CynthiaK

Hi there,

So, how is everyone doing this week? What have you done to take care of you this week??? Here's what I'm doing:

1) Drinking LOTS of Water. I find that many times when I feel hungry, I'm actually just thirsty.

2) Getting plenty of rest. I'm actually trying to change my sleep pattern so I wake up earlier in the morning. I would like to work out in the mornings, if possible, when I get there. So I have been taking it easy during the week at night and going to bed early.

3) An apple a day. This SO works! I like apples ok, they're not my favorite, but they sure help me feel full. And sometimes I find that it takes me forever to eat an apple. So I just nibble on it for a few hours. It helps!

4) I'm trying to make smarter food choices. Okay, I'm not there yet, but at least I'm conscious of it!

I would love to hear what you all are doing this week. Fill me in. We're in this together!!

Take care!!

Hi there,

If you know of anyone that wants to go through this with us, please feel free to invite them!

YAY! I am so excited for my surgery date to get here. So, what are you doing to prepare ahead of time? Are you nervous? Excited? I look forward to getting to know you!

YAY! I look forward to getting to know you Michelle. So, tell me, what are you doing to prepare for your surgery. Are you excited?!!!

YAY Shannon!!! I am SO excited for you!!!!!

Hi daisyleigh! Absolutely I need another buddy! How are you doing? Are you ready? What are you doing to prepare?

Hi there,

So I have been so excited for April 28th to get here so I can finally get started on this journey back to the real me. I have been waiting in anticipation, all the while eating pizza, burgers, fries, soda, chocolate, chips, etc. etc.

I was in a chat room the other day on this site with a person. We were talking and I was saying how I'll probably do some strength training 30 days out or something to help me be stronger for the surgery, but for now I'm just eating whatever I want and not exercising at all. She asked me, why not start now?

My immediate thought was No Way! I'm about to do this horribly difficult and painful extreme thing to get the weight off. Why not just enjoy the last moments before with my relationship with food and eat and eat and eat whatever I want because it will be the last chance in my life to ever do this again. C'mon, I know many of you pre-op'rs are thinking the same thing!

After thinking and thinking about this, I have come to realize how wrong I was to think like this. THIS TYPE OF THINKING IS WHAT GOT ME INTO THIS MESS!!

If I am willing to go to this extreme and have most of my stomach removed, then why would I want to continue to live in the misery that I have been living in these past 12 years?? The moment I made the decision to have this surgery, I changed the game, I changed my life.

If you are doing this and you are pre-op, today is the day to start your weight loss journey - no matter how far out your surgery is. You can decide to have surgery, but you can't say no to the donut? (I did this yesterday) The time is right NOW to start thinking of yourself as a sleever. TODAY is the day to do what you need to do to be ready for post-op.

Start slow, don't think of it like you'll never be able to eat bad ever in your life again. Just make one or two good choices for yourself today. Go for a walk. Choose Water instead of soda. You all know how this works from the thousands of failed diets you've done in the past. Only this time you are about to get this wonderful tool to help you through this.

But remember, this may take away our physical hunger, but the mind games will still be there. Today is the day to start that battle. It will be a daily fight for me, I know this. But with this decision to have surgery comes the decison to fight this battle... AND WIN!

I am planning on going alone in April. I am arriving in San Diego on Sunday 22nd and having surgery on the 23rd. I am not bothered by it at all. I have traveled all over the world ( currently reside in China). I am sure as my surgery date gets closer, I will discover one or more people being there around the same time. I look at it as my big adventure to the new and improved me!! :smile1:

I just went to China too, by myself, as part of volunteer vacationing. It was amazing! I felt totally fine being alone there, I just booked a bunch of group tours and I met so many wonderful people from all over the world!

But this is a little different you have to admit. Yes, I am looking forward to the adventure of it all. I guess when I think about it, the only thing that I am truly worried about is if something goes wrong, and if I can finally lose this weight and keep it off! I was so thankful that my gall bladder erupted and I needed emergency surgery to remove it the very next day after returning from China. Can you imagine if it happened over there? What would I do??? Maybe I'd still be there! LOL!

I'm sure it will be fine. I am really looking forward to it and making new friends on this journey!

Wow! That's incredible. I was told to expect the same recovery as when I had my gall bladder removed in December. And I was on pain meds for about a week.. I couldn't stand the morphine after the first night though because it was just too strong, so I took hydrocodone, and then advil.

Thanks circa. But aren't you still on a bunch of pain meds at that time?

I'm doing this alone too. My only concern is getting home from the airport after the surgery. I wonder if that will be difficult to do alone?

Ok. I'll take a look at the website, and Dr. Almanza on youtube too, thanks! I'm not tall, I'm 5'4". I am a CPA, but the reason I am not using insurance is because my insurance with Aetna specifically excludes this. It even says that they will not cover it even if I had underlying comorbilities. Ridiculous! So, off to Mexico I go. I'm really not that worried about that part of it. I was at first, but I did a lot of research on it, and on Dr. Almanza, and I feel confident about my decision there.

Yes, SuperBowl tomorrow, yay! I am considering going to a party, but not sure if I want to go right now. Anyway, Goodnight!

