How my journey all started.

I have been overweight since I was about 28 years old and Obese since I was 37, I am 46 right now. I am like most overweight people, I tried every diet, some successful, some not. What the common denominator was is I always gained all the weight back. My sister which is in the medical field had a Gastric Bypass for her weight loss surgery about 5 years ago. She has lost all of her excess weight and for the most part, kept it off. My insurance would not pay for weight loss surgery so at that time, WLS was not an option. In 2010 I started having some issues with my feet hurting, headaches and just not having any energy. I started doing a lot of research into different WLS, their risks and cost. There was a new procedure called the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, it is where they go in laparoscopically and remove about 80% of your stomach leaving it shaped like a tube or sleeve, hence the name. There is a video of a VSG surgery on the right side of my Blog. This was introduced in 2006/2007. After all of my research, I have choosen to have this type of WLS instead of the Gastric Bypass ( very evasive, changes your plumbing) or the Lapband which is very high maintenance with the adjustments and fills. These can also slip and have to be adjusted often. The VSG was the most logical choice for me since it is permanent and no maintenance. There are no adjustments like the lap band and no dumping ( throwing up) like the Gastric Bypass. With the VSG, you can eat almost anything but only about 4oz of it. It is a lifestyle change and it is permanent.