Beginning to consider thinking about....

[Waddlingduck 0]

I got a birthday call from my wonderful MIL the other day. She was really excited and wanted me to look up Vertical Sleeve surgery. A co-worker of hers had just returned from Mexico and Dr Joya's clinic with a spring in her step and 20LBs down.

I have been STRUGGLING with my weight for, well, EVER. I've put on 10lb a year for the last 10 years, and there's no sign of it stopping. Even THINKING about losing weight makes me gain more. I am SO done.

So, ever hungry for knowledge (and cookies), I opened up the laptop and started reading. I read til my eyes bled. My goodness, there is SO MUCH INFORMATION!

Then I searched for "real people information" and found you guys! I read THROUGH the bloody eyes, and WOW! You are all so inspiring!

I'd like so much if some of you could take the time to answer a few questions about your experiences; there are just soooo many great posts I'll never get through them all.

1. Who was your surgeon and why would you (or wouldn't you) recommend him- please don't bash other people's choices, forum drama makes me SAD :sad0:

2. How do I get the ball rolling- how do I approach my doctor, what do I need to ask for?

3. I have never had "major" surgery before- like I've been put under for a leep-cone procedure before, and I've done natural child birth, but what do I expect physically? How bad does it hurt after and for how long?

4. I've read that recovery is quite exhausting, and that it's hard to cope with so few calories (energy wise). I'm already tired all the time- When does the energy come back?

5. What about all the EXTRA SKIN? Is there a way to help that without more surgery later?

6. What about hair LOSS!? I like to pretend I'm not vain, but that might be a bit hard to take, how do I cope with the inevitable Hair loss?

7. Beer? Can I have beer? It's my FAVORITE summertime treat, but it's fizzy and I haven't been able to find much on alcohol consumption... This is certainly not a "deal breaker", but I'm curious :001_huh:

8. I've seen several posts and responses about how to cope with eating out and in public, does it ever "feel" normal again? I mean, will it stop feeling strange that I can barely eat half a slice of pizza? (that's assuming I can tolerate the cheese and the pepperoni and the sauce...)

9. The puking and dehydration.... Um, does EVERYBODY struggle with that? Is it FOREVER?

10. Finally, is there anything else I should know? I've read PAGES and PAGES of stats and medical info, so I understand the basics of the procedure and the risks and the possibility of complications etc... But is there anything else? Any Super Top Secret Inside info that I'm not going to learn anywhere else?

Thanks in advance, this forum has already been a great help to me and I welcome any support you are willing to lend. :scared0:

[lil red raider 5]

I have struggled with my weight Always. The decision for me was easy. I am 32 and TIRED of being fat. I am scheduled for surgery on August 16. I chose my surgeon based on the medical school he went to (We have the same alma Matar). He has several billboards around Dallas and he takes my insurance. Luckily, he turned out to be really good and nice looking to boot. Do your research!!!!

My physician suggested to me to do something about my weight. I told her I wanted to try it with a dietician first. Well 6 months later here I am scheduled to have surgery.

I got a letter of referral from my primary, 3 months of supervised diet, a psych eval, and a 2 year weight history. I met Aetna's BMI requirement alone. I also have 2 co morbidities which helped me even more to get approved.

This is a tough decision and I wish you the best of luck on your journey.

[pnw218 14]

It is exciting! I would absolutely do it again! I still dislike it that I had to take such drastic measures, but being thin again is wonderful!

I will post a link to my entire experience at the end. Feel free to private message any other questions you might want to ask : )

1. Who was your surgeon .... see below. I had a great experience. I also went down with another gal two months later for her surgery. Nothing to complain about.

