Before & After VSG with LizJustWantsHealth!
April 4, 2017Why I Decided to Have WLS
I have been overweight most of my adult life, beginning at age 17 when I gave birth to my oldest daughter. I went on a diet approximately every three years up to age 50, when I essentially gave up (I am 61 now).
I was at my goal weight of 125 pounds a few times during all those diets but always gained it back plus more. The last diet was the most successful where I kept the weight off for two years. My daughter died from cancer at the age of 32. That’s when I gave up.
Last year at the age of 60, I was suffering from uncontrolled high blood pressure, was pre-diabetic, had sleep apnea, high cholesterol, sore knees, foot pain, and all the other jazz that goes with a BMI of almost 39 (5’3” 219 pounds).
Over the last five years, I met more and more people who had WLS and were quite open about it, but I assumed I wasn’t eligible. Late in the summer of 2015, I started researching WLS again. I realized that I needed to do something if I wanted to live longer and feel well.
When I had previously researched bariatric surgery, I had the mindset that I would have to pay for it. At that time, it seemed like the Gastric Band was the best option financially. The thought of a foreign object in my body and a port scared me. Thank goodness I didn’t do that!
When I started looking at the newer information, I learned about VSG, and it seemed like it took care of most of my concerns. And to my surprise, it appeared that I might be eligible for insurance to pay for it!
I attended an introductory meeting at a weight loss center near me on Halloween 2015 and wasn’t totally comfortable with their approach. I then attended the introductory meeting at Newton-Wellesley Center for Weight Loss Surgery in November and immediately knew it was the place for me.
My first appointment with my surgeon (Dr. Sheila Partridge) was 12/2/2015. My insurance required for six months of supervised weight loss visits. I met the requirements by mid-March 2016 via a combination of prior appointments with my PCP together with my appointments with my weight loss surgeon. My surgery was scheduled for 3/28/2016 (10 days after approval)!
Before & After VSG with LizJustWantsHealth
OH Username: LizJustWantsHealth
Weight Loss Total: 99 pounds
Surgery Type: VSG
Date of Surgery: 3/28/2016
Surgeon's Name: Dr. Sheila Partridge
Having Surgery and Life as a Post-Op
Surgery was easier than I expected with little pain and no nausea. I followed my surgeon’s meal plans to the letter. I weighed and measured my food. I only had two times when I ate a little too much and felt nauseous (did not vomit thankfully).
I only weighed myself once a month on my surgiversary until I reached my goal weight, and shifted to daily weighing. I didn’t want to see daily or even weekly fluctuations while on my weigh-loss journey because I knew from experience that it would drive me crazy. I attended in-person support meetings hosted by my weight loss center once a month and continue to do so.
My Milestones and Non-Scale Victories
There have been many milestones: I was thrilled when I went into “onederland”, when I weighed less than my husband (6’3” and never weighs more than 175), and when I kept going down in clothing sizes. Thank goodness for great on-line consignment shops which allowed me to stay in professional work clothes while losing and allowed me to rebuild my new wardrobe without breaking the bank (though I have become a clothes shopaholic)!
I recently realized that the burning I had in my feet for several years is gone! My best guess is that it was neuropathy caused by being pre-diabetic.
I started going to Zumba with my sister-in-law recently and am not tripping over my feet too much. I am also going to the gym weekly. One of my motivations in going to the gym is to fill out my arms with some muscle as they are kind of wrinkly, but thankfully I don’t have “bat wings.” I do have a wattle under my chin (from having a fat neck), and I have a lot of loose skin on my abdomen. Though I NEVER expected to do it, I am having a tummy tuck and mini face-lift to address these two issues which really affect my self-image. OH members helped me come to the decision to do this and provided the information I needed to be able to make an informed decision on it.
Today, I am below goal with a total weight loss of 99.25 pounds. I know what to eat and feel great. My biggest challenge is figuring out how many calories to average as I’m still losing weight (though slower as I move my calories up).
All my health issues are essentially resolved (just one low-dose BP pill each day).
I follow the advice I received from OH members: I eat protein first, track everything, am exercising, and I now weigh daily. Am I confident about maintenance? I feel like I have a better chance than ever before if I keep following the rules, especially if I stay tied in with OH and my surgeons support groups. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. I wish I had done it 20 years ago.
How ObesityHelp.com Has Been a Part of My Journey
As mentioned, ObesityHelp has been critical in my journey: I researched EVERYTHING before my surgery and asked questions when I couldn’t find the information via a search. I read all the posts daily and have joined the VSG maintenance group.
I love not only the support and advice but getting to know all the great people on the site as they share their weight loss ups and downs and also their own stories and opinions. I feel so lucky to have found ObesityHelp!
Share Your Before & After Success!
Celebrate your own Before & After WLS Success, milestones, non-scale victories, and inspire others! The OH team wants to hear from you to share your weight loss surgery journey. Visit our Before & After Submission page for details.
