Would you do it again?

[chrisredjeep 357]

I echo lipstick lady ! I wish I could have had the sleeve years ago. Absolutely the best thing I have ever done.

Cindy Warson how fantastic that you and your husband are having the sleeve together.

Good luck to us all onward and downwards folks

[TracyBar 132]

Yes, I would do it again. I'm only 8 weeks out but I returned to work after two weeks. I'm 54 and that recovery period was enough. Two months will be fantastic. By that time, you will exercising and eating normal...or at least your new normal.

Attend support group meetings offered by your hospital. They will give you confidence and reassurance that you are doing the right thing. I did.

Good luck!

@@AmiLou - I'm also 54 and looking at getting this surgery. Having a hard time finding a surgeon in my area - the one place that can do it (SmartShape) charges $6,000 more than a top sleeve surgeon in Montreal. SmartShape is mostly Lapband and I'm not interested in that - and reluctant to get the surgery with a surgeon without a ton of experience. Benefits are it's close to home and so post-op follow-up would be better. It sounds like all went well with you at age 54 and having the surgery which is great to hear. I keep asking myself if I'm too old for this now!

[kmorri 1,689]

@@AmiLou - I'm also 54 and looking at getting this surgery. Having a hard time finding a surgeon in my area - the one place that can do it (SmartShape) charges $6,000 more than a top sleeve surgeon in Montreal. SmartShape is mostly Lapband and I'm not interested in that - and reluctant to get the surgery with a surgeon without a ton of experience. Benefits are it's close to home and so post-op follow-up would be better. It sounds like all went well with you at age 54 and having the surgery which is great to hear. I keep asking myself if I'm too old for this now!

Yes, I would do it again. I'm only 8 weeks out but I returned to work after two weeks. I'm 54 and that recovery period was enough. Two months will be fantastic. By that time, you will exercising and eating normal...or at least your new normal.

Attend support group meetings offered by your hospital. They will give you confidence and reassurance that you are doing the right thing. I did.

Good luck!

I'm 56 and I had zero complications!....54 is not too old! I can't help regarding surgeons in your area but agree 100% that you need a surgeon with lots of experience....it's not a simple procedure so you want someone who does it all the time and has great outcomes......Good luck to you!

[4MRB4PHOTO 3,899]

I never regretted getting the VSG. My health, quality of life and self esteem all greatly improved.

My only regret is not having the procedure performed years earlier.

[Cape Crooner 589]

YES in a NY minute!

For ME, VSG has been a miracle. I literally feel like I found Aladdin's Lamp and was granted a single wish (to have a healthy metabolism like all those "normal" people I knew who enjoyed food, but never over ate, never gained weight, and were never on a diet).

That said, not everyone has enjoyed the same experience -- my advice would be:

1. Do your homework and find the best surgeon at the best hospital possible. All surgeries are NOT the same. I drove an hour (past many great W:S centers) in order to go the the #1 WLS Center in New England. There were 9 surgeons doing my operation and I was in and out in less than 40 minutes.

2. Go on a diet immediately and lose as much weight as possible BEFORE your surgery. The sooner you start, the sooner you get that normal dream life. Perhaps even more importantly, if you lose a lot of weight in a short period of time leading up to your surgery, your surgeons will have lots of room to operate in, which will minimize complications.I lost 1/3 of my excess weight in the 60 days before surgery.

3. Plan on dropping out of any and all social activities that involve food -- particularly extended family events (especially if you come from a family that eats for fun). It sounds bad, but I am so glad that I did it,

4. During your pre and post opt diet, develop an arsenal of 100 calories Snacks, 200 calorie light meals, and 400 calorie dinners that you enjoy. These will be you primary diet starting 6 weeks post opt and for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. I am in month 11 post opt and basically stick to these meals for all but a couple of meals a week and I am having zero stress maintaining my goal weight eating anything I want on the other 2-3 meals a week.

Oh yeah, all calories are NOT equal. Stick to Protein rich meals and Snacks as long as possible during the day. Be very careful with simple carbs. Not only do they make you fat, but they will also trigger head hunger and you don't want that.

5. Think long and hard about "who to tell". You have three choices; tell no one but your significant other, tell everyone, or tell your close friends and family. I picked "just tell your family" and I totally regretted it for months (now it's no longer an issue). If you follow my 4 tips above, you will lose weight like crazy very quickly. This means EVERYONE will ask you HOW DID YOU DO IT until your head explodes. If you don't tell everyone you had WLS, this means you can look forward to having to LIE TO YOUR FRIENDS for months (like I did). If I had it to do over, I would have only told my wife.

