Need encouragement, 3 mos s/p VSG - Page 3 - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

ardita · 09-17-2009, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josephine

What scares me the most is that I don't think I eat much. The people around me say I don't eat much. I do make poor choices tho sometimes. Everyone does sometimes. I think every girl has 3 or 4 days a month that it's just MUCH harder to stay focused cause you feel ravenous. I'm afraid of the malnutrition possibilities with RNY, but also afraid that I need that malabsorption. Last night I had one bottle of beer and felt drunk. Do you think that it's possible that someone who gets drunk easily is an indication that their body overabsorbs anything put into it? Or am I in denial? I don't binge, I make good choices most of the time, it takes 40-48 hrs for food to show itself again (obviously you can test how fast your metabolism is with nuts, corn, spinach, kale).

These things make me feel like I need malabsorption, but I can't be sure, because I feel that VSG is the superior procedure.

Another issue I have is that if RNY doesn't work for me, 20 years from now I can still revise to VSG. It doesn't work the other way around.

My final problem is that while my surgeon knows how to do the sleeve, he feels his technique of RNY is the best bariatric surgery option. He makes the pouch bigger than American doctors allowing a patient to eat more like whole grain bread and vegetables for a balanced diet. He's the best in this country and one of the leaders in the field in Europe. He has a VERY high success rate with patients 5 years or more out. Way above industry statistics. Thoughts?

Jos-

I would suggest you get another professional opinion or two. From all I can glean, the malabsorption wih the RnY which-hooray-adds to weight loss-also leads to serious nutritional deficiencies and issues in many, let alone the whole redsigning the insides piece. VSG is less invasive but does require more from you personally. My surgeon uses a 34 bougie when he does the VSG-that is a unit of measure of the size/width of pouch left behind. It is odd to hear your srgeon tries to leave enough room for foods to pass through easier. That seems contra-indicative to what you would want. I get in plenty of fiber without reaching for full slices of bread, and not eating raw veggies is not a big deal. The truth is I can, whether or not I should. Cooked veggies go down fine. I would ask your surgeon what size bougie he uses. I would have preferred a 32. The best we can tell you is to make an informed decision-but it does have to be yours. Good luck-

NorCalRN · 09-19-2009, 09:07 PM

Jos-

Just because 1 beer makes you drunk, doesn't mean you over-absorb. I NEVER drink alcohol, but before surgery if I had 1 drink I was DEFINITELY feeling it! It is actually very common when you do not drink a lot very often.

Also, you say you need to lose close to 200lbs... I chose VSG with a goal to lose 150lbs. That is no small number and my surgeon felt it was totally doable! So far I am losing weight on par with the June staplers who had RNY. That should say a lot- and I have not even been exercising as I should. My surgeon also creates some of the Smallest Sleeves in the industry, as it makes for greater success. If your surgeon says his Sleeve technique isn't great- then by all means find another surgeon who is more confident and experienced in performing VSG! It IS your life laying on the line, in every way so don't SETTLE!

Anyways, prior to surgery although I could physically eat VERY LARGE portions of food (embarrassingly large) I often would go nearly all day without eating anything. But I would choose the worst possible food when I did get around to eating, like fast food, etc. Since surgery- I can eat 2-3 string cheese max and thats over about 20 minutes. For example, today I ate 1/2 small turkey sandwich (whole grain bread, no crust, lettuce and turkey) and because I ate it too fast I instantly felt nauseous. But seriously- that is the kind of wake up call I needed, and I get it from the VSG. I do still get hungry, but as soon as I eat a bite or two- I'm good. Also, I have a MUCH easier time avoiding temptations and just saying no and walking away from the junk. Another example: I LOVE ice cream. Like, LOVE. I have had a box of low carb ice cream (which is quite yummy!) in the fridge for 3 months, and barely a dent out of it! Food just doesn't really do it for me anymore, which is the whole point.

Anyways, my surgeon did have lofty goals for me and wanted me to lose 75lbs by 90 days out.... no way I will make that at this point but I know he wouldn't expect it if it wasn't possible. So I have something to strive for!

Don't give up on VSG. With the super duper low complication rate, coupled with the high success rate, it is totally worth it. I know many RNY'ers who had surgery the same month as me and have already had to go in for stoma enlargements and deal with many complications... I have had 1 episode of bad constipation and that is it!

And like someone else mentioned, if you find you cannot get to your wl goal with VSG- you CAN get Duodenal switch which puts you into a similar category as RNY.

Ok- just realized this is forever long... hope it helps!

marolkisan · 10-03-2009, 01:05 PM

Wow, 75# in 90 days? My VSG surgeon says I can expect to lose 75# in 6 months, and that's at a whopping 15# per month!

pricklypear · 10-04-2009, 09:38 AM

josephine - even though your pouch will start out small (15-30 ml - size of a thumb) it stretches. most people who had regain with the RNy years ago was because the pouch started out too large to begin with, making it like a second stomach after "stretching" can occur... because after a few months, you are able to eat. so... i'm conflicted about the bigger pouch. it may be comforting to you know you can eat bread again some day (bread was always my weakness), but i am not sure i'd be all on board for that. heck, i'm having issues now just a few weeks post op.
the vsg sounds exciting to me. however, i find it to be scary that they just take part of your stomach and dump it in the trash, and that its gone for forever. today, i am having major psyche issues (seriously! lol) with the fact that i am re-routed. you know? if i had part of my stomach dumped in the trash i think i'd be freaking the frig out.
the other thing that would worry me about the vsg is that its sooooo new. we know what happens with RNY (for the most part) because it has been around for so long. but the vsg we don't know. however, i find it exciting that there is no malabsorption. i think that could head off a lot of problems in the long run for VSGers.
jose - see about going to a seminar for a doc who does VSG and see if you can ask questions of him. that would be great.

gooberific · 10-04-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pricklypear

the vsg sounds exciting to me. however, i find it to be scary that they just take part of your stomach and dump it in the trash, and that its gone for forever. today, i am having major psyche issues (seriously! lol) with the fact that i am re-routed. you know? if i had part of my stomach dumped in the trash i think i'd be freaking the frig out.
the other thing that would worry me about the vsg is that its sooooo new. we know what happens with RNY (for the most part) because it has been around for so long. but the vsg we don't know. however, i find it exciting that there is no malabsorption. i think that could head off a lot of problems in the long run for VSGers.

I asked for a photo of my removed portion so that I could flip it off and tell it that I beat it. Seriously. Now if I can get a lobotomy for the part of my brain that causes my emotional eating, and do the same thing... The great thing, though, is that the sleeve will only hold so many ounces, and I have only felt hungry once since surgery so far. And I didn't really recognize it as the empty growling stomach, just a "Hey, my tummy feels weird. OH! I need food."

Seriously, though, I'd rather it have been removed than "just sit there." That was one of my big issues with RNY, and I'm so glad I have an insurance that covers the sleeve.

AAA · 10-06-2009, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pricklypear

the vsg sounds exciting to me. however, i find it to be scary that they just take part of your stomach and dump it in the trash, and that its gone for forever. today, i am having major psyche issues (seriously! lol) with the fact that i am re-routed. you know? if i had part of my stomach dumped in the trash i think i'd be freaking the frig out.

It's interesting, I never thought of that -- but, sure, I can see how it could make you uneasy. With me, I was just so happy it was gone as I knew it would make it impossible to eat like I used to (they remove it through the navel generally, when done lap) and I knew it would stretch back to about 1/2 its size again. While I sure can't eat the amt. I did preop, I sure eat a lot more than I did in that first year.