2. How do I get the ball rolling- how do I approach my doctor, what do I need to ask for? If you have insurance, check that first. See if you have coverage. If not, then decide if you will do it locally or in Mexico. In my area, it is about $25k cash. I spent $6k counting airfare, hotels, etc. My insurance would not cover because my BMI was 33, not 35 - even tho I had back issues and sleep apnea. I needed to gain 40 pounds (LOL) and do a one year dr supervised diet/exercise program. I was too old for that! : )

3. I have never had "major" surgery before- like I've been put under for a leep-cone procedure before, and I've done natural child birth, but what do I expect physically? How bad does it hurt after and for how long? This was my 9th surgery. The first day or two was lousy (nausea, pain from being intubated). Pretty typical. By late the 2nd day I was much better. On day 3, I flew home. Walked thru the airport, no problem. Went grocery shopping when I got home. Never took another pain med. I have a high pain tolerance apparently; delivered three 9lb babies without meds. Stay positive, get up, move around.

4. I've read that recovery is quite exhausting, and that it's hard to cope with so few calories (energy wise). I'm already tired all the time- When does the energy come back? I moved to mushies and full liguids early - in the first week. Wasn't so much hunger as weak. Once I started eating, I was good. Went back to work on day 4. I was back to a regular schedule and feeling great within the first two weeks.

5. What about all the EXTRA SKIN? Is there a way to help that without more surgery later? You can certainly have cosmetic surgery when you are done losing weight for most parts of your body. I think the upper arms is the most difficult surgery wise. There is a gal here tho that just posted her photos and her arms look great!! Someone will remember her name; I will try to find it too.

6. What about hair LOSS!? I like to pretend I'm not vain, but that might be a bit hard to take, how do I cope with the inevitable Hair loss? Yep. It happened at 3.5 months. Fortunately, I started with very thick hair so will probably survive. It is annoying tho. If your hair starts out thinner, I can see it being very frustrating. Supposedly it will grow back. I even took prenatals thinking that would give me lots of extra vitamins! LOL Kinda embarrassing to be in the store buying prenatals at 49 tho .....

7. Beer? Can I have beer? It's my FAVORITE summertime treat, but it's fizzy and I haven't been able to find much on alcohol consumption... This is certainly not a "deal breaker", but I'm curious :scared0: Yes!! It will take a little while but I was having sips and small drinks around a month or so.

8. I've seen several posts and responses about how to cope with eating out and in public, does it ever "feel" normal again? I mean, will it stop feeling strange that I can barely eat half a slice of pizza? (that's assuming I can tolerate the cheese and the pepperoni and the sauce...) Eating out stinks. Well, for me at this point it still does. Depends on what I am eating but I am still very limited quantity wise. I get full but still want more. It is getting easier tho and just means I get 3 or 4 meals out of each dining out plate. I can eat pretty much anything I want tho.

9. The puking and dehydration.... Um, does EVERYBODY struggle with that? Is it FOREVER? Haven't had either issue at all. I had a difficult time getting in the fluids in the beginning - trying to schedule between meals. Not on a strict schedule now just back to "normal". Just had labs checked with primary dr and all was good except Vit D. Of course, I live in the PNW and the sun hasn't been out forever!! haha!

10. Finally, is there anything else I should know? Do your research. Make your own decision. Don't tell too many family and friends. You will get tired of explaining yourself. I told 3 people before surgery. And many totally don't get it. So many people only know about the bypass and the bad stuff.

It is an amazing tool! Good Luck!

Here is my experience link: http://verticalsleevetalk.com/tell-your-story/3651-mexico-bust.html

Edited June 24, 2010 by pnw218

[MINI-Me 196]

Welcome to the forum. Lots of good questions ... I will do my best to answer based on my experience.

1. Who was your surgeon and why would you (or wouldn't you) recommend him- please don't bash other people's choices, forum drama makes me SAD I went through Medical Tourism and met Dr. Thomas Umbach in Las Vegas. He is an awesome surgeon & I would recommend him without reservation. The office staff is a little "forgetful" sometimes, so you have to be on your toes & follow-up. But, Dr. U is top notch.

2. How do I get the ball rolling- how do I approach my doctor, what do I need to ask for? I started with my own personal research and went to a local surgeon for a seminar. From there, I found Medical Tourism and they guided me through the process. My PCP just had to send a letter of surgery recommendation and run labs for me.

