kssooner2

Good Day!
My name is Sonia and I am from Kansas and 48 yrs old. I am scheduled for a revision October 16. I have lost 180 since banded in May of 07. Excited but nervous hoping to drop my other 60 pounds and be done with the focus and then to just LIVE! God is Good

I loved looking at the before/after/progress pics while I was just getting started here, so I always try to reciprocate
Before: 241 (probably got up into the 250's but wasn't tracking)
No real pre-op loss.
Currently: 166-168.
Nutrition: Focus on Protein and Water. Can basically eat and drink whatever I want in very small portions. Foods that don't agree with me: bread, tortillas and rice generally don't sit well so I avoid them. Pasta is ok, and so are crackers/toast. My favorite foods: anything seafood. In the last few weeks I've eaten salmon, swordfish, shrimp, and sushi. Also: cheese, in any way, shape or form. I've had more caprese salad in the last month than in the rest of my life combined. Yum yum! My not-guilty-at-all guilty pleasure: coffee, with full fat Creamer and occasionally some sweetener (read: on my period, heh). Every day. Mmmm. Stuff that goes down easier than I wish it would: Anything made of potato. DAMN YOU, POTATOES! *shakes fist*
Also worth noting - I can eat as much fruit and veggies as a "normal" person. No one would ever know I had surgery when eating from a veggie tray. For some odd reason, there's no restriction with those two items. I can't eat as quickly as I used to, but I could graze all day. Weird!
I've taken a purposeful no-stress policy over this. Stress stalls weight loss. You heard it here first! I had no pre-op, I have very, very laid-back post-op, and although my weight loss has slowed, I'm still losing consistently. 75lbs in 4.5 months is more than good enough for me My current exercise routine is... well, nothing. Not NOTHING, I guess, if you count typing as exercise. I work a lot and am terribly out of shape. So it's been slow going to get started.
Pictures:

Size 18/20. That's an XXL shirt from Kohl's. Summer 2011.

This is a before/progress. Winter 2012 on the left, and about 40lbs down (or about 35lbs ago) on the right.
Approx. 168lbs
Approx. 168lbs. Size L yoga pants from Target (Champion) and size M shirt (unisex)


Trying on at Old Navy Sweetheart boot cut jeans in 12 short. Hoodie is a L. Both fit comfortably and will likely be loose in approx. 2-3 weeks.
IF I CAN DO IT, ANYONE CAN. Hope this gives someone out there the inspiration they need to get healthy!

I just hit 4 weeks yesterday, and today is the first day I'd say that I feel like my old self again - energy wise . The weakness and general sick feeling at first really did make me wonder if I'd lostmy mind doing this. I mean being thin will be great and all (if I don't turn out to be the only person in the history of the world who does this and does not lose weight) but, contrary to some opinions, I do not believe it is the end all be all of the world. Ill be honest. . . If we're talking forever, Id take fat and feeling human over thin and the way I felt the first month after this surgery. But, like I said, I suddenly woke up this morning feeling human again. Now, if I could just lose some weight!

Good Day!
My name is Sonia and I am from Kansas and 48 yrs old. I am scheduled for a revision October 16. I have lost 180 since banded in May of 07. Excited but nervous hoping to drop my other 60 pounds and be done with the focus and then to just LIVE! God is Good

Good Day!
My name is Sonia and I am from Kansas and 48 yrs old. I am scheduled for a revision October 16. I have lost 180 since banded in May of 07. Excited but nervous hoping to drop my other 60 pounds and be done with the focus and then to just LIVE! God is Good

i am starting on that same journey but doing it by choice. My friend has talked me into getting my band revised due to the problems that are occuring with the band. She is an RN and has had the band, revised to sleeve so she has been there done that. So I am on the same path but have already made the decision. Good luck on your choice. I am down 190 so do understand. Good Luck..

I use the Unjury and I have never tasted it in anything. I add it to low carb chocolate milk for Protein Drinks, to Soups and yogurt. I love the Unjury chicken, chocolate and unflavored. It is high quality medical Protein and so much better than the RTD canned drinks.< /p>

okay here are my two cents worth. I was banded in 07 i am down 190 pounds.. I started at 424 and was 42 years old. The band "saved my life" i still have 50 or 60 pounds i want / need to loose. I started talking to my RN friend who also turned into a coordinatior for our Doctor, about getting plastics in next year and what the costs would be and what would be able to do. When i had my band, they were doing 20-25 bands a week plus other surgeries. They are now removing 5-7 a week going to sleeve or bypass. so 25% are revising now. there are complications coming out and she says now that it is not if there will be issues but when. the band will fail and if it does it could be and ER surgery. So on October 16th, i will be going in for a revision. Praying that I am ready for those wonderful 30 days of liquids and mushys!!! Good luck with your decision it is a life changer!

