well where are the kiwi's?

First topic message reminder :

I thought, cool a sight for kiwis but there is nothing here. Am I the only one?

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 :)

Hi everyone,

I'm originally from NZ but have been living in Brisbane for 5 years. Just had my sleeve done 6 weeks ago and love it! I just wish I had of know this was an option earlier. Good luck on your personal journeys.

Thanks Sarah!

Any answer was nice to have from someone here in NZ. I am off to the U.S. for a couple of months, laptop and Slimfast in hand. I will be stopping by here and on my email while I am away. I am supposed to have the 1st of my 2 surgeries a few weeks after I get back to NZ in early August. I am also surfing other sites that are mainly U.S. sites to find some "simpatico" to communicate with. Maybe will have the sleeve surgery done in September. I'm not sure how long I need to recover from the hernia repair, which my surgeon wants to do first. The hernia repair is what pushed me to pursue Bariatric surgery in the first place. Anyway. I keep looking and keep posting here. Thanks for the reply. Take care of yourself as well.

Karen

Hi Saltmistrose

Sorry I'm down south but I just wanted to acknowldge your post and to wish you all the very best. I hope you have had a good look around this site and found some useful information.

Cheers

Sarah

Hi!

I am a newcomer to this world of gastric sleeve surgery. I started out looking to have repair done for a hernia that I developed following gallbladder and gallstone removal surgery. With the stats about how difficult it would be to successfully fix my hernia, I started to research the idea of bariatric surgery to better my chances at repairing the hernia. After quite bit of research and soul searching, I decided that now is the hour to aggressively deal with my never ending weight problem(s). I am 56 years old without diabetes and with a good blood pressure. I figured that without a major intervention, I might not be able to undergo surgery without the complications of bad BP and diabetes (diabetes is both sides of my family gene pool). I do have other complications like depressive illness, non-NZ citizenship (not to mention too old for under public subsidized surgery scheme), and long term unemployment. After numerous appointments to discuss this with several surgeons and their staff, I am looking at gastric sleeve surgery, sometime maybe in Sept. of 2012. I had to work on a massive life change plan, and implement it, and present myself to the surgeon, for his final consideration of whether he would be willing to operate on me. This week, I finally got the green light. However, I am going home to the U.S. for a couple of months, and it looks like I will have my hernia repaired 1st before recovering enough to proceed with the the gastric sleeve procedure. I have lost over 12kgs (25 lbs. in my world), gotten hooked up with a MH counselor, bought and use a cross-trainer 5X weekly for 25 mins., started a new anti-depressant regime, and am desperately trying to get my disordered sleep in order.

I very much would like to hook up with someone else that has "been there" and back. Any takers?

Saltmistrose of Waiheke Island

I'm interested, Munderwood.

Happy New Year to everyone! For those in Auckland there is a gastric sleeve support meeting end of Feb. If anyone is interested let me know and I'll get exact dates.

hello Auckland sleevers. I used Richard Babor who is Dr Beban's colleague. I know you are well and truly sleeved now and don't need any advice on surgeons anymore. On another matter, do any of you lovely Auckland sleevers meet up for coffee or anythinG??

floaty (alex)

Hi Silky! I'm another Kiwi. I'm not familiar with Mr Baben. My surgeon was Richard Babor.
Optifast is dullsville - so I hope the next couple of weeks go fast for you. I started off intending on just having the shakes as it worked out cheaper. It was so boring, so I mixed it up with the cereal bars and deserts.

Good luck .

Thanks Munderwood. Wow I look at your ticker, well done you, you are an inspiration! Nice to see someone of a similar age, with a similar amount to loose doing so very well. Good to hear a similar opinion of opti as well! :) Although, I adapted the vege soup yesterday with the vege's to make two meals of a nice tomato soup, that even my hubby said looked 'not bad' :)

Its funny, the Ausies all seem to have the same Drs on this forum, but I have not found ANYONE yet who has had my surgeon Grant Beban! My GP recommended him though, and she is always spot on with her recommendations, so I am trusting to that, and the fact that he seemed very competent as well as nice and caring.

Ah well, off to adapt another opti vege soup!

Good luck with your op Silkie. My op was done by Dr Jon Morrow. The hardest part of this journey I found was the optifast:-)

Hello all fellow kiwi's.

I am booked to be sleeved on Thursday the 29th of September with Mr Grant Beban in Auckland. Has anyone else been sleeved by him?

