VSGKirk

Hey Jon - VSG is the single best decision I have made in my life! I am down 41 lbs since my first consult with my surgeon in November 2012. I was sleeved on January 3rd and have said goodbye to 25 lbs in less than a month. Each day I feel better and better. You've come to the right place for information and support. Welcome!

I'm great! I have been extremely fortunate to have had a very smooth recovery - I think a lot of it has to do with being uber compliant and really absorbing all of the information that my surgeon and nutritionist have provided to me both pre/post op. I have a YouTube channel where you can follow my journey - search VSG KIRK I haven't been THIS happy in a very very long time.

Sure thing Deb! When you hear those words "You're all done" - I promise, you won't stop smiling (and it won't be from all the drugs!)

Congrats! You'll be ready for the summer for sure. Keep up the great work!

No extension will definitely be a MAJOR NSV for me. I used to love flying, but in the past few years I've become so uncomfortable about the whole experience that I get very anxious about it. I am looking forward to people not looking at me with fear and dread, hoping I am not assigned to the seat next to them! LOL

Stick to your pre-op diet, get used to taking Protein drinks and smaller portions - it helps make the transition less drastic. I spent alot of time watching You Tube videos of people who have documented their journeys and found it be help ease any concerns I had and actually ramped up my excitement to be on the other side of surgery! Wrap you mind around this as much as you can, because that is where the challenge is going to be. The surgery, that's the easy part!

Chubby chasers - people who are only into chubby people

Land and sea border crossings into Mexico only require the passport card.

And how fun is it going to be to walk into the office for a "big reveal"!???

1 week post-op

Hey Guys, Just wanted to give you all a heads-up if you are pre-op and come back with unusually high or borderline high levels of Iron in your blood. My surgeon, although noted the elevated level, was not concerned. As they were inflating my abdomen, it triggered a vagus nerve response that actually stopped my heart. They introduced Atropine and I came back. They waited a few minutes and decided to proceed with the surgery once consulting with other physicians and a cardiologist. Everyone seemed completely baffled by the phenomenon, especially since all of my pre-surgery test came back so strong. When I reminded the doctor that my iron levels were unusually high and mentioned that my father has been diagnosed with hemochromatosis, a light bulb went off for him. The iron deposited in my heart has messed with it's circuitry. I've had no post-op complications and have healed remarkably well (returning to work 7 days post-op), but I have appointment up the keester with cardiologists and hematologists to get this blood disorder under control. Moral to the story - be informed, disclose all of your family medical history (even if you don't think it's relevant), get tested if you have a close family member diagnosed and don't be afraid to ask questions! Thanks!

View my profile and click on galleries

Don't be scared - it's okay to be a little scared (it is surgery) but I can tell you that you'll forget all about it post-op! I still go out to eat with my partner (he can eat anything) and I just eat what I can and talk and talk and talk and talk, LOL Don't hesitate to reach out - we're here for you!

They shaved me while I was knocked-out. For me, the toughest part of recovery is the itchiness of the hair growing back in. Alas, it's growing back in nicely!

I have a lot of 3X short-sleeved collared buttoned down shirts (mostly plaids) and 50" and 52" cargo shorts if anyone is interested!

We went out to dinner for my partner's 30th birthday last night (Italian) - I ordered a cup of Soup (ate about 1/3 of it) and 1 meatball (ate 1/2 of it) - took the rest home. The waitress was really understanding when I told her I had recently had surgery and would need to order such a small item.

Each day you are going to notice substantial improvements! I had a few "oh my god, what have I done to myself" moments a few days post op, but it just keeps getting better and better!

I posted a picture of mine on a table - it's in my gallery

All the nurses were drooling over my partner in the pre and post op areas. I was truly the most envied man in the place - but they were all extremely nice to me and would constantly give me mental high-fives every time he'd come back to visit. Sounds like you came out the winner on this one and I'm sure she'll never make that mistake again!

2 Weeks and 3 days post-op - doing way better than expected. I returned to work 7 days post-op. Life almost back to normal. Treated myself to an actual sliding medical scale that should arrive next week. Glad to see you all here and active!

I would like to find someone as well, but there doesn't seem to be many men here - but hey, if you have big husbands that can use my old clothes, I'd be happy to give them up!

I had my surgery at Puget Sound Surgical Center with Dr. Crouthamel. The staff there has been phenomenal and Dr. Crouthamel has been extremely communicative both pre-post surgery. I am so glad I did this. I am self-pay and my cost was approximately $16k.

Hey guys - I've been with my partner for 9 years (he's 15 years younger than me, french cajun creole and latino, power lifter , muscle boy) so needless to say, he is the one used to getting all the attention in the relationship. People would literally look at us and no matter how hard they tried to hide it (or not) could not figure out why he would be into a chub bear like me. The reality is, someone who truly loves you is going to love you even more when you are happy and healthy. If they are threatened by that, then they weren't the right person for you after all. That said, if I turn frail or sickly looking or manorexic, yeah, I can see why my partner may not be too turned on by that. But what I'm pretty sure of is that the better I feel about myself and the more stamina I have in the sack, he is going to be one happy guy