lookin' for VSG post-ops!! to "chime" in Would you do this again??

Yes, I would do it all again, and twice a year if needed. Glad I only needed to do it once. As to why I hang out here, I'd say that being overweight and having food issues is a huge part of my identity because I've never known anything different.. I don't think I will ever really relate to people on this topic as a "normal" person.

No matter what the scale says, I will always "think" like a fat person. I still have food issues and the surgery didn't fix that.. just gave me a fighting chance. So for me it's important to continue working on my attitude, behaviors, etc. I find that connecting with others keeps me from ostriching and isolating and being stuck in my issues.. instead I am actively working on them.

I think that continued support is a great way to be successful long term and the surgery can't do everything for me.. I still have to do my part. So no matter how great the surgery is there's still a usefulness to support groups. I feel understood here in a way that I don't experience in most other places.

 Would I do it again?? ABSO-FREAKIN-LUTELY!!!! Would I choose another surgery? NO deal!! It's VSG for Me!!! 

Even with the ups and downs.. mental games... frustrating moments.. I can look back and be honest with myself and say... THIS HASN"T BEEN THAT DIFFICULT. When else in my life have I lost 86lbs or 69 inches off my body? Never... 

I will be 5 months post op on 4/10.. Why do I keep coming back?? 

Because all of you have become my own little "cyber" family and you all give me strength for my journey and also give me **** just like a real family!! 

Also, soo many of you have me amazing advice.. even if some of it has literally been a swift kick in the ass... I want to also, "pay it forward" and share experiences with newbies starting their journeys. 

I would never choose any other form of WLS.  I am happy with my sleeve, and my ONLY regret is that I didn't have this done about 3 years before i finally did.

YES I WOULD DO THIS AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT!

Other than my wife and kids, this is the best thing I ever did for myself!

I would do it again also. I had decided to stay fat, not even considering weight loss surgery. After all, I only had 55 lbs to lose. I wasn't happy with my gradual weight gain; after all I did get to goal weight once about 15 years ago. Sound familiar?

Someone I knew from an internet site shared their weight loss surgery results...they were about my size. My first thought was that I would never do that. But I found that I asked a couple of questions and was interested in what I found. I didn't know there were different types of weight loss surgery. I found out about Dr Cirangle, and though I would just have a consultation and find out more about it. I had no intention on following though, just wanted to know more about the surgery. I had been reading here for a couple of weeks before my appointment and learned a lot about what entailed with the surgery and post-op. The appointment went well and I left not intending on scheduling surgery. About 2 weeks later, I called and started the process. Being a self pay since I had too little weight for my health insurance to cover the surgery, I scheduled my surgery, started all my pre-op labs, EKG, check xray, etc. My surgery was scheduled for June 9th....On June 8th in the afternoon, the doctor called and told me I had a parathyroid tumor found with the lab tests I had...I needed surgery to remove that tumor first.

That took a couple of months to schedule, repeat lab work with my PCP at Kaiser. Meanwhile, I put my VSG surgery on hold mentally. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go through 2 surgeries..... After my tumor was gone and I was recovering, I felt great. I started thinking about the VSG surgery again so emailed Dr Cirangle asking about rescheduling. He suggested I wait 3 weeks or so, and I rescheduled for 3 1/2 weeks after my parathyroid surgery.

2 surgeries in 3 1/2 weeks and my vocal cords were still messed up after the throat surgery. I could hardly talk. But I went through it. I think my recovery was more difficult because of the 2 surgeries....I felt like crap for the first month. I was very weak, but I was prepared...I had my protein drinks and other liquids ready.

From then, it's been uphill. My goal weight has changed 5 lbs....as I get closer I'll see where my body wants to stop. I;m wearing size 8 and have my 6s ready. I'm leaving on a 3 week to China where I'll be walking a lot....and I'm ready. I joined Curves about 6 weeks ago and noticed my muscles and body definition are changing for the better. It's all good. I'd do it again. I'm about to start attending the support group meetings in May...looking forward to it.

