kw2walker

Yesterday was my day, I was on point with my inner skinny girl.
 
I found a dress that did not cling to all of my rolls, it just fell across the body. Not to brag but I looked good, I even rocked my 4 inch sandals! I received so many complements, all the while I as thinking, "Wait til ya see m 100 pounds lighter".
 
To have been successful in keeping the 25 pounds I lost off and working successfully to have more off with weekly excerise classes has been a blessing.
 
Mind you I have no desire to wear skinny girl jeans, but I am looking forward to adjusting my wardrobe. I striveto have a day like yesterday once a week, especially since my clothes are fitting better it should work.
 
Continued success to everyone on this journey.
 
Karen

I had my first NSV today! Last night I went into my closet and tried on some of my size 24 pants that I haven't worn for 2 years. I knew that my size 26's were too big but never thought I was able to wear the 24's so soon. I wore them all day and even left the button done up all day. I feel great!!! On my surgery date I was 311 pounds. Now I am down to 289. I had a little bit of the stall I have heard everyone talking about and was worried, but have since realized that is okay. I am working out 3-4 times a week already and am being very active.

I wasn't expecting to write any type of entry for week two, but this week has a big impact on my thought process.
 
Losing 22lbs in week 1 was amazing. I felt great! On top of the world! Ready to jump-start my new life! ...And then, it stopped. On day #7 the scale stopped moving. Now, I've researched this surgery soooo much and knew this was very likely. It seems many people have a stall around week 2-3. I thought I was prepared for this strange phenomena... But I was wrong. I had so many doubts this week. Would I ever lose the weight? Am I doing everything I'm supposed to do? Did I just have surgery to lose 22lbs? It was a terrible week.
And then I realized... This is completely normal. Not only not losing weight is normal, but also all these feeling are normal as well. It's easy to get discouraged when things don't go your way. It's easy to get angry or sad... But that's what this journey is about- it's about a fight to a better you. A physically better you AND an emotionally better you. It's about strength, determination, and learning.
To all you who are discouraged and down this week, pick up the pieces and keep on keeping on. This is all part of your story- the ups AND the downs. There are many times we will feel this way, down and depressed, but we just have to pick ourselves up, dust off, sip some water, and walk it off.
 

Hello everyone!
Wow - it has been quite the eventful past almost 2 weeks. This blog is dedicated to those who are pre-op Everyone is different, but I hope if I give you my story, it will help some of you to be a little more prepared for what you're about to undergo!
 
1st, I did my surgery in Egypt - so far away from most of you...but the surgery is the same, albeit the administration a bit different...
 
Soooo....(drum-roll!) I started my surgery at approximately 253.9 lbs. May be a bit less than that, but I was too nervous to go wandering around trying to find a scale! The operation was last Sunday... Everything was smooth in the operation - they knocked me out peacefully and happily and although the operation was only 45 minutes in total, I was out for around 5 hours. The torture happened the minute I was being transferred to my hospital room. I was screaming in pain (still out of it from the anesthetic), and vomited blood 4-5 times. Warning!!! For those of you who have sensitive stomachs to medicine, especially hard-core medicine like Morphine, be ready to have to make a tough decision....you will be in an incredible amount of pain..and will NEED strong pain-killers...but if you tend to throw-up fairly easily, taking those strong pain-killers may mean that you end up in even more pain. Throwing up after a gastric-sleeve operation, as you can imagine, is not fun. The doctors had to torture me with medium-strength pain-killers to avoid my throwing up to prevent further bleeding. OUCH! I was quite embarrassed of myself - I was in so much pain over these 2 days in the hospital that I created quite a scene. I don't remember most of it, but I remember getting the nurses and doctors all flustered with my carrying on. Oh well, not much I can do now The actual surgical pain - is more than manageable. Hopefully (touch wood) all of you will be just fine with that. I had two issues - 1) the gas issue - this pain was ridiculous. You have this constant feeling of just wanting to "deflate" and the pain that goes with it is indescribable....but, par for the course. It took me 6 days to "deflate" enough that I wasn't walking around looking 7 mos. pregnant and the pain was mostly gone. 2) the drainage site - you will have a drain for 2(ish) days. This is extremely painful and unfortunately I had developed cysts internally around the incision of the drain, and this was also an incredible amount of pain. I couldn't sit, lay down, stand from pain. When I went back for my 7 day post-op appointment, I yelped enough that they gave me an ultra-sound and CT scan and found multiple cysts formed in this area. A 5-day course of anitbiotics/anti-inflammatory cured this - I am now feeling almost normal.
 
Writing this, I feel like I was such a baby...but I've delivered normally 3 babies (2 without an epidural, so I KNOW pain), and I was up and changing the babies the same night and taking my mom on a tour of my area the day after..in pain yes...but I was proud of my pain theshold. In my opinion, that means that this is one seriously painful operation (but hopefully none of you will develop the cysts which was the cause of at least 50% of the pain).
 
So, now - I am now at 236.0 lbs (17.9 lbs less), 12 days post-op. Great!!!!! I am feeling very weak and I feel like I've done 5000 crunches and the incision areas are drying and itching like crazy, but I feel great compared to just a few days ago. I'm back home and back at work. It's hard figuring out how much I can drink before I'm full - the feeling of fullness doesn't exist in me yet - but when the juice starts bubbling back up (a weird feeling), I stop drinking for 10-15 minutes or so. POPSICLES rock!!!!!! I feel SOOOOOO much better after munching on a popsicle.. I've started putting all my juices in the freezer. It makes me feel like I'm eating, but it does nothing but soothes my aching tummy. Stock up on popsicles!!!
 
