leelee

hi all! i am an american spouse married to a military member and i am new to the uk. i am wanting to get the vsg done here, and could use any and ALL information. i am thinking that i will go somewhere in london (since that seems to be the closest place to us) to get the surgery done, but i honestly, have no idea where to start! any and all help would be appreciated! :thumbup: lisa

well, i did some research and there are several spire hospitals that are a little over an hour away. with the coversion, i think it will cost about $12,000. a little bit steep, so it's time for me to definately start saving and making some money!

chilo, we are stationed at the RAF base in Lakenheath. I will definately check into the Spire hospitals that is very helpful!

the thing i just realized is that the surgery is not in england. i'm actually wanting to do it some place here. not that i have anything against other countries, but i'd like to be closer to home. it makes it frustrating that i don't know the area yet.

i have no advice, but i am also looking into cosmetic bliss. so please share when he gets back to you :thumbup:

when i google places that do it in the UK, this is the ad that keeps coming up. has anyone gone through them or heard anything? Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (Gastric Sleeve) Bariatric Surgery

awesome; i'm checking out the link now. for those of you who paid yourselves, did you have a payment plan, or did you have to pay the full amount up front?

Hi all, Thanks! one thing i should have clarified. i am an italian citizen and get free health care through them, since we are part of the EU will that transfer over under the NHS system? i don't know if that's a stupid question, but the military (as of right now) does not cover the vsg. it's sort of frustrating because they do cover the gastric band. ugh. i'm hoping that once we get settled i will be able to find out more information. it's all sort of frustrating because i don't really know where to start, and i'm feeling sort of private about this all, you know? if you happen to know any of the answers, that would be cool. so far we are LOVING england! i just started driving, so that's taking some getting used to, but everything is soo pretty here and everyone is quite friendly so far! i'm looking forward to the next 3 or 4 years here :thumbup: where did you guys get sleeved and who was your doctor?

I just called the tricare lady who approves all the surgeries overseas, and she said that at the time, they are not covering the VSG. however, she did say that she had someone else call recently and ask about them, and sent an e:mail up to find out about them (the answer was still not at the time). now i'm just feeling a little bit discouraged, because it's going to be a bit harder to find out information. i know of a hospital where my friend got surgery, so i am going to contact them to find out if they perform (and have done it before) the procedure. Still it's a little discouraging when you are dealing with a language barrier and don't want to put all of your buisness out in the open. does that make sense? i mean, i definatley want to find out the information, but it sure would be a lot easier if i could make the calls myself! *sigh* wish me luck!

so i told two different people today that the vsg is something i'm looking,and the reactions i got were quite interesting. one was very interested and asked lots of questions, and the other just kind of got quiet, and sort of changed the topic. i think the second girl got quiet because she felt uncomfortable talking about it, and i know that she's lost quite a bit of weight recently through diet and excersize. the thing is that i know i could do the same thing, BUT i would just gain it back. i've done the "same" thing over and over. except, i lose 20 pounds and then gain it back and a little bit extra. people who haven't been fat their whole lives don't seem to get it. yes, i know i'm fat. yes, i know i should eat less and excersize more. i have great respect for people who do this on thier own... but what they don't get is that WLS us NOT the easy way out. it's a huge and scary decision. i wouldn't be thinking about this, if i didn't really feel that this was a last resort. i don't know... it just made me feel awkward, and that's partly why i didn't want to tell people. and i know that she won't talk about me, but still... i feel sad that my fat is like the "white elephant" in the room. we all know it's there, but people want to pretend that it's not... how do you guys feel about this? what are your experiences? am i just being paranoid and crazy?

i'm so nervous. i'm waiting for a phone call from my hubby who took my youngest son to get dental surgery... my little guy is 4 1/2. please send good thoughts and prayers his way!

thanks guys! all went well, i even got to talk to him when he got out, and he'll be coming home tomorrow night i can't wait to see them!!

well, our next tour is overseas; so honestly, if i choose to do the surgery, i don't want to wait another four years. plus, honestly, i think that at this point self pay might probably be the best option for me. the only thing that is holding me up at this point is the consult with the surgeon here. if i don't feel comfortable with his answers, i might just wait until we head to england. but, i'll keep you guys updated on whatever i decide.