I'm sure I'll think of other things, but these are the top ones to ME!

Good Luck...

Edited August 16, 2016 by Cape Crooner

[char3672 292]

I never regretted getting the VSG. My health, quality of life and self esteem all greatly improved.

My only regret is not having the procedure performed years earlier.

That's GREAT to hear! My health and self esteem could DEFINITELY use a boost. I CAN'T WAIT to live "the good life"! Thank you and congratulations!

Sent from my SM-G930T using the BariatricPal App

[char3672 292]

The meal planning will be hard, I am starting the research now (10 months early) I decided to only tell my immediately family and 2 closest friends, but I have a feeling it's NOT going to stay in that circle. (Italians like to "talk") lol I've already made the decision to avoud food centered activities. I am very excited....and a little nervous to

have this surgery.

Sent from my SM-G930T using the BariatricPal App

[TracyBar 132]

YES in a NY minute!

For ME, VSG has been a miracle. I literally feel like I found Aladdin's Lamp and was granted a single wish (to have a healthy metabolism like all those "normal" people I knew who enjoyed food, but never over ate, never gained weight, and were never on a diet).

That said, not everyone has enjoyed the same experience -- my advice would be:

1. Do your homework and find the best surgeon at the best hospital possible. All surgeries are NOT the same. I drove an hour (past many great W:S centers) in order to go the the #1 WLS Center in New England. There were 9 surgeons doing my operation and I was in and out in less than 40 minutes.

2. Go on a diet immediately and lose as much weight as possible BEFORE your surgery. The sooner you start, the sooner you get that normal dream life. Perhaps even more importantly, if you lose a lot of weight in a short period of time leading up to your surgery, your surgeons will have lots of room to operate in, which will minimize complications.I lost 1/3 of my excess weight in the 60 days before surgery.

3. Plan on dropping out of any and all social activities that involve food -- particularly extended family events (especially if you come from a family that eats for fun). It sounds bad, but I am so glad that I did it,

4. During your pre and post opt diet, develop an arsenal of 100 calories Snacks, 200 calorie light meals, and 400 calorie dinners that you enjoy. These will be you primary diet starting 6 weeks post opt and for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. I am in month 11 post opt and basically stick to these meals for all but a couple of meals a week and I am having zero stress maintaining my goal weight eating anything I want on the other 2-3 meals a week.

Oh yeah, all calories are NOT equal. Stick to Protein rich meals and Snacks as long as possible during the day. Be very careful with simple carbs. Not only do they make you fat, but they will also trigger head hunger and you don't want that.

5. Think long and hard about "who to tell". You have three choices; tell no one but your significant other, tell everyone, or tell your close friends and family. I picked "just tell your family" and I totally regretted it for months (now it's no longer an issue). If you follow my 4 tips above, you will lose weight like crazy very quickly. This means EVERYONE will ask you HOW DID YOU DO IT until your head explodes. If you don't tell everyone you had WLS, this means you can look forward to having to LIE TO YOUR FRIENDS for months (like I did). If I had it to do over, I would have only told my wife.

I'm sure I'll think of other things, but these are the top ones to ME!

Good Luck...

Hi Cape Crooner - great post. One question - when you say drop out of any or all social events - do you mean forever or just in the losing phase? I'm a very social person, especially love hanging out with my girlfriends, so not sure what to think of that advice! As for who to tell - if I can pull it off, only my husband will know I've had WLS.

[JamieLogical 8,684]

@@TracyBar I can't speak for Cape Crooner, but I am easily able to participate in social events that center around food now. I honestly didn't even have much trouble early on post-op (at least once I was on solid foods). I remember going to a super bowl party a couple of months post-op and just had some chili and a couple other high-protein foods and no one seemed to notice at all. I also went to a company dinner with my then-husband and, again, I ordered some fajitas ( the kind you build yourself), just ate the chicken and shrimp and a couple bites of veggies, skipped the tortillas and all the other fixin's and no one said two words about it. Since then I do dinners, parties, even a wine tasting or two, and don't have any problems just fitting in.

