arrivan

I was 100% up straight and honest. I spent almost 9 months jumping through the insurance hoops and navigating the program. I found an amazing well of support from many of the people around me that continues to this day. I also found that being honest was one less emotional burden for me to carry around.

So at my highest weight I was 509. I had become a complete recluse at that point. Other than going to my job I always had an excuse to not go to any of my families gatherings, my kids school stuff, anything. I understand your hesitation especially in social situations where everyone is looking their best. Personally going out into these situations was like shining a spotlight on everything I didn't like about myself, and so I avoided it all. Post surgery I still find myself thinking like that sometimes. It's a struggle, to balance those negative voices in your head. I can tell you I regret everything I missed out on. At the same time, it probably wouldn't have been good on my mental health to try and muscle through it all.

It's a journey for a reason, only you can decide what your ready for. What I learned about the process is that my true friends were patient and were happy to wait for me to be ready to take the next steps.

So at the seven month mark and I have lost a fair bit of weight and while I never considered myself super hairy before as I shrink my back hair and body hair in general seems to be condensing. So not only do I have some gnarly excess skin but I look like Sasquatch. I am hesitant to wax given the excess skin has anyone got any advice? Anyone try laser hair removal?

I was 100% up straight and honest. I spent almost 9 months jumping through the insurance hoops and navigating the program. I found an amazing well of support from many of the people around me that continues to this day. I also found that being honest was one less emotional burden for me to carry around.

I've embraced talking about the surgery AS PART of a lifestyle change. I've actually had a few coworkers pursue the surgery after seeing my success with it.
I'm not sure why some are so ashamed to discuss surgery. I see it as an opportunity to better educate people and perhaps help a few with their own struggles along the way. No shame in my game.

Its been 5 months since my surgery and i have lost 95lbs. I would have never imagined this much weight to come off before i had the surgery. I am so happy. This is a short post. Just wanted to share my happiness with all of you.

So at my highest weight I was 509. I had become a complete recluse at that point. Other than going to my job I always had an excuse to not go to any of my families gatherings, my kids school stuff, anything. I understand your hesitation especially in social situations where everyone is looking their best. Personally going out into these situations was like shining a spotlight on everything I didn't like about myself, and so I avoided it all. Post surgery I still find myself thinking like that sometimes. It's a struggle, to balance those negative voices in your head. I can tell you I regret everything I missed out on. At the same time, it probably wouldn't have been good on my mental health to try and muscle through it all.

It's a journey for a reason, only you can decide what your ready for. What I learned about the process is that my true friends were patient and were happy to wait for me to be ready to take the next steps.

Finally becoming the me I always wanted to b. Surgery was in Oct 2017. Best decision I ever made. Feeling confident and beautiful.   
Sent from my LG-M150 using BariatricPal mobile app

I don't regret it for a moment. Literally the best thing I could have done. I remember being a week out and nervous as could be constantly thinking "What am I about to do to myself". Honestly, the best advice I could give would be to stop reading the horror stories online. I went in on June 10th 2019. I waited in pre-surgery for what seemed like forever which they gave me Water and Tylenol. The docs came out and told me what was going to happen and then a short while later I was wheeled in to the room. It was chaos, but the nurse who had been with me stayed by my side. I was in the room for maybe three minutes when they said we just gave you something that's going to make you sleepy. That was it. Out like a light. I woke up in recovery and I was sore but not in incredible pain. Still groggy I slept off and on until about midnight when I had the gas pains in the shoulder and neck that I had been warned about.

The night nurse was great, she came and walked me every half hour and every time I walked the pain lessened. I spent most of the night walking, eating Popsicles and drinking water. (I hate Jello but it was available)

Swallowing hurt at first but it was similar to strep throat. Not impossible or agonizing. By noon time the next day I just wanted to go home. I felt okay and was ready to be free from the boring hospital room.

For the first few weeks I slept in a recliner rather than my bed because the incisions were uncomfortable when I laid down. Not horrible pain but nagging enough to keep me awake. My wife set up Protein Shakes in shot glasses in the fridge so every hour or so I would get up and walk around and take a shot. I moved on to Soups and finally that first scrambled egg meal was the best. I ate a lot of single egg omelets with cheese. In fact, my wife says I got so good at making omelets in the first thirty days that she'll put my omelets against any Breakfast joint in town.

