Free2B

The most important thing is that you are apparently healing well and with your great attitude, by May 9 you are definitely likely to be a "loser". Hang in there!

Aw, you look so pretty - no wonder your family is proud! Try not to feel funny about it - you deserve the compliments after all the hard work you've done!

Hey Ms. Juice - thanks so much for sharing! Any reason one couldn't use lettuce leaves for the roll up rather than rice paper?

Hooray for you! Get thee to Ulta. Or how about a beautiful pair of shoes for those beautiful feet??

That brings up a topic for another thread..... Does the shape of the posterior also go??

The upcoming year looks to be especially bright for you!! Happy Birthday and best wishes!

What a lovely little Mama you are! Thanks so much for sharing your precious photo - just more proof that you are one generous lady.

Congratulations on a job clearly well done! And thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom with us. I've appreciated your thoughtful posts. Your pictures just reinforce the value of your advice.

Congratulations to you! I wouldn't mind being taller, but am only 5'8". Have often said that it's not that I weigh too much, I'm just too short for my weight - ha! Hope you can find a "height buddy", but either way, keep up the good work and keep savoring your successes.

Becca, congratulations on your success so far. You are an inspiration!

Oooh, so glad to hear you're doing a little better. I've been checking every day to see if you have posted. So the doctors are no longer trying to talk you into a roux-en-y, right? Good! Best wishes for your continued recovery!!

Wow! Love those cheekbones!!

Hooray for you! So glad you overcame the setback of being cancelled/postponed. Good luck with your recovery. Seems like you shouldn't be afraid to take a few extra days off if you find you need them, though. Be good to yourself!

Hey Sarah, congratulations on using the kayak! It's wonderful how losing weight can open up a world of new experiences. You don't look like a dork at all, but Grandma does want to know where your life jacket is. Best wishes for your continued success!

Oh, my heart goes out to you! I wish we could take away your pain and disappointment. Please know that many people are thinking of you and hoping for a resolution as soon as possible.

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I recognize that there are many criteria involved in choosing a doctor and that there is often more than one "right way" to do things: one can see that in the varied experiences of VST members on a variety of topics. It does appear, though, that among those who responded here the leak test is performed more often than not, either during or after surgery. The difference between not doing one at all and doing two or three of them, as some described, is still a little puzzling to me. The doctor I met with said he didn't do them because only one of his patients had ever had a problem, and he was aware of it before the test would have been performed anyway.

I met with my surgeon for the first time on Tuesday and was surprised to learn that he does not routinely conduct a leak test before sending patients home the day after surgery. He told me that leak tests are not performed by most surgeons, which is not the impression I have had from reading VST. Does anyone have an opinion on the importance and/or prevalence of the leak test? I'm wondering if I should consider another doctor.

Good for you! It's great that you spoke up and now get to move ahead a little sooner. You did all the homework to make an informed decision, so it's odd that your neice wished you well in "your decision" as if you hadn't made it clear that your mind was already made up. Perhaps nothing will quiet them down but your continued success. The most important support, though, is from your dear husband and son and you must be so glad to have them.

It must be really aggravating to get stalled when you're all psyched to go and others' incompetence is holding you back. It sure would try my patience. But I'll bet you a protein shake that a year from now when you look back at how wonderfully your life has changed, it won't matter very much that you got started 2 or 4 weeks later than you planned.

When I got mine, it was recommended that I take it carry-on because they can really toss the luggage around and it could possibly get damaged unless it's awfully well padded. As mentioned above, if you carry it on it's treated pretty much like a laptop - just take it out of the case. In my experience, the security folks knew what it was and acted as though it was routine.

You surely look like a success! Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

Roseib, thanks so much. For all my reading on this site, I never saw the subforum and will check it out. We have a bit in common. I'm 61 with sleep apnea and have been putting off a recommended knee replacement for about two years. I've been concerned about what I can do for exercise, with the best option appearing to be Water aerobics. May i ask how you have dealt with it? Congratulations on your success to date - I hope I do as well!

Thanks to all for the encouragement. I have been wondering if older folks have experienced slower healing, slower/less weight loss, etc. While we've yet to hear from anyone 60+ who's had the surgery, it doesn't sound like anyone anticipates issues specifically related to age. Hey - maybe I can set some kind of a record for Old Sleeve Rock Star!

I have been reading and learning from all of you for a couple of months now and appreciate the thoughtful support and valuable information .provided by this community. It has played a significant role in my decision to have the surgery. My impression, though, is that most folks who take this step are somewhere in their 20's - 40's. If there's anyone who has experience or perspective on getting sleeved a little later in life (say 60+), I would love to hear it. Thanks!