3. I have never had "major" surgery before- like I've been put under for a leep-cone procedure before, and I've done natural child birth, but what do I expect physically? How bad does it hurt after and for how long? Some people have no to little pain. Unfortunately, I wasn't that lucky. My pain in the first few days was more than I expected. The good news is that I was given pain meds to manage it and it only lasted a few days. Definitely worth a few days of pain.

4. I've read that recovery is quite exhausting, and that it's hard to cope with so few calories (energy wise). I'm already tired all the time- When does the energy come back? By week 4, I was pretty much back to normal. I took 1 week off from work and worked 1/2 days for 1.5 weeks.

5. What about all the EXTRA SKIN? Is there a way to help that without more surgery later? I have some loose skin (thighs, tummy, and arms) but mostly things are coming back nicely.

6. What about hair LOSS!? I like to pretend I'm not vain, but that might be a bit hard to take, how do I cope with the inevitable Hair loss? It's not inevitable. I've had some, but not gobs and gobs. Others, have had no loss.

7. Beer? Can I have beer? It's my FAVORITE summertime treat, but it's fizzy and I haven't been able to find much on alcohol consumption... This is certainly not a "deal breaker", but I'm curious I have had a few beers. There is a definite odd feeling with the bubbles, but it does not hurt - just takes a while to get one down.

8. I've seen several posts and responses about how to cope with eating out and in public, does it ever "feel" normal again? I mean, will it stop feeling strange that I can barely eat half a slice of pizza? (that's assuming I can tolerate the cheese and the pepperoni and the sauce...) At 5 months out, I can pretty well tolerate anything - just small amounts. I have found that people don't really pay as much attention as we think they do. I share a lot of meals with my husband which means we get to go out twice as much - no cooking for me!!!! He laughs and says that I am a cheap date.

9. The puking and dehydration.... Um, does EVERYBODY struggle with that? Is it FOREVER? I only puked once since surgery and it was due to a stomach bug, not at all related to my surgery. Getting in fluids the first few days is hard, but you will find a way around that. If not, you can always get IV fluids from your surgeon.

10. Finally, is there anything else I should know? I've read PAGES and PAGES of stats and medical info, so I understand the basics of the procedure and the risks and the possibility of complications etc... But is there anything else? Any Super Top Secret Inside info that I'm not going to learn anywhere else? No secrets. Just remember that everyone is different and all of our journeys are different. Do your research, find a surgeon that you trust, and enjoy your journey. Come back and ask as many questions as you want.

Again, welcome.

Edited June 24, 2010 by MINI-Me
changed color to make easier to read.

[breezy 8]

:001_huh:

1. Who was your surgeon and why would you (or wouldn't you) recommend him- please don't bash other people's choices, forum drama makes me SAD

Dr. Aceves, Mexicali, Mexico

2. How do I get the ball rolling- how do I approach my doctor, what do I need to ask for? http://www.mexicalibariatriccenter.com/

3. I have never had "major" surgery before- like I've been put under for a leep-cone procedure before, and I've done natural child birth, but what do I expect physically? How bad does it hurt after and for how long? I got a spinal tap and came out of the surgery with no nausea, just spacey. I was uncomfortable, but no real PAIN. I used the pain pills they sent me home with and then nothing. I had some discomfort trying to sleep on my left side, but that went away in about a week. Incision sites were sensitive, but healed fast.

4. I've read that recovery is quite exhausting, and that it's hard to cope with so few calories (energy wise). I'm already tired all the time- When does the energy come back? I was tired a lot in the first 6 weeks. By the 8 week mark, I felt enough energy to start exercising. Now I eat several small meals per day and my energy is pretty stable. I think I'll feel even more energy as I lose the weight and don't have to lug around an extra 100 lbs!

5. What about all the EXTRA SKIN? Is there a way to help that without more surgery later? I am not far enough out to say, but I plan to exercise the areas of concern. I don't plan on any cosmetic surgery at this point.

6. What about hair LOSS!? I like to pretend I'm not vain, but that might be a bit hard to take, how do I cope with the inevitable Hair loss? Knock on wood, no hair loss at 10 weeks.