The hardest part was coping with not eating with everyone else when I returned to work and social outings. That and staying in clothes that fit. Thrift stores became my best friend as I was dropping a pant size every couple weeks at first.

A lot of people are put off as they feel others treat them differently as they lose weight and it becomes a mental barrier for them. For me, I completely understood because I was treating myself differently. I wasn't the same as I was before. My normal just isn't the same as it was before, but it's better. My quality of life has improved so much since June. I run now. Not like just a little. I run 3-4 times a week. Miles at a time. Before I could barely walk .3 of a mile. My confidence is through the roof and I actually like buying new clothes. I can go out and do things I was afraid to do before. So of course the people around me are treating me differently. I am different.

Will you ever feel like the normal you felt before? Probably not, but if you're like me your normal from before felt pretty bad. The new normal will be worth every second of discomfort and struggle.

P.S. If your surgeons office offers support groups. Do it.

P.S.S Take lots of pictures, you'll regret not having them later as you reach the big milestones.

I don't regret it for a moment. Literally the best thing I could have done. I remember being a week out and nervous as could be constantly thinking "What am I about to do to myself". Honestly, the best advice I could give would be to stop reading the horror stories online. I went in on June 10th 2019. I waited in pre-surgery for what seemed like forever which they gave me Water and Tylenol. The docs came out and told me what was going to happen and then a short while later I was wheeled in to the room. It was chaos, but the nurse who had been with me stayed by my side. I was in the room for maybe three minutes when they said we just gave you something that's going to make you sleepy. That was it. Out like a light. I woke up in recovery and I was sore but not in incredible pain. Still groggy I slept off and on until about midnight when I had the gas pains in the shoulder and neck that I had been warned about.

The night nurse was great, she came and walked me every half hour and every time I walked the pain lessened. I spent most of the night walking, eating Popsicles and drinking water. (I hate Jello but it was available)

Swallowing hurt at first but it was similar to strep throat. Not impossible or agonizing. By noon time the next day I just wanted to go home. I felt okay and was ready to be free from the boring hospital room.

For the first few weeks I slept in a recliner rather than my bed because the incisions were uncomfortable when I laid down. Not horrible pain but nagging enough to keep me awake. My wife set up Protein Shakes in shot glasses in the fridge so every hour or so I would get up and walk around and take a shot. I moved on to Soups and finally that first scrambled egg meal was the best. I ate a lot of single egg omelets with cheese. In fact, my wife says I got so good at making omelets in the first thirty days that she'll put my omelets against any Breakfast joint in town.

The hardest part was coping with not eating with everyone else when I returned to work and social outings. That and staying in clothes that fit. Thrift stores became my best friend as I was dropping a pant size every couple weeks at first.

A lot of people are put off as they feel others treat them differently as they lose weight and it becomes a mental barrier for them. For me, I completely understood because I was treating myself differently. I wasn't the same as I was before. My normal just isn't the same as it was before, but it's better. My quality of life has improved so much since June. I run now. Not like just a little. I run 3-4 times a week. Miles at a time. Before I could barely walk .3 of a mile. My confidence is through the roof and I actually like buying new clothes. I can go out and do things I was afraid to do before. So of course the people around me are treating me differently. I am different.

Will you ever feel like the normal you felt before? Probably not, but if you're like me your normal from before felt pretty bad. The new normal will be worth every second of discomfort and struggle.

P.S. If your surgeons office offers support groups. Do it.

P.S.S Take lots of pictures, you'll regret not having them later as you reach the big milestones.

I don't regret it for a moment. Literally the best thing I could have done. I remember being a week out and nervous as could be constantly thinking "What am I about to do to myself". Honestly, the best advice I could give would be to stop reading the horror stories online. I went in on June 10th 2019. I waited in pre-surgery for what seemed like forever which they gave me Water and Tylenol. The docs came out and told me what was going to happen and then a short while later I was wheeled in to the room. It was chaos, but the nurse who had been with me stayed by my side. I was in the room for maybe three minutes when they said we just gave you something that's going to make you sleepy. That was it. Out like a light. I woke up in recovery and I was sore but not in incredible pain. Still groggy I slept off and on until about midnight when I had the gas pains in the shoulder and neck that I had been warned about.

