valkyrea

Went to my nine month follow up today, surgery was December 10, 2012 with a presurgery weight of 379, weight today is 226.5. In waist size went from a tight 54 waist to a 36 waist. Shirt size from 4XL to Large and sometimes even a medium. Anyhow now for what everyone always wants to see the picture.

I do my best to listen to the TONE instead of the WORDS that are being said. A friend who says excitedly, "You are shrinking down to nothing!!" with a smile and a hug means something much differently than a "friend" who says, "You are shrinking down to nothing" with a bit of a sneer and a sideways eyeball.
I also know that I take things differently from people who I don't care much for than I do from people I love. I know I brace myself for insults from people who never have nothing nice to say and even when they do, I may hear it differently than they intend.
We can't control what other people say or do, but we can totally control how we react. I am choosing to take every word as a great compliment because I am riding high on excitement with my emerging new self and NO ONE can take that away from me.

This is a great thread.. Here in the UK, people seem so reserved to just say.. Wow you've lost weight so what they say is 'wow, you look well!!' At first it annoyed me they couldn't just acknowledge my weightloss.. Hey I know I was super fat before.. But now I'm getting used to it, and take it as the compliment it was meant to be! I'm far from skinny and still have at least 100lbs to loose but one of my friends called me 'skinny mini' that was a massive compliment. Other compliments that spur me on are just generally how I'm looking healthier, smaller, half my size.. And then the encouragement to keep going!! Weirdest comment was my dad.. Cringe.. You've lost your boobs!! Yes dad, I know they were enormous but just keep the thought to yourself!! Happy Monday all

One of the best: "what you do with that other person?"
One of the worst: "you are shrinking down to nothing, are you feeling ok?"
One of the unwanted from my husband's male cousins: "look at sexy."

The best is when people use words I've never had describe me before in my life "look at you your getting tiny!" "Hey skinny mini " and the not so nice ones are " your face is getting pretty" so was it ugly before? And " you look better now, you actually look nice" what the hell does that mean?! I still don't know how to react to compliments sometimes even 9 months out lol

Oh I love it! So they are noticing the change in the way you carry yourself. You got your confidence back!

Ha, I have kind of an 'all in one' deal. My grandma likes to tell me, "wow honey, you sure can tell you lost weight!" Which is great, but reminds me of how she used to say, "gosh honey, you sure can tell you gained weight!"
My favorite compliments though? Apparently surgery increased my confidence or something because people keep commenting on my excellent posture, how regal I look, how I walk with 'poise', etc. I love it.

Lets all share our best and worst well meaning compliments about our weight loss.
My best was after returning to work after summer break: where'd you go this summer?! I mean where'd you go? Half of you is gone!
Oddest (considering it came from my mother in law): look at you! You're nothing but boobs!
Rudest: wow you lost all that weight and it found me. (Yes I am now responsible for others weight gain)
But the nicest compliments are the simple, you look great! I know they mean my weight loss and I appreciate the subtlety.
What are yours?

I'm only 2 weeks post op but my mom said "oh my gosh look at your face it has already gotten so thin, way to go" oh and first day back to school and one of my classmates said "your scrubs are already getting baggy on you" it was just nice that someone noticed even the little things.

Thank you Bethzy for the advise, I called my insurance today, and I was Approved on 8/29 sorry I'm so nervous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy!!!!!!!!! OMG!

I'm September 23rd! Just over a week to go! Looking for friends too!!
MFP: AbbeyNoFlabby friend me!

Just thought I'd share my story with all you pre-ops.
I arrived at the hospital at 5:45am and got registered. About 6 they called me back and did all the fun pre-op things: changing onto my attractive hospital gown, drawing last minute labs, starting the IV (one stick), and a ton more things. I met with the anesthesiologist and OR nurse and just had to wait for my doctor to arrive.
8:00 I was on my way to the OR, scared but ready. I was asleep within minutes. I don't remember anything after I scooted from the stretcher to the table.
I woke up in PACU and was extremely nauseated and in a lot of discomfort. They have me Compazine for the nausea that when it kicked in it took the nausea away completely. I dozed on and off during this time. I did notice it was 11;30 when I first looked at the clock. At noon I was transferred to my room.
My husband was waiting for me and all I could say was that I was sorry and wished that I could have been happy being fat (can we say I was having a little buyers remorse and really early). I actually told him that a few times but I had really bad gas discomfort and was still exhausted from the anesthesia. The gas pain was terrible but I knew and the nurses reinforced that walking was the only thing I could do to get rid of it. My body felt heavy and I could barely lift my arms at this point so walking just seemed like a ludicrous idea. My husband left to get my son off the bus and I slept. I forced myself to wake up an hour or so later because my son was coming to see me and I wanted him to see I was okay. Once I woke up I had to pee and of course I am scared to death to get up but I have to. It is something Iust do. I called for help and up I got. Surprise it wasn't bad, my fear was for nothing. I then started doing little trips in the room going to the window or to the bathroom and guess what the has pain got better. It's still not gone and it hurts to lay down but it's tolerable. I have also been sucking on ice chips as much as I can to get my fluids in.
It is now 12 hours past my surgery and I no longer have any buyers remorse (for now) and the gas pain I have is in my shoulder and a smidgen in my belly. I did have a hernia he repaired while he was in there or so my husband told me. I just wanted to share my surgical story with everyone. Tomorrow I have a swallow study and I hope to go home. Good luck to everyone on this journey.

