LI Gemini NY

So I'm with the gorgeous LI Gemini NY' date=' I'd like to vote for you but would like to know if there is any other way? [/quote']

You made me smile...ear to ear lol Thank You

Voted Tiff, good luck!!

Ok good for you, glad it's working out now

Oh I said that because if you are a body builder calculating bmi is a little different and takes more than just standard bmi calculations...

BUT WE ARE ALL FAT...

I'm not fat, I'm big boned B-)

So the BRS program that I hadn't enrolled in was something from the insurance company and the first 5 people I talked to did not know about it! Now I find out the new surgeon taking my assigned surgeon's place (he did not renew his contract) is not going to be covered! UGH! And patient advocate is not getting back to me. I keep running into obstacles that I shouldn't be.

Oh no! Does any other surgeons there take your insurance? Would you have it done somewhere else? You wouldn't have to do everything over...what a predicament!

I so want to vote for you but I don't have Facebook :-/, any other way to do this?

Thanks guys, I really feel like I have a new lease on life now. B-)

Yay, I'm excited to start! I'm like super camera shy so idk how this will work out but I'll give it a go lol

Well' date=' she has heard our advice, 3 pages of it, but you know how it is - people can advise and advise but until someone hits their personal rock bottom, they won't change the situation. This man has used her and abused her but until she's ready to make the change ... hopefully the therapist can help her see that he is a user and toxic to her recovery.[/quote']

Amen!

Thank you sherry

That is so wonderful! You have probably been stressing out for long and now you have two wonderful supporters....You are gonna do fantastic!

Stressing is an understatement, I was seriously like mentally screwing myself with all types of crazy thoughts, like what if I don't tell them and I die during surgery, there will be so many unanswered questions and no closure....

Or

What if I tell them and they were against it, I would do it anyway but I couldn't imagine being around them being negative about this for months on end, that would drive me nuts. Then god forbid I have complications...I'll never hear the end of it!!

It turns out they're on my side and I honestly don't know why I thought they wouldn't be, fear I guess. Today reminds me of why I got "family" tattooed on my inner wrist.

Awe' date=' (((Gemini))).....Happy Birthday![/quote']

Thank you :-)

Until today, 1 person (my girlfriend) knew about me having surgery...today I had my final "weigh-in" and I completed all the other requirements so my time is nearing. I broke the news to my mom, well she kinda pulled it out of me but....she said she was worried about me because I've been going to a lot of medical appointments lately and the fact that I'm not saying anything to her that I'm sick or whatever is making her worry. I felt horrible that someone with stage 4 bone cancer and a weird crazy funky eye problem that's causing blindness is worried about me so I told her.

Me: "aw mommy I'm not sick, Umm i, well uhh. Ok! You can't tell anyone ok?

Mommy: um ok

Me: I'm having weight loss surgery and I had to go to a lot of specialist to make sure I'm safe for surgery...and for my insurance to pay for it.

Mommy: weight loss surgery? You mean Lapband? Please don't say gastric bypass because I don't like the idea of that.

Me: no no I'm getting the gastric sleeve.

Mommy: what does that mean.

Me: long drawn out explanation....

Mommy: are you sure that's what you want? You've been losing weight...

Me: explaining why I need this

Mommy: ok, where are are you getting it done?

Me: Winthrop

Mommy: she smiles (winthrop is like heaven to my mom, this is where all her doctors are, where she gets her treatments etc. this place can do no wrong.) ok! Well if you're sure about it, go for it. Anything you want me to do to help out?

Me: Sobbing, no, just don't eat delicious crap in front of me.

-----later in the eve....told my sister

She didn't know what the sleeve was either! But she said it was a great idea!!!! My sister, always been skinny....said its a good idea! ANDDDD asked what kind of stuff to get at the grocery for me. She also said she'll take off from work the day of and after surgery to help out.

I am so happy that they didn't judge me and thought I was lazy and taking the easy way out. I'm still kinda in disbelief that it happened this way!

Today was my birthday an I couldn't have asked for a better day.

I'm having a hard time getting the link from my phone app. Lol.

Go to YouTube and search: Lauren Freeman VSG.

I just watched your first video. Something weird happened. Let me start from the top. Today I woke up with a call from my mom and she was crying....she can no longer see. Like nothing, zip, zero. Mom has stage 4 bone cancer and has been on a million meds since march of 2012. Supposedly one of those meds caused an adverse reaction on her vision. Since May of 2012....it's been getting worst and today...she can no longer see.

