Hi,

I'm new to the forums and in the starting stages of obtaining a VSG. Just looking to see if there are any other men who were above 400 (or even close to 500) pounds before starting this journey and how life after surgery has been. Did you suffer any complications from surgery due to your size? Did your doctor make you do anything extra or warn you of any possible issues? Did you lose more rapidly than average patients? Did you lose any motivation when you had lost enough weight to lead a fairly "normal" life, even though you might still have a good amount of excess weight?

A little background...I'm 31, 5'10", and honestly can't bear how difficult my weight has made my life. Just this weekend my wife went alone to her sister's engagement dinner at a restaurant due to my fear the chairs wouldn't be supportive enough. (I typically avoid restaurant situations unless there's a booth with a table I can adjust, ideally half booth/half chairs.) I've avoided flying for a couple years, will only attend theatre or sporting events where I can be guaranteed an aisle seat, etc. It seems like in the last 60 or so pounds many social situations involving sitting have escalated from very uncomfortable to more or less unbearable. Healthwise, I have hypertension and am very likely will be diagnosed with sleep apnea once the results of my sleep study last week come in.

Look forward to hearing from any of you have started in similar situations.

Congratulations everyone

Congratulations, everyone, for the tremendous progress. It is inspiring to see!

As for the bulging veins, I still have them in my legs at 1 year post-op, but they are much improved. I have also had bruising on my shins for years. That has improved, but still not completely resolved. My dr. is confident that the bruising will go away over time.

New guy here, just joined today. I started out in June of this year at 481. I am one month, three days post op and now at 381. I was always very active, although slowing down in the past couple of years. My BP, triglycerides, and cholesterol have all always been very good. I hit the lowest number possible to be diabetic this year just as I was starting the pre-op program. My target weight is 300 lbs, at least for now. Believe it or not, I will be fairly slim at that point.

I had RNY on 11-8-16. One week post op tomorrow. all is going good so far. Hope to have the same results as many people on here. Thanks for all the info

HW 409

SW 386

CW 359

Hey everyone, just stumbled into this post. I have really enjoyed reading everyone's story and their ups and downs. It's definitely very inspiring. Just a little about myself, I'm 25, I opted for this procedure sometime in June or July and attended a seminar in August of this year. I am still pre-op and have no date as of yet. At my heaviest I was looking at 350, along with the usual co-morbidities such as diabetes, high BP, high triglycerides and possibly sleep apnea, haven't been tested.I have made some changes as far as eating habits and exercising, just to try and ease into the transition, should I get the green light from my ins. I have lost some weight, I am currently at 324.9 and hoping to be at least by 320 if not 315 prior to surgery. I have my last appt. (4th out of 4) with the nutritionist come November 28th and after that, everything gets sent to the insurance for a yay or nay. I'm hoping this will get resolved soon, I would really like to undergo surgery prior to the end of the year, mainly for insurance purposes. I will definitely keeping posting and look forward to reading from some of you guys on here.

I have a job interview and of course I don't have properly fitting dress pants. For the first time in about 10 years, I was able to walk into Walmart and buy a pair of dress pants that fit perfectly. I was also able to buy a belt as well. There's a lot of small things normal sized people take for granted.

Also getting down near 280. About 10-12 more pounds and I will have a total of 200 pounds lost.

I noticed everybody on here has had the sleeve done?

I just had a band put in... now I'm questioning it because I see the success you guys have all had?

Should I have done the sleeve instead of the band?

I noticed everybody on here has had the sleeve done?

I just had a band put in... now I'm questioning it because I see the success you guys have all had?

Should I have done the sleeve instead of the band?

Oh no! It's too late! Don't worry about it. The best person to answer that question is you, and probably not until after you've had it for a while. If the band works for you, then it was the best procedure. If it doesn't work, and for the right reasons (i.e. you are doing everything you are supposed to) it can always be revised to a sleeve. But if it were me, I would not start out worrying I went the wrong route. Give it time.

