Newbie with lots of questions.

Hi Kylie

Well I hope your not too anxious, keep that blood pressure down! lol..

thanks for support, I am impatient too and i have to wait till February!..argh

but getting all my forms for APRA etc sorted so that i can not have to bite into savings too hard.

How you going?

Faith x

Hi Faith. Welcome to the forum!

Thanks Melinda, I am swinging from excited to petrified at hourly intervals! I can't wait to get this over with already...I am not a very patient person and the wait is drivng me crazy. Nevermind, only a few days to go now and I will be on the other side. Will try and post in my diary as often as I can once I get home from hospital. Cross your fingers for me!

hi Kylie

Good luck with your sleeve.

I am going to Dr K Dolan too, and yes his manner is very abrupt but my GP said he was one of the best for this procedure.

I am going to have the sleeve done, my bmi is like 55 so i really need the surgery.

My follow up appt is in 2 weeks, so will book in for Feb 2012.

I need to wait for Private health to kick in.

I will watch with keen interest as to how you go :)

Hey Kylie-its getting closer to your sleeve date. How are you feeling?

Thankyou, Sunnie. I seem to have calmed down a bit now but no doubt that will change over the next 2 weeks as my op draws closer. My mind is just racing with so many new questions and scenarios. Will it go well? How quickly will the weight come off? What will I drink? How much pain will I be in? Ectetera...I have to cease all of my RA meds now prior to the precedure and for a few weeks afterwards so becoming increasingly wary about my joint pain levels and whether I can cope. BUT - I am a tough cookie, so it should be all good. At least that's what I keep telling myself!

Hi Kylie I was sleeved by Jon Arsmtrong in may he is a lovely man and a brilliant surgeon with an excellent track record you are in very good hands My starting weight was 99.8 and Jon had no problems with doing my surgery. it is honestly the best thing I have ever done.



Good luck with it all





Sunnie x

I also hate walking in front of people so I got myself a treadmill - use it while watching TV. But you have to invest at least $2000 as the crappy ones aren't worth the effort.

Kylie - if the doctor won't operate - just try another one, and another one until you find the best. Don't just accept the first candidate as it's a big op.

Unfortunatly you see some 'horror' stories on this site from time to time - it's important to keep in mind that some doctors aren't as skilled as are others. If unsure - it's your intuition saying "no!". Try someone else.

I would definitely do it again if I had the choice - but only with Dr Talbot in Sydney!

Best of luck.

Glad your appt went well. I got the result I wanted but now have a case of the "OMG, What have I done"s!

People are cruel. The kind of person who abused you is the same type of person that laughs at disabled people and wont stand up for an old lady on the bus! Pigs, really. I say just plug in your I-Pod and crank up the music - then you wont hear them...

Thanks for your support. I really appreciate it.

Hey kylie

I had my appointment yesturday. It went really well. My BMI is actually only 32.6 but ive been up around 38 for quite a while. My Dr basically went through the procedure and what to expect. He than answered all my questions. He than went through my health hx. He said I was a canidate because I have Fibromyalgia and currently cant exercise because of being overweight. I also suffer severe depression and a 'little' emotional. 6 months ago I tried going for a walk with my overweight dog and was abused by a passerby. Since than Im too afraid to do anything. So the Dr was really excited to be able to help me.

I know you have your appt today so all the best!

Thanks again for all the comments, guys. It's a big help. I cant think of anything else at the moment, except getting this done. My husband is very supportive but says I shouldnt get my hopes up in case the doctor says no. I know he is right but it doesnt stop me from wanting it done RIGHT THIS MINUTE!!! Mind you, my husband weighs 62kg wringing wet, so as much as he wants to understand where I"m coming from, it's not easy for someone who has never had a weight problem...

Kylie

Hi Kylie,

I have a lap-band and Dolan did mine at Joondalup hospital (private). Although I am getting it removed next week with Dr Alan Thomas. From what I've been told Dolan doesn't do very many sleeves, he chooses to do the lap-bands instead...

Sorry I can't really help you a lot, for I haven't been sleeved yet. But best of luck with your journey!

Emma

Hi Kylie, welcome to the forum!

Q1 - Yes you are big enough. A friend of mine was sleeved and weighed a lot less than that. (I mean that in the nicest way possible)
Q2 - I was sleeved in Bunbury, sorry. But my surgeon is relatively cheap compared to others, and I would definately recommend him.
Q3 - I haven't been sleeved long enough to answer that yet.

Good luck with it all! :)

Hi Kylie,
I didnt get my band from DR Dolan but my sister and my Dad both did as well as my best friend sister and Mum. I had heard about his manner before but like my Sister and friend both said your not going there to make a friend!
My Sister has had great results from her band and my dad has had limited results. They were both happy with his 'service'.
I have had the band by another Dr and although I have lost weight there have been difficulties and Iam now very seriously thinking I am going to take my band out and have the sleeve done. I have heard great things about DR Alan Thomas in Perth. I have been on a couple of other forums and it all seems positive so far.
Everyones body is differant and sometime I think just because the band didnt work for some people they blame the DR. However I have seen great results from some people I know and not so great ones from others even when they have used the same DR.
Good luck with whom ever you choose
Kristy

Thanks for the replies. It is comforting to know that the BMI is not the only criteria. As for the RA, I figure, as does my rheumatologist, that any weight loss would help reduce the stress on my hips etc. Obviously it wont help my fingers and wrists...but if I do get some relief then that's a bonus. Having read some of the comments re Dr Dolan, I was a bit worried that he does more bands than sleeves. Some of the comments re his manner were also a worry. I rang Dr Jon Armstrongs rooms and his receptionist was lovely. I have made an appt to see him in early Oct. Luckily they will accept my current referral. Any further thoughts on Dr Armstrong?

Hi Kylie

I am still waiting for my sleeve - 12 Oct. But just wanted to add that my BMI is slightly over 35 and my surgeon is happy to perform the op - I guess it's still obesity. He seemed to look predominantly at my family history of heart disease, diabetes. Like Janette said it depends on the surgeon.

Having a sleeve makes no difference to RA as it is a systemic autoimmune disease, but it does help in the case of osteoarthritis.

Hi Kylie and welcome.

Yes to question one. BMI isn't always used alone for surgery.
But of course this all depends on the surgeon.

Question two, sorry was sleeved in NSW.

Question three, hell yes, would do it all over again.
Its the best decision I have ever made, after being morbidly obese for 40 years (all my adult life).
I did it for medical reasons, and am now fit and healthy.

I love my sleeve, life is very normal now.

Good luck with your decision making and journey.

Hi everyone, my name is Kylie and I am soon to see Dr Kevin Dolan in Perth. I really want the gastric sleeve. I have battled with my weight forever and I can't take it anymore. In 1996, I went from 108kgs down to 52kg in 15 months by going to EasySlim meetings and exercising like a lunatic. 15 years and one child later, I am now almost back up to 100kg. And disgusted with myself. In 2005 I was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis which limits the amount of exercise I can do. My BMI is around 36 /37. My first question is "Am I big enough?" Some people have told me I dont fit the criteria based on BMI alone, but with the RA I may be able to get it done... Question 2 - Has anyone had the sleeve done by Dr Dolan? Is he good? and Question 3 - If you could do it all again, would you still have the surgery? I'm after as much info as I can get, so anything you can tell me will be much appreciated.