lisajxoxo

Thank you so much for sharing your story! It's so hard to find any long term data on VSG. This gives me hope for long term success. Still waiting for my surgery date but I'm working the process ... and hope to soon be working my sleeve.

I had to smile. I just bought all 3 of the same things, silica, biotin and Nioxim shampoo! Like you I figure it can't HURT and even if it only helps a little then I'm ok with that. At least I feel like I'm trying. I'm not sleeved yet (hopefully in early October) but I think I'm going to start all 3 things this weekend. Good Luck!

Don't feel ashamed!!! You did the right thing by posting here. You're taking steps to get back on track and asking for advice, you should be proud of yourself for that! I'm not sleeved yet but I've read a number of posts on here where people ask for advice to get back on track. You will do it, I know you will! Keep your chin up.

Congratulations!!!! I'm so happy for you - still waiting on my surgery date but it's fun to see everyone else get theirs!

Such great news! Thanks for sharing, I love reading stuff like this.

Yesterday I had my required appointment with the Psychologist for my "evaluation". Now, I don't think I'm crazy, far from it but I have to admit I was nervous. You see all these scenes on TV or in the movies and people end up laying on the couch and crying so I really had NO idea what to expect. He went down a list of questions: Do you eat and then throw up - No Are you anorexic - No Are you an alcoholic - No Are your parents alcoholics - No Were you molested or abused as a child - No Have you ever experienced domestic violence in a relationship - No Do you bing eat - No ... and on and on ... After what seemed like an eternity of "no" answers he looks up at me and then back down at his paper and says, "well, you're kind of boring" HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! If THIS is what boring is then I'll take it! One appt down, now I just need my 2 Dietician appts. Hopefully they won't think I'm boring ... or crazy!

This is such great information! Thank you!!!!!!

I was just curious, if you could've done anything differently in terms of preparing for the VSG what would you have done? Maybe get more exercise so you're more used to it pre-op? Maybe started your post op Vitamins early? Maybe started to get used to sipping Water rather than gulping? I'm just guessing. Thanks!!!! -Lisa

Am I the only one feeling this way? Status: Surgery tentatively planned for early October. Psych eval & Dietician appts et up for next week and the week following. Problem: I am ALL over the map with my emotions. I'm sooooooooo excited to have made this decision but then I'm anxious about it. Am I really doing the right thing? I get down on myself when I start to think about why it is that I can conquer this darn weight issue on my own? I get sad and start feeling sorry for myself when I think of the path that lead me to this point. Then I feel so empowered when I realize that I'm taking this huge step to help my health. Happy, sad, anxious, angry, frustrated ... the list goes on and on!!!! Has anyone else felt this way? Will it go away? -Lisa

Thank you everyone!!!!! @dallasmomoftwins, good luck tomorrow, I will be thinking of you!!!

Thank you for your replies! @ Kelly, I had my seminar earlier this week and received a huge binder of info of which I'm about 1/2 way through reading it. Unfortunately (or fortunately I guess) it's all about the pre-op diet and then what to expect the day of and then from there on out. Lots of detail but I guess I just wonder what I can do now to ensure things go as smoothly as they can - not sure how much I can affect the recovery but just curious. I appreciate all of the responses, this is GREAT! Thank you!

How exciting!!!!!!! Best of Luck to you (I'm still waiting for my surgery date). Lisa

Thank you, I appreciate your comments. It's good to know I'm not alone and that it will go away. My surgeon said something kind of funny to me, he said that in all of the years he's been doing VSG he's never had anyone come back to him asking for their stomach back! LOL, I thought that was pretty funny.

Today I went to the seminar that my surgeon puts on. It was very informative and I'm so glad I went. I have done so much research and had already decided VSG was my surgery of choice and today just confirmed that. The great news is that my surgeon thinks I'm a great candidate for VSG and thinks I will do very well. SOOOOO happy! Now I need to make my psych appt and 2 dietician appointments. I told him I was hoping to have the surgery the first part of October and he said that should work just fine. I'm really excited. I felt like today was a big step!

Hello, I'm in Cali too! I don't have a surgery date yet, but so excited for you! Keep us updated!

Congrats on your success!!!! I look forward to being able to say I'm a week out of surgery! Take care, Lisa

I'm in the very early stages of VSG. I started by speaking to my PCP about my weight and he referred me to a great bariatric surgeon. My interaction so far with the surgeon and his office has been great. Ben from his office took plenty of time to walk me through the process, give potential timelines and direct me to places to look for all WLS options. I then spoke to the surgeon over the phone (a consulatation which was free) and he determined that I was a good candidate to take the next step. Ben then told me that my health insurance is one of the easiest to work with (finges crossed). My next step is the seminar which is scheduled for tomorrow and then my 1 on 1 meeting with the surgeon. I have an enormous list of questions ... yes, I guess I'm one of those patients. I've spend HOURS and I do mean HOURS online doing research. For me, I think the VSG is the right option. This forum has also been a great source of first hand information. I've read about people having "buyers remorse" immediately following surgery and then later realizing it's the best thing that they've done for themselves. I like reading stuff like that because it let's me know what to expect. I've read about the struggles and learned that there is a difference between stomach hunger and head hunger. I've learned that I may feel the need to mourn food or rather "volumes of food" and so so much more. More than anything I think the support here is wonderful. My "weight" issues are probably not unique. I am 1 of 3 kids and was never overweight as a child but I look back at pictures and I had more meat on me than my brother or sister ever did. At 17 I was diagnosed with Idopathic Intracranial Hypertension (produce too much spinal fluid). One of the treatment options was a super high dose of anabolic steriods for a long period of time. Yuck. I often wonder what the long term effects of that are and if it has anything to do with my weight now. From that point on I've really struggled. I'm Queen Yo-Yo Diet-er! I can loose weight ... problem is, I always gain it back and more and more and more. I'm SOOOOOO tired of my weight being the first thing I think about when I wake up, on my mind all day and the last thing I think about when I go to bed at night. I'm so tired of the struggle and the fight and feeling like a failure. Why is it that I cand have so much success in my life but I can't conquer my weight problem?????? Frustrating. I have a garage filled with bins of clothes from size 4 to size 22, that's not normal. Why throw them away when I keep going up and down. It's ridiculous. I'm worried about my long term health, I'm worried about diabetes, heart failure, joint problems and mostly a shorter life filled with medical issues and pain and a pharmacy of pills (I can see all of that in my future). I've finally accepted that I can't do this all alone. I need help. I'm willing to put in the work required to change my diet and the way I eat and drink, I just want a little bit of help so I don't feel like I'm crawling up such a steep mountain all by myself. I don't want this to sound so sad but I wanted to get these thoughts and feelings out now. I think it will be interesting to look back on.