Newbie from Swan Valley Perth

Hi Kylie
I finally decided on the sleeve over Xmas & after reading the forum decided the best option for me was to get PHI & wait the 12 months. I took health insurance out on 18th Jan this year & the last couple of months have flown by. I have organised a referal & care plan (thanks to suggestions from other sleevers on here) & have my appointment to see the Surgeon in July. I thought the time would drag by, but it has gone so quickly. It has also given me time to read of other peoples experiences and store the info that will be helpful pre & post surgery which I wouldn't have done if I had it done straight away. I am also trying to re train the way I eat (chewing food so much better) & drink etc sipping water constantly instead of gussling a litre at a time like I have for years. These are just some of the little positives I am trying to use to make my impatient side see the benefits for me in having to wait.
Good luck with your decision
Cheers
Colleen

Hello Everyone,
Im new on this site, but have been reading all your messages for the last 4 days. I had an appoitment today with the Dr who put my band in 07 ( i had it taken out in 08), in regards to other surgery ie sleeve....bpd, well he didnt want to help me out at all, which really upset me. He seemed to be in a bad mood with me for not having gone back after i had the surgery to remove the band. Anyway im over that now. He doesnt like to dothe sleve anyway....... said it was too dangerous!!!!!!!!!! I asked about the BPD and he said he had done them, but was not doing any more due to some problem. I know from other people that he is doing a lady in May and another one whenever. Good luck to him.

Anyway everyhing happens for a reason. I now have decided that i would be interested in having the sleeve done, but as i dont have any health insurance, i know i have to wait. Well today i went a joined HBF, i already had ancillary cover with them so took out hospital cover now.

So Kylie, i know where you are cming from, i would love to do my op 2moro if i could, but i know i have to wait, i dont have super to fall back on and dont have the spare cash around either............so here i go waiting.....lol

I have to decide on a surgeon now and have been looking on the net. I would appreciate any recommendations.

By the way congratulations to all of you who have lost weight.............Fantastic!!!!!!!


KYLIE .........you can wait with me if you like...............lol

Anna

Losing weight is next to impossible for me. Most I have ever lost was 12 kilo's and that was on reductil and took 4 months. I am currently 124kg.
I will get quotes for health insurance tomorrow. I will definitely get it to cover anything happening during surgery.

You see we have never seen losing weight as hard, it was the keeping off bit that always failed. so to us this surgery was about keeping weight off. the optifast was very easy as we knew that weight was gone for good, it was not going to creep back on over time because we would have the sleeve to stop it. We where working towards the sleeve :)
I would avise you to take out health cover straight away tho, just pay it month by month as it is soooo sooooooooo best to have it even if you choose to go ahead with surgery and pay for it. You would not be covered for the surgery if you did it in a months time BUT if anything went wrong with the surgery your health insurance would cover you for that part, and THAT part could set you back in excess of a hundred thousand dollars if you where unlucky enough to get a leak as it is at least a couple of months in ICU. If you self fund and go for surgery stright away just drop your health cover 6 weeks or so after surgery, call it a very very smart insurance policy for less than $100. I think of it as saving somebodies home if things went wrong with no health insurance.

applesauce

Thanks Applesauce. Does sound much more sensible to wait the 12 months when you put it like that. I may just have to be patient.

You only need hospital cover and for a single at that even if you have a family. It should not set you back much more than $700 for the year. You then decide on which surgeon you want, and the gap between your private health insurance and the surgeon will be from ZERO from one surgeon upto $6,000 for the most expensive one. Price tho is NO way at all reflected in the service you get. if you talk to those here who have had the surgeons.
So by waiting 12 months you could do your surgery all up for less than a grand and spend the other 19,000 on a lot of things. the time does fly by. You can use the time to to get yourself healthier and skinnier for surgery to make it safer. both my husband and I did it as public patients when you still could. We started getting ready in July and had our surgery November/Decmeber we did 14/16 weeks of optifast.
it is your money so your choice, I do know how impatient and wanting it now feels like as we all do once we decide to do it but the bottom line is all that money.

applesauce

.....$6 grand tax on $14 grand??????
I think I need to rethink my thinking.
I just don't want to wait 12 months for Private Health to kick in.
In 12 months time I could chicken out and be 40 kilos heavier!
But $20 grand isn't much when I think about not being healthy at retirement age as an obese oldie. I could die of a heart attack the day after I retire!
I am at the point where I won't eat anything in public cos I can't handle the looks that some people give. Maybe I should just stay out in public 24/7 lol.
I would love to be involved in a get together in future.
Just rambling...
Again, thanks for the welcome.

Hi Kylie and welcome to the site.

I accessed my super to pay for surgery with Dr Padovan, who is exxxxxxceeeellent!!!!!! Cost just over $14,000 which included his fee of $4200 (claimable on medicare, although you only get about $600 back), hospital about $8,000, anaesthetist about $1500 (claimable on medicare) plus dietition, psycholost (claimable on medicare) and pathology (also claimable on medicare). You will need to allow for tax on early release of super which cost me about $6,000. So all up I early released $20,000. But that said, absolutely no regrets, best thing I have ever done. I have also taken out private health insurance, so that the old tummy tuck is partly covered down the track if I need it. If you do take out private H, you will be covered for any emergencies if need be within the 12 month wait period.

Hi Kylie, welcome to the site. Good on you for deciding to improve your health and your appearance. Shame you didn't join a couple of days earlier- we had a get together in Henley Brook on Sunday. Would have been just around the corner for you. Will have to sign you up for the next outing :)

Hi Kylie :) Welcome!!

I'm in the Swan Valley area aswell (Aveley).

From what I've read on this site the operation can cost anywhere from $15,000 - $20,000 so private health is a good option as it pays for the hospital fees which is a large portion of the cost. My heath also covers a small portion of the actual surgery, anesthetic fees and what other little bits may be required. I will still end up being around $4,000 out of pocket though.

Quite a few people seem too have drawn on their super, so that may be a good way to go!

Good luck with everything :) My surgeon is Dr Jon Armstrong...top guy! :)

Thank you for the welcome.
I haven't even picked a surgeon yet!
I am going to try accessing my super funds as I really dont want to wait 12 months now I have made my mind up. Also I have this thing about private health insurance. I figure I will pay out nearly $2600 for top cover health over the 12 months I have to wait and then still have about $5000 to pay myself. So to me its worth spending the extra money to not have to wait. Probably save that in food and stuff over the next 12 months anyway. Lol

Unless of course anyone can tell me different. I am open to any suggestions.

and Welcome Kylie,


Do you have a date yet? The Gastric Sleeve is a wonderful weight loss tool best thing ive ever done for myself. Will enjoy reading about your journey

Cheers Sue

Welcome!!

Kylie and welcome onboard.
You've come to just the right place for all things "sleeve".
Feel free to ask any questions and be sure to keep us updated on your progress.
When are you having it done?

Hugs,

Janey

Hi my name is Kylie and I have just decided to have a gastric sleeve done. I never even knew this was available and after hearing of 2 friends disastrous lap banding experiences and the need for supplements for life after bypass I had ruled out surgery altogether.
I am tired of being overweight and if this surgery means a chance at being normal weighted then I am going to do it!!!!!
I have enjoyed reading all the posts so far.