The night nurse was great, she came and walked me every half hour and every time I walked the pain lessened. I spent most of the night walking, eating Popsicles and drinking water. (I hate Jello but it was available)

Swallowing hurt at first but it was similar to strep throat. Not impossible or agonizing. By noon time the next day I just wanted to go home. I felt okay and was ready to be free from the boring hospital room.

For the first few weeks I slept in a recliner rather than my bed because the incisions were uncomfortable when I laid down. Not horrible pain but nagging enough to keep me awake. My wife set up Protein Shakes in shot glasses in the fridge so every hour or so I would get up and walk around and take a shot. I moved on to Soups and finally that first scrambled egg meal was the best. I ate a lot of single egg omelets with cheese. In fact, my wife says I got so good at making omelets in the first thirty days that she'll put my omelets against any Breakfast joint in town.

The hardest part was coping with not eating with everyone else when I returned to work and social outings. That and staying in clothes that fit. Thrift stores became my best friend as I was dropping a pant size every couple weeks at first.

A lot of people are put off as they feel others treat them differently as they lose weight and it becomes a mental barrier for them. For me, I completely understood because I was treating myself differently. I wasn't the same as I was before. My normal just isn't the same as it was before, but it's better. My quality of life has improved so much since June. I run now. Not like just a little. I run 3-4 times a week. Miles at a time. Before I could barely walk .3 of a mile. My confidence is through the roof and I actually like buying new clothes. I can go out and do things I was afraid to do before. So of course the people around me are treating me differently. I am different.

Will you ever feel like the normal you felt before? Probably not, but if you're like me your normal from before felt pretty bad. The new normal will be worth every second of discomfort and struggle.

P.S. If your surgeons office offers support groups. Do it.

P.S.S Take lots of pictures, you'll regret not having them later as you reach the big milestones.

I don't regret it for a moment. Literally the best thing I could have done. I remember being a week out and nervous as could be constantly thinking "What am I about to do to myself". Honestly, the best advice I could give would be to stop reading the horror stories online. I went in on June 10th 2019. I waited in pre-surgery for what seemed like forever which they gave me Water and Tylenol. The docs came out and told me what was going to happen and then a short while later I was wheeled in to the room. It was chaos, but the nurse who had been with me stayed by my side. I was in the room for maybe three minutes when they said we just gave you something that's going to make you sleepy. That was it. Out like a light. I woke up in recovery and I was sore but not in incredible pain. Still groggy I slept off and on until about midnight when I had the gas pains in the shoulder and neck that I had been warned about.

The night nurse was great, she came and walked me every half hour and every time I walked the pain lessened. I spent most of the night walking, eating Popsicles and drinking water. (I hate Jello but it was available)

Swallowing hurt at first but it was similar to strep throat. Not impossible or agonizing. By noon time the next day I just wanted to go home. I felt okay and was ready to be free from the boring hospital room.

For the first few weeks I slept in a recliner rather than my bed because the incisions were uncomfortable when I laid down. Not horrible pain but nagging enough to keep me awake. My wife set up Protein Shakes in shot glasses in the fridge so every hour or so I would get up and walk around and take a shot. I moved on to Soups and finally that first scrambled egg meal was the best. I ate a lot of single egg omelets with cheese. In fact, my wife says I got so good at making omelets in the first thirty days that she'll put my omelets against any Breakfast joint in town.

The hardest part was coping with not eating with everyone else when I returned to work and social outings. That and staying in clothes that fit. Thrift stores became my best friend as I was dropping a pant size every couple weeks at first.

A lot of people are put off as they feel others treat them differently as they lose weight and it becomes a mental barrier for them. For me, I completely understood because I was treating myself differently. I wasn't the same as I was before. My normal just isn't the same as it was before, but it's better. My quality of life has improved so much since June. I run now. Not like just a little. I run 3-4 times a week. Miles at a time. Before I could barely walk .3 of a mile. My confidence is through the roof and I actually like buying new clothes. I can go out and do things I was afraid to do before. So of course the people around me are treating me differently. I am different.

Will you ever feel like the normal you felt before? Probably not, but if you're like me your normal from before felt pretty bad. The new normal will be worth every second of discomfort and struggle.

P.S. If your surgeons office offers support groups. Do it.

P.S.S Take lots of pictures, you'll regret not having them later as you reach the big milestones.

