bsmith

AGAIN ..I WISH we had a member who was great with graphic design who could collaborate on a VSG Inforgraphic that went by a general timeline.
With neat graphics and colors and arrows that showed you the path.
For example in PART I - PRE-OP section --
Stage I - SELF EDUCATION - Research the surgical options using web resources, asking those who have had surgeries, books, etc. Develop a list of questions that you would like answered as you learn. Research which hospitals in your area offer surgical options. Read their web sites. Call and ask questions of them. Learn what insurance options they provide and what their costs are if you are self-pay.
Stage II - INFORMATIONAL SEMINAR - Attend a seminar on bariatric surgery. It may not be at the hospital you want to use, but go to one anyway and learn as much as possible. You may want to attend several. During this stage try to attend a seminar at your hospital of choice and call or email them and ask if they will email or mail any documents to you so that you can look over them. Again, add to your list of unanswered questions. As you learn more you will also have more questions.
Stage III - DECIDE ON A PROVIDER - blah blah ... insurance documents, tests, pre-op diet, scheduling surgery
Stage IV - follow through with STAGE III. Be compliant with your program. Blah blah.
PART II - SURGERY
Stage I - What you need to know and have ready prior to surgery. What to expect. Variations in days off from work, travel for those going out of country, etc. etc.
Stage II - Recovery
Stage III - The first four weeks. What to expect. Common issues.
PART THREE - NEW LIFESTYLE
Various stages ..I'm getting tired of typing....
PART FOUR - Some kinda title here like, maybe ...THE FIRST SIX MONTHS
Various stages ... Your hair is going to fall out. You are going to stall ...blah blah blah...
PART FIVE - FROM NOW ON
More stuff here
PART SIX - YOU SCREWED UP
Arrow goes back to earlier stage

My rant, my opinion, right? Before you get started on how unsupportive and not nice I am, and how I should just dodge the posts I don't want to read, I'll kindly tell you to educate yourself on how I typically post and on my contributions to VST. (That's my nice way of saying I don't care what you think and that you shouldn't waste my time or yours telling me how mean I am.)
Because I cannot possibly be the only person so incredibly sick of these posts! Anyone else tired of the whining? I don't mind an occasional vent, but the outright whiny, childish and incredibly annoying posts just make me thankful I'm on VST (and on the other side of the computer) and not in an in-person support group. Because, really, people, this is getting stupid. I am not talking about actual complications or asking a valid question, either. I'm talking about the same cycle of wah-wah-wah about simple things that should have come up with only a few attempts at research.
Let's address a few of these annoyances that keep cropping up:
1) Oh my gosh, it's a travesty but guess what? You are NOT going to lose the weight faster than you put it on. I know - it's heartbreaking. I mean, surgery is supposed to be magical, isn't it? I, for one, got a free unicorn AND a leprechaun with my surgery. I get that you don't want to work at this. Really, I mean, taking advantage of a fraction of the stomach capacity and learning how to eat wisely so you can develop a healthy relationship with food and gosh, to live the rest of your ENTIRE LIFE not obese, not overeating and to have a chance to ditch the bad habits and emotional baggage...that's just way too much to wait for. You should probably just be angry at the world and vent on a public forum about how the surgery has ruined your life because you've only lost 20 pounds in three weeks. I mean, really! Those are some completely shoddy results, if you ask me. Because really, who thinks that a one to two year period of focusing on weight loss to lose the weight for good (especially after fifteen years or more of trying to lose the weight on various failed diets) is worth the time or effort?
2) Surgery hurts. I know, I know. You probably didn't realize that having anesthesia and being flopped around, pumped full of gas, sliced open, having an organ removed, having staples and stitches put in and having drains in your body would actually hurt. But it does, imagine that! I know, in most cases it lasts five to ten days before you're feeling better, but surely your world is ending, your pain is the worst ever and you definitely need to post about it here so we can all give you pats on the head and you can scare the people researching the sleeve away. Be thankful you're not one of the people with a REAL complication causing ACTUAL serious pain. Or maybe you are. We can't tell or guide people to their doctors because there are just so many suffering people posting that it's a challenge to weed out the ones with real issues and the ones who forgot to take their pain pills. I know, we all handle pain differently. But really, a teeny bit of research would help with expectations, wouldn't it? And let's not forget how tired you are post op. Who knew that eating less than 300 calories a day after major surgery and having to really work at staying hydrated would wear you out and make you tired? Ugh, it's completely unreasonable!
3) It's hard to eat when you only have 15% of your stomach. Who knew? I mean, sure, that's why we had surgery, but I know you figured you'd just have a smaller stomach made of cast Iron that could easily tolerate at least half a bacon cheeseburger within a week of your operation. All that sipping (of warm or room temp liquids!), all of that discomfort when you try to shovel in a cup of oatmeal in week three, the challenge of finding Protein you can eat easily, the challenge of finding a shake you actually like - I mean, who knew that was going to be part of the game? Oh wait, what do you mean everyone that actually researched their surgery knew about this stuff? Well, never mind that. Post about it so we can all hear how different and more difficult it is for you, because I'm sure it was a walk in the park for everyone else.
4) I'm sure your heartburn and acid reflux are terribly uncomfortable. It is for all of us. I'm sure the gurgling and healing stomach sounds are annoying and hard to get used to. They were for the rest of us, too. Which is why you should be on a PPI. If you did even a cursory bit of research on the sleeve, I am certain the fact that acid is an issue post op for almost everyone came up. So if you aren't on a PPI (think Prilosec or Nexium - Tums and Pepcid aren't PPIs) you should probably be on one. Even if your surgeon didn't suggest one. And if he/she didn't prescribe one or suggest one, I'd question that surgeon, because this is a known issue post op for nearly every patient. But it's your body and your suffering, so hey, why not be a tiny bit proactive and ASK FOR ONE if one isn't offered? While we're here, you should have done enough research to realize you'd need sublingual B-12, an Iron supplement and Calcium citrate as well as a multi until your doctor does bloodwork and tells you your levels are fine without supplements. I know, it's HARD to take all those pills...it's so annoying, too. But if you don't take them you'll be tired and sluggish and forgetful and won't feel up to par. But you knew that from all your research, I'm sure.
5) I doubt you're starving. Very, very few people do not lose the hunger post op. I have seen a few that struggled with this but they are few and far between. I know, you probably didn't do enough research to realize that you still have ghrelin in your system for a few days post op, or to find that acid gurgling in your belly feels exactly the same way as a rumbling tummy. You probably thought you'd be immune to head hunger, because you thought obesity was only caused by eating too much, not by any type of emotional attachment to food. You probably didn't realize that two or three (or more) weeks on a liquid diet would be challenging, mentally, even if you don't really want food. I know, I know, we already covered that surgery is supposed to be magical and you wanted it to control your feelings about food and your desire to eat for the rest of your life.
6) Diets don't work. Isn't that why you finally opted for surgery? Then why do you insist on treating the way you eat post op like a diet? Why do you insist on carb counting yourself into misery and allowing yourself only enough calories to sustain a ten pound cat instead of an adult human? Why are you surprised, after years of failed dieting, that the desire to binge and graze and eat emotionally show up when you restrict yourself the way you've always done on past diets? Why do you insist on eliminating entire food groups for fear of gaining weight, only to post at one or two years post op that you can't understand why maintenance is so hard and you can't stop eating junk? Oh, that's right, you thought the sleeve was part B of your diet and treated it that way...and got the same success you got from all those diets you did prior to surgery as a result.
7) It's hard to break bad habits and be healthy. We've covered this! Surgery is supposed to be magical - and therefore any emotional eating problems, baggage from your childhood, poor eating habits you're reinforced for years, etc. should just be magically erased when the surgeon slices out 85% of your stomach. I know, you don't understand why this is so hard! I know, you're so frustrated and you regret your surgery because you want to eat and you can't. Why won't your sleeve stop you from eating those Cookies or that big bowl of ice cream? This is completely unfair. I suggest you post about how the surgery is a waste of time and/or money because it didn't do the head work for you, cause this isn't supposed to be hard. It's magic.
8) Some people lose hair and get loose skin? AH, say it isn't so! If losing the weight and being healthy isn't worth a temporary trade off, surgery isn't for you. I know you already have diabetes, high blood pressure and are slowly killing yourself with your obesity, but you have an irrational fear of loose skin and thinning hair and aren't sure if this surgery is for you. I get that. After all, I'd rather die slowly with beautiful hair than compromise my vanity for a few months and extend my life in the process. I mean, really, we have to have our priorities! So please, as soon as you notice some hair falling out, please panic and post about it and ask if anyone else has experienced it. I'm sure you're the very first person it's ever happened to before and you should frantically warn everyone and work yourself into a frenzy envisioning your bald dome if it continues.
9) If you post stupid, tiresome, uneducated or ridiculous things to strangers on the internet, sometimes you get snarky, short or even blunt and (borderline) rude answers. I know, I know. You live in a world where everyone sings kumbaya together with genuine feeling before they start their day on the communal farm. Well, lots of us don't live there or have an infinite amount of patience and tolerance for those that think we should all be the same. I might answer one way and many other someones will answer another way and between all of us, hopefully there will be enough of an answer that anyone with the same question (but who doesn't necessarily have the same expectation on how it will be answered) can put together a solution. And then, in a perfect world, they wouldn't post the same question two threads down less than 24 hours later.
I love VST. I love that I found this site and researched my surgery for ONE WHOLE YEAR before opting to slice out my stomach. I love that it is full of resources, full of true experiences, full of warnings, full of advice for those that bother to search it out. Even four year old threads can still be relevant today! I love being able to come back here and "give back" in a way, by helping people with genuine questions and genuine concerns. I want to cheer other people on their journey and I want to help people approach this surgery in a sane way that will help them not just lose the weight but keep it off forever.
But for goodness' sake I simply have to acknowledge that I am only human and only have a limited amount of GAF when it comes to some of these posts and lately, some of these members.
It shouldn't be exhausting and aggravating to be here! I've been around the military too long, I think - I'm about a step away from yelling at some of these jokers like they need, instead of being diplomatic and polite.
My vent, my opinion, remember? Remember: you can always just skip over my post and not respond if it really bothers you!
~Cheri

