Brian66

Roboniko, My wife died of cancer almost 4 years ago when she was just 41. I made the decision to have the surgery because I felt that it was critical for me to re-claim my health so that I could be there for my three children. I am the only parent they have left. It has been scary making the decision and going through with the surgery without having my wife to rely on for love and support. One of the things I've thought about since having the surgery is how my wife would have felt about it. She battled her weight her whole life and I think there is a chance that she would have felt some of the same things that your wife is feeling. I don't have any real answers for you, but I would suggest buying her a big bunch of flowers, giving her a hug and a kiss and telling her that you are doing this for her (and the kids if you have any) as much as you are doing it for you. After that, let the chips fall where they may and concentrate on doing what you have to do for yourself and your family. She will come around in time. Good luck to you. Keep us posted! Brian

OK - I am sure this will sound strange, but in 1982 I visited Ireland with my parents when I was just 16 years old. I bought a beautiful cardigan Irish fisherman's knit sweater -- you know the type - cream with the elaborate stitching pattern. It was expensive even back then, probably $125.00, but it really was a nice sweater. I probably wore it for 6 years or so before I "outgrew" it, but I always took good care of it and it is still in great perfect condition. Anyway, I haven't been able to wear it for years, but I could never part with it - it brought back a lot of memories. Well, you guessed it, I dug the sweater out the other night and it fits! It will look even better when I lose a few more pounds, but it is definitely wearable and it is such a great, concrete sign of the progress I've made. It's a great feeling, but also a little bittersweet, I keep thinking of my late wife and wonder what she would say if she could see me now as I am starting to look more and more like the guy she fell in love with. Brian

Good luck to you, JamieLynn! I have found this site to be a great source of information and support. I was sleeved on July 13th and as of this morning, I am down almost 75 lbs from my first pre-op visit to the surgeon. I lost 15 lbs pre-op and have lost almost 60 since the surgery. I have no regrets and this has been the best decision I've made in a long time. I am a single parent too, having lost my wife to cancer in 2007. Although I was concerned about what would happen to my kids if I should experience any complications from the surgery, I ultimately came to the conclusion that my weight was putting my health at much greater risk that the surgery would. I would encourage you to read as many posts as possible and don't hesitate to ask questions. Again, good luck! Brian:thumbup:

Good luck to you. I too am a single parent with three kids, having been widowed three years ago. I was very concerned about the risk of complications and the fact that if anything went wrong, my children could be left without any parents. Fortunately, I did not have any complications and here I am just two months later and down just about 70 lbs. Keep researching all your options and I am sure you'll find the right procedure for you. Brian

Leo: Congratulations. That is awesome. Keep up the good work!

Carrie, I am so sorry to read all that you have been going through. You have been very kind and encouraging to me and I had no idea what you were going through. Since the surgery is irreversible, I would encourage you to see a therapist as soon as possible. You have been through an awful lot and are dealing with some pretty complex issues. It would probably make sense to sort them through with a professional. In the end, hopefully you will be able to come to terms with all that has happened and become happy with the results of the surgery. All the best, Brian

I can hardly believe it, but here I am about 7 1/2 weeks from my surgery on July 13th and I am just about half way to my goal of losing 125 lbs. Overall, it has been a relatively smooth journey, although there have been some difficult moments along the way. Last week, I took my kids on vacation and it was a real challenge to figure out what I could eat and timing it correctly. The trip involved driving about 2000 miles round trip, so eating on the road proved to be a bit of a challenge also. I think the biggest challenge for me has been dealing with the emotional aspects of not eating all the things I want to when I want to. Although I understand intellectually that this is how I ended up here in the first place (duh?), I don't think I had realized how much of a "friend" food had become in my life and how much I would miss it. This has probably been even more true since my wife died and I've had to cope with all of those emotional issues. So, in some ways, giving up my old eating habits has been another loss with which I have had to deal and that has been a little harder to cope with than I expected. The good news is that everyday someone new notices that I've lost weight and tells me that I look great and I feel terrific about that. I need to be better about monitoring my Protein intake and taking my Vitamins, but I am working on that too. If there is someone out there reading this, looking for guidance as to whether or not to have the VSG, I would unequivocally say "Go for it!" Peace, Brian