After my last post, people asked for photos, so here's a photo of me from around my top weight of 485 or so wearing 60" waist pants. The newer photo I took today where I am wearing a 32" waist.

This is gonna sound like bragging, and I guess it is....but for the first time in my life my waist size and inseam size in pants is the same number: 32
At my biggest I was a 60" waist, so this is REALLY a huge milestone for me. My surgery was November 2016.
Started at 485. Current weight 200.

I don't regret it for a moment. Literally the best thing I could have done. I remember being a week out and nervous as could be constantly thinking "What am I about to do to myself". Honestly, the best advice I could give would be to stop reading the horror stories online. I went in on June 10th 2019. I waited in pre-surgery for what seemed like forever which they gave me Water and Tylenol. The docs came out and told me what was going to happen and then a short while later I was wheeled in to the room. It was chaos, but the nurse who had been with me stayed by my side. I was in the room for maybe three minutes when they said we just gave you something that's going to make you sleepy. That was it. Out like a light. I woke up in recovery and I was sore but not in incredible pain. Still groggy I slept off and on until about midnight when I had the gas pains in the shoulder and neck that I had been warned about.

The night nurse was great, she came and walked me every half hour and every time I walked the pain lessened. I spent most of the night walking, eating Popsicles and drinking water. (I hate Jello but it was available)

Swallowing hurt at first but it was similar to strep throat. Not impossible or agonizing. By noon time the next day I just wanted to go home. I felt okay and was ready to be free from the boring hospital room.

For the first few weeks I slept in a recliner rather than my bed because the incisions were uncomfortable when I laid down. Not horrible pain but nagging enough to keep me awake. My wife set up Protein Shakes in shot glasses in the fridge so every hour or so I would get up and walk around and take a shot. I moved on to Soups and finally that first scrambled egg meal was the best. I ate a lot of single egg omelets with cheese. In fact, my wife says I got so good at making omelets in the first thirty days that she'll put my omelets against any Breakfast joint in town.

The hardest part was coping with not eating with everyone else when I returned to work and social outings. That and staying in clothes that fit. Thrift stores became my best friend as I was dropping a pant size every couple weeks at first.

A lot of people are put off as they feel others treat them differently as they lose weight and it becomes a mental barrier for them. For me, I completely understood because I was treating myself differently. I wasn't the same as I was before. My normal just isn't the same as it was before, but it's better. My quality of life has improved so much since June. I run now. Not like just a little. I run 3-4 times a week. Miles at a time. Before I could barely walk .3 of a mile. My confidence is through the roof and I actually like buying new clothes. I can go out and do things I was afraid to do before. So of course the people around me are treating me differently. I am different.

Will you ever feel like the normal you felt before? Probably not, but if you're like me your normal from before felt pretty bad. The new normal will be worth every second of discomfort and struggle.

P.S. If your surgeons office offers support groups. Do it.

P.S.S Take lots of pictures, you'll regret not having them later as you reach the big milestones.

I don't regret it for a moment. Literally the best thing I could have done. I remember being a week out and nervous as could be constantly thinking "What am I about to do to myself". Honestly, the best advice I could give would be to stop reading the horror stories online. I went in on June 10th 2019. I waited in pre-surgery for what seemed like forever which they gave me Water and Tylenol. The docs came out and told me what was going to happen and then a short while later I was wheeled in to the room. It was chaos, but the nurse who had been with me stayed by my side. I was in the room for maybe three minutes when they said we just gave you something that's going to make you sleepy. That was it. Out like a light. I woke up in recovery and I was sore but not in incredible pain. Still groggy I slept off and on until about midnight when I had the gas pains in the shoulder and neck that I had been warned about.

The night nurse was great, she came and walked me every half hour and every time I walked the pain lessened. I spent most of the night walking, eating Popsicles and drinking water. (I hate Jello but it was available)

Swallowing hurt at first but it was similar to strep throat. Not impossible or agonizing. By noon time the next day I just wanted to go home. I felt okay and was ready to be free from the boring hospital room.