i got an e:mail back from a doc. of a local hospital here (which is a quite nice one, and i've known people to get surgery there; not this kind, but still, it's reassuring to know that people HAVE gone there!) they do the vertical sleeve! and so now i am waiting to have a consult set up!!!!!! if i could get it here, that would make a HUGE difference in actually getting the sugery. (you know, having four kids just doesn't make it easy to take off whenever!!) so i have a list of questions for my consult, but i want to make sure that i'm not missing anything!!! what do i absolutely HAVE to ask? here's what i have so far: how many have been done? what size bougie? price (obviously)? recovery time, etc? honestly, trying to wrap my brain around this still, so i'm drawing a blank!! please let me know what you asked, or what you wish you would have asked!!! okay. off to work now!! talk to you all in a bit :thumbup:

things i want to do: 1. stop cropping my pictures. seriously, i am the master at hiding my fat in photographs. i love pictures, but man, for once i want to put all of me in the picture! 2. i want to wear a size 7 shoe. since i've gained weight i'm up to an 8 1/2. and it's not because my feet have grown so much. 3. i want to run. it looks so fun. and i just think that it would be amazing to do so without getting winded after 30 seconds of running. 4. i want to play with my kids. normally i'm so dang tired and it just feels like effort to do anything physical. this makes me feel sad and terrible. 5. i want things on me to stop hurting. 100 extra pounds makes for a lot of pain on joints... 6. i want to work out and feel like i accomplish something. it is so frustrating to work out and eat properly for 6 weeks and beyond and then wonder, "why am i doing this?" i need to see results. ugh. and lastly, i won't number this one, because it's not really a number kind of thing. but i want to be who i am. i love myself. WLS has nothing to do with self hate or pity. i accept who i am at 218 pounds and i will regardless of how much weight i lose. i just can't keep living like this, because if i do, i know that i will end up 400 pounds or dead. regardless of how "healthy" i'd like to think i am (no blood pressure problems, great cholesterol, etc) the truth of the matter is that it's just NOT healthy to carry around a hundred extra pounds. i want to see my kids grow up. i want to not think twice about buying clothes. i want other people to see me as i see myself. fat people get stereotyped. i am NOT a stereotype... i love life and just want to continue living it.

you're not horrible. sometimes we just need to remind people of how awesome we are... now that can't be your only reason

okay, TOO FUNNY!! i'm glad i'm not the only person talking about kicking people in the throat and using the C word *lmbo*

perfect!! i can't WAIT for my consult! :sneaky2: making a list and checking it twice... or a million times

has anyone been sleeved in turkey?

Weight Loss Surgery Bariatrics - Sleeve Gastrectomy i found this web site with info on price quotes if other people are looking to go overseas. i can't vouch for it or anything, but i got a price quote right away and sent an e:mail with all of my questions. i found two hospitals in turkey for sure that do it. i think i'm still going to try to find out if any of the hospital's closer to where i am offere the surgery, but i thought this might be a useful link for other people too :confused1:

hey all, i've been lurking on the board a ton here the last few days! trying to get lots of info so that i can be educated when i go in to talk to my doc. here's a little bit of info. about me. i am 29, 5ft, 218 pounds. i am a military spouse stationed overseas (currently in turkey, soon heading to england) mother of 4 kiddos (ages 13, 8, 4 1/2, and 2 1/2) i've been heavy pretty much my whole life, with a few thin months in between! here's a few questions floating around my brain: 1. how is the surgery pain comparable to a c-section (if any of you have had the experience)? 2. how soon after can you excersize (more than just walking, like weight training, cardio, etc)? 3. for those of you who paid out of pocket, about how much did you pay? (if that's not too personal to ask) i know that i had some more, but this is all i can think of right now, thanks in advance for the info. i'm really greatful that i found out about this, because i was seriously considering the band! also, any extra info or tips that you want to share would be awesome.

40 minutes?? wow, that's quick! i did a little bit of research and found two places in turkey that do them. the prices are between $8300 and $8600. so i e:mailed both places and asked some of the questions that i've seen on here. also, i'm still looking into a hospital that's closer (the other two are about an hours flight away) but then i'm dealing with having to find someone to watch my kiddos, and things like that. sooooo... that's where i'm at. i did call tricare to see if they cover it, but they don't. and they don't offer the surgery at the hospital on base here or in england as far as i can tell. again though, that's still something i'm in the process of researching. *whew* all this research is making me nervous *lol*

another question i just thought of. about how long does the surgery take? it's great to hear that about the pain level. that makes me nervous, but honestly, i healed very quickly from my csection, so hopefully if i'm able to get the surgery, i'll follow suit. i just get nervous in general, and the only time i've ever been put to sleep for a surgery was the first time i had a csection (13 years ago), the second time (2 1/2 years ago) i was awake.

well, i think i found two hospitals here in turkey that specialize in bariatric surgery, and they specifically have the vertical sleeve listed as one of the surgeries they perform, so i am waiting on some information on that. i'll look into the price first, and then see if i even want to ask questions. i'll let you guys know once i find out more.