Having been here a few months now, it’s become obvious that it’s so different for people having weight loss surgery in the UK. Procedures here before WLS is different. Most of the people over the pond have it through their insurance and this means a lot of pre operation meetings/assessments/work, over many months. In some ways I feel this is good, as people get to learn so much before having their surgery. However that’s not the usual way here in the UK. You tend to learn ‘in the moment’. If you are eligible for WLS through the National Health Service, you may have to wait for a long time, 2 to 3 or up to 10 years unless you are at the stage where your weight is life or death. So, many fund it themselves.

I think this site is excellent for advice and support however it does mainly tend to show what happens in the States, where you can buy certain things and what’s available. So here’s a few things (not exclusive, would love it if others add stuff here too) I have learnt in my very short weeks since surgery.

PLEASE can we all add our own likes/dislikes, UK advice etc etc

1. Bariatric cookery books are excellent however there are many other options to learn about pre and post op foods. My dietitian is great but I have learnt so much through researching online. There are so many Bariatric Centres all over the world showing what you can eat pre ad post op and as long as you add a dash of common sense, it can work well. For example; if I read from a Bariatric Centre that I could eat tuna on day 3, I would be clicking the X asap!!

1. Centrum advantage chewable Vitamins are lovely and recommended by UK Dietitians for post bariatric surgery. Tesco’s have them on offer at the moment, 3 for 2. They have carbs, but balancing a few carbs for nice tasting vitamins isn’t going to kill me for the time being.

1. Keep your fridge/cupboard stocked once you know what goes down well for you. Don’t spend too much in advance in case you don’t like it. I spent a lot on liquid Iron without asking around and my god, it was disgusting. I took it twice then threw it away. I could have asked here and go advice but I didn’t. (see below)

1. Use this UK forum to keep in touch with others in the UK to ask for and pass on advice. We aren’t the minority in the world for WLS however we are a small group here. Make friends here, they can be the best support you can ask for!

OVER TO YOU !!!

Good luck with surgery I'm London area anyone want keep in contact and message feel free to send a pm with contact details , love reading the replies keep up the good work everyone congrats on your successes x

OMG! I'm glad I looked into this particular subject. I'm preop and love to read all the posts as you never know when you run into that 1 nugget of info you didn't know you really wanted or needed. I also like hearing about the who the programs work in different countries.

I'm self pay and will be going to Mexico to have my surgery on October 1st. Not all insurances here in the US pay for wls. There are may different policies signed by different employers. My policy insurance does not pay for wls. Even though they have a wls program and he has referred me I would still be self pay. It would cost me almost 30k out of pocket to use their program.

After getting sleeved, I cannot disclose to my doctor that I have had the procedure. I will have to find innovative ways to see my doctor and to get what I need without mentioning wls. If I do, they will charge me full price for everything that happens during that visit. Then they will begin questioning every visit I have to make sure it is not remotely related to wls. Ahhhhhh, the US Health Care System at work!

14 hours ago, ypease said:

After getting sleeved, I cannot disclose to my doctor that I have had the procedure. I will have to find innovative ways to see my doctor and to get what I need without mentioning wls. If I do, they will charge me full price for everything that happens during that visit. Then they will begin questioning every visit I have to make sure it is not remotely related to wls. Ahhhhhh, the US Health Care System at work!

Gosh! All that subterfuge sounds really worrying. Do you mean to say that if you choose to pay for surgery not covered by your insurance, then your insurers will not cover you for any subsequent treatment related to the surgery? Ouch!

Our National Health Service often gets criticised because of the waiting lists, but once you get treatment, it's quite often excellent. I paid privately for my surgery, but my doctor knows about it and I got all the subsequent related drugs and treatment free through the NHS. We pay for it through taxes of course and it can take more than a week to get an appointment with a GP, but I still think it's great. Everyone gets access, no matter how rich or poor.

Hi everyone another uk sleeve here. It is nice to hear from people closer to home lol

1 hour ago, Karen58 said:

Hi everyone another uk sleeve here. It is nice to hear from people closer to home lol

Hi Karen nice to hear from you ? there are a couple of us on here lol I'm pre op sleeve been told around October time yikes how far out are you all going good for you since ? Xx

That’s exactly what I’m saying. I think our privately paid health care insurance should not exclude a privately paid for surgery such as wls. However, I guess if your policy excludes wls, then anything to do with wls would be excluded as well. Silly, I know. My original doctor was the 1 who wanted to refer me for wls. I have a work around planned between my insurance and my doctor.

7 hours ago, Sausageandbeans said:

Hi Karen nice to hear from you ? there are a couple of us on here lol I'm pre op sleeve been told around October time yikes how far out are you all going good for you since ? Xx

I’m having my sleeve done October 1! I’m excited to hear from another October person.

Hi ypease

I am 3 months post op. Have been suffering with acid reflux a lot and seem to be losing a little hair which the kind people on here assure me it will be okay and stop.

Hope all goes well with op

Hi to all my fellow UK wls buddies
I am nearly 5 weeks post op, and struggling to find a good protein shake that I like. My husband ordered me some protein powders but I dont like the taste. Could anyone recommend a protein powder which has no flavour that I can add to soups etc
How is everyone doing? I'm from london, is there anyone else around, that want to keep in contact to support each other? xxx

On 8/5/2019 at 11:00 AM, Nay143 said:

Hi to all my fellow UK wls buddies
I am nearly 5 weeks post op, and struggling to find a good Protein Shake that I like. My husband ordered me some Protein powders but I dont like the taste. Could anyone recommend a Protein Powder which has no flavour that I can add to Soups etc
How is everyone doing? I'm from london, is there anyone else around, that want to keep in contact to support each other? xxx

Hi Nay, im from london too im having my surgery in turkey in 2 weeks. Id love to be in touch. Ive started a whatsapp group for uk sleevers that so far has two people in it including me. Would you like me to send you the link?

Hello,

I’ve just joined this forum as I’m looking for information and advice from real people. I am scheduled for a gastric sleeve on 10th October and despite it costing a Mortgage, feedback and support from the surgical team is light to say the least. I live in Oxford, UK

I have been on the pre-Op 800-1000 cal diet for just over a week and have lost 7 kilos (15 pounds), I am following it religiously as am scared to have the op put off. I am going for a pre-assessment appointment in a couple of days, what happens please?

thankyou

They just want you to shrink your liver a bit to make the op safer. I would have thought that losing a stone would have put you well on the way to achieving that. You've still got 8 days to go as well! I also think they want to see a bit of commitment from you towards a changed lifestyle (at least, that's what my surgeon said). I don't think you should worry about it.

Thank you Looly,

what will happen at the pre assessment meeting? Is it blood tests?

I only went to the hospital twice before my op. The first one was when I discussed the idea with the surgeon and made my decision. The second one was when I went to see a nurse a week before the op: she weighed me and took some bloods. I was in and out in 10 minutes! It sounds quite abrupt, but I did have good support afterwards: I can speak to a bariatric nurse whenever I want to.

Thanks Looly, that’s really reassuring

I received confirmation of the Procedure and details of what I should take with me today (and the bill of course!)