11.5 yrs out - gotta tell y'all

I feel great!

I just went for a physical today (first in 4 yrs because I couldn't afford "Affordable Healthcare" - now I have a job w/insurance), and it has been nearly a year since I weighed myself, and I'm happy to report that my weight is exactly the same as it has been for years.  The average regain is 20-25% of excess weight lost, and I've regained only 13%.

Their phlebotomist took a vacation day today, so I couldn't get labs, and I'll get those Monday morning.  I'm eager to see how they are now being on patches for a year.

Those of you wondering what long-term results are like, I'm it, nothing abnormal, just living my life and enjoying it.

Val, congrats on your many years of success! It will be interesting to see how your labs are with the patches. The only info I've seen so far has been second hand.

And I'm very glad you have health care now. Everyone should.

Larra

Congratulations Val! I'll be very curious to see your lab results because you have been on patches for a long time. I did not have luck with the patches but perhaps they have been improved since I tried them. I'm a little over three years out and my weight seems to have stabilized around 10% regain. Thank you for all of your insight over the years in your posts. The advice has been invaluable.

Congrats Val! I can't wait to hear about the patches.

Btw affordable care is a joke, it's expensive and comes with super high deductibles in Texas.

Long time no see!  Glad to see you posting.  How are you doing?

I'm doing good. I come on a few times a month to see if any new nutrition information is floating around- the information I found on this site saved me from years worth of bad labs!

Life post surgery gets busy! So much so that I forget that I have had surgery most days.

I'm just sorry to see that the DS board become so quiet, and that the VSG has become the "gold standard" of WLS.

Scott

I totally agree, Scott!  Working as a consultant, I made too much to qualify for subsidies, so coverage for my husband and I would be $900/month with a $12,000 deductible, and only 70% coverage after that was met.  It was much cheaper to take the risk and the hit on my taxes.  That was one of the reasons I went back to the corporate world.

I totally agree.  I'm in CA, and our Obamacare plans are 3 times the average premiums.  When I found out that I would pay roughly 2,000 for the penalty for not having insurance, but the cheapest plan in CA is $6,000 with a $6,500 deductable... that is almost $13,000 before insurance steps up to pay it's 70% of the bill.  OMG get real.  I have to pay the penalty.

Happy surgiversary, Val!  

--gina

Great to hear. I'm glad things are going well.