For the first few weeks I slept in a recliner rather than my bed because the incisions were uncomfortable when I laid down. Not horrible pain but nagging enough to keep me awake. My wife set up Protein Shakes in shot glasses in the fridge so every hour or so I would get up and walk around and take a shot. I moved on to Soups and finally that first scrambled egg meal was the best. I ate a lot of single egg omelets with cheese. In fact, my wife says I got so good at making omelets in the first thirty days that she'll put my omelets against any Breakfast joint in town.

The hardest part was coping with not eating with everyone else when I returned to work and social outings. That and staying in clothes that fit. Thrift stores became my best friend as I was dropping a pant size every couple weeks at first.

A lot of people are put off as they feel others treat them differently as they lose weight and it becomes a mental barrier for them. For me, I completely understood because I was treating myself differently. I wasn't the same as I was before. My normal just isn't the same as it was before, but it's better. My quality of life has improved so much since June. I run now. Not like just a little. I run 3-4 times a week. Miles at a time. Before I could barely walk .3 of a mile. My confidence is through the roof and I actually like buying new clothes. I can go out and do things I was afraid to do before. So of course the people around me are treating me differently. I am different.

Will you ever feel like the normal you felt before? Probably not, but if you're like me your normal from before felt pretty bad. The new normal will be worth every second of discomfort and struggle.

P.S. If your surgeons office offers support groups. Do it.

P.S.S Take lots of pictures, you'll regret not having them later as you reach the big milestones.

I don't regret it for a moment. Literally the best thing I could have done. I remember being a week out and nervous as could be constantly thinking "What am I about to do to myself". Honestly, the best advice I could give would be to stop reading the horror stories online. I went in on June 10th 2019. I waited in pre-surgery for what seemed like forever which they gave me Water and Tylenol. The docs came out and told me what was going to happen and then a short while later I was wheeled in to the room. It was chaos, but the nurse who had been with me stayed by my side. I was in the room for maybe three minutes when they said we just gave you something that's going to make you sleepy. That was it. Out like a light. I woke up in recovery and I was sore but not in incredible pain. Still groggy I slept off and on until about midnight when I had the gas pains in the shoulder and neck that I had been warned about.

The night nurse was great, she came and walked me every half hour and every time I walked the pain lessened. I spent most of the night walking, eating Popsicles and drinking water. (I hate Jello but it was available)

Swallowing hurt at first but it was similar to strep throat. Not impossible or agonizing. By noon time the next day I just wanted to go home. I felt okay and was ready to be free from the boring hospital room.

For the first few weeks I slept in a recliner rather than my bed because the incisions were uncomfortable when I laid down. Not horrible pain but nagging enough to keep me awake. My wife set up Protein Shakes in shot glasses in the fridge so every hour or so I would get up and walk around and take a shot. I moved on to Soups and finally that first scrambled egg meal was the best. I ate a lot of single egg omelets with cheese. In fact, my wife says I got so good at making omelets in the first thirty days that she'll put my omelets against any Breakfast joint in town.

The hardest part was coping with not eating with everyone else when I returned to work and social outings. That and staying in clothes that fit. Thrift stores became my best friend as I was dropping a pant size every couple weeks at first.

A lot of people are put off as they feel others treat them differently as they lose weight and it becomes a mental barrier for them. For me, I completely understood because I was treating myself differently. I wasn't the same as I was before. My normal just isn't the same as it was before, but it's better. My quality of life has improved so much since June. I run now. Not like just a little. I run 3-4 times a week. Miles at a time. Before I could barely walk .3 of a mile. My confidence is through the roof and I actually like buying new clothes. I can go out and do things I was afraid to do before. So of course the people around me are treating me differently. I am different.

Will you ever feel like the normal you felt before? Probably not, but if you're like me your normal from before felt pretty bad. The new normal will be worth every second of discomfort and struggle.

P.S. If your surgeons office offers support groups. Do it.

P.S.S Take lots of pictures, you'll regret not having them later as you reach the big milestones.

I don't regret it for a moment. Literally the best thing I could have done. I remember being a week out and nervous as could be constantly thinking "What am I about to do to myself". Honestly, the best advice I could give would be to stop reading the horror stories online. I went in on June 10th 2019. I waited in pre-surgery for what seemed like forever which they gave me Water and Tylenol. The docs came out and told me what was going to happen and then a short while later I was wheeled in to the room. It was chaos, but the nurse who had been with me stayed by my side. I was in the room for maybe three minutes when they said we just gave you something that's going to make you sleepy. That was it. Out like a light. I woke up in recovery and I was sore but not in incredible pain. Still groggy I slept off and on until about midnight when I had the gas pains in the shoulder and neck that I had been warned about.

