SKCUNNINGHAM

Give yourself a break! When you look in the mirror and start thinking critical things, try to stop the thoughts from continuing. Try to think of yourself as a "work in progress". Imagine yourself as a talented sculptor, chipping away at the beautiful but uneeded marble to find the slender beauty within. Years ago Jesse Jackson made a speach at a Democratic National Convention (I love to listen to good speakers, regardless of their poticial beliefs). He saids (my memory may not me exact) "Please do not judge me too harshly, God isn't finished with me yet". I try to remember that line when I get into a negative thought cycle. If we ask others to not judge us too harshly, we should hold ourselves to the same standard. You will be at goal sooner than you realize. Actually, it is helpful to your overall progress mentally to lose your weight over a few months (rather than instantly). It gives your "head" time to catch up with your smaller body. Best of luck to you in the rest of your journey. Sharon

I am in the Dallas area. I would be happy to mentor you if you can't find someone closer.

Becca - I am proud of you for having achieved such great success. It is wonderful to see the changes you have made in your life. Best of luck to you in your continued journey.

I agree with LIssa. Go to the doc and have him do bloodwork. Something could be out of whack - Iron, B12, potassium, Protein, etc. You won't know what to do differently without proper medical diagnosis. One thing you could do - make sure you are getting enough fluids - dehydration is always a potential problem. Dehydrations makes you all over weak, shaky and feeling bad. Go to the doc ASAP.! Sharon

Thank God you made it through that horrible experience. Besides suing your surgeon, find yourself another surgeon for your aftercare. You may need to go out of town to get one, since all local doctors know each other. You have gone through the worst experience, so everything now is going to be SO MUCH EASIER than what you have been through. Lean on this forum for support - we are here for you. SHaron

If I hadn't had the sleeve, I would not have lived 30 years - I would have been dead long before from a heart problems. So, for me, life is much better without most of my stomach than it would have been.I am not going to worry about what may turn up 10, 20 or 30 years in the future.

I think if someone is nauseuous and vomiting 2 years after surgery, they are eating more than their sleeve can handle, or eating things that upset their stomach. I am a year out and have not vomited since the day I left the hospital. If I eat too much, I get nauseous for a time. Solution - I don't overeat. There are a few foods my sleeve doesn't like - and I avoid them. Problem solved for me! I had a teacher in high school who has lived with gastrectomy for years. He didn't have cancer - just really bad ulcers. He is alive and well some 35 years after his surgery. If I hadn't had the sleeve, I would not have lived 30 years - I would have been dead long before from a heart problems. So, for me, life is much better without most of my stomach than it would have been.I am not going to worry about what may turn up 10, 20 or 30 years in the future.

I too knew I could lose weight without the sleeve - and I have - I lost 100 pounds four other times. I didn't need the sleeve to help me LOSE the weight - I need to sleeve to help me MAINTAIN my weight loss. Yes, it is a great way to lose the weight - but it is the ONLY way I think I will maintain a normal weight. It is one ot the "three pillars" that will hold up my maintenance - the other two being eating healthy food and exercising regularly. Good luck with your decision. Sharon

Sure I worried about dying - which is why I had my will updated, my insurance beneficiaries all correct, a living will made out, the house clean, all my bills paid and spoke to all my loved ones in the week or so before surgery. But I went through the surgery even with that underlying worry. I have had that worry before all my surgeries, not just the VSG. I had trust in my surgeon and the hospital, so I "let go and let GOD" take care of the rest. Good luck to you! Sharon

What a great feeling! Congratulations on this one - I HATED not fitting into a "normal" gown and having to do the two-gown wrap. These little things add up to a much happier day to day existence. Enjoy the little victories Sharon

CropQueen - I would be honored to be quoted in your blog. I am one of your readers and really have enjoyed reading about your journey - in both meanings of the word.