I just got a quote from Dr Sauceda in Mexico for a lower body lift and breast lift/ augmentation for $11,200 includes all lab work 3 day hospital stay and 8 days at a recovery hotel nearby plus travel back and forth across the border and up to $600 reimbursement for airfare. I inquired how much just a lower body lift would be and it will be 7,200. I'm still doing research but I will keep you all posted of any additional info I come across.

Guys, let's all take a minute to regroup here! This is a bit out of sorts for this forum. First off, i dont believe Butterthebean was trying to be mean spirited. He has been on this site for awhile and always seems to have great advice. I know it's nerve wracking during the first few months and there are lots of questions and uncertainties that we all seek answers to. If the anger stems from the "ledge" comment then let's just move past it. We are here to support each other not tear each other apart. Second, for the person who says we are on "easy street"...I think you are just as guilty of using a play on words as butter was by saying step back from the ledge. Lets not throw stones. I'm a bit bothered that you assume that because I am 8 months out of surgery and have experienced many things, that my weight loss journey is somehow an easy task! Every day presents a new challenge. My body reacts and changes DAILY and there are many days that I'm emotionally drained and I come to this site for support and advice. I certainly hope that when you reach 8 months or a year out you can consider yourself on "easy street." i find that my life is 10x the struggle it was when i was a month or so out.
As a user of this site I have to realize that not all the feedback I get will be what I need at that exact moment but I certainly wouldn't start a tirade over it and exile myself or others from returning to this site. You have a choice to either say thank you for the advice and use it or to ignore what's not useful and move on. We say we are educated but yet we ask questions that, had we really educated ourselves, we would know there is no easy answer to. I am guilty of this too! The answer to most of the questions posted by newbies and old timers alike is this, "there is no real answer." everyones journey is different. Take this response for what you will. I want to wish each of you luck and success on your journey. Have a great day everyone!

Guys, let's all take a minute to regroup here! This is a bit out of sorts for this forum. First off, i dont believe Butterthebean was trying to be mean spirited. He has been on this site for awhile and always seems to have great advice. I know it's nerve wracking during the first few months and there are lots of questions and uncertainties that we all seek answers to. If the anger stems from the "ledge" comment then let's just move past it. We are here to support each other not tear each other apart. Second, for the person who says we are on "easy street"...I think you are just as guilty of using a play on words as butter was by saying step back from the ledge. Lets not throw stones. I'm a bit bothered that you assume that because I am 8 months out of surgery and have experienced many things, that my weight loss journey is somehow an easy task! Every day presents a new challenge. My body reacts and changes DAILY and there are many days that I'm emotionally drained and I come to this site for support and advice. I certainly hope that when you reach 8 months or a year out you can consider yourself on "easy street." i find that my life is 10x the struggle it was when i was a month or so out.
As a user of this site I have to realize that not all the feedback I get will be what I need at that exact moment but I certainly wouldn't start a tirade over it and exile myself or others from returning to this site. You have a choice to either say thank you for the advice and use it or to ignore what's not useful and move on. We say we are educated but yet we ask questions that, had we really educated ourselves, we would know there is no easy answer to. I am guilty of this too! The answer to most of the questions posted by newbies and old timers alike is this, "there is no real answer." everyones journey is different. Take this response for what you will. I want to wish each of you luck and success on your journey. Have a great day everyone!

