Hello Everyone,

Greetings to all from Ireland.

I just couldn't resist being the first poster from Ireland!

I am currently researching weight loss surgery and came across this webpage.

I was initially attracted to gastric banding but from reading this and other forums I am now much more interested in getting sleeved.

I am at a very early stage of this journey and may not go down this path at all.

I am a 55 years old female with approx 75 lbs to lose, I have a BMI of 35 and some problems with osteoarthritis and a fairly bad family history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and stroke. To date I don't have any of these problems apart from high cholesterol.

I think I am just borderline eligible under the strict international guidelines and best practice recommendations.

I am in the process of arranging my multidisciplinary assessment and will keep you all informed of my progress with them.

Looking forward to hearing from anyone else who can relate to my predicament and particular circumstances.

I am open to all comments- not just the ones I want to hear! Now is the time for me to discern what is best for me.

Regards,

Bookleen

Hello and welcome, we are glad to have you join us here! Wow, Ireland, I do believe you are our first, as you said.

Welcome! I was considered a lightweight since my BMI was 33, but was considered eligible due to my family history of morbid obesity. I am 7 weeks out, but I firmly believe this has added years to my life!

Hi and welcome Bookleen. I'm so jealous that you're in Ireland. That is where my husband and I are planning on traveling for our 5 or 10 yr anniversary.

Even if you don't choose the sleeve, we'll be here to support you. Best wishes in your research. I've had the band, and now have revised to the sleeve 9 months ago. Best thing I ever did for myself.

Welcome, I am in your category, and had the same BMI along with some of the same physical issues you mentioned. Since my VSG, 6 months ago, I can actually bend at the knee and have lost 70lbs. I'd like to drop another 20 but my caloric intake has increased to a little over 1000 calories a day and I have not been exercising much. That should change now that spring is emerging. It took me a while to get used to not having food as my best buddy, and I am still getting used to the restrictions. I'm feeling more and more like a normal person, only I'm no longer a heavy weight and I eat smaller portions than I otherwise would find acceptable. But I am coming along and slowly realizing that I may have really done somethng good for my health by having this procedure. I initially was contemplating the Lapband but I came to the conclusion that I personally would have had a nervous breakdown knowing that such a contraption was implanted inside of me and the only way to get it out would be to have it surgically removed. This message board is excellent; I'm glad you found it. I hope you are able to sort things out. Best wishes.

hi brookleen... welcome. i am also in the planning and hoping phase. i have a low bmi of 31.8 and have searched out a doctor that recently did my mom's sleeve. he states i do not qualify and would not do the surgery even with self pay... anyway i am looking at going to mexico in august. we will see if it happens. the more i read on this forum and see the successes of other i am so excited about getting sleeved. the planning and hoping is thrilling see a light in the dark tunnel of obesity. again welcome and keep us posted on your journey. kelly

Hi Bookleen,

Welcome. I was in Eire a few weeks ago, whistle stop tour of Cork and Dublin. Still have the hangover!!

I had my sleeve done in Czech Republic with Dr Cierny via CosmeticBliss. I give this service an 11/10. They were excellent. I am planning to go back and have the excess skin etc removed by them later this year if funds allow. My op cost just over ?5,000.

I just wish I had been able to do this when I was younger, but there's still some life left in this old dog

Jane

Hello Susan, Mini-Me, Tiffykins, Lan2k, and kbl,

Thank you all for your warm welcome.

Just for the record "Failte" means welcome, and "Slainte" means good health to you all.:thumbup:

Mini-Me .....i see you had a BMI of 33 when you started, I was wondering how much you have lost already?

tiffykins....This is the best thing you ever did for yourself!..that is truly inspirational. Yes, come over here to Ireland and have a holiday of a lifetime. I hope to be slim then so I will be happy to meet up with you and have the energy to show you around.

Lan2k... 70 lbs in 6 months!...just exactly what I dream of, Well Done!

kbl..At a BMI of 31.8 ...I am interested in your journey too.

I really enjoy reading everyone's posts and look forward to keeping in touch, even if I can't manage to log on very often.

Good Wishes to all,

Bookleen

Hello Jane,

Good to hear from you.

I see we are neighbours.

I was thinking of having mine done in Wales. Nothing definate yet.

Congrats on your weight loss. Has this been a difficult mision?

Regards,

Bookleen

Hi Bookleen,

Its been a good year actually, very exciting for me. When you start to see the weight coming off and know you cannot volume eat and muck it up it's great. I made sure I had loads of protein and vitamins, and I bought all my clothes on eBay or charity shops to make it more affordable. You can get some good quality interesting gear that way, I will probably continue buying this way. Being able to walk properly again has been fab, we go for a long trudge on Sundays and then to a pub for a roast dinner, for me this is as much roast beef as I can fit in plus a some yorkshire pudding, and a few pints of bitter. Its all good really. Will be scuba diving in Barbados in a months time, I am really looking forward to that. I had to stop diving because when I was overweight it used to cause me to vomit on the ascent, which can be very dangerous. Oh, and wearing high heels again is such fun!!

Thats enough rambling from me :-)

All the best to you and whatever you decide to do.

Cheers,

Jane

Welcome! I was considered a lightweight since my BMI was 33, but was considered eligible due to my family history of morbid obesity. I am 7 weeks out, but I firmly believe this has added years to my life!

Hello Mini Me,

You must be 8 weeks out now?

How are you getting on?

How much have you lost?

Would love to hear your progress.