Dave - Thanks for the words of support. Good luck to you as you prepare for the journey. Please feel free to pm me if you have any questions or need any support for yourself. It hasn't been a complete walk in the park, but I have no regrets. Carrie - Where were you with that suggestion before my trip. I did end up doing something like that for the trip home and it helped. Thank God for Greek yogurt! Brian

Congratulations, Christie! You look awesome! I can so identify with your thoughts about guilt. My brother is 4 years older than I am and needs this surgery more than I do. He was looking into it at the same time I was, but his insurance will not pay for the VSG. Needless to say, I feel pretty guilty about being able to have the surgery and having a relatively easy time of obtaining insurance company approval. Unfortunately, we don't have the greatest relationship to being with, so this is not going to help things. Thanks so much for your kind words about my earlier posting. Hope you continue to do so well and that your husband is doing great also. Brian

Carrie: Congratulations! Hope the surgery went well and that you are feeling well. It's got to be a good feeling to know that band is out of there. I definitely relied on Youtube videos for presurgery inspiration -- I especially found thinjourney to be very helpful and very informative. As for me, I am about 7 weeks out and just shy of 60lbs lighter than my weight at my initial surgical consultation and about 45 lbs down from my surgery date! Good luck and keep us posted. Brian

I didn't tell many people about my surgery when I had it on July 13th. Now that I am down about a total of 55lbs from my starting weight, about one person each day will notice and say something to me. They seem generally pretty shy about asking and always ask quietly -- have you lost some weight? I always feel like saying - "duh! only about 50 lbs", but I don't and I always just say yes and accept their compliment. No one is asking me how I've done it, so I am not discussing my surgery. I don't plan on keepng it a secret from anyone who asks, just don't see the need to advertise it right now, especially in the office. Right now, family and close friends are enough. It feels good that people are noticing, but the fact that it has taken what seems to me so long for people to notice really confirms for me that other people are not as conscious of fluctuations in our weight as we think they are. Brian

I was sleeved on July 13th and I am doing well. I am down about 23 lbs since the surgery and I generally feel really great. The one thing I am struggling with a bit is a sense of sadness that I cannot eat the things I have always enjoyed in the amounts I have always loved. I really don't have any physical hunger, but I have come to realize what a huge part of my life food has been. I was telling my sister-in-law about it today and she said -- "It's like you've lost a friend" and that really struck home for me. For a long time (probably as long as I can remember) - food has been where I have turned to calm myself down, cheer myself up, comfort me when I felt lonely or sad, Celebrate when I was happy. This has been especially true in the last three years as I've coped with the death of my wife from cancer and raising my three kids on my own. I never really focused on the psychological side of my eating -- always sort of viewed myself as just a big guy who just plain loved to eat. Now I am beginning to understand that it is has been much more complicated than that for a lot of years. The good news is that with the sleeve, there is no going back for me and I physically can't go back to eating the way I ate before. Of course, my rational self tells me that eating the old way was how I got into this position in the first place, so I need to face this sense of sadness and loss and move on. I guess that really is the beauty of the sleeve. If I was on any sort of diet, I am sure I would give up as I faced these sort of uncomfortable issues and go back to my poor eating habits. Thanks for listening and for all the support as we make this journey together! Brian:confused1:

Carrie, Thanks for the words of encourgagement. Of course, what you have written makes absolute sense and I really like some of your suggestions. I guess what has really surprised me about this journey is the psychological aspect of eating far less than I am used to eating. During the pre-op phase, I was asked time and time again - by the psychologist and the nutritionist - "Are you really ready to change your life?" Of course, my answer was always an unequivocal "Yes" and I absolutely meant it. There was not a doubt in my mind and I was (still am) willing to do anything to get rid of this weight once and for all. The part that I did not anticipate was the struggle between what I want to eat and what I can eat. Intellectually, I know that is exactly what makes the sleeve such great tool, but I am still learning to work within its restrictions and to find the right balance of learning to know what I feel satisfied instead of full. I sort of feel like "feeling satisfied" is a new concept to me and not one that I am familiar with when it comes to eating. Anyway, I am beginning to understand how to use this tool and I am grateful to have this forum to come to. My surgeon also offers a support group and I am looking forward to attending my first session later this month. Good luck to you. Thanks again, Brian

Congratulations, Jane! You look amazing! You are an inspiration to all of us who are in the relatively early stages of this journey.