Guys, let's all take a minute to regroup here! This is a bit out of sorts for this forum. First off, i dont believe Butterthebean was trying to be mean spirited. He has been on this site for awhile and always seems to have great advice. I know it's nerve wracking during the first few months and there are lots of questions and uncertainties that we all seek answers to. If the anger stems from the "ledge" comment then let's just move past it. We are here to support each other not tear each other apart. Second, for the person who says we are on "easy street"...I think you are just as guilty of using a play on words as butter was by saying step back from the ledge. Lets not throw stones. I'm a bit bothered that you assume that because I am 8 months out of surgery and have experienced many things, that my weight loss journey is somehow an easy task! Every day presents a new challenge. My body reacts and changes DAILY and there are many days that I'm emotionally drained and I come to this site for support and advice. I certainly hope that when you reach 8 months or a year out you can consider yourself on "easy street." i find that my life is 10x the struggle it was when i was a month or so out.
As a user of this site I have to realize that not all the feedback I get will be what I need at that exact moment but I certainly wouldn't start a tirade over it and exile myself or others from returning to this site. You have a choice to either say thank you for the advice and use it or to ignore what's not useful and move on. We say we are educated but yet we ask questions that, had we really educated ourselves, we would know there is no easy answer to. I am guilty of this too! The answer to most of the questions posted by newbies and old timers alike is this, "there is no real answer." everyones journey is different. Take this response for what you will. I want to wish each of you luck and success on your journey. Have a great day everyone!

Guys, let's all take a minute to regroup here! This is a bit out of sorts for this forum. First off, i dont believe Butterthebean was trying to be mean spirited. He has been on this site for awhile and always seems to have great advice. I know it's nerve wracking during the first few months and there are lots of questions and uncertainties that we all seek answers to. If the anger stems from the "ledge" comment then let's just move past it. We are here to support each other not tear each other apart. Second, for the person who says we are on "easy street"...I think you are just as guilty of using a play on words as butter was by saying step back from the ledge. Lets not throw stones. I'm a bit bothered that you assume that because I am 8 months out of surgery and have experienced many things, that my weight loss journey is somehow an easy task! Every day presents a new challenge. My body reacts and changes DAILY and there are many days that I'm emotionally drained and I come to this site for support and advice. I certainly hope that when you reach 8 months or a year out you can consider yourself on "easy street." i find that my life is 10x the struggle it was when i was a month or so out.
As a user of this site I have to realize that not all the feedback I get will be what I need at that exact moment but I certainly wouldn't start a tirade over it and exile myself or others from returning to this site. You have a choice to either say thank you for the advice and use it or to ignore what's not useful and move on. We say we are educated but yet we ask questions that, had we really educated ourselves, we would know there is no easy answer to. I am guilty of this too! The answer to most of the questions posted by newbies and old timers alike is this, "there is no real answer." everyones journey is different. Take this response for what you will. I want to wish each of you luck and success on your journey. Have a great day everyone!

I Just bought a food dehydrated at Walmart for $25 and made my own Jerky. Used low sodium soy sauce and liquid smoke. Added a couple orange slices, chopped garlic, worstshire sauce and all sorts of spices. I bought a cheap cut of meat and sliced it about 1/4" thick strips and let it soak in the brine in my fridge for a day and a half. Then i placed it on the racks of my dehydrator and let it go for the day. I rotated the racks throughout the day so they would all dehydrate evenly. Oh, I forgot to mention, make sure you use paper towels to blot all the extra juice from your jerky before you put it in the dehydrator. I like to line a cookie sheet and then place the meat one it and use another bunch of paper towels to blot the extra juice off.

