Sheila

Congratulations on reaching and maintaning your goal. :clap2: I really like the idea of writing myself a letter. Just to put in there all that I hope will change and all the frustrations of having carried this weight around for the past 25 years. I just wanted to let you know your story just reading this 1 year out post has really inspired me. I am at the very beginning of my journey. I have not been given a surgery date yet, but I hope it comes soon. Thank you for sharing with all of us your story. I hope you will agree to add me as a friend. I would love to keep in touch and learn from you. Sheila :canada:

My name is Sheila Pinkney. I was born and raised in Lawton, OK. When I was 30, I moved to Canada to marry my husband. I have been here every since. I have been married for 14 years now. I have one daughter who is now 24 years old. Doesn't seem possible. I have been overweight my entire adult life. Every since I was pregnant and gave birth I have been overweight. I have gone through depression been on antidepression medication, I am no longer depressed but I do have to fight every day to keep myself from falling down that dark road again. So far I am winning the battle. When I was 36 I was diagnosed with Endometrial Cancer (uterine cancer) and had to have a total hysterectomy (everything removed, ovaries, tubes, uterus and cervix) which threw me into very early menopause. The only good thing about it is I no longer have to worry about "Aunt Flo" every month. About 4 years ago I began hearing about a new weight loss surgery that was non-evasive totally reverable and helped with weight problems. Lapband. I started to look into it and decided I wanted to proceed with the surgery. I found out about a program my province provided to offer the LapBand to the citizen and would be 100% paid for, you had to be referred by a doctor and start jumping through their hoops. Therefore, I went through classes, I went to physicologist, I went through dietians and neutritionist, only to find out the province had discontinued the program after I was all done. I was heart broken. I didn't allow it to stop me however, I started to look into other avenues. I found a weight loss doctor in where I live, and I went to see her. Her services mainly consisted of offering a food dietary plan which cost a lot of money. But she did inform me about a doctor in my province who offered to do weight loss surgeries but was very hard to get into his program. She offered to referr my to him and then it was a wait and see game. My referral was accepted, my first visit was on November 30, 2010. I went to that visit 100 % convinced the Lapband was what I wanted. After all the research I had done and classes I had gone to, I was prepared to have the Lapband. At that visit, he presented a video that discribed the 3 options his clinic provided with all the risks and pros and cons of each surgery. After seeing that video and talking to my surgeon afterwards, I decided the Lapband was not for me. I felt strongly that I should have the Gastric Sleeve. Well, I spoke to the nurses and the doctor, was sent home on a "training diet" to prove not only to the clinic but to myself I would be able to follow the diet after surgery. My "training diet" consists of 1 cup of food 3 times a day. No bad foods go into the cup, the only things I can drink are: Water, decaffinated tea or coffee, and skim milk. Well, I do not drink coffee, and I only drink iced tea, and I just can't drink milk as a drink. So water it was. I drink only water and sometimes I add lemon in it. Since November 30, 2010 I have lost 20 pounds on this new diet. My second clinic visit they were very pleased with my progress. They scheduled my Endoscopy and my referral to have a pyschiatric evaluation. Once those two are cleared, I will receive my surgery date. I am very excited. I look forward to hearing from you all and sharing in your journey to become healthy. Sheila