The night nurse was great, she came and walked me every half hour and every time I walked the pain lessened. I spent most of the night walking, eating Popsicles and drinking water. (I hate Jello but it was available)

Swallowing hurt at first but it was similar to strep throat. Not impossible or agonizing. By noon time the next day I just wanted to go home. I felt okay and was ready to be free from the boring hospital room.

For the first few weeks I slept in a recliner rather than my bed because the incisions were uncomfortable when I laid down. Not horrible pain but nagging enough to keep me awake. My wife set up Protein Shakes in shot glasses in the fridge so every hour or so I would get up and walk around and take a shot. I moved on to Soups and finally that first scrambled egg meal was the best. I ate a lot of single egg omelets with cheese. In fact, my wife says I got so good at making omelets in the first thirty days that she'll put my omelets against any Breakfast joint in town.

The hardest part was coping with not eating with everyone else when I returned to work and social outings. That and staying in clothes that fit. Thrift stores became my best friend as I was dropping a pant size every couple weeks at first.

A lot of people are put off as they feel others treat them differently as they lose weight and it becomes a mental barrier for them. For me, I completely understood because I was treating myself differently. I wasn't the same as I was before. My normal just isn't the same as it was before, but it's better. My quality of life has improved so much since June. I run now. Not like just a little. I run 3-4 times a week. Miles at a time. Before I could barely walk .3 of a mile. My confidence is through the roof and I actually like buying new clothes. I can go out and do things I was afraid to do before. So of course the people around me are treating me differently. I am different.

Will you ever feel like the normal you felt before? Probably not, but if you're like me your normal from before felt pretty bad. The new normal will be worth every second of discomfort and struggle.

P.S. If your surgeons office offers support groups. Do it.

P.S.S Take lots of pictures, you'll regret not having them later as you reach the big milestones.

Any other guys having surgery soon?
My surgery day is rapidly approaching and I am ready to move to the next phase.
Just ending my 10th day of pre-op liquid diet -- down 13 pounds in 10 days and 42 pounds since starting this journey in late July. Have been free of soda, caffeine and alcohol since Dec 1st.

Definitely do not regret a thing. Best decision I have ever made. I only wish I would have done it sooner.