Hi everyone, my name is Becky and I have been on this site for about a month now and I can't say enough good things about the people on this site. I have not shared my story yet because 1.) it's not the normal journey 2.) I never wanted to scare anyone who was preparing for surgery and 3) it's still very difficult to talk about. So here goes nothin!
I was banded back in 2007 and had the typical problems with vomiting and terrible heartburn/reflux. I started my journey at 245 lbs and after my first year with the band I got down to 170...not bad! Unfortunately, I misused the band and ate whatever I wanted and then threw it up. I did this every day after almost every meal. Needless to say I ended up having a major slip in 2010 and had to have the band removed. I gained a lot of my weight back and was devastated! I was originally a self pay so my doctor told me to take a few months to heal and he would help me get the band put back in. A few months later, I saved up enough money to cover the discounted cost of having another band put back in. I was rebanded in October of 2010 and I really worked the band. I dropped 30 lbs (the right way) and then I got pregnant. I had a healthy pregnancy except that I had gallstones so I hardy ate anything and only gained 23 lbs during the pregnancy. I had to have my daughter a month early so they could remove my gallbladder and the operation went smoothly.
Life was good. I was back to my pre baby weight of 187 within 2 weeks of having my baby. I was working it! Slowly, I began to gain weight. Within a year of having my baby, I was back up to 223. I was doing everything right so what was wrong? I still don't understand but I every so often I would get the flu. Well, I thought it was the flu anyway. I got it about every 6 months until Feb of 2012 when i got it 3 times. I kept thinking, the flu must be rampant. My daughter even had it the first time I was sick in Feb so in my mind, I knew it was flu related. On March 8, 2012 I went to work and had a really back pain near my kidneys not near my stomach. I began vomiting uncontrollably and took myself to the urgent care. They sent me to the ER with kidney stones. Based on where the pain was located, it made sense. The hospital gave my a shot of pain med and sent me home. I went back 3 times over the next two days and they just kept sending me home. I was vomiting ever 3-4 minutes by the end of the second day. I couldn't even stand in my own. I remember thinking...I'm going to just kill myself. I'm dying and no one will help me. Finally I called my bariatric doctor to see if he could unfill my band because it hurt so bad to vomit. He got me right in, scolded me for not calling him first and unfilled me. I remember the feeling of instant relief after he unfilled me. I went home and slept for 6 hrs. I hadn't slept in days and I was so exhausted. I woke up at 6:30 that friday puking my guts out again. I was so sick that I broke the ceramic toilet seat with the sheer force of my chest hitting it whet I got sick. The vomiting was non stop now. I barely had time to take a breath between. My boyfriend had just walked in the door from work and I crawled to him, grabbed his leg and said, I'm dying! I knew something was terribly wrong and I knew I was dying. He rushed me to my bariatric doctors hospital and they rushed me in to surgery to unhook the band. It took close to 3 hours to get an IV in because my veins had collapsed. There were so many nurses around me trying to get IV's in me and I grabbed one and pulled him close to me and I told him to please "kill me now." That's all I remember really except for the fact that I died on the table. I saw the light. It's so vivid what I saw. I won't share that part with you because it's just for me to know and you'd probably think i was crazy. Anyway, I woke up 5 days later from my coma, hooked up to every machine you can imagine. Tubes down my throat, central IV line in my neck, arterial lines, pic lines, 16 different IV's, you name it I was hooked to it. Turns out my band had slipped. The sutures stayed in tact and as I vomited it ripped my stomach apart from top to bottom. They were only able to save about 10% of my stomach and pieced it together with mesh so that I wouldn't have to live with a feeding tube for the rest of my life. I'm categorized as a full gastrectomy which is usually done on patients suffering from stomach cancer. I don't have the typical sleeve but I do call myself a sleever.
My story isn't over yet, sorry it's so long!! Things were going as good as can be expected. A day after waking from my coma they pulled the tube from my throat and had me start walking a few hrs later. I spent 10 days in ICU unable to see my kids before they sent me home. I was home for 2 days before I got a fever. It spiked to 105.6 and I went back to the hospital. They ran tests and found that I had major abscesses in my abdomin. I got infections from all the stomach bacteria. I ended up having 2 JP drains put in and stayed in the hospital for another 3 weeks. When I finally got to go home, I had to have at home nursing care. I had to give myself IV antibiotics every 6 hrs. I also developed blood clots fromy pic line...which by the way sucks. Coumadin made my hair fall out (along with lack of protein). I was so sick that I refused to eat. My weight loss actually scared me. I was losing between 2-3 lbs a day. Granted I had gotten up to 233 from all the fluids but still, losing 3 lbs a day for weeks at a time is scary!!
I returned to the hospital 2 more times from abscesses and had to have another JP drain put in and have the Fluid around my lungs drained ( my total hospital stay was aprox 2.5 months total). I also became addicted to the painkillers and had to seek treatment to get off the percoset. I suffered severe dumping up until August and am still lactose intolerant! I can live with that though! The dumping...not so much! Dumping is terrible!!!!
To sum up my wls journey...it effin sucked! I love my "sleeve" now but my journey has been tough none the less. I was finally able to start moving and walking around in June and have since slowly picked up jogging. I love my new life and if I scared anyone I am truly sorry. My story is not the norm but it is my story. Had I known about the sleeve before I got my band, I would have chosen the sleeve. Hindsight is 20/20, right?
Thank you to all of you who have been my support and my inspiration. I love this site!!!!
Beginning stats- 5'6" 233 lbs after initial surgery
Current stats- 160lbs
Surgery date 3/11/12

Hi everyone, my name is Becky and I have been on this site for about a month now and I can't say enough good things about the people on this site. I have not shared my story yet because 1.) it's not the normal journey 2.) I never wanted to scare anyone who was preparing for surgery and 3) it's still very difficult to talk about. So here goes nothin!
I was banded back in 2007 and had the typical problems with vomiting and terrible heartburn/reflux. I started my journey at 245 lbs and after my first year with the band I got down to 170...not bad! Unfortunately, I misused the band and ate whatever I wanted and then threw it up. I did this every day after almost every meal. Needless to say I ended up having a major slip in 2010 and had to have the band removed. I gained a lot of my weight back and was devastated! I was originally a self pay so my doctor told me to take a few months to heal and he would help me get the band put back in. A few months later, I saved up enough money to cover the discounted cost of having another band put back in. I was rebanded in October of 2010 and I really worked the band. I dropped 30 lbs (the right way) and then I got pregnant. I had a healthy pregnancy except that I had gallstones so I hardy ate anything and only gained 23 lbs during the pregnancy. I had to have my daughter a month early so they could remove my gallbladder and the operation went smoothly.
Life was good. I was back to my pre baby weight of 187 within 2 weeks of having my baby. I was working it! Slowly, I began to gain weight. Within a year of having my baby, I was back up to 223. I was doing everything right so what was wrong? I still don't understand but I every so often I would get the flu. Well, I thought it was the flu anyway. I got it about every 6 months until Feb of 2012 when i got it 3 times. I kept thinking, the flu must be rampant. My daughter even had it the first time I was sick in Feb so in my mind, I knew it was flu related. On March 8, 2012 I went to work and had a really back pain near my kidneys not near my stomach. I began vomiting uncontrollably and took myself to the urgent care. They sent me to the ER with kidney stones. Based on where the pain was located, it made sense. The hospital gave my a shot of pain med and sent me home. I went back 3 times over the next two days and they just kept sending me home. I was vomiting ever 3-4 minutes by the end of the second day. I couldn't even stand in my own. I remember thinking...I'm going to just kill myself. I'm dying and no one will help me. Finally I called my bariatric doctor to see if he could unfill my band because it hurt so bad to vomit. He got me right in, scolded me for not calling him first and unfilled me. I remember the feeling of instant relief after he unfilled me. I went home and slept for 6 hrs. I hadn't slept in days and I was so exhausted. I woke up at 6:30 that friday puking my guts out again. I was so sick that I broke the ceramic toilet seat with the sheer force of my chest hitting it whet I got sick. The vomiting was non stop now. I barely had time to take a breath between. My boyfriend had just walked in the door from work and I crawled to him, grabbed his leg and said, I'm dying! I knew something was terribly wrong and I knew I was dying. He rushed me to my bariatric doctors hospital and they rushed me in to surgery to unhook the band. It took close to 3 hours to get an IV in because my veins had collapsed. There were so many nurses around me trying to get IV's in me and I grabbed one and pulled him close to me and I told him to please "kill me now." That's all I remember really except for the fact that I died on the table. I saw the light. It's so vivid what I saw. I won't share that part with you because it's just for me to know and you'd probably think i was crazy. Anyway, I woke up 5 days later from my coma, hooked up to every machine you can imagine. Tubes down my throat, central IV line in my neck, arterial lines, pic lines, 16 different IV's, you name it I was hooked to it. Turns out my band had slipped. The sutures stayed in tact and as I vomited it ripped my stomach apart from top to bottom. They were only able to save about 10% of my stomach and pieced it together with mesh so that I wouldn't have to live with a feeding tube for the rest of my life. I'm categorized as a full gastrectomy which is usually done on patients suffering from stomach cancer. I don't have the typical sleeve but I do call myself a sleever.
My story isn't over yet, sorry it's so long!! Things were going as good as can be expected. A day after waking from my coma they pulled the tube from my throat and had me start walking a few hrs later. I spent 10 days in ICU unable to see my kids before they sent me home. I was home for 2 days before I got a fever. It spiked to 105.6 and I went back to the hospital. They ran tests and found that I had major abscesses in my abdomin. I got infections from all the stomach bacteria. I ended up having 2 JP drains put in and stayed in the hospital for another 3 weeks. When I finally got to go home, I had to have at home nursing care. I had to give myself IV antibiotics every 6 hrs. I also developed blood clots fromy pic line...which by the way sucks. Coumadin made my hair fall out (along with lack of protein). I was so sick that I refused to eat. My weight loss actually scared me. I was losing between 2-3 lbs a day. Granted I had gotten up to 233 from all the fluids but still, losing 3 lbs a day for weeks at a time is scary!!
I returned to the hospital 2 more times from abscesses and had to have another JP drain put in and have the Fluid around my lungs drained ( my total hospital stay was aprox 2.5 months total). I also became addicted to the painkillers and had to seek treatment to get off the percoset. I suffered severe dumping up until August and am still lactose intolerant! I can live with that though! The dumping...not so much! Dumping is terrible!!!!
To sum up my wls journey...it effin sucked! I love my "sleeve" now but my journey has been tough none the less. I was finally able to start moving and walking around in June and have since slowly picked up jogging. I love my new life and if I scared anyone I am truly sorry. My story is not the norm but it is my story. Had I known about the sleeve before I got my band, I would have chosen the sleeve. Hindsight is 20/20, right?
Thank you to all of you who have been my support and my inspiration. I love this site!!!!
Beginning stats- 5'6" 233 lbs after initial surgery
Current stats- 160lbs
Surgery date 3/11/12

