Laurie P.
WOW.......where do I begin. I am 53 yrs old and have had a weight problem since high school. Of course back then it was not a huge issue, maybe just 15-20 lbs overweight. I was pretty active in sports....swim team, tennis, and an avid horseback rider. I gained a little more in college and by the end of college was up around 150-160 lbs. I went on all kinds of diets, weight watchers, hcg injections, etc. I would always lose only to gain it back plus an extra 10. The first time I hit 200 lbs I about died!!! Then Phen Phen came out and I went on that and lost about 35 lbs, and gained back about 45. I suffered a miscarriage and went into a huge tailspin and gained even more. Then I went on another form of Phen Phen called Phen Traz and again got below 200 only to gain it back plus. Since then it has just inched up and somehow I got up to 250 lbs. I realize that I will never be able to lose it without help and I think WLS is the only way I will get it off and keep it off. I was never interested in gastric bypass because I have a former neighbor whos daughter almost died from it. She has had severe complications and has been hospitalized 3 times due to severe malnutrition. Then I was all set on the lapband, until I started to hear some of the horror stories surrounding that....not even being able to swallow liquids, and of course the abiity to get fills and unfills. So now I have decided on the VSG with Dr. Alvarez. I am just waiting on a settlement from our other house that finally sold...then I will have the money to proceed. So I'm terrified but also very excited to embark on this adventure.