I started the program yesterday and I almost wish I could get my money back and forget I wanted to do this.. I want to change my life and be healthy.. But it sounds absolutely insane letting someone cut my stomach out.. What if I get stomach cancer one day and there's nothing they can do cause I already removed the majority of my stomach (my grandpop died from stomach cancer the second time he had it. They removed 90% of his stomach and he had dumping syndrome after). Or this dumping syndrome? How does anyone get adequate nutrition by barely eating? Are you starving your body? I want it, but I don't. If this is a good solution, why doesn't everyone do it? So many questions.... Ugh! I feel like I'm driving myself crazy over it.

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Oh, where to begin?

First off, this may not be medically sound, but if you have 80% less stomach, wouldn't there be an 80% lesser chance of developing stomach cancer?

As for nutrition, you'd be amazed at how little food the body actually needs, provided you're eating the right foods. And when that's not enough there are vitamin supplements.

Also, you shouldn't feel like you're starving after the surgery because it will take much less food to make you feel full. Certainly there are exceptions since the human body is a messy tangle of hormones and chemicals that don't always work right for everyone.

And why doesn't everyone do it? There are hundreds of reasons but it usually boils down to one of these: financial, fear or surgery, fear of complications, social stigma, lack of access, lack of awareness and most of all, the old "I can do it on my own," which I think all of us here have said to ourselves at least five times before realizing that no, many of us can't do it on our own.

Finally, it's perfectly normal to think you're crazy for doing this. On paper it reads strange. Talking about it out loud makes it seem even stranger. This is one of the reasons there's a psychological examination requirement before you can be approved. It's to ensure you know what you're doing, that you know what the effect on your life will be and that you're prepared for it with a positive outlook and a reliable support system.

If you're like most of the rest of us here, the danger of not addressing your weight is so great you're willing to take the risk of what is admittedly an extreme solution. This is the last resort.

So that's all I've got. You can do this. Or you know, it's possible you can't. But if you didn't already feel you need this you'd never have taken that first step, so now you need to see it through.

Might be even less because the area where most gastric ulcers/cancers start is now gone. Yeah it's not impossible for it to be in the top portion, just unlikely.

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I asked my surgeon if the sleeve would be a prevent me from getting treatment for something like stomach or throat cancer and he said no. My dad is a throat cancer survivor and had to have a peg tube in his stomach. My surgeon said the sleeve leaves the lower part of your stomach, which is where they put the tube. Plus, there are no problems with an endoscopy, etc post sleeve. I was worried I might hear "sorry, there are no treatment options for you, because you had the sleeve". He couldn't think of a scenario where the sleeve would render me untreatable.

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Thanks guys. I'm going to stick with the program and I'm sure I'll learn things i didn't know. Hopefully I don't back out last minute because I really do want this. I cannot find a story where someone regretted having vsg surgery. They regret telling people or they regret not doing it sooner.. So well see. Thanks for the replies.

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I’ve been doing my pre-op work and I believe I’m near the end. All of a sudden I’m wondering if I need it! I’ve worked so hard to get to this point. I’m 5’4, 240lbs. I need to lose weight. How do I get my thinking back on track??? I just seem to flip flop often. I know I want to be healthy again. Anyone go through this?

My doctor had a woman call me and talk to me about it. She had the bypass 2 years ago. I don't want bypass. I'm getting the sleeve. She said losing the weight isn't the problem. keeping it off is what everyone struggles with. She said you can get to the day of surgery and say you don't want it anymore. It's your decision. After I made this post and talking with other people I'm not so nervous anymore. I'm going to do the classes and tests and hopefully learn something I didn't know before to help me make my decision. I am 5'4 240 as well.

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Why not consider bypass ? As The stomach isn’t removed

Also would consider the amount of sleeve patients who end up with doing another surgery from sleeve to bypass

Good luck on your decision!


HW 242, SW 236- (Bypass 12/20/17)
GW#1- 199 [emoji736] (2/11/18)
GW#2- 175
CW 191.4
5’6”

Leslie.( And all the rest of you.) good to hear from you again. What I want to share I hope doesn't cause any offense.

I joke that I live in Bible Belt North, a fair amount of gospel music moved in from farther south, think,Kentucky and Tennessee. There's a song keeps running through my head:

Wouldn't take nothing for my journey now

Gonna make it to Heaven somehow

The Devil, grabs ahold and tries to turn me around

We all have our devils, our self-doubts, many of us even say "oh I can do this on my own" well it just doesn't work, I've tried every diet known to man, up to and including starvation. What weight I have lost was rubber, it bounced right back on and sometimes it brought friends. Don't waver in your resolve, surgery is your hope and future tool, trust you are doing the best thing for future health, an inceasing lifespan and the fitness to walk proud and strong. Some of us, moi,included, are one step away from spending life and traveling through the rest,of our days in a wheelchair because our legs gave up, they said(in Spanish) No Mas! I ain't a -doing that no more. You weigh less than I do but I'm 4 inches taller and 80 lbs heavier. Oh,i'm not proud of it and I'll have quite a road to make it down to the size 15/16 I do dream of. My surgeon says a normal BMI weight,would be 144 to148 lbs, I will never be there short of cutting my esophagus in two or severe chemotherapy. My dream weight would be 175 but I'd even accept up to 190-195, that's the size I was when I visited BC in 1967, I was not petite but dang I was muscular and fine then.

Doubts? We all go through them, I myself am in limbo or maybe its purgatory? I finished all my prerequirements, thought I was done, I had jumped through every known hoop, was waiting on a surgery date,& received a call from surgeon's office. The 3 bariatric doctors in the practice had a commitee meeting and decided not to perform my surgery. Their excuse(mind you I don't believe this) I wasn't emotional stable or had a lack of something mentally. Bovine excrement, I asked for more clarification, she said Dearie(oh I loathe people calling me Dearie) I don't know if I can explain. When I saw the psychologist in my adult son's presence I was told I had passed all questions with perfect answers and she would forward her notes to the practice. What happened? So I will apply to another bariatric facility, I have 1 seminar Friday March 9th, another March 10th. I will have my records released to whichever one and go on from there. I've screamed my screams, cried my cries, now I'm picking myself up and progressing onward. Why don't I give up? Because not having surgery, continuing on with this fat tired and aching body is a step by step path to my death, I fear surgery less than the vision I see. So doubts, I'm the chairman and CEO of that club, and I must have missed my election but I'm stuck with the job. If you want to talk more, I'm always here to listen.

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@frust8 im sorry for your troubles you are so positive during this hugs

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