Hi! I'm new the forum. I am in the process of possibly have the gastric sleeve done. I'm 5'6" and my BMI is 33. I weigh 213 (at doctor I was 210). My question is, is VSG to drastic for me? I know I need to do something. I've tried every diet, pill selfhelp book... Nothing. Just gain for the past 5 years. I'd be paying out of pocket and Dr approved surgery... Just wondering if anyone else was close to my same situation....

thanks

I am having the sleeve done and my BMI right now is 35. I started with a BMI of 43.5 though! I have lost 52lbs pre-op and am still going, so may very well get down to a 33 BMI by the time my date gets here!!

My Dr. said that he will still do the surgery and that the more I lose the easier it will be for me. I am having the surgery to keep from gaining the weight back anyway. I always could lose, but could never keep it off. Hopefully, this will help me!

Good luck to you!

Kelly

eight Loss CWenter is your best free resource for weight loss

I started out with a BMI around 34. I don't consider it drastic at all. For some reason, I think RNY would have been drastic. I just look at it like I purchased a portion control insurance policy for $8750! :-)

AND I'm lovin it! food does not control me anymore.

My BMI is just under 33 and I am having surgery on Tuesday, April 11. I have diabetes and have also tried hard to lose weight on my own (and keep it off). My insurance won't pay until I become a lot sicker but I am chosing to not wait and like you I will pay for it myself. My PCP has recommended the surgery for over a year now and was delighted when I finally wrapped my head around doing it and agreed to proceed. He said it will save my life and add years to my life....that is a pretty strong statement! If your doctor agrees and you feel ready...go for it!

My BMI was 32.8 and I am now hovering around 20.6. Only you can decide what is too drastic or what is right for you.

For me, I knew diets failed me. I had plenty of will power and drive, but I was HUNGRY all the time. I love the power over hunger and saiety that I have with my sleeve. For me, the sleeve was definitely the way to go!

Good luck on your research and your decision.

Hi,

My BMI was 31. I was a lap-band revision, so my situation was a little bit different. No way insurance would have covered my surgery - I wasn't sick enough, heavy enough, and I was not in imminenet danger from my band.

In total, I had to lose 60 pounds from the day of surgery. I am one month out and have lost 16 pounds.

It's hard for me to say if my experience has been any harder or easier than someone with a higher BMI - the recovery is tough no matter who you are. If you are trying to go through insurance, it will depend on their obesity guidelines. However, there are a lot of great surgeons who will do the surgery at your BMI - you won't be the first, and you won't have been the smallest!

Lara

Hi! I'm new the forum. I am in the process of possibly have the gastric sleeve done. I'm 5'6" and my BMI is 33. I weigh 213 (at doctor I was 210). My question is, is VSG to drastic for me? I know I need to do something. I've tried every diet, pill selfhelp book... Nothing. Just gain for the past 5 years. I'd be paying out of pocket and Dr approved surgery... Just wondering if anyone else was close to my same situation....

thanks

I have a similar situation, but I do have hypertension and crohns disease. Wasn't sure if I would qualify, surgery scheduled for April 12. I did not qualify for lap band or RNY. I don;'t believe this is drastic, when you have tried everything before desciding on this,

good luck

robin

My BMI was 33 also. I made this decision because all other diets have failed. When I hit menopause the weight came on from out of no where. I am pleased with the decision for the surgery. You will lose the weight slower, but you will lose. I am 3 1/2 weeks out and have lost 16lbs. I have hit the dreaded stall, but am working through it.

The lack of carbs in my system has fogged my thinking!! I am having surgery on Tuesday, April 12 NOT Tuesday, April 11 as I posted above! All I really know is that it this coming Tuesday!!! Yipeeee!

You will be very happy with your new tummy. Guaranteed

Hi razn4;

Welcome the website. Your questions of : Is VSG for you? Is it too drastic? Only you can provide the right answer to these questions if your doctor approved surgery. Most of us former heavyweights have gained and then lost weight and then gone back to repeat this loss/gain cycle several times without successfully keeping weight off permanently. I tried, I tried hard but could not do this without help...hence I was sleeved. I was a self pay for VSG here in US which is very expensive. Raided my savings/401K for this. Worth every penny. I feel better, I am healthier, I move more so I have no regrets on the choice I made. VSG is irreversible - so think on this before you make a choice.

