Dr Craig Taylor

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wahroonga sydney..
Anyone experienced him??? My gp wants me to go to this one? ...
thx

Dr Taylor is wonderful
done almost 3 weeks ago
and at times wish it was easier to get into the puree stage...
wish i could just go to 1/2 slice toast with avocado and tomato for breakfast, 1/2 cup of food for lunch and same for dinner rather than this try xyz and see how it goes.... lol

he has great people skills
llistens and cares about his patients.
think he is Mr Wonderful sleeve wise

OHHH YEAH i got to see "blue eyes" on friday!!!!!!!!!!

Hi All,

I had my lap band done by Dr Taylor about 6 months ago. He was great and so is his team! The recovery was quick and I was up and about back to normal activity within a few days. Today I had an appointment and he literally told me off and said "I am taking it out and putting a sleeve in!".
I have had no issues with the band, just not getting any results and putting on weight rather than losing it..... we laughed about it because I am making his books look bad

I believe that the band works but it is just not for me, for some reason I can still manage to stuff my face.

I am hoping the sleeve will help! As for Dr Taylor, he is good and very handsome I guess... though a little skinny for my liking! lol

I guess it really depends on what you are like as a person, I am a yo-yo type and regardless of how tight my band is, not that i have ever had any issue with getting food down I can literally loose 5kg one week and put 7 on the next!

So, not sure how the sleeve will go but that is most likely my next option.

Hi, I have my first appointment with Dr Taylor next Thursday, and will be going the concord option as don't have phi, and will be trying to access my super. Was wondering if anyone knows any of the following;
1. If he books the surgery in my first appointment or if I have to wait to book once clear from APRA first?
2. How many weeks is the usual wait to get into concord?
3. What the hospital is like?
4. Has anyone just paid a higher amount to go private or us this an option?
I wish I had more patience.. I should just be content and know that it will be done by the end of the year.. but then again I don't want a liquid diet over Xmas. :)
Thanks,
Cass

Hi There

I was also sleeved by DR Blue Eyes- He is fantastic and so is his team! I'm with some of the girls on this one, did'nt want the fill and unfill trips with the lapband because I was an emotional eater I knew that if I had a bad moment I would have probably went to have it emptied so I could stuff myself. I wanted something permanent and the sleeve was the choice for me.

I had my sleeve on the 3rd of march Wednesday- I was out of recovery about 5.30ish in the arvo...I was downstairs smoking at 11pm when the surgical team walked past in astonishment LOL...and I was out on Friday... I was 132-3 kilos at the start .. Surgery door 125 and am down about 40 kilos since weighing about 92-93 at the moment...

I was mobile almost immediately, no pain, no hunger, and I haven't thrown up once( i know thats gross lol)

The hardest part i thought was going to be actually waking up from surgery as I had diabetes type 2, heart issues, high blood pressure the works....it was a breeze, it's more the emotional issues which I thought I was strong enough to handle that I obviously wasn't and didn't relise how much food actually consumed my life as well as my emotions.

Now when I am mad I still go to the fridge open the door then slam it really hard shut lol, probably sulk for a few minutes or have a good cry and over it... but do I regret it or would I change what I did....No way on earth...best thing I ever did for myself.

Hi Elisa469,

I had Dr Taylor do my surgery too - he's just wonderful, as are his whole team.

I would have to say the sleeve is about a million times easier to live with than the lapband for me (I've had both). I had the sleeve surgery six weeks ago tomorrow and have lost 9kg since surgery and feel absolutely fantastic most of the time. I am no longer obsessed with food at all.

The band requires a huge amount of maintainence in my opinion. Lots of fills, unfills, etc and I was very worried about the presence of a foreign object in my body over the long haul.

I also love to travel (in Australia and overseas again hopefully once my little ones get a bit older!) and I have heard some ABSOLUTE horror stories about stuff going wrong with the band and not being able to get the correct medical help.

I don't wish to frighten you at all but I think you do need to know that with a band when you are 'overfilled' it is just horrendous - to the point where you cannot swallow your own spit. I got food stuck constantly, threw up all the time, was constantly dashing back to get fluid out of the band and just felt very unhappy alot of the time.

The sleeved life compared to that????? A total bloody breeze! I can eat absolutely anything at all and nothing gets stuck or caught. I cannot recommend it highly enough as the choice WLS to have.

Just PM me if you wish to know anything else, take care and good luck,

xxHuggyBear

Hi ,
yes the surgery is key hole and yes the recovery is longer and yes its a more major surgery.
Thats a lot to think about, but for me, helping me make my decision was that there is no after care, well on the drs part for the sleeve, its kinda do it and then forget it, no need for fills and adjustments, this is because i now live in the counrty and its a 7 hour car drive to get to the clinic, and there is also no foreign object in my body.But hey if i was closer tot he oclinic i would be in there every week at those support groups, and probably would have ended up with the band....But its a hard decision to make.....And yes there are dangers, there was a lady in our monthly group (april) who has only just gotten ot of hospital due to a leak in her stomach, and yes she nearly died, but the % is quite low for leaks im sure craig explianed all that...every op has its dangers...
good luck

