I've lost 60 lbs, but it's not worth it.

Thanks! I'm gonna check out 3fatchicks now!

I'm very sorry you've had such a rough time, and I hope you are better soon.  Having said that, life is full of risks. That's why we listen to all the scary possible complications and give 'informed consent' prior to surgery -- INFORMED being the operative term, no pun intended.  

It's all about balance risk and reward.  I would have this surgery again in a heartbeat.  I chose my surgeon after extensive research, and I decided to have surgery after careful personal reflection. You're hurting, and I appreciate that, but that doesn't give you carte blanche to judge and/or denigrate the others or their reasons for having surgery.

absolutely krazydoglady!  the balance of risk and reward.  something we should all write on paper!

Sleeved Life:  i don't use tea leaves to make my decisions lol.  they type of 'signs' i mean are the ones  to help me realize whether or not i'm doing this for my health or maybe a bit too much for vanity. 

the health side makes me want to do this 'yesterday'...

the vanity side makes me think 'is elective surgery so i can look better and feel more confident to leave my house the best person i can be worth the risk?' 

this story of a lady who is having complications, the words written about just wanting to look good and only doing it for this reason made my vanity side feel like "NO". 

but what happened to my dad made me say "YES". 

does that make sense?  lol. 

i get what you are saying though and i agree about taking charge of your decision.  i think once i get there i will be 100% sure with my choice (whatever it is).  my family doctor suggested it to me, and he supports my choice to go to mexico to see dr. aceves.  so i'm very grateful to have him on my side. 

this post made me feel a bit ashamed for wanting to look prettier. 

sorry for the sidetrack !!

Yes, you totally make sense!  This is a really hard decision, and I personally think that someone *****ally struggles with the decision understands the seriousness of it.  So, your indecision is really a good thing!  It took me several years of debating and researching and trying a few more "one last diet"s before I finally felt ready to move ahead with surgery. 

By the way, it's OK to want to "look better".  There isn't anything wrong with that at all, and it's a completely valid reason to be weighed into this decision.  "Vanity" is sort of a loaded word, but really wanting to fit in, to feel comfortable in your own skin, to be accepted or even admired for how you look isn't immoral.  It's part of being a social creature, part of being human. :) 

Good luck with your decision.  Reading the boards here (which I did for years before joining with my own account) was helpful to me in really wrapping my mind around things.   

I think I am going to be the one to jump on you.  I do feel bad for you for having such a bad experience.  I am SO very grateful that I had no complications from my surgery.  But it is surgery.  There are always risks.  Unfortunately you were in that low percent who had a lot of them.  But for you to flat out tell people not to have the surgery is just wrong.  And then to accuse us all of doing it for "vanity" is just downright bitter.  Yes, I wanted to look better.  I wanted to be able to look in the mirror without hating myself and feeling ashamed and like a failure.  But I wanted to FEEL better, too.  I wanted to be able to walk around and not get winded after a short time.  I wanted to be able to visit my nieces and nephew and do fun things and not just sit around and watch TV.  Was I ready to risk my life to change that?  YES!  And I'd do it again.  The way I saw it I was dying a slow miserable death and it wasn't going to change without the surgery. 

Yes this site makes money from advertisements.  It has to so that it can keep running.  Almost all websites of any type do that! 

I do hope that once you are recovered and getting to live a normal (post VSG) life that you will find peace and maybe even decide that in spite of all you went through, that in the end it was worth it.

Best wishes to you.

you rock cabcab!

hey can you PM me at our leisure with some info on your experience with Alvarez?  he's my other choice but i haven't been able to talk to many who used them.  I'd appreciate it.

okay back on topic.

 Sorry to hear about all the issues you face and continue to face.  It is a sobering reminder the risks are real.  You mention vanity being the driver or a driver for getting bariatric surgery.  I guess everybody would like to look better, but there are real risks not to have surgery.  The risks of not having surgery has to be weighed against having surgery.  My risk is obesity related health issues.  I won't bother listing all of them, but most are right at my door and some have even started.  This is a life or death choice for me.  I'm not a great statistician, but I think the risk of having serious issues or even death due to surgery is much less than the near certainty of diabetes, heart disease, and death due to being obese. 

I hope you continue to post about your issues. I would really like to know how things turn out.  I'd like to know if things continue to get worse or if your health starts to recover at some point. 

My sympathies are with you and I hope you have a full recovery.

I do know 100% what you are going through. I had VSG three years ago last week, i was 350Lbs and am now 185Lbs. I had a leak and nearly died over Christmas 2009. If i had my time over i would do it again in a heartbeat and maybe you will feel the same in time.

I couldn't walk down the street without stopping I now run ultra marathons for fun. I can play with my kids. I can buy clothes i like not just the ones that fit.
I can sleep at night and i'm not going to get Diabetes.

I wish you all the best and a speedy recovery.

Mike