OldAv8tor

I thought it was time to share a little of my experiences since having a VSG a year ago. Both my wife and I had the surgery, 19 days apart. To date I've lost 140 lbs while she has lost 120. Losing is not coming as easily now but we're still making progress towards our goals. We had the surgery at the Michigan Bariatric Institute in Livonia, Michigan. They have great doctors and a wonderful support team. I did have some complications after surgery (a touch of pneumonia and Fluid near the surgical site) which put me back in the hospital for a few days and required 20 days of IV antibiotics but everything resolved satisfactorily. The doc kidded me about screwing up his statistics. Living with the sleeve obviously required some adjustment but it was easier than I had imagined. Gone was appetite and cravings, which made it so much easier. I found I was perfectly happy with smaller portions and had no problem passing on french fries, Desserts and other high calorie foods that I used to love. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy food - I 'm just satisfied with less and tend to choose high quality versus high calorie. Even so, I haven't found any food that I can't tolerate. One of my biggest concerns was restaurants and social situations. I needn't have worried. We have just as much fun as we ever did. Often my wife and I will split a meal and even then take some home. The wait staff always looks worried, apparently thinking that there was something wrong with the food. We've learned to choose meals that make good leftovers and as a result, get more for our restaurant dollars. We have a camper van and on a 5 week tour of the west last fall we made good use of a little fridge and microwave that I installed. Speaking of our trip, one funny thing is that we lost enough weight during the trip that we didn't bring any of the outer garments home that we started with. They ended up dropped off at various Goodwill Retail stores which also supplied us with replacements. I was surprised at the quality of clothing available at such places and have found it a great way to replenish my closet without having to spend a lot of cash. To summarize life a year later - happy, healthy, active - enjoying life and looking forward to a future with possibilities. This afternoon I will go out and walk my dogs, ride my motorcycle and have dinner with friends. Life is good......

Thank you all for your kind comments. it wasn't always easy but the end result was worth it. I've always hated being on diets and assumed that living with the sleeve was going to be much the same. One of the wonderful surprises of the last year was to find out just how wrong I was. With the cravings gone and the appetite diminished I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. Indeed, after a year, it's hard to remember life ever being any different. I've adjusted to my new eating style and really don't think about it much. The surgery and it's aftermath was something that I had to get thru but now I simply live my life. I choose to look ahead rather than dwell on the past. For those of you who still aren't sure whether to go ahead.... all I can say is that I wish I'd found the courage to do it years ago.

Thanks. Me 30 her 20

My surgery went OK and I was out of the hospital two days after. A week later I went to see the doc for a post op check and to have my drain removed. The next day I spiked a temp of 101.7 and went to the ER. I apparently developed a touch of pneumonia in my lower left lung as well as a suspicious area of Fluid and inflammation near the surgical area. I spent 4 days in the hospital on IV antibiotics and am just completing a 20 day therapy of IV antibiotics administered at home. I go for a cat scan tomorrow to determine if things have cleared up. Other than that, I'm just learning how to eat again and trying to make sure I get the required nutrition.

I had my surgery March 31st - came home on April 2nd. All the other commenters made valid points but I thought I'd add a couple. One, you aren't supposed to be lifting much (my doc says no more than 10 lbs for a month) and he doesn't want me to drive until he clears me. Such activities put a strain on the surgery site and if a leak is going to develop it is most likely going to happen in the first 10 days or so. I see him on April 8th for a checkup and to have my drain removed. Hopefully after that time I'll be allowed to drive. Fortunately my wife is willing to do the lifting and driving for now. I haven't much pain except when I change position, but that is manageable. I am taking pain meds, which helps. I also don't have any appetite and I've had to force myself to take in the proper amount of nourishment. I'm sleeping fine (on my back) in my own bed although at first I was getting up every hour or so to use the bathroom. I suspect it was from the IV's because when I came home I weighed 12 lbs more than I did the morning of surgery. It took a couple of days to clear all that Fluid out. One thing I've noticed is that foods don't taste quite the same after as they did before. In my pre-op diet I was having sugar free Jello but now it tastes too sweet! I have also taken to watering down the juices I drink. Even Water tastes a little different if you can believe that. I don't know if changes in taste are temporary or not but they may effect what you can get down. I do want to compliment the doctor and hospital where I had my surgery. They have done hundreds of Bariatric procedures and have the pre and post care down pat. Dr. Tallal Zeni and the Michigan Bariatric Institute at St. Mary Mercy Hospital of Livonia.

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2005 and have used a CPAP since. My surgery is 3/31 and they told me to bring it with me for use in the hospital. If you have sleep apnea, one plus of losing weight is you may be able to quit using the CPAP eventually. Untreated sleep apnea is dangerous for a number of reasons, not the least being falling asleep behind the wheel and killing yourself and someone else. If you suspect you have sleep apnea I urge you to be tested. Using the CPAP and sleeping better has certainly improved my quality of life.

Ladies, I can relate to your concerns as to whether or not to "tell." In my opinion, those people you are close to need to know. If they are really your friends, they will support you. After all, you've made your decision and have moved into "the rest of your life" and if they want to be a part of it they better get on board. When it comes to telling someone you hope might become a "significant other," a similar rule applies. If they are spending time with you there must be some attraction already. If telling them causes them to back off, then there probably wasn't much future in the relationship anyway. In life, everyone has problems. What is important is how you deal with them. You should not see bariatric surgery as representing a failure on your part, just the opposite. If you have the courage to take the extreme step of bariatric surgery in order to take control of your life and health, then you deserve respect. You would certainly have mine. I would not find such a revelation to be off-putting at all. If anything, it would raise my opinion of you.:thumbup1:

After reading this section about hair loss I asked my doctor about it at our "meet the doctor and his staff" meeting yesterday. I was told that the reason why some people lose hair a few months after surgery is because of damage done to their hair follicles by the anesthesia used during surgery. The condition should be a temporary one. Add this info to the "for what it's worth" section. OldAv8tor

This is my first post. Both my wife and I are meeting with a surgeon next week to discuss bariatric surgery. We don't have much faith in lap band, and from what I have read VSG seems to avoid some of the issues with the more extreme Rouen-Y. My older brother had the Rouen-Y two years ago and has met his weight loss goal. He's urging me to stick with the "Gold Standard" which is of course the surgery he chose. I wonder if some of you would be willing to share why you chose to go with VSG? For what it is worth, I have more weight to lose than most of you, around 180 lbs.:thumbup: I've had weight problems my entire life and refuse to surrender the years I have left to obesity. Comments?

Your comments pretty much confirm the conclusion I had come to on my own. Nonetheless, it certainly makes me feel less alone when it comes to making such a life changing decision. It is heartening to hear from so many people who are satisfied with their choice and on the way to living life without the burden of having to deal with all the problems that accompany being overweight. Thanks to all and best of luck! OldAv8tor