Anniepie10

My surgeon was Jon Schram M.D . His office is in Holland ,Michigan and he operates at Zeeland (Michigan) Community Hospital. He is great, as is his staff. Zeeland Hospital is a Spectrum hospital - small and cozy. The building is only 6+ years old, well maintained and the rooms are huge. I have recommended Dr. Schram to several people. One of my co workers had a sleeve before my surgery- which is how I found him. My coworker and I both think he is the best.

I know this is a brave move on my part but here goes.... The first pic is of me last spring in Brazil (far left) (234 lbs). I was there visiting for a wedding and this pic was taken by my brazilian family and I didnt know it would eventually end up on Facebook! I was so embarrassed by it. I got tagged in it and it went all over my page and everyone saw it before I could get it taken down. Anyways.....The second and third pics are of me at the beach last week (147 lbs). I have a funny tan line on my belly that we all thought was hilarious. I do think there is quite a bit of difference that nearly 90 pounds makes! I am no supermodel but I thought I looked decent in a bikini, my first one in 22 years! I wore five different ones, one for every day at the beach! I was only a little bit self conscious in them. A huge leap for me!  

I have yet to meet anyone from this area that has had a sleeve and most people have never even heard of it...

Thank you all for your stories and comments! I'm booked in for September 5th - unfortunately it was the earliest I could get in. I'm now more sad that i have to wait so long for it. it will be 2 months before my birthday so I'm hoping to have lost a bit of weight by then and start 27 as a happy person.
I'm sure I'll get lots of advice and tips from my surgeon/nutritionist but can someone tell me why there are no fizzy drinks allowed? I was given advice by a nutritionist when i had my band in that I should have a fizzy drink with me every time i ate in case something got stuck on the way down. I'm now totally hooked on soda Water and am scared to be without it!
Still pretty scared but i know now that it's the right decision. Hoping the next few months fly by!!

Ii only told a few people. I didn't want to deal with the negative comments from those who have thought that I should be able to loose the weight by dieting and exercising. Well I have been doing that for 40 years and it did not work. I was sleeved April 9, and have lost 32 pounds. I have had to cut my blood pressure meds in half and I don't need my CPAP any more. I am taking care of me the best way I can. Just do what you are comfy doing. This is about you!!

Hi,

I had weight loss surgery when I was 63 and I am now 65 . I have been sleeved of 2 1/2 years. I lost 105 pounds on my journey. So I do know a little about what I am going to say. I have done what you want to do or have already done.

So I have been thinking about this. WHY do so many of our friends not say Yay! or I am happy for you?

1. They know NOTHING about weight loss surgery let alone when we say we are have the "sleeve" done?

2. They have not heard of any positive things about WLS.

3. They are scared for us because we are having some kind of surgery they no nothing about.

4. They think we are having gastric bypass (we know it isn't but they don't) and they have heard nothing but bad thing when it comes to this surgery. Dumping, malnutrition, people gaining weight back again, because they have stretched out their pouch.

5. The are sure we are going to die during the surgery.:thumbs_down:

6. They have never had a weight problem in their life.:censored:

7. They view this as the easy way out--it take more courage to have this surgery than to do nothing at all, but they beleive it is the easy way out.

8. How will you stop losing weight.

9. Is this healthy--they are sure it isn't.:hurt:

10. It cost too much money and you will never keep the weight off and WHY if you are over 60 would you want to do this to yourself?

So those are the top ten reason I can think of that the people are thinking all these things. I think if we are willing to talk more about it to them "AFTER" we have had the surgery and explain things to them--I say educate the uneducated friends that we have, they may be more willing to listen. There are so many people that just can't image that we would have surgery to lose weight, so they really have to see with their own eyes that you are OK and healthy and this is working for you. I know you want their support, but honestly sometimes it is just not going to happen.

This isn't something that we just woke up one morning and said hey I think I will have someone remove 80% of my stomach and then I will solve all my weight issues. We thought about this for a long time, we did some research, we checked with other people and joined web sites to educated ourselves.

So, don't let the uneducated people in your life stop you from doing what you know is right for you.

If you had a tooth ache you would go see a dentist to get it fixed--and they would think that is the right thing to do. We have an addiction to food and an emotional connection to food. What is wrong with going and getting the help we need to stop our addiction. This is our tool that we are going to use to accomplish the weight loss with.

It isn't a magical cure by any means. It takes time, work and effort on our part to become successful. A little support along the way also helps a heap!

Finding the right doctor to trust our life with and one who is highly skilled in the field of WLS is the next step. For me that was Dr. Aceves, and I can't say enough kind words about him and his skills and he GREAT staff and wonderful hospital.

I knew at 63 if I was going to take this giant step, it had to be with someone that I trusted and that had done a lot of these with no complications and was a skilled surgeon.

So when the next person you talk to rolls their eyes around because you are over 60 and going to have weight loss surgery, please just have some patients with them. The are very UNEDUCATED. We will work at educating them and letting them know that this really isn't about them at all. It is ALL about you and you have earned and deserved the right to have this surgery.

You will be making a lifestyle change and not be on a diet any more. You are going to put yourself first, for the first time in a long time. I want you to feel good about what you are doing because it is going to be a life changing event that is going to be so fabulous. Someone is going to call your "skinny" for the first time and you are going to smile and say "yes" I did it.

I am here every step of the way to assist, you and help you. I will answer your million questions you may have and help you deal with the emotions that you are feeling. I want you to know that you are doing the right thing by wanting to become healthy and add years to your life.

Hugs to you and you go for what you want in life. If not now then WHEN????

Suzanne