PLEASE EXCUSE THE LONG POST :( Hi all. I had my first VSG consultation on 4/19/2018. My surgeon told me I would need to lose 100lbs during my pre-op stage (6 months required by insurance co) and prescribed phentermine. I lost 20lbs in 2 weeks but it gave me terrible side effects (depression, suicidal thoughts, insomnia) so I quit. At that point I was faced with calling my surgeon and asking for something else and I never did it. The week following that I tried intermittent fasting and lost another 10lbs. Then, foolishly, I thought to myself just as I had a million times before, “I can do this myself!” And when it came time for my next appointment, I didn’t go. I didn’t call and cancel, I didn’t reschedule, I just. didn’t. go. I was struggling very hard with the idea of ever telling my family. My sister Kayla lost all her weight through diet and exercise and has kept most of it off for years and years and would NEVER support the idea of me have surgery. She has my dad’s ear and he would listen to whatever opinion she had about it. I live with my dad and he’d always thought if I would just exercise more and eat less the weight would fall off. I hate myself for not going to that appointment. If I had persevered, I’d be sleeved by now and well on my way to my new life but instead I gave up. The fad diet again proved unsuccessful and I put all the weight back on and then some. I’ve been lost these past nine months trying to figure out what to do and then last week Kayla was home visiting and she handed me a stack of papers. She had gone to a WLS seminar, my skinny sister, and taken pages upon pages of notes. She had done research. She had prepared a speech to tell me it’s time for me to do something about this. Y’all, I CRIED. So now, tomorrow, I’m scheduling another consultation and I’m DOING THIS. I FINALLY have my family’s full support and most of all I’m ready. I’m ready to stop making excuses. I’m ready to stop saying no to going to certain restaurants because I can’t fit in their booths. I’m ready to stop telling my friends that the reason I can’t go to the amusement park is because I get sick on rollercoasters when the reality is that I don’t fit. I’m ready to stop saying no to vacations that require flight. I’m ready to stop researching weight limits on everything I buy. I’m ready to have a LIFE. I have never known what’s it’s like to be a normal weight. Not ever. I’m not delusional, I KNOW this will be one of the hardest things I’ll ever do but it will be so worth the struggle. I’m looking forward to sharing this journey.

Welcome to the site, Veronica. This is a very friendly and supportive community. I'm glad that your family has gotten behind you on this, it really helps. The search engine on this site is your friend; there is soooo much information out there. Best wishes!

Good luck to you, I hope to see some great things happening for you...you won’t be sorry

I'm happy for you! Your life will be transformed like you never imagined. WLS gives people hope and a tool to better themselves. There's nothing like a supportive family. It makes this journey a lot more doable. Good luck.

Veronica my heart goes out to you because we have all been there. “Just eat less and move more “ “they say”! I finally saw a surgeon when , at 57 I knew I couldn’t do it - menopause had made me even more ravenous and despite spinning 5 x a week, the weight kept coming on . You know you need this surgery . Forget everyone else and do it for you . Commit to be good to yourself and work the steps . I am 6 weeks out and down 35 lbs - have another 35 to go . This is a journey and I know you can do it . But u need to commit that u will make the requisite changes in ur lifestyle . Good luck !!?

And remember WE ARE HERE for you, many of us have fought such battles, Many Successes but a good portion of us are still writing our stories, mine is atypical but will still be a good read, overcoming against odds, but I haven't given up, least of all on ME, I am a strong resilient 73 year old Birdie, life can't wring my neck if they can't catch me, my wings are still flapping strong, I'll ride on the wind currents until I can sail into Victory Lane.
So if you need a friend , I'm almost always near my cell phone. My weight loss has slowed because I am on TPN and have been,for 2 months yesterday, maybe a couple months more? But I did still lose 3 pounds in a month, maybe 60-65 since my Liver-shrinking diet last August, went down 15 pounds in that month alone, and I do,not regret my RnY, I am not blaming my wonderful Bradley J Needleman MD or my facility, Ohio State University Hospital- Wexner Medical Center ( whooee what a title!) in Columbus Ohio, my body just has reacted in a weird manner, if anyone can be blamed its my Dang-Fool metabolism and my tendency to produce ulcerations in my pouch and small intestine. That is why I am on TPN, to give my beleagured GI system some rest! 12 hours on , 12 hours off, I'm getting healthier but I'm still a Plump Princess, but Praise God I am still alive, kicking and bitching, but moving around enough my son doesn't have to dust me! So let's be friends through this all, okay??

Welcome! I'm so happy that you're ready and you have your family's support; all of that makes a huge difference! Our beginning stats are very similar! Let me know if you need anything or have any questions, and I'll help as best as I can. Best of luck to you!

Oh bless your heart. I am one of two sisters too and my sister has dieted on and off all her life succeeding periodically in hitting what they call healthy BMI, though she merrily swims a mile at a time whether overweight or creeping to obese. Her OH is terrified of the idea of unecessarily surgery and anaesthesia, so this is not an option for her and I felt me doing this might upset her. Make her feel bad about her yo-yoing.

She, like your sister, has been an utter sweetheart and a rock. I she'd a year for you as you, like me, obviously love your sis and feel overwhelmed by having that support when you didn't expect it. So pleased for you.

I liken readiness for this (I took 2 years from first consultation to committing, including cancelling one op), to readiness to quit smoking (did that Jan last year too). If all the intellectual arguments made sense we'd just do it, but you have to catch the right wave. Sounds like this is yours xxx

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk