Brand new VSG hopeful

Hi all! I'm brand new to this....just went to the seminar on Tuesday. I'm looking to get the VSG done around May or June of 2014. (My insurance requires 6 months dr supervision prior to wls.) So my question it's a broad one....what do I need to know, and what do you wish you knew when you were where I am now?

If you have not done so already, please be sure to post this on the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum (VSG) to get more responses from those that are having and or have had the same surgery  

you can learn everything you need to know. Simply by reading all the threads on the VSG forum every day. Every question. You could possible have is answered at least once every day.

gl

If you want to get going on your research, I highly recommend the "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies" book. It describes the whole process and answers pretty much every question you might have!

The other thing I would suggest is starting a notebook or folder. Keep track of all of your paperwork from the doctor and insurance company, everything that's scheduled or required. There's a lot to organize and it helps a bunch!

Good luck, and congrats on getting started!

I'm going to tell you what I tell every newbie---RESEARCH EVERYTHING. There are four forms of WLS---LapBand, VSG/Sleeve, RNY/gastric bypass, and DS/duodenal switch. You need to fully understand them all before you can make an informed decision about which is right for you.

Things affecting your decision should include how much weight you have to lose, what sort of success you've had with dieting in the past, what medical problems you currently have, what medical problems run in your family, if there are any medications you need now and probably will need in the future (think NSAIDs here), what foods you prefer to eat, how much you can/will change your lifestyle FOREVER.

No WLS can guarantee you'll lose 100% of your excess weight or will never regain the weight you lose. The one most likely to be successful for you is the one that will ask from you only things that YOU can stick with for the rest of your life. For me, that was the DS---it's a whole lot easier for me to toss back a handful of vitamins 4 times a day than it is to resist eating tasty, high-protein, high-fat foods when I want. Other people find it easier to stick to a more strict 'diet' than to remember those vitamins. I knew that I sucked at dieting, and I just plain didn't want to do it any more. (*grin*)

You also need to research your surgeon and your hospital, what sort of after-care they offer, etc.