I'm Losing My Mind !!! Any Albertans out there with VSG?

[chunk 0]

I have spent the last 13 months in a debate with myself, and have cancelled my surgery twice already. I read posts of people that are happy and doing well, losing weight quickly and keeping it off. But I also have read horror stories about people that had terrible experiences, pain, suffering, regrets, hungry, un-satisfied with meal portions, post op complications etc. I am a person that believes in being prepared, but can't seem to get any consistent information. Each site and each blog seems to contradict the other. I want to hear from Canadians, preferably Albertans that had VSG surgery, and learn from their experience, just because I am from Alberta, Edmonton to be exact. I have been over weight for 16 years, and probably severe the last 10 years (BMI 47). I have Type II Diabetes and take 2 types of insulin to manage it, I also have sleep apnea, high blood pressure and high cholesteral. My back and knees ache, I hate looking in the mirror, and when My sweet wife takes out the camera for a holiday or family picture I run! I want to believe VSG is the answer to kick start my ass in to getting healthier again, I know it's not the cure, but maybe a good motivator. I need to know if I can have a normal life after VSG surgery, I want to know that the chances of post op complications long and short term are minimal. Please help me, as I really want to do the right thing. I have never been for obesity counciling, my Doc has tried setting this up, but I work in construction, and travel continually to survive. I have tried dieting, and yes have lost weight in the past, but only to put it back on, because of several reasons, family tradition (we love to eat, drink and be merry!), comfort because of stress at work, because I am happy and celebrating, etc. In closing I think I have found the best surgeon in Mexico, his name is Dr. Aceves, his people do not push, they are one of the few that work out of a hospital, perform 3 leak tests before releasing their patients, and really seem to care. They are not cheap, but offer what I think to be a complete service, I could wait and have it done for free in Canada, but that could take a few years if they think I qualify. Please tell me about your experience, your honest feed back is really important in my final decision to go. I am scheduled for surgery next week, Sept-20-2011. God bless all that take the time to read this, I look forward to your replies.

Dwayne

[AutumnLily 77]

Dwayne I am also from Edmonton and got the sleeve done by Dr. Aceves back in February. It took me two years of debating with myself before I finally went through with it. I even made one last attempt at losing the weight by better food choices and exercising. It worked for awhile but then the pounds came back on with a bit more. That was when I made the decision to go through with it.

At first I was shocked at how little the amount of food I needed/wanted and the weight loss that I was achieving. I am almost 7 months out now and can eat more than when first sleeved. Depending on the density of the food I can eat a normal portion of less dense food (fish) but a small portion of more dense food (steak and chicken). There are slider foods for me (mashed potatoes) that I try to avoid right now as I could eat more than I should at this point in my weightloss.

Basically you need to sit down and decide if this is what you truly want/need. Once it is done there is no going back. I would do everything the same if I had another chance at this (maybe I would have gotten the sleeve sooner rather than later). I am living my life now and thank the lord that I was able to come to the right decision for me.

[Khy 16]

Well I am not from Canada but I guess I am one of the (so far) success stories. I have had what my doctor calls an uneventful recovery. That means I have not had any vomiting or nausea, no leaks, no infections, no undue amounts of pain ( Maybe i am a boring patient? LOL) Yes I was tired the first 4 weeks and didn't really start feeling good until I started on solid food. I am fine now and at 6 weeks I have lost a bit more than 25% of my excess weight. You have to make your own decision but you do need to do something for about your health.

Khy

[SKCUNNINGHAM 298]

Chunk - here is some information I put in a previous topic - that you may find interesting.

If you go to www.surgery.com, it will tell you the following (I got this from typing "deaths from sleeve gastrectomy" into my search engine)

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery lists the complication rate in vertical sleeve gastrectomy to be relatively low, even among patients considered to be at high risk. Cumulatively the overall mortality (death) from vertical sleeve gastrectomy is 0.39 percent—lower than with traditional bariatric surgeries. (last updated 11/24/2009)

From an article on www.gastricbypassfacts.com, here is a extract from "How Does the Sleeve Gastrectomy Work?"

