Kimmyk

It's weird how people who maybe had fingers pointing towards them in the past, now do the pointing. It might be nice to TRY to be fair and understand what these people that overeat are going through. We've all "been there, done that" and at times we've had out of control eating and/or relentless unsatiable hunger. It's one thing to see them overeating and reflect back on yourself, not see yourself in a positive light in the past and glad you had a tool to help you not be like that any longer. But we've been there, we know how overaters feel and of all people..... we should understand and see things a little how they see them.
I'll see someone like that and want to tell them (without offending them or them thinking I'm calling them fat) that there are possible tools for them out there as well and tell them how happy I am with mine. But I've rarely done that due to not knowing how they would take it. I would like to help them somehow instead of putting them down or judging them.

I'm sorry to hear your daughter's ill. I hope she has a swift recovery! October will be here before you know it =)

Everything will work out in your favor .Stay strong. Keep us posed on your success.

Had to reschedule my seminar for Saturday. My babygirl is in the hospital, I'm so glad she's doing much better but still a lil sad I couldn't get the process started. Patience is a virtue huh next seminar October 13th now I really cant wait lol

I wear wigs lol too.

I have always had an irregular period. From age 12-17. Obgyn put me on ocella (estrogen) and my periods got extremely heavy when i took the "off-week" dose. She did ultrasound (pelvic and transvaginal) and found cysts on both ovaries. Also, blood work showed i have a blood clotting disorder thats genetic called Factor V leiden. So she immediately stopped the estrogen and started me on the depo provera shot once every 3 months. The depo will help dissolve the cysts. After the first 3 shots, i have NO period. So for the past 3 years, i have had no period, only sometimes slight spotting. BUT, when i lose weight rapidly, even while on depo, i get a period. This is because your body stores estrogen in fat, and we are burning so much fat with this restricted diet.
My surgery date is sept 14 and ill keep yall updated!

Hopefully this will keep going. These are my before and after pics. Today is my 4 month anniversary of my surgery. I have losy 90 lbs from 315 lbs to my current weight in this pic at 225. Forgive my old age and shirtless ness but I couldn't resist. My surgery was on May 1st 2012. Hopefully others will share theirs.

I have been going to a WLS surgery support group and every meeting someone says something along the lines of, "well it is not like I am trying to be a size 6 or anything, I just want to be healthier." So am I alone in that I DO wanna be a size 6--or 4--or 2? I want to be the one that is expected to sit in the middle of the backseat because I am so small. I want to wear tiny little jeans and have the option of dressing trashy and still looking hot. I have been big my whole life and I want to be the little one. Don't get me wrong, any move towards health and any weight loss is a good thing. I know better than to measure success vs. failure by getting into a size that seems almost unreal to me now. However, is it OK if I WANT it? Like really,really want it? I know me well enough to know that I will Celebrate every pound lost and every step I make towards a healthier me. However, if the truth were told, at the top of the list of reasons that I am willing to allow someone to cut one of my internal organs into pieces and yank part of it out of my body through a slit in my stomach, go through the risks of surgery, and have my eating habits forever changed is because I am SICK OF BEING FAT and I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to slip into a pair of jeans whose size is one single, solitary number. In this group everyone is like, "oh, I just want to reach a healthier me, looking better is just a little extra." Can I call BS on that? I mean like big heaping, steaming bull $#!%.... I know this post may make me seem shallow, but I have never seen anyone jump up and down over seeing their cholesterol go down 10 points. However, be in the vicinity when a former fatty slips on a size small top and size 6 jeans for the first time and you will see some celebrating going on. They will be taking pictures and calling their friends to share the news. You might see a little dance or hear an "oh HELL YEAH". Ever see anyone act like that over that hospital lab report? I am not trying to minimize the awesome health benefits of losing what is basically another person made up of fat that I am carrying around. I know my friend of fat will eventually kill me if I don't leave her behind. I am looking forward to improved health, mobility, and energy levels--sure...but do I really have to pretend that I wouldn't have the surgery if I knew that my overall health wouldn't really improve and all I had to look forward to is being smaller?

I think everyone goes through emotional extremes coming up to their surgery. I know I did. I wanted it so bad. Yet I was scared as hell.
There were a million different "What If's" running through my mind about the surgery, what if something goes wrong, what if this happens, what if that happens... Then I asked myself what if I don't get the surgery done, and thought about what life would continue to be like, and how long I might have left to live continuing on the way I was.

