Nervous about VSG. How did you deal with concept of cutting your stomach?

Hello everyone, 

Welcome!!  You know it's funny, I don't like the thought of a foreign object in my body but had no problem with them taking most of my stomach.  With a sleeve, you will still have a fully functioning stomach, just smaller, unlike the RNY where a "pouch" is made with a stoma instead of a pyloric valve.

I'm sorry you had such a hard time with the band.  We are learning more and more that it is not usually a long term solution.

I guess my paradigm was always inline with having a surgery such as I did. My body constantly let me down and I was at war with my weight since I was kid.  I was born with Celiac disease (strike 1), I joined the Army in my early 20's and was always right on the weight borderline and had to be body fat taped every 6 months (strike 2). I destroyed my back running stairs to keep my weight down and had to have back surgery in 2004. (strike 3)  After back surgery my weight started climbing forcing me to retire early from the Army before they caught me and put me in the fat girl program--I couldn't make Colonel or get a full retirement. (strike 4)   WLS was my victory over this crappy body. A very negative outlook but there it is.

--gina

I did feel that way too. But after seeing my mother experiencing the ravages of diabetes, and watching my brother start the same journey, I wanted to change my destiny and try to prevent complications from my own elevating glucose levels.

I needed an edge to combat this metabolic syndrome that I was battling, and losing a little more with every passing year. I had wanted the band, but my surgeon and endocrinologist steered my toward the rny.

My stomach did me no favors growing up....I had far less trouble with the idea of cutting it and getting rid of most of it than adding the band.

As long as I had all needed pieces (like the pylorus), I was fine.

I wanted a band until I learned of all the problems with them.  Then I wanted VSG, but my insurance wouldn't pay for it.  RNY was my only choice except for the band and I felt like that wasn't an option.  I wanted my life back.  So I was determined to do whatever it took.  After making the decision, I never looked back.  I have been very happy with my RNY.  I just wish I could have done it sooner.

I never thought of it that way.. I was just looking at how I could control my weight and my health issues. 

I am not very religious but I remember hearing a bible verse once that said something to the effect that if a body part offends you then to remove it.  I am probably butchering that big time but that is how I felt.  My stomach was my enemy and I had no problem getting rid of it.  In fact, after my first WLS I found my stomach was left way too large and I was always hungry and I was very angry about that.

When I had my revision I found out 6 months later that my surgeon removed my remnant stomach without consulting me.  I had no idea and I wasn't happy about it.  The permanence really set in.  But now I am happy because I no longer get hungry and I am satisfied with the amount of food I eat.  I am not happy that he took my pyloric valve and I have to worry about dumping and reactive hypoglycemia but there is nothing that can be done about that.

Truthfully, in the past two plus years I really haven't missed the bottomless pit that my stomach was.

Wow Tazz, I'd never thought of it like that.  The verse is, if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.  Very interesting, thanks.

I suggest you go to the VSG forum and read, read, and read some more. There is a vet that wrote a post about pyloric valve function (Frisco). You should use the search feature to find it. It is quite informational and might help you feel better about your decision. DH and I both have a VSG, and are thrilled with our results so far. He will be a year out next week and has been at goal for months. He is running a half marathon on his surgiversary. I'm almost 2 months out and am down 31 pounds since surgery. I have more energy, and can do more physically demanding activities now.  Oh, I've read several posts on the VSG forum that say they wouldn't want their stomach back. I hope that helps.