The risks and complications of the sleeve gastrectomy:As with all forms of weight loss surgery, the vertical gastrectomy does carry risk and these will clearly vary from one patient to the next and must be discussed with your physician. Complications might include:

• Gastric leakage and fistula 1.0%
• Deep vein thrombosis 0.5%
• Non-fatal pulmonary embolus 0.5%
• Post-operative bleeding 0.5%
• Splenectomy 0.5%
• Acute respiratory distress 0.25%
• Pneumonia 0.2%
• Death 0.25%

http://healthengine.com.au/article/sleeve-gastrectomy.html

This article quotes " The mortality rate in gastric sleeve is 1:500 and it lies between the gastric band, which is the safest, and the laparoscopic gastric bypass, which carries the highest risk."

So the first source says 3.9 patients out of 1000, the second source says 2.5 patients out of 1000 and the third says 2 out of 1000. So I would feel comfortable (based on these 3 sources) saying the death rate is somewhere between 2 and 4 per 1000.

To contrast that - imagine 1000 people walking around that are your height and weight - with your exact health problems. How many of them would die in the next year from their health problems?

From something I was reading this week on another forum - surgeons who perform 100 or more sleeves per year have lower risk rates. Hospitals that perform over 150 sleeves per year have lower risk rates.

If you are considering a surgeon, ask how many procedures he/she has performed in a year, and how many he/she has performed in total. Then ask the same two questions about how many of his patients died. This will give you an idea where your surgeon is versus the norms. Also ask about the hospital you will have the surgery performed in - how many procedures do they do a year?

Any surgery is scary and has risks. You can't go through life avoiding all risks. For me - the risk of dying of heart problems from NOT DOING this surgery and staying obese was much higher than the risks from the surgery. This surgery was the right decision for me. I wish you good luck on making your decision.

[ToDream 18]

Hi Dwayne,

I'm from Edmonton as well. I had my VSG with Dr Almanza at the end of April. Best decision I ever made... seriously. I wish that I had known that I had this option years ago. I was one of the many uninformed out there that thought that WLS was only for people over 500 lbs. Now, I'm enjoying my life again and looking forward to each day. My asthma is better, I'm off my anti-depressants and my blood pressure is now hovering on the low side instead of high!

You ask about if you can have a normal life post-vsg... I guess it really depends on what you consider "normal". If your normal is eating to excess, eating poorly or using food as a response to stress or emotions... then no. It will be far far from normal after surgery. You will gain a REAL normal. A healthy respect for your sleeve is definitely needed going through this process and if you don't, it WILL remind you.

Is it easy? no freaking way. It's absolutely not easy.... however, weight loss is guaranteed with this option. For you, all you have to do is learn how to have healthy habits post-op so you stay healthy and keep the weight off. Support post-op is incredibly important and self-pay sleevers often have difficulty getting that. I know 2 other Edmontonians that are successful sleevers that can help.

Private message me if you want more info! Cheryl

[chunk 0]

Dwayne I am also from Edmonton and got the sleeve done by Dr. Aceves back in February. It took me two years of debating with myself before I finally went through with it. I even made one last attempt at losing the weight by better food choices and exercising. It worked for awhile but then the pounds came back on with a bit more. That was when I made the decision to go through with it.

At first I was shocked at how little the amount of food I needed/wanted and the weight loss that I was achieving. I am almost 7 months out now and can eat more than when first sleeved. Depending on the density of the food I can eat a normal portion of less dense food (fish) but a small portion of more dense food (steak and chicken). There are slider foods for me (mashed potatoes) that I try to avoid right now as I could eat more than I should at this point in my weightloss.

Basically you need to sit down and decide if this is what you truly want/need. Once it is done there is no going back. I would do everything the same if I had another chance at this (maybe I would have gotten the sleeve sooner rather than later). I am living my life now and thank the lord that I was able to come to the right decision for me.

Hi Lily,

Thanks for the info, I'm still on the fence, but leaning towards getting it done, just a little scared of being miserable after it's done, I love to eat and drink, but that's what got me here. Good to hear it worked out for you. were you happy with Dr.Aceves?

[SKCUNNINGHAM 298]

Chunk - I think we all loved to eat and drink (if not alcohol - sodas, milk shakes, etc). You have to balance your love of that lifestyle with your desire to live a longer and healthier life. You will not be able to eat the quantity of food you do post-surgery you do pre-surgery. After a year, you will be able to eat almost anything in small quantities. You could probably drink in small amounts. I have discovered a small serving of food (whatever it is) satisfies me and I don't want anymore - and the family celebrations don't miss a beat if I have 1 small helping rather than eat like a pig at the trough (like I used to). And if I have a small sip of a mararita then switch to something else it certainly doesn't impair my enjoyment of the evening and it doesn't seem to bother anyone else I'm not drinking (more for the rest of them is their attitude).