I'm still on a full liquid diet - soups, jello, juices, and popsicles Working my way up to the thicker soups, protein shakes and will transition into mushed food. My tummy/esophagus controls me on this issue...I get a really yucky uncomfortable feeling and it lasts quite some time when I try eating something I'm not ready for yet....
 
ohhhh - one thing I had read up on before I went for surgery.... My doc requested my husband crush all of my meds. YUCK! When I was a kid, my mom had to chase me around with the medicine syrup...imagine how I was with crushed tablets? Super yuck! So, after suffering for around 5 days, I googled around on the internet and finally broke the tablets in half and swallowed those as normal. No issues whatsoever. Now I can swallow them whole (probably could the whole time, but I was being careful).
 
So guys - there you have it. If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer!!!
 
Looking forward to the days to come!

So it's Day6 and I still have the most horrible pain in my neck and shoulder. Yesterday I went to see my Dr and I lost 11 lbs in a week and 2 lbs from before surgery so 13lbs in a week and a half. I'm super happy and motivated even more but this pain will not go away and I'm so over it. But my question is does anyone have mental hunger? I can't seem to stop thinking about food, is it cause I haven't eaten in over a week or I'm really emotionally attached to food?? This is driving me nuts....

First off, I don't believe in being coddled. I understand people post on forums because they are looking for moral support or advice, but sometimes they expect too much. What I mean to say is if someone posts on a forum, then they need to expect to be supported even if it means being challenged! I can understand if the person posting is doing everything right to a tee and still not losing weight or hitting stalls, then yes they do need complete moral support because they are not in control. It might be metabolic, hormonal, genetic etc.
The people I am talking about are those that don't get enough protein in, eat too many carbs, don't exercise enough and then complain on the forums. I see it quite a bit actually and usually just refrain from answering. In general, the same people posting and whining, are the same ones that get offended when others offer constructive criticism on why his or her weight loss has stalled or is slow.
Being coddled will get you know where. If you really are in this to lose weight, then you should be willing to listen to the things you "might" not be doing right. We all know everyone is different, but when it comes to weight loss there is a general trend that works BETTER than other ways. Of course, there is a respectful way of disagreeing. I don't agree with the name calling, or yelling, or the "i did it this way and I lost this much weight". In a recent forum, I witnessed someone trying to tell the original poster that they didn't think what they were doing was working for them and offered advice. He wasn't disrespectful in any way. It just sounded like he disagreed. Well, the original poster got upset and then it all went downhill. It kind of got out of hand and everyone started chiming in. It was like the original poster just wanted to hear things that supported her, and nothing else.
 
I think people just need to understand that sometimes being challenged and having someone disagree with you is in support. Would you want to go to the doctor and have them tell you there is nothing wrong with you just to make you feel better? Wouldn't you want the doctor to help figure out what is wrong with you and what you can do to get better? Granted, most of us are not doctors, but you get what I am saying?
 
Having a vertical sleeve is a very personal experience. Some people get it and lose weight effortlessly. Others have to work harder and try everything possible to lose weight at a faster rate. If you have a question or a concern and post it on a forum, then you must be willing to get responses both agreeing and disagreeing, but all supportive. If you are looking for people who will simply shake his or her head "yes" to everything you say, then make a friend and send private messages. You can live happily in your bubble of only hearing what you want.
 
 
*Note: I am not a "yes" woman. I am going to tell you what I did and what I helped and give you suggestions in a nice way. If I think you are doing something that isn't healthy or could stall your weight loss, then I am going to let you know because I would rather truly help you than watch you struggle and whine and complain. This is the type of friend I am and those are the type of friends I want.

I just wanted to post about my experience last week. We decided to take my 2 year old daughter to the water park that is near my house. I have never been there because I have been extremely overweight for the past 4 years of my life. I always worried about climbing and things falling out and just being totally uncomfortable.
 
Over the past 5 months I have lost 80 pounds and boy has it made a difference. I don't think it is just the weight loss, but my strength training as well. I lift weights 4x a week at a bare minimum and I really think that it has made a world of difference.
 
I had it planned in my head that I could only make it for 3 hours because I would be tired and I ended up staying there for 6 hours!!! I had no problem with stairs, slides, swimming, climbing, and I even carried this massive tube up the mountain!
 
All of this really hit me when I went down the lazy river. I hopped up on the tube and laid down in it and put my daughter on my belly. I didn't even give it a second thought...I just did it. As we started flowing down the river, I noticed this very large man behind me trying to climb in the tube like I did. Well, he tried over and over and over again. He didn't make it and eventually tried to stick his body in the donut hole part of the tube, but his body was too large. It made me sad that he was struggling. He eventually gave up and just walked the tube and himself down the river until the end. It was at that point that I realized that would have been me struggling, probably feeling embarrassed. I was very appreciative of my progress.
 
I am very proud of my 80 pound loss! I even more proud of myself that I go to the gym 6 days a week and can do 90 minutes of straight intense cardio. I used to think to myself, "why is everyone losing faster? Why are those people who don't exercise losing faster than me? or those who are older or weigh less than me losing faster?"
 
Now, I am truly at peace with my pace of loss. The scale does not reflect the muscle I have built. The scale does not show how much strength I have gained. The scale does not measure my progress.
 
