Anniepie10

I am 61 and have fought my weight all my life. One of my co-workers and I had fought the battle of the bulge together-loose, gain. It was seemingly hopeless. But last fall due to scheduling and vacations we had not seen much of each other. She started looking better and better. I spoke to her privately and she told me about the Vertical Gastic Sleeve that she had had done. I was only aware of the roux-N-y and the lap band. The VGS seemed like an answer to my obesity. With my coworker's support I contacted her surgeon and made that first all important appointment.Dr.Schram and his staff were so understanding . They treated me like I was a VIP.All the tests were ordered and completed. (i passed everything)
I had my sleeve done April 9,2012 in Zeeland, Michigan by Dr Jon Schram i can't say it was a piece of cake. But I came through with flying colors. I had my first post op visit today-i have lost 22 pounds! Ii am thrilled!!! The surgery isn't a fix-all,but it is the best weight loss tool I have ever had. It seem that if I eat right I will now finally loose weight. No more gaining weight just thinking of food. This is a new start of the second part of my life!!!





It has been 4 weeks, 3 days since my surgery. I thought I would go back to work after 4 weeks, Ha! I still had a lot of pain in one incision and decided that I was not invincible and should take another week off and then go back half days.. I am doing more and more every day. I have now lost 26 pounds! It is so amazing!
I have lost my taste for chicken.... I made some at home and ran it through the food processor... I didn't mind the texture, but it just didn't taste good. I have been eating cottage cheese, yogurt, and protein shakes. I will try some tilapia tonight and see how that tastes. It is nice to have a half banana now and then... still haven't tried eggs.. that could also be an option.
I am doing very well getting my fluids in. Some of the water bottles taste like toys! Yuck. Ice water tastes the best.i do miss carbonated drinks, but have decided it is not the end of the world. I didn't drink much anyway....
Finding things without NutraSweet has been a bit of a challenge, but I think I have gotten around that. I am allergic to NutraSweet, so I have been reading labels for that for a long time.. It is in so many things- but I can buy unsweeten things and add splenda or sweet and low.

Well, how time flys. It is soon eight months since surgery, and I have lost 75 pounds. Have had some bumps along the way. Got to feeling just awful in July and had no energy. Finally figured out that I needed to stop my all my blood pressure meds! My BP was 80/40- not enough. So I stopped all that and have nit had to take a thing for blood pressure sine.
At the end of October 2012, I ended up in the ER with a biliary obstruction- horrid abdominal pain.. Was in ICU step down for the better part of thee days, off for two weeks and the back in the hospital with abdominal pain again. Then had an ERCP,. I had a biliary stricture and pancreatitis. A stent was put into my bile duct. Then had an endoscopic ultrasound to check my pancreas. Finally went back to work two days ago. Was majorly pooped that first day, but day two was better. Finally am beginning to feel like myself again. There are mixed opinions as to whether this whole ordeal had anything to do with my VGS. I just think it is a weird thing that I happened to get.

Have now lost 75 pounds since surgery and 80 since my first visit to the surgeon. Despite all the bumps in the road, I don't regret having the VGS. I think in the long run I am so much better off for having the surgery. And a size 10 rocks!