Weight Loss Surgery-anyone had it?

[trip75]

My sister and I are planning to get VSG (vertical sleeve gastrectomy) at the end of February. I'm just curious if anyone has any stories, advice or experience that they'd like to share. We chose VSG but I'd like to hear about any other type of weight loss surgery.
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) - Also known as Sleeve Gastrectomy, Vertical Gastrectomy

 

[ThePowderPuff]

Hi

Congratulations on your big decission. I belong to a online community with a group of women who have had Gastric Bypass, and I have followed them carefully. I ended up not having one myself, and lost the weight otherwise, but that's a long story.

I have followed these amazing ladies, and it's just amazing to see how they have developed after their operations. It's completely life changing. But it's a hard transformation.

I can tell you that from these 10 women, there is not one who has regretted. So I think it's highly recommended if you're in the target group. And I would have done it, if I hadn't found another way (which was changing to another type of antidepressant, in case you wondered. It's the medicin that made me gain a massive amount of weight, I have lost 60 pounds since I changed my medicine).

Anyway, I have heard a lot about it and followed them closely, so I may be able to tell you something. But I don't really know where to start. What do you want to know?

Again congratulations on your decision. It's a big and very brave decision to make.

 

[trip75]

First of all thanks for your response. I was beginning to think that nobody has had it or had any opinions on it.
I've been struggling with my weight for about 11 years, since I had my son. I was always normal weight as a child and through high school.
I tried the dieting and exercising although, I admit, not at the same time.
So now I'm going for it.
My sister is pretty much the same story except she has always been chunky. She had lost about 80 lbs in the past few years on her own. But boy is she a yo-yoer. She's had to have her gallbladder removed from losing and gaining repeatedly.
I was just curious about the emotional and mental side of losing at a very fast rate. Its going from living to eat to eating to live. I kinda like to eat...I ENJOY food. Its part of every family function, work function and every school function. With the VSG surgery your food intake is almost nothing. I'm afraid I'm gonna miss eating. It sounds kinda crazy I know.
Have you had any trouble keeping off the weight you lost? I lost 30 lbs about 3 years ago and it took about 2 years to put it back on. But 30 lbs lost felt amazing. 60 lbs must feel awesome!

 

[ThePowderPuff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trip75 First of all thanks for your response. I was beginning to think that nobody has had it or had any opinions on it. I've been struggling with my weight for about 11 years, since I had my son. I was always normal weight as a child and through high school. I tried the dieting and exercising although, I admit, not at the same time. So now I'm going for it. My sister is pretty much the same story except she has always been chunky. She had lost about 80 lbs in the past few years on her own. But boy is she a yo-yoer. She's had to have her gallbladder removed from losing and gaining repeatedly. I was just curious about the emotional and mental side of losing at a very fast rate. Its going from living to eat to eating to live. I kinda like to eat...I ENJOY food. Its part of every family function, work function and every school function. With the VSG surgery your food intake is almost nothing. I'm afraid I'm gonna miss eating. It sounds kinda crazy I know. Have you had any trouble keeping off the weight you lost? I lost 30 lbs about 3 years ago and it took about 2 years to put it back on. But 30 lbs lost felt amazing. 60 lbs must feel awesome!

I am aware, that I might gain everything back on. And if I do I will definitely go for surgery. But I hope that I won't because this has been relatively automatic. I stopped taking the drug and I lost the weight, without making a big effort. So that's why I hope it will last, if you understand. Because I have also before lost a lot and gained it again. But well, we'll see.

You definitely still enjoy meals and food after surgery. You just get used to eating small portions. But small portions doesn't mean you can't enjoy food. A small steak tastes just as good as a large steak

I have ben eating dinners with these ladies and they enjoy food as much as everyone else. It just doesn't control them anymore.

There is an emotional side effect definitely. It's a big change and sometimes your relatives have a hard time understading. There has been one divorce in the group (but well, that might have happened anyway).

