well where are the kiwi's?

Hi I'm having bariatric sleeve surgery on the 31st July 2013. Start optifast on Wednesday for 2 weeks. Just wondering although the dietician has told me about multivitamins etc where do you get them and do you have to take them 2 weeks pre op? Haven't got anything like that yet.

I am in Timaru, and going in to have a sleeve done on the 18th July 2013 :) 8 days on the baractric advantage, and so over it! Need more ways to cook my veges.

I have made a couple of video diaries on You Tube. The first one tells the story of why I am doing it, the second on speaks of how it has been in the first 3 days of Optifast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylKwfObtOE8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFu12cLkMW4



Just wanted a visual diary and wanted to track my change :)

Today is a lot better. Made up some ratatoulle which I will have for lunch and dinner and it is pretty yum tbh. It has tomatoes, celery, brocolli, onion, garlic, beans, mushrooms, spinach and balsamic in it. Is yummo!

Thanks for that, actually had one similar shake bottle from a Tony Fergusson Diet I did years ago... just one of the million things I've tried in the past!!!

Made some vege soup for the first time ever today in preparation of the diet which starts of Monday.... Hope your going well

Natalie

NatalieG I brought the Celebrity Slim Hot Pink Shaker from Harvey's Health Foods it was $8.90 and has this spiky thing in the middle that helps when you shake to break things down. I works awesome. Definitely worth getting one esp if you are shaking at work.

Today has been heaps better!

Sorry to hear about your afternoon Dee..... hopefully today will be an improvement! I have heard that your body takes awhile to detox and it last approx 3-4 days then it gets easier.....

Bugger about the chicken soup just bought that and no chocy dessert.....

Off to play badminton this morning, so going to have a shake before I leave and see if I have enough energy, (and also start to wean off food) am going to make it with heaps of ice kinda like a slushy and see what happens!

Have a good day!

Hey there, is anyone else a diabetic? Started the day off good and was feeling great. Then had a hypo and felt atrocious. Corrected it but still feel awful.

Word of warning... the chicken soup (I reckon is disgusting). But the Chocolate dessert is awesome!

Is it my hypo or did other people feel rubbish on the first day of Optifast?

Dee

Hi mstwist

I also really wanted this operation and hoped that I could get funding, unfortunately for me that was not to be the case. However my husband and I have decided that we are going to add the cost of this to our mortgage and go private. Its a huge financial decision and something we are both prepared to accept. We have watched a friend go thru this and the outcome has been a totally positive transformation..

My fingers are crossed for you that you are able to follow Dees advice and check all funding options, and hopefully come up with enough "points" to quality for some assistance.

Keep us informed and stay strong.

Natalie

Firstly, hi and welcome. Secondly, GIVE it a try for publicly funded. There is a scoring system. Diabetes is just one of the things that bump your score up. Other complications such as high blood pressure, cholesterol issues and the like also give you points. The minimum BMI without health issues for public funding is 35. I have a BMI of 31 and have significant health issues so I am getting mine publicly funded.

It is worth a crack. I am not sure whether there are any benefits or other funding that would assist you with paying for the sleeve. I understand your desperation. I used to be 139kgs and just wanted someone to pay for my surgery. It is ironic that I am smaller but with health issues and now someone is.

Dee

x

Hi everyone, i've enjoyed reading your posts, I'm in west auckland, I have a BMI of 40, and after YEARS of yoyo dieting (although say yoyo - it's a small yoyo down and a bigger one back up...) i just can never seem to loose more than 7 or 8kg when the hunger just kicks in and i just go into zombie mode until i get back up and a bit more what i just lost :(

i've done my research an have concluded a Sleeve will be best for me, I doubt i'll get it done publicly as there are people much bigger with me with health issues (i have pain in joints and back form weight but not diabetes etc), however i'm going to dicuss this with my GP tomorrow, i've also made an appointment with Grant Beden(sp?) in a few weeks, to look at my options i'm pretty sure i will be a good candiate to go private, however the cost is a major hurdle for me, i will qualify subject to asscesment for the southern cross $7500, which leaves about 10k for me to find. I will apply for a nova loan, but i have a feeling i'll get declined as i don't have much in the way of assests and i have expensive child care costs (2 kids (twins) in full time daycare = $700 a fornight!!)as well as some another loan and a credi card. i could afford repayments but it doesn't look great on paper.

