The Bari Chronicles

A raw and honest conversation filmed inside Austin Health with surgeon Dr Alex Craven about what really happens after bariatric surgery.

This isn’t the polished version people usually see.

We unpack long-term reflux, weight regain, and the emotional spiral that can come with it. The part where you think you’ve failed… even when you’ve actually achieved more than most.

We also break down:

• Why online advice will never replace proper medical assessment
• How surgeons actually think during a consultation
• The reality of weight loss outcomes vs expectations
• The role of nutrition, iron deficiency, and energy levels
• Why diabetes changes the entire conversation
• The truth about GLP-1 medications and tolerance post-surgery
• Telehealth vs face-to-face care and when each matters

This is about bridging the gap between lived experience and clinical reality.

Because what you feel… and what the data says… are often two very different things.

If you’ve ever questioned your results, struggled with reflux, or felt like you’ve “blown it” after surgery, this conversation will hit home.

In this episode, we sit down with leading bariatric dietitian Daniella Di Benedetto to unpack one of the most misunderstood and often overlooked complications after gastric bypass surgery: reactive hypoglycaemia.

In this episode we cover:

• What reactive hypoglycaemia is
• Why it happens after gastric bypass
• How it differs from dumping syndrome
• The symptoms to look out for, including dizziness, sweats, confusion and crashes after eating
• Why so many patients are being misdiagnosed or dismissed

If you have ever experienced these symptoms, this conversation could be the missing piece you have been searching for.

This is a must-listen for anyone pre or post-op, as well as healthcare professionals wanting to better understand the long-term realities of bariatric surgery.

Thinking about a sleeve gastrectomy, or already living with one? What patients expect from the sleeve and what actually happens are not always the same thing.

In this episode, bariatric surgeon Dr Alex Craven joins The Bari Chronicles to talk honestly about the realities of sleeve gastrectomy: what it can do, what it can’t, and what to realistically expect.

We cover:

• Setting realistic expectations before surgery
• Possible complications and what to watch for
• The hormonal effects of the sleeve, and why it’s more than just a smaller stomach
• Long-term outcomes and weight management after surgery

Whether you’re weighing up your options, preparing for surgery, or years post-op, this conversation will help you go in with your eyes open.

In this episode of The Bari Chronicles, Damo talks about something he never thought he would be doing again: getting ready for bariatric surgery a second time.

Twelve years after his original sleeve, ongoing reflux, anatomical issues and worsening health have made revision surgery unavoidable. Joined by Tash, Kim and Stephen, the conversation is honest, practical and real. No sugar coating and no brochure talk.

They unpack what pre-op is actually like when you have been through it before, the trauma that can come with it and how much difference experience and support make the second time around. From meal replacement struggles to getting creative with the food you are allowed to eat, this episode is full of practical advice based on lived experience.

Damo also shares what life has been like dealing with severe reflux, aspirating at night, dental damage and managing type 2 diabetes, including dangerous overnight hypos and the importance of having a medical team that actually communicates.

This is a conversation about health not just weight. About doing what needs to be done even when it is frustrating or scary and not part of the plan. And about why community and shared knowledge matter so much in bariatric life.

With Tash, Damo, Kim and Stephen.

Lipoedema is one of the most misunderstood and under-diagnosed conditions affecting women today — and for many, it takes decades to be recognised.

In this episode, Sally Baker, a nurse who works closely with patients living with lipoedema, joins us for a grounded, evidence-informed conversation about lipoedema as a chronic connective-tissue disorder, not a failure of diet, willpower, or exercise. With an estimated 1 in 10 women affected and an average diagnostic delay of up to 30 years, the human cost of misunderstanding this condition is significant.

Together, we explore:

• What lipoedema actually is — and how it differs from obesity and lymphoedema

• The underlying connective-tissue pathology, inflammation, and fibrotic fat nodules

• Hallmark signs such as pain, easy bruising, cuffing, and disproportionate limb enlargement

• The visual staging system and why pain does not always align with disease stage

• Why BMI often fails lipoedema patients — and what measurements are more clinically useful

• A practical five-pillar management approach, including anti-inflammatory nutrition, compression therapy, low-impact exercise, mental-health support, and surgical considerations

• The real-world barriers patients face in Australia when seeking diagnosis, treatment, and funding

• Emerging research and future directions discussed at the World Congress on Lipoedema in Rome

This episode is essential listening for patients, healthcare professionals, and anyone who has ever been told to “just lose weight” when their body was signalling something else entirely.

If you or someone you love is living with unexplained pain, swelling, bruising, or disproportionate fat distribution, this conversation with Sally Baker may help you finally feel seen — and understood.

Lipoedema is still widely misunderstood, under-recognised, and too often dismissed as “just weight.” In this episode of The Bari Chronicles, we’re joined by Nadia Walton, physiotherapist and lymphoedema practitioner from Laneways Physiotherapy & Lymphoedema, to unpack what lipoedema actually is — and what it isn’t.

We explore why lipoedema is an inflammatory connective tissue condition, why it is resistant to traditional weight-loss approaches, and why so many people spend years blaming themselves before receiving a provisional diagnosis. Nadia explains common symptoms including pain, bruising, heaviness, and disproportionate fat distribution, and why bariatric surgery or GLP-1 medications don’t always produce the outcomes people expect.