My husband met me when I was a 17 1/2 year old high school senior - taking college calculus because my high school didn't offer the course. We married when I was 24. We became aquaintences, then friends, and then fell in love. We were apart for almost 3 of the 6 years we knew each other - he took a foreign assignment after college graduation, then we got back together and got married. Many years have passed - we have weathered many marital crises, buried loved ones, raised a child, gotten and lost jobs, welcomed grandchildren, sold a much loved home, started and ran a business (with business partners) together for the last 17 years. Throughout this time my weight has gone up and down from a low of 117 (at 31) to a high of 265 (September before surgery). I have lost 100 pounds and regained them (and more) three times - not counting my WLS loss - WHICH I AM NOT GOING TO REGAIN. We certainly don't have a perfect relationship, but we have a very good and loving relationship. He and I put up with each others faults and are forgiving of them. He has been a rock through this post-surgery year. I feel much closer to him now than I did before because I am letting myself feel more than I did before. Before surgery, I was SO UNHAPPY WITH MYSELF that I shut myself off from a lot of my feelings and just ate myself numb. Now, I let myself feel - happy, sad, mad - the whole gamut of normal feelings. I realize I am still very much in love with my husband. Sex is a lot more fun now too. Being a hundred pounds lighter makes lots of things possible that had not been possible for a long time. I am not as tired at night, since I am not hauling a hundred pounds of blubber around with me all day long. SInce I am exercising more, that also increases my sex drive. I am not so self conscious about how I look (either in sexy lingerie or in skin) - so that improves things in the bedroom, too. I think if you have a good, healthy relationship with your SO, it can (and probably will) get better. If you have a bad unhealthy relationship with an SO, statistics say the relationship has a strong probability of not making it. If one of the things you are going to "fix" by losing weight is one of the reasons you and your SO are together in the first place, you may be in for some serious realtionship trouble. Here are some things that can cause problems. If you are together because one or the other of you think "I have to be with this person because no one else will love me" the dramatic weight loss is going to problematic - because the underlying assuption will be challenged when other people start noticing how good you look. If you are together because you abused food together - you have stopped - he has not - that is going to be a problem If you are together and you had different "drugs of choice" - well you have given up your abusive relationship with food - if he is still abusing alcohol or some other subtance - this can be a real source of problems If because of lack of self-esteem, you gave up a lot of control or power to your husband in your relationship, and with your increase in self -esteem as you lose weight you try to "reclaim" that power or control in the relationship, that can cause problems If your significant other likes you better as a "big" woman rather than a normal or thin woman, you are going to have relationship problems If your significant other is not willing to change the way you live your life and not have every celebration and every moment of every day be centered around food, you may have relationship problems If because of lack of self-esteem or other personal issues, you put up with physical abuse in your relationship, as you lose weight, you may get the courage to no longer put up with the abuse. (YEA for you if this is your situation!) Sometimes, leaving a relationship that is not healthy for you is the best choice you can make. Best of luck with you and your weight loss journey, and in your relationship with your SO. I hope it a loving and supportive one. Sharon

Janerose - I am proud of you. I'm sure the family had a wonderful time celebrating your Mom's birthday and that's not what they will remember most about the eveing - not your lack of eating. It sounds like you are really doing well on your coping mechanisms for eating in a group. Each time you successfully do this, you are building your skills for being able to do it again the next time. Soon, it will be a habit you don't even have to think about. Best of luck to you. Sharon

In a way, this was a good thing to happen to you. Now you know what will happen if you eat sugary deserts. The next time you are tempted, you will have a strong memory of this happening, and you will stop yourself before you indulge. Not the most pleasant way to learn a lesson, but an effective one. I hope everything else goes smoothly for you. Don't beat yourself up too badly, we all test the limits now and then. Sharon

Wow, it sounds as if you had wonderful caring people at the sleep clinic. My guy was OK, but nothing like yours. Here's hoping you don't have apnea, don't need the second sleep study and don't need the CPAP machine. I had to have one, and I hated it. I am so glad now that I no longer need it. Good Luck to you. Sharon

I would go see the doc - a sudden change from fine to pain doesn't sound normal to me. Have you done anything to yourself that could have caused this? Lifted something heavy, had a blow to the area, etc? I am not a doctor or medical person, so I err on the side of caution. Good Luck. Let us know what you decide. Sharon

Becca - Congratulations! Thank you for sharing this - I am fighting that border war right now, going from overweight to normal and back again (+/- 2 to 3 pounds). I am happy you are now in the normal range - I hope to be residing there permanently very soon. Sharon

PQ, that is a wonderful NSV! Congratulations! Sharon

I make chicken or tuna salad with light miracle whip or light ranch dressing.I usually cook beef, pork and venizon in a crock pot and have it with gravy. I make ground beef with gravy. I make tartar sauce with low cal miracle whip for fish, or I use tartar sauce on fish or seafood.

I forgot a couple of things - I celebrated my one year surgiversary by going shopping at Chico's and their Soma Lingerie shop. The amazing thing - at Chico's I wear a size 0.5. I could not believe it!

