Why I decided to have weight loss surgery:
In my late twenties, I weighed 120 lbs, was 5′ 2”, and wore a size 4. When I was 34, my husband and I decided to have a baby. During the pregnancy, I gained 60 lbs. After our baby was born, I went down to 140 lbs. During this time, I was an interior designer when the economy of the whole country was booming! I was SWAMPED with clients! And extremely STRESSED OUT!!! Not good when you’re a stress eater! I would stuff myself to the max, and my brain would release dopamine, and I would feel relaxed. Then I would feel disgusted with myself for gorging, and then thirty minutes later, I would be back in the kitchen EATING AGAIN!!! UGH! I was addicted to food and constantly obsessing with what I could eat next!!! It was a vicious cycle!!! At my heaviest, I weighed 235 lbs. I was so depressed, I didn’t want to go to work. My feet and joints hurt, I had no energy, and I didn’t want to leave my house!!! God forbid a formal Christmas party at my husband’s job!!! The ultimate dread!!! I was so unhappy at this time that I hated looking in the mirror. I was so sad, unhappy, and depressed. Everything looked terrible on me.
I got so desperate that I checked the price of having a LAP-BAND procedure in the USA, and the prices range from $13,000.00 to $25,000.00 — and I couldn’t afford that! But I also heard that you could have it done much cheaper in Mexico. So, I got on the computer and started my hunt for a qualified Mexican surgeon. I found a place that charged $6500.00 in Tijuana Mexico!!! Yay!!!
But now was the time to discuss this pro-active endeavor with my husband. I told him I wanted to go to Tijuana, Mexico, for LAP-BAND Surgery, and that I wanted his blessing. So, he looked at me kind of perplexed and asked, “Can’t you do it on your own?” I shook my head and said, “No, I’ve tried everything, and I always fail!” He then asked, “Did you do your homework?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Okay.” And I said, “YAY!!!” I only wanted his blessing. I didn’t really want to discuss my plans with anyone except for my husband and my mother. I did extensive research before I made an educated decision. I didn’t want to hear a lot of negative comments. I didn’t want anyone trying to talk me out of it! What I wanted was to have my life, my looks, my health, my energy, and my happiness back.
SO, I WENT TO MEXICO AND HAD LAP-BAND SURGERY!
Everything went great, and within a 16 months, I had lost 90 lbs! I had the band for five years — successfully. But honestly, it was very temperamental. I always said it had a mind of its own. There are certain foods you can’t eat, like bread, steaks, rice, and meat in general. Also, no carbonated soda.
Then, being in the weight loss field, I heard of a new procedure called Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG). And no, it is nothing like the gastric bypass — much less invasive and your stomach still absorbs your nutrients naturally, unlike the gastric bypass where you must take vitamins, protein, and other supplements for the rest of your life. With the VSG, the bariatric surgeon removes a portion of your stomach, and afterwards, your stomach is shaped like a banana. But most importantly, the portion of the stomach the surgeon removes is the area that produces GREHLIN! This is the key because grehlin is the hormone that controls your appetite. When that portion of the stomach is removed, you no longer have hunger pains!!!
So, back to my story. I had the fill removed from my LAP-BAND in order to give my stomach a rest. And in two months, I gained 30 lbs!!! I decided to begin preparing for my LAP-BAND to Sleeve Revision surgery, which is the name of the procedure. One of the tests the doctor performs is an upper endoscopy in order to look at your band from the inside in order to make sure you don’t have erosion of the band into the stomach. And I didn’t. Thank goodness!!!
However, if you do have any erosion, the doctor removes the LAP-BAND laparoscopically, which is a very fast and easy procedure. Then you have to wait for four months for your stomach to heal, and then they can perform the VSG on you.
So, back to my story. The surgeon removed the LAP-BAND and performed the Vertical Sleeve at the same time. They even used the same incisions. The operation took an hour and a half. This is how the day of my surgery went. I flew into the San Diego airport, went to Tijuana, and had the endoscopy (same day because I had no stomach erosion from the LAP-BAND). I stayed in the hospital for two nights and then spent two nights in a hotel.
The Vertical Sleeve is wonderful. It’s exactly what we dream of — eating anything you want! But what’s great is that after eating only small portions, you feel satiated. I am back to my goal weight of 130 lbs. No more expensive fills! I love my Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy!!!
Oh yeah, the sleeve in the U.S. is $18,000.00 to $30,000.00. In Mexico, it only costs $5,200.00!!!
Sincerely,
Laurie Wolf