Ditte had a gastric sleeve at GB Obesitas in August 2023. Here you can read about her experiences before, during, and after the weight loss surgery.

When Ditte is at the playland with her family today, she is the one running around and playing with the children. She and her family have truly embraced the big and wonderful change that her gastric sleeve has brought about.

Facts: 35 years old, lives with her boyfriend and 3 children. Works as a family therapist at a residential care facility.

1 knee injury and 3 pregnancies

Ditte once played handball on elite level. She felt good in her body, was healthy and fit, and had never had weight challenges. However, that changed with a knee injury and 3 pregnancies. The injury led to knee surgeries, and the pregnancies added a lot of weight, which she could not lose again. In 2021, after Ditte had given birth to her third child she could no longer run and she barely had the mobility to move. When she is at the playland with her family, she sits on a chair and takes pictures of the children playing together with their father. In the meantime, she has also developed a metabolic disease. Ditte decides to contact her doctor, who prescribes medication for obesity.

From Wegovy and Saxenda to plus 4 kilos

Ditte first tries the weight loss drug Wegovy and then Saxenda, which works by increasing the feeling of fullness and thus reducing the need to eat. But Ditte’s body does not respond well to the medications. She feels unwell when taking the meds -so unwell that she vomits. Therefore, she decides to take a break from the medication, resulting in her regaining all the weight plus an additional 4 kilos. Once again, she turns to her doctor. Now she receives a referral to undergo weight loss surgery. But it turns out that Ditte does not meet the public requirements for an obesity operation. Her conditions are not severe enough.

“I consulted with the specialists”

Ditte is now however firmly determined to get weight loss surgery. She has read a lot about the different obesity procedures, enough to have an idea that she will have a gastric sleeve. And enough to know that it should be at GB Obesitas in southern Sweden.

GB Obesitas are specialists in weight loss surgeries and it feels good and safe to know that they perform these operations all day long. Ditte feels calm and informed, having received a lot of reading material and several conversations with the doctors and professionals at GB Obesitas. So when the day of the operation arrives, Ditte is ready.

Gastric sleeve: From XXXL to XS

The gastric sleeve surgery went smoothly and Ditte had no complications. In the first weeks she lost 10 kilos. Life had changed. Her taste buds changed; she suddenly craved different types of food than she used to. And it was not difficult at all to follow the new guidelines about smaller and more frequent meals.

A great transformation was now underway, the weight loss happening so quickly that it was sometimes difficult to keep up. She experienced that she had to get to know a new version of herself.

Happiness is running around after the children in the play area!

Besides becoming a mother, getting her gastric sleeve is the best decision Ditte has made. And it is the best thing she has done for herself. Today, Ditte’s knee pain is almost gone and she can take long walks without getting out of breath or feeling unwell. She no longer needs her asthma medication, and she is generally healthy and fit.

She feels that she has much more energy and joy in life – when she looks in the mirror today, she thinks that she is looking at a beautiful girl! Self-confidence is up and she has a better relationship with herself. When Ditte is in the play area with her family now, she’s the one who runs around and plays with the children.

Follow Ditte @bydittek on Instagram!