Hey Libby,

The 15th September is so close now. I'm getting excited for you :)
And what a great gift for your wedding anniversary! Still I *would* party the weekend before as well - I think it's a great idea ;)
I wish you all the luck in the world Libby, but you really won't need it.

Hi Debs,
My sleeve operation is booked for Tuesday the 15th of September and I can hardly wait. I just want the day to be here so I can start my weight loss journey like all the other amazing people on this site. Unfortunately it is also my 2nd wedding anniversary on the same day. We will just have to celebrate the weekend before.

Libby

Good lord Libby!

Jeez there's always someone isn't there? The mind boggles. The anti-fat brigade are everywhere. Waggling there useless tongues and teaching us lazy miscreants a lesson. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. And they always seem to strike at the worst possible moment don't they? What an awful thing to do to you when you were about to undergo surgery!

Yes I think you should have complained. Seriously. It's people like that who bring down the good work of others. A good hospital experience weighs so heavily on the people you come into contact with and there are good people out there trying really hard.

I'm so very sorry you had that awful experience :( And I agee with Soontobethin. LOL! Could you imagine her face if you had just turned to her and told her to get stuffed? I may have paid serious dollars to see that ;)

Where are you going for the sleeve operation (if you don't mind me asking?)

Hi Libby,
read your post and thought........

what a shame she hasnt had anyone in her mouth cutting bits of her tongue out!

Some people are just NOT people, people.

Hi Debs,

I was just reading what you said about the support staff at the hospital, including the nurses. I have to tell you something that really upset me.

I had my lapband removed in February (being sleeved in September) and when I was on my way to theatre the nurse (about a size 8) asked me why I was having my band taken out. So I told her it wasn't working for me and that I was going to have the gastric sleeve operation. Her response to that was 'OMG why would you want someone cutting your stomach. You'd be better off doing more exersize and watching what you ate'.

Can you beleive it. Luckily I am not going back to that hospital. I should have made a formal complaint about her coz she did upset me at the time.

I hope I get some more supportive staff at the hospital where I am having the surgery.

Libby

Hey Jotane :)

Jeez I think I would have fled the scene if someone was mucking up next door to me! It was so hard just waiting...
The nurses were truly amazing weren't they?

Thanks heaps for the congrats :)

Hey Lisab,

You know the other day a really good friend in Seattle literally made me send her a picture of myself. I'm still so very squeemish about the whole picture thing. But after it was taken and I had a chance to look at it, I think I realized it was the first time I had really 'seen' myself since the weight loss took off. I'm not unhappy with what I saw :) (yep I am still so very hyper critical with myself appearance wise...sigh...) Some habits are hard to break...

You will be a star I can feel it in my bones :) And I can't wait to see the pictures either :)

hi deb and welcome...and congrats on your weightloss so far. i also had my surgery at st george priv and thought the nurses were wonderful....and even though they had a very difficult pt (next to me)..they remained very patient..i think i would have lost it with her!!!!

Thanks Debs,
I just hope my weight loss will be as successful as yours is, you must be feeling and looking great.
Lisab

Hi Lisab

Thanks for popping by and saying hi :)

I really hated having made my decision to move forward on the surgery only to discover the iron and vit D deficiencies. I went through a lot of misery because I thought I was the only one having these problems. Little did I know that so many women face these common issues on the road to getting the surgery. Still I consider myself extremely lucky to have avoided the iron infusions, and your experience does sound horribly depressing :( not to mention the pain aspects... 8 hours? I so don't do waiting very well either.

You know, in the beginning I was fearful of the first doctor's consultation because I was absolutely certain I was going to get bounced for not being heavy enough. So when I was told about the other issues a couple of visits on, I was just stunned. I sat in the car park and cried my heart out. I got very down as the months rolled on while they insisted on testing every single part of me (including poking things in places I didn't really want to think about) I remember saying some rather unfortunate things to the Doc's secretary during one visit. My bad.

I'm so sorry to hear about your fibromyalgia and the auto immune conditions. I know these conditions must really complicate things for you but it's so good to hear your doc seems to have a plan to help you move forward. I like 'good guy' doctors. All I can at this point is to stay focused and keep thinking about November. I'm sure you will be so happy once it's done. I have all my bits crossed for you :)

Hi Max :)

Thanks for dropping me the welcome post. Menai eh? You really are just around the corner then. I have a very close friend at Alfords Point so I'm often about the place.

St George private is wonderful! I think I'm becoming a bit of a hospital groupie if there is such an animal. I've had multiple great experiences there (apart from being cut about and the like ;) I was even moved to send them a letter congratulating them on the great service they give. The Day of Surgery Centre is a wonder to behold. So much nicer to experience that compared to being shut up in a ward waiting for them to come get you for the operation.

21 kgs is fabulous! I still can't believe I've dropped all this weight and I'm not suffering like I would have in the old dieting days. And the posts are addictive I have to say. But I'm still getting used to it all and rush about trying to make sure I haven't missed anything LOL!

Hey Deb

Thanks heaps for the lovely welcome :) I'm afraid I'm a bit of a blabbermouth so I think you'll be hearing more from me than you might actually want LOL!

Seriously though, I am very, very pleased to find this great forum. It's active and people really seem to be serious about helping other people so I'm in hogs heaven. Also it helps to know you're not alone.

