First time posting here, SVs and NSVs @ ~ 2 months out

[AnAnole 63]

I just want to preface this by saying that getting the surgery was probably the best decision of my life.

A briefish summary of my story: I was lean as a kid and a teenager. I was highly active and on many days I would play basketball for 3-4 hours after school. Then, I went off to college. As a teenager, I ate a ton of food just to keep the weight on. I could eat ~5,000 kcals a day and my weight wouldn't budge. I had a 6-pack and could dunk a basketball on a good day, which isn't easy when you're 5' 10".

When I got to college, I started partying a bit (others certainly partied a lot more, but I'm not going to say it didn't affect me). I also stopped playing basketball every day because I either felt too lazy to go to the gym (none of my usual friends were around to motivate me to get off the computer) or I had to focus on studying/writing a paper/etc. I gained about 20 lbs my freshman year. I still didn't look bad in a shirt, but I think this was the beginning of my battle with obesity. I'm certain that extra 20 lbs was enough to trigger the beginning of my sleep apnea.

The next year, I became incredibly lazy, mostly because I was often tired. I went to go see multiple doctors on campus, including a psychiatrist, and they all diagnosed with major depression. When I mentioned my poor sleep, they just attributed it to the depression. I tried various anti-depressants, but they didn't seem to help. My doctors and I thought it was a matter of just finding the right medication. Meanwhile, I kept gaining weight. I gained another 40 lbs my sophomore year and my abdominal bulge could no longer be hidden by wearing a loose shirt. I made it through that year with OK grades, but it was a struggle. Once I finished the semester, I resolved to lose the weight. This was my first diet of many.

I spent most of my summer working out / playing basketball and adhering to a strict 1,500 calorie diet. I managed to lose 40 lbs and and I actually looked quite good due to the muscle I put on from weight training, but as soon as school started up again, I slipped. I supposed it was the stress that caused me to fall of the wagon. Between late August and mid-May of the following year, I put on 50 lbs and was heavier than when I started dieting. I also lost a lot of my muscle mass, to the point where my legs buckled a few times just walking around. Worst of all, I failed a couple of my courses each semester. I decided I needed a change of scenery and transferred to a different university, hoping that a new location would help me reinvigorate myself. Long story short: it didn't help me. I ended up dropping out and moving back in with my parents.

I spent the next few years in a state of lethargy, hopping from one crushingly monotonous retail job to the next, quitting when my fatigue would become overwhelming. Finally, at 26, I started to turn things around. It started when I saw a report on the news about sleep apnea. None of my doctors ever mentioned it to me, but I was certain that I had it. After a few months, I finally got scheduled for a sleep study. The night at the sleep clinic was rough as I had trouble sleeping with all the wires attached to me, but I did manage to sleep for an hour, enough to be diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. A week later, I finally got my CPAP. It changed my life. I went from having little motivation and energy to wanting to change the world. I signed up for a couple of classes at the local CC and aced both of them. I then transferred to the nearest university while living at home. Over the next year, I took 39 credit hours and made As in all of my classes except for a difficult genetics class, which I got a B in. It was by far my most difficult course load, but I thrived. I would have graduated summa cum laude if it weren't for the fact that I need another 15 hours at the campus to qualify.

But I still had one large problem: I was fat. Fatter than I had ever been, tipping the scales at 330 lbs. I had also recently tried dieting, but succumbed to the yo-yo effect. Throughout my time living at home, I dieted several times. Each time, I was initially successful, losing 30 lbs or more, but I always ended up a bit fatter than before. I finally realized that dieting was futile, at least in my case. I was in the 95% that re-gains after weight loss through traditional means. I always changed up my diet some, going from low fat to low carb, but the result was always the same: fatter than before. I had known about bariatric surgery for a while, but I didn't consider it an option until after I graduated -- even then I was reluctant to get operated on.

Fast forward to this past March. I had be avoiding doctors, but I finally went to get my bloodwork checked at the behest of my parents. I still felt pretty good thanks to my CPAP but, shockingly, I was diagnosed with diabetes. I also had hypertension, hypertryglceridemia, hypercholestolemia and mildly elevated ALT levels, on top of my diabetes. My A1C was 6.6%, but my doctor said that I could put my diabetes into remission if I lost weight. I had to do something, but I knew dieting again would be a failure. It was time for something different. Fortunately, immediately after my diagnosis, I saw an ad for True Results offering to do VSGs for $3,500. I knew my insurance wouldn't cover my surgery, so I called and set up an appointment. It wasn't long before I had a surgery date.

I had my VSG on April 6th. My pre-op weight was 331 lbs. Today, I weigh 270 lbs. My appetite is nil. I feel fantastic and walk 8-10 miles a day. I lift weights 3 times a week. I've gone from wearing XXXL shirts to fitting comfortably in XL shirts. I was wearing size 52 pants, now I can squeeze into size 42s. I wake up feeling refreshed every morning. I still use my CPAP, but I my pressure has come down from 12 to 6 cm H20. My blood pressure has gone from being uncontrolled even with 2 meds to being normal without any medications. I haven't had my post-op bloodwork yet, but I have no doubt that it has greatly improved.

[Dr-Patient 831]

I didn't read your full post; but congrats on your success so far. ( I did read your last paragraph.) ( I need your exercise mindset!)

[*Lexie* 1,486]

What a great story. What you will be capable of will be completely up to you now.

[Sleevefornellie 137]

What an inspiration!!!! Sounds like your doing fantastic!!! Congrats on your amazing results!!! And thank you for sharing your story with us!!!

[cindyt 24]

That's what its all about! Living a healthy and active life. Participating in life instead of watching from the sidelines! Great job!!!