Well here we go. I'm and from Sydney Australia and I have been told GBP my be my only option because of damage to my oesophagus due to GERD. I'm on Nexium 40mg x2 daily, suffer from idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) and am on Diamox, to be honest I went in for a band and then decided on a sleeve, after my surgeon did an exploratory Gastroscopy he found severe inflammation and put me on the Nexium. I am 5'5 (165cm) and weigh 234pds (106.5kg) I have yoyoed with my weight all my life and have been overweight since I was a toddler.

I'm pretty scared, but am running out of options, I am married with two kids 2 and 4, they are my world! I'm hoping I can find support and friendship on this forum so I can share my journey whether it's local or from the US, I know I'm not alone with my story or feelings.

My surgery was moved just waiting on new date. Should be between nov 1st to 8th too much later than that and it would be hard lol. The surgeon goes on holiday mid nov.

That's no good, but you don't have long to wait. Lots of luck.

Yes please! I live on the Gold Coast in Queensland and am contemplating having the Omega Loop surgery later this year.

Hello I live in Brisbane Queensland I had RNY and don't regret it for one second. I don't know about the omega feel free to contact me at renshi42&hotmail.com

I'm on prep diet now of 3 optifast shakes a day and a serving of steamed or boiled non starchy veggies and Palm size meat. Hope all goes well my brother is a pain tho lol keeps bringing tempting foods into my fridge >,>

Hi again Mimz.

Are you scheduled for surgery yet?

I've heard that GBP does wonders for GERD. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be finally free of that?!

Losing some weight would be an extra bonus.

Yes it is scary... no matter which way you/we turn it's pretty scary.

Here is my story.

Four years ago I went in for a lap band. My stomach was perforated but they didn't pick it up and I left the hospital in some pain which escalated over a few days to a 'please just kill me' type of agony. I was rushed in for emergency surgery one night and they opened me right up, took out my band, and cleared it up in there. The next three days I was in ICU and nearly died, and then the next seven days I was on the ward. Those seven days were the worst.

I have pretty bad back problems and can't sleep on my back. Because of the abdominal surgery it was impossible to sleep on my side. I was hooked up to all these machines and a catheter and they took my blood every three hours. I didn't sleep for just about all that time I was in hospital. I could only get somewhat comfortable in a recliner chair and the one they scoured the hospital for was small and crappy and they wouldn't allow me to hire a good one in.

It was pure psychological and physical hell.

In the end I signed myself out waiving them of responsibility because I knew I had to get home and get some rest.

I was so sad I went through all that and had nothing to show for it but ugly scars.

I thought there was no way I could ever go back in to hospital.

But, four months later I went back in got a lap band. Why? Because I resented paying out a few thousand dollars, having scars, no lap band... most of all because I was SCARED not to. I needed help.

I have lost and gained thousands of pounds in my life. My heaviest was 165 kilos (363 lbs). I had lost 20 kilos leading up to surgery and so went in at 147 kilos (323 lbs).

Anyway, it was keyhole (THANK GOD) and was a walk in the park after all I had been through.

So now I had my lap band... and guess what... I didn't lose any weight.

Yes I did everything I was supposed to and didn't lose anything.

My body has got to a point of having the worst metabolism ever. It doesn't care when I drop my calories to near to nothing. I might drop a little in the first few days then it STOPS!

I was bereft. Then I thought 'f*%k this'.

So I went on a year long super low carb, going to the gym nearly every day, routine and I did drop another 20ish hard earned kilos. So now I was at 121 and no matter what I did since I cannot get below that figure.

So after some time I put back on 10 kilos and then made myself get back into line and took it off and then hovered around 123 (270)for a couple of years... which in itself was an achievement. The band has NEVER helped me lose wight but I believe it did help me from piling it all back on.

Anyhow, I got it removed three weeks ago because it was more trouble then it was worth. It was a 10 ml band and the most I could ever get into it was 2 ml. I would choke at night and was convinced this was the way I would some day die. From choking on my own Fluid.

