Quote:
Originally Posted by Tmac
60 lbs! That's awesome Aviator. You must be at the point where people are really taking notice.
I'm curious to know what that's going to be like. What do you tell people when they ask about it?
I remember a few years ago, I dropped 40 lbs, working out like a maniac, preparing for a racquetball tournament. I felt great and everyone noticed the change in my face and stomach.
How do you feel? You must have a ton of energy back.
As for the switch on the VSG, I still have mixed emotions. I also still have time to change my mind, because I'm self pay. Hmmmm.
The flight home was uneventful and I was thrilled to get a business class seat. As for your hotel, that's quite a story. I've never been to India, but I think that would have freaked my out more than my mugging. My mugging was couple of teenages with knives and me in the wrong alley late at night walking back to my hotel.
60 lbs. That's an inspiration. Keep up the great work.
Tmac
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OK since you are still open to the question of which procedure let me tell you the story of why I went with VGS.
At first, I was all about the band. Read and read about it. I looked at the the post-op regimen and it looked like it required a lot of discipline. And because I travel so much, I began to figure that maybe I shoud opt for RnY.
About that time a well known doctor here in The Woodlands died about 3 wks after having been banded...of sepsis. This was like Aug 2008. Overwhelming infection WHILE TRAVELING! I mean there is a foreign body in your body, right? Bones, my physician wife knew the lady, and the event really caused a ripple in the medical community here.
So at the appointment for the first surgical evaluation, I told the doc my travel challenges and my desire for RnY. He asked me to reconsider - and think about VSG. At my BMI - which was 39, if you look at statistics, the difference between RnY and VSG was about 15 lbs - in terms of the difference in excess weight I could expect to lose.
And the risk of complications is much higher with RnY. And suppose I was in Balikpapan, Indonesia and got a stricture? Might kill me. And I know the band is "reversible" but who wants to go back to being fat after all this.
The other real disadvantage to the band are the fills. If your doc retires or you move away, it is highly unlikely to find someone to do the fills for you. Why? Because they dont want to risk a malpractice suit if you have complications, for a lousy $350 fill. There is a thread here somewhere on TT about a lady who experienced that.
The VSG surgery is a snap. I had the surgery on a Wednesday and I was back at work the following Tuesday. Low risk, quick recovery, low complication rate and highly effective.
And yes, I feel great now, and have no clothes that fit. Have a look at Aviator's Log, for the whole tale. I think you'll be amazed at how similar our stories are.