I had various symptoms of PCOS since I started my period when I was 12 years old, years of misdiagnosis, and misreading symptoms led to so many procedures and doctors blowing me off. Even when I was covered in fibrotic tumors and cysts and needing surgery when I was 19, my surgeon just said it was "random"... it wasn't until 2007 when I got pregnant after a couple of miscarriages the doctors discovered I had triplets. When the specialists started reviewing my history, the extreme periods, extreme weight fluctuation, hormones, severe back and forth cycstic acne- they finally diagnosed me. While 2 of my 3 kids passed away, they heavily medicated me and tried to get the pcos under control after I birthed all three of them. I've only had two serious episodes since, but right after I was sleeved I went through a horrific period again. I'm praying that with this weight loss my body will stop being ravaged... I see stories of hope on here and I'm so thankful.

I want to thank every body for there input and there comments I really appreciate them and this forum for that matter it was just the push I needed to make my decision its a GO! Now for the waiting process I have heard about I'm ready

Im bleeding bad now. The doctor told me DNC. Now she changed her mind. I been throwing up and nausea. Huge clots. I've been bleeding since June nonstop. I went to the er Tuesday like my obgyn said. I was dizzy. I begged them to keep me. She put me on estrogen today. Im still cramping bad and bleeding. I don't understand the doctor. I think I might need to try a different er.I can't live like this. Can't eat not good or drink. I keep losing blood.

Your doctor, generally your Ob-Gyn, but your regular doctor can do it too... needs to do a blood panel. They will check your various hormone levels, and your glucose levels. There are symptoms that you might see, such as absent or really irregular periods, hair growth on the face, chest or stomach, adult acne, exhaustion for really no reason, mood swings (more than normal), depression... and the list goes on. There is tons of great sites with information about PCOS.
I really like all the information that insulite labs has on their website. I don't use their products or methods they sell, but found their site to be full of some of the most useful information out there for PCOS suffers.
http://pcos.insulitelabs.com/PCOS-Self-Test.php

He subject says it all! I finally after almost 6 months broke down and shopped for new clothes! Everything I bought is a size 4!!! 97 pounds down and 21 to go to goal! I started at 228 and now weigh 131! Thank you God for VSG!

My advice to you is that you need to listen to what your own heart is telling you. This is such a personal decision and it shouldn't be influenced by other people. When you ask yourself if this is right for you, go with your own answer. The sleeve is not an easy way out, it is a tool. It is a journey that still requires lifestyle changes and commitment. Nobody is doing this for you which is why you need to be the one to decide. Good luck!

I have PCOS... and I can tell one big improvement, I'm not longer exhausted for no reason. Next Tuesday I'll be heading to my OB-gyn for the first time post surgery, she's the reason I started down this sleeve path in the first place, so I can't wait to see her and at 50 pounds lighter! I'm hoping she tells me all signs of PCOS are gone... I'm do a backflip out of her office!

I want to thank every body for there input and there comments I really appreciate them and this forum for that matter it was just the push I needed to make my decision its a GO! Now for the waiting process I have heard about I'm ready

Anyone that tells you that you're taking the easy way out doesn't understand what you are about to do. Like my surgeon told me.... This isn't an easy way out, this is the toughest desicion you will make and you're a strong person for doing that. It's not like you will live your like you did before surgery.... This is a lifestyle change and the WLS is a tool to help you in the process. Good luck and hopefully you will find someone at home that will be in your team to help you.

I was wondering if any women that have been sleeved have pcos and if so has it improved? I have pcos I wanted to know if this condition improves after wls.

I've been getting my periods and no more metformin for me.

Thank you Angela, you too!!! It will be worth it once we are!

I have the same questions and we are hoping to become parents (17 months from now!) I am almost 6 weeks out of surgery and the primary reason for surgery was to be able to have children eventually. So far so good, I will be retested in a month to see if I need to begin taking metformin, my doctor wanted to give me an opportunity to get the weight off with surgery.

I will keep you in my thoughts! Good luck, I can understand what you are going though! 4 years of trying shots, meds for this and that, and still nothing, it gets so frustrating. I hope that through this journey you are able to be parents!

Hello,
I have PCOS, and I had surgery March 1st, 2012. So far, I have lost 69.2 pounds. My three month Hemoglobin A1c increased slightly (5.9 to 6.1) and that was frustrating! I have not tested my pos-op androgen levels yet, but did find that my testosterone came down significantly before the surgery after a 30 pound weightloss over 2 years. I think my HbA1c was elevated primarily because I lowered my metformin dose post-op from 2 grams daily to 1 gram daily. Now I have increased the dose up to 1.5 grams. My blood pressure also went up post-op which may be in part to the medication reduction, as BP and blood sugar stability go hand in hand.
Ultimately, I think that my PCOS will improve as I lose more weight. Now that I am getting closer to the 100's, there will be a tipping point where the PCOS will improve. Hang in there for the long haul!!!
Nancy