 

[trip75]

It sounds like the drug was making your body hold onto the fat. You probably will keep it off if you stay off of it. Did the meds you were taking help alot or do the new meds work just as well? It would imagine it would be a hard decision to have to choose between keeping off the weight or feeling good mentally.
I wish I could lose on my own but it ain't happening. Surgery is my last resort. My family is really supportive. I have super high blood pressure that my Dr and I are trying to get under control but can't seem to find the right combination of drugs. They know this is more for health than it is for vanity. Although the prospect of getting into smaller clothes is really enticing.

 

[SerenityRaine]

My best friends mother had weight loss surgery (not sure what procedure) about a year ago, with tremendous results in a weight loss of 80-100 lbs? can't recall exact weight but a very impressive amount in little time.

Early December she went to the hospital thinking that she had food poisoning. What it turned out to be is that there was undigested rotting food in her intestines and they had to remove a lot of her intestines. It takes 4 feet of intestines to live. She has 2 to 2.5 the most. Right now, she has one of those bags and is getting fluids/nutrition intravenously. It is likely she'll never eat food for the rest of her life and that she'll be on a liquid diet. Ppl can only live intravenously for about 10 years till the body rejects nutrition that way. She'll eventually get a intestinal transplant after that and longest a person who has lived with a transplant is 11 years. So maybe 21 years max unless medical technology advances. Right now she's spent more time in the hospital than out of it. She seems to always be in pain and the pain meds make her loopy.

Its a very sad situation as it not only affects her life but those of her loved ones. My best friend put her life on hold so she could move where her mother was to be able to take care of her.

 

[Jinni]

SerenityRaine, that is terrible! Do they know what caused it?

Having an emergency ostomy surgery is not a weightloss surgery though, so I don't believe the risks are the same.

I do know a woman who had gastric bypass surgery. She lost a lot of weight quite fast. Apparently you often need to get more surgery afterwards to deal with loose skin from the stomach. If there is a lot of loose skin left after the weightloss; moisture can gather in the folds and cause skin problems. I don't think that surgery is particularly risky, but it's something to keep in mind.

Best of luck to you

 

[ThePowderPuff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by trip75 It sounds like the drug was making your body hold onto the fat. You probably will keep it off if you stay off of it. Did the meds you were taking help alot or do the new meds work just as well? It would imagine it would be a hard decision to have to choose between keeping off the weight or feeling good mentally. I wish I could lose on my own but it ain't happening. Surgery is my last resort. My family is really supportive. I have super high blood pressure that my Dr and I are trying to get under control but can't seem to find the right combination of drugs. They know this is more for health than it is for vanity. Although the prospect of getting into smaller clothes is really enticing.

I hope so too. I know it's the last resort, it seems like the right decission for you.

Actually I just went out yesterday with the gastric bypass girls. It's really amazing to see them now.

 

[SerenityRaine]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jinni SerenityRaine, that is terrible! Do they know what caused it? Having an emergency ostomy surgery is not a weightloss surgery though, so I don't believe the risks are the same. I do know a woman who had gastric bypass surgery. She lost a lot of weight quite fast. Apparently you often need to get more surgery afterwards to deal with loose skin from the stomach. If there is a lot of loose skin left after the weightloss; moisture can gather in the folds and cause skin problems. I don't think that surgery is particularly risky, but it's something to keep in mind. Best of luck to you

I'm not sure exactly what caused it but I know that it was a direct result from the weight loss surgery but it was one of those risks she was aware about before doing the surgery.

 

[TexasBelle]

I haven't had weight loss surgery, myself, but my hairdresser had it 3 years ago, lost about 60 pounds, then started having problems. The band was overfilled, or something like that, and her stomach was messed up -- it was complicated. She had to go in for additional procedures. She ended up on a lot of meds and having to see her doctor frequently.

She put back on almost all the weight and has been struggling just to maintain her weight in recent months.

She is also many thousands of dollars in debt, now, from the surgery and its aftermath.

This is just one person's story amongst thousands, of course, and for many people weight loss surgery is a life saving, wonderful thing.

As for me -- a year ago, I was 262 pounds. Last April, I started Weight Watchers online. As of my last weigh-in, I've lost 80 lbs (and now weigh 182 lbs). I've got another 20 to go to reach my goal

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