The scale is an instrument affected by so many factors! It is affected by the slant of the floor, my sodium intake, my time of month, inflammation, water intake, water loss, female hormones. I think it is funny that I depend on an instrument that is so unreliable.

June 25th 2013
Surgery Date: Not Set
Surgery Type: VSG
 
Ok, I have decided to do this to keep track or to keep a time line of what is going on in my mind. I dont know if anyone will read this or not but if you do hopefully it will help you along the way.
 
Today has been a littlebit of a different one, im not in the same boat as a lot of people on here are, or at least i dont think i am. I have picked my surgeon, there were only two to choose from in my approved hospital, I have completed my Psch Eval 6/19 and completed my seminar 6/20. I have a telelphone appointment with the surgeons office on 7/3 at 1pm, that i am kind of nervous about becuase i dont know what to expect. they said it can take anywhere between an 45 minutes and a hour. I am the kind of person who wants to get this done now, I kinda wish they would tell me ahead of time what kinda test i need to get done so i can be setting them up and knocking them down rather than sitting here waiting. But i guess i just have to wait.
 
I just read another blog and all the person talked about is how they could wait until the no solid food period was over because they just wanted a taco, or they just want this or that. I couldnt help but think to myself, here is someone that most likely will fail. Now, dont get me wrong im not wishing failure on anyone, but once you make up your mind and follow through with something as serious as weight loss surgery i think a taco should be the farthest thing from your mind.
 
Anyway that is the kind of thing that scares me, am i going to be that kind of person, that only thinks about the stuff that i can't or shouldn't eat versus, taking this oppertunity, taking this chance to make a whole new life for myself and run with it.
 
I'm already making palns, for example, i want to get involved in adult sports, ie the coed basketball team, at glory days sports, volleyball doesnt sound to bad either. there is just so much that i want to do that i cant because of how i allowed myself to get.
 
Another thing that is on my mind, i heard a doctor say when giving a seminar that it was not the patients fault that they were overweight, that bothers me, it bothers me because it is taking the response ability of someone actions off of them. Now dont get me wrong i know that there are true medically nessary reasons where a person cant lose weight, however (and i'm including myself in this catagory) some of us where just making bad choices with our life, and that choice got us where we are, now we need help to get back where we want and need to be to live healthy.
 
I dont know what is all going on with me mentally right now but i do know that i am ready to get this show moving. i am ready to be thinner, smaller, healthier, and all in all ready to be around a lot longer. If you found this to be the slightest bit interesting, feel free to follow my blog, there will be more to come.
 
Have a great day and God Bless!

Well I have broken the seal and am now down to 297. Never to see 300 again!! Thank you everyone who motivated me and commented. It helps a lot to keep me on track. I have continued walking and am working on 3 miles 5 days a week this week. I almost had it yesterday but I got down poured on and had to get a ride home. Boo!!! I am going to attempt it again today.
I am having some doubts today about having surgery. I found myself thinking I can do this w/out surgery I am doing it now. But then I remember that I will do this for a few months drop weight and then BAM fall off . This is why I need this surgery!!! I need the sleeve to get over that hump and not fall. I am guessing that a lot of people have doubts before surgery. I am 27 days away from surgery and still can't believe how fast the time is going by.

I am officially six months into this journey and I couldn't be happier. I am half way to my ultimate goal. I've had a couple of ah-ha moments lately. This past weekend I went shopping and realized that just because something fits doesn't mean I have to buy it. In the past anything that fit was an automatic purchase as there were so few things that actually fit. Now I can pick and choose! That made me so amazingly happy this weekend. I am also now fully aware of how my body drops weight - this will be a losing month and next month will not. I tend to stall with every 10 lbs now - but I am moving in the right direction and that is what is important.

This picture is of me the day of surgery and then at 6 months post-op! -69 lbs!!!
BIG GOALS:
Get rid of the "Big O" - I want to be out of the "obese" range for BMI (about 4 more points to go on that one)
Have lost more weight than I have to lose - that will be in two more pounds - but it is a day I am so looking forward to...
Get rid of any and all clothing with an X after the size (it's an emotional attachment - none of them fit me any more)
Do a zip-line - that's been on my list for a while - gonna knock it off this summer

I'll post more when I have time to think about them. Life is simply too busy right now to think straight. Oh - one interesting thing happened last weekend. We went to a party and after my boyfriend mentioned that it seemed like I really had a good time. I told him that before my surgery I dreaded these kind of events because I felt so self conscious and worried about taking up too much space in the crowded room, and I simply got tired of standing all night. Now I have none of those thoughts/worries/issues. He was surprised to hear me say this - I guess I really did suffer in silence for years!

