Hi Sandy, I don't mind at all. The best place to get lots and lots of information from people who've had bariatric surgery in NZ is the yahoo group WLS-nzbypassers. But I'll give you the potted version now.
I had a gastric bypass laprascopically (keyhole surgery) on 14 August in Hamilton with Mr David Schroeder, awesome guy. He is SO clever and so wonderful! And he is very aware of the importance of the mind in all of this, and before accepting anyone they have to see a psychologist who is very practical and works with you on the whole process from the decision making through to the post op stuff. Prior to surgery one has to do a pre-op diet that is very low cal, to help shrink the liver, very important for access. Also very useful for starting the process of not eating so much LOL! The op took about 1.75 hours, at around 2pm, and I was up and walking by 9.30pm. I'm really feeling for Jan right now - I had so little pain I was beginning to wonder whether I'd actually had an op at all, although this is not everyone's experience. Now I have 6 wee scars on my middle abdomen, and after all this time I can eat just about anything I want in varying quantities, and apart from having to think just a little bit more than most people about how fast I am eating and a few other rules that are simple that one follows and not at all 'obvious' to any observer, I feel completely normal. As opposed to how I felt pre-op that is, which is anything but normal - I was obsessed with food and couldn't have chocolate in the house or anything like that. It's to do with hormones in the stomach and how they affect the mind, and from the moment I woke up, I've felt differently, which was an eye opener when I realised just how much I had beaten myself up over my unhealthy relationship with food, not realising how much of this was my physiology working on overdrive. Yes, this is something that years of overeating and so forth had ramped up but it is REALLY hard to ramp it back down by oneself as it's an uphill fight with the brain and body all the way. Sometimes I wish we could just take out our brain stem, wave it around and say "OI! This is the 21st Century, there ARE no famines in NZ, MATE!!" but until that's possible, it's hard yakka
We have the best laproscopic surgeons in the world right here in NZ - Schroeder actually trains doctors from overseas in how to do it. He is smart (of course!) compassionate, and in his surgery, noone judges you or makes you wrong but noone buys a cock and bull excuse either, it's just straight talking all the way. Of course I love this, being me! LOL!
As for the headwork, well I think that depends on the individual. When I had my op there were two sisters in as well, great ladies, but they were not really interested in the headwork, to them it was just another of many tools they had tried. But me being me, I've gone 'deep' with this one and am constantyl looking to the emotional and spiritual tools I've developed over the years for support. And the op is just antoher tool really, it is no magic cure, but it is a way of putting success within reach. And a way of pulling you up when needed too.
I won't bang on any more but if you want to hear or read more do pm me.
Last but most definitely not least, for me at least this had to be an expression of self acceptance, and not a fix up. That's all about context and as the context is decisive, without it I knew I couldn't do it. I think you'll know what I mean
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