kelliv

Ok it's midnight so we had better get our beauty sleep! See you in the morning.

How about I meet you in the foyer of your hotel at 7.15am and we will find somewhere between there and the MCG?

Melissa I have just sent you a private message with my mobile number. You are welcome to call me now and we can make plans to meet.

Hi Lissa, great! Where in Exhibition Street are you staying?

Melissa, I was at Monet today too as I am also visiting Melbourne, but going home to Brisbane tomorrow (Wednesday). We may have walked past each other today and not realised. Wasn't it an amazing exhibition? I also recommend seeing the Geoffrey Rush exhibition at the Arts Centre. I am planning on seeing the Hollywood Costume exhibition at Federation Square too tomorrow morning. If you see this message early enough and have time would you like to meet up in the city in the morning? I am staying at Southbank walking distance to the city and could also meet you for Breakfast if it's the only time you are free.

Thanks Melissa, it's been great sharing this journey with everyone on this thread, who have always been so positive and supportive. I couldn't have dine it without you.

Well tomorrow is my 12 month sleeve anniversary. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I started at 107kg and am now 74kg. BMI was 41 and now is 27. Was size 18-20, but now 12-14. No longer have sleep apnea or need to sleep with a CPAP machine and far less likely to develop diabetes. Still have a few kilos to go to get to my personal goal of 68kg, but feeling positive and looking forward to working on maintenance plan. For anyone contemplating the sleeve as a surgery option I only have positive things to say about it and hope it becomes more widely used in future.

I've never had it, so wouldn't know. I've just thrown up when I had to.

I must say everyone who has updated their photos on this thread is looking fantastic. For newbies who have mot yet posted a photo, I only started putting one on when I had lost a fair amount of weight. iIt is a personal decision but it's great to see the changes over time.

Very sad and this is probably why my surgeon refuses to do bypass ops. He told me the chance of death is one n every 200 - 300 ops. I feel for her family so much as she was trying to improve her quality of life.

I agree this is very sad news and makes us even more thankful for our good health and blessings. Happy Birthday Melissa, enjoy what's left of it and also happy sleeversity too. Mine is coming up on 14 August and I am also excited. Cheers Kelli

If mine was just low Iron it wouldn't be as much of an issue but combined with the anaemia from low haemoglobin is the concern. May be nothing but with my history of coeliac disease it's worth following up with specialist. I can't do anything for a few weeks anyway other than make an appointment for when I return to Brisbane.

Big difference!

I am on holidays! Flying to Sydney for a few days then to Kyneton in the Macedon Ranges, then Melbourne. Away for 10 days all up and really looking forward to the break. I will need to be vigilant about milky coffees and treats when out and about and will continue tracking with my diary app. Can't wait to see my niece who turned 12 months old recently and has just started to walk.

Thanks Helen, I am not worried as I feel very well and it's only a slim chance. Have a great weekend.

Had my 12 month follow up appt with surgeon today. He is very happy with my progress and I am only 4kg off the goal he set for me. I have a long standing and ongoing issue with low iron levels but in the last year I have also become anaemic, although he doesn't think it is related to the sleeve. He is referring me back to my gastroenterologist to have a capsule biopsy done of my small bowel to check I don't have a form of lymphoma related to my Coeliac Disease. Small chance, but it's best to rule it out. Apart from that I feel great!!! Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Hi Misty, sorry to hear you bought up your dinner last night. I suspect it wasn't so much what you ate, but maybe either how quickly or with what. I can't imagine broccoli being something you would react to and I certainly don't have any problem with it, but every day we learn something new. I have had a problem with sushi in the past, so hopefully you will enjoy it tonight without issue!

That's great and normal to be excited. Bit tough that you have to do it for 4 weeks instead of the more common two, but are you also able to have a bit of variety with 'free' vege and berries and the odd bit of fish or chicken? That was my Opti program, but it varies from person to person. Good luck.