[TracyBar 132]

@@TracyBar I can't speak for Cape Crooner, but I am easily able to participate in social events that center around food now. I honestly didn't even have much trouble early on post-op (at least once I was on solid foods). I remember going to a super bowl party a couple of months post-op and just had some chili and a couple other high-Protein foods and no one seemed to notice at all. I also went to a company dinner with my then-husband and, again, I ordered some fajitas ( the kind you build yourself), just ate the chicken and shrimp and a couple bites of veggies, skipped the tortillas and all the other fixin's and no one said two words about it. Since then I do dinners, parties, even a wine tasting or two, and don't have any problems just fitting in.

Thanks -I realize that some things in life as I know it now will change - and for good reason. But if it meant that I would have to drop all the good things in my life like parties, friends, etc. then I would have a hard to time seeing the positives of the surgery!

[Cape Crooner 589]

Hi Cape Crooner - great post. One question - when you say drop out of any or all social events - do you mean forever or just in the losing phase? I'm a very social person, especially love hanging out with my girlfriends, so not sure what to think of that advice! As for who to tell - if I can pull it off, only my husband will know I've had WLS.

@@TracyBar - I only mean for the pre-opt diet (which in my case was 2 months) and then the majority of the weight lost phase. If it doesn't bother you to be around others in a social setting overeating, drinking beer, and raving about all their homemade Desserts, GOD BLESS YOU - go! Not me, I was much happier staying home, watching football or a movie and following my diet plan in peace.

A lot of women in my support group mentioned that they came from families with lots of obese women who took strong offense if someone didn't eat all their Pasta salads, mac & cheese, lasagna, cake, Cookies, etc, etc at a family event (and there were usually 2-3 family events a week).

Edited August 16, 2016 by Cape Crooner

[char3672 292]

YES in a NY minute!

For ME, VSG has been a miracle. I literally feel like I found Aladdin's Lamp and was granted a single wish (to have a healthy metabolism like all those "normal" people I knew who enjoyed food, but never over ate, never gained weight, and were never on a diet).

That said, not everyone has enjoyed the same experience -- my advice would be:

1. Do your homework and find the best surgeon at the best hospital possible. All surgeries are NOT the same. I drove an hour (past many great W:S centers) in order to go the the #1 WLS Center in New England. There were 9 surgeons doing my operation and I was in and out in less than 40 minutes.

2. Go on a diet immediately and lose as much weight as possible BEFORE your surgery. The sooner you start, the sooner you get that normal dream life. Perhaps even more importantly, if you lose a lot of weight in a short period of time leading up to your surgery, your surgeons will have lots of room to operate in, which will minimize complications.I lost 1/3 of my excess weight in the 60 days before surgery.

3. Plan on dropping out of any and all social activities that involve food -- particularly extended family events (especially if you come from a family that eats for fun). It sounds bad, but I am so glad that I did it,

4. During your pre and post opt diet, develop an arsenal of 100 calories Snacks, 200 calorie light meals, and 400 calorie dinners that you enjoy. These will be you primary diet starting 6 weeks post opt and for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. I am in month 11 post opt and basically stick to these meals for all but a couple of meals a week and I am having zero stress maintaining my goal weight eating anything I want on the other 2-3 meals a week.

Oh yeah, all calories are NOT equal. Stick to Protein rich meals and Snacks as long as possible during the day. Be very careful with simple carbs. Not only do they make you fat, but they will also trigger head hunger and you don't want that.

5. Think long and hard about "who to tell". You have three choices; tell no one but your significant other, tell everyone, or tell your close friends and family. I picked "just tell your family" and I totally regretted it for months (now it's no longer an issue). If you follow my 4 tips above, you will lose weight like crazy very quickly. This means EVERYONE will ask you HOW DID YOU DO IT until your head explodes. If you don't tell everyone you had WLS, this means you can look forward to having to LIE TO YOUR FRIENDS for months (like I did). If I had it to do over, I would have only told my wife.

I'm sure I'll think of other things, but these are the top ones to ME!

Good Luck...

Hi Cape Crooner - great post. One question - when you say drop out of any or all social events - do you mean forever or just in the losing phase? I'm a very social person, especially love hanging out with my girlfriends, so not sure what to think of that advice! As for who to tell - if I can pull it off, only my husband will know I've had WLS.

I know what you are saying about being a social person. I am planning on staying away from restaurants as much as possible until I am comfortable with knowing what I can and can't eat/tolerate. I think my friends and family will be supportive and understanding enough that they will be willing to do things for us to get together that wouldn't involve food. (Shopping, bowling, game night etc)

Sent from my SM-G930T using the BariatricPal App

[Clementine Sky 707]

YES in a NY minute!