So in Nov of 2012 was my first visit with my surgeon. from there they gave me a list of 1 million things to do and set me up for a nutrition class in feb 2013. So I was off and running, I have insurance that's a bit of a pain sometimes so every week I was on the phone with SOMEONE trying to get things all worked out. I had to hound my PCP for about 3 months to get the letter from him. Well, no I asked in Dec for the letter, he wrote a script... not gonna work so I explain what it needs to say. His office sends me a notice that he is leaving the practice and I need to get set up with a new doctor! So Im freaking out and calling his office 800 times a day to find out if he wrote a letter or not. finally in the end of Jan 2013 I got the letter that he did write just before leaving! YaY!!!
next was the phsys eval, this was a pain. I called every office within 150 miles of my house! finally I found one who had an opening. The day that I was supposed to go I came down with a stomach bug AND we were getting a snow storm (I live in the snow capitol of the world)! So I had to cancel. get it all worked out and finally had that done by the beginning of March. The nutrition class was done in feb, my blood work was done by feb! I was doing an amazing job. So in april 2013, they gave me a date for july 10th. Now while she was setting up the request for the day she asked "did you do (insert task here)" and I was answering to each. Well a week went by and I got a call from the insurance lady from that office and she informs me that they have NOTHING FROM ME!!!!!
I almost cried! What on earth do you mean you have nothing!?! Well it turns out that they lost ALL of my stuff! Oh and by the way you have to have a sleep study done as well. Well. This is bull crap!
So my reason for not writing in a while? I have been chasing all of my paper work everywhere. When I quit smoking I put on 30lbs bringing me to 306lbs. I have lost to 300lb but can NOT seem to budge from there which is pissing me off. I am on a partial liquid diet right now. I drink 4 nasty boost shakes and eat one meal of 4 oz of chicken and 1-2cups of fresh veggies. and I have lost ONE POUND! I just want to cry, Id also like to say to them, if I could just drop 30lbs at once, why in the hell am I here?!?!?! UGH UGH UGH.

I was sitting around today thinking about my surgery and those that have been supportive and those that have not or would not be.
 
A year ago when I began thinking about undergoing the surgery I approached a friend. I began asking his opinion about the surgery. when he said you don't need it you just need to diet and keep at it. I sat looking at him as if he had lost his mind, he is over six feet tall and grossly over weight. He has a bad habit of eating food from the plate of his son when he does not finish his meal. But he knows my diet habits?
 
I let the subject drop and have not said word about it since. I went to my information session to decide if this was the choice for me and was encouraged that it was.
 
As the year has gone by he has seen me and is always in my cabinets. He is quick to notice there is not any junk food or bad snacks. He noticed the various protein drinks and asked what I was doing with them. I told him i was experimenting with favors and staying my course on my diet.
 
All of this to say is that I am keeping secrets from those that are friends. I don't want to be judged by them even when I feel I have been judged.
 
One of my own sisters thinks I should just keep dieting and that the surgery is extreme. My feeling is that of course she would she's never been obese.
 
To be fair I have told five people and they have been most supportive and from this I am happy. My overall happiness is my responsibility and I'm very happy with my decision to a better way of living.
 
I do worry that once I start dropping weight that the cat will be out of the bag. But until that time I will be keeping my secret.
 
 
 

I have felt very lucky to have had a couple of months preop to be on this site & learn from others. I appreciate the knowledge, advice, and the sharing of experiences I have found here, and I plan to pay it forward by posting regularly on my post op progress. So far, my experience has been pretty good, although in some ways it’s different than what I imagined.
 
I was sleeved on Wednesday, June 19 at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, GA. When I woke up from surgery, I felt queasy, but I didn’t get sick. The nursing staff was great, and so was my special bariatric nurse, Debbie. I was able to wear my own gown & robe, and somehow that made me feel better. I was up walking within a couple of hours of being in my room. I needed help walking at first, mainly just to have somebody keep the IV stand out of my way. At first, I was instructed to walk once every four hours, but on the second day they bumped it up to once every 2 hours. By the second day, I could do it by myself, but my husband usually came with me anyway. I used the breathing tube thing (spirometer?) almost every hour. I never hit the goal they set for me, but I came fairly close. I didn’t sleep much on Wednesday night, only dozing on and off. They came in to take vitals every 4 hours & I just couldn’t get comfortable.
 
That first afternoon, another VST member, journeybegins05032013 came by to meet me, and brought me the sweetest goody bag with samples of different protein powders & flavors, drink mix-ins, iron & calcium chews, a Dr. Seuss book, and a lovely journal. It was such a thoughtful gesture! I have also received wonderful calls, texts, and messages from many of my sleeve peeps, and I am just so thankful for this community.
 
WARNING – Grossness alert! The next paragraph is about poop.
 
Based on what I had read from others, I was expecting to not have a BM for several days. However, on Thursday morning I started pooping. It was extremely liquid, just like it had been the night before surgery with the bowel cleanse. It literally felt like I was peeing from the back side. Almost every time I peed, I would let go some more from the back. As a result, my anus hurt a lot. It was very tender & made it even more uncomfortable to lie on my back. The liquid poop has continued at home, but strangely enough I did not fart until this morning, on the 4th day out. I have been burping like crazy, but not farting. I never even used a Gas-X strip since I was pooping so much.
 
I am on clear liquids for 2 weeks, and then will be on full liquids for 2 more weeks. My doc counts skim milk as a clear, and I’m supposed to take in 32 oz of skim milk & 32 oz of other clears every day. I made SF Jello with milk & it turned out pretty good. I used about a quarter or half cup of boiling water to dissolve & then mixed in about 1 cup & a half of skim milk. I just tried the Unjury Chicken soup with water, but next time will make it with warm milk & see how that works out. I’m not doing a good job tracking my intake, and I really need to get better about that. I am going to start using MyFitnessPal today, since I know it has been so helpful for so many folks. My energy level is still pretty low. I am walking around my house every couple of hours & taking a longer walk with the hubs every evening. I’m trying not to push myself, and just give my body a chance to heal. I haven’t felt hungry at all, either physical hunger or head hunger. Overall, I feel pretty good about my recovery so far and about how my food intake is going. For the next week, I have nothing on my schedule away from the house except for Wednesday. I am planning to keep taking it easy and just continue to heal & build my stamina back up. One day at a time, little by little, I will get to where I want to be.

