isajck

There were several issues over the years: painful knees, inability to travel without purchasing two seats, fear of sitting in unfamiliar seating when out, tired of always being the largest person in my social circle and so on but the final straw was....I broke my queen sized bed frame earlier this year. Alone. Most people break beds having fantastic sex with another party but not me, I sat on the bed and it gave up the ghost. A beautiful sleigh bed that I've had for over ten years was ruined. I was mortified and placed the mattresses on the floor within frame where they still reside. One day, when a decent amount of weight has been lost, I will purchase a new beautiful new bed and hopefully the memories of that day will finally be banished.

I have not purchased anything new, for some reason just have not felt the urge. I am having fun going through my closet and pulling out items hidden in the back and/or boxed on shelves. Did make a decision to shop thrift/second hand stores for pants when the times comes. Just cannot imagine paying retail when I may not get full use of it.
When I do begin shopping again, my goal is to visit a Lane Bryant and try not to burst into tears. Ages ago this was my favorite store but it has been a very long time since I have been able to shop there. My store of last resort for many years, Catherine's, can go pound sand from now on!

Three weeks out and always thirsty. There is nothing you can do but live through it. Sometimes I am so thirsty that it makes me angry.

There were several issues over the years: painful knees, inability to travel without purchasing two seats, fear of sitting in unfamiliar seating when out, tired of always being the largest person in my social circle and so on but the final straw was....I broke my queen sized bed frame earlier this year. Alone. Most people break beds having fantastic sex with another party but not me, I sat on the bed and it gave up the ghost. A beautiful sleigh bed that I've had for over ten years was ruined. I was mortified and placed the mattresses on the floor within frame where they still reside. One day, when a decent amount of weight has been lost, I will purchase a new beautiful new bed and hopefully the memories of that day will finally be banished.

I can't help but chuckle when I see on people's sig line XXX lbs GONE FOREVER
Little do they know how easy it is to put it back on. I am so thankful that I've been able to lose 10 of my 15 lb regain. I was freaking out. I kept thinking I was not going to be able to stop gaining.

I have not had plastics yet but have heard many good things about Dr. Monaco:
http://drlomonaco.com/houston/
In all honestly since money will be a huge factor, when the time comes, I will probably go the resident program route with Baylor. There are many (I found some reviews on another forum) that have used them with good results.
http://www.bcm.edu/plasticsurgery/index.cfm

If what is true? That someone died at some unspecified time with an unspecified doctor in an unspecified location in Mexico?
Probably.
Sorry not trying to be rude, I don't understand the question.

There were several issues over the years: painful knees, inability to travel without purchasing two seats, fear of sitting in unfamiliar seating when out, tired of always being the largest person in my social circle and so on but the final straw was....I broke my queen sized bed frame earlier this year. Alone. Most people break beds having fantastic sex with another party but not me, I sat on the bed and it gave up the ghost. A beautiful sleigh bed that I've had for over ten years was ruined. I was mortified and placed the mattresses on the floor within frame where they still reside. One day, when a decent amount of weight has been lost, I will purchase a new beautiful new bed and hopefully the memories of that day will finally be banished.

Braces are a good idea to shift the remaining teeth back into position but if you've no molars left then implants (or something else) should be pursued. I had teeth issues that were resolved by braces over 5 years ago. I also have one tooth missing on each side towards the back and should have had a bridge or implants once the braces came off. I did not and am now dealing with subtle shifting of my teeth which will only increase as time goes on - not good! Once my financial situation is better I will look at replacing the missing teeth and possibly placement back in braces to resolve these issues once and for all.
I was not planning on dealing with teeth again but will to pay for mistakes made in the past.

At almost 8 months out my weight loss has seriously slowed down with a major plateau from month seven to eight. The scale has finally started moving again with a drop in size as well.

Thats it. No big news...just happy.
Finally got my "cruiser type" bike fixed and bought a used mountain bike (both from a bike hobbiest guy who custom fitted it just for me). Best $50 I recently spent. I went for a little ride last night and thought "wow - this is alot easier at 155 then at 300+++.... LOL. I am going to do another little ride after work today.
Tonight, i am meeting a friend for a horseback ride. Okay, i do that alot, nothing new, but I just can't believe how "full" my life is now. I look back at the person who tried to be active but often sat at home watching TV because the body couldn't keep up with the heart and desires....
It makes me happy to every day be living the life I want!

