Nervous about VSG. How did you deal with concept of cutting your stomach?

Hello everyone, 

  I am having a tough time with the concept of having elective surgery to cut my stomach. It seems so unnatural.    Our bodies are a perfect "machine" and removing "parts" seems extreme.    Did any of you feel this way? If so, how did you change your paradigm?    Part of me thinks I'm crazy for even considering this.    As a reminder, I had lapband surgery in 2002, had many complications, and had it removed in January 2012.    Fortunately the band was reversible, and of course, this procedure isn't, which is making me nervous.    Perhaps I wouldn't worry so much if I hadn't needed the other WLS reversed.    I welcome your thoughts/comments on this.    Thank you.    Lexi

My mothers death from obesity related illnesses helped me realize that somewhere down the line the perfect machine failed. With the brain God gave me I realized that I did my part in helping it fail but only a permanent fix was what I needed.

I considered the band but decided why the hell would I butcher myself and risk all the complications I read about. So I opted to cut my machine and in essence make it a more normal size then the bottomless pit I had created by abusing it.

Ms Shell

You are brilliant!

I had the vsg over 6 years ago and I loved it! My Dr. said my stomach was large over the normal size it should be and this was like starting with a baby fresh stomach. That helped me as i felt just as you are feeling now. I can also tell you that at this far I gained due to poor choices after year 5 and my stomach can hold much more food now but not as much as pre surgery. Wishing you the best!!!

Hi Susan,

Thank you for your reply.  You said "loveD" it. Are you still happy you had the procedure?  Also, how  much weight have you gained back and why.  This concerns me too since I don't want to fail yet again.

Since having the band removed I'm eating pretty well. I kicked my sweets habit, which plagued me for over 35 years. However, I suspect that my metabolism is really slow and I'm not having success losing weight. I'm frustrated and have lost hope.  

Thanks again.

Lexi

In nine days, it will have been nine YEARS since I had 85% of my stomach removed, and I couldn't be happier about it. What was removed did absolutely nothing for me, except constantly demand food and make me fat.

The wonderful thing about the VSG is that your stomach continues to function exactly like it did pre-op, except it gets full and feels satisfied. (Mine never did that, pre-op.)

I have no Band experience, but from everything I've read, the VSG is a completely different experience. Certainly I've found mine to be very user-friendly. (*grin*)

I haven't had mine done yet but the idea really doesn't bother me because I know it has been done for decades to treat cancer and ulcers. So I just see it as if obesity is my cancer and I am having my cancer (obesity) cut out so I can be healthy again. The band hasn't been successful for most bandsters it is just a lousy surgery and bound to fail at some point!

I am in the process of considering a couple of types of WLS...POSE & the Gastric Sleeve.  I ruled out lap band after reading how many of them had complications within the first 5 years.  I actually think the sleeve in now considered the best option....go to YouTube ...there are many, many people who have had the sleeve posting there.  Hope everything goes better for you this time!!!

Gosh, I really, really, really struggled with the idea of cutting and removing my stomach (because of this, I almost had it folded like a burrito instead.  Thank God I back out in the final minutes).  But it has been such a blessing to have the burden of having to constantly satisfy my big ole stomach removed.

And my doc said things like "now you'll be like the rest of your girlfriends",  "now you have the stomach you wished you were born with".  Awesome!!!

 

All best!

I'm glad you pose this question.  As I move forward with the surgeons requirements as well as the insurance requirements for the sleeve, I ponder these same questions and thoughts. My band is still in and not working for me and I'm a few pounds over my band pre-op weight.  I'm miserable and I, too, don't know if another surgery is the answer.  I just know that the band is not the answer and being morbidly obese is definitely not the answer.    The moment of absolute certainty probably never arrives. We may just have to make the best decision possible and look forward with confidence and back without regrets. All the best. Please keep posting.