I have had GERD for 20 years but when the surgery was done the surgeon tightened up my stomach sphincter and that helped it not be so severe but the band caused its own problems in that regard.

So I still took Nexium every day.

Now, I have no band (which is bloody amazing lol... such a relief) , very little acid reflux, but I am scared to go too long without anything at all.

The surgeon told me there was a lot of scarring around the band and I have to go back and see him in a week. I'm hoping like hell he won't say he won't do it because of too much scarring.

I've read that most USA surgeons wait for several months for scarring to settle down and then do it so hopefully he will say that, but because he is Australian, and we don't do as many GBP ops here, I'm not sure he will.

I CAN'T be left with no options.

There you go, there's my story, sorry it was so long.

I know that there are people who have been through worse things, and I didn't want to sound too dramatic, but I'm just telling you how it was for me.

xox

Hi Minihaha .. I am wondering how you got on with the surgeon? Did he agree to do RNY?

My surgeon agreed to do RNY straight out of the gate because of a hiatus hernia and GERD. He told me that it was the best and safest option for me in the circumstances.

You are correct that we do a lot less RNY in Australia, but they are still done for those who need them. Fingers crossed you will get yours.

HI Nymea

I noticed Peter Nottle did your RNY.. He did 3 nissen fundoplications on me, each one failed. I had severe Gerd and a mixture of Hiatus and paraeosphegeal hernias. My first fundoplication lasted 4 months, the second 5 months and the 3rd 11 months.

I hope your op went well.

Kind regards

Dawn

Edited August 6, 201610 yr by Dawn.s

Hi Dawn

Yes my surgery went well ... it is still early days but I seem to be doing okay. Still taking each day and each meal as it comes but that is normal for RNY especially in the early days.

hi All,

Like you I find it hard to find Australian information so I started a yahoo support group for roux en y patients in Australia, https://au.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Roux_en_y_Australian_Support/info?firstRunExp=1

hope to see you all there

Dawn

Hi everyone. I'm from Brisbane region. I had Roux-en-Y surgery last October. Best decision of my life.....as it has saved my life. As I mentioned on another post I am a Chronic renal, rheumatoid and AS..... this surgery has improved my health ten fold. It was hard at first...got a stricture at 6wks post op but easily rectified under endoscopy... my BMI is now "normal range" after 44.5kgs loss. Feel so good...just as you all will. "Just ride the wave"

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Hi everyone. I live in Brisbane (Northside). I am 60 yrs of age. I'm a nurse. I had my bypass done October 2015 by Dr George Hopkins. Best decision of my life. Top weight pre surgery was 109.6kgs now 61.8kgs and normal BMI. I am also a chronic renal patient and my kidney function has improved to point of yearly visits to clinic for check up, and same with my rheumatoid and AS. I developed a stricture at 6 weeks post up but dilation solved that problem. Only problem left is ulcerative eosophagitis but that's a small cry from where I have come to date..... I now have a passion for clothes for first time in my life. Strange thing here is though I now have a sweet tooth.....lollies daily, never before in my life did I have this craving....and still maintain weight. Has anyone else found this???

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Edited November 4, 20169 yr by Luckygemnz

hi LuckyG well done. I am having a revision of my Bypass as I have put on some weight and I think its due to my stretching my pouch. the past months I had to leave my job due to arthritis in my hip and got into a grazing cycle, although it didnt click for a while, of that was what I was doing. with the sweet tooth, that is interesting. I aways had a sweet tooth and was hoping my taste buds would change or at least get severe dumping but the only dumping I got was dizzyness and sweating. would love to catch up with you if possible to get some handy tips from you. I live in mooloolaba on the coast.

hi all just reading above and the comment that there are not many surgeons who do RNY my Doc does it and does it well. He is Dr Justin Greenslade and also teaches other doctors how to do it. He is a greenslopes private hospital and that hospital is great. Good experience all round