Hello everyone I'm Letizia - ThinnerTimes

LETIZIA · 10-02-2007, 01:03 PM

Hi My name is Letizia I'm not pre op and to be honest i have been reading all this post and thread to try to understand if this gastric operation is for me, and i was particularly looking at doctor dillerman in belgium and i stumbled upon Gwen senior member and have been reading her posts and advices, i have not made my mind up yet as it scares me no end
but she seems to be full of info that she has gathered during the months before her op.
Is anybody in the same boat and does anybody have any experiences and review on brugge
and whats the best way to do it..
and does anybody knows of any bad experiences!

thanks letizia

janine · 10-02-2007, 02:01 PM

Letizia,
I don't like to dwell on the negative because it's way to easy to do so.

There are so many surgeries that go well and are a success. Long term success is at an all time high. 10-20+ years added to life span and seems to be a cure for may diseases. Back Pain, diabities, high bloodpressure just to name a few. Many people quickly are relieved from taking medications in exchange for vitamines.

The exchange is health. You learn to eat to live and not live to eat.

The negatives... Sometimes things go wrong. Infections, blood loss, vomiting, food intolerations, not to mention strictures, diaria, gas, vitamin deficiencies.

Yes, I've know people to have a few of the negative things but not all at once. vitamin intake is vital to your health. Blood work will show any deficiencies you might have. Infections accur sometimes after surgery, as would any wound. Blood loss is to be expected do to internal bleeding that can accur from moderate to excessive during surgery (not common). Alot of people become intolerable to milk products. Diaria is often caused from eating too much sugar. Seems like most have alot of Gas (I'm not sure why)

while I hesitate to say, I did know a woman that she and her husband had the surgery together on the same day. on the 3rd day post op.. the husband died (heart attack). How tragic of an ending to a new begining for her. She said it wasn't the surgery that caused him to die. She said, He had a bad heart. So, While rare to die from such a surgery... I have to say, "its' possible". This was just about 6 months ago... She's happy she had the surgery and had nothing but encouraging words to say.

keep doing your research.. check your doctor's record. Be honest with yourself, It's not an easy way out.

Welcome to the group..

mandywhit · 10-03-2007, 12:11 AM

hi Letizia what op are you thinking about the band or the gastric bypass. if you thinking about the bypass i would go for it i`ve had the bypass and it cured all my illnesses i had diabetes high blood pressure backache the only thing it did not cure was my osteoarthritis in my knee but i have gained in many other ways i can buy clothes in a normal shop and i am very active now, where as going back 17 months ago i was house bound and had to depend on my husband and son to do things. so give it some thought.

Welcome to the forum

LETIZIA · 10-03-2007, 07:08 AM

Hi Janine snd Mandy thanks for that I will do my reseaches of course.
I have also been doing cognitive therapy in last two month( Behavioural therapy pays close attention to the relationship between our problems, our behaviour and our thoughts)
I thought I could start with that before to start changing the relationship with anxiety and food, I hope.
Because I know surgery is no easy fix and it seems to me that it's actually hard work
the rewards seem to outweigh the suffering.
However do you still have a normal life after some time will still be able to eat some pasta and tomato sauce (simple sauce with tomato and some olive oil).
Sorry maybe that sounds stupid but i would miss it too much I'm italian you see...

justawoman · 10-03-2007, 07:43 AM

Hi Letizia,

My name is Renee, I am also 100% Italian and us Italians can sure eat...I am almost 2 years post op GB and I have lost well over 100lbs. I recently had a baby boy! I am generally healthy, I have a few issues such as kidney stones and kidney infections which they are not sure if developed from the surgery or from my family history. I do have some food issues, I really dislike food now, I only eat to survive. I never thought that would be possible. I can basically eat everything, I do eat small amounts of pasta like maybe 2-3 tablespoons and that just happened after a year out. The most pasta I have eaten was about a cup and that took me over 35 minutes to eat. But in general I can tolerate most foods if I eat slow and chew well except for high sugar drinks or food.

If you research here you will find the good, bad and the ugly. I hate to complain because there are people on here that are really struggling and my issues seem to be minimal.

Stay around I am sure you will find all the answers you need here.

Take Care,
Renee

LETIZIA · 10-03-2007, 12:13 PM

Ciao Renee come stai!

First congratulation on your baby boy and also on your current weight well done after giving birth and all,
how strange that you know hate food it sounds such a abstract concept for me I'm sure you never immagined yourself saying those words as i cant myself and is it a reoccuring
fact hating food.
Is it because is difficoult to digest or is the thought that you might put weight on if you eat!
the thing is that I will be self financing this operation as i leave in Northern Ireland and i dont think there are any other way unless your gp puts forward on the NHS
And also i'm unsure If I really want to put myself in the hands of the national health system some people on this forum from the uk have used doc dillerman in belgium (i believe there is a little club called the brugge(belgium ) babes...
has anybody any

justawoman · 10-03-2007, 04:22 PM

Ciao Letizia,

Thank you for the congrats, I gained any average amount of weight during my pregnancy but it came right off after the birth of my son. I didn't have to even try to lose it, just melted away.

The thought of me disliking food, I would have never thought that day would come. It really isn't because it is hard to digest or that I am afraid of gaining the weight back, I actually wish I could gain a few pounds as I am very thin. Food just isn't appealing to me anymore, it is not the first thing I think about anymore. Food for me is just fuel for my body, nothing taste the same to me anymore. I am barely ever hungry. I do eat but in very small quanties. I know how hard that is to imagine being pre op as I never thought this day would come for me but after the surgery everything changed. The only food I really crave is fresh fruit. I use to love Pepsi and now I don't even think about it. It is very strange.

I am lucky enough to live in the US and have great health insurance and at the time of my surgery my insurance did not give me any trouble about approving the surgery. They paid 100% of my surgery so I can't answer any questions regarding the surgeons in other countries. I know there are a few others on here that had the surgery in belgium and other places. I also have a friend who had her surgery done in Mexico and she is doing well and the cost was half the cost it would have been if she would have paid for it here in the US. She is not doing as great with her weightloss, I am not sure why but she has only lost about 56lbs in a years time as I lost 100 + lbs in a year. but everybody's different.

I wish you luck in your journey to finding a healthier you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by LETIZIA

Ciao Renee come stai!

First congratulation on your baby boy and also on your current weight well done after giving birth and all,
how strange that you know hate food it sounds such a abstract concept for me I'm sure you never immagined yourself saying those words as i cant myself and is it a reoccuring
fact hating food.
Is it because is difficoult to digest or is the thought that you might put weight on if you eat!
the thing is that I will be self financing this operation as i leave in Northern Ireland and i dont think there are any other way unless your gp puts forward on the NHS
And also i'm unsure If I really want to put myself in the hands of the national health system some people on this forum from the uk have used doc dillerman in belgium (i believe there is a little club called the brugge(belgium ) babes...
has anybody any

LyndasRoom · 10-04-2007, 08:17 AM

HI Letizia,
Welcome.
Gwen is back from her surgery and has been posting about her experience. So far, it looks pretty positive.

Gwen · 10-09-2007, 03:18 AM

Hi Letizia

We have PM each other but I thought I would officially welcome you to the Family!!!

I have now had time to start writing about my experience and you are welcome to follow the story: Great Expectations (cont)

Good Luck with your decision - it's not easy

Big Hugs

xxx