It's a tough decision - and you are right to give serious consideration to whether this is a step you want to make. This is a forever thing, not something you will do for a couple of months then can go back to how you were before.

Good luck.

[AutumnLily 77]

Hi Lily,

Thanks for the info, I'm still on the fence, but leaning towards getting it done, just a little scared of being miserable after it's done, I love to eat and drink, but that's what got me here. Good to hear it worked out for you. were you happy with Dr.Aceves?

Yes I was very pleased with Dr. Aceves and would recommend him to anyone. I loved to eat and drink as well but now I am satisfied with what I eat and drink. I also have to say I went out drinking with a few friends this weekend and I enjoyed a few bevies.

Yah you really need to weigh the pros and cons for you. I was ready to go for smaller portions as I was getting out of control. Now I eat anything I like but in a small portion.

Keep us posted on your decison. Either way we will all support you.

[chunk 0]

Yes I was very pleased with Dr. Aceves and would recommend him to anyone. I loved to eat and drink as well but now I am satisfied with what I eat and drink. I also have to say I went out drinking with a few friends this weekend and I enjoyed a few bevies.

Yah you really need to weigh the pros and cons for you. I was ready to go for smaller portions as I was getting out of control. Now I eat anything I like but in a small portion.

Keep us posted on your decison. Either way we will all support you.

Hi Lily,

I have had way too many sleepless nights and feel something just isn't right about this for me, call it karma, second instinct etc,...I've gone againt this second instinct in the past, only to have my ass kicked really hard,.... so I am reluctant to go for the VSG right now. I'm going to see a weight loss doctor by the name of Dr. Arya Sharma, he helps people get to the root of their disfunctional eating problems, then if the problem can't be resolved with therapy and education, he will advise taking it to the next level which is WLS, and he supports what you all have done very strongly,... so be proud for staying strong, and getting it done, I'm proud of all of you, it's just not my time right now, and I hope it never will be, but !!!,.... I am a realist, and have read all the stat's, I know most don't keep it off, but who knows, maybe I will get lucky and catch a break, if not you will see me back on this forum again! Thanks to all I did not have a chance to respond to personally, your kind words meant a lot to me, God Bless you all !!

Dwayne

[ToDream 18]

Dr Sharma is very very knowledgeable. I have subscribed to his blog even as a self pay patient. If I had been heavier I might have qualified to have the surgery with Weight Wise but as my BMI was 37, the likelihood was very low they would have done it for me with no "real" co-morbidities.

If you haven't yet, get your doctor to refer you to the program. The modules are very interesting and helpful. I've attended 3 so far ... post-op!

[chunk 0]

Dr Sharma is very very knowledgeable. I have subscribed to his blog even as a self pay patient. If I had been heavier I might have qualified to have the surgery with Weight Wise but as my BMI was 37, the likelihood was very low they would have done it for me with no "real" co-morbidities.

If you haven't yet, get your doctor to refer you to the program. The modules are very interesting and helpful. I've attended 3 so far ... post-op!

Thanks for that, my brother is western regional manager for a surgical supply company, he know's most of these doctors quite well, .... and speaks highly of Dr.Sharma and his work, so I'm praying he can help me. Just need to get my family doctor to get me a refferal when I get home, as I work in Northern Bc.

Thanks again!

Dwayne

[wannasleeve 10]

well wishes.

[Erin92 4]

Just wanted to say hello as a fellow sleever and edmontonian.

Dr Sharma is very very knowledgeable. I have subscribed to his blog even as a self pay patient. If I had been heavier I might have qualified to have the surgery with Weight Wise but as my BMI was 37, the likelihood was very low they would have done it for me with no "real" co-morbidities.

If you haven't yet, get your doctor to refer you to the program. The modules are very interesting and helpful. I've attended 3 so far ... post-op!

[chunk 0]

Well Hello to you to fellow Edmontonian, how are you doing? I'm still trying it on my own and slowly making some progress. How are you feeling, any regrets?

Cheers,

Dwayne

Just wanted to say hello as a fellow sleever and edmontonian.

[ToDream 18]

Just wanted to say hello as a fellow sleever and edmontonian.

Hi back! I'm happy to see some Edmontonians on here!