i've just sat here crying as it just seems so unfair if i got huge and couldnt' work and was on bennifits i'd most likely be given it for free - i'm on a good salery and paid heaps into tax over the years to and never had a dollar in bennifts or even surgery or health care :( seems so unfair. And yet living is so expensive in auckland with 2 wee ones i wont' qualify for a loan either - i can't win. i'm just so desperate to loose weight but about 40 attempts by myself has taught me i just can't do this by myself. i feel so stuck and desperate for this op!!!! Any advice?? :0)

NatalieG

I got mine from Net Pharmacy. The hospital gave me the vanilla shake (which I tried at the weekend) and it was ok. The strawberry shake is way nicer. I tried my chocolate bar and berry choc bars at the weekend and they were actually nice! So my plan is to have the bars at work with 1 cup of steamed vege for lunch. The soups are for dinner and I am gonna put my steamed veges in the soup. I have heard the chicken soup is the nicest. Will let you know tonight!

I noticed when I tried the shakes yesterday that they made me feel full as. And that I did not feel like eating more food (though wanted to try damn that boredom eating! But was put off because I felt like I was gonna burst).

I actually feel good. I had sorted my head out and I see this as part of starting my future. Well it is only morning tea, so kinda rich from moi LOL

Hey Zoe

Good Luck for your first day on the OPTI I understand the first few days are the hardest then things just get easier??? well hopefully anyway!! lol I am ordering mine today on-line, I did have a sample of some of the shakes, but unsure about the soups, bar or desserts?? Have you tried any of these by chance??

I am so sorry to hear about your miscarriages, .... :(..but it is fantastic to know that this operations WILL BE such a positive thing for you so much more than just the weightloss, so best of luck, let me know how these first fews days go and keep busy!!

Natalie

I am sick of struggling with weight too. It never bothered me until I got down to the 80's and then I though I need to sort my crap out.

Plus my husband and I were tag teamed by my endochronologist and fertility doc and they said they were refusing to allow us to use our frozen embryos until I did the surgery. They think my miscarriages were caused by my diabetes and PCOS. Both will be improved by this surgery.

YAY!

Hi, Zoe

My weight is 88kg, not sure why I am doing only 2 weeks, just what he told me (is this unusual)??? I am also 40 so it appears we are quite similar. I do not have any underlying conditions, am just doing this as I am SICK of my life being dominated by what my weight is.

NatalieG wrote:

Hi Everyone

I live in Howick and have my surgery date with Habib Rahman on 25 March. I start the OPTI diet on the 11 of March for two weeks.... feeling a little nervous about the whole thing at the moment, and hoping that someone else will be going thru this about the same time so we can encourage each other along....

You are in luck, mine is the day after yours! But I start Optifast tomorrow (I weigh 87kgs (today's weigh in)). Do you mind me asking how much you weigh and why you are only on Optifast for 2 weeks?

Dee

Hi Everyone

I live in Howick and have my surgery date with Habib Rahman on 25 March. I start the OPTI diet on the 11 of March for two weeks.... feeling a little nervous about the whole thing at the moment, and hoping that someone else will be going thru this about the same time so we can encourage each other along....

heather :) I am glad!

I am luckily only on Optifast for three weeks. I have made sure I have the bars, soups etc (actually have the full range) figured variety is important.

