Hi everyone

I just wanted to say a few words that may help any of you who are on the fence with your surgery plans. I was the worst when it came to waffling on this desicion. I cancelled one surgery date & very nearly cancelled the second one. I was scared to death of possible complications from the surgery. I am a pilot so I felt stuck with the idea of staying where I was & losing my medical because of weight related issues or having the surgery and possibly losing my medical due to complications. I only looked at and focused on the possible negatives, not the positives. Well finally I reached out to folks on this site & received the ass chewing that i had coming. It brought me the insight on myself that i needed to have, and im greatful for all of the advice I received! I finally had my surgery on May, 5 2011 with Dr. Bellenger, who is awesome by the way, in Gonzales, La. Im from Wisconsin.

I must say it went off without a hitch. I never had a single problem of any kind from the moment I woke up in recovery. I didnt even take any pain meds the entire time i was in the hospital. I spent one night and was discharged the next morning. I took Prilosec for one month following surgery as was prescribed and have not needed anything since. Ive never thrown up since the day of surgery and I can eat anything I want, albeit in smaller quantities then before. I try to follow the diet as close as I can and I work out regularly. I started at 267 and hit a low of 178 about 7 months after surgery. Im holding at 180 and am almost 8 months out. I think my BMI started at 37 and Im currently at 24. I run abouut 20 miles a week and try to lift free weights a little each time im in the gym. Anyway, I just wanted to drop a line for any of you who are as worried as I was. I can only speak for myself but I believe this is one of the best desicions of my life! It has saved my aviation career & most likely saved my life. I am healthier now at 41 then I was at 21. My only regret of course is that I did not do this much sooner, but i try everyday to not look back, only forward, and I feel the future is bright! So good luck to all of you and anyone who is nervous and has questions feel free to pm me. Thanks & good luck!

Thank you for sharing your story. I'm still on the fence;)

As I sit here with my nerves out of control waiting to be called back for surgery, i will have to say that your story has helped calm my nerves, thank you!!

what a great post!!

Great post! I really needed to read that this morning. I've been a bundle of nerves as my surgery approaches the first of the year. Thank you, and congrats on your awesome weight loss!

same here. i have already cancelled my surgery twice. I even paid extra money to have both test for the band and the sleeve incase I change my mind. your story is amazing, I am hoping to feel the same soon. cheers

Great story! I started at 282 on June 1st, 2011 and today I am at 197. The numbers are great, but the amazing thing is how much better I feel.

I too hesitated a lot to take the "extreme" step of WLS. For so many years it seemed like the last resort of desperate people who had no other choice.

It was a slap in the face when my insurance actually approved VSG, even though there were rumors of other people being denied for it from our insurance company, because it really hit home that, medically, I WAS one of those desperate people who had no other choice. I had no idea that my weight was really life-threatening. I'd been heavy my whole life and I was one of those higher-energy people who "carried it well". To have an insurance company tell me that, yes, I needed WLS was a wake-up call.

I had all the same fears as everyone else who comes to this board, wondering if this is the right decision. I relied very heavily, and still do, on all the "graduates" who keep saying that it changed their lives, their only regret was not doing it sooner, etc etc. I figured that, statistically, it was very unlikely that I would be one of the exceptions and would probably have a similar (positive) outcome. Even now, 3 weeks out when I am still struggling with energy and pain, I'm believing in the collective wisdom of the great people on this board.

And so far they have not let me down. :heart:

I think we all had the same feelings prior to having surgery as you did. My starting BMI was 37 which I felt was not a very large number and I've never had high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes or any life threatening problem. So, prior to surgery I had second thoughts because I thought I REALLY didn't need the operation because hell, I've lost weight on my own so many times in the past that I can just do it again. I felt like I was taking the "easy" way out. But then I would remember that yes, I could lose the weight on my own AGAIN but I will only gain it back again too and now it's even harder or practically impossible because I have Hoshimoto's which has given me Hypothyroidism. I am 8 days post op now and I can't say this strong or loud enough: IT WAS THE BEST CHOICE IN MY LIFE THAT I HAVE EVER MADE! It is not the "Easy" way out. I won't kid you. It's a surgery and there is pain but it is very minimal. You CAN'T over eat. You CAN'T pig out. You WILL lose weight!!! There is no doubt or question....you will LOSE weight and it's not easy by all means but it is now obtainable! I'm soooo glad my final decision was to go through with it and trust me, you will not regret it. I think it's normal to have hesitations but remember what the goal is and take charge of.... your life....your weight....you will NOT be disappointed!