SKCUNNINGHAM

I was in such a strange place mentally when I was at my highest weight. It was as if the real "smaller" me was inside this enormous person, driving her around and going through life. Sort of like when you are taking care of an altheimer's patient - you still love the person and take care of them but you realize the "real"person who you have loved isn't there anymore. I felt that way about myself - I took care of myself and went through the motions but didn't love myself. I was really in denial about how I really looked - avoided pictures if possible.
I forced myself to take a picture on the first of every month during the process. I look at the pictures and study the differences from month to month. I take measurements every month (lot's of places) and study the differences in those too. I think my head caught up with my body at about 150 pounds. The size I am now is really what my mental image of myself is. If I get much skinnier, I will have to readjust again.
I no longer am taking care of the "fat patient" that I didn't love. I have reintegrated my inner and outer selves. I don't ever want that un-integrated feeling again.

I had some of the same goals already listed - fit into an airplane seat when I traveled - be able to shop for nicer looking clothes. Here are some that were mine that haven't been listed yet:
- Weigh less than my husband - DONE
- Wear my wedding rings again - DONE - they are now loose!
- Be smaller than my husband's ex wife the next time I had to see her at an extended family gathering. - DONE
- Be able to select from a wide variety of positions to put my body in with ease and grace - I'm really enjoying this one
- Not be the "Fat" sister at the Christmas celebration - DONE
- Have formal portraits taken with my husband, son, daughter in law and two grandkids - DONE
- Not have anything in my closet that is too little to wear - Almost there - still have a few to go
- Get rid of any clothes that don't look terrific on me - I am no longer settling for "it fits, it's OK" - this is a continuous process during the weight loss phase for me. I need to do another sweep of my closet and get rid of more things. I want to live in two closets - one in season, one out of season. No more clothes of every size squirrelled away all over the place.

I had some of the same goals already listed - fit into an airplane seat when I traveled - be able to shop for nicer looking clothes. Here are some that were mine that haven't been listed yet:
- Weigh less than my husband - DONE
- Wear my wedding rings again - DONE - they are now loose!
- Be smaller than my husband's ex wife the next time I had to see her at an extended family gathering. - DONE
- Be able to select from a wide variety of positions to put my body in with ease and grace - I'm really enjoying this one
- Not be the "Fat" sister at the Christmas celebration - DONE
- Have formal portraits taken with my husband, son, daughter in law and two grandkids - DONE
- Not have anything in my closet that is too little to wear - Almost there - still have a few to go
- Get rid of any clothes that don't look terrific on me - I am no longer settling for "it fits, it's OK" - this is a continuous process during the weight loss phase for me. I need to do another sweep of my closet and get rid of more things. I want to live in two closets - one in season, one out of season. No more clothes of every size squirrelled away all over the place.

I don't currently have fissures, but have hemmeroids. I use a packet of Benefiber powedered Fiber in 8 oz of Water every other day. Also, I have preperation H medicated wipes in each of my bathrooms, and use them each time I have to go to the bathroom. I also keep Preperation H suppositories in my fridge, and use them when the discomfort it too great, and at night.

Dr Nicholson was my sugeon. He heads up the bariatric practice at Baylor Plano. Plano is on the north side of Dallas and has easy acces to Interstate 35 and Highway 75 - the main arteries of Okalhoma. I recommend Dr. Nick highly. I couldn't be happier with both the surgeon and his entire staff.

I agree that the emotional part of this journey is as hard as any other part of it. It is sad to see relationships change just because we are now smaller than we were. I can see a friendship changing if it was only based on going out to eat mass quantitities of food together - but a well rounded friendship SHOULDN'T change - it's just sad to find out the basis of the friendship wasn't as rock-solid as you thought.

Sometimes, I think it is hard for some of us to visulize what we might look like at our current or former weights or at the weight we think we might get to in this journey of ours. I found this website and I thought it was helpful! Maybe it will be helpful for you too...it's certainly interesting!
< http://www.mybodygallery.com/ >

My sleeve loves 1 egg omelets with ham, cheese and mushrooms.
My sleeve hates BBQ brisket. (it's almost of unheard of in Texas not to eat brisket).

Bellabr - I couldn't eat beef or pork until at least 3 months after surgery - and it has to be cooked moistly (think crock pot) or ground meat cooked with mositure (meat loaf). I could do chicken, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and SEAFOOD. Shrimp and scallops and tuna and salmon are my saviors.

February 22nd 2011
103 pounds gone FOREVER.

