jessinoz4

Hi, lukkymeee. I am new here, too! I'm having the op on April 22 and am getting a little more anxious as the date approaches. I've had surgery in the past so I am not worried about the SURGERY aspect of it...I am more nervous about how life will be AFTER the surgery. I'm near the end of my 2nd week of Optifast and trying to get my weight down to the surgeon's specifications which has been fun! lol Good luck and I look forward to hearing more from you!

Hello, everyone! As I am new to this site, picking up on the way things are done may take me a little while. lol I am originally from Alabama but currently living in Australia with my DH and just celebrated my 30th birthday! I am not exactly sure where to start specifics about my past leading up to now and when to mention what all has occurred to influence my decision on having the VSG. I have been large from a very young age and I feel that it's primarily due to the sexual and physical abuse I endured as a child. As I grew and years passed, the more and more weight I gained - as that weight piled on, my self-esteem, will power, and self-worth decreased. Fast forward... I was diagnosed with PCOS at 18 but was on OCP for my cycles so I wasn't too worried at that time. I married my first husband at 22 and we were married for 4 1/2 years and TTC for 4 of those years. During those 4 years of Clomid, Clomid, Clomid, Chinese herbal medicine, temperature charting, saliva testing, etc, I gained a substantial amount of weight that would barely budge regardless of diet and exercise routines I put myself on. We FINALLY conceived with ovulation induction but sadly, lost the baby at about 7 weeks. So, on top of low self-esteem, will power, and little self-worth, feelings of severe inadequacy and failure as a woman, along with depression, became parts of my every day life. My first husband and I divorced, and now I am with DH and we desperately wish to have children of our own. With years of unsuccessful attempts at weight loss (vital for PCOS'ers) I have finally admitted to myself that I cannot do this on my own and with being 30 years old now, I may not have many more years left to conceive. I spoke to my GP and got a referral to the Adelaide Bariatric Centre and booked an appointment with the surgeon, Dr. Chisholm, in December 2012. We discussed surgical options (Lap Band, gastric bypass, and VSG). I was originally leaning towards the band but quickly decided to go for the VSG as it's permanent and I won't need to make several visits to find the "sweet spot" where the band is tight enough. My surgeon was ready and willing to do the operation in February but I couldn't as I was still saving up money for the procedure. So now, the surgery date is set for April 22nd. My liver function tests (LFTs) are severely elevated (most likely due to fatty liver), I am Insulin Resistant (THANK YOU, PCOS!), have high blood pressure, and my weight was 316 lbs. at my last doctor appointment. Dr. Chisholm decided to put me on 4 weeks of the Optifast diet to ensure my liver would shrink and be easily moved out of the way and the weight loss is generally nice He wants me to lose between 8 and 10 kilos, or 18-44 lbs., before the surgery. Currently I am finishing up my 2nd week on the diet and have lost about 13 lbs. - Only TWO WEEKS TO GO! WOOHOO! lol So the decision to finally get help to lose this weight was not an easy one. I felt each day I was dying, both physically and emotionally. I felt imprisoned in my own body. A slave to my emotions and hunger. I am ready for a new life and to be healthy and live life the way it's meant to be lived...happily and without regrets. (Oh, and sorry for the HUGE paragraph...my ENTER key isn't working in this box for some reason...)