The journey has finally started!

Hi Rosy,

Everything is well rosy

....sorry for the pun......couldn't help myself.

I am doing well and have had no problems so far. Just the normal ones trying to get the required amounts in. I'm full from a 1/8th cup of milky porridge this morning and 1/2 a cup of tea with all my meds. Slowly sipping my water with a tiny dash of cordial. It will be lunchtime soon and I've no idea how I'm going to fit this in....but I'm not stressing. My Dietician only requires that you get around 600mls in for the first few days so that's what I'm aiming at.

I weighed myself this morning and I'm down 2 kilos already so I'm happy. No pain or discomfort at all. I've been extremely lucky. The only problem I have is extreme diarrhoea which the nurses assured me would pass. It's probably just my body eliminating all the drugs. I have to be very careful, if you get my drift, and have to run off to the toilet at the slightest hint of any activity in that area!!


Hugs,

Hi kasey
I had my sleeve done nearly 2 weeks ago, and i haven't lookd back. 4 years ago i had a lap band and it failed for me. Unfortunately with the band you can still get around eating the wrong foods and believe it or not the bad goes down better than the good. I couldn't tolerate any salads, meat, bread, ect. my diet was chips, milk, and and anything that would slide down. Altough iam newly sleeved i can already see the difference that it has made. 200ml is my limit, and not a drop more. The band all i had to do was wait a while and then i could have some more. Not with this....
i know surgery is a big step, but if we could do it by ourselves we wouldn't be here.
If the sleeve was an option 4 years ago i would of gone with that straight off..

welcome Kasey

I can so relate to your story. i started researching the Lapband and had all the same concerns.

I recently changed doctors and asked for a referral and her responses was the same as yours - lets get your general health sorted. So when I went back for my blood tests results I asked agin for the referral and this time she relented, although she did promise for me to wait. Of course i didn't. Have my second appointment with my surgeon on Monday

Hi Kasey and welcome to the team. We're delighted to have you aboard.

I wish you every success in your sleeving journey. You will do wonderfully I'm sure and popping in here regularly to voice concerns or joys or just plain impatience will help you enormously with the whole process.

Can't wait to hear more from you soon.

Hugs,

Hi Kasey,

It certainly has been an interesting journey for you and you must feel like its only just started. From someone who has been sleeved 6 months I can say I certainly have no regrets. I have only one son, but I can tell you keeping up with him 33kg lighter is certainly a lot easier. You might read my diary, but you can see it certainly has changed my life. By all means it has been hard but you know that things cant go on as they are. The sleeve is a great tool and as long as you remember it is a tool I have no doubt that you will have great sucess. Good luck and keep us updated. You already know that we are all very grateful for this forum!

Trace

LOL - I figured I'd just blurt it all out now and save repeating it over again later on
Now I can just direct people here (although I might copy/paste some of this into my diary when I start one)

As for my hubby. Ooooh yeah. He's all mine for ever! (He promised!)
In fact, he is about to be even more wonderful and protect me from the big bad mean weather (ie. get the boys from school because it's raining)

Hi Kasey, thanks for sharing so much about yourself in your introduction.
Hope your doctor gives you the referral that you are seeking. It might be prudent to point out that weight loss as a result of the surgery would improve all the conditions she is talking about, so getting them under control before the surgery seems a bit pointless.
How lucky you are to have such a loving and supportive partner. Sounds like he's a keeper!

So I guess I should finally introduce myself properly.

My name is Kasey and I am a carboholic.
I am the little one in my family. When I was young I was 'Skinny Minnie'. In fact I was so upset by it I remember crying at one stage wishing I was bigger like the rest of my family! I was a roller skating, bike riding, tree climbing, bush walking to the river for a swim, active tom boy.
Then came puberty. I put on a little weight around the belly but I was still a diet-virgin size 10-12 when I was married at 18. I had to go to a children's shoe store to find size 5 white shoes for my wedding!
Fast forward 10 years, four sons (2 natural, 2 c-sections, 9, 7, 5 and 2.5yo) and I am now 113kg and a size 18-22 depending on where I shop. My shoe size is a "comfort fit" size 6 or a 7. I have been yo-yo dieting since my first pregnancy.

Last October I was reading a totally different forum when I stumbled across a mention of Lap Band surgery. I Googled and started reading the Yahoo forum. I was interested in it but had a fair few reservations about fills and slipping and flipping ports (not to mention the constant lists about what food can and can't be tolerated ever again and the vomiting in the restaurant toilets... you're here too so you know what I am talking about)
But I kept reading because I thought it might be my only hope. I learned about the surgeons in my area and discovered a little info on the sleeve. It sounded a lot more reasonable to me.
At Christmas I sounded out my family. Just mentioned in passing that I was considering weight loss surgery and told them a little about the choices. My mum was a bit freaked out by the sleeve but confided she had thought about the lap band too. Especially because my Dad has been diagnosed with Diabetes in the last few years. They will be supportive whatever my choice but I guess I will hear a few "I told you so"s if I have any issues.

I joined this site a while ago (round about the same time as I got my PHI cover) and started reading journals and post-op complications. My extended family has had issues and we have had a family holiday in between so I have missed a lot but every now and again I would do a little more reading while I waited for January so I could get started.
Then I started reading how some people have their surgery dates before their waiting times are up and thought I'd ask how to go about it.

I had my first GP appointment today asking for a referral. The doctor was lovely but she didn't know much about the surgery at all. She took my BP (perfect) and has requested some blood tests which I can get done tomorrow. I'm hopeful that they will be okay because, despite the weight, I don't FEEL as if I have any other health problems yet. I do a lot of walking (no license so no choice!) and go to the gym. Still, it's checking my cholesterol and insulin levels so you never know.
If the tests come back clear she said she will give me my referral. If not I will have to get the other conditions stabilised before she will give it to me. I can accept her terms. I am a Taurus and pretty stubborn when I want my own way (except when it comes to losing weight apparently...)

My DH is extremely supportive "as long as I don't lose my curves". I think it's more likely I will FIND my curves! He has never EVER made me feel like I needed to lose weight. It has always been my self image that is the driving force behind joining the "definitely NOT the 'D' word" clubs, gym memberships and now this. I am a very lucky woman and I know that he will be beside me ever possible second of the way.

Do I WANT surgery? Hell no! Been there, done that twice over. I KNOW it will be hard. But I will do whatever it takes to be as active and healthy as I desperately want to be again.

I look forward to reading a lot more about your journeys as I wait for the next stages of mine.

KC