Well, let's see... I told my best friend and she was being overly nice about it, trying so hard to support me, but I could tell that she doesn't really want me to do it. She especially doesn't want me to go to Mexico. She said her ex-boyfriend's mom almost died in Mexico. Her aunt also had lapband and it didn't work for her. So, when I posted to my family and close friends today on Facebook about it (they are all in Canada), one of the first things I said was that I have something big to tell them, but if they were going to be negative in any way about it, please don't share it with me. LOL! I hope that wasn't too harsh.

I know my mom is worried about my health and really wants me to lose this weight. She has no idea how hard it is, and how frustrating going up and down 40 pounds every year is, and how terrible it feels to fail all the time. I'm not use to failing at anything, but this has got me right now. BUT, I truly believe that this is going to change my life.

I am a Christian, and I have been praying so much about this both before and through my decisions this past week. Somehow, the Lord made a way, and everything has fallen into place perfectly, even moreso than I could've ever imagined! It's been amazing to be honest with you, and so I have no doubt that God is with me and He will see me through this. Oh, I am SOOOOO excited!!!

Anyway, I live in Dallas, I'm a CPA, twice divorced, I live alone with my little dog Oates and my yellow naped Amazon parrot named Maya. Like I said, all my family and close friends are in Canada, and my best friend down here, her and I aren't as close as we used to be. So I will truly be going through this alone. I'll be flying to San Diego on a Friday after work, my surgery is on a Saturday. Then I will fly back home on Tuesday, and be back to work the following Monday.

I'm a little concerned right now about how I am going to get from the airport to my home because I know I will only be a few days out, so I have to figure that out. I hope that I can find someone to drop me off at the airport and pick me up. That would help alot. I'm really good about following instructions and staying tough, so I am very confident about my ability to heal quickly and stay on track for the first couple months. After that... well, I really want to say that it will be easy for me and no problems. But if I'm truly honest with you and myself, it's after that first month or two that I am truly worried about.

YAY! Thanks Heather!

So, how are you feeling about all this? I am so excited, it's all I can think about!!

Thank you both so much! Yeah, I guess you are right, this is my thing, and no matter how many people are there for me, this is ultimately my choice, my struggle, and my responsibility. It will be I who has to make the daily choices to work hard and stay positive through this.

I am sooooo glad to be here you guys. It does mean so much to have people to talk to who understand how I feel.

HI there,

Every since I decided to do this I have been experiencing so many emotions - nervous, fear, hope, anxious, thankfulness, and TONS of excitement!!

It has been all that is on my mind. I can hardly sleep at night. I am SO ready for a new life. I will do everything I'm supposed to and try my hardest to do this right. It is so important to me.

I just wish I had people to talk to about it and experience these feelings with. This is such a huge deal for me. I can't believe I'm doing this!

April 28th seems so far away right now.

Yay! Glad to hear it went well! Keep us posted!

Hi everyone!

I'm in Dallas Uptown and I am scheduled for my sleeve on 4/28. I am so excited about this I can hardly contain myself!

Future sleever from Dallas. Well, hopefully if I don't chicken out! I have been approved by insurance and have a surgery date as of today (May 17th)...I can't believe it!

Hi there! I'm in Dallas and my date is 4/28/12. Would love to hear how you are doing now.

God Bless! Praying for a great surgery for you!

I just miss you. I'll be down in Mexico on 4/28 with Dr. Almanza. But, keep in touch! We'll go through the afterwards together on here!

You inspire me. Thank you so much for your post!

Hi there,

I too have PCOS. What I have been told is that there is no cure for PCOS, if you have it you have it for life. But I have also been told several times that if I lose the weight, it will control my symptoms to where they are barely noticable, and I may be able to have a baby naturally.

I am scheduled for my sleeve on 4/28. Keep in touch!

Hi Shannon!

Oh, I am so thankful for this forum already! Yes, let's keep in touch and go through this together. Mexico is one thing, the surgery and recovery is another, and the after that will be another animal all on its own. We will need support of people who know what we are going through.

I'll try to figure out how to send you a private message with my email address (I'm new here).

Cynthia

Hi there,

I have my surgery scheduled with Dr. Almanza on 4/28. I have been staying up all night and researching researching and researching. I have contacted over 30 doctors, attended seminars, made phone calls and have asked tons of questions. Still I'm scared.

I'm scared about a few things. First, I'm scared to have surgery in Mexico. I keep going back and forth on this because of the after support locally if I get it done here, but the cost here is ridiculous! I was also worried about the posts on here about Dr. Almanza, but after careful research and lots of phone calls, I think he'll be fine for me. It's just scary going to Mexico to get surgery done!

Next I'm scared about doing this and having a complication like a leak or an infection. I can't have this happen. I am thankful that I am 39 and healthy, other than being overweight and having PCOS. I just had my gall bladder removed and I hear the surgery and recovery is very similar so I think I know what to expect. I bounced back very quickly from the gall bladder surgery.

Finally, I am scared about getting this dramatic surgery done and not losing the weight I desire or GULP! gaining it back! I have been on up and down diets for over 12 years now. I know how to lose about 40 or 50 pounds, but I keep gaining it back. I have about 80-90 pounds to lose. I'm scared I'm going to go through this extreme thing and fail again. I am an emotional eater. I know this surgery won't fix that. It is only a tool, I know that. I am seeing a therapist to help me, but I still eat. I really hope this will help me stay on track and help me maintain a healthy weight for the rest of my life.

Ultimately, I believe in God and I know my Lord is with me and I have prayed through this and I trust in my Lord. But I am still human.