7. Beer? Can I have beer? It's my FAVORITE summertime treat, but it's fizzy and I haven't been able to find much on alcohol consumption... This is certainly not a "deal breaker", but I'm curious :scared0: Don't know. Haven't tried more than a sip of coke.

8. I've seen several posts and responses about how to cope with eating out and in public, does it ever "feel" normal again? I mean, will it stop feeling strange that I can barely eat half a slice of pizza? (that's assuming I can tolerate the cheese and the pepperoni and the sauce...) My step-daughter (who had the surgery 3 days before me) and I went with family to dinner last weekend. Everyone gave us a bite from their plates and we had PLENTY to eat! We all laughed and talked and shared food. No big deal.

9. The puking and dehydration.... Um, does EVERYBODY struggle with that? Is it FOREVER? I have never puked, and only felt nauseas maybe 2 times. I did have trouble drinking enough fluids at first, but it's getting better with every passing day.

10. Finally, is there anything else I should know? I've read PAGES and PAGES of stats and medical info, so I understand the basics of the procedure and the risks and the possibility of complications etc... But is there anything else? Any Super Top Secret Inside info that I'm not going to learn anywhere else? It's important to have support, whether family, friends, co-workers, or just this forum group. But I'll be watching this thread to see if anyone does come up with a Top Secret!

I hope this helps.

[cyates 1]

I don't have much to add to those above except that I am sorry I didn't have surgery sooner. It is the best thing I have ever done for myself. The short period of discomfort and adjustment has been so worthwhile. I researched forever, but the day I made my decision, I was in wholeheartedly. I hope you get the answers you are looking for and good luck!

[Chancie 65]

JUST DO IT!!

Not trying to sound like a smart a$$...... but I wish I had done it ten years ago!

I can't add to anything that everyone else has said........ all I can say is look at my "before and after" pics....... I am one of the "heavyweights" in here..... and it has been the most wonderful thing I have ever done for myself!!

I am also one that had difficulties in the beginning. spending 5 days in the hospital because of nasusea and vomiting........... but it was all worht it................ and just a "blur" now

Best thing I ever did.

[possumtrot 2]

So glad you asked these questions! I am also considering VSG and have gotten great info from this thread. Thanks!

[Waddlingduck 0]

Thank you all SOO much! I think the best way to make an informed decision about something this big is to talk to people who have had the experience. Stats are so impersonal.

I'll definitely keep you all posted on my journey :lol0:

[cwalker 12]

1. my surgeon was Robert Marvin in Houston, Tx. He is a world famous surgeon has even been on tLC . "The Brian story" about a 400 lb teen plus he was one of 5 surgeons my insurance covered.

2. I called his office and requested a pre-op consult then attended his seminar.

3. I've had 3 surgerys and this one was a walk in the park, I did take the pain meds in the first 24 hrs but by the 3rd day I was done with pain med.

4.I was'nt tired all the time but I mixed unflavored whey Protein into my broth after I warmed it and by the 4th day I was gro. shopping and at 8th day drove myself roundtrip 4 hrs to post-op appt. I rested during the day if I needed to but I also cooked for my hubby and washed clothes.

5.havent seen any extra skin yet.

6.no Hair loss yet.

7.no beer for me, not my drink

8.I love to eat out with my hubby,love the company and the atmosphere.cant eat it all but bring it home.

9.never puked. drinking not a problem.

10.This web site is my secret weapon. :thumbup1:

[wannalise 15]

I had a wretched recovery. I was in the hospital extra days because I couldn't hold anything down, when I finally got home I was exhausted and dehydrated. It really sucked, and I would do it over and over again.

Preop I had a good life, I have great friends, a wonderful family, and the greatest boyfriend in the wide world. Post op is even better. It is challenging, but I am succeeding, It is a magnifying glass for my life, the things that are good feel even better, the things that were bad are either falling by the wayside or I am learning greater ways to deal with them.