Watching your video....your dad not being able to see, and my mom not being able to see. It's like the universe let us here lol

I hope your dad is ok, you said he's getting it fixed. My mom's case is soooo severe, surgery is the goal but her condition has to be stable for 2 more months. Her eye pressure was hovering around 45-50 for months, seems to be holding steady at a normal 19-25 now so hopefully she can have surgery.

I can't wait to watch the rest of your vids.

LOL I've been making videos and putting them on YouTube since I had the idea to do this surgery. I figured that everyone elses YouTube videos have helped me so much to make my decision and see what's to come' date=' that I could do the same for others as well. [/quote']

Really? That's awesome, I want to look you up, share please.

I was thinking the same thing ..I'm on YouTube every night watching videos...lol I should do my own...let's go for it

Yesssss! I'm in, I was thinking I should start the first day of the liquid diet ??

I was thinking about starting a "video journal" on YouTube....I viewed a couple and they were pretty cool. Hmmm there's an idea.

Today is the day! I am less than 6 months out (sleeved on December 6) and I finally hit 100 lbs down. I started at 290 and am now 190. The big success was when I broke into "one-derland" but this feels really good' date=' too. I work out every day and just ran my first 5k today! I never thought I would say that. I'm sorry if this sounds like gloating, I just want everyone to know there IS hope and you WILL get there with the determination. I still have a long way to go, but I am at the point now that since I am working out consistently, I feel like the sleeve isn't doing all of the work.. I'm doing my part too. I hope that makes sense.

Anyways, tonight I'm celebrating with a glass of wine and a movie! [/quote']

Good for you, thanks for the inspiration!

Ive been dreaming also. If im not reading about it' date=' Im watching it on you tube, talking about it or on here and I haven't started my six month diet.. Lol I see my NUT tuesday so Im possibly looking at surgery in Dec... Cant wait!

Sent from my iPhone using VST[/quote']

The time will fly by. I remember saying 6 months?!?! That's like forever! But it wasn't bad. 'twas a good 6 months actually. Good luck with your journey.

More so to the person who made the thread..pointing out someones race in a post' date=' I find very disrespectful.[/quote']

Ecuadorian isn't a race btw....

Well she won't have to worry about her diet post-op either as options for food are pretty limited in prison. I hope she likes cornbread :-/

Yea she isn't the brightest crayon in the box!

I'm on LI, I'm using Dr. Brathwaite at Winthrop. At my consult I had no idea what surgery I wanted so I voiced my concerns with each, what I didn't like or liked etc and his nurse helped me chose the sleeve, which is what I was thinking but wasn't sure. Also met with the staff (patient coordinator etc). The went over the my medical history, what they want me to do for the insurance requirements, they printed up the orders (nut consult, pulmonary, blood work, phycologist etc etc,) they even recommended where to go for what procedure, went over pre-op diets and such.

I swear I miss all the fun stuff around here lol so she actually said "I committed fraud this is how and where?!?!?"

That my surgery date is August 4th, how weird is that?!?! I feel like all I think about is this surgery and now I am having dreams about it too. The weird thing is I'm not even finished with my supervised diet yet lol. I did all the other testing already. May 28th (my bday) is my last weigh in for the supervised diet. How weird would it be if aug 4th is my surgery date lol. I hope not b/c that's entirely too far away. I'm aiming for the end of June!

Holly' date=' sweetheart, listen to me. I was in a relationship for 12 years. 12 LOOOONG years. Some of them good and others very bad. Basically I learned he cheated, I would get pissed, kick him to the curb and then take his sorry as back because I thought no one else would want me looking the way that I do(this happened several times). I already felt worthless. I didn't value myself as an individual. Sure, I'm a freaking phenomenal person, but from the outside, nobody really knows that. He was all i knew for a LOOOONG time and after every time that he cheated (I consider cheating sleeping with another person, kissing, being intimate, and taking a girls phone number since you met her at a bar and she seemed like a cool chick). I AM A COOL FUKCING CHICK! RIGHT HERE! YOU *******! Anyway, one day, we were in the pool and the topic of marriage came up. He said, and I quote: "I could never marry you looking like this. Our wedding pictures would look horrible." That stuck with me, for a long long time. Till this day actually. I broke things off a few months ago and although there are still some lines of communication open (I'm the type of person who doesn't want to fight. I have no need for enemies) I'm much happier than I was before. Now, he sees me losing weight and all I think about is (insert Borat voice) "you will never get this! You will never get this!"

I hope you get to that place soon. The place when the past doesn't matter and all you're looking forward to is the future. Good luck![/quote']

Aries, you're awesome. I'm happy that you're happy now. I hate seeing people in relationships with jerks. I'm glad you broke it off with him! What a tool!