I'm definitely doing the body lift. I lost alot of weight....I need it. I never cared about BMI or goal weights...but I care about this!!! I want to take off my shirt and look half normal. I'm there now if I just didn't have this huge roll of skin where my belly used to be. It makes me feel like I'm still fat. I don't want to feel that for the rest of my life.
I already went to one consult, and it was a friggin nightmare. Holy crap! The way it was put to me, you ladies get kind of desensitized to it all from years of obgyn visits, but most of us men have nothing comparable. So when that doc said strip I was a little apprehensive. Then he asked if he could have his female assistant come in and take the pics while he held extra skin this way and that, and marked me up with a sharpie.
PICS????
Uh....I was already shitting in my pants so I said sure..why not? Well, you gotta understand that with all this exercise and weight loss it frees up alot of extra testerosterone for us men. Meaning....well....it's sorta like being back in junior high. Sometimes you just can't control yourself. So here I am trying not to vomit from nerves and trying not to have an inappropriate erection at the same time....oh Jeez!
Long story short....I really needed a valium after that little visit. And now here I am about to go for another one in 2 weeks because it doesn't seem right to go with the first surgeon I meet. I hope this next one is easier. I don't think I can do too many more of these consults.

Not sure if this is the right place for this... didn't really want to post in the 'success' thread cos I am saving my goal post for their!
Anyhoo... yep! It's just over three years since I had my sleeve and it really has been a roller coaster ride.
Just a little pre sleeve background; fat kid - mother was and still is to a degree a 'feeder'! Nothing sinister in it, she just loves to see people enjoy food and goodies! As a teenager. although looking back I wasn't really that big, I had a really twisted sense of self image and thought I was disgusting. At 16 I started dieting and basically cut back drastically on calories with little affect! Just made me tired. Still unhappy with my body I joined different slimming clubs and over the next 10 years spent a lot of money with no results. In this time however, I was fit. I used to do a lot of sport; swimming, aerobics, steps, gym, a little running, squash, tennis... the list goes on and I loved it. Looking back I was not big and I was not fat... I was just young and very naive; wanting to look like my skinny friends who were 5-6 inches taller than me and completely different body shape!
At 28 I was preggas with my first - my beautiful daughter (we share the same birthday!) who is now 15. Gained a lot of weight and didn't lose any of it. 2 years later preggas again with my beautiful son who is now 13; same story, gained and never lost. So there I was 30 and morbidly obese I can't even describe how unhappy I was and how much I hated myself. I tried all the slimming clubs again, and had no success which really did get me to a real low place. Throughout this time, I focused on being mam. It seemed the only way to get through the feeling of self loathing was to focus on these two precious people and it worked to a degree. However, the down side was that I lost all sense of me.
Fast forward to 2009, I started researching WLS because I knew it was the only way that I would get healthy and fit again. I knew I had to pay for it because to get it on the NHS (here in the UK) it was virtually impossible at the time. Once my job became permanent, I knew I could get a loan and get the surgery. I attended a few WLS seminars and learnt about the sleeve (I originally wanted the band) and knew it was the one for me. I wanted something permanent, like I was giving myself a new commitment.
Weighing 238lbs I was admitted, signed all the papers and was prepped for the surgery the following morning, that was Friday 2nd July 2010. I wasn't nervous, I wasn't scared. I just wanted to start my new life and get 'me' back. The op went well and I stayed in for 5 days - the surgeon wanted clear drains. I am glad I did too, because the first 48 hours were long and a little painful.
The first 6mths I had a steady weight loss, with many stalls. But I was making good progress and generally pleased. I started exercising and feeling good about myself; I was getting stronger and started to like what I saw. My weight loss slowed down considerable and I went down the route of comparing myself to other sleevers in the same time frame - mistake! (Newbie alert - do not do this - it is a pointless exercise as we are all very different and our body reacts differently!) I found my self in a really dark place that was similar to the one I used to go to when I was a young girl. I did continue to lose weight, albeit slowly until Oct 2011! The it all stopped and I have been bouncing around the same weight since then.
