wendyS

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On April 30, 2005  Dr. Baltasar gave me my sleeve.  I had been  knowledgeable about the DS since my brother's surgery in 2003 but hadn't heard about the sleeve previously since there hadn't been that many sleeves performed.  

My brother, my husband, Jeff, and I were terribly skeptical about the sleeve as a stand-alone procedure being effective in the long-run and tried to convince Dr. Baltasar to do a full DS on me.  However he refused and would agree to only do a sleeve.

I knew I had to do something to deal with my extra pounds and my out of control appetite and thus agreed to have only the sleeve done.

Today my weight is stable and my BMI is 25.6, just what the doctor ordered.  I'm so happy I got my sleeve.

I my Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy

Yesterday I celebrated the third birthday of my sleeve.  I thought of these years that have gone by and felt so lucky that I had chosen the sleeve.  Up to 3 years ago I had never experienced a stable weight.  Either I was dieting, with all the deprivations that entails, or I was eating without limits and sooner or later my weight returned and then some.  I'm under 5' in height so each pound makes a real difference.   There were times that I said to myself that perhaps I needed to accept that I would be a fat person.  But my weight never stabilized!

Almost five years ago my brother underwent a DS, lost 180 pounds, and felt that he had renewed his life.  Less than two years later my husband decided that he too was going to have a DS and I said to myself "I want it too."  Because the extra weight I was carrying was "only" about 55 pounds my surgeon in Spain suggested the Sleeve, something new both to me and to the general public. I worried that I would lose the weight and then regain it, or that I would be hungry all the time but I decided "Yes, I have to do something."

Today I am three years after my surgery and I am delighted with my decision.  My weight  stays between 121 and 125 (a BMI of 25-26).  When I feel  full, I am able to immediately stop eating, even in mid-bite!  I make sure to get in the necessary fluids and protein each day and I feel great.

My only regret is that this fantastic solution only exists 5 years and that I discovered it only 3 years ago.  Thanks so much, Dr. Baltasar.