Sweet Pee

I am a Louisiana - Texas girl. I travel between the two states daily.
I really do not know how old I am. I have to guess everytime someone asks me. I am either 44 or 45. My husband still tells every one I am 42 - and I do not correct him. Makes me feel young. I guess I should try to remember, but after the age of 35, I stopped keeping up. B'days just come around too fast now.
Second marriage - 10 wonderful years.
I have 2 sets of 2 children. First marriage — Ages 24 and 22; Second marriage — Ages 7 and 5. My baby - I finally had a boy and he looks like me too!
I love my family.
I love to exercise!
I love to eat organic vegetarian foods.
I love my job.
I make most household items my family uses regularly such as bread, toothpaste, Vitamins and laundry detergent.
I love it here on these boards.
I am more of a reader than a poster. It helps me to stay focused, knowing I am not alone in my goals to stay healthy and beautiful.

Here are my before and after pictures. Just click on the link.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/gallery/member/116222-sweet-pee/

A lot of people post that 'others' have told them they're taking the easy way out, and that always touches a raw nerve in this Forum! Since you're the one that's feeling that way, you probably won't get scorched by the responses. But so you'll be as well-informed as possible about this decision you're about to make, I'm going to let you in on what this deal is REALLY about.
A message from someone who had gastric sleeve surgery, lost about 120 pounds, and is now living below goal weight.....

Is this the easy way out? Well, yes and no.

Yes, because the smaller stomach helps me control my appetite and the amount of food I can take in. Initially (but not forever), calories are greatly restricted because of the lesser volume consumed, but good choices still have to be made every single time I put something in my mouth.

And...

No, it's not easy, because since making this decision I have:
Taken nutritional counseling classes Attended monthly bariatric support group meetings Been evaluated by a psychologist Been evaluated by a cardiologist Been evaluated by a pulmonologist Had an upper GI evaluation Had a complete physical by my primary care physician Gone through a two-week pre-operative liquid diet Gone through and recovered from a major surgical procedure that removed 80% of my stomach Gone through a two-week post operative liquid diet Gone through a two-week soft food diet Eaten zero starches (bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes, pizza, etc.) Eaten zero sugary Desserts (cake, pie, pudding, ice cream, candy, etc.) Eaten very few fruits Had zero fruit juices Had zero sodas Had zero alcoholic beverages Eaten 80–100 grams of Protein every single day Not had anything to drink for 30-45 minutes before eating Not had anything to drink with meals Not had anything to drink for 30-45 minutes after eating But still managed to drink 64–120 ounces of fluids every single day Always eaten Protein first Always eaten non-starchy vegetables second (and there's never room for anything else) Exercised 5-6 times a week Logged everything I ate or drank for several months, and again whenever my weight loss slowed And through it all, I've watched my friends and family eat and drink whatever they want at restaurants, birthdays, dinner parties, sporting events, New Year's, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and so on.... Now, does that sound "the easy way"? Not by a long shot! (Just compare the 'yes' and 'no' sections above.) But it is a tool that makes the likelihood of long-term success much better than it would be without it. And, of course, now I'm starting maintenance, where I have to learn how to eat, exercise, and live in such a way as to not regain the weight I've lost – for the rest of my life! The easy way? Yeah, right!

@@Butterfly512 - Let's get one thing very clear, the "easy" thing would be to sit on your tush and do nothing. The "easy" thing would be to live a miserable existence instead of embracing this wonderful tool. You are not taking the easy way out -- this isn't easy. Anyone who tells you this is the easy way out can suck a fat one.
It took me years to finally allow myself this gift and I couldn't more excited. I've faced my share of hiccups along the way but I can't wait to begin my new life. Use this forum to air out anything you need to, I do. It's been such a wonderful resource for me.
GOOD LUCK!

Hello everyone wanted to share a funny story I was walking to unlock our work building door that is made out of mirror glass and didn't even recognize the skinny woman starring back at me was me. I saw myself for the first time the way others see me, Wow. Loving the new me.