Hello fellow sleevers! Its my 3rd day out of surgery ( Aug 22 sleever) and I am feeling better. Some background info on me because I am not sure where to even start!
I am 30 years old from NJ/NYC. Around Feb I weighed a staggering 517lbs. I was walking around disney world in FL thinking, hey, where are all the people my size? I'd like to think Im the type of person who doesnt even know hes fat, until its too late. ( what do u mean this bar on the haunted mansion ride doesnt go down???). Around that time when I came home from FL I realized that while on my vacation I slept noticably better. I blamed me no longer drinking coffee and sugar as the reason I felt so great on vacation, and quickly lost 10lbs from this alone when I came home. One day while staying late at work ( an accident , as I am a bus driver ) a co worker walked by me. I couldn't recognize him at all! He explained to me all the details of his sleeve, and a few other of my co workers had gone with him. Not wanting to be rude, I said I would atleast check out the info. A few weeks pass, and I promise to atleast check out the seminar my dr was having. It was kind of funny looking back because it was at a local gym, the last place i wanted to be seen, let alone walking up to the info counter and asking hey "wheres the meeting for fat people ?" ( sorry to offend just at my weight i throw the term around). I remember thinking to myself, I hope i just have to ask where, and i get pointed to a room. As luck would have it, the lady was so busy she couldn't hear me and I had to ask 3 times. She wasnt really sure and had to call around to find out where it was, getting atleast 3 other people involved, at which point I wanted to run and hide in my car! Fast foward a bit, I found the place, met the surgeon and told him i would make an appointment if i thought I was serious. A week later I made the apointment which is kind of strange, I guess i went in thinking I was going to be bamboozled or tricked into, and left thinking man I WANT THIS!
My surgeon, Dr. R Sadek of Somerset NJ was fantastic. He told me I had to lose atleast 30lbs before the surgery to slim down the stomach area. At first I thought this was impossible. But I quickly lost 10lbs again. I purchased a treadmill and began chugging away 30-40 minutes a day, eating better and BOOM 30lbs! The worst part of the surgery for me , was the dreaded pre op diet. OMG. The crazy part is as you progress from full liquids, to clear only, you wish you were able to have some of the stuff you had on full liquid! About halfway into the 2 week liquid, I met my co worker again who confessed to me he had mcdonalds two days before his surgery. This was awful I thought! How could he? And it got to me. I wish I could sit here and say no I didnt cheat on my 2 week pre op. But I did. Honest here ? You bet. I had two slices of pizza. I didn't feel bad either about it too, but I knew I had to get back on track, and finished the last 6 days strong. My insurance, blue cross blue shield sent in the letter of approval literally days before the surgery but picked it up 100%. Infact the only thing they wouldn't pay for is for me to see a nutritionist. But they will be for my surgery? Go figure!
My surgery on Aug 22 was at Robert Wood Johnson in NJ. I have to admit everyone was so nice and friendly at the hospital. I guess its me being from NY always thinking people will rush or be angry with me? They couldn't find my vien in my arm using a sonagram, so they had to put a "central IV" in my neck. This was painful and had I known this I would have said NO! It was very messy without TMI or grossing anyone out but an IV in your neck is not very pleasant.
After waking up from my surgery, I felt terrible. I had to wait a bit to get pain killers because I was feeling nauseous and apparently you have to wait a bit if you feel this way. After I had my morphine I spent the rest of the day snoozing, off and on. ( and realizing I had a cathoder which kind of liked, kind of hated?). I was not allowed to drink anything till the Xray the next day. The next morning I had my x ray , no leaks, and was given an amazing amount of clear foods I could never eat . Bowl of chicke broth, Jello, ice tea, waterbottle, italian icee. I think I had about two sips of the tea and felt full. I could not believe it!
So, around 1pm, roughly 24 hours later I was given the OK to go home. I was pretty good, I mean I walked to the car myself and felt like someone punched me in the stomach, but I thought it would have been much worse. Pain killers for the win?
Yesterday ( first full day out of the hospital) I spent mostly sleeping on the couch watching cartoons and semi talking to people who called to check on me, until they realised I really couldnt pay attention. Day 3, I feel great. Im amazed how long it takes me to drink a cup of Water. I have no hunger at all, which I always thought was just plain BS when people say on this on boards, but I have no desire to eat at all. I don't mean this in a bad way of course, but looking around I can't wait to try some of the recipes you guys have posted, IE a pumpkin latte or bean cup cake recipe I saw posted!
So here I am, day 3 post op, feeling good. Started at 517 , 461 at surgery, and 456 right this second. I am Phillip. And I'm a sleever. =)

Girl.... go ahead and have that iced coffee occationally!
Dont feel guilty- enjoy each sip and make sure you do some extra cardio to combat the extra cals! Try to swap the sugar for fake sugar, to make it Non-Fat and try to stick with a small.
I have 2-3 SF Iced NF Lattes'/week- so from one coffee girl to another- ENJOY!

Any one ready for Halloween?? I have three monsters itching for costumes!! (last year we went as toy story... Jesse, buzz, a green alien ((my 1 year stole the show!)) and mr. and mrs. potato head (((made at midnight the night before <---- procrastinator!)))) They actually want to go all as a theme again!! (I'm enjoying every bit of it!)
Why did I put this in the 200+ column??? Oh for this.... When kicking around costume ideas my husband says the incredibles... There are 5 in the family, one girl and two boys just like ours (even thought our daughter is the middle child, she is taller than my stepson (2 years older) by about 6inches... So I guess it works out) but I digress... I told my husband I didn't think I fit the mold for the mom but he already had the three kids excited about it so I said I guess I'm in... His response??? Well the mom is ElasticGirl... And you keep pointing out your stretchy skin!!
Ha! I love him!!! I laughed until I about feel out of my chair... So I guess I'm gonna be ElasticGirl for Halloween... I bet this kinda of stretching skin was never what the creator had in mind...
Thought you might could enjoy a laugh today!!!
Now to find 5 people worth of red shirts and pants... I wonder if my husband has thought the black underwear on the outside of the pants all the way through yet!

I live over by Coffeyville will be sleeved october 16th in MX. i am having a revision from a band to the sleeve. I have had a love hate relationship with my band and have lost 180 pounds. looking forward to the next journey. If you have luck with a support group peae let me know.