After realizing the Lap Band was just not for me ("Fills" for the rest of my life and I'm only losing up to 50% of my weight loss goal? Oh heck nah. lol) I knew I needed another weight loss surgery option. Gastric Bypass? No Thanks. I'd like to keep my intestines where they are right now.
Well I didn't give up, I searched and searched, raping that Google button all night long until I stumbled upon another option, called Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. (VSG, Gastric Sleeve, etc.) I had never heard of this and to my surprise.. neither had my doctor. She researched it and came back to me sure she would deter me by telling me I was strong and beautiful and could do it on my own. Ahem.. Let's just say.. I had no filer on that particular day, okay? She got an earful. I was by no means rude, but I let her know my situation. The WHOLE situation.
Synopsis: I've been obese since birth. Over 10 lbs at my first ever weigh in. I had to get my school uniform specially tailored because they didn't offer my size in the children's catalog. I went to a dark place in year 7. Cutting myself and taking depression pills before crying myself to sleep. I missed so much of my childhood due to my weight. I pretended that hearing "you're pretty for a big girl." for the thousandth time didn't hurt my feelings, I pretended going to the mall and having to stop at the plus size stores while my friends shopped at Guess, BeBe and even the Wallmart Juniors section, didn't kill me inside.. *SIGH* Needless to say, I was never able to have a normal childhood and I would NOT be robbed of my twenties.
After her earful, my doctor shook her head and told me she was sorry while walking out the door. Had she even listened? Is she serious? I went bizerk. I had a crying fit and wanted to give up right there. She listened like she cared but denied my plea for help. I went home and slunk into the couch with a cookie, ready to give up on it all. Enter mama bear. My mom made her famous speech.. She knows God will provide. He will hear our prayers. Just.. Let go and let God so to speak. I didn't want to hear it at that low point, but I knew she was right. But when? I've needed help for so long. When is it my turn? I'm a good person, I thought. I deserve this.
Wait.. Ya, that's right. I deserve this. I AM a good person. God wants me to be happy, but I need to first believe for miracles to happen, right? (All my mothers wise words came flooding back to me then. Thanks Mom. haha)
So I got on my knees, (newly confident) and prayed. Thanking God for the opportunity to even be there at that point, and asked for true guidance. I needed to be be guided in the right direction.... And boy was I! :)
The next week I got a text telling me to put on "The Doctors", because the show that day was about some miraculous surgery that helped this woman and her daughter, that was around my age. Woah... It was the surgery I had researched and asked the doctor about! VSG.
The show talked about how there was no re-routing of your intestines, making for NO dumping syndrome and even showed studies where there was 30% more weight loss than most other surgical options. I was sold before, but now I was determined. I knew this was the direction I needed to go in.
I made another appointment with my doctor and let her know I had settled with this as my weight loss option, and if she didn't feel comfortable with helping me through this journey then I'd have to find another physician. She talked it over with me and asked my mother be present as well. She spoke, we listened. She hugged me, admitted she asked around and found a few of her doctor pals have patients who had this surgery. Apparently their results were staggering. She had changed her mind! She would write to my insurance on my behalf and request that I be granted this surgery..
The next month, my insurance accepted our request and I proudly sat in the very front row of this big room filled with others like me. I was at a VSG seminar. One step closer to achieving my goal. I watched the surgeon's slide show. I looked at before and after photos that made me want to cry. People bigger than me, turning into these *Normal* looking members of society. People who were wheel chair bound.
I felt big walking into that seminar. I walked out feeling overwhelmed... In a good way =) About a week later, I got some blood tests and an EKG to make sure I was healthy enough for the upcoming surgery. I obviously was, and I was on my way to the Pre-Op visit.
I sat in another room and was told what I should eat before and after surgery. How this is a life style change.. Blah Blah Blah. Cut my tummy already lol I got weighed, and was sent home to wait for my surgery date.
About a month later I was in a hotel, NOT eating before my surgery. haha No, it wasn't that bad. I did eat as many Pedialite popsicles beforehand because I heard you need to keep extremely hydrated for the surgery. I believe it, because my nurse mentioned how I was one of the only people on that floor who wasn't complaining about pain. I attribute it to hydration.