As to some of your questions, I have much more energy now then I have in ten years. The first month I had to nap everyday, now I am getting more done and sleeping better then I ever have. I haven't lost hair....yet, and I am vain about my hair too. It is one of those things that no matter how fat I got my hair stayed pretty, but even if I was BALD I would still do it!

I was really worried about the skin thing too. My arms are pretty floppy and I am working them out every day. My lower stomach looks like some crazy bread dough, and my thighs are gonna have some issues, but my butt is way smaller, I have a waist, my face is thin.

There certainly are challenges, but for me the benefits have more than made up for them. Best of luck to you!!!

[Tiffykins 673]

1. Dr. Michael Michel, he is a Major in the USAF, and stationed at and operates out of Eglin AFB. I've sent 2 of my close friends to him within the last month (he just returned from 7.5 month long deployment) and an "ex" friend of mine had her surgery performed by Dr. M last September. My secondary surgeon Dr. Riley, out of the same military facility, is amazing as well. Dr. R took over my care when Dr. M deployed. He's performed surgery on 2 of my friends within the last 4 months.

2. Insurance company first, PCP next, supporting letter from PCP and any other specialty physicians you may see.

3. I would imagine natural childbirth would be worse. I had a c-section (was awake for it), and the VSG was nowhere near as painful. I had a completely different recovery, and I'm not the norm therefore I can't comment on this one. I was a revision patient. Had the band first, then VSG.

4. Same as above

5. I've dropped 155lbs as of today in around a year. I started at 270 today I'm weighing in around 118lbs. My skin is wrinkly, but not sagging or flapping over. It's recovering nicely. Saw my surgeon last week, he looked at my skin, and said " considering how much you've lost, your age, and how fast you've dropped it, your skin looks amazing, I've had patients lose less, that are younger that have to have plastics. Don't do any other surgery for a minimum of 12-18 months".

I moisturize like crazy. I exfoliate with a homemade sugar/salt scrub, I massage my skin. I do not wear shapers, girdles, or anything of the sort. I live in Florida, it's 99% humidity, and wearing spandex under clothes is self-induced torture.

6. Take Biotin or another hair/nail/skin supplement now, and continue taking it once you're released for meds/supplements post-op. It'll help with the regrowth. Nothing stops the shedding. I'm vain, I lost half of my hair, I chopped it off, and it's grown 4 inches in length since January. We measured the other day to find out how much growth I was actually seeing. I have new growth that is about 7" long that started coming in before the shedding stopped. For me, it last 3.5 months. It's temporary, it'll grow back. I used Folicure Shampoo every other day when I started losing, and never took Biotin or other supplements on a regular basis.

Interesting article: Telogen Effluvium: eMedicine Dermatology

7. I was released for alcohol at 3.5 months out. Was told to avoid wine. My surgeon doesn't forbid soda. He doesn't believe it causes sleeve stretching. It is empty calories/carbs, and if it's caffeinated, it doesn't count as a clear Fluid. I drink soda. No harm, no foul, no regain,no sleeve stretching. I'm not a beer drinker, but I drink rum/cokes and various shots on a fairly social basis.

8. Perfectly normal. Today, my 12 yr old son and I shared an order of beef fajitas with black Beans and rice at Chili's. Sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa, 8-10 tortilla chips, 3oz of fajita skirt steak cooked medium, and a huge amount of sauteed onions. I ate about 6 small bites of the rice, I skipped the Beans, they put stupid pico de gallo in them, no flour tortillas. I ate about 2ounces of shredded cheese mixed with the beef, sour cream and salsa. I drank strawberry lemonade before my meal. We were in and out of the restaurant within 1 hour. We talked, laughed, and just hung out. I waited about 15 minutes after eating to take a few swigs of my lemonade because Mexican food tends to be salty. I needed to wet my whistle. I felt normal, and have for months.

9. Only puked a couple times and that was super early out. Nauseated only happened when on heavy antibiotics. Slightly dehydrated only once, but didn't require hospitalization/iv fluids.