Bookleen

Welcome, I am in your category, and had the same BMI along with some of the same physical issues you mentioned. Since my VSG, 6 months ago, I can actually bend at the knee and have lost 70lbs. I'd like to drop another 20 but my caloric intake has increased to a little over 1000 calories a day and I have not been exercising much. That should change now that spring is emerging. It took me a while to get used to not having food as my best buddy, and I am still getting used to the restrictions. I'm feeling more and more like a normal person, only I'm no longer a heavy weight and I eat smaller portions than I otherwise would find acceptable. But I am coming along and slowly realizing that I may have really done somethng good for my health by having this procedure. I initially was contemplating the Lapband but I came to the conclusion that I personally would have had a nervous breakdown knowing that such a contraption was implanted inside of me and the only way to get it out would be to have it surgically removed. This message board is excellent; I'm glad you found it. I hope you are able to sort things out. Best wishes.

Hello Lan2k,

I feel the same as you about having the lapband permanently implanted.

I would be really thrilled to lose 70 lbs!

How do you treat yourself now? I use food as my treat...I will need a new substitute.

Bookleen

hi brookleen... welcome. i am also in the planning and hoping phase. i have a low bmi of 31.8 and have searched out a doctor that recently did my mom's sleeve. he states i do not qualify and would not do the surgery even with self pay... anyway i am looking at going to Mexico in august. we will see if it happens. the more i read on this forum and see the successes of other i am so excited about getting sleeved. the planning and hoping is thrilling see a light in the dark tunnel of obesity. again welcome and keep us posted on your journey. kelly

Hi Kelly,

Have you any further developments on your progress?

I have booked my appointments with the dietician/nutritionist and the psychologist/psyco analyist next week. Apparently their reports will be taken into account by the surgeon in deciding whether or not I am eligible.

This is a wait and see game!

Bookleen

Hi Bookleen,

Welcome. I was in Eire a few weeks ago, whistle stop tour of Cork and Dublin. Still have the hangover!!

I had my sleeve done in Czech Republic with Dr Cierny via CosmeticBliss. I give this service an 11/10. They were excellent. I am planning to go back and have the excess skin etc removed by them later this year if funds allow. My op cost just over ?5,000.

I just wish I had been able to do this when I was younger, but there's still some life left in this old dog

Jane

Hello Jane,

It's me again.

I see you went to the Czech Republic for your surgery.

I put a post in a different section of this board asking where did other Europeans go for their VSG's but never got any replies. I put the question in the section where people were looking for surgeons and hospitals.

I was wondering as to whether there is another website for Europeans?

Perhaps if I look at the UK section of this forum I may learn something.

Can anyone direct me on where I should look please.

Bookleen

Hi Bookleen, I don't know where there are any web sites for us eauros. It all seems to be very US centric, possibly because they are more used to buying health care where as we are more used to socialised medicine. All I can say is I was very happy with my choice. All the Brits i have met via heer have been done via the NHS which i did not consider because I had ?5K and I wanted to get it donewithout having to justify to some unqualified management jobsworth. I was happy with the very comprehensive medical and psychiatric assessment I got the Czech Republic, and they obviously thought I was sane which was nice!!

hi bookleen.... as for me..... my situation is somewhat different then most... i am waiting for time to pass. see i have a new baby coming the end of august. i was not able to carry a pregnancy to term due to non weight related infertility issues so i have a gestational carrier who is pregnant with our child. so i am planning on having surgery the first week in august and then the baby is due to be born about the third week in august. we will induce about 39 weeks gestation if the baby does not come sooner. i am hoping that i will have a couple of weeks to re-coop before our addition. i do have a 6 month old right now so when the time comes i will have an 11 month old and a new baby(we are 2 1/2 weeks away from knowing the sex)... i figure i will be so busy then there will me no time for head hunger or "what was i thinking" and i figure i will already be tired. the other... and real reason i am planning on the timing is so that my recovery from surgery and my maternity time off work will happen at the same time. because i had and am having my children with a surrogate i do not get to use sick time off work for the maternity leave. if i have surgery i will be able to use sick time until i have used it all. so then i can use my vacation time later in the year for a family vacation...... see trying to work the system rules to best benefit me and my family. i will be self pay so i will not have to jump through the hoops for insurance approval. i did talk with my mom's sleeve doctor and he would not do surgery on me for the fact that i was a low bmi..... i think that it is totally crazy. i have been obese my whole life. i remember even as a small child the pediatrician telling me to loose weight. over the years i have lost and regained. now i am at my heaviest and they tell me i need to diet. give me a break i need to loose 70-80 lbs. i have a hard time loosing 10 lbs and then gain back 12. i guess their plan is for people to keep on the diet yo-yo for more years to finally hit the magic scale number that says... WOW you are fat now you qualify... or you have such co-morbidities that you qualify. so with that said i am planning on going to mexicalli with dr aceves. i have contacted the office and talked to monica. i need to fill out my full health history for the doctor. also i need to start renewing my expired passport. so i am still around but the timing is the issue with me. how are things going on your end? i am still so excited at even the hope that this tool is the answer for my life long battle with the bulg. my mom recently had the sleeve.... feb 2. she is doing great. down 40 plus pounds. wearing cloths she has not worn in 3 years. she still has alot more to loose but it seems effortless. she eats such a small amount and is totally satisfied. she can eat anything just in small amounts. she is loving the sleeve and is a big cheerleader for me and i am for her. so that also keeps me excited for the things to come. kelly