With today being the first day of summer my thoughts have been on light and flowing dresses and tops.
 
I went into a store and hit the clearance rack. I found a cute sassy dress that I know I can alter as the weight melts away. I was tickled pink when it slid over the body and did not cling to me.
 
I instantly thought of push up bras and sexy undies, 7/22/13 can't come fast enough. All of that to say I want the foundation garments that will have me walking with that extra spring in my step. Lol
 
So the planning begins, I want to reward myself with a visit to Victoria Secrets (VS) and purchase underwear that scream SEXY! And they have to be HOT RED.
 
In the past I've darkened the doors of a VS store because I was with my friend that can fit their products. It's going to be a total scream the first time I can make a purchase. There is not a plan to buy then work to get into the undies. The goal is to reward each milestone I hit in order them without the psychological stress.
 
So I figure at 30, 60, and 90 pound milestones I'll reward myself. Once I hit the ultimate goal of 100 pounds lost its the full hot res sexy ensemble. Push-up bra, high cut sexy undies, garter and stocking to seal the deal. LOL.
 
To round this all out,how has the VGS community been rewarding themselves for reaching their goals?

It' will be close to a year in a few weeks. I've not had the weight loss results as most have reported here. I'm seeing >100 lbs being reported by a lot of my peers. I' not even close to 100 lbs, but on the healthcare front I've remained off my insulin, no longer sleep with my CPAP and have managed to stay relatively free of bing eating.
 
I'm very disappointed in that I've not maintained an excercise regimen that would be considered a "Life Style Change." I did have some good starts and stops and right now I'm decidedly at STOP. I just don't have the motivation stay on an exercise regimen. I always end up hurting myself in some way, then that give me clearance to give up.
 
In Oct 2012 I was in the hospital with stroke like symptoms, literally paralyzed on my left side. They r/o a stroke and after 2 days of tests, released me to neurologist for f/up care with dx of hemiplegic migraine. Code word for I don't know WTH is wrong, but she has had migraines in the past, so let's roll with it. I was on restrictions for about 2 month while they tried to figure out what's wrong. All my feeling returned before discharge, but I had total numbness in the last 3 fingers on my left hand. After testing for everything from carpal tunnel syndrome to pinched nerves in my arm and shoulder, the prize-winner neurologist came back with I can give you some cream that may work, I can send you to therapy with sometimes helps, or it may just fix itself on it's on........BUT I see you've not had a sleep study in a while and your plan will bay for it, so let me set you up for a new one. OK. Dr. Neuro's office begins calling me weekly to setup this darn sleep study....I finally told them to NEVER call me again. I still have trouble typeing and my left hand it still giving me problem.
 
I'm hoping I'm not a stroke risk, but the PCP says get going with the excecise again. In February I start back walking. Doing good. Sporadic, but I'm getting it in at least 2-3 times a week. Weight going down, have to finally buy some new clothes because my black leggings are falling off an my colorful fat girl "pop of color" tops are looking like flour sacks on me 'cause they're too big. I have a chronic pain in my left foot and ask for an x-ray, my PCP says there's nothing remarkable but I may have small bone spurs that will just be a chronic issue for me. SUX.
 
I start feeling a little soreness in my left leg, it evolves into a limp, but I'm thinking it's just me getting back on the track and I ben-gay it up and bear down. I'm down to 1-2 times a week, but I'm keeping it moving. Garage sale Saturday, I'm digging for treasures and a radiating pain hits my left leg. I can't walk. I yell. The ppl help me to my car and my mom starts freaking me out telling me it's probably a blood clot and I'm going to die if I don't get to an ER soon (She has a flare for the dramatic).
 
I go to the ER and they r/o a blood clot, discharge to my PCP for follow-up the next day. PCP rotates my leg and refers me to an Ortho Surgeon the next day stating he thinks I'm going to need surgery. Now I"m on crutches. Ortho assesses and no surgery. Just 1 week of total bed rest. I have a grade 2 calf muscle strain!
 
 
I'm off my feet for a week and come back, it's healing, but still not out of the weeds for abt 6 weeks so take it easy but do what you can.....To me that translates into DO NOTHING, and I've been faithful to that regimen for about 2 months now. WTH? Really Elle? You going to cop out like that? Why YES I AM. Disappointed in myself, but yes. I did that.
 
Now I'm at the year mark and reflecting. I want to hit the century mark. I'm wanting a 1XX versus a 2XX at my weigh in. I hope to reach the 100s in about 6-8 months. Kick-off date is July 1,2013. Please pray for me that I can keep this new goal in sight.
 
 
I do have concerns that I may have a hernia or something because I feel I am able to eat more than I should in one sitting. As long as I don't drink anything while eating I'm fine. I've drank alcohol sparingly w/o any trouble. I don't do well with chicken or ground beef.
 
Bread and butter is my weakness, but I can only eat a little bit of it at a setting. I have been bad and do drink from straws on occasion.
 
My new guilty pleasure is McCafe Hazlenut Lattes and Caramel Frappes. I also enjoy the egg white delight breakfast combo. I can eat the hashbrown and mcmuffin in one sitting (I just throw away one of egg mcmuffin slices).
 
I can honestly say the term "use VSG as a tool" not a solution is a great message. You will not drop an insane amount of weight just from having this procedure. You have to work at it and change. My health is better and I will praise this procedure to the mountain tops, but you must be willing to put in the work to get the pounds off. My mother recently had the procedure and is doing well. She was not nearly as obese as me, so I'm excited to see if a little competiton will help boost me on the walking track.
 
