Interested in VSG, but scared to do it so young.

I do drink alcohol, but am more than willing to give it up in exchange for my life back.

Not vegetarian or vegan.

To get to a healthy weight, I would have to lose 141 lbs.

No chronic pain issues, I have some back and neck pain but it comes and goes.

I definitely fear not being ready at age 20 since I have so much of my life ahead of me, but at the same time I really really want to take control of my life, and it makes sense to do it sooner rather than later. There are definitely things that suck about it, but I truly believe that the positives for me would heavily outweigh (no pun intended) the negatives. Maybe I need a bit more time to make such a monumental decision, but I believe if I look back a year from now, 10 years from now, even 50 years from now, I would not regret changing my life for the better.

Sounds like you are doing your research.

Keep posting. It really helps.

I think it's a great step. From another post you do have a substantial amount to lose so it would be beneficial for you. No matter what anyone says it's not the easy way out so don't let others tell you as much. For people who have a lot to lose or at least for many it's our only chance at repair. You seem to have done your research, so I think if you decide to go forward you will do great.

Thank you for your words of encouragement!

While you WILL have restriction, especially during the first year out, it is still possible to over-eat with a sleeve. "Slider foods" that are high in carbs, as well as liquid calories, will still go right through you.

Brains are tricky. While we say we're confident that we wouldn't sabotage ourselves... the reality is not so clear-cut. I know that there were MANY times pre-op when I said I wouldn't sabotage my weight loss by eating a full box of cookies, but it happened time and time again.

Hi Elizabeth! I just wanted to reach out as someone in your age range to give you some info on my own wls journey. I am 21 turning 22 just 5 days before my VSG surgery date of July 23rd so I can relate to your concerns for sure. Although I'm out of college since I graduated last year.

For me, I was always on the heavier side as a child in part to having a single working mom who showed her love by taking me out to eat. But my weight wasn't seriously an issue until around 12-13 when my parents finally divorced after years of substance abuse and domestic violence. While I was not on the receiving end myself of most of the abuse, I got to watch my father attempt to murder my mother circa puberty. That event had a profound effect on the course of my life and I ended up gaining roughly 100 pounds within a little over a year shortly before high school.

Like you I have been on every diet under the sun since before high school and nothing truly worked. My best attempt was quick weight loss where I lost 30 pounds but gained it all right back as soon as I found the diet too restricted (plus it was crazy expensive).

I had much of the same concerns as you when I first started this journey over a year ago. But my biggest reason for going forward was seeing the effects of various chronic diseases both from family and at my job in the ED. I simply do not want those complications and risk shortening my dope ass life for food. There is no meal worth it. Sure I could "diet" and lose weight naturally but I have already tried(and failed) multiple times. I don't want to keep doing that only to get bigger and bigger. One of the most frequent thing I read here is that people wish they had done it younger. Well I'm still on my mom's insurance, in great health and have all the resources needed for me to be successful. I wanted a permanent tool that would help to kickstart my weight loss journey. It also helped that my mom had bypass done about 10 years ago and has successfully kept off over 100 pounds from her highest weight.

As far as my concerns, the biggest is calcium and vitamin D intake since we are still technically mineralizing. But as long as we are diligent on follow up labs and taking vitamins as directed, there shouldn't be any issues. The bonus of VSG is that we do not have to worry about malabsorption, you just have to ensure you're intaking the right amounts of everything. I don't want osteoporosis or to have my hair completely fall out so I plan on being compliant. I think about it as side effects I would have anyway if I continued not taking care of myself.

My advice would be to make sure you know allll the gritty details of before and after surgery. Lurk on here and a few other sites. Follow some youtubers and VSG Instagrammers. My favorite youtuber for VSG is chemistryqueen. For finding people our age, your best bet is Youtube for sure. Don't just look up the successful people either. Search VSG regain and see what caused people to go off track. If their habits sound like you, really seek out if surgery is something you can live with. Because knowing it's hard work and doing is a whole nother piece. Like you will hear 1000 times, wls is a tool. Like a hammer for a nail, you can drive it in without it but it'll be that much harder. Start making changes now. I threw out all of the stuff in my pantry that I'm not allowed pre op. That doesn't stop me from eating out if I want but it encourages good habits. Next is no diet soda or carbonation at all. You have 18 months of "magic" after surgery to lose the excess weight with the least amount of resistance so I plan to go balls to the mf wall

I would suggest searching around for a great surgical team that can provide you the amount of support that you will need going forward. Go to multiple seminars and have what worries you the most written down so you don't forget. How they answer and treat you throughout the beginning steps is reflective of how they might be after surgery so keep that in mind. You want a team that gives you clear information to follow and answers all of your questions without issue. My dietician is amazing and I spend the bulk of our appointments discussing life, emotions and how that plays into my eating. I am always completely honest about my eating habits and it reflects on the scale from month to month. I also have heard nothing but great things about my surgeon who has dealt with his own weight issues too. You want to have faith in the people who are literally changing your life.

