POSTED UNDER Gastric Sleeve Surgery REVIEWS
My Sleeve Gastrectomy Was Well Worth the Money Invested - Bloomfield Hills
ORIGINAL POST
Had weight loss surgery (sleeve gastrectomy) to...
WORTH IT$11,600
Had weight loss surgery (sleeve gastrectomy) to try and regain my health. I was suffering from hypertension,and obstructive sleep apnea. Both of these conditions have drastically improved, and expect them to be completely reversed when I reach goal weight in the coming weeks.
I had done alot of research into weight loss surgeries, but could not resolve myself to have either lap band, or a roux n y. With the sleeve gastrectomy, you have no mal absorbtion, or dumping syndrome, or any restrictions of what foods or medications you may eat. Your portions are, of course severely limited, but this is something that I have prayed for for years, and the surgery is literally an answer to my prayers. The surgery is laparoscopic, and after the initial pain control meds in the recovery room when waking from surgery, I did not have any operative pain. Never needed the pain meds that the doctor prescribed for me. The most painful part is trying to swallow liquids the first few days to weeks following surgery. This is due to the swelling and healing of the stomach. You just have to sip slowly and patiently. My weight loss has proven slow but steady, and I have felt better and better as the weeks progressed. I am now at 6 months post op and have lost 63 lb, with 7 lb left to goal weight.
carol55's provider
Replies (8)
August 29, 2010
You're looking great and doing really well. Keep it up! Your review will be a huge help to other RealSelf community members.
February 12, 2015
Hi I was wondering if you had problems with your pre op diet?im online now and really sick I saw your from much I'm from ham track much but in tn now
March 26, 2015
I so admire your courage and determination to have a better quality life at 55.I wish that I had known about this surgery years ago. I am 69 and waiting to see if my Medicare and Supplementary will pay for this life altering surgery. Edie
June 9, 2015
I hope Medicare approved you...I'm 72 and Medicare approved...presently 10 days post-op...since 2 week liquid diet pre-op I'm down 22 pounds...
October 7, 2015
Tweetie, I'm so glad to see the # of people over 60 who are taking the journey. I'm 65 & my daughter is 41. She had sleeve 1 week bef me. She is down 125 & I'm down 111 lbs. she had zero prob & bounced back in less than 2 wks. I'm just now starting to get energy but have had major chronic illness for 4 yrs. My attitude has taken a major turn for the better. In encouraged by our young counterparts but am seeking "comfort" in the experiences of the 60 to 70 yr old group. lol. Would love to compare notes w all who have the sleeve & would especially like ongoing talk w the older group. Good luck to us all. Don't look back.
March 28, 2015
Congratulations and thank you for sharing. And yes portion size reduction is also what I prayed for.
I had Sleeve Surgery on Tuesday morning after having gastric band removed in September. Discharged from hospital on Thursday afternoon and spent Friday and today cleaning my house! Called a friend this afternoon to tell her I was ready to run a half marathon later. Well, not quite... However it's one of the goals set for sooner rather than later. My body is still a bit sore (part of the healing process) but at 55 I'm ready to take on LIFE again.
One thing that did bother me post op was the dark thoughts that started to creep in in day 2 in hospital. I put it down to the side effects the pain medication had on me. With the lap band surgery I was given Morphine as pain control meds and post op was the most horrible experience for me. Anxiety ++. Had the band removed and was ready to rumble on day 2. What a breeze. I was so comforted by that experience that I had not a care in the world going in for the sleeve. Wow and then the darkness. They were real dark thoughts, not willing to fight, to asking myself to find a reason to live and not finding one and then drifting in and out of sleep and wanting to just sleep for forever and when I closed my eyes to try to erase the thoughts then I would start seeing faces form out of the clouds in my mind. OMG was that really me? Now I know a small part of what a drug addict goes through when they are coming down. Told my surgeon about this and he said "Oh you would definitely not become a drug addict!" Has anyone else been through this?
March 29, 2015
20431newby, how well you re doing! I'm 61 and 5 months post have come thru with the highest.ever flying colours. I am sure you will to with you positive outlook. I only experienced a very strong sense of futility and sadness a couple of days post surgery, which passed quickly and I've read others have had the same. Yours sounds like a drug reaction, although I'm no medical expert, but as you say it fits that.
UPDATED FROM carol55
After reaching my goal weight, I am now off of...
After reaching my goal weight, I am now off of prescription medications for blood pressure, and am no longer plagued by sleep apnea. I have no trouble with gastro esophageal relux now either.
I still have excellent restriction, and am one year post VSG. I am still loving my sleeve, and Dr. P.
Replies (22)
February 15, 2011
Thanks for the update, Carol. Glad to hear you're doing well and a belated congrats on your weight loss!
February 16, 2011
I'm so glad you're reaping the benefits Carol. Keep up the good work!
