Ten Years Post-op (or close)

Hi,

I am looking for anyone who had VSG ten years ago (or close to it).

Are you still happy with your choice to have the sleeve?

I'm not aware of anyone here who is ten years out, but plenty of us are at about the three year mark, some closing in on four and five years.  In fact, I'm not sure they were doing the VSG as a weight loss surgery ten years ago.  Partial gastrectomies have, of course, been done for decades for things like ulcers and stomach cancer, and people do very well with tiny stomachs.

That said, 99% of us here love our sleeves!  Most of us who are struggling with a little weight regain (that includes me) are those of us who got back into the junk food.   The sleeve is a marvelous tool for weight loss and maintenance, but it is just that -- a tool.  We still have to eat sensibly and go easy on the junk carbs and sugar and be careful not to graze too many calories.

Keep reading here each day, and read on the main VSG board, too, and you will learn everything you need to know!
--Dorothy

 I only saw one that was 5 years and she was very happy still. I do not think the sleeve has been around for 10 years has it? I though this was a new thing at least that is what the insurance company tells us. It has only taken off in the past 5 years is what I have been told. 

Doc said VSG was only an approved WLS surgery as of 7 1/2 years ago. ...and if it was new then, I don't think you're going to find anyone at 10 years! You may find someone over at DS that had the first part of the DS but never the second part. Technically, they had a VSG, but may not view it as such.

Fifteen or so years ago, my mom had gastric surgery for severe ulcer. They had to remove 80% of her stomach, yet she recovered well and lived many years past the surgery. I lost my mom 2 years ago (nothing to do with that surgery) but when I needed WLS, the VSG seemed to me a familiar and logical way to go.

My surgeon has been doing them for 10 years. But the longest I've seen on OH is ThinLizzy who is 7 years out. (Same surgeon.) She just posted the other day here so she'll be back around soon. Also, this particular group is new so a lot of the old-timers who show up every couple of months may not know about it. I will send out a call to them to get them to come over here and post...

In general, there aren't a lot of people of any surgery type on OH who are more than about 7 years out. I think 2001 was just a different place and going to an online message board wasn't as common back then. Plus people fall off the farther out they get. Coming for support just isn't compelling for most people once they've lost their weight and are living their new thin life. But I digress...    

I am almost 3 years out. I have had a good experience with my VSG. I lost my weight quickly and I am maintaining pretty easily. I think I have a pretty normal life. If you didn't know I had surgery, I don't think you would be able to guess. The only thing I do differently from my friends is that after a big workout session when we go out to eat, I eat a lot less than they do. (But I'm also shorter than most of them.) I can't eat gobs of food at any one time, but I can eat enough to maintain while doing some pretty intense training for triathlons. I eat an average of 2000 calories a day, in fact.

I had one complication early on. I had a kidney stone from not drinking enough water and also using TUMS for my calcium. (Calcium carbonate increases the risk of kidney stones.) It was dumb, but not really VSG-related.

I have also had issues with my serum protein levels. They dropped immediately post-op and I haven't been able to get them to go back up. I can keep them at an okay level if I eat a lot of protein. My doctors aren't concerned though because the rest of my labs are great and I have no other signs of anything that low protein would cause. I'm obviously very fit and healthy. Also, over time, the amount of protein I have to eat to keep my hair from falling out (my personal indicator so I don't need to have blood drawn every 3 months) has gone down so I think whatever the issue is, I'm getting over it. I will find out if I'm cured for sure in Sept. when I have my annual labs drawn.

The thing is, pre-op, I could lose weight. I lost weight a few times  when I was motivated to do so. But as soon as I started eating again, I would become RAVENOUSLY hungry. So, no matter how much willpower I had (and I had a lot), I would start to eat again and gradually gain all my weight back. I was so hungry that I'd eat a full meal and half an hour later I'd be starving as if I hadn't eaten all day. It was horrible.

But, with the VSG, I have normal hunger. If I don't eat for a while and I feel hungry, I know I can just eat because it's real hunger I should listen to. I also very rarely get that starving, "if you don't eat something you'll die, I'm so hungry I could hunt down something, kill it with my bare hands and eat it raw" hunger. I have to not eat for a VERY long time and do some intense working out to get to that state. It's heavenly to be able to trust your body again. Not that I always do trust it -- that takes time -- but I'm starting too and it's put me in such a better place both mentally and physically that it's hard to imagine that other gal whose body lied to her constantly.

Only 4 years, my dear!
L.

 Okay, so who is 7 years out? It must be someone... 

I don't know! There were several people right around my time, like Rana, who's a few (maybe 6 mos?) further out. There was a woman on the boards then who is about 6 years out now, doing fine, but she doesn't post anymore. She's the longest one out that I know of...

Lizanne

Thanks for all of the responses!

My real question is: will I be happy ten years from now if I have VSG surgery?

I don't know if it is possible to answer that question...