Hi Lisa, Welcome and good luck! I am a 44 year old male and I was sleeved on July 13th here in New York City. I am done about 22 lbs since the surgery and basically feeling great. Don't let the opinions of others influence the path you choose. I purposely did not tell anyone except my immediate family prior to my surgery because I did not want to hear all the opinions and horror stories. Do your research and get comfortable with your choice. Like you, I made the decision to move forward with my surgery because of my concerns about my health and for the sake of my children. My wife died three years ago at the age of 41 after a battling with cancer for two and a half years. I am all my three kids have in terms of parents and I am determined to be with them as long as possible. I am starting to tell people now about my surgery and, for the most part, I have found them to be very supportive and encouraging. Some of the people I have told just don't seem to get it and that's ok. I don't think that people who have not really battled with their weight can truly understand what we've been through. I feel that if people want to judge me for my decision, that's their problem. I know that I made this decision for all the right reasons with my eyes wide open and I am very happy with my decision so far. Good luck and keep us posted. Brian

I have Aetna and I really didn't find the process to be too bad. I visited the surgeon for my first consultation on April 24 and I was sleeved on July 13th. My biggest complaint was the surgical coordinator in my surgeon's office. I found her to be inexperienced, unorganized and unresponsive. Once I realized this, I started calling Aetna myself to check on the status of my approval. I found them to be generally helpful and responsive.

Hello all, I had my VSG on Tuesday, July 13th at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. The day of the surgery was a little frustrating because the procedure was scheduled for 4:00 pm and I did not end up walking into the OR until around 7:00 pm. I had been warned that my doctor often runs behind schedule and given such a late scheduled hour for surgery, I was not surprised to have to wait. Other than the long delay, everything went smoothly. The anesthesiologist had some concerns about inserting my breathing tube and there was some discussion about using a camera to visualize things, but I am not really sure if they needed to resort to that. The last thing I remember about the OR is having my throat sprayed with some awful local anesthetic to prepare for the possible insertion of the camera and then I was out. I woke up in the recovery room at about 9:30 pm and my only complaint was that awful taste in my mouth from the anesthetic. Fortunately, that passed quickly enough and the next thing I knew, I was being brought to my room at about 11:00 pm. I had not discernible paiin and I was alert enough to be able to call my family and tell them that I was alright. I slept on and off that first night, but I had no real pain to speak of. A little discomfort from the foley catheter, but that was about the worst of it. I was woken up bright and early the next morning (Tuesday) and taken down for an upper GI series to check for leaks. The contrast solution was very unpleasant to drink, but the test passed quickly enough and I was thrilled to hear that there were no leaks detected. I was cleared to try clear fluids after the leak test, but I really had no desire to eat or drink anything. The only amazing thing was that I found that even swallowing the smallest amount of Jello produced some pain which made me realize just how sensitive the stomach was. I was able to walk around the floor on Tuesday and I am happy to say that I had none of the horrendous gas pain that I had been warned about. When I was asked about my pain level on a scale of 1-10, I could honestly answer that it was about a 0. On Thursday morning, I was cleared to go home and I was picked up at about 11:30 am. As soon as I got in the car, I felt quite a bit of nausea and the hour ride back home was a little unpleasant. No vomitting, just really extreme queasiness. I wsa pretty wiped out by the time I got home and I did sleep for a few hours. The nausea was pretty bad by Thursday night and I did get some relief by taking the prevacid that was prescribed when I left the hospital. The first night was a little bit rough and I found myself wondering if I had done the right thing. Classic buyer's remorse, I guess, which I sort of expected, but it was still not pleasant to deal with. Friday was definitely better in terms of the nausea and today has been even better. Still a little queasy, but definitely manageable. I am also bothered by a sort of medicinal taste in my mouth, but I find that this is getting better as I am able to consume more fluids. I am still nowhere near where I need to be in terms of Protein and fluids, but it is definitely getting better everyday. My main concern is getting in the minimum amount of fluids because my surgeon warned me that dehydration is a major cause of hospital readmissions for VSG patients. It is sort of strange being home with my kids in that I feel like we are existing in parallel universes at the moment. Their world is pretty much normal and mine is much the same as theirs, except it does not contain food. They are being very sweet and try not to talk about food in front of me, but I have to say I have absolutely no hunger and it really does not bother me to be around food. In fact, the nausea I had been experiencing made the thought of any food very unappealing. I was able to take them to the mall this afternoon and I bought lunch for them. I did feel a little sad at not being able to share in the meal with them, but the feeling passed quickly enough. The really good news is that I am down about 25 pounds since fist consulting with my surgeon back in March and I have lost about 10 pounds since my surgery. The best part of today is that I was able to put on a pair of shorts that I received as a gift last June that never fit and they were very comfortable. I guess I am really on my way! Just wanted to let you know where I was at the moment and to thank you for all your support on this sight Brian

