sister had vbloc surgery..now

So, my sister has done EVERYTHING to try to loose weight. She has had mini success stories but always puts the weight back on. So about a year ago she decided she wanted to have the lap band or gastric bypass. So she goes through the entire process and is then told  her insurance would not cover weight loss surgery. So she was so depressed. Then she heard about the new experimental weight loss surgery called vblock. They implant a chip inside her and it is suppose to send electrical waves to the brain to tell you, your not hungry. So she goes through the surgery (she had some yucky complications) and now they go to turn the device on and it literally shocks her insides. She is too sensitive to the elctrodes and now its going to do her no good because they cant keep it on. Now I go in this Monday to have the gastric bypass surgery and feel sooooo guilty! I know its not my fault. I know she wants me to be healthy. I just dont want to be loosing all this weight while she still struggles. I am just so sad for her and worried about her mental well being. Please pray for my sister Erin. I just dont know what to do for her or say. I wish I could make it all better for her.

Prayers coming your way for your sister. I had a similiar situation with my best friend. I was always the heavy one, she was always the size 1. Well she gained alot of weight, with havin a child years ago, getting comfortable in a great marriage. So then I get my date for surgery. We decided that she would do the liquid pre op diet with me. She did 2 shakes a day and 1 meal. Now that I am post op, she is still doing protein shakes, with more healthier food and eats slightly more than me. She has drastically changed her grocery shopping habits and has increased her exericise. We even do things together now. She wasn't "big" enough for the surgery but it's like we did it as a buddy system. In the 5 1/2 weeks since my pre op, she has lost 20 something pounds. Encourage your sister to follow in some of your new life style foot prints. Do this together. It can only benefit the both of you. Best of luck!

You know, I was that sister whose insurance would not cover the surgery. While I watched her lose all of the weight, I was a little bit bitter, a little bit angry, and a little bit jealous. I was also annoyed with her a lot for talking about it ALL THE TIME. But in the end, I was still amazed and proud at her success. Never so much as when she showed me a group photo from some meet and greet and I could not pick HER out of the crowd. It's unfortunate that your sister has had a tough time of things. I don't know the first thing about this v-bloc therapy, but perhaps they can adjust it down so that it's not shocking her so badly. Maybe at some point in the future she will have insurance that covers WLS. If it is supposed to happen, it will. I think I'm proof of that. (I eventually had surgery anyhow, though I was self-pay... or I guess in my case, Dad-pay. ) For the time being, all you can do is help and support one another. There is NO WAY you should feel guilty about having something done that she can't do right now. I think that guilt might end up sabotaging YOU in the end, and then no one wins.

Best of luck!

Very, very good replies from both these ladies.  I think Theresa's plan of including Erin in your journey is a good one & one that could work.  The trick is that SHE has to be receptive to it.  You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.  Hopefully, once she recovers from the initial dissappointment, she will jump on the wagon with you & lose too.  You have nothing to feel guilty over.  There are two separate yet equally important journeys going on here so don't lose sight of that fact.  First & foremost, to thine own self be true.  And no need to take on the extra burden for things not within your control nor which you are responsible for.  It's not your fault that the gizzmo isn't working right.  Frankly, I'm curious as to what's gonna happen now?  Are they just gonna leave the thing in there or remove it?  I truly hope that Erin will become your buddy in the journey, but don't be surprised if you get the same response as Little One mention...the initial resentment.  Maybe by seeing you succeed at losing weight, it will motivate her to do what she can to improve her quality of life.  Encourage her, but don't shove it down her throat, ya know what I mean.  In the meantime, you enjoy Monday as much as possible cuz you're in for an amazing, challenging journey.

Thank you guys so much for your response. I still sit here crying. She is still seeing a nut and on a diet so she will loose, just alot slower. Her dr is Dr Maher out of VCU. He is going to set another appt next week and go from there. I think she will continue nut and exercising. She goes to VCU and they have a gym there that she can go to.

Prayers coming your way!  I love Theresa's reply and think you should talk to Erin about doing it together.  :)  Hugs!

It was funny, she read the board and called me right away. She is the one that got me on obesityhelp. I am so proud of her. She is still going to go to the nut and try to do it on her own. She is so strong, I know she can do it. And if Erin is reading this- dont be embarassed. We are all here to support you even though you dont have a tool yet!

Prayers coming her way.

I think we all know people that we wish could do this journey with is bit for various reasons they can't and for them to be a little resentful initially quite natural I think. And your sister can learn from you nutrutionally to eat what is better for her while she waits for the doctor to look at her and see why the V-bloc is not working the way they think it ought to. It has been successful in other countries apparently but  I believe iy not authorized for use over here - so I think it is still pretty experimental. I hope they can give her some answers other than insurance won't cover any of her options. Good luck to you both! And extra good luck for surgery on Monday! Jackie