Height - 5'4"
Weight at start - 253
Weight day of surgery 240
after 3 months - lost 55 pounds (198)
after 6 months - lost 84 pounds (169)
after 9 months - lost 104 pounds (149)
after 10 months - lost 108 pounds (145)

I agree with your premise that we are more than stories about our struggles with weight. Here's mine.
I am a 55 year old married career woman. I have been married for almost 31 years (next week). My husband and I own a marina and resort with two business partners on a lake about 75 miles east of Dallas Texas. We have owned the business for about 16 years. I do not take an active part in running the business, I have always kept my "day job" as an engineer and manager in corporate America.
Just yesterday, I took an early retirement with my company. I currently looking for another position and will be doing this full time starting next week. But since I am "retired" with health benefits, I now have the flexibility to maybe select short term contract positions rather than another permanent position. It is nice to be interviewing as a thin person, rather than someone who is morbidly obese.
I am a mother of one grown son and grandmom to two delighful little girls. I enjoy reading - both fiction and non-fiction and antiquing - both buying and reading about different types of antiques. I am addicted to home design magazines and food TV on the satellite.

Pych yourself up! THIS IS HARD, BECAUSE THE BENEFITS YOU WILL RECEIVE ARE SO GREAT! You need to have a very clear vision of the you you want to be when you get to your goal. What are you going to look like? What will you wear? What will you be able to do then that you can't do now? Make the "future you" so real to yourself that it is all you can think about. To get to that person is going to take some serious, hard work. If you want that "future you" bad enough, the hard work will seem easier and you will get through it.
Weight loss surgery is not for the feint of heart or the weak-willed. It is not (contrary to what some non-WLS people say) the EASY way to become a smaller, healthier you.
Good Luck.
Sharon

You look great in those jeans! You are going to be TINY when you get to goal. Make sure and keep a pair of jeans from when you started out, so you can compare them to the size you get to be when you are at goal. Great job working your sleeve - keep up the good work.
Sharon

Make sure you drink the recommended amount of liquids. Make sure you are taking all of the recommended Vitamins and make sure your vitamins say they are "complete". I would also recommend drinking a gatorade / Powerade (try to get a low calorie one) until you feel 100% back to normal. I recently had a bout with intestional flu and got myself back to normal afterwards by drinking that kind of electrolyte drink.
I would also encourage you to have regular bloodwork done. I get mine done every 3 months.

It was not a pleasant feeling, but it didn't hurt. And it is over quickly.

Yes, there are risks to this surgery - there are risks to any surgery. You can minimize the risks of problems with your surgery by picking a surgeon that is experienced with the sleeve. How many sleeve surgeries has your physician done in the past 12 months? How many sleeve surgeries has your physician done in total? A search of the literature shows, the more experienced the doctor is, the fewer problems they have. I would be looking for 50-100 in the past 12 months (for me personally)
Second thing to consider - the hospital where you will have your surgery - how many sleeve surgeries have they had in their facility this year? Same kind of thing as above - the more surgeries like yours the hospital has done, the fewer problems the patients have.
OK - so if you pick an experienced surgeon and he/she does your sleeve at an experienced hospital, you have minimized your risk of a problem caused by the surgeon or the hospital.
The way you can minimize risk of problems post-surgery is be 100% compliant with rules your doctor lays out. The pre-op diet is there to shrink your liver (which lessions the risk of damage to your liver during surgery). The rigid post-op diet (Clear liquids, then full liquids, then mushies) is to give your incision line time to heal before you put solid foods into your stomach. Many patients who have problems post surgery bring it on themselves due to non-compliance with the strict after surgery diet. (Not all - some problems that the surgeon caused aren't discovered till the swelling subsides)
So if you choose your surgeon and hospital carefully and commit to following the program he/she lays out for you - can you eliminate ALL risk? No - but a high % of it. Then, you are left with a choice - would you rather take a short term risk of having the surgery and getting the long term gain of being a much healthier, happier mom for your 4 year old; or minimize the short term risk (NOT have the surgery) and have a much higher long term risk of being in poor health or dying from weight-related problems when your son is older?
Only you can make the choice. And the psychiatrist was only being prudent about making sure you have your paperwork / wishes for your son clear before surgery - that is something you would need to do with any kind of surgery - in fact any time you undergo anesthesia. I did that each time I have had surgery - will, living will, medical power of attorney, and a sheet for my husband telling all of my bank account #'s, insurance policy #'s, keys to this or that, and my wishes for specific things. That kind of planning is again just prudent behaviour.
Good luck with your decision.
Sharon

If someone should accidently see you in a changing room, and happen to notice your stomach apron, I bet they would think "Wow, that lady has lost a bunch of weight. Way to go! I wish I could lose weight like that."
I don't think we need to be embarrassed about things like that any more than an amputee should be embarrassed by his / her missing limb.
I think a person who would think less of you for having a stomach apron needs to turn her hyper-critical mirror around and look at her own self. I know of at least ONE flaw that would be shining out visibly - her small and narrow mind.

