I can't believe I'm really posting this picture. It's been a long 8 months and I'm a slow loser, but with the help of my fabulous sleeve and the insanity workout program, I am down 97 pounds!! I've never felt so good, I feel ALIVE. I feel