Her start weight is my current weight! So we're even in getting out of the gate. My mom had a lot more stuff broken in her health wise so I"m elated that she finally did the procedure.
 
My marriage is struggling at the moment. Not heading for divorce or anything, just facing some challenges with a blended family. We're working through it, but I'm feeling my old urges and our lack of intimacy isn't helping things at all. I hate being mad all the time.
 
Work is sucking as well. I don't know if I should move on or stay with them. My company has great benefits but I'm working 16-20 hour days and not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel. It's shockingly overwhelming.
 
Any way in closing. 1 year has been faced with several set-backs, but I'm optimistic that I can refocus and get back on track. Besides my husband and kids, the VSG decision remains one of the best decisions I've made in life. I think I bought myself more years on this earth by just choosing to not die of morbid obesity complications.
 
This board has been most helpful in letting me know I'm not alone and others are in the struggle with me and offering support.
 
Thank you all

getting ready for surgery on Monday, two days until everything changes. I'm actually really scared and hoping I'm making the right choice. The posts have really helped me look beyond short term to what my new life could be. Excited to start my journey. I believe!

With today being the first day of summer my thoughts have been on light and flowing dresses and tops.
 
I went into a store and hit the clearance rack. I found a cute sassy dress that I know I can alter as the weight melts away. I was tickled pink when it slid over the body and did not cling to me.
 
I instantly thought of push up bras and sexy undies, 7/22/13 can't come fast enough. All of that to say I want the foundation garments that will have me walking with that extra spring in my step. Lol
 
So the planning begins, I want to reward myself with a visit to Victoria Secrets (VS) and purchase underwear that scream SEXY! And they have to be HOT RED.
 
In the past I've darkened the doors of a VS store because I was with my friend that can fit their products. It's going to be a total scream the first time I can make a purchase. There is not a plan to buy then work to get into the undies. The goal is to reward each milestone I hit in order them without the psychological stress.
 
So I figure at 30, 60, and 90 pound milestones I'll reward myself. Once I hit the ultimate goal of 100 pounds lost its the full hot res sexy ensemble. Push-up bra, high cut sexy undies, garter and stocking to seal the deal. LOL.
 
To round this all out,how has the VGS community been rewarding themselves for reaching their goals?

With today being the first day of summer my thoughts have been on light and flowing dresses and tops.
 
I went into a store and hit the clearance rack. I found a cute sassy dress that I know I can alter as the weight melts away. I was tickled pink when it slid over the body and did not cling to me.
 
I instantly thought of push up bras and sexy undies, 7/22/13 can't come fast enough. All of that to say I want the foundation garments that will have me walking with that extra spring in my step. Lol
 
So the planning begins, I want to reward myself with a visit to Victoria Secrets (VS) and purchase underwear that scream SEXY! And they have to be HOT RED.
 
In the past I've darkened the doors of a VS store because I was with my friend that can fit their products. It's going to be a total scream the first time I can make a purchase. There is not a plan to buy then work to get into the undies. The goal is to reward each milestone I hit in order them without the psychological stress.
 
So I figure at 30, 60, and 90 pound milestones I'll reward myself. Once I hit the ultimate goal of 100 pounds lost its the full hot res sexy ensemble. Push-up bra, high cut sexy undies, garter and stocking to seal the deal. LOL.
 
To round this all out,how has the VGS community been rewarding themselves for reaching their goals?

I lost my uncle today. He had been battling cancer and though we knew he was terminal you can never fully prepare yourself. It started me thinking about my own mortality. I am about to willingly endure a major operation with risks - no matter how slim they are there are still risks.
 
A friend, who is part of my group of people that I have told about this operation, called me yesterday. It had been a while since we last talked and she asked me if I was still going through with "it" (giving the surgery a similar intonation we usually only reserve for the word cancer). Today after hearing about my uncle I thought of the question again. I also wondered if my uncle had any major regrets. I mean I am sure we all have regrets when this situation happens but I mean a big regret...one maybe influenced by others comments. I wanted to call my girlfriend back and reaffirm my YES bigger and louder than before.
 
I wasn't really close to my uncle but his passing today allowed me to put to rest in my mind the one last doubt about the surgery. Rest in peace Uncle P and thank you for the assistance to eliminate regrets!
 
No regrets!

Wanted to share a rundown of my surgery day and 1st week Postop. I was sleeved on June 11, 2013. Here goes:
 
Surgery day!: the surgery itself went smoothly. No complaints or complications. When I woke up, I did experience some nausea. I also felt a little too sedated. My mind was like, "ok, Misty, you need to get up and walk." But my body was like, "F*** that." My mom and husband brought me to my very comfy hotel room and I was instructed to start sipping on water at 10pm. So, I did. And I vomited. I did have some mild pain, but I couldn't tolerate the pain medication (I couldn't tolerate the water). Recap of the day: pain- very mild. Nausea- holy hell.
 
Day 1: I continued with nausea until I hit the 24 hour mark. Then I was able to drink. Magic! The day's intake totaled 5oz, and I was super proud of that. On this day I met my new best friend = Gas X. I attribute the Gas X with me feeling so much better. Oh! And I was allowed to take a shower!! (A shower cures everything). That evening Dr. Borland came visit me, and gave me terrible news = no bowel sounds! Ahhh! Some people might be like, "so what?" But in my mind (my nurse mind) I pictured myself with an NG tube, large midline abdominal incision, and a colostomy. Ah! I took Phenergan that night, not for nausea, but for sleep.
 
