I'm Sad

Hi,

I am a 15 year poster and noticed when I came back after my revision that things were much slower than they used to be. I suspect the reason it slowed down so much is that at least in the case of VSG (I am a former VSGer) it is a set and go operation that doesn't require much maintenance down the road. Second, there are lots of options now available for local support groups and other internet resources. Last, just an opinion with no real factual basis. Lots of insurance companies are not covering bariatric surgery anymore so it is possible that the numbers of patients have decreased?

Not sure about insurance coverage, but the rate of baroatric surgery is actually on the rise in recent years:

https://asmbs.org/resources/estimate-of-bariatric-surgery-numbers#

Sorry but I disagree about VSG being a "set and go operation that doesn't require much maintenance down the road" (no such thing). It may be true that issues related to malabsorption are less, but we still need support to maintain our weight and we still need to supplement with vitamins. I RELY on OH for maintenance. I probably could have lost the weight without the support, but I would be struggling mightily now without it.

HI Liz,

Wasn't trying to minimize maintenance with VSG, but compared to the lapband and the RNY my vsg was much easier all around. But I was a decade younger :) Everything was easier then....!!!

Lapband was constant doc visits, fills, unfills , lack of restriction, too much restriction etc... My RNY has been tough from recovery, food intolerances , vitamins and iron maintenance.

All sustained weight loss requires diligence, long term maintenance and care otherwise weight gain and vitamin deficiencies are inevitable.

Got it! Thanks for the clarification!

I see it as a symptom of insurance companies moving to exclude bariatric surgeries from their plans as if obesity isn't a medical issue.

I think it has pretty much nothing to do with the number of bariatric surgeries and everything to do with the fact that message boards/forums are out of favor compared to social media. If you go out to Facebook and look for support groups you will find a ton of them that have 10,000+ members and umpteen million posts per day. Personally, though, I find those groups to be less about genuine support and more about primping egos and telling everyone it'll be 'okay'. That's why I choose to be here, even if the population is smaller.

I agree support groups on FB tend to have a lot of crap to weed through. Lots of lame questions that were answered two posts previously. There is little to no organization and lots of terrible advice. I was spending a lot of time on the Keto support groups and one of the admins kicked me off because she was debating with me on whether fat was important on keto and referenced one of the "gurus", when I responded with a post from that same guru about how important fat was, she banned me. So lots of silly stuff going on.

On here other than a few odd incidents its mostly just disagreements among various surgeons programs. So this is a much more valuable resource than anything I have seen on FB.

I agree with you Erin. Also it is amazing how many truly uninformed people give advice on social media such as saying it is okay to go off the pre-op diet, etc.

A little positivity from a new gal.

I was not here years ago but I enjoy this tool more then any other. I have learned so much from the members that have helped me try and prepare for the best and worst.

Everyone has been very kind and answered my questions and I have enjoyed all the tips and tricks. I have not had this much luck with fb groups or etc so I left them.

Thank you for all that check and encourage us all everyday.

Penny