Hi everyone, my name is Becky and I have been on this site for about a month now and I can't say enough good things about the people on this site. I have not shared my story yet because 1.) it's not the normal journey 2.) I never wanted to scare anyone who was preparing for surgery and 3) it's still very difficult to talk about. So here goes nothin!
I was banded back in 2007 and had the typical problems with vomiting and terrible heartburn/reflux. I started my journey at 245 lbs and after my first year with the band I got down to 170...not bad! Unfortunately, I misused the band and ate whatever I wanted and then threw it up. I did this every day after almost every meal. Needless to say I ended up having a major slip in 2010 and had to have the band removed. I gained a lot of my weight back and was devastated! I was originally a self pay so my doctor told me to take a few months to heal and he would help me get the band put back in. A few months later, I saved up enough money to cover the discounted cost of having another band put back in. I was rebanded in October of 2010 and I really worked the band. I dropped 30 lbs (the right way) and then I got pregnant. I had a healthy pregnancy except that I had gallstones so I hardy ate anything and only gained 23 lbs during the pregnancy. I had to have my daughter a month early so they could remove my gallbladder and the operation went smoothly.
Life was good. I was back to my pre baby weight of 187 within 2 weeks of having my baby. I was working it! Slowly, I began to gain weight. Within a year of having my baby, I was back up to 223. I was doing everything right so what was wrong? I still don't understand but I every so often I would get the flu. Well, I thought it was the flu anyway. I got it about every 6 months until Feb of 2012 when i got it 3 times. I kept thinking, the flu must be rampant. My daughter even had it the first time I was sick in Feb so in my mind, I knew it was flu related. On March 8, 2012 I went to work and had a really back pain near my kidneys not near my stomach. I began vomiting uncontrollably and took myself to the urgent care. They sent me to the ER with kidney stones. Based on where the pain was located, it made sense. The hospital gave my a shot of pain med and sent me home. I went back 3 times over the next two days and they just kept sending me home. I was vomiting ever 3-4 minutes by the end of the second day. I couldn't even stand in my own. I remember thinking...I'm going to just kill myself. I'm dying and no one will help me. Finally I called my bariatric doctor to see if he could unfill my band because it hurt so bad to vomit. He got me right in, scolded me for not calling him first and unfilled me. I remember the feeling of instant relief after he unfilled me. I went home and slept for 6 hrs. I hadn't slept in days and I was so exhausted. I woke up at 6:30 that friday puking my guts out again. I was so sick that I broke the ceramic toilet seat with the sheer force of my chest hitting it whet I got sick. The vomiting was non stop now. I barely had time to take a breath between. My boyfriend had just walked in the door from work and I crawled to him, grabbed his leg and said, I'm dying! I knew something was terribly wrong and I knew I was dying. He rushed me to my bariatric doctors hospital and they rushed me in to surgery to unhook the band. It took close to 3 hours to get an IV in because my veins had collapsed. There were so many nurses around me trying to get IV's in me and I grabbed one and pulled him close to me and I told him to please "kill me now." That's all I remember really except for the fact that I died on the table. I saw the light. It's so vivid what I saw. I won't share that part with you because it's just for me to know and you'd probably think i was crazy. Anyway, I woke up 5 days later from my coma, hooked up to every machine you can imagine. Tubes down my throat, central IV line in my neck, arterial lines, pic lines, 16 different IV's, you name it I was hooked to it. Turns out my band had slipped. The sutures stayed in tact and as I vomited it ripped my stomach apart from top to bottom. They were only able to save about 10% of my stomach and pieced it together with mesh so that I wouldn't have to live with a feeding tube for the rest of my life. I'm categorized as a full gastrectomy which is usually done on patients suffering from stomach cancer. I don't have the typical sleeve but I do call myself a sleever.
My story isn't over yet, sorry it's so long!! Things were going as good as can be expected. A day after waking from my coma they pulled the tube from my throat and had me start walking a few hrs later. I spent 10 days in ICU unable to see my kids before they sent me home. I was home for 2 days before I got a fever. It spiked to 105.6 and I went back to the hospital. They ran tests and found that I had major abscesses in my abdomin. I got infections from all the stomach bacteria. I ended up having 2 JP drains put in and stayed in the hospital for another 3 weeks. When I finally got to go home, I had to have at home nursing care. I had to give myself IV antibiotics every 6 hrs. I also developed blood clots fromy pic line...which by the way sucks. Coumadin made my hair fall out (along with lack of protein). I was so sick that I refused to eat. My weight loss actually scared me. I was losing between 2-3 lbs a day. Granted I had gotten up to 233 from all the fluids but still, losing 3 lbs a day for weeks at a time is scary!!
I returned to the hospital 2 more times from abscesses and had to have another JP drain put in and have the Fluid around my lungs drained ( my total hospital stay was aprox 2.5 months total). I also became addicted to the painkillers and had to seek treatment to get off the percoset. I suffered severe dumping up until August and am still lactose intolerant! I can live with that though! The dumping...not so much! Dumping is terrible!!!!
To sum up my wls journey...it effin sucked! I love my "sleeve" now but my journey has been tough none the less. I was finally able to start moving and walking around in June and have since slowly picked up jogging. I love my new life and if I scared anyone I am truly sorry. My story is not the norm but it is my story. Had I known about the sleeve before I got my band, I would have chosen the sleeve. Hindsight is 20/20, right?
Thank you to all of you who have been my support and my inspiration. I love this site!!!!
Beginning stats- 5'6" 233 lbs after initial surgery
Current stats- 160lbs
Surgery date 3/11/12