Best wishes in what ever your decision!

Hi! I'm new the forum. I am in the process of possibly have the gastric sleeve done. I'm 5'6" and my BMI is 33. I weigh 213 (at doctor I was 210). My question is, is VSG to drastic for me? I know I need to do something. I've tried every diet, pill selfhelp book... Nothing. Just gain for the past 5 years. I'd be paying out of pocket and Dr approved surgery... Just wondering if anyone else was close to my same situation....

thanks

Having a surgery like a VSG involves a multi-step process that is dictated by what a patient 'wants' and IF the physician thinks it is a feasible and ETHICAL thing to do (ie not just doing it for lucrative reasons) . I have 'approved' patients with BMI's in the 27-35 range, but have turned down some patients at that range as well. Many of those patients are turned down because of expectations that are 'unrealistic'. Thus, if you show your doctor that you are willing to lead a healthy lifestyle before and after the surgery you will likely get the 'green light'.

Best of luck!

Thanks for the post guys. After this weekend I may be at 35 BMI!! Haaaa! JK I'm going for my phyc eval on April 18th and think I may want to have the surgery sometime in early June. I wonder if anyone ever feels totally ready...

I'm barely over a BMI of 35 and I occasionally think the same thing. Should I try just ONE more diet? Hell no, the 15-20 diets I've tried over the last 15 yrs didn't have lasting effects or I would not be having this surgery! It's time to make a permanent change, its time we had an ace in our hand.

Hi Razn4 - My stats were pretty close to yours. I am 5'6.25" and weighed 223, I actually weighed 221 but was on vacation when I headed to the seminar and by the time I showed up, I'd managed to put on 7 lbs. HOW does that happen? Anyway, 223 is what was recorded!! I lost it as soon as I got home, so I got to count it as part of the 23 I lost pre-op! My BMI was 36

Heck no, it is NOT too drastic for you! I promise, you'll look back and KNOW for a fact that having sleeve surgery was the best decision of your life. All the WW meetings, if you did that, the diet pills, which screw up our metabolism, I did Optifast, self help books, I saw a nutritionist.....and I lost weight!!! Three times I lost fifty lbs, several times I lost thirty. I could drop twenty lbs in ONE MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!! Each and every time I gained it back, over the course of thirty years I gained more and more. Until I found myself sitting in the waiting room of a bariatric surgeon. I looked around and was the smallest person in the room.....but that didn't mean I shouldn't be there. Just like the larger people, we'd all been doing the same things, some of us just had more to lose than others. I had NO health issues, I considered this preventive maintenence!! All of a sudden, it's fun to go shopping, I LOVE IT. Just wait........where are you? Have you chosen a surgeon???!!! Ask me anything, this forum is great, so many people, we're all here for you!!! Good luck!!

Hi! I'm new the forum. I am in the process of possibly have the gastric sleeve done. I'm 5'6" and my BMI is 33. I weigh 213 (at doctor I was 210). My question is, is VSG to drastic for me? I know I need to do something. I've tried every diet, pill selfhelp book... Nothing. Just gain for the past 5 years. I'd be paying out of pocket and Dr approved surgery... Just wondering if anyone else was close to my same situation....

thanks

I love this!!! I call it "preventive maintenence" - now I'll add insurance to the end of that!!!!!!!!!! Mine was $12,500. All in all, I think it's a great investment; think of all the meds, deductables and co-pays that we probably have avoided.

I had no health issues, not one. Now my low cholesterol is even lower, and my normal blood pressure is even lower!

I'd much rather spend $$ on cute clothes!!!

I started out with a BMI around 34. I don't consider it drastic at all. For some reason, I think RNY would have been drastic. I just look at it like I purchased a portion control insurance policy for $8750! :-)

AND I'm lovin it! food does not control me anymore.