Hi

UKGastricband.co.uk is a site dedicated to helping everyone pre and post gastric surgery. All of our members have had gastric surgery and support each other through our forums. We have Galleries, Blog Space and stories.

My name is Shelli and in March 2007 I had a gastric band operation.
How did I get to that point? Basically I was fat, I had been fat for a long time and tried numerous diets - Weight Watchers, Carol Vorderman Detox diets, Atkins, Rosemary Connelly, Slimming World – every Monday a new diet would start and yes they would work for a while and yes yet again I would fail – probably by Friday and again I would feel a complete failure and any weight I had lost would go back on twice as fast.

How did I first hear about a gastric band operation? Well - my sister took what I thought at the time was a drastic step and had a gastric band operation after spending nearly 20 years being fat suddenly she was optimistic and the weight was coming off – 18 months later she was 16 stone lighter and from a size 32 is now a size 12.

What happened next – in my life – I got ill – I got Bells Palsy and needed very strong steroids to get better – 3 months later and now an additional 3 stone heavier on top of my hefty frame I felt immense depression – I struggled to lose the weight before – how would I do it now? My thoughts turned to my sister and her gastric band. I started to research it – it didn’t take long for me to think this was the right path for me to take – and I think this is an important thing – you have to want this for yourself, be sure it is right for you and do your research so you are happy with the whole procedure – it shouldn’t be taken lightly!

So on March 5th 2007 I was wheeled down for surgery and it sounds really corny, but, that was the day my life really began again – I sit here typing this on January 16th 2008 and my weight loss to date is 8 stone 10 pounds and I am currently a size 18. It really has changed my life, I have my confidence back and feel fantastic – I have my life back, my husband has his wife back and I finally feel happy again.

Why the website? I had my sister to talk to about the journey I was about to embark on – however her experience of the whole procedure was different to mine – both pre and post operation – there wasn’t anywhere to go to ask questions again either pre or post operative and my husband (the clever fellow he is) decided to change that – so here I am. Please ask – I will try and help you decide if this is the right route for you or help with any post operation queries you probably may have (I know I did!).

Since my operation I now have a total of four people in my family who have gone to the same surgeon and one Aunty who has gone abroad to have a gastric band fitted and have been successful. We have a wealth of experience and I hope to get them on here to talk about their journeys (everyone’s is different).

Be happy,

Shelli