I set myself loads of mini goals and targets and never made any of them! That was a kick in the d**k too! I had this image that on my 40th birthday I would be this beautiful slim woman, wearing a killer black dress and knock out heels - nah! I was still obese! And I was gutted.
I would read posts on here that said ' I farted and lost 100lbs' (ok, slight exaggeration, but you get my drift) and think to myself, I wish I could fart that hard! But I couldn't, so I didn't and I just kept plodding along.
My problem was that I had entered early menopause - confirmed when I was 39 and I had started taking HRT. That did one on my system and completely halted my weight loss. I stopped and started different types and didn't get on with any of them. Currently I am not on any medication and I am pretty much 'playing it by ear'!
After the 8mth mark I really upped my exercise and I started going to my son's boxing gym... my goodness me! What a fantastic work out and I really did reap the rewards; not through the scales but physically and mentally. I loved it. I went religiously for a long time - until I had a back injury that stopped me in my tracks. I went to physio and slowly it got better. However, I never really went back to exercising at the same capacity because I was scared that my back would go again. I didn't want to relive that kind of pain and I couldn't afford time off work. I took to walking and some light jogging instead.
Fast forward to today... I still haven't got to my surgeon's goal; I am just 9lbs away and I am I am 24 lbs away from my personal goal (BMI of 24 - not sure that will ever happen). However, I have not experienced a regain and I've maintained this weight since Oct 2011 (with a 2-4 lb 'bounce) - in that time I have dropped two dress sizes - funny how the body works eh? I honeslty believe that I have not regained because I never met goal and this has kept me on my toes and I remain accountable. I never take my sleeve for granted and I am very aware of what, when and why I eat. That doesn't mean I don't eat junk! I do, but rarely. Nothing is 'off limits' to me, I just make choices. The only thing I can't really tolerate is fizzy pop - I can physically drink it, but I hate the gassy feeling and the bloated feeling it gives me, so I stay away.
I am now 3 mths post TT and with the apron gone and some minor muscle repair and I am starting to feel good about myself and this body that holds me. I have started going to Curves and am I feeling the benefit - this is my way back to the boxing gym. My aim is to, with my TT surgeon's permission, get there by Sept/Oct this year. I am also following the 5:2 diet and it seems to be working as I have broken my 'set point' of 164 lbs and am currently sat at 163! Ok, it is only a pound, but after so long of not seeing any movement I feel like a new woman...lol! I am hopefully that I can at least get to my surgeon's goal and possibly even break through that?
Sorry this is so long, I just wanted to put the whole picture out there - although, I am sure I have missed a lot!
I suppose the main thing I wanted to get across is that it doesn't really matter what the scale reads! Even today I am medically obese - and although I hate that label it doesn't drive me mad anymore. I am fit and healthy and that is way more important. I have turned my life around and added 20 years to it; 20 quality years at that. I have started to accept 'me' and for the first time in a long time I quite like Coops; she's alright!
I will continue my Quest to get to goal... I refuse to give up on myself and I now realise that I am worth the effort! As cliched as it sounds but it really is a journey. And one that will never really end...
I will find some before and after pics and update them later!

Hi everyone!
I've been single for a very long time (we're talking over 10 years), and not by choice. I would recommend to you, isajck, just to be cautious with online dating. I know some friends that have had great success, but I have also experienced a lot of guys who just seem to expect sex even when you make it clear in your profile that you are looking for a long-term relationship.
I am going to get sleeved on August 19th, and I KNOW that I have a bunch of issues around men & dating (working on this in therapy!) but when I do plan on starting to date again, I'm hoping to do it through meeting new people in person at new activities & social events that I've been too self-conscious to attend!
Good luck to you (and all of us!)

Single and a year out from surgery. The friends are all saying "it's time to start dating, place an ad somewhere" but how does one who never really learned the art of dating and/or dealing with members the opposite sex in romantic situations even begin to go about it?