I can't believe it, but it's been 4 years since my VSG. I rarely visit bariatricPal now, but found it enormously useful leading up to my surgery and during post opp. As I contemplated surgery, one of the things that kept me up at night was what would happen way down the road. As a give back to the community (and a little therapy for me) I've committed to posting annual updates. You can see my posts from previous years down below. Feel free to send a PM if you have any questions or comments.
Year 4 Update:
Highlights
I often forget that I even had the surgery. This is probably is the biggest positive change from year 3 to 4. Don't get me wrong, when I'm stuffed after eating 4 chicken wings or a half a burger, I know why. But, I'm no longer obsessed with post surgery eating strategies or worried about people wondering what's going on with me. After 4 years, my old friends and family seem to have forgotten that I was the fat guy and my new friends and coworkers never knew me that way. More importantly, I have started to forget about myself as the overweight person. I'm basically a "normal eater" and have no problem with any foods whatsoever. Four years ago, as I contemplated the surgery, stories from newly post opp people scared the daylights out of me. Stuck foods, explosive diarrhea, allergies, blah, blah, blah. I had a tiny bit of that early on, but it dissipated quickly. Now, I can eat whatever I want without issue. The VSG constriction mechanics still work well. I still get full quickly, especially if I sequence Proteins first, veg's second and everything else after that. Yes, I can "eat around the sleeve" but that takes a lot of effort and can backfire. I literally just finished a spaghetti and meatball dinner with my family. I ate two golf ball-sized meat balls and about 4 bites of Pasta and am completely stuffed. It was a salad-plate sized portion. Pre surgery I would have eaten 2 dinner-plate sized portions and still wanted more. When I see big eaters go to town on huge portions, I just look on with amazement. I'm an active person now participating in racquet sports, golf, hiking, skiing, yoga and playing with my kids. I believe these activities would have been impossible, or at least extremely unlikely, without the VSG. Pre surgery, at age 39, I was already bowing out of most physical things. Adding 4 years and whatever weight I would have continued to pile on, things would be much worse. Being able to do fun physical activities vs. waiving from the sidelines is a huge benefit that I can't emphasize enough. Life is significantly better now. I had low to medium heartburn following the surgery and took a daily 20mg of omeprazole to manage it. My heart burn has actually decreased and now I only take omeprozole every 2nd or 3rd day. I don't need any other meds for cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.. Lowlights
Weight management is NOT a given. This last year, I put on 10 pounds, which is definitely frustrating. What happened? For me it came down to snacking and drinking alcoholic beverages. VSG doesn't help with either of these bad habits whatsoever. popcorn, chips, candy, nuts, crackers and cocktails all go down just as easy as before. For the first year, eating was such a hassle that I naturally avoided this issue. That "benefit" is gone forever. Now, I have to watch it like everyone else. I weigh 205 today, down from 275 at my high. Had I not had surgery, I believe I would weigh over 300 today. BUT, I want to be 185 and that 20 lbs seems very daunting to loose. Everyone once in a while, I eat too fast or too much and need to throw it up. As soon as I swallow the last ill-advised bite, the physical reactions become obvious -- forehead sweat, runny nose, sneezing and, obviously, a feeling of full stomach / chest. Recognizing the symptoms, I have to make my way to a bathroom and bring up the excess. It's not physically painful or anything, but just a little embarrassing and disappointing to me. This probably occurs once every month or two. As you can see, highlights far outweigh the lowlights. Overall, I'm thrilled with the results 4 years out. I really struggled with the decision to have surgery and delayed it for several years. At the time, it seemed like I was amputating a leg. I regret stressing out about it so much. Now I reason that I had an enlarged stomach that needed to be "right-sized." That's not medically true, but that's how I feel about what happened. In that context, I had a relatively minor procedure with a HUGE outcome.
I don't think about my VSG often and don't expect to post again until next year. I do want to give back and help others -- like so many on this site helped me. If you have questions or comments -- post publicly or PM me.
Familyguy.

I did it!!! No regrets
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Just a quick update. Down to 353 which is a really good feeling. Thank goodness for the local thrift stores and second hand shops because I have dropped from a size 58 to 42 in pants alone and have pretty much needed to replace my wardrobe multiple times over the last few months.

Huge milestone for me, I ran a 5K for Halloween. I was always the anti-run type guy. In fact I used to tell my coworkers that if they ever saw me running they should run too because the end of the world was behind me. Fast forward and I completed my first 5K which honestly felt amazing. I have signed up for another one in December this time doing a santa dash and I am hoping to improve on my times.

Still have no complications and no regrets. I feel 100 times better and younger. I even managed to out walk my kids trick or treating on Halloween. As the one who always had to quit early it felt good for the kids to tap out first.

Just a quick update. Down to 353 which is a really good feeling. Thank goodness for the local thrift stores and second hand shops because I have dropped from a size 58 to 42 in pants alone and have pretty much needed to replace my wardrobe multiple times over the last few months.

Huge milestone for me, I ran a 5K for Halloween. I was always the anti-run type guy. In fact I used to tell my coworkers that if they ever saw me running they should run too because the end of the world was behind me. Fast forward and I completed my first 5K which honestly felt amazing. I have signed up for another one in December this time doing a santa dash and I am hoping to improve on my times.

Still have no complications and no regrets. I feel 100 times better and younger. I even managed to out walk my kids trick or treating on Halloween. As the one who always had to quit early it felt good for the kids to tap out first.

Just a quick update. Down to 353 which is a really good feeling. Thank goodness for the local thrift stores and second hand shops because I have dropped from a size 58 to 42 in pants alone and have pretty much needed to replace my wardrobe multiple times over the last few months.

Huge milestone for me, I ran a 5K for Halloween. I was always the anti-run type guy. In fact I used to tell my coworkers that if they ever saw me running they should run too because the end of the world was behind me. Fast forward and I completed my first 5K which honestly felt amazing. I have signed up for another one in December this time doing a santa dash and I am hoping to improve on my times.

Still have no complications and no regrets. I feel 100 times better and younger. I even managed to out walk my kids trick or treating on Halloween. As the one who always had to quit early it felt good for the kids to tap out first.