My one year anniversary was on 2/22. The year has just flown by. I have lost 106 pounds and have decided to change my goal weight to be 140 - only 7 more pounds from where I am now. (My original goal weight was 135). I talked to my surgeon and my primary care doctor this week about my goal weight. I have pretty much been stalled at this weight (+/- 2 pounds) since around December 1st. I am still gradually losing inches, even though my weight hasn't been dropping. I am happy with my size - except for my waist, belly and upper arms. I am hoping that exercise and losing those last few pounds will help me there. If at the end of 2012, when I am at goal and have been stable for quite a while, I will seriously consider a tummy tuck to fininsh off the process. Here's some stats: I started out in size 26W jeans, size 3X tops and size 24W dress clothes. I am now in size 10 petite jeans am wearing medium tops and either size 10 or 12 dress clothes. I have lost 11 inches from my bust, 15 inches from my waist, 13.5 inches from my belly, 12 inches from my hips and 7.5 inches from each thigh. I started out controlling my blood pressure only with the help of two medications. I have been totally off of blood pressure meds for months, and my blood pressure is rock solid steady at 120/65. I had sleep apnea and had one of those damn CPAP machines. I no longer have apnea and got rid of the machine. My cholesterol and tryiglycerides were out of control, even with being on two meds for them pre-surgery. I had dropped them into the normal range with no meds by 6 months. At 9 months post-surgery the cholesterol went back up to 233 - which is high. (It wasn't what I was eating - this is heredity.) And the ratio of HDL/Total cholesterol was also high. I decided to try everything I could to lower my cholesterol without going back on a statin drug. I switched to high Protein oatmeal (from Bariatric Advantage) with flax seeds and flax oil added for Breakfast, and garlique, red rice yeast and cinnamon supplements daily. I have also upped my exercise to 3-4 times a week for Zumba and 3-4 times a week on the elliptical. Well - SOMETHING WORKED! I lowered by "bad" cholesterol by 41 points in 3 months. It is now 192! My HDL level stayed the same, so the HDL ratio lowered from 4.1 to 3.6. And, my triglycerides dropped from 147 to 102. That means all of them are in the normal range! And my Iron levels are finally in the normal range - so all of the iron supplements are working, too. I really haven't had trouble with much of anything since surgery. I was only in the hospital one night, and was off work for about 3 weeks. It took me awhile to get my energy back to normal, but that was probably related to low iron and B12 levels. My estrogen levels went nuts for a couple of months due to the stored estrogen being dumped into my bloodstream from the fat cells, but that went away (Thank goodness). I have had continuing tenderness on my left side where the largest incision was. I had a abdominal sonogram to rule out a hernia or something bad. None of that showed up, so it is just some random nerve effect left over from the surgery. A minor intermittent annoyance at most. The hardest thing for me since surgery is controlling the urge to abuse food when I am nervous or bored. I am working on controlling that every day. One thing I did to help was to take a six week class called "The Success HAbits of Weight-Loss Surgery Patients". It was offered by the head of the WLS Support Group at one of the Baylor Hospitals here in the Dallas area. It was a wonderful class to prepare me for living as a person of normal weight. I have a sub forum started here (not much there yet) to put information from the class there. The class is bassed on a book of the same name by Colleen M. Cook. Here are some photos: The first two are current onex from this week. The one of the two pairs of jeans are my before and current jeans. The headshot of me in the green T shirt is about 10 days after surgery. The headshot of me in the black suit is from 9 years ago - I am back into that suit (in fact it is a little loose!) The next picture is my husband and I Christmas 2010 (shortly before surgery) and the last picture is the two of us Christmas 2011 SKC Headshot.BMP

Congratulation! You are doing great! Sharon

Swizzly - Congratulations! You have had a wonderful 1st year post-surgery. Wow - to lose this much weight and quit smoking!! Most people gain weight after stopping smoking, so you have really done a doubly-amazing thing. I know those last few pounds are frustrating to get off, I'm right at the point you are. But I think it is right to focus not "just" on the scale or hitting a weight by a certain date. Are you doing anything to Celebrate your first year loss? I treated myself to a shopping trip to Chico's and some lingerie from Soma. Best of luck on the next year of being a thin person. Sharon

When I get the suit back from the cleaners, I will take a picture and post it as one of my one year post surgery pictures. I also have a very nice dressy LBD I will be taking a picture in. :-)