There were several issues over the years: painful knees, inability to travel without purchasing two seats, fear of sitting in unfamiliar seating when out, tired of always being the largest person in my social circle and so on but the final straw was....I broke my queen sized bed frame earlier this year. Alone. Most people break beds having fantastic sex with another party but not me, I sat on the bed and it gave up the ghost. A beautiful sleigh bed that I've had for over ten years was ruined. I was mortified and placed the mattresses on the floor within frame where they still reside. One day, when a decent amount of weight has been lost, I will purchase a new beautiful new bed and hopefully the memories of that day will finally be banished.

Please no one take this with any offense..but every time I see I have lost XX pounds without exercising I want to seriously like punch kittens!
/rant off
*Meow*

I know surgery was the best option for me as my eating was out of control and I was at a top weight to prove it. On the other hand, the skin issues as one goes past the 100 lb pound loss point are no joke. Watching the pounds drop while my skin sags right along with it has been an eye opener. The fact that I will probably never have the funds for reconstructive plastic surgery is a very depressing realization.
Now add the little medical mysteries I keep encountering: dizziness, light headedness, high cholesterol, moderate to high glucose readings, random muscle injuries (NONE of which I had prior to surgery) and I am now on the fence about WLS in general. I refuse to be one of those people where the only thing that matters is weight loss - I want the excellent health that should go along with it. I had it prior and I want it back.
Now should my doc find a way to alleviate all of this, then I will probably become the biggest cheerleader out there! Only time will tell.

Those that feel people with regrets post VSG should just fade into the woodwork are really doing everyone here a disservice. The 2% is just as important as the fabulous 98%, if not more so. Everyone's opinion is valid and important on this forum: positive, negative and everything in-between. .
Anyone researching a major surgery should want to hear about the success and failures, it is the only way to make a totally informed decision. Those that do not are living in a dream world and who knows, post-op that dream could turn into a nightmare and then you'll be the one being told to quiet down and think about the successful ones.

You gave your opinion and someone else gave there....so it goes both ways.This is a site with thousands of different personalities, not everyone is going to coddle or agree with you. That's life, especially on a world-wide forum.
Plus, going to be real honest here..I have a hard time taking comments written like this seriously. Leave it to Prince.

Please hang in there. You are still in the brutal reality stage, in a couple of months you should feel better overall physically. That mental break over food will last and/or take much longer but should get easier as well.

There were several issues over the years: painful knees, inability to travel without purchasing two seats, fear of sitting in unfamiliar seating when out, tired of always being the largest person in my social circle and so on but the final straw was....I broke my queen sized bed frame earlier this year. Alone. Most people break beds having fantastic sex with another party but not me, I sat on the bed and it gave up the ghost. A beautiful sleigh bed that I've had for over ten years was ruined. I was mortified and placed the mattresses on the floor within frame where they still reside. One day, when a decent amount of weight has been lost, I will purchase a new beautiful new bed and hopefully the memories of that day will finally be banished.

I've lost my weight without exercise. That is probably not ideal but the gym bores me to death. I tried it again recently and after two weeks I just could not go back. I will admit to feeling better after exercising (cardio and some weight training) but the sheer monotony of it drove me back out of the door.

There were several issues over the years: painful knees, inability to travel without purchasing two seats, fear of sitting in unfamiliar seating when out, tired of always being the largest person in my social circle and so on but the final straw was....I broke my queen sized bed frame earlier this year. Alone. Most people break beds having fantastic sex with another party but not me, I sat on the bed and it gave up the ghost. A beautiful sleigh bed that I've had for over ten years was ruined. I was mortified and placed the mattresses on the floor within frame where they still reside. One day, when a decent amount of weight has been lost, I will purchase a new beautiful new bed and hopefully the memories of that day will finally be banished.

Those that feel people with regrets post VSG should just fade into the woodwork are really doing everyone here a disservice. The 2% is just as important as the fabulous 98%, if not more so. Everyone's opinion is valid and important on this forum: positive, negative and everything in-between. .
Anyone researching a major surgery should want to hear about the success and failures, it is the only way to make a totally informed decision. Those that do not are living in a dream world and who knows, post-op that dream could turn into a nightmare and then you'll be the one being told to quiet down and think about the successful ones.