I don't see a Sunday Weigh-in for this week. So I will start one.

Last week 189.6

This week 188.0

SLOW AND STEAD WINS THE RACE.....or at leas I hope so!!

Hi Scott,

Exactly my thoughts on this! I am sure many people kept it and have been fine. I would be keen to hear from VSGers who had some stones but chose not to remove the GB. How has it been for you?

Thanks 

Phacops 

Hi Scott,

Thanks for your reply and the encouragement provided. I know the surgery will be good in the long run as health issues are starting to appear now. If there is something that keeps popping up on this forum is people wishing they had done it sooner! I dont want be on the same boat 15 years down the line..  

Re the GB - it is good to hear you had yours removed and have had no issues. I had been reading the GB posts before I wrote mine and there is no denying that GB problems are very frequent after WLS. My point is: in many cases stones develop as a result of losing weight and if there was a way to remove the stones without removing the GB shouldn't that be an option for patients to consider? I know I can live my life without the GB but I can also live without an arm or a leg but I don't really want to! Surgeons remove kidney stones all the time and try to fix organs whenever possible so why wouldn't they do the same with the GB? Aside from the 2 small stones my GB is healthy, not infected and does not give me pain. Therefore, removing it "just in case" is something I dont feel entirely comfortable with. I know removing  it is standard practice and most in the medical community agree but some doctors disagree with this and would prefer to monitor it yearly and perhaps remove at a later stage if problems develop... Also, some people who had it removed complain about permanent diarrhea for the rest of their lives. 

I guess it is my decision to make but at the moment removing it "just in case" does not sit right with me. 

Thanks a lot for your input

Phacops

Day late, been a little crazy here. Need to manage time better, but getting better at having the fridge stocked and some little bags of snacks to grab and go

B protein coffee

2nd breakfast fried egg on half an english muffin

L 4 ounces chicken breast and a couple of small pickles

S 1 oz almonds with 3/4 ounce 88% dark chocolate

D half a cabbage roll and 2 ounces kielbasa 

Vites done

miles none

water 48 oz

Hi everyone!

It has been a while since I wrote this post and I thought I'd give you an update of where I am. After my second VSG surgery consultation I decided to cool the surgery thoughts off for  while longer and think it through. At the same time I went for a full health check up with the idea that if everything came good then perhaps that would help me in making a decision against the surgery. Anyway, the check up was not too bad but I have slightly high colesterol and sugar levels, an enlarged and fatty liver and a couple of 1cm gallstones in my gallbladder. These are all as a result of my weight I was told. Doctor also said I am obese class II and need to lose a minimum of 90 lbs. By the check up time my BMI had risen to 36. Further, I have recently  been experiencing coxis pain after I spend long hours sitting in front of the computer or after riding my bike. This is very debilitating and I believe it is also related to my weight as well... On top of all the above I've recently realised that I just hate looking at myself in the mirror and end up avoiding doing so. Being overweight makes me unhappy and prevents me from doing certain activities as I feel I will get hot and sweaty and don't want people seeing me like that.

Anyway, as a result of the above I have made the decision to go ahead with the VSG surgery and 2 days ago I paid a 10% deposit to lock the dates (20th Jan) and I also booked 2 weeks off work. It was a bittersweet moment with very mixed emotions. On the one hand I was happy I was taking control of the situation and trying to fix my problem but on the other hand I felt defeated. I have lost the weight battle I have been fighting for over 20 years. I cried. Such a drastic decision I am taking, removing 80% of my stomach... I am scared too and I really hope this works and it is worth the physical pain I will be experiencing. Of course I am going to give it my 100% and have already bought 3 VSG books to learn as much as I can with regards to the op, foods and new lifestyle I will be having. I live in Thailand where I don't have the luxury of having support groups or good therapists.

Anyway, because of my health screening my surgeon has recommended to remove my gallbladder at the same time. His reasoning is that I will develop more stones after I lose the weight and we better take it out now just in case it creates problems down the line (he said 50% of his patients develop them). He has offered to remove it for free and included in the cost of the VSG surgery which is nice but I am having concerns about removing it. People say you can live without it but there are side effects which can happen. Also I feel it is wrong to remove a perfectly functioning organ that gives me no pain? What are your thoughts on this? 

I have found that in China it is possible to have a laparoscopic operation to remove your stones without removing the gallbladder and many Westerners have gone there to successfully remove then. Some people claim the stones never came back but other say they did after a few years. Since I am convinced my stones developed as a result of my weight loss and gain over the past years I was thinking that perhaps I would have VSG, loose the weight and then go to China to remove the stones? Hopefully they won't appear again and I will have kept my GB.

Anyway, that is all I got for now. Until the surgery date I will keep reading and watching youtube videos which I find incredibly helpful.  Thanks all for reading the above.

All the best
Phacops