For ME, VSG has been a miracle. I literally feel like I found Aladdin's Lamp and was granted a single wish (to have a healthy metabolism like all those "normal" people I knew who enjoyed food, but never over ate, never gained weight, and were never on a diet).

That said, not everyone has enjoyed the same experience -- my advice would be:

1. Do your homework and find the best surgeon at the best hospital possible. All surgeries are NOT the same. I drove an hour (past many great W:S centers) in order to go the the #1 WLS Center in New England. There were 9 surgeons doing my operation and I was in and out in less than 40 minutes.

2. Go on a diet immediately and lose as much weight as possible BEFORE your surgery. The sooner you start, the sooner you get that normal dream life. Perhaps even more importantly, if you lose a lot of weight in a short period of time leading up to your surgery, your surgeons will have lots of room to operate in, which will minimize complications.I lost 1/3 of my excess weight in the 60 days before surgery.

3. Plan on dropping out of any and all social activities that involve food -- particularly extended family events (especially if you come from a family that eats for fun). It sounds bad, but I am so glad that I did it,

4. During your pre and post opt diet, develop an arsenal of 100 calories Snacks, 200 calorie light meals, and 400 calorie dinners that you enjoy. These will be you primary diet starting 6 weeks post opt and for the REST OF YOUR LIFE. I am in month 11 post opt and basically stick to these meals for all but a couple of meals a week and I am having zero stress maintaining my goal weight eating anything I want on the other 2-3 meals a week.

Oh yeah, all calories are NOT equal. Stick to Protein rich meals and Snacks as long as possible during the day. Be very careful with simple carbs. Not only do they make you fat, but they will also trigger head hunger and you don't want that.

5. Think long and hard about "who to tell". You have three choices; tell no one but your significant other, tell everyone, or tell your close friends and family. I picked "just tell your family" and I totally regretted it for months (now it's no longer an issue). If you follow my 4 tips above, you will lose weight like crazy very quickly. This means EVERYONE will ask you HOW DID YOU DO IT until your head explodes. If you don't tell everyone you had WLS, this means you can look forward to having to LIE TO YOUR FRIENDS for months (like I did). If I had it to do over, I would have only told my wife.

I'm sure I'll think of other things, but these are the top ones to ME!

Good Luck...

Hi Cape Crooner - great post. One question - when you say drop out of any or all social events - do you mean forever or just in the losing phase? I'm a very social person, especially love hanging out with my girlfriends, so not sure what to think of that advice! As for who to tell - if I can pull it off, only my husband will know I've had WLS.

Only my doctors, husband, and my parents who were my support team the week of surgery (he was working then) know that I've had WLS, and I don't have any plans to disclose it to anyone else. It's had no adverse impact on my social life. At most social events people are so focused on socializing they're not as attentive to what you're eating. I like in LA and a lot of people are weight conscious, so it's normal to see light eaters. Even at dinner parties people have rarely commented. Once I was into the solid food phase there wasn't much I couldn't eat, so I just was mindful about what I chose and portion size.

I've never felt like I was lying to friends and others who've asked me about how I've lost weight. I tell the truth - I track my calories, I bought a bike that I use as much as possible rather than driving, and I've changed some of the medicine I was taking for my thyroid issues. No one else is entitled to know the full details of my personal medical history. That answer has been totally sufficient for everyone.

[Sara Crowley 10]

Yes I would definitely do it again! I was lucky and didn't throw up, felt queasy a few times but didn't throw up. Recovery is different for everyone. My mom and I had it together and I was released the same day whereas she was released the next. Had my surgery 8/2 and was back at work full time 8/8. My mom is still off recovering but she goes back 8/22. Any kind of surgery is scary but like another lady said in an earlier post you have to take the pros with the cons and trust me the pros totally outweigh the cons.

[Cape Crooner 589]

I know what you are saying about being a social person. I am planning on staying away from restaurants as much as possible until I am comfortable with knowing what I can and can't eat/tolerate. I think my friends and family will be supportive and understanding enough that they will be willing to do things for us to get together that wouldn't involve food. (Shopping, bowling, game night etc)

@ Sara Crowley - Actually, restaurants with my wife were easier because I was in control and no one bugged me to either "try something" or asking me why I wasn't eating. The challenge came in events with friends and/or family -- those I avoided as long as possible...