I started at 458 pounds. Now (5 months post-surgery) I am at 312 pounds.

Here is the story from my bio:

I am a teacher and on-air FM radio personality in my mid-30s from south Texas. I found BariatricPal on a Google search for Bariatric compression pants pulled up a forum post from this site.

I am 5 months post-op, and am doing absolutely magnificent. I now recommend Bariatric surgery for anyone who asks me about it, of course after asking the "qualifying questions" first (i.e. Are you morbidly obese? Do you have high blood pressure? How about sleep apnea? Diabetes?)

I got weight loss surgery because I've been a big dude my entire life. The last time my family remembers me being "thin" was age 7. Post-30 years old, I got sick and had to go to the doctor. I had the shock of my life when I was told I was over 450 pounds, and approaching 460. I had no clue I was that heavy because I had nowhere to weigh myself, and was in complete denial. After that, I started pursuing Bariatric surgery.

I had pursued it before, a few years earlier. That was how I found out I had sleep apnea, because that surgeon required a sleep study. However, I felt like chattel being run through a cookie cutter system, and I didn't like that, so I stopped seeing that doctor and let it go for a couple years.

When I found the surgeon I eventually used, everything changed. I felt like a person, not just a file. I felt like he was actually catering my program for my specific needs, not trying to fit me into a pre-prepared program.

I had my surgery on July 5, 2016, one day after Independence Day. I am now independent, and not a slave to my body or my weight. I have lost 145 pounds total, 101 of those pounds was lost after surgery. I am now 313 and much happier with myself. I am only 57 pounds away from my year goal, which is 7 months from now. I have already hit my 6 month goal 1 month early.

The best part of the process is seeing the looks on people's faces (especially my students) when I tell them about how much weight I've lost and just the overall feeling better and being able to move a lot better than I have in years. The pain that I have felt in my knees has gone completely and the pain in my back has diminished (will not ever completely go away due to scoliosis).

The worst part has already passed, and every day is getting better. The worst part was the 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after surgery, when the intense diets were. The shake replacements were absolutely the worst part, because for me, they really didn't taste good with anything. I am getting my Protein now through bars, which, oddly enough, taste better than the shakes, and eating a lot more meat than I'm used to for all my meals.

I hope to benefit from BariatricPal because I live in a rural area with no access to surgery support groups less than an hour's drive from my town. I can't afford to drive that far weekly, and I'm hoping BariatricPal can help with that.

All in all, I'm happy with how things have gone. I'm looking forward to what my life will bring, and I'm extremely happy already. I can't wait for the rest of my life.

Edited December 8, 20169 yr by Aquarian1220

Hello everyone, I've been following this thread for a while and it has really been an inspiration and great source of information. I finally came to the end of a ten year span of failed attempts to lose the weight only to gain more each time. I strarted dieting and hired a personal trainer when I got to 300lbs, ten years later I'm 458. Unreal. Has anyone else had experience with the DS surgery? The gastric sleeve is the first half, so the information I've gleaned from all of you on that has been helpful. Almost one month until my surgery... nervously excited to have my life back.

@@Soonersteve Welcome and best of luck on your surgery. In the past I've gained weight while working with a personal trainer and on rigid diet plans...I know the feeling--that depressing, debilitating feeling--all too well.

I was sleeved, so I can't offer any first-hand perspective on DS. That said, weight-loss surgery has been one of the better decisions of my life.

We haven't had many updates from some of the posters from the past few months. I would love to hear from some of you.

I just had my 10 month anniversary. Weight loss has slowed the last two months but I'm still losing and have now lost 175 lbs

Still trudging along here.

Started at 688+, lost 84.2 pounds post-op, 338.8 total.

Surgery 7/2016.

That is amazing progress, @SalOdyssey. Congratulations!

Thucydides. how has it been going for you lately. I believe you are a few months ahead of me.

Aggietop

Edited December 16, 20169 yr by aggietop