Brele, there is a very active Facebook forum for sleevers in Aus. It is a secret group for anyone with or considering a sleeve. 

If you are not already a member then add me on facebook and I will ask for you to be added

 

Serani Dodson

Hi there, my lapband (2009) was covered under medicare but that's because my BMI at the time was 52, putting me into the super-morbidly obese category. Even being classed as 'life-threatening' I still had to wait a year for surgery, aftercare was terrible and I'm now having a revision (with private health insurance) within the next few months. Trust me, paying for the private insurance and waiting the one year is worth it. I've had nothing but trouble with the band. At least privately you have the choice of what surgery is right for you, rather than what your hospital/surgeon wants to perform. (WA only does lapbands under medicare). Hope that helps. :)

looknig for a active aussie forum. but this is a dead one :(

i have been looking online and i can not find the answer anywhere , I know medicare does not cover it and so on, but really if u need it ad the docs belive u need it is their any way to get it free?

How is it I looked and looked for an Australian forum ,couldn't find one and ended up here from a google search!!

I just post and look on the main one on the home page. Dont think its just usa aas many international people post, have seen auzzies post on there too. So perhaps post on that one rather than the Australian one, and hopefully you'll get replies, ask for Auzzie help? I Have found everyone fantastic. Getting meds in oz sorry I cant help there, have you googled? What sort of meds are you after?, as if perscribed you'll have to go through doctor, otherwise tons of healthstores, chemists that ship internationally.  Otherwise go to your GP as they can look at the drug register and get an equivalant if you cant  get it in oz.
Hope this helps somewhat.
Georgie

I was wanting to hear from new zealanders, and was told the ozzy forum was the place to go......
But no-one is here
where are all the nz and ozzys???????????????????????????????????????
HELP I'm all alone

Hi I have booked in to Gold Coast hospital for 13th October for gastric sleeve.  Yet to see the surgeon but spoke at length to practice manager who advised that the band is not an option due to several medical problems.  I am nervous of course but also excited.  My life has changed immensely due to severe rheumatoid arthritis causing disability, immobility and many secondary medical conditions, one being morbid obesity due in part to steroid use.  I am now pre-diabetic and have sleep apnoea and have been advised to have surgery as my risk of stroke and heart attack are very high.  I cannot exercise as my joints and muscles, nerves, spine have all been affected and my disease is very badly controlled due to intolerance of drugs, so it has led me here and I look forward immensely to reading and offering my assistance where possible.

Hope to undergo successful surgery and hopefully successful weight loss.

kind regards, Jane. 

Hi Everyone i joined this site today and am looking for people who have had lap band surgery.

I am 33yrs old and live in Melbourne and i am 130kg heavy, I am considering getting lap band surgery and would like to talk to others who have had the surgery and find out their exeriences good and bad. I really want to know fully what i am in for if i get this surgery.
I am currently trying to get pregnant and have found out i have Polycystic ovary syndrome which is effecting getting pregnant and also my weight. I need to loose weight to help my chances of getting pregnant and for my health.
Well thats my story....Hope to chat to you soon

Thankyou
Trish

Hi fellow Australian,

I am new to the forum and hope this will give me the courage to continue fighting the "pretty much" lost cause that is my weight.

I had a lapband put in in december 2005 and although I lost 38 kgs within 8 months ( with frequent visist to the hospital for dehydration and visit to my surgeon for refills and defills and lets not forget the continuous throwing up and acid reflux) now I am considering getting a bypass RNY as un fortunately my weight is now at an all time high... I am ashamed to say I weigh now close to 120 kgs even though i am only 1.65M...

Unfortunatly for me what went wrong was, i was living in kalgoorlie about 3 years ago and was trying to get pregnant but with the constant throwing up my doctor recommended for me to loosened the band so that I could eat properly get some strenght and get pregnant.
WELL although I got pregnant ( I dont regret it for the world) I started to put on weight faster then I had lost it and I mean fast!!!

So Once I had my beautifull little boy I was 112 kgs and so depressed but still thought I will go get my lapband tightened and everything will go back to normal, WELL IT DID NOT!!! after a couple of refills and defills it turned out my lapband had slipped and was of no use to me anymore as a pouch had already formed at the top of the Band!!!

I now am faced with the decesion do I go for a lapband again knowing how miserable it made me or do I go for a bypass Rny????

Can anyone give me some advice and some info on bypass as well as estimated cost...

I hope to hear from someone soon as I am freaking out!!! my weight is getting out of control and I am scared of all  the repercussion it entails!!!

Thank you...