Just browsing the Complications forum and am now FREAKED!

[jlobyxmas 38]

Thought it would be a good idea to know both sides of this story, and now I'm scared to death. Dropped foot, leaks, stents, pain, unable to eat for months at a time....WTH am I doing to myself!???

God, that was a bad idea.

[DrmBig4Evr 152]

As with anything there are risks, just know what the risks are and your options for treatment if they occur.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

All I can say is stay away from the horror stories unless you have a lot of resolve to be successful or get thrills out of being scared. Hey, i like watching horror movies for the same reason everyone does. However, they don't dig at me in a way that keeps me up at night. Those VSG horror stories should be told, but I can see how scary they are making it for the pre ops. If you are not strong in your resolve to have VSG on your own accordance and get easily spooked about the upcoming surgery and post op experience, be careful how much you read into them and how much you personally need to identify or emphasize with them. There is nothing wrong with giving any one who needs empathy some empathy if it helps them get through their rough experience.

with that being said, every complication is part of the 2 % statistic so there is 98% chance you will have zero or minor complications. Minor complications might be trouble eating for first week, diarrhea, Constipation, etc. stuff you can handle because being sleeved is worth so much more then those small issues. I even had a minor complication that put me in ICU fora few days following surgery, but hardly remember it. It is fading fast because my mind is occupied with all the benefits that have come from taking my life back from the clutches or morbid obesity. We all face the possibility of gall bladder, liver or kidney issues in the future. However, we were not really living before surgery were we? A lot of us had numbered days considering our health issues. Taking the brave step to have VSG is an opportunity for all of us to live and experience the wonders and beauties of life. Isn't that worth it?

Keep a positive mindset about the whole experience. That applies to most endeavors in life. Don't let the negativity floor you. Use the information on VST in making your decision. Both good and bad experiences exist with good experiences being 98% and bad experiences being 2 %.

Always keep those statistics in perspective when researching information about your upcoming VSG experience.

[lsereno 2,525]

It's good to know both sides. But look at the horror stories there are around staying at the weight you are now. Increased risk for stroke, heart attack, cancer, liver failure, diabetes, etc.

I read the bad stories and the good stories before the operation and made an informed decision. For me, the surgery risks did not outweigh (haha!) the risks of remaining morbidly obese.

Lynda

[takingbackcontrol 137]

This is so timely! I'm starting the process for this summer, went to my first meeting with the surgeon yesterday.

Prior to going I thought I would try to really educate myself on complications so I too browsed the forum here and lost a couple nights sleep:(. I guess there are risks to every surgery but the stories of weeks and months in the hospital really freaked me too.

However I do like that 98% stat, just have to keep that at the top of our minds.

[Chris R 217]

I really think what anyone who is contemplating this surgery must do is weigh the potential risks and benefits of getting the surgery against those of NOT getting the surgery. For myself, though I had never even considered having weight loss surgery an option before I started the process last year, I finally decided that if I didn't do something "drastic" to lose weight, I was quickly going to reach the point where I was no longer mobile, and would probably not live long enough to see my children grown, married, and with children of their own. My BMI was over 68. I had type II diabetes, my blood pressure was borderline high, and I have severe arthritis in both knees (no cartilage - bone on bone) which made (still makes) every step painful.

I'm 50 years old - too "young" (and still too heavy as of yet) to have my knees replaced, but hoping the weight loss will help me bear the pain longer. I still have too much pain to walk for more than maybe 10 minutes. I will seek that surgery when my orthopaedist says I've lost enough. However, I have been off all diabetes and blood pressure meds since surgery, and those levels have been great! I'm down a total of 100 lbs since starting the process not quite a year ago, 40 of those since surgery 9 weeks ago. I feel much better about my chances of living long enough to help care for my future grandchildren in my retirement, and be able to keep up with them, too!

So the surgery was well worth the risk for me. If my weight was not causing the other health problems? I really don't think it would have been.

[ASKSARAH - Sleeve 256]

OMG I remember the day I stumbled into that forum.

Scared the jesus outta me.

But I pulled on my big girl panties and remembered that I have numbers on my side and guess what I came out perfect.

[amytug 996]

I decided before sirgery that the complications, even the worst case scenario wasn't any worse than being fat and miserable for life.

I had complications and I can say that I'd still do it 100x to lose this weight. I'm 7 weeks out.

I can spell, my phone cannot and I'm too lazy to proofread

[LisaLoseAlotx2 147]

Thought it would be a good idea to know both sides of this story, and now I'm scared to death. Dropped foot, leaks, stents, pain, unable to eat for months at a time....WTH am I doing to myself!???

God, that was a bad idea.

IF it is any consolation, I did it last weekend and then had to pop a Xanax. I am still a nervous wreck, but have decided to listen and read EVERYTHING the 98% has to say. They are a powerful force to be reckoned with on this forum. Go back to reading some good things and you will feel alot better.

[CowgirlJane 14,260]

Revisions have a higher complication rate then virgin sleevers. Know it, decide how it compares to obesity risk, decide on surgery (or not) and don't look back....