Hmm.. What else.. Oh, so I had to take a Barium test before I was cleared to go back home, and it is NOT as bad as people say. They need to stop being sissies. Ya it tastes chalky, but you're not going to die. I heard so many horror stories about it, IT'S RIDICULOUS. lol sheesh.
Anyways. I was good to go, and I did just that. I had my surgery on the 15th and got back home on the 17th. When I did get home, though. I had a belly that looked like I was pregnant. Filled with air, and swollen from the surgery. It took maybe a week or two to go back down.
As far as eating and drinking.. The first month was a bit challenging. I was pretty thirsty all month due to not being able to drink as much as my body was used to. I used to drink water like a fish. But I kept trying, like they tell you at Pre-Op.. Sip, Sip, Sip. All day long. It gets so much easier.
I measured how much I could eat at a time. The first month I ate broth, yogurt, pureed baby food and applesauce. All at 1 oz. Increments. | The second month I could eat 2 - 2 1/2 oz. of food at a time, and I ate soft food like eggs and spam. | The third month I ate around 4 oz of food and ate real foods but treaded carefully. Meat, I made sure to chew thoroughly and I tried rice.. Both sat very heavy, but I was able to eat a bit if I liked. | By the fourth month I feel like I've eaten like this my whole life. I can eat up to 6 oz of food, but I really don't on the norm. I don't feel the need to, and I'm confident that I'm getting my nutrients in (I take vitamins and choose healthy or at least healthyish foods lol) so I don't worry if I eat less than this.
I have tried all the normal foods, pasta, rice, meat, veggies.. Whatever I eat, I just eat a small amount. I like to say that now I eat like a girl. My family makes fun and says I just smell my food. lol But I do eat, and I'm never denying myself foods I love. I just know that I will have great portion control, so there's no need to worry about "pigging out".
I DO NOT CHECK MY WEIGHT. I flat out refuse at this point.. I'm 5'0", and before the surgery I was a size 28. Ya, take that in. I currently lose around a size (15ish lbs) a month.. I have not really exercised yet due to a torn knee ligament, but I do plan on it. Also, I do not know the price of this surgery due to it being paid in full by my insurance. I will try to look into that though.
Basically, I would highly recommend this surgery to anyone, and have! I'll keep updating every month and try to track my progress through pictures. Thanks for reading! =)
Well I didn't give up, I searched and searched, raping that Google button all night long until I stumbled upon another option, called Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. (VSG, Gastric Sleeve, etc.) I had never heard of this and to my surprise.. neither had my doctor. She researched it and came back to me sure she would deter me by telling me I was strong and beautiful and could do it on my own. Ahem.. Let's just say.. I had no filer on that particular day, okay? She got an earful. I was by no means rude, but I let her know my situation. The WHOLE situation.
Synopsis: I've been obese since birth. Over 10 lbs at my first ever weigh in. I had to get my school uniform specially tailored because they didn't offer my size in the children's catalog. I went to a dark place in year 7. Cutting myself and taking depression pills before crying myself to sleep. I missed so much of my childhood due to my weight. I pretended that hearing "you're pretty for a big girl." for the thousandth time didn't hurt my feelings, I pretended going to the mall and having to stop at the plus size stores while my friends shopped at Guess, BeBe and even the Wallmart Juniors section, didn't kill me inside.. *SIGH* Needless to say, I was never able to have a normal childhood and I would NOT be robbed of my twenties.
After her earful, my doctor shook her head and told me she was sorry while walking out the door. Had she even listened? Is she serious? I went bizerk. I had a crying fit and wanted to give up right there. She listened like she cared but denied my plea for help. I went home and slunk into the couch with a cookie, ready to give up on it all. Enter mama bear. My mom made her famous speech.. She knows God will provide. He will hear our prayers. Just.. Let go and let God so to speak. I didn't want to hear it at that low point, but I knew she was right. But when? I've needed help for so long. When is it my turn? I'm a good person, I thought. I deserve this.
Wait.. Ya, that's right. I deserve this. I AM a good person. God wants me to be happy, but I need to first believe for miracles to happen, right? (All my mothers wise words came flooding back to me then. Thanks Mom. haha)
So I got on my knees, (newly confident) and prayed. Thanking God for the opportunity to even be there at that point, and asked for true guidance. I needed to be be guided in the right direction.... And boy was I! :)
The next week I got a text telling me to put on "The Doctors", because the show that day was about some miraculous surgery that helped this woman and her daughter, that was around my age. Woah... It was the surgery I had researched and asked the doctor about! VSG.