10. Stick to your surgeon/nutritionist's post-op diet, don't reinvent the wheel, don't cheat, it's just not worth it regardless of other people's experiences, if you absolutely need to progress your diet call the medical professional that you trusted to staple off and excise 80% of your stomach and ask if there is a safe option that may get you through a horrible day, don't be negative nelly, your body needs you to be positive and encouraging it will have just took a major blow for you, be nice to it. Realize that some days might suck, you might be sore, you might not feel like doing much of anything, but the good ends up outweighing the bad 100 fold. Remember they operate on our stomachs not our heads. Our minds will beat us up if we allow it. Emotions will run high, you might be mad, angry, or feel like you're on a permanent PMS trip from hell, prepare your husband/family for this, it does get better, but it doesn't make it suck any less. Other than that, know that you are embarking on an amazing journey. You'll experience so much that it's hard to really wrap your head around all of it. Look for support when you need it, and know that whatever hurdle you may find in your path, there is probably someone else out here that's gone through or going through the same thing, don't be afraid to ask questions, have faith in yourself, your surgeon.

Sorry for the ramble, run on and fragment sentences.

Best wishes and keep us updated.

[JudyM 2]

I had my op last Tuesday, in France, so that won't help with answering your first few questions!

For me, the first 18 hours after the op were a bit grim.. (but nothing when compared with the pain after the hysterectomy I had 10 years ago). By Wednesday morning, I was starting to feel better. I was up and about Thursday, had my first full drink of Water. Ate a light 'meal' on Thurs evening. Staples out and home Saturday.

I am SO glad I had this done. It is early days, but it seems fine so far. My gas is escaping well the more I move around and that reduces the chest tightness you feel.

A tiny bit of nausea in the first 24 hours. Not on any pain meds at all since last Thursday morning.

Friends know what I have been doing, and my brother and fab sis-in-law. Others just know I have been in hospital :confused1:

Read up all you can - I did and this forum has been amazingly helpful and generous.

You are on the first step of your Journey!

[CraftyChristie 62]

Looks like the poll results are going well! I can't answer all of your questions, but these are the ones I had something to say about.

1. Dr Michael Snyder in Denver. He's an excellent surgeon, but his practice is too big now that the hospital bought it, and some things need improving around there especially for sleeve patients.

3. The pain totally depends on the person and probably lots of factors. For me the pain was really bad the first 3 days then started getting LOTS better every day and by a week out I felt pretty normal. Then I pulled some scar tissue about a week later (which also happens frequently) and that hurt a lot for another couple of weeks. My husband usually heals FASTER than me and feels LESS pain than me but when he had his surgery, the pain seemed worse for him and he got his pain meds refilled, which I did not. So I think it just depends!

4. I have heard this about the energy too but for me it wasn't so bad. I was tired the first few days while the anesthesia was still wearing off, and for the first couple of weeks I needed a mid afternoon nap (but that as common for me pre-op too!)... now I take a nap once in a while, and I've been working out regularly since the 4th day!! I am 6 weeks post op now and already have MORE energy than I did pre-op, and I would say that's been the case for 2-3 weeks already.

7. You are never supposed to have a carbonated drink again, mostly because the bubbles can stretch out your stomach. However, a lot of people do drink sodas and things so that will have to be your personal decision.

8. So far this hasn't bothered me but I haven't eaten out too much yet. When I do it's with my husband so we are in the same boat. No one has looked at us weird or treated us weird. But I haven't ordered in a real restaurant yet so not sure how that will go. But to be honest with you, I just don't CARE!!! I'm so happy being satisfied with my small portions and if someone things it's abnormal, I just don't care. This was so right for me.

9. Nothing has made me throw up. I have not even felt nauseous since the first night in the hospital, other than with trying to take some Vitamins that didn't go down well. Still didn't throw up though. If you listen to your body, try new things carefully, and don't overfill yourself, you should hopefully avoid the puking. It depends on how much you are susceptible to nausea though.

10. Exercise, exercise, exercise. It has done wonders for my healing, my weight loss, my mood, and how I feel physically. So much stronger and so much more energy.