to eat less and not have my tummy feel full. also the aftercare is rubbish if you live outside of Wales i love in bedfordshire and they said they would call me on a two weekly or weekly basis and they havent called me since week 3!! the dietician was rubbish he just sent me a few shoddy emails with healthy eating plans which i am fully aware of and i though the dietician would be more helpful in educating me in how food works etx, however i am quite knowledgable on food intake and healthy eating, its just the doing it part!!anyway i am currently on slimming world (1st week) after spending nearly a year feeling awful about how much i have let myself down and how much they have let me down.

i think you should ask them just how much effort you need to make (which is more effort than the balloon makes). because in my case the balloon really doeasnt seem to be doing it job and when it doesnt work you get the blame not them. hope your not too shocked/put off but i wanted you to know that the success rate isnt high i have done loads of research into it on on other websites xx
 
I am a post op sleever so can't add anything to this thread. I am very interested in it though as my sister doesn't want a sleeve or bypass. She wants minimal invasive surgery so band looks like her option but this is worth looking into. Will keep an eye on thread to see how you progress.
 
Oh no =( I'm worried now as it costs so much! So far they've been really good ringing me etc and letting me do phone consultations etc as I'm far away and emailing me!

Im too scared to have band, as I work and have a 3yr old the recovery phase isnt ideal! I was so looking forward to it and had read quite a few success stories!

Should I not bother then and look into drastic banding??

They do the band too for an extra £1000 I think!

Sorry to hear of your experience, hav you not lost Anything?

I need that kick start of feeling full, been so looking forward to it and joining the gym!

Xx
 
hello darling i wanted you to know that you have to work extremely hard at losing the weight its not like the band where it literally restricts your food intake. with the balloon it is possible to eat more and more gradually. i dont know if thats what happened to me even though i did make such a effort for the first few months, i lost about 14lbs and then it dwindled to almost nothing. since jan i completely forget i have it in, then they said they would put a new one in a new model but they havent called me since!!

at the begining they are really good with the consultations but the dietician is a pile of crap he literally emails you two pages of meal ideas and thats it!! and the nurses are supposed to call you every week thern they say you have to call them, and it just gets ridiculous.

i am the same i work/study and have a 3year old son and was worried about having major surgery but i think you should maybe make a new thread with a eye catching title like 'gastric balloon does it work' or soemthing like that?


from what successful people have said on here they are doing it first before a sleeve or band which means they have a lot of weight to loose so maybe it works better for bigger people but i am 17 stone and it just hasnt worked for me. from my point of view i would just say to anybody dont do it purely becuase of my horrible experience. however i know some people have had success stories from it.

maybe you should call them and ask some questions about how much of a role the balloon plays etc but pleasse dont mention anything about me as i am in the midst of trying to sort a solution out with them xx
 
one good thing about nucleus though is the sedation is excellent you dont rememeber a thing as i was terrified about the endoscopy process, and they are really nice and reassuring once your actually there its just after i think they kind of forget. they obv dont have a checkup system where they call therir patients on a weekly basis which i really think they should do. a lady i met on here who is from wales has had a better experience because she is closer by she can call in for weightloss sessions and the groups which they do once a month but obv i dont do that x
 
ginzeh said:
Oh no =( I'm worried now as it costs so much! So far they've been really good ringing me etc and letting me do phone consultations etc as I'm far away and emailing me!

Im too scared to have band, as I work and have a 3yr old the recovery phase isnt ideal! I was so looking forward to it and had read quite a few success stories!

Should I not bother then and look into drastic banding??

They do the band too for an extra £1000 I think!

Sorry to hear of your experience, hav you not lost Anything?

I need that kick start of feeling full, been so looking forward to it and joining the gym!

Xx

If it is any help in your decision making, I have 4 children aged 3, 4, 9 and 15 and had a gastric sleeve procedure 17 weeks ago. The recovery time was really very quick as it is done through keyhole surgery, as is banding, so you are back on your feet very quickly - I was out of bed the same day as was the other lady who had a wrap done.

Of the research I did before my op the balloon wasn't coming up with terribly good results. I don't know whether this is because it just isn't very good or because it is new but it's lack of popularity wasn't very reassuring.