Hi Debs,
I am not sleeved yet, was supposed to be next week but due to health problems have had to delay it. I too have chronic aneamia and had a hysterectomy last year after having many iron infusions, ( 8 hrs each time on a drip in hospital usually sitting with chemo patients,very depressing), and now I am severly vitamin D defficient and have fibromyalgia and possibly lupus or some other auto immune disease, it is so frustrating having to wait but my doctor is now going to take out my lap band soon and then do the sleeve in November. It is really good to read your success story so keep posting as it helps me see that there is light at the end of this extremely long tunnel and gives me hope ...
Congratulations on your fantastic weight loss and happiness,

Lisab

Hi Debs,

Welcome, I'm a local to you just at Menai. I also went to St George Private. It was a great place to be if you had to be in hospital.
Just wanted to say hi, and congratulations on 25kgs, I'm just a little behind you at 21kg's.

Enjoy the website, it is a bit addictive, my family are over it, but I love getting on here and seeing what everyone is up to and what success or challenges they are experiencing.

Max

Hi Deb,
Congratulations on those 25kg and 4 dress sizes. No wonder you are happy.
I am glad you found us here on the forum and look forward to hearing more from you soon.

Hi Lucy i :)

Thanks for saying hi. It's so nice to see so many recently sleeved people on the board as well as the old hands.
It helps to be able to share your experiences with the newbies and then find out your not going mad from the people who have been there before LOL!. Makes for a bit of piece of mind.

Hi Janey :)

When I had my hysterectomy my doctor told me I had just joined the best decision I ever made club. Boy was he right! I don't miss my periods at all. Not even a little itty bit ;)

I was very lucky to avoid the iron injections but can I just say ...ouch!.... :(
I ended up taking liquid iron supplements which worked well. In the end it was the best choice as the tablets were making me terribly sick.

So thanks for saying hi I really appreciate it. I'm looking forward to getting to know as many peeps as possible and learning quite a bit while I'm here.

Hi allieswans!

Oooo Doctor Loi :) I reckon you're on a good thing there. I've heard nothing but positive things about Doctor Loi.

Having the operation at St George Private was really wonderful. All Dr J's support staff were marvellous and so many of the nursing staffed there have been sleeved. Better still the lovely nurses are more than happy to have a chat with you, tell you about the realities and basically bolster your confidence before you are wheeled off down the hall. I appreciated that more than they will ever know.

Thanks for saying hi :)

Welcome Deb! Looking forward to hearing more about yourself and your journey.

I started my journey on 17th Feb (first consult) and was 118.6kg at that time. Had my op in May.

Lucy i

Welcome aboard Debs.

It's great to have another member join us. You sound like great fun. I too suffered from severe anaemia and had to have a hysterectomy. Best thing I ever did. Being periodless is the best bare none. LOL!!! It a close toss up between that and the sleeve as my favourite surgeries. Still trying to decide. Btw did you end up having to have a course of iron injections? I had 25 in all and still have the bruising on my butt 9 years later.

Keep us updated please and ask away if you have any questions. We're all friends here and you'll fit right in. Take care.

Hugs,

Welcome Debs

I haven't been sleeved yet ( 4 August) and I am being sleeved by Dr Loi ( dr J partner) at St george private.

Look forward to continue hearing about your weight loss

Hey Jillybean,

Thanks for the welcome and for saying hi :) I will certainly keep you all posted on how things go. Looking at the gallery section has really been inspirational. You know, when I was checking out the site the other night my eye went straight to some of your posts because you had your operation on my birthday :) Funny how the brain works LOL!

Hugs
Debs

Hey Sue,

Thanks for the welcome :) Yes I can happily say this operation was the best decision I've ever made (although I nearly cut and ran on the day of the surgery LOL!) But you know, I think because I had to wait soooo long it had made the successes all that much sweeter.

I firmly believe in people's own experiences as the best way to learn and I'm looking forward to picking a few brains here ;)

Hugs
Debs

Hi and welcome to the forum Debs.
Isn't it great to have a tiny tummy. So pleased you are enjoying life after the sleeve.
Yes we are so lucky to have this forum - I know I have found the information on this site so helpful and extra support.
Keep us posted on your progress.
Hugs
Jilly

Hi And Welcome Debs,
You had a while to wait to get your sleeve but isnt it just the best
Sounds like the sleeve has worked wonders for you as well ive been sleeved a year and love it to death

We are lucky to have this forum and such great people on it ive learnt more here than the Docs

Cheers Sue

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to jump in and say hi and introduce myself *waves* I can't tell you how very pleased I am to find this great forum. I signed up a few nights ago but have been trying to get myself used to the way things work before taking the plunge and posting :)

I had my gastric sleeve surgery on the 11th February this year after battling almost two years to get myself accepted. What I didn't know when I went to my first consultation all those years ago was that I had a bunch of health problems that needed to be sorted first - chronic anaemia and a serious vitamin D deficiency to name a few. And there I was going about life thinking I 'only' had a weight problem LOL! So I had a hysterectomy last year and tackled my other problems and then finally got myself to the operation. Talk about long range planning.

Since the surgery I've lost 25 kgs and 4 dress sizes (my starting weight was 119 kgs thanks to many pre surgery last suppers). I am so insanely happy with my life right now that I feel guilty about it. I know, go figure! After all this hard work I have the hide to feel guilty about it. I had a marvellous surgeon in Dr Jorgensen at St George Hospital (a man of few words but boy do I listen when he has something to say LOL!) In that time I've had only one bout of vomiting - entirely my own fault I might add. But I can eat almost anything now with the exception of the usual problem foods - fizzy drinks and soft bread.

The thing that fills me with wonder most days is that my food preferences have changed so much since the op. And I'm not just talking about not wanting to eat greasy or sweet things but more my actual tatses have changed. I crave apples and red wine - two foods I really didn't have much time for pre surgery. It's a real hoot to see where I might go next.

Anyway I've rambled on a heap so I'll end this post here. I just want to say that so far the topics here have been incredibly useful and inspiring and I hope to be around this forum for a long time to come.

Hugs
Debs