Day 2: I was able to leave the hotel. Home sweet home! After the car ride, I did have some mild soreness and a little trickle of blood at the bellybutton site. No biggie. And on this day I learned the value of burping myself, yes, like a baby.
 
Day 3: ok, we talked about no bowel sounds- Since the doc told me that, my ridiculously obsessed self kept listening for my bowel sounds. And I had been hearing increased grumbling. Yay. And today??? A BM!! Yes, thank you, I was happy for myself too. Today I felt no pain or soreness. I walked to the mailbox a few times- I was afraid to leave my driveway. I had a total intake of 17.5 oz!
 
Day 4: Feeling good! Walked outside a little. No pain. Total intake of 19 oz (I felt like I pushed it too much). I was feeling much stronger until I had to wash my hair-- OMG!
 
Day 5: Felt great!!! I discovered today that my engagement ring no longer fits. but and I got 21oz in with no problem. And today, I ventured past the mailbox into the street!!!
 
Day 6: I woke up feeling weak. After thinking about it, I believe I was a little dehydrated. I actually slept late this day. So my observation= sleeping too much= not drinking= dehydration= weakness. I did some light housework, walked outside, had an all around good day once I caught up on my fluids. And I went on my first outing: Walmart to shop for thickened liquids: dear god that was exhausting. Lol
 
Day 7: I started my protein shakes! And vitamins!! After all that clear liquid, I was kinda excited for protein. Feeling strong! Feeling good! I went to my first Postop appointment. Lost 22lbs! Yay! I will see my doc again in 2 weeks. Oh, and I learned I love V8.
 
So that was the first seven days. Honestly, I thought I'd be worse. And with no pain medications, I felt like I did well.

Decided to go to ER for fluids since the doctor said it would help my lightheadedness. I got fluids and was sent home. I am back home and still lightheaded. Am drinking as much as I can and it is not helping. I hope it goes away and I will not have to call the doctor back.

I am so happy that I had the sleeve surgery. My life changed almost immediately. I got rid of the C-pak machine for my sleep apnea and no longer take high blood pressure meds! My knees and feet no longer ache from the 207 pounds I was carrying around. And I have discovered that I am tolerating the climate heat like never before. I have actually worked in my flower beds this summer! I am 9 months out from my surgery, weigh 149 ( down 58 pounds)! I want to lose another 14 pounds. My weight loss has been on a stall but I understand what is happening and I am staying on course with exercise and diet. I know that weight loss will continue with my efforts. This experience has been a miracle for me. I just wanted to feel better! My energy level is astonishing! I am loving my sleeve! No regrets at all! It was an answer to a prayer for me!

Today is one month out since surgery. I am down exactly 30 lbs since the start of the pre-op diet, and 20 lbs since surgery. I was telling my mom that this morning, and feeling a wee bit bummed about “only 20 lbs since surgery” but she pointed out that it is a 5 lb average per week. I thanked her for setting me straight and making me look at it like that. I get so impatient sometimes, but this process will take some time of course. And time is going to pass anyway – I’m awfully glad to be losing as time passes! This morning I shopped in my closet and am wearing a dress I haven’t worn in months. That feels good, and I’ve already gotten a compliment on it.
 
You know, I have lost weight before as an adult-- at one point I even lost like 75 lbs years ago. And I’ve noticed something…. it’s so funny how when people you work with, for example, who don’t know you’re losing weight, they begin to notice something is different but they can’t quite figure out what it is. So funny. I had a moment like that yesterday. I bought a dress two days after surgery; it’s a nice maxi dress that I can wear for a while as I shrink. I have already worn that dress 3 times to work since surgery! But it was yesterday that a male coworker of mine said “Well you’re all dressed up today! You look nice, is it a special occasion?” LOL! I’m changing but they can’t quite put their finger on what exactly is changing….in my experience ,soon I will get the “did you do something different with you hair? Did you get your hair cut?” questions. LOL
 
As far as food goes, I am still technically supposed to be on soft foods. To be honest, I would be scared to eat anything not soft right now. I have no pain of course, but my Morningstar sausage experience a little while back is not something I’d like to repeat. So it is not difficult to stick to the soft things—I gravitate toward them out of fear! LOL. I am eating 2 to 3 protein meals per day – I try for 3 oz but it’s usually just under 2 oz. In between, I’m doing my “green smoothies” with protein powder. It blows my mind that I haven’t had bread in 6 weeks. Or chips or crackers or any of that crap. I’m pretty much carb-free! I can prepare those things for my husband’s meals and it doesn’t even entice me. I do have occasional cravings. If it’s something that’s on my current plan to have (like cheese), I eat it, and I find that literally after 2 bites I’m more than done. The sugar fiend in me is still alive, but when those cravings hit I 1) remind myself that I would probably feel horrible if I ate sugar and 2) when I am at goal, I will allow myself such indulgences occasionally. I KNOW that I could totally eat ice cream right now. But I am just not gonna do it!!!!
 
I am finally getting a reasonable amount of energy back. I am walking 30 minutes almost every day. I need to start strength training. I am beginning to develop a fear of loose skin. Somehow I’m not sure I could bring myself to do plastic surgery – although never say never. Just depends on how bad it is when I’m there I guess. I need to worry about that bridge when I get to it. I bought bio oil and am trying to be really good to my skin. Hope it will return the favor!
I totally have ketosis breath. It’s pretty funny. Love the altoids sugar free mini’s. They also are awesome right after a meal when I still need to wait 30 minutes to drink something.
Monday I see my surgeon for my one month follow up. My incisions are great. I’m certain he will give the all-clear to hit the beach
Onward!

