There is very little post-op help from him, unfortunately. At first, there was some follow-up by email - he answered my questions, his secretary sent me the 3-month lab tests papers and then his reading of the results. To continue to have my lab results read and interpreted by him though - at 6 months, 1 year, etc. - they wanted to charge me 100$ a pop. That would cover only a brief email from Dr. Gagner telling me if my results are ok and advising on supplements to take if necessary. For 100$ you don't even get to see him. So, I said thanks but no thanks and I now get my follow-up done by my family doctor. It's not ideal but it's working so far.

I had my VSG done by Dr. Gagner and I would recommend him to anyone! He is an amazing surgeon.

Good luck to you!

Monica

Sounds wonderful!!  That is one of the reasons at this point I am ready to have this surgery, I cant wait to get back to my active self. And oh boy do I know what your talking about when you talk about painful ice skating!!

Yes, feeling alive again! Ada, you got it right on the money! I think that that is the most amazing benefit of this amazing journey!

I am also looking forward to seeing you again!

So, to the already long list of things that are possible/easier for me to do after my VSG, I have to add ice skating. For as long as I can remember, skating, be it  on ice or inline, was a painful experience. Within minutes of putting on the skates, my feet would start hurting and go on hurting until the pain reached unbearable levels and I had to stop, usually within less than 30 minutes.

Well, yesterday, for the first time since my surgery, I went ice skating: over an hour of gliding on uneven ice and my feet were just fine and dandy, no pain not even a little discomfort. Not only that, but my balance seems to be much better than when I was carrying all that extra weight, so I was able to skate faster and, in my humble opinion, more gracefully than ever before! I can't wait to go inline skating this summer! I've already bought the tight shorts to go with my skates .

Other activities that I have enjoyed lately thanks to my new, smaller body are: learning to cross-country sky and snowshoe, playing basket-ball again after an absence of more than 15 years, running, dancing, etc. Oh, and the sex! O.M.G. the sex! But that's a story for another time .

Cheers, friends! I hope you're all enjoying life, 'cause I sure am!

Monica