Hi everyone, my name is Becky and I have been on this site for about a month now and I can't say enough good things about the people on this site. I have not shared my story yet because 1.) it's not the normal journey 2.) I never wanted to scare anyone who was preparing for surgery and 3) it's still very difficult to talk about. So here goes nothin!
I was banded back in 2007 and had the typical problems with vomiting and terrible heartburn/reflux. I started my journey at 245 lbs and after my first year with the band I got down to 170...not bad! Unfortunately, I misused the band and ate whatever I wanted and then threw it up. I did this every day after almost every meal. Needless to say I ended up having a major slip in 2010 and had to have the band removed. I gained a lot of my weight back and was devastated! I was originally a self pay so my doctor told me to take a few months to heal and he would help me get the band put back in. A few months later, I saved up enough money to cover the discounted cost of having another band put back in. I was rebanded in October of 2010 and I really worked the band. I dropped 30 lbs (the right way) and then I got pregnant. I had a healthy pregnancy except that I had gallstones so I hardy ate anything and only gained 23 lbs during the pregnancy. I had to have my daughter a month early so they could remove my gallbladder and the operation went smoothly.
Life was good. I was back to my pre baby weight of 187 within 2 weeks of having my baby. I was working it! Slowly, I began to gain weight. Within a year of having my baby, I was back up to 223. I was doing everything right so what was wrong? I still don't understand but I every so often I would get the flu. Well, I thought it was the flu anyway. I got it about every 6 months until Feb of 2012 when i got it 3 times. I kept thinking, the flu must be rampant. My daughter even had it the first time I was sick in Feb so in my mind, I knew it was flu related. On March 8, 2012 I went to work and had a really back pain near my kidneys not near my stomach. I began vomiting uncontrollably and took myself to the urgent care. They sent me to the ER with kidney stones. Based on where the pain was located, it made sense. The hospital gave my a shot of pain med and sent me home. I went back 3 times over the next two days and they just kept sending me home. I was vomiting ever 3-4 minutes by the end of the second day. I couldn't even stand in my own. I remember thinking...I'm going to just kill myself. I'm dying and no one will help me. Finally I called my bariatric doctor to see if he could unfill my band because it hurt so bad to vomit. He got me right in, scolded me for not calling him first and unfilled me. I remember the feeling of instant relief after he unfilled me. I went home and slept for 6 hrs. I hadn't slept in days and I was so exhausted. I woke up at 6:30 that friday puking my guts out again. I was so sick that I broke the ceramic toilet seat with the sheer force of my chest hitting it whet I got sick. The vomiting was non stop now. I barely had time to take a breath between. My boyfriend had just walked in the door from work and I crawled to him, grabbed his leg and said, I'm dying! I knew something was terribly wrong and I knew I was dying. He rushed me to my bariatric doctors hospital and they rushed me in to surgery to unhook the band. It took close to 3 hours to get an IV in because my veins had collapsed. There were so many nurses around me trying to get IV's in me and I grabbed one and pulled him close to me and I told him to please "kill me now." That's all I remember really except for the fact that I died on the table. I saw the light. It's so vivid what I saw. I won't share that part with you because it's just for me to know and you'd probably think i was crazy. Anyway, I woke up 5 days later from my coma, hooked up to every machine you can imagine. Tubes down my throat, central IV line in my neck, arterial lines, pic lines, 16 different IV's, you name it I was hooked to it. Turns out my band had slipped. The sutures stayed in tact and as I vomited it ripped my stomach apart from top to bottom. They were only able to save about 10% of my stomach and pieced it together with mesh so that I wouldn't have to live with a feeding tube for the rest of my life. I'm categorized as a full gastrectomy which is usually done on patients suffering from stomach cancer. I don't have the typical sleeve but I do call myself a sleever.
My story isn't over yet, sorry it's so long!! Things were going as good as can be expected. A day after waking from my coma they pulled the tube from my throat and had me start walking a few hrs later. I spent 10 days in ICU unable to see my kids before they sent me home. I was home for 2 days before I got a fever. It spiked to 105.6 and I went back to the hospital. They ran tests and found that I had major abscesses in my abdomin. I got infections from all the stomach bacteria. I ended up having 2 JP drains put in and stayed in the hospital for another 3 weeks. When I finally got to go home, I had to have at home nursing care. I had to give myself IV antibiotics every 6 hrs. I also developed blood clots fromy pic line...which by the way sucks. Coumadin made my hair fall out (along with lack of protein). I was so sick that I refused to eat. My weight loss actually scared me. I was losing between 2-3 lbs a day. Granted I had gotten up to 233 from all the fluids but still, losing 3 lbs a day for weeks at a time is scary!!
I returned to the hospital 2 more times from abscesses and had to have another JP drain put in and have the Fluid around my lungs drained ( my total hospital stay was aprox 2.5 months total). I also became addicted to the painkillers and had to seek treatment to get off the percoset. I suffered severe dumping up until August and am still lactose intolerant! I can live with that though! The dumping...not so much! Dumping is terrible!!!!
To sum up my wls journey...it effin sucked! I love my "sleeve" now but my journey has been tough none the less. I was finally able to start moving and walking around in June and have since slowly picked up jogging. I love my new life and if I scared anyone I am truly sorry. My story is not the norm but it is my story. Had I known about the sleeve before I got my band, I would have chosen the sleeve. Hindsight is 20/20, right?
Thank you to all of you who have been my support and my inspiration. I love this site!!!!
Beginning stats- 5'6" 233 lbs after initial surgery
Current stats- 160lbs
Surgery date 3/11/12

@iggychic so you mean I should post to the band to sleeve forum? Is there a band only forum?
Thank you to everyone. I wasnt sure of the response I would get but I must say I'm overwhelmed by the kind words and support. I am still trying to deal with the fact that I was able to put my ordeal into words without breaking down. I have tried to write my story so many times only to delete it because I just wasn't ready to relive everything. Today it just kind of poured out of me. As for those who would like to hear my other story about what I saw...I think I will share with you all. I'm just not ready to yet. I'm still trying to deal with the fact that it happened.