January 31, 2012
Congratulations! Your story sounds amazing. I am going to get the vertical sleeve surgery on Friday and I am super nervous. Thank you for posting your story. I hope to be a success story one day.
July 16, 2012
I am thinking about using Dr. Pleatman. Did you really like him? With self pay, how long did it take you from start to surgery day?
Thanks
Thanks
October 10, 2014
I had my sleeve done by Dr Pleatman Seotember 30, 2014. I am very pleased and would not change a thing. I had researched the procedure and surgeons for a long time. I decided on Dr . Pleatman because of numerous comments I read on line, all comments about him seemed positive. He is very quiet When I called Dr. Pleatman's office I wanted it done within a week and that is what happened. I am now 10 days post op, down 16 lbs and can't believe I had it done.
office I wanted it done within a week and that happened.
October 11, 2014
Jbsleeved. Well haven't your dreams come true! You sound so positive it helped me smile today as I a mange my fears and concerns.
July 17, 2012
It only took about a month from initial email to dr pleaman, to my surgery date. I spoke with his office staff after first communicating by email with Dr. Pleatman, the staff sent me the information that I needed, and everything went pretty smoothly from there. My husband and I had to arrange for the week off of work to go and stay in Bloomfield Hills for the week that is required to be in the area, then scheduled that surgery.
I really liked Dr. Pleatman for a lot of reasons. He is a very good surgeon, and is very experienced, and because he learned the procedure at the SFLap (San Fransisco Laparoscopic wt loss surgery group from Dr. Cirangle and Jossart. He uses the 32 fr bougie, and to me that was the most important thing. I have spent my whole life losing weight and regaining it. I certainly did not want to worry about regain after the sleeve surgery. I don't worry about regain because I have a small enough sleeve. Alot of surgeons don't use the 32 fr, and I have read alot of posts by people with larger sleeves that cannot continue to control their weight after their initial surgical recovery. Regain of the weight seems so tragic after going through everything we have gone through.
I am so thankful for my sleeve. I weigh 118-119 lb now, and am 5 ft 3. I wear size 6-8 clothes, and feel much more energetic that I ever thought possible. I work out in my garden several times a week, and am so happy to be able to do it.
This has been an answer to prayer for me, and I am very thankful for Dr.Pleatman.
Best of luck as you go forward, and let me know if you have any other questions.
I thought I had answered your post earlier, but it must have gotten lost somewhere is cyber space. Sorry for the delay in answering. I worked a 12 hr shift today.
Carol
I really liked Dr. Pleatman for a lot of reasons. He is a very good surgeon, and is very experienced, and because he learned the procedure at the SFLap (San Fransisco Laparoscopic wt loss surgery group from Dr. Cirangle and Jossart. He uses the 32 fr bougie, and to me that was the most important thing. I have spent my whole life losing weight and regaining it. I certainly did not want to worry about regain after the sleeve surgery. I don't worry about regain because I have a small enough sleeve. Alot of surgeons don't use the 32 fr, and I have read alot of posts by people with larger sleeves that cannot continue to control their weight after their initial surgical recovery. Regain of the weight seems so tragic after going through everything we have gone through.
I am so thankful for my sleeve. I weigh 118-119 lb now, and am 5 ft 3. I wear size 6-8 clothes, and feel much more energetic that I ever thought possible. I work out in my garden several times a week, and am so happy to be able to do it.
This has been an answer to prayer for me, and I am very thankful for Dr.Pleatman.
Best of luck as you go forward, and let me know if you have any other questions.
I thought I had answered your post earlier, but it must have gotten lost somewhere is cyber space. Sorry for the delay in answering. I worked a 12 hr shift today.
Carol
July 29, 2014
Wow, your story is such an inspiration. I'm going to my free seminar on Aug. 9th in Grand Rapids, MI with a very highly recommended team of gastric doctors. I'm hoping I can have my surgery scheduled and done within a month also. I'm self-pay since my insurance doesn't pay for any type of gastric by-pass /sleeve surgeries even thou they will save thousands of dollars on future health issues I will have with out losing substatial weight. I'm hoping this will move me ahead of people just starting the insurance process/doctor supervised diets, etc.
July 30, 2014
Oh yes, you will be in and out before you know it!! I was so glad to find Dr. Pleatman. He answered my email within about 20 minutes, and that was on a Saturday!! I certainly can't speak for another group of surgeons, but he did his training with the San Francisco group who pioneered the sleeve surgery, and he does a fabulous job. I am 4 and a half years post Sleeve, and within a few pounds of my goal weight all of the time. Some other surgeons don't do the same size sleeve, and patients have trouble with regain of weight. I surely don't want that!! Best of luck to you!!
August 6, 2014
Happy..... your appointment is in a few more days. Let us know how things go and I would be interested in how the cash surgery price compares there with the 11,200 dollars that I had to pay 4 and a half years ago in Michigan for my VSG. Wishing you all the best.
Carol
Thanks so much for sharing and including pics. Â Very helpful to others considering this procedure