I am actually planning on documenting my wls journey on Insta and/or Youtube in the coming weeks. If you have any questions that I can answer feel free to DM me on Insta at taylor_dyan21.

Thank you so incredibly much for your thoughtful message! I'm so sorry for what you've gone through, and hope everything is going better for your family. I too have a lot of diseases on both sides of my family (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, you name we've probably had it) and that's a big reason I would want to do it as well.

Definitely agree on the importance of taking care of yourself through it -- I think we're both smart enough to listen when they say to take vitamins and come back in to follow up!

That's really really good advice on not just looking at the positive stories, but also the negative, I definitely have been focusing much more on the positive and now I'm trying to get a more balanced view. I've started to watch what I eat and log it, but am definitely still eating foods I know I wouldn't be able to eat post-VSG (it sucks cause I'm picky as hell, but I'll get through it).

I went to a really incredible surgeon for a consultation and if I go through it, I definitely will with them! I actually have an appointment with their psychologist and nutritionist tomorrow, so I'm definitely about to go ham on them with my worst fears.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful response, and I'll definitely be in touch if I do or don't go through with it! Fingers crossed for a safe surgery for you girl :-)

I just wanted to say that "dope as life" and balls to the mf wall" comments made me laugh. You sound like an incredibly strong, resilient (and hilarious) young woman.

I agree with everything you said too. I had my surgery at 24 (the summer before my final year in law school) and I don't regret doing it then at all. That will be 9 years ago this August (!), so if you have any questions before, or after feel free to ask as well!

Good luck on your journey!

Hi everyone,

My name is Elizabeth and I'm 20 (turning 21 in October). I went in for a consultation to do a VSG and am thinking about getting it done this summer, right before my senior year of college. For background, I've been struggling with my weight since I was about 10 or 11, and have seemed to try every diet in the book. I always have trouble losing, but have even more trouble keeping it off. My doctor mentioned VSG last year (if different medications I went on didn't work) and I've been thinking about it since, and feel like now would be a good time to do it given after this, I may not have a break since I'll be entering the work world.

Aside from being scared from all the potential consequences (mainly leaking and clots), I am scared to do it so young given that it's an irreversible surgery. It's also discomforting that VSG hasn't been around for that long (specifically being used for weight loss), so it's hard to know if there are lifelong complications that have just not been discovered yet. Part of me wants to give losing weight naturally one more really strong try, but another part of me says to just do it and get my life back on track.

Has anyone done the VSG so young, and if so have any advice? Anyone else just have input on whether or not it's a good idea to do it given my situation?

if you needed heart surgery, would you hesitate to have it ?so young?.

morbid obesity is a killer, just like heart problems are a killer.

I, personally, can?t see ANY reason not to have a lifeprolongong and life saving surgery as soon as possible.

Edited to add: you insurance most likely will have requirements, if you are using insurance for payment, to fulfil before surgery, like a six month supervised diet, a sleep study,,an Egd,etc. these are standard tests often done pre op. Sometimes they are bailed if your weight is very high compared to your height.

Your insurance rep can answer all the requirement questions, but you may not be able to have surgery this summer, considering it is nearly July now.

This is very true, the reason that mainly my mom keeps presenting is that I am very young and this is irreversible, and that there is the potential for consequences which haven't yet been discovered since the surgery is relatively new.

And to the quickness part of it -- unfortunately in California and on my mom's insurance the surgery isn't covered, so it has to be paid for out-of-pocket, another hurdle which sucks, but which we're willing to get through if we decide it's the right course of action. The surgeon who I had a consultation with can get it done this summer, as long as I get cleared by their psychologist, nutritionist, and have a few medical tests done, all of which I can do relatively quickly.

We'll see whether I manage to get it done this summer or not, but I definitely do want to change the course of my life, and I agree that it's something that I should do sooner rather than later.