I am sure VIP means:
Very Intimate Pleasures
Very Important Players
Visual Impaired Persons
Victims Impact Panel
Voice Interactive Phone
Or it could just mean:
Very Important Person
Kinda like the first one myself! :-)

If he's been supportive UP TO THIS POINT, I can practically GUARANTEE that he is just nervous, worried, and scared. It just comes out differently in husbands! You are (more than likely, anyway) going to throw a lot of crap at him afterwards, and he is going to need to "gird up his loins" to handle it! Plus, there is always the risk of complications, so he is worried about that (just like you are), as well. Is this his first experience with your having surgery? I would almost bet that it is. Go to him, comfort him, and remember, you are not the only one going through this! He is, too. Bless you both....and good luck with your surgery...BTW, MY poor husband has been through 13 surgeries with me...he is a PRO!

My plastic surgeon gave me Arnica which helps with pain, bruising and swelling. It is natural and I did not need pain "medication" after surgery. He did have stronger meds, but I only needed Arnica 30C and 30X.

I remember my boobs were only skin and nipples. Yuck!
I love them now.
Only a artistic surgeon could work with the tiny breast tissue I had left, and make them beautiful and symetrical without implants.
All of the other plastic surgeons told me I HAD to have implants.
I really love my boobs now!

I can completely understand dreading the pain and potential complications, as well as the down time from work and exercise. But, I do want to mention that all of that is only temporary. I am approaching 4 years out from my plastics, so all of that is a VERY distant memory and I am still enjoying the results of plastics every single day. It's sort of like WLS itself. It's VERY rough going in the beginning, but once you are through the hard part and just enjoying your life, it is SO worth it!

You are wise to be sensible about it. I had a LOT of it, and I do look a lot better, but had some complications I'm still dealing with. And I'm far from perfect all over. I looked pretty good in clothes before, and I usually wear clothes, so I was pretty good to go.
One of the plastic surgeons came to our WLS support group meeting and talked about how any candidate for plastic surgery has to have mental fortitude. I think that's the understatement of the year. It's not for the faint of heart. I'm not sorry I did it, but I had to deal with open wounds that I think would have sent me into a panic if I weren't a nurse. It's been 8 months, two surgeries, and I'm just starting to get my energy back. And I'm looking at more surgeries to finish it up. So, thousands of dollars and probably a year and half by the time it's all done, potential long term issues with swelling and numbness......it's a lot to think about.
I don't mean to be negative about it, but just pointing out it's a much bigger undertaking than meets the eye.

I remember my boobs were only skin and nipples. Yuck!
I love them now.
Only a artistic surgeon could work with the tiny breast tissue I had left, and make them beautiful and symetrical without implants.
All of the other plastic surgeons told me I HAD to have implants.
I really love my boobs now!

@@LilMissDiva Irene
Irene thanx for getting this party started
i am 29 years young
(32 years ago )
my hubby is 3 years my junior
tom is VERY smart
after all - he married me
over the past 23+ years, here and there
happily married MOST of the time
sex??
occasionally
I have a wonderful 39 year old/young daughter and terrific son-in-law
3 of the most adorable/terrific/best grand-children in the world
(present other grandparents excluded)
daughters' family moved to Atlanta, Georgia 3 years ago
work transfer for son-in-law
i live in syracuse, ny
i am 2nd of 5 kids
one brother, 3 sisters siblings live in different states
i worked for the state of NY
clerical for 25 years
enjoy volunteering at the hospital 3-5 days a week
i am a survivor of the 1956 hungarian revolution
escaping to america when i was 2, parents & 4 year old sister
these past 15 years+ i am a proud breast cancer survivor
I am USUALLY a controlled epileptic
big NSV was having my med dosage cut in half due to my weight loss
8 years ago (53) i had to take an early disability retirement
too many recent injuries, orthopedic problems/surgeries
this is my story and i'm stickin to it !!!! LOL
3.5 years ago my life took a dramatic turn for the better

