I had my lap-band removed urgently in March of this year. I have a consultation with the same surgeon that suggested the vertical gastrectomy on Friday, July 10. I have some questions for those in the group that have had the vertical gastrectomy:
- How has it affected your ability to eat?
- Do you feel "constricted" like with the band (for those who have had the band).
- How do you eat now?
- Have you been successful in losing weight?
- Would you recommend the procedure
@JackieOnLine, tagged me, so here I go! Buckle up for some serious honesty of the shit life can throw at you!
Ok, complete honesty.. I am about 30-35lbs higher than I like. It's all on me, and I know exactly where it came from: booze & simple carbs.
Not an excuse, but started by self-medicating chronic pain well over a year ago & chronic work stress, and continues through my father's death of renal cancer, losing my job the same evening from harassing text messages from an immediate supervisor, to my dementia riddled mother wrapping her car around a tree this last week.. I've not stopped, but have been taking steps to start scaling back, and putting plan in place to get to a better place. I've never battled something like this, so it's all new to me..
History: fat since a little kid.. highest 310+ at nearly 5' 7", lost to 155 (for a week!) in my mid-20's through cal restriction. Slowly regained to 285 over about 10 years before I opted for the vsg at nearly 38yo. 1st couple years, wonderful, lost down to 155 at a year, dropped to my comfy range in another 4-6mo (140-148).. got to a uber-low (skeletor stage) of 138.. not pretty.. Leveled out, for quite some time before some bad behaviors took hold, see above. Had surgery in April 2011.
I still have fabulous restriction.. If I eat protein first, I can fit maybe 3/4-1c in total.. 3oz maybe 3.5 oz meat, and some veggies/carbs. Now, early out, carbs could fill me, granted I didn't even try any till about a year out.. now, I, like Jackie, could eat pasta or crackers all day!
1. nothing disagrees with me save for dry chicken breast or overly lean ground beef.. I fill up, and it takes FOREVER to digest! Other than that and what *I* call "dumping" if I eat fatty/sugary things, aka ice cream. Shakes, sweats, heart racing, need to lay down, unable to stand for fear of fainting.. happened more early out, but still can catch me occasionally esp on an empty stomach.
2. I feel full fast.. I still, even if eating just pasta (not recommended) will "fill up" on a cup or so.. but my stomach will empty out of those simple carbs faster than before.. so I *could* eat more in 20 mins or so.. not a healthy behavior, but something that I can do. So just don't fucking go there.. unless you just feel like bingeing.. because yeah, no way you can binge on meat.. but crackers, pasta.. sure.
3. When I'm sane (right now, not so much, dad just died, mom just broke 4 ribs wrapping her car around a tree.. in the hospital and trying to get her commited to assisted living as a non-compliant, demented diabetic.. fun times).. anyhoo.. when I'M SANE: protein, usually somewhat fatty, 3-4oz max, usually near 3oz, a couple oz green stuff, sometimes a couple spoons of carbs. No liquid calories (hah!).. no sugar save fruits. Moderate protein/ high fat/ no-low sugar.. works fabulously.
3a. How in reality I've been eating this last year and a half to regain: carbs, liquid cals (alcohol), not enough protein, constant nibbling of simple carbs.. the exact opposite of how I ate months pre-op, and the first couple years post-op.
4. Hell yea. I was successful before surgery. I lost at the same rate pre-op when I was in my early 20's as I did post-op in my late 30's (so much easier post op though, without question.) I kept off the majority of my weight for more than 5 year before surgery.. had hit a low of 155, bounced to 170-175 and held that line for more than 5 years before major depression hit.. same as this time.. went from 285 to a comfy 140 something before chronic pain and depression hit again. Now varying between 175-180 again, but holding without any issue.. which is the MAJOR change. Normally this would continue upwards.. the VSG seems to slow the gain, and give just a bit more control on the speed of regain.. I would (could) regain to 250+.. but it would take more effort than if I hadn't altered my guts. Depression for me is the major contributor to regain.
5. Yes, with no hesitation, I would recommend it, with the caveat that 'know thyself.' If you *can* lose and can *maintain* your losses.. sure.. if you cannot lose, and cannot maintain, save for abusing yourself, as I frankly have been.. then do not do a restrictive only procedure.
I KNOW for a fact, if I can/when I get my head back to a better place and eat normally (not diet! despite what some say.. I never "dieted" to maintain.. I ate high fat/lower carb.. till satisfied..) I would find myself somewhere in the comfy high 140's/low-mid 150's.. but I have been drinking hundreds upon hundreds of extra cals a day, and eating like shit to get to a whopping.. 179? at 5'7".. I would easily be back to my starting weight w/o surgery at this point, guaranteed. I have literally drank 80% of this regain on, and the other 20% is shitty food.
I am a huge proponent of the DS, and that was the only other surgery I considered.. but I knew me, I knew (under normal operating circumstances) what I needed.. and the VSG is it.. I just need to stop/find other coping mechanisms for chronic stress that has been my life for several years.. and no doubt, because I want to be ultimately healthy, i will. I am just a fucking stubborn bitch, and sometimes need to touch the stove a few times to learn.
So there you have it, in complete brutal honesty, how a surgery can succeed, and how you can sabotage yourself to failure if you don't reign in destructive behaviors.