It has been a great morning. I got dressed to go to work this morning for the first time since my surgery and everything felt a little big, including my shoes! Perhaps some of it is psychological, but, hey, I'll take it. I was also thrilled this morning that I found a Protein shake that I can tolerate very well. Isopure Low Carb Dutch chocolate. I was really struggling with trying to get my protein in this weekend, so I am happy have found a shake that will work for me. 50g of protein per 12 oz (2 scoops of powder) which sounds great to me. All in all, a very good morning! Brian:biggrin0:

Non scale victory

Awesome! Congratulations! You guys have been an inspiration to me! Keep up the good work! Brian

I have just confirmed that my surgery is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 pm here in NY. I can't believe it is finally here. I am a little nervous, but I do feel a sense of peace that I am doing the right thing for myself and my kids. I just can't wait to get through the unpleasant aspects of the surgery and the first few days and to move on with my life. Let the losing begin!! Brian

Just got the exciting news this morning that my insurance company approved me for the VSG! I am on Dr. Roslin's calendar for next Tuesday, July 13th. At the moment, I am still tremendously frustrated with his surgical coordinator because she is almost impossible to speak with and I still have some questions for her, but I am thinking positively and hoping for the best! I'm nervous, but I know that is natural, so I'll just have to get through the next week or so and then on to my new life! Brian

:001_smile:I am penciled in for July 13th with my surgeon, Dr. Mitchell Roslin at Lenox Hill Hospital here in NY. At this point I am just waiting for final insurance company approval which I hope to have this week. I've been a little frustrated with the process, but that seems mainly to be because I think the surgical coordinator in Dr. Roslin's office is relatively new and I am not so sure she knows what she is doing. Anyway, some of you may remember me from my introduction. I am 44 and the widowed father of three kids 15, 10 and 9. I've battled my weight my whole life, but gained about 25-30 pounds in the last few years as I coped with my wife's illness, death and the aftermath of all that. The good news is that I've told the kids and they are 100% supportive of my decision to have this surgery which is important to me as I really feel that I am doing this for ALL of us. Anyway, I'll keep you posted. Thanks to all of you, especially you Tiffykins, for being such a great source of information, support and inspiration. Brian

I am tentatively scheduled for surgery on July 13th here in New York. Just awaiting final approval from Aetna, which I hope to have within the next few days. Looking forward to getting this done and sharing the details of a quick and uneventful recovery with all of you! Brian

Christie: Congratulations to both you and Ian. I've been following your progress and it sounds like you are doing great! I am hoping to have my surgey on 6/28 or 6/29 so I will look to you for continues inspiration. Keep up the good work! Brian