Good Luck!! I wish you no pain!

Hi sleeve buddies, I just got back to the Marriott after my surgery. Here is my story, hope it helps anyone with the jitters! My surgery was 9/11 with Dr Ponce and it didn't start until 5:30pm. I was a little nervous waiting, but I walked around and found lots of friendly people in different stages of recovery. My surgery lasted longer than planned because they found and repaired a hiatal hernia.
The first 24 hours are the worst. Everyone is different as to what discomforts they have, but it seems pretty universal that you feel awful, but pain meds and nausea meds are given regularly so that does help get you through. The second day is like night and day, I showered in the morning and put my own nightgown on, then walked and felt better and better through the day. I still got the regular medicine through the day, and an extra pain booster at night. The second night I could lay on my side which really helped. I had asked them to put off the leak test for a day because even sucking on ice chips made my stomach cramp up the first day. I had the test this morning and it was no problem at all. Now, 48 hors after surgery I am sipping my chicken broth at the hotel and feel about 75% of normal.
The whole experience at the Marriott and the Hospital MI Doctor has been better than expected. Let me know if you want to ask about anything!

Reposting this from another board by a fellow sleeve vet I have a lot of respect for Elina_7. I have this printed out on my desk and read it all the time. Sorry for the eye-bloodying wall of text - VST wont let me edit unless it is pasted from a word document.
"This is a post for those of you that think that this surgery will get you to your goal, and I am here to share the bad news with you that it will not. This surgery alone will most likely only lead you to lose to about 50-60% of EW all by itself (on average, some people lose much less and others more). That is the bad news.
The good news is that this does not have to be your fate. You can make a choice to do much better than this statistic. You can choose to lose all the way to 100% EW and be in the top 10% of sleeve patients. You really can do this and than keep your results.
I am here at four years into my maintenance sharing this with you from my personal experience as well as observation. You can reach goal and you can keep it. This is what it takes (from my point of view) to get there and to stay there.
1) You will read about many programs on OH and your doctor will have their own program, my experience tells me that in most cases, the 600-800 cals, over 80 grams of Protein, under 40 grams of carbs is the way to go. Others will disagree, and I am OK with that. This is my post and my opinion and my observation. There is no way that I would have reached goal on 1200 calories. That is my maintenance level eating. This of course might need to be tweaked on an individual basis. If you are an athlete and workout multiple hours a day, or if you have a different goal than I did or if you have a super fast metabolism or are a guy and have tons of muscle, than maybe eating more calories will work for you. If you are a woman, petite, not a youngster, and work out an hour or so a day, in most cases, the higher calories will not get you to goal. Are there exceptions, of course there are exceptions. Are those exceptions common? No, they are not.
2) If you go into this with without realizing that the first six months to a year is all about your weight loss, you are cheating yourself. I read posts on here about how to add flavor to foods and often the point is about making this more palatable. There is nothing wrong with adding spices, or finding low carb, nutritious alternatives to some foods, however, when your focus is anything other than maximizing your weight loss, you are sabotaging your progress and your opportunity of reaching that elusive 100% EW. I can honestly tell you that I think I would have eaten cardboard in those early months if that was required of me. The dedication needs to be to the process, the rest is not that important. Find your groove with certain home made lean Proteins and mostly eat that until goal. This is not rocket science, eat 2-3 ounces of Protein and eat low carb veggies as Snacks.
3) Do not allow relationships to get in your way. I don't care if you have kids, or an unsupportive husband, or parents choose to undermine your efforts. That might sound callous, but really, I don't care and neither should you. This next six months to a year is about you and you alone. This is your selfish time, the time when nothing comes before you. If you can't have certain foods in the house, get rid of them. If your spouse sabotages you, stop them. Speak up, find your voice, set your boundaries and do not allow anyone to take your mind off the prize. You matter, you are important, you are precious, and you must find the strength to do the right thing for yourself. If the people in your life are not supportive of your efforts, minimize your contact, or set firm limits. You are in charge and you will not allow anyone to get in your way.
4) Find the warrior in you and give yourself over that part of you for now. Find your type A personality, your alpha and your OCD parts and marry them to get one heck of a fighter. This is not a passive experience, this takes guts, sweat and tears. This takes being over focused on the minutia of your eating and exercise. This is a second job, a new baby, a big deal. This is not about passively taking what comes your way. You must drive this and you must take full control and responsibility.
This will not be easy, but it is worth it, really, really worth it. Stop thinking that it will just happen, stop thinking that it should be easy, stop thinking that this shouldn't take a good deal of your time and energy or that it will be convenient. It will not be any of these things, and yet, in the end, you will love the results and remember the process with fondness. You will feel proud to own your results. This journey will change you, and I don't just mean your weight.
In the end, it comes down to an age old question; how badly do you want this?"