Well Sandy, if I could do it all over again I probably would have at least done more research. I was just so gungho to get a WLS done that I failed to look into the dark side of it. To me, at the time, it was all rainbows and roses. What could go wrong? It's reversible right?
I actually have nothing bad to say about the band or my doctor or the support group. The fault was with me and I take full responsibility for
it. I ate what wanted and never measured my
food. I threw up after every meal. I took antacids by the fistfull for months at a time because I simply didn't have the money to go get filled or unfilled. After my fills, I did not stick to the 24 hr liquid plan. You name it, I broke the rule. I think the band is a tool and if you ate not emotionally ready to step up to the plate to make changes in your habits then you are just asking for trouble.
The band does help you lose weight but for me, it was clearly not the right choice. I wasn't ready and I almost paid with my life. I never thought anything bad would happen to me but...
I'm not trying to scare anyone. If you read this and are continplating getting the band, please do your research and make the educated decision for yourself. The decision that's right for you. Ask the difficult questions! And most importantly, be prepared to make changes in your eating habits the same as you would for any other surgery. The same rules apply! Healthy choices healthy portions!

Well Sandy, if I could do it all over again I probably would have at least done more research. I was just so gungho to get a WLS done that I failed to look into the dark side of it. To me, at the time, it was all rainbows and roses. What could go wrong? It's reversible right?
I actually have nothing bad to say about the band or my doctor or the support group. The fault was with me and I take full responsibility for
it. I ate what wanted and never measured my
food. I threw up after every meal. I took antacids by the fistfull for months at a time because I simply didn't have the money to go get filled or unfilled. After my fills, I did not stick to the 24 hr liquid plan. You name it, I broke the rule. I think the band is a tool and if you ate not emotionally ready to step up to the plate to make changes in your habits then you are just asking for trouble.
The band does help you lose weight but for me, it was clearly not the right choice. I wasn't ready and I almost paid with my life. I never thought anything bad would happen to me but...
I'm not trying to scare anyone. If you read this and are continplating getting the band, please do your research and make the educated decision for yourself. The decision that's right for you. Ask the difficult questions! And most importantly, be prepared to make changes in your eating habits the same as you would for any other surgery. The same rules apply! Healthy choices healthy portions!

See this is what I love about this site, the support! You guys are so amazing! Thank
You all for the kind words and prayers.
@butterthebean: I do have a wonderful attitude! I love life, it's sort of a newfound lease on life. I don't want to take anything for granted. When I catch myself taking things for granted (& it does happen more than I'd care to admit) I force myself to remember and then I cry, a lot!
@ms Anitband I didn't even mention all of the blood transfusions I had. I still see my hematologist/ encologist every month as well as my infectious disease doctor. It's a process coming to terms with a lot of this but one that I welcome with open arms. This is my life now. There's new rules and new obstacles but I'm gonna make it! WE are gonna make it!!

@iggychic so you mean I should post to the band to sleeve forum? Is there a band only forum?
Thank you to everyone. I wasnt sure of the response I would get but I must say I'm overwhelmed by the kind words and support. I am still trying to deal with the fact that I was able to put my ordeal into words without breaking down. I have tried to write my story so many times only to delete it because I just wasn't ready to relive everything. Today it just kind of poured out of me. As for those who would like to hear my other story about what I saw...I think I will share with you all. I'm just not ready to yet. I'm still trying to deal with the fact that it happened.