The best thing I can advise is to be really really REALLY sure before you put any money down that the procedure you've chosen is the right one for you.
 
i agree with Dani be very sure. i did do quite a lot of research beforehand but like she said its a new procedure and i dont think it is the best!! not many places do it in the uk or it is used as a starter for people that go onto have a sleeve etc. i just want you to be 100% happy.

i would ask yourself if your happy with the chance of it not working, there is a big chance it wont work as i have seen so many cases online where it hasnt worked, whereas some of the more invasive procedures have excellent success rates and they recorvery time isnt much more.

the balloon made me ill for three days!! i literally couldnt get out of bed because the tummy tries to reject it as its a foreign object whereas i dont think that happens with other procedures.

if you have an extra £1000 go for the band and maybe choose a different provider thats closer x
 
I had a gastric Balloon on the NHS in December as they wanted me to lose some weight before my bypass.
I was willing to do anything, as a route to the bypass, and was more than happy to start losing the weight.
The procedure was pretty awful, but didn't last too long.
I was only in the one night, but felt sick after a few hours.
I was able to drink, but brought everything up after a few minutes. I was ill for about 2 weeks and and in this time I lost 1st.
By the end of January I knew my appetite was back to normal and the months that followed I had to stick to Slimming world. I really could have done this without the balloon.
If you are anything like me, as soon as the balloon comes out, the weight will go straight back on.
I know that this isn't the best advice, or what you want to hear, but it is the truth. All I can say is, I am so pleased I didn't have to pay for it, as I would have been so disappointed.
I wish you luck for the future
 
hello lubilu i am so glad that you have commented as i want everyone to know the risks involved!! as in the risk of dissapiontment and feeling like a failure as i have. i am currently on slimming world and yes i just wish id never even bloody looked at the balloon i wish it wasnt on finance because i wouldnt have been able to afford it outright.

xx
 
I can only imagine what a diffecult decision it is to decide what type of surgery to have. I suppose it's different for me, as the surgeon decided what was best given my eating habits.
I don't know the price of the balloon, but anyone that I speak to, I would say save your money. The weight will go back on, if it comes off in the first place???
 
Hi thanks for your replies!

I just scared of having a big op too! =( plus with the band ppl would have to know I'm having something done whereas with balloon only my dad was going to know but so far I've told my mum just incase im I'll after she's more able to look after my daughter I the day, I'm not telling my other half lol although he said he's going to look after me! He thinks I'm having a lil procedure for heartburn lol!

When I've researched I've sound quite good results =(
 
I had a Spatz balloon fitted 10 days ago, and I don't regret it yet.
The insertion itself was fine - I cannot really remember anything. The first 4 days were awful - like having a case of food poisoning, but now I feel almost back to normal. Except I do not want to eat as much as I used to. I told my husband and daughters and I am glad they know - I think it would have been difficult to get through that first few days without their support. I could not really get out of bed!
The reason I went for the balloon rather than the band is that I want to learn how to eat properly and learn to restrict my own diet. I did not want major surgery and I felt I would be able to increase my exercise and decrease my food intake so that I learn to eat properly when it comes out.
Be under no illusion - it is not going to be easy. You have to really want to lose weight, and be prepared to work hard at your own diet.
I am sure it will be worth it for me, but I guess the band may be a little bitter for someone who does not think they will be able to keep up the programme for ever. My balloon was fitted by National Obesity Surgery Centre and so far their support and advice has been really good. I think the support should last for 18 months (6 months after the balloon is removed)

Good luck
 
Well I have my consultation tomorrow, I want something i have to work with so i feel an achievement! im looking forward to going to the gym and working out and noticing, feeling proud rather than having a band and it just coming off!

im also worried about my boobs after loosing weight haha!
next agenda i have warned my dad is a possible boob op and lipo etc!

i just wish i hadnt done this to myself in the first place! if only we could go back in time! i dont want to be super skinny, a 14 would do me, just able to go in all shops and buy nice clothes and feeling "socially" accepted...walk in to a room and being of normalish weight not the fat girl with the gorgeous friends!!

I wish you so much luck and would love updates on how you get on!, i should be having mine in sept hopefully!


Gina xx
 
I had a gastric Balloon on the NHS in December as they wanted me to lose some weight before my bypass.
I was willing to do anything, as a route to the bypass, and was more than happy to start losing the weight.
The procedure was pretty awful, but didn't last too long.
I was only in the one night, but felt sick after a few hours.
I was able to drink, but brought everything up after a few minutes. I was ill for about 2 weeks and and in this time I lost 1st.
By the end of January I knew my appetite was back to normal and the months that followed I had to stick to Slimming world. I really could have done this without the balloon.
If you are anything like me, as soon as the balloon comes out, the weight will go straight back on.
I know that this isn't the best advice, or what you want to hear, but it is the truth. All I can say is, I am so pleased I didn't have to pay for it, as I would have been so disappointed.
I wish you luck for the future


I have just been given a date of 11th Sept for my balloon. (Darlington) Only found that out because I phoned them. I was supposed to have had an appointment to see the consultant before hand. I haven't really seen anyone. Only one appointment with the nurse and seeing the dietitian on the 22nd of this month. I won't get written confirmation of the appointment as the nurse has spoken to me on the phone! We have no support group here at the moment either. I feel very out on a limb, with no help or support at all.
 
Good luck with everything. Mmm boobs a bit of a problem, mine a crap now so yes saving or a bit of cosmetic surgery but tht's a long way off.
 
I am getting my new boobs in 4 weeks yippee ... There is no hope for my existing ones :8855:
 
Lucky you or lucky him. LOL good luck.
 
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