Hey there everyone.
I know I have not been keeping up on my blogs... I guess its because I am now out living life and discovering who I am as a normal person. Finding out I like to hang out, I like to go to the gym, I don't mind being in front of a crowd now... As for normal life its kinda hard rite now, I just started a new job and its not really paying out what I hoped, so the bills are a bit tight rite now. But I can tell you that my cloths are not! I am having to sew and alter many of my cloths because I am loosing so fast! Thank god I can sew! Or I would be in cloths that looked like sacks and togas...lol
 
This sleeve is proving to be the most wonderful "tool"! And yes, everyone was right to say its a tool for weight loss! Its the thing that helps keep me on track. The reminder that I have a goal and that I don't want to stray from my mission.
 
As of this week I am 14 weeks post op. I have lost 71 pounds and almost 45 inches! (9 inches off my waist alone!) I have gone from a size 22 pants to a size 16! Everything looks and feels different. I can cross my legs when I sit, I can run up and down stairs, I can be on my feet for longer periods of time, I am starting to be able to ware high heals again! And when I pass by a shop window, I don't recognize the person I see in the reflection... The little changes and victories are endless! I am so happy I made this decision.
 
There are a few things for me that I have noticed are a little different than some of my other sleever friends. One is I am hungry regularly. I don't really know if it is what they call head hunger, or if my body is just telling me to eat more. I know that I am satisfied rather quickly, but I do feel hungry often.
I am able to eat most anything I want (in moderation) I have a little bit of a hard time with fried foods. I try to stay away from them in general, but sometimes my will gets the best of me... I am normally sorry in the end because my tummy dose not really like it... In general I am at about 1000-1100 cal a day... And I loose about 2 or maybe 3 pounds a week rite now...
 
I have been on the low end of my protein the past couple weeks. I have been making it a priority over the past couple days so I hope to see my loss pick up again. I have noticed it slow down a little. Im sure this will help. My other problem area is water ( I know, I am preaching to the choir on this one...lol every one has a hard time with water) I have been trying to drink allot more! I keep a glass full at work now and a bottle in my car. What ever it takes rite?
 
Well, I think I have covered most of the things that are going on with me. I want to be able to keep a record not only for myself but for all of you who might find a little help or hope in following my story. I know I am not supper interesting, or amazingly charismatic, but its my story... and maybe it will help someone...
All I got is my experiences and my personal victories...
 
To all my supper awesome friends out there... Thank you for your support! You guys are awesome! Sarahr and TTL you girls are the best! I am always able to talk to you guys... and especially my friend VSGkirk ... You have been so wonderful, and such a great friend... Thank you!
I am so glad we live close.
 
Until next time. Keep up the good work!

Do you remember where and what you were doing when you received the call; the call to confirm your surgery date?
 
I happened to miss my call because I was at work and while in a meeting left my cell phone at my desk. Once I got to my phone I recall listening to my message and once I heard the messages stoppded, hung up and found a private office. At least 3 times I played the message back before calling the office to confirm I received the message.
 
The staff I worked with at Temple University are the best. They worked with me through all of the bumps in the road I encountered. The were encouraging, thoughtful, understanding and most importantly supportative. I can never thank them enough.
 
My big day is July 22, 2013.
 
The first thing I did was to review my food and supply list and go shopping. I have all of the required vitamins, protein drinks, soft foods, etc. for the first three weeks. The second thing I did was call my support team. They were excited and supportive as well that the date had finally been set.
 
I really doubled down on making sure I am chewing my food well, drinking plenty of water and eating small portions. I have been successful in lossing 10 pounds in two weeks being this steadfast. I would love to have more weight off by surgery day. I need to get good before and after pictures.
 
Clothes! I have no plans to run out and purchase new clothes. Well, if anything I am looking forward to smaller underware. But I want to see what the first 3 months of this journery bring. So with that I plan to dust off the sewing machine as well as visiting a few second hand stores in my area. Of my intial weight loss since I began this journery June 1, 2012 I lost 25 pounds. I gained 15 then lost 10. In this process it has been great treading clothes with my sister. She is has been dieting and we exchange notes on what we eat and how we prepare food. So during a recent visit I was given lots of clothes, even some that don't fit.
 
For the clothes that don't fit they are my reward clothes. I can't wait to wear them. I do realize that not everyone likes to wear clothes from second hand shops and that's fine. Do what works for you in getting the new wardrobe for the new you.
 
As of this writing I have not requested off time from work. I have not told my employer, I do however plan to follow the proper procedures to inform them of needed time off and setup the paperwork for short term disablilty and FMLA. I hope I need only 3 weeks off. I feel guilty missing work, but I have the time so this is I how I have planned my days off.
 
I wanted to get back in the groove of visiting this site and hearing and sharing the journerys we all are taking in this process. I signed up a year ago and when I hit my snag I stopped visiting. But I realized I will need support along this journey and what better place to be than here.
 
My other big call I received was June 13, 2013, that call was the pre-op testing. I was surprised that I will be there all day but it is necessary for my journery. I have to meet the surgeon as well that day so its cool I will bring my supplies with me so I don't get hungry.
 
The last call I am waiting for is the one when the hospital calls and tells you what time to arrive. That is the pot of gold! All systems are go then baby!
 
I hope to continue to share as well as read and interact with everyone here. Continued success on your journery.
 
Karen