I am so thankful reading all of the posts by the new sleevers. I am flying to TJ on Saturday with surgery booked for Sunday. A little nervous but reading these posts definitely helps to put my mind at ease and I just want to go now!!! Lol Heal well to all you new sleevers and enjoy this great blessing!

I was sleeved on Monday 9/9, came home yesterday! On full liquids. Doing good at getting in fld but not the cream Soups or yogurt, only able to do one of the 2 tbsp. Drinking chocolate Shakeology with skim milk for my Protein Shake which one 8 oz shake comes to 25 grams of Protein. Immediately after surgery I had severe nausea but that subsided with meds about 4 hrs post op.. Had a little nausea today but took a Zofran. Pain has been very manageable which has really surprised me and so far I'm
Taking only 2 doses of pain meds a day. I walked around the house today and also to the end of my drive and back then unloaded and loaded the dishwasher and I was tired . I feel like I am doing well with a good recovery. One thing to mention is I gained 8 pounds since surgery being pumped with all the fluids, that was kind of hard to take but as of this morning had already lost 5 of that. My stats are below:
Please share how the rest of you are doing!
Highest wt-271
Wt before pre-op diet: 268.2
Surgery day: 257
4 days post op-259

I report for surgery at 5:30a tomorrow. I am so nervous!

Exactly one week from surgery!!! starting my 1 week liquid diet today and so far, so good. I am so excited for the changes coming my way!!!!! Good luck to all of us September Sleevers!!!

1 week from today I will get the chance to begin my journey of being healthy and living my life without medications! I'm so excited, I can't wait!!!

Yeah? Well perfect me rocks a bikini, wears VS bras and looks like one of those angel ads while brilliantly investing money so I have more than I know what to do with and in my spare time I invent a software application that ends world hunger, war, and infighting. Oh yeah, and my turkey wattle is gone too. I may be old but Icahn still dream too.
Lynda

Sod the jogging commercial. I'm going for rollerskating along a tropical beach promenade in white lycra mini-shorts, listening to 80's soft-rock whilst using sanitary protection for the first time in years, with Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Anniston as cheerleaders shouting 'you're worth it' as I flip my (no doubt) threadbare but shiny, fragrant locks (and a 'bird') in their general direction.
I say as long as you're compos mentis about the cons (which you clearly are), you have every right to revel in the potential pros. As Oscar Wilde once said: 'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.'
You go, girls! x

I do feel better and more attractive, but about a million miles from perfect. I have to watch the negative self talk. After fitting comfortably in size 6 clothes (and not those gigantic vanity size 6s!) I was excited for bathing suit season- right until I tried three or forty on looking for one that fit OK. Also has a crappy experience at Victoria Secret trying on bras. I don't have nearly as much extra skin as some, but it's too much for their bras. Also, I really hate the extra skin. Not enough to have plastics because they are expensive and I'm just not up for more surgeries. But I do feel like I look WAY better at 135 instead of 254. Perfect? No, but much improved!
Lynda

Yes, your right about that. The psych eval was a poor example, I'll admit that.
I know that for me, I've had 8 YEARS of psych therapy to prepare myself for this journey.
My only hope is that others don't 'judge' someone else just because they've got a different set of coping skills.
I need this surgery to save my life, quite literally. I still prefer to use laughter and positive things to keep it light. It works for me, but not for a lot of others on this forum.
I happened to get lucky and found a few others who can relate to where I'm coming from.
I fully appreciate reading those posts you mention where someone's freaking over that cheeseburger or pissed because they can't eat heaps of food now. It shows me that it's going to require determination, tons of hard work, and it's not always going to be fun. I'm ok with that. I'm ready for that.
This thread was simply put, a breath of fresh air.