Great post Jimbo.  YES to the max I would do it again!  I wish I had this tool in my youth rather then in my 50's but what the hey, I've got it now.  Why do I still cruise the boards?  Accountability, camaraderie, wisdom.  Regulars on the maintenance board hear about EVERY time I slip up, I hear their ups and downs, we keep each other honest (except for one unnamed pizza eater!).  I had my surgery in Mexico, so I don't have a local support group.  This is my support group.  Hey, drunks have AA, druggies have NA, we need OH!!!!
Has my life changed since losing the weight????  More then I imagined.  I am a 55 year old jock now, and I love it.  I have hope for the future, which I lacked before,  I'm friendlier, I smile alot.  I am in charge now, where before I was a follower.  It's a goood thing! 

This question tends to be answered by newbs, since they are around more, all that is good, but search the board for folks who are 2 and 3 years out too - they have another side of the story that is not the WHEEEE I LOST WEIGHT!! part.  That part is good!!  yes!  But - its not the end!

I am nearly two years .  I have maintained for a year and a half. I am so incredibly thankful for the sleeve.  If I had felt I needed malabsorption, I definitely would have gone for the DS without hesitation.  WITHOUT!

so..that was good..

Now the reality of the situation.

I *DO* malabsorb/not retain/blow thru protein.  I found out at my yearly labs.  YOU NEED TO KEEP UP WITH YOUR LABS!!  Your regular PCP honestly probably does not have a clue about what your levels as a post op human ought to be.  YOU MUST BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE.

I take a BUNCH of vitamin supplements.  The money I save on food, probably goes to supplements, vitamin and protein.  I will need to drink protein drinks until forever, or my protein levels come back up. 
About the vitamins?  I probably should have been taking more than I was preop, truthfully.  About the protein malabsorption?  It would NOT have been a deal breaker.

My B12 and iron are in the toilet.  They were fine presurgery, so, this is just another reality and thing I have to keep up with.  AGAIN NOT A DEAL BREAKER!! 

Folks who are newly out will tell you they have no cravings for their old bad habit foods - THIS CHANGES THE FURTHER OUT YOU GET AND THE MORE LIFE SQUEEZES YOU!! 

They will tell you that the sleeve will keep their eating in check - YOU CAN EAT MUCH MUCH MORE THE FURTHER OUT YOU GET!!!  ESPECIALLY when you are eating carby foods, slider foods, or drinking your calories (booze n whatnot).

I, to maintain, eat over 2000 calories a day.  I do this eating multiple small meals a day - I do this manipulating the types of meat I eat and adding good fats.  I DO NOT DO THIS BY ADDING EASY PEAZY CARBOHYDRATES!!

IF I did?  I could EASILY eat GOOGOBS OF CALORIES!!  Yes!  and gain all my weight back YES! 

If you have emotional issues with food - you are going to have to work on them at some point - because if you have been leaning on food to get numb, and you no longer have it as an option?  Sometimes stuff gets ugly!  :}

All of those things - are they deal breakers?  Hells to the no! 

its like any relationship!  it changes, you change, your needs change, you need to compromise to make it work.

Some folks need to eat very small amounts, calorie wise to maintain.  I can and do eat more because I have built up muscle mass and exercise dilligently. 

Some folks *like me* are REALLY carb sensitive and need to NOT indulge in sweets or savory carbs very often because they cause binges.  Some folks can eat just a little of anything and lose and maintain! 

We all got here different ways, we all get to "goal" (whatever that is :} ) different ways, and we need to learn how to maintain the way we can SUSTAIN it!

If you have a huge issue with carbs and sweets, no surgery is going to help that, based on the surgery alone (not saying you do, just sayin, that is what it is). 

Malaborption - I malabsorb protein nutrients.  Not calories but nutrients.
Dumping - Some VSGers have what is VERY much like dumping, like the ROUX-EN-Y folks get, some on fats, some on sweets.  Not everyone, not all the time, but some folks.  But not every Roux-en-Y person gets it.

