top_kat
Well-Known Member
I never thought I'd be back writing another pre-op diary. Let alone less than 4 years after I had my original band fitted.
It's been a bit of a nighmare journey it has to be said, a massive weight loss (12st) without ever finding restriction, I cannot count the amount of miles I've done travelling across the country for fills to a band that never made any different. I never found that sweet spot (it does exist so they tell me), we never did get to the bottom of the pressure leak and my providers "after care" was they just didn't care.
Anyway, here I am. After 18 months of nightmare health issues with gallstones which has seen me in hospital on and off and not being able to eat anything but jacobs mini cheddars, crackers and crisps. It is not true that only high fat food kicks off gallstone pain, for me it was fruit, fruit juice (particularly apple!), it was vegetables and bread, pasta and potatoes, rice and couscous. Basically everything and so, here I was with a massive weight loss being replaced by an ongoing gain.
Fast forward, a supposed 3-4 week wait list for gallbladder removal turned into 13 months, a simple day case of surgery turned into a complicated surgery with abcesses on the liver and the gallbladder being attached to places it shouldn't. So a day case, turned into 10 days, the one surgery turned into an emergency GA less than 20 hours later, followed by a 3rd (and failed surgery 3 days later). Two days to Xmas they wanted to do the surgery again on Xmas Eve but told me I wouldn't be out for Xmas, so with some persuasion, two drains in place and a supply of Morphine I was allowed home to return between Xmas and New year.
Back again, surgeon refused to do surgery, said it was too soon, so told me I'd have to wait two further weeks. Back out still with drains, I followed up after 10 days only to learn they'd forgotten to book me in. Final surgery scheduled end of Jan.
Thankfully it happened, but I've lost 18 months of being on track, I've regained lots of what I had lost, however the NHS doc wanted the band emptied for surgery, promised me they would refill after.
Lies! All lies.
Paid to go private for a refill and they couldn't get anything in (I'd had over 12mls in there beforfe) and they believe that the 4 surgeries has caused the tubing to kink or there's an issue with the band itself. As it's got a suspected pressure leak, it is not worth me paying for any investigations on something that never worked, so, I've been investigating the MGB.
I am now booked to travel to Belgium on June 30th, to have conversion from Band to Mini gastric bypass with Chris De Bruyne.
I have to start a 30 day pre-op diet which I will begin on May 30th and preparing to do the milk diet for the final two weeks.
Nervous as I shall be travelling alone. Nervous because despite lots of surgeries it hasn't cured my fear of going under anaesthetic. I asked them the same question as my last provider in terms of number of mortalities on the table and it's zero. I wouldn't be going otherwise.
So here I am. Pre-op once again, and about to say farewell to my band "Anna" and welcome to my MGB "Bob" lol
I need an outlet as no-one is going to know (just as they didn't with my band) apart from my DS and my Aunt. If my Mum were here,I'd tell her, but I don't have a wish to tell anyone.
There's been some things that have made me feel like real crap recently
- holiday in March and had to use a belt extender
- had to go out and buy bigger clothes
- the realisation that I was close to having a Tummy tuck to remove my excess skin and instead my savings are going to be used for this conversion
- I look awful
- my aunt said "It wasn't that long ago that you looked so nice" - well thanks for saying that I now look like crap, even though I'm still 6 stone lighter than I was 4 years ago
So . . . here we go. Take two. I'm saying farwell to Anna and welcome to Bob!
It's been a bit of a nighmare journey it has to be said, a massive weight loss (12st) without ever finding restriction, I cannot count the amount of miles I've done travelling across the country for fills to a band that never made any different. I never found that sweet spot (it does exist so they tell me), we never did get to the bottom of the pressure leak and my providers "after care" was they just didn't care.
Anyway, here I am. After 18 months of nightmare health issues with gallstones which has seen me in hospital on and off and not being able to eat anything but jacobs mini cheddars, crackers and crisps. It is not true that only high fat food kicks off gallstone pain, for me it was fruit, fruit juice (particularly apple!), it was vegetables and bread, pasta and potatoes, rice and couscous. Basically everything and so, here I was with a massive weight loss being replaced by an ongoing gain.
Fast forward, a supposed 3-4 week wait list for gallbladder removal turned into 13 months, a simple day case of surgery turned into a complicated surgery with abcesses on the liver and the gallbladder being attached to places it shouldn't. So a day case, turned into 10 days, the one surgery turned into an emergency GA less than 20 hours later, followed by a 3rd (and failed surgery 3 days later). Two days to Xmas they wanted to do the surgery again on Xmas Eve but told me I wouldn't be out for Xmas, so with some persuasion, two drains in place and a supply of Morphine I was allowed home to return between Xmas and New year.
Back again, surgeon refused to do surgery, said it was too soon, so told me I'd have to wait two further weeks. Back out still with drains, I followed up after 10 days only to learn they'd forgotten to book me in. Final surgery scheduled end of Jan.
Thankfully it happened, but I've lost 18 months of being on track, I've regained lots of what I had lost, however the NHS doc wanted the band emptied for surgery, promised me they would refill after.
Lies! All lies.
Paid to go private for a refill and they couldn't get anything in (I'd had over 12mls in there beforfe) and they believe that the 4 surgeries has caused the tubing to kink or there's an issue with the band itself. As it's got a suspected pressure leak, it is not worth me paying for any investigations on something that never worked, so, I've been investigating the MGB.
I am now booked to travel to Belgium on June 30th, to have conversion from Band to Mini gastric bypass with Chris De Bruyne.
I have to start a 30 day pre-op diet which I will begin on May 30th and preparing to do the milk diet for the final two weeks.
Nervous as I shall be travelling alone. Nervous because despite lots of surgeries it hasn't cured my fear of going under anaesthetic. I asked them the same question as my last provider in terms of number of mortalities on the table and it's zero. I wouldn't be going otherwise.
So here I am. Pre-op once again, and about to say farewell to my band "Anna" and welcome to my MGB "Bob" lol
I need an outlet as no-one is going to know (just as they didn't with my band) apart from my DS and my Aunt. If my Mum were here,I'd tell her, but I don't have a wish to tell anyone.
There's been some things that have made me feel like real crap recently
- holiday in March and had to use a belt extender
- had to go out and buy bigger clothes
- the realisation that I was close to having a Tummy tuck to remove my excess skin and instead my savings are going to be used for this conversion
- I look awful
- my aunt said "It wasn't that long ago that you looked so nice" - well thanks for saying that I now look like crap, even though I'm still 6 stone lighter than I was 4 years ago
So . . . here we go. Take two. I'm saying farwell to Anna and welcome to Bob!