Just have to do three weeks of optifast, 1 week and 2 days down, and boy it feels longer! However, I have lost 12 lbs since my first appointment with Grant about 6 weeks ago, and I am really proud of myself for sticking at it when it is soooooo hard.

Anyways, just wanted to say kia ora to the rest of the kiwis on here.

Hi,yes I am having my sleeve done at Royston Hospital.Southern Cross have approved $7500 thank God.

Will be a big help to the $18k quoted.

Hi, Back in the forum after months... snowed in books and work.

Am from West Auckland and working towards my goal.

Keen to meet up with the group.

Yup i am looking at 18-20k but Southern Cross have agreed to stump up 6k as an offer towards it :) and the surgeon didnt have to jump through hoops to get them to agree either!

They do it at Royston Hospital in Hastings and it cost me about $17K in August last year - of course with the GST rise it will be more than that now. The surgeon did say that it was quite hard to get Southern X to pay anything toward it but there is a lady on here (skinnygreyhound) who has had very recent success in that regards.

Hope that helps.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/4681515/SC-weight-loss-ops-doubled
Deep South then it will be Dunedin or Chch. Dunedin does do state funding operations via http://www.mercyhospital.org.nz/specialists/prof-andre-m-van-rij. Gp and Diabeties assn are good help there. That is for Open RNY. Chch has just done a batch of state funded bands via SOS clinic. http://www.southernobesitysurgery.co.nz/public-funded-obesity-surgery/
Paid she is looking at about $18k in AK and about $24k in Chch for a sleeve (less for band). Cheapest in NZ is band and at her age that may be the recommended option. If I can help more please ask. Most kiwis are paid sadly. Nova Medical finance may be able to help there http://www.novamedical.co.nz/
.

I am a kiwi from the deep south but have been in Perth for 2 1/2 years...still think of going home for good. I need a hand with a couple of things from the Kiwi's who have been sleeved in NZ. I have a friend who needs to get the ball rolling for her 22 yr old daughter who is in the dangerously obese range at 5ft and around 160kgs. Being so far south and not with a doctor who is looking into this as a serious option...you know the kind of advice..........just eat better, exercise, will power! So I need to get up to date with what is availiable in NZ and costs, Dr's, waiting time and of course recommendations as to how, who and where. My DR here is great but no help for living in NZ. So thanks in advance and if you are lurking on here with the help I need just PM me or reply on here. Alexina

Hi Everyone..Great to meet you all. Would love to meet for a coffee but too tempting lol. day 3 has passed and I'm suprised at how easy it is..I'm being realistic here, my work colleque was sitting beside me today eating McDonalds, The smell was driving me mental but I am being creative with my 2cups of veggies a day.

I can't wait to get this done, I will definatly be lurking around the next few weeks.

Umm, I think we might all live in Australia?

Hi I'm a Sydney Sleever but am currently in Auckland for work (well until 2 June anyway).

Just wondering if any is interested in meeting up for a coffee either this Saturday or one night next week. I'm staying in the CBD in Queen St.

Cheers
Gail

nope! you are not alone!!! ther are a few in north and south island! and the aussies arent that bad!!

Hi Munderwood: All the best on your journey, I am Auckland based as well and love my sleeve.

Optifast can be a real pain at this stage, post surgery it can be your friend.

I am 18 months down the track now and still have optifast from time to time as a breakfast supplement.

Quite tasty once you get use to it.

All the best...

hi munderwood :)

Welcome! I'm from chch and was sleeved Oct last year so not a newbie, but still have a wee way to go with the weight loss.

Good luck with your journey, keep poking around this site - it has so much great information and people who can offer support and advice.

Isis

Am new on here, so haven't found my way around the tickers etc. I wish I had have seen this site last year when I was on the waiting list. It feels like my journey is just about to begin.
I am on day 2 of optifast. Feel like I could eat my arm but am staying strong. Got to shrink this liver.

I am booked in for a sleeve 15th June at the Superclinic, Manukau. Am nervous but excited...

I live in Waiuku, South Auckland. Love to see if there are other newbies out there too?

Good luck Wendy.

Hunger was my issue. Please be aware that for most this will fix with sleeve surgery but there is still a chance it might not. Mine did not although it is hugely better (something small will fix it now which is good). But I can still eat a meal and have zero feedback saying you are full don't eat more.

My sleeve has been a success but you do need to undertake the surgery understanding there is a good chance you will have to continue to work hard post of to make goal. I am now at a stage I can easily overeat if I do not remain vigilant.