This conversation also tackles the emotional reality of lipoedema — fear in younger patients, relief in those diagnosed later in life, and the psychological toll of chasing “fixes” that don’t work. We discuss conservative management, compression, movement, inflammation-aware nutrition, and why sustainable, long-term care matters far more than extreme or expensive interventions.

If you’ve ever felt unheard, blamed, or confused about why your body doesn’t respond the way it “should,” this episode offers clarity, compassion, and realistic guidance.

A must-listen for patients, clinicians, and anyone working in obesity, chronic pain, or women’s health.

In this episode of The Bari Chronicles, Damo and Tash unpack a confronting and deeply unsettling healthcare experience that many people living in larger bodies know all too well.

What should have been a simple GP appointment to update a referral for revision surgery became a stark example of how personal bias can override evidence-based care. Tash shares what it was like to sit in front of a medical professional who openly opposed bariatric surgery, dismissed lived experience, and relied on opinion rather than data — and how different that interaction could have been if she were less informed, less confident, or earlier in her journey.

This conversation is not about attacking individual doctors or discrediting medicine. It is about what happens when personal belief collides with patient-centred care, and the emotional toll that takes on people who cannot “unring the bell” of past treatment decisions.

Together, Damo and Tash discuss:

• Medical bias and moral judgement in healthcare settings

• The difference between opinion and evidence-based practice

• Why advocacy matters, especially when power dynamics are at play

• Red flags to watch for when building a healthcare team

• What respectful, collaborative care actually looks like

Content note: This episode discusses negative healthcare experiences and may be challenging for some listeners. You are welcome to listen at your own pace.

If you have ever left an appointment feeling dismissed, judged, or unheard, this episode will resonate. You are not alone — and your care deserves to be grounded in evidence, respect, and humanity.

In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, bariatric surgeon Dr Alex Craven joins The Bari Chronicles to dismantle the myths that continue to shape how obesity is treated — and mistreated — in Australia.

From the false belief that people can simply “eat less and move more,” to the idea that metabolic surgery is dangerous, extreme, or a last resort, Dr Craven explains why these narratives are not only wrong, but actively harmful. Drawing on decades of clinical evidence and lived patient experience, he reframes obesity as a complex, biological disease — not a personal failure.

This episode explores why effective obesity treatment must protect mental health, preserve a healthy relationship with food, and be offered with the same objectivity as any other life-saving medical therapy. It is a conversation about dignity, evidence, and why listening to lived experience is no longer optional in modern healthcare.

In this episode of The Bari Chronicles, we sit down with someone very close to the BSA family — Steve, Tash’s husband — as he opens up about his long, slow, and often frustrating journey toward finally choosing weight loss surgery. Steve’s story is one so many people will relate to:

✓ years of putting it off,

✓ the slow creep of weight gain,

✓ the aches, pains and mobility changes,

✓ the mental battle of “Is it really that bad?”,

✓ and the moment you realise life is getting smaller when you want it to be bigger.

Across this conversation, Steve shares:• what made him finally say “yep, it’s time” • how Crohn’s disease shaped his surgical options and why sleeve was recommended• the hidden ways weight gain shows up — bending over, tying shoes, squatting at work, fatigue• the impact of watching Tash regain her life post-surgery• his fears, hopes and what he’s genuinely excited about• how habits like drinking, eating fast and long-term routines will need to change• the importance of choosing a surgeon you fully trust — not just the first one you see• preparing for surgery close to Christmas (yes, he’s missing the turkey) learning to build new habits around water, vitamins, and pacing food• the optimism and the scepticism that everyone feels before surgery This episode is real, honest, funny in moments, and incredibly relatable. Steve reminds us that weight loss surgery isn’t an “easy way out” — it’s a tool, not a magic wand. And it’s a tool he’s ready to use to rebuild his confidence, mobility and quality of life.🎧 A must-listen for anyone considering surgery, supporting someone through it, or wanting to hear what real lived experience sounds like — nerves, hope, humour and all.

In this powerful episode, Damo sits down with Steve — a lived-experience legend who’s bravely opening up about something many bariatric patients never see coming.

After having gastric bypass surgery, Steve thought he understood his limits with alcohol. But one ordinary dinner out with friends ended with an RBT, a shocking reading, and the devastating moment his licence was taken on the spot.

What followed was months of stress, shame, court dates, financial strain, and the daily challenge of navigating family life without the ability to drive. But Steve owns every part of his story — no excuses, no hiding. Just honesty, accountability, and a determination to make sure others don’t learn the same lesson the hard way.

Together, we talk through:

• How bariatric surgery changes the way alcohol is absorbed

• Why “just one or two drinks” can put you over the limit

• The emotional and practical fallout of losing your licence

• The fear, embarrassment, court process and consequences

• The reality that nobody plans an accident, but the impact can last a lifetime

• Why Uber is cheaper than fines, court, lost independence — or hurting someone

• How Steve hopes his story will save others from the same pain

This episode isn’t about judgement. It’s about awareness — and it’s a must-listen before any celebration.