Anyway - I just wanted to give you a bigger picture than a lot of your zestfully groovus newer folks might can give you - and there are folks who are futher out, just in the next page or two who can share even more of a longer term big picture.  Do go to the bottom and go to pages, 2, 3, 4, 5, et cetera, because they might swoop in for a post or two and never come back, and its good to hear what they have to say!

Good luck to you on your journey!  This is a great place to learn things!

Edit to add - is everyone like me?  No!  But just know that you might be and be aware of possibilities!!

Even with the hassle (which is INSANELY MINIMAL!!!) that I need to go through to keep my iron, b12, protein stores up - none of that would have been a deal breaker!  I read through this whole freaking board and most folks were very "oh I only take a vitamin a day and all my labs are fine!!"
So!  I just wanted to say, that's not true for everyone, and folks who have even complications will later tell you - they, too, love their sleeve!

I wouldnt tell you I wish I had this sooner, cuz the honest truth is, maybe I wouldnt have had the *whatever* to deal with my head issues as consistently and well as I have now - but the truth is, I am THANKFUL for the chance to have had it, and get my tum back to "manufacturer standards" and have a chance to relearn how to deal with all the stuff I had been using food to not deal with!

Why do I stay?  Because my disease is in remission, my friend.  I am not cured.  I need help, I need TO help, this keeps me grounded, this keeps me real, this keeps me in touch with the truth about me, and not some truth that I have conjured up when I have not been squeezed by life for a period of time.

My recovery is not for me alone, it was at first, but the beauty of having earned a thing, and earning of thing is when you can walk next to someone and share that whatever the pit they are tromping through, however they feel, someone has felt like that, and the light at the other end of the tunnel DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A TRAIN!

And as far as out enjoying life?  Hells yes!  But I did that preop too!  If you think you cant post on here to be supported, and BE supportive, then you needs to work on your time management skillz!

Amen, amen, and amen!

DAAANNG!  that was long B! (I needed a "carby" snack just  to stay focused!)  Thanks for the honesty and insight!  I would also like to add.....the emotional/mind  part (struggles W/ "head" hunger,emotional eating, food addiction, etc.)   and the "carb"  thing (eating around the procedure/regain)  would apply to ALL  surgeries.....even the DS!  You are the "pay it forward" queen around here.......we ALL love you for that!   Thanks for the great reply.

Zero regrets, I saw the post and never replied because I got distracted and was probably running out the door to do something, or go have lunch with someone.

I stay around because I like to photo ***** and no one else understands how good it feels to reach certain milestones by clothing sizes. I kid, I kid (okay I am a photo ***** but I was one pre-op too). Y'all just wait until I start popping a baby bump ! ! !

In all honesty, I stick around because I need support, I need to know that I'm not alone, and I need to pay forward to all those that rallied around me through my tremendously extensive, and exhausting recovery with my revision. I would have been lost without OH during my research and recovery phase. I hated the band board, the revision board was a bunch of band to rny and rny to ERNY or DS so I couldn't find what I needed until I got here and started reaching out for help. I've beat a lot of the statistics, I've done it my way, and if someone can pull anything from my experience then I want to be here for them.

 I freakin love my sleeve!  This is absolutely, hands down the best thing I have ever done for myself, and this is coming from someone who was SELF-PAY AND could have had RNY or Lap-band covered by insurance... but NO.  I knew VSG was for me.  I only wish I was as good at knowing which one is "THE one" when it comes to men.  LOL!

Out living life?  Well, just because I still make time to post here does not mean that I did not perform a solo routine which I choreographed myself at a showcase a couple of weeks ago, went on a road trip, went to warrior dash (think obstacle race with costumes.... mud, sweat and beers) and then partied with friends after; that i am now getting ready to go to hoop dance class with a girlfriend, and planning sky diving and whale watching within the next two weeks.  

Personally, I don't know many people that live more life than that!  lol :)

Oh yes, all of which does not distract from my career, in which I am getting a ginormous pay raise effective in the next couple of weeks.  :D

Hey Congratulations ........on "living life!" ....and the raise!   You buyin' a "round"  for all your VSG peeps  to celebrate?