Hi Dee,

Welcome to the group! I am now 7 months post op and have lost 35kgs with approx. 30kgs to go. I think the first 6 to 9 weeks including the pre opti phase is horrible but you do get through it and i do not regret having the surgery in a heartbeat. It has changed my life and my husbands for the better. Good on you for making the decision and goodluck on your journey :-)

Heather

Hey there



Start optifast on 5 March 2013 and surgery is on 26 March 2013. Current weight 85kgs. Highest I have been 139kgs. I am doing the surgery because I am a diabetic and have been unable to control it with insulin alone. I am nervous but excited.



Dee

Hi Karen,

How is the recovery going for you? You must be nearly onto mushed food by now. i have to admit i haven't really exercised in the first 6 months but i did start a running programme and it has been fine - i think i will take 16 weeks not 8 though to be able to run 5kms... lol

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/table/2009/jan/10/beginners-running-guide here is the link if you feel inclined to do it....

Well i am back to work and back to routine and i lost 2.4kg in the 2 weeks over xmas and new years so i am very happy about that - i still go to weight watchers and i only weigh myself once a week - i don't own scales - whereas on the facebook page everyone talks about weighing themselves once a day - that would do my head in! Are you on facebook and a member of the group? If not here is the link to it if you are interested - it is a private group so none of your fb friends will see what you post or comment on https://www.facebook.com/groups/382543408457010/ - it is called gastric sleevers australia in case that link fails

well have a good week and who can believe that Jan. is more than halfway through

hope we talk soon

Heather

Hi heatherp-b:

I live on Waiheke and was sleeved just 2 weeks ago. I am encouraged by you news of your recovery over the last 6 months. I have nothing to complain about thus far concerning my surgery. I am headed to the new year with great optimism.

The only thing that I am not doing very well with is getting back into my exercise routine. I think I will be able to hit it in earnest on Monday. I had planned to start out last Monday, but I had a little bit of hiccup if you will on Sunday.

I have my post op f/u appt. tomorrow with Grant Beban. I have an appt.for f/u with my dietician Liz Goodall next Wens. I should be good to go for the Christmas holiday afterwards. I am not stressing out about Christmas an more than usual, if fact stressing out less this time through.

I am an American who moved to Waiheke Island and New Zealand about 6 years ago. I came here to be with my partner who is a Kiwi, who emigrated to NZ when they were 12, from London.

I hope we can keep in touch in the future.

Karen
Saltmistrose@gmail.com

hi all

My name is Heather and i am based in auckland. I have now been sleeved for 6 months and my surgeon was Mr Michael Booth. I have lost almost 30kgs in that time and i am so close to my xmas goal of getting under 100kgs (less than 2kgs to go) but still have another 30 - 40kgs to go to get to my end goal.

Since my surgery I haven't had many issues - i cannot eat anything fatty (which is not a bad thing) i don't like the taste of lamb now and the thought of roast pork makes me want to gag (but not other cuts of pork) it sounds worse than it is.

I paid for my own surgery as i was told the waiting list to be done for free was 10yrs without any emergencies pushing me back further - so decided to pay for it $18k but i got lucky because southern cross paid $7500 so in the end i only had to pay $9500 - something i do not regret paying for as the sleeve has changed my life.

I am not really worried about xmas and eating as i know i can only eat so much - i just have to remember to make good choices!!!

Well i hope you all have a great holiday and keep up with all of your hard work

Regards Heather

Hi I am back from Ascot Hospital in Auckland today. I had my sleeve done by Mr. Grant Beban and I am feeling very well. I am so happy that things wen well. I am glad to be back home here on Waiheke Island. Just wanted to post and let the other Kiwis here know how well I am doing 4 days after my surgery. Stay strong and be well everyone.

Hi there fellow kiwis!! I'm Tracey and I'm from Wellington NZ. I have just found out that my sleeve surgery is taking place in February 2013! Im soooo excited!!

I would love to chat to some of my fellow NZrs about how you have found the op and get any tips you think I would find helpful :)