Sally

Hi there, new here... I had a VBG (vertical banded gastroplasty) back in the "dark ages" of this technique 18 years ago. At that time I was 27 years old, weighed 340 lbs, and had two small children. I had problems with my blood pressure, my legs, my ankles, just moving around was an ORDEAL (I'm 5'9"). MY wake up call, if you wanna call it that, was one day my doctor sat me down and told me point blank "If you DON'T do something about your weight, you are NOT going to live to see your children grow up!" (They were 7 and 2 at the time.) I researched and went with the VBG (at the time in 1988, it was 'state of the art', and my insurance picked up all but about $800 of the cost because I had so many co-morbidity factors in the mix). Today, 18 years later, I have been holding in the 190-200 zone for about 6 years. Yeah, I go up and down - but now *I* have control. I also had some brilliant counselors who helped me reshape my relationship with food... one of my favorite quotes is "my car doesn't orgasm when I give it gasoline! Why should I be so hung up on food? IT'S *JUST* fuel!" Today, I left the love of my life in the VERY capable hands of Dr. Ortiz. Darrin got banded today (6/22), and when I left, he was sleeping soundly post-op. My point is this: If I'd had it to do over, I would do it in a HEARTBEAT. I am CONVINCED that if I hadn't done the VBG, I would be dead today of some obesity-related complication. (I'm 45 years old). I am actually a little envious of YOU guys having the bands - I have a HORRID scar from just above my belly button to my breastbone - but I AM ALIVE. And now that Darrin found Dr. Ortiz and got banded, *HE* is going to live to a ripe old age... and we'll have years of driving each other crazy ahead of us! I always told Darrin "I WANT TO GET OLD WITH YOU"... and I meant it. Now, thanks to Dr. Ortiz and his crew (and Darrin's decision and determination) - NOW we have that option. Thank the Goddess.