Yes, there are risks to this surgery - there are risks to any surgery. You can minimize the risks of problems with your surgery by picking a surgeon that is experienced with the sleeve. How many sleeve surgeries has your physician done in the past 12 months? How many sleeve surgeries has your physician done in total? A search of the literature shows, the more experienced the doctor is, the fewer problems they have. I would be looking for 50-100 in the past 12 months (for me personally)
Second thing to consider - the hospital where you will have your surgery - how many sleeve surgeries have they had in their facility this year? Same kind of thing as above - the more surgeries like yours the hospital has done, the fewer problems the patients have.
OK - so if you pick an experienced surgeon and he/she does your sleeve at an experienced hospital, you have minimized your risk of a problem caused by the surgeon or the hospital.
The way you can minimize risk of problems post-surgery is be 100% compliant with rules your doctor lays out. The pre-op diet is there to shrink your liver (which lessions the risk of damage to your liver during surgery). The rigid post-op diet (Clear liquids, then full liquids, then mushies) is to give your incision line time to heal before you put solid foods into your stomach. Many patients who have problems post surgery bring it on themselves due to non-compliance with the strict after surgery diet. (Not all - some problems that the surgeon caused aren't discovered till the swelling subsides)
So if you choose your surgeon and hospital carefully and commit to following the program he/she lays out for you - can you eliminate ALL risk? No - but a high % of it. Then, you are left with a choice - would you rather take a short term risk of having the surgery and getting the long term gain of being a much healthier, happier mom for your 4 year old; or minimize the short term risk (NOT have the surgery) and have a much higher long term risk of being in poor health or dying from weight-related problems when your son is older?
Only you can make the choice. And the psychiatrist was only being prudent about making sure you have your paperwork / wishes for your son clear before surgery - that is something you would need to do with any kind of surgery - in fact any time you undergo anesthesia. I did that each time I have had surgery - will, living will, medical power of attorney, and a sheet for my husband telling all of my bank account #'s, insurance policy #'s, keys to this or that, and my wishes for specific things. That kind of planning is again just prudent behaviour.
Good luck with your decision.
Sharon

I believe anyone who works the sleeve correctly and follows the rules will get to goal. Some lose fast, some lose slow. You determination to stick with the rules and what works for you will be what gets you to your goal.
You may need to shake up your body - it sounds complacent with what you are doing. How about going on LilMissDiva's verison of the 5 day pouch test to shake things up, then after that - go back on 600-700 calories for 3 weeks (continuing to exercise). I bet that will get the scale moving in the right direction.
Somewhere LilMissDiva has her getting back on track / 5 day pouch test "pinned" on one of the forums.

If someone should accidently see you in a changing room, and happen to notice your stomach apron, I bet they would think "Wow, that lady has lost a bunch of weight. Way to go! I wish I could lose weight like that."
I don't think we need to be embarrassed about things like that any more than an amputee should be embarrassed by his / her missing limb.
I think a person who would think less of you for having a stomach apron needs to turn her hyper-critical mirror around and look at her own self. I know of at least ONE flaw that would be shining out visibly - her small and narrow mind.

Congratulations! My thoughts will be with you for a great surgery and an easy recovery.

Off of all Blood pressure medications. Off of all cholesterol medications. sleep Apnea is gone - goodbye to the hated CPAP machine. Arthritis is much better as is the joint pain. My roseacia also seems better (?).

I'm open to help, assist, butt kick, pat you on the back... all that.
I absolutely believe in this tool with all my heart! It has done for me what I couldn't do for myself nor even the lap band was able to do for me either. It was the best find and I can't say enough how it's given me my life back!!!
I won't say I know everything, because I DON'T! But in my career I always say, if I don't know the answer - someone else does. I'd like to open the discussion for anyone who needs someone to listen or to answer those millions of questions that come with this life altering surgery.
Blessings to all!!! Your dreams are at your doorstep now with the VSG.

I can eat about 3-4 ounces of Protein and a few bites of veggies. I don't eat bread or Pasta because that swells in my stomach and I don't like the feeling.