I am "cute as a button"!!!
check out my life story coming to a theater near you
kathy

I'm a 52 year old white female seeking to remain thin. Like long walks to burn calories so I don't gain weight. Hobbies include frequent shopping trips because I can fit in all normal clothes, and that never gets old! Shopping is the only sport I engage in, and it provides lots of cardio from walking, and strength training from carrying bags. It's also a nice diversion from eating. I also never pay retail, so it's a bit of an added sport in that it requires a "hunt"!
In real life, I've been married to the same wonderful husband for 29 years, have three wonderful grown daughters, one great son-in-law and totally awesome 17 month old grandson! I've been a registered nurse for over 30 years, and currently am an informatics nurse working for a large health care organization as an IT director, managing and implementing clinical systems.
Oh, and I know it's a surprise, but I'm from Michigan. I'm near The D

47 year old female here from Boise! Married for 26 years as of yesterday to a great guy! Two grown kids, son 25, daughter 27 and married ( just furry grand babies so far).
Lived in the West (Oregon, California, Idaho) my whole life, and Boise has been my favorite place to live so far Lived here for 15 years.
I decided I needed a change of career (after many years in the HR field) and at 45 years old, decided to get my license to become a Realtor, and it's been great!
Had the Sleeve in August of last year, and feel better right now than I did at 30. I exercise more than I did then, too I've fallen in love with running, and just recently have gotten up to 2 miles a day. My goal is to run my first 5K by the time I'm 50. I also really enjoy this site and the wonderful people on it. It has been my lifeline and my support, and I love learning and helping others learn all they can about this crazy journey we have all decided to embark on!

ASL!! 37/M/NY .... Reminds me of my college years on AOL chat! That's also where I met my (ex) wife!!! I'm happily divorced with three kiddos. Two boys 12 and 10 and my little princess who's 7.

Age? 44
Sex? Female
Location? Long Island NY
LOL okay maybe on Yahoo Personals style (don't knock it I met my husband on there!! Yahoo!!!)

OK so we are each about 70 pounds lighter now

Lets get some conversations going in here! Don't be so shy... tell us about yourself. Age? Sex? Location? LOL okay maybe on Yahoo Personals style but hey... someone's gotta get this place going.

I remember my boobs were only skin and nipples. Yuck!
I love them now.
Only a artistic surgeon could work with the tiny breast tissue I had left, and make them beautiful and symetrical without implants.
All of the other plastic surgeons told me I HAD to have implants.
I really love my boobs now!

I remember my boobs were only skin and nipples. Yuck!
I love them now.
Only a artistic surgeon could work with the tiny breast tissue I had left, and make them beautiful and symetrical without implants.
All of the other plastic surgeons told me I HAD to have implants.
I really love my boobs now!

Yeah, my price was quoted some time ago too. Probably best to contact Dr. Victor Gutierrez's plastic surgery clinic directly. He is very good about responding quickly to emails.

Thank you for sharing your pictures. Everytime I think I'm OK with my body the way it is, I see how much better it can look and I think all over again that I should go for it. I just hate the idea of more surgery. Maybe in time I'll want it more than dreading how it has to be done.

I remember my boobs were only skin and nipples. Yuck!
I love them now.
Only a artistic surgeon could work with the tiny breast tissue I had left, and make them beautiful and symetrical without implants.
All of the other plastic surgeons told me I HAD to have implants.
I really love my boobs now!

Yeah, my price was quoted some time ago too. Probably best to contact Dr. Victor Gutierrez's plastic surgery clinic directly. He is very good about responding quickly to emails.

I remember my boobs were only skin and nipples. Yuck!
I love them now.
Only a artistic surgeon could work with the tiny breast tissue I had left, and make them beautiful and symetrical without implants.
All of the other plastic surgeons told me I HAD to have implants.
I really love my boobs now!