The show talked about how there was no re-routing of your intestines, making for NO dumping syndrome and even showed studies where there was 30% more weight loss than most other surgical options. I was sold before, but now I was determined. I knew this was the direction I needed to go in.
I made another appointment with my doctor and let her know I had settled with this as my weight loss option, and if she didn't feel comfortable with helping me through this journey then I'd have to find another physician. She talked it over with me and asked my mother be present as well. She spoke, we listened. She hugged me, admitted she asked around and found a few of her doctor pals have patients who had this surgery. Apparently their results were staggering. She had changed her mind! She would write to my insurance on my behalf and request that I be granted this surgery..
The next month, my insurance accepted our request and I proudly sat in the very front row of this big room filled with others like me. I was at a VSG seminar. One step closer to achieving my goal. I watched the surgeon's slide show. I looked at before and after photos that made me want to cry. People bigger than me, turning into these *Normal* looking members of society. People who were wheel chair bound.
I felt big walking into that seminar. I walked out feeling overwhelmed... In a good way =) About a week later, I got some blood tests and an EKG to make sure I was healthy enough for the upcoming surgery. I obviously was, and I was on my way to the Pre-Op visit.
I sat in another room and was told what I should eat before and after surgery. How this is a life style change.. Blah Blah Blah. Cut my tummy already lol I got weighed, and was sent home to wait for my surgery date.
About a month later I was in a hotel, NOT eating before my surgery. haha No, it wasn't that bad. I did eat as many Pedialite popsicles beforehand because I heard you need to keep extremely hydrated for the surgery. I believe it, because my nurse mentioned how I was one of the only people on that floor who wasn't complaining about pain. I attribute it to hydration.
Hmm.. What else.. Oh, so I had to take a Barium test before I was cleared to go back home, and it is NOT as bad as people say. They need to stop being sissies. Ya it tastes chalky, but you're not going to die. I heard so many horror stories about it, IT'S RIDICULOUS. lol sheesh.
Anyways. I was good to go, and I did just that. I had my surgery on the 15th and got back home on the 17th. When I did get home, though. I had a belly that looked like I was pregnant. Filled with air, and swollen from the surgery. It took maybe a week or two to go back down.
As far as eating and drinking.. The first month was a bit challenging. I was pretty thirsty all month due to not being able to drink as much as my body was used to. I used to drink water like a fish. But I kept trying, like they tell you at Pre-Op.. Sip, Sip, Sip. All day long. It gets so much easier.
I measured how much I could eat at a time. The first month I ate broth, yogurt, pureed baby food and applesauce. All at 1 oz. Increments. | The second month I could eat 2 - 2 1/2 oz. of food at a time, and I ate soft food like eggs and spam. | The third month I ate around 4 oz of food and ate real foods but treaded carefully. Meat, I made sure to chew thoroughly and I tried rice.. Both sat very heavy, but I was able to eat a bit if I liked. | By the fourth month I feel like I've eaten like this my whole life. I can eat up to 6 oz of food, but I really don't on the norm. I don't feel the need to, and I'm confident that I'm getting my nutrients in (I take vitamins and choose healthy or at least healthyish foods lol) so I don't worry if I eat less than this.
I have tried all the normal foods, pasta, rice, meat, veggies.. Whatever I eat, I just eat a small amount. I like to say that now I eat like a girl. My family makes fun and says I just smell my food. lol But I do eat, and I'm never denying myself foods I love. I just know that I will have great portion control, so there's no need to worry about "pigging out".
I DO NOT CHECK MY WEIGHT. I flat out refuse at this point.. I'm 5'0", and before the surgery I was a size 28. Ya, take that in. I currently lose around a size (15ish lbs) a month.. I have not really exercised yet due to a torn knee ligament, but I do plan on it. Also, I do not know the price of this surgery due to it being paid in full by my insurance. I will try to look into that though.
Basically, I would highly recommend this surgery to anyone, and have! I'll keep updating every month and try to track my progress through pictures. Thanks for reading! =)