Hi everyone, my name is Becky and I have been on this site for about a month now and I can't say enough good things about the people on this site. I have not shared my story yet because 1.) it's not the normal journey 2.) I never wanted to scare anyone who was preparing for surgery and 3) it's still very difficult to talk about. So here goes nothin!
I was banded back in 2007 and had the typical problems with vomiting and terrible heartburn/reflux. I started my journey at 245 lbs and after my first year with the band I got down to 170...not bad! Unfortunately, I misused the band and ate whatever I wanted and then threw it up. I did this every day after almost every meal. Needless to say I ended up having a major slip in 2010 and had to have the band removed. I gained a lot of my weight back and was devastated! I was originally a self pay so my doctor told me to take a few months to heal and he would help me get the band put back in. A few months later, I saved up enough money to cover the discounted cost of having another band put back in. I was rebanded in October of 2010 and I really worked the band. I dropped 30 lbs (the right way) and then I got pregnant. I had a healthy pregnancy except that I had gallstones so I hardy ate anything and only gained 23 lbs during the pregnancy. I had to have my daughter a month early so they could remove my gallbladder and the operation went smoothly.
Life was good. I was back to my pre baby weight of 187 within 2 weeks of having my baby. I was working it! Slowly, I began to gain weight. Within a year of having my baby, I was back up to 223. I was doing everything right so what was wrong? I still don't understand but I every so often I would get the flu. Well, I thought it was the flu anyway. I got it about every 6 months until Feb of 2012 when i got it 3 times. I kept thinking, the flu must be rampant. My daughter even had it the first time I was sick in Feb so in my mind, I knew it was flu related. On March 8, 2012 I went to work and had a really back pain near my kidneys not near my stomach. I began vomiting uncontrollably and took myself to the urgent care. They sent me to the ER with kidney stones. Based on where the pain was located, it made sense. The hospital gave my a shot of pain med and sent me home. I went back 3 times over the next two days and they just kept sending me home. I was vomiting ever 3-4 minutes by the end of the second day. I couldn't even stand in my own. I remember thinking...I'm going to just kill myself. I'm dying and no one will help me. Finally I called my bariatric doctor to see if he could unfill my band because it hurt so bad to vomit. He got me right in, scolded me for not calling him first and unfilled me. I remember the feeling of instant relief after he unfilled me. I went home and slept for 6 hrs. I hadn't slept in days and I was so exhausted. I woke up at 6:30 that friday puking my guts out again. I was so sick that I broke the ceramic toilet seat with the sheer force of my chest hitting it whet I got sick. The vomiting was non stop now. I barely had time to take a breath between. My boyfriend had just walked in the door from work and I crawled to him, grabbed his leg and said, I'm dying! I knew something was terribly wrong and I knew I was dying. He rushed me to my bariatric doctors hospital and they rushed me in to surgery to unhook the band. It took close to 3 hours to get an IV in because my veins had collapsed. There were so many nurses around me trying to get IV's in me and I grabbed one and pulled him close to me and I told him to please "kill me now." That's all I remember really except for the fact that I died on the table. I saw the light. It's so vivid what I saw. I won't share that part with you because it's just for me to know and you'd probably think i was crazy. Anyway, I woke up 5 days later from my coma, hooked up to every machine you can imagine. Tubes down my throat, central IV line in my neck, arterial lines, pic lines, 16 different IV's, you name it I was hooked to it. Turns out my band had slipped. The sutures stayed in tact and as I vomited it ripped my stomach apart from top to bottom. They were only able to save about 10% of my stomach and pieced it together with mesh so that I wouldn't have to live with a feeding tube for the rest of my life. I'm categorized as a full gastrectomy which is usually done on patients suffering from stomach cancer. I don't have the typical sleeve but I do call myself a sleever.
My story isn't over yet, sorry it's so long!! Things were going as good as can be expected. A day after waking from my coma they pulled the tube from my throat and had me start walking a few hrs later. I spent 10 days in ICU unable to see my kids before they sent me home. I was home for 2 days before I got a fever. It spiked to 105.6 and I went back to the hospital. They ran tests and found that I had major abscesses in my abdomin. I got infections from all the stomach bacteria. I ended up having 2 JP drains put in and stayed in the hospital for another 3 weeks. When I finally got to go home, I had to have at home nursing care. I had to give myself IV antibiotics every 6 hrs. I also developed blood clots fromy pic line...which by the way sucks. Coumadin made my hair fall out (along with lack of protein). I was so sick that I refused to eat. My weight loss actually scared me. I was losing between 2-3 lbs a day. Granted I had gotten up to 233 from all the fluids but still, losing 3 lbs a day for weeks at a time is scary!!
I returned to the hospital 2 more times from abscesses and had to have another JP drain put in and have the Fluid around my lungs drained ( my total hospital stay was aprox 2.5 months total). I also became addicted to the painkillers and had to seek treatment to get off the percoset. I suffered severe dumping up until August and am still lactose intolerant! I can live with that though! The dumping...not so much! Dumping is terrible!!!!
To sum up my wls journey...it effin sucked! I love my "sleeve" now but my journey has been tough none the less. I was finally able to start moving and walking around in June and have since slowly picked up jogging. I love my new life and if I scared anyone I am truly sorry. My story is not the norm but it is my story. Had I known about the sleeve before I got my band, I would have chosen the sleeve. Hindsight is 20/20, right?
Thank you to all of you who have been my support and my inspiration. I love this site!!!!
Beginning stats- 5'6" 233 lbs after initial surgery
Current stats- 160lbs
Surgery date 3/11/12

See this is what I love about this site, the support! You guys are so amazing! Thank
You all for the kind words and prayers.
@butterthebean: I do have a wonderful attitude! I love life, it's sort of a newfound lease on life. I don't want to take anything for granted. When I catch myself taking things for granted (& it does happen more than I'd care to admit) I force myself to remember and then I cry, a lot!
@ms Anitband I didn't even mention all of the blood transfusions I had. I still see my hematologist/ encologist every month as well as my infectious disease doctor. It's a process coming to terms with a lot of this but one that I welcome with open arms. This is my life now. There's new rules and new obstacles but I'm gonna make it! WE are gonna make it!!

I didn't say you couldn't eat as much as you wanted...I just wouldn't recommend it, lol! I have to watch myself when I buy Jacks Links carne seca jerky...I can eat the entire bag in no time flat and then I retain Water like no bodies business!!!

I'm 8 months out and still gurgle! My kids laugh at me because they can hear my stomach from across the room!

I'm in the same boat guys! Sleeved March 11 and down 72 lbs. Stalled for 2.5 months from July until October 5th. Actually gained 10 lbs during my stall (guess it's not really a stall). Anyway, last week I dropped 6 lbs and got down to 159. Now I'm back up to 161. It's so frustrating. My goal is 155 and I wouldn't mind getting down to 145. I just want to make my first goal weight then focus on the next goal. I'm so close and I work out 5-6x a week, get all my Protein and Water but the scale just isn't giving me the results. Luckly I also take measurements so I know I'm losing inches but still! I'm glad I'm not alone. By the way, I'm 5'6" and big boned and would love to be wearing a size 10 but I'm still in a 13/14 but I did just buy size 6 underware and size medium jogging pants so it was a nice little NSV!!!

I'm in the same boat guys! Sleeved March 11 and down 72 lbs. Stalled for 2.5 months from July until October 5th. Actually gained 10 lbs during my stall (guess it's not really a stall). Anyway, last week I dropped 6 lbs and got down to 159. Now I'm back up to 161. It's so frustrating. My goal is 155 and I wouldn't mind getting down to 145. I just want to make my first goal weight then focus on the next goal. I'm so close and I work out 5-6x a week, get all my Protein and Water but the scale just isn't giving me the results. Luckly I also take measurements so I know I'm losing inches but still! I'm glad I'm not alone. By the way, I'm 5'6" and big boned and would love to be wearing a size 10 but I'm still in a 13/14 but I did just buy size 6 underware and size medium jogging pants so it was a nice little NSV!!!

I'm in the same boat guys! Sleeved March 11 and down 72 lbs. Stalled for 2.5 months from July until October 5th. Actually gained 10 lbs during my stall (guess it's not really a stall). Anyway, last week I dropped 6 lbs and got down to 159. Now I'm back up to 161. It's so frustrating. My goal is 155 and I wouldn't mind getting down to 145. I just want to make my first goal weight then focus on the next goal. I'm so close and I work out 5-6x a week, get all my Protein and Water but the scale just isn't giving me the results. Luckly I also take measurements so I know I'm losing inches but still! I'm glad I'm not alone. By the way, I'm 5'6" and big boned and would love to be wearing a size 10 but I'm still in a 13/14 but I did just buy size 6 underware and size medium jogging pants so it was a nice little NSV!!!

Congratulations!!! That's wonderful!!!