Irene B

Simply Inspirational

Thanks Sosewsue61 Thank you for your words. Its not far away for you to be sleeved now. We are virtually the same BMI. I am almost 4 inches taller, but considerably heavier. I will be follow your journey. You musn't be too far away from starting your pre-op diet. Good luck with it all.

Hi All I was originally banded in 2009 in Rockhampton, Qld. We moved interstate not long after so I had to find a new Doctor to look after me. I was struggling with actually swallowing, even water at times. In the end I was eating more mushy things to help get things down and it just made me miserable. In the end I had it removed in 2014 and felt instant relief, no more constipation from lake of enough fibre, no more swallowing issues. In the end I was actually loosing weight (who would have known). Two months after the band being removed we were on holidays in Tassie and were hiking whe n I seriously damaged my knee. It took 2 1/2 years to get better so in that time I stacked the weight back on and I am now back to my pre banding weight. I didn't intend to have further surgery, but only a month ago I realised that I was too young (52) to stop the hiking that I love and I was sick of being sore all of the time whenever I did too much physical work. In the end I talked with my husband and he is totally on board, thankfully. I visited my GP yesterday and he gave me a referral to a surgeon. I rang them yesterday and spoke with the nurse and I felt that she was giving me a bit of a hard time as I had previously had the band done and she told me that I had to bring my husband with me as the risks were much much higher because of my previous banding. Anyway I have had to supply them with my Op Reports from both of my surgeries and then they will give me a date to see the Surgeon. I am hoping that I can have the surgery in February, so that my husband can have some time off work and I won't be babysitting my Grandson as my daughter will be home with a new baby. Would love to have the surgery now but just have to be patient. It will give me time to get my body ready and to get a bit more fitness as well. Excited but nervous

I live in Australia and I had my band in 2009. No problems, our health fund paid for it. In 2014 I finally wanted it removed but between 2009 and 2014 our health fund stopped approval for banding (which also included removals). When I first had a date for removal with my surgeon I then went to my health fund and they approved it and three days before surgery the hospital rang to say that the health fund weren't approving the removal. I explained to the hospital administration that the health fund had paid for the original banding and as such I thought they should pay for it's removal. I did speak with the health fund but they just kept saying they would get back to me, but of course they didn't bother. In the end it was the hospital that got it over the line and my surgery went on as intended. It was such a relief to have it out. I changed health funds straight away after my surgery, I was disgusted with how I was dealt with. I'm hoping to be sleeved early next year.