Hello Girls,
Thanks for getting back to me so soon.
My daughter and i had our visit with Dr Taylor this afternoon and it went well.
My daughter came out postive and eager to get the op done.
Doc has an opening to do us both on 17th August.
I need to decide whether to go for the band or the sleeve, not yet convinced.
I like the conscept of the sleeve for me but just worrried about the recovery time and most importantly the dangers involved.
I forgot to ask the Doc whether its still key hole surgery with this procedure, I assume yes.
Since you girls have just gone through this, can you please tell me what made you decide on the sleeve over the band.
I am looking at the long term . I don't wont to think about a future surgery as the life span is approx 20 yrs.
I need to make a quick decision but dont wont to make the wrong one.
Your thoughts appreciated.

hello and welcome elisa,
I cannot tell you that answer because i had the sleeve which had d two recovery peroid, and i really think the band is only a week at the most recovery, but saying that everyone is different, i do know that with the band they send you home from hospital next day , and with the sleeve its 3 days, so its a mucher quicker recovery.
and Dr taylor is great!

Hi Elisa,

I can say with my whole heart, Dr Taylor and the clinic are a wonderful team of people and you are in the best hands.

Can't give any advise re: the band, I had my sleeve on 1st July 2010, I had planned to go back to work a week after the surgery but have decided to take an extra week off, get so tired and my body is still trying to heal, I would think your daughter being young would be able to rest at home and do a little study after the op, again not sure if the band and the sleeve is the same recovery time as the band you aren't removing any part of your stomach just attaching something on. Its definately a question to ask Dr Taylor on Tuesday, he will be able to give you a guide as to how much recovery is required,

Best of luck

Hello Everyone,
I and my daughter have our first appt with Dr Taylor on Tuesday, we cant wait.
To those who have had the Band done, how long does it take from the day of op to feel 100% ?
My daughter is doing her HSC this year and is considering getting the op done asap.
Does anyone recommend this,? or will it be too much of a disruption. She has a few weeks off after her trials which she believes would be the right time for the op.
Feedback appreciated
Ps we both suffer from Insulin resistance and my daughter has PCOS

woohooo...even the men hey!!!

Your going great bingo!!!

Hi Everyone

Been a few weeks since I was on but everything going well down to 93 kilos since surgery...and am ready to rumble for the DOC lol

I think everyone has a thing for him, including the males LMAO!

"YES!!!

HAHAHA you ladies are hilarious... I've just had a very good chuckle at us all !!!! LOL

I saw Dr Taylor yesterday.... Jealous girls!!!

LOL

Why thankyou Red, beautiful is not something I have felt in a very very long time....but its nice to hear it!

col that means i get the bets!!hahahaha
and real me, youve been hiding that beautiful face!! maybe you have a better chance than me..

Sorry Huggy your still recovering from surgery so my money's on Red for the rumble hahahah

yahh huggy glad your nearly over it soo quick.. see all that worry and voila', all done, great work and Iam ready to rumble !

Looks like theres gonna be a rumble for the Dr!!! LOL

Huggy Bear.. I am so glad to here all went well and is still going well for you.

Oi! Red!

I'll arm wrestle you for him, hey?!?!

It's Day 7 for me and it has been a dream run, lost 5.1kg since the operation and barely ANY pain at all, and drinking easily and everything.

When I see him next week for my 2 week checkup I'm gonna actually ask him - did you really do anything when you were in there????? LOL

I can't believe I was so worried about all this - it has been a dream run so far and I can't wait to introduce some mushy stuff in another week - getting mighty sick of the fluids!

xxHuggyBear

NO YOU CANT HES MINE!!! LOL

Oh my god thank you Huggy Bear. I guess i was just scared to get excited.... I can't wait for 1st July.

By the way... I thnk I have a slight crush on him too

Hi Kylie,

I'd treat your date is booked. Once he whips his diary out and scribbles in your name - well, you are there!

I guess if something untoward turned up after your blood tests this might change but with the psych appointment and the dietician, they are more about just making sure you are mentally ready, which Craig obviously thinks you are or he wouldn't have booked you in.

A nurse told me in the San Hospital (who I suspected had a wee bit of a crush on Dr Taylor) that he is a wonderful but strict surgeon, who turns down a few patients a week for either the band or the sleeve who he doesn't think are ready for or understand the whole process enough.

So, get yourself pysched up for 1st July!

xxHuggy

Thanks to Mel and Shaz for your well wishes, it seems like so far away but I can't wait to be at my goal weight and looking back and saying WOW what an amazing experience now no looking back to my former "fat" self!!!!

I do have a question though.

With Dr Taylor I have booked my surgery for the 1st July, on the same day as I saw Dr Taylor he took bloods and I booked in to see the dietitian and Shrink (sorry you know who I mean... I'm a terrible speller!!! LOL), so does that mean my date is only tentative until all blood tests come back and the other 2 appointments are confirmed all ok???

I guess I should have asked this question at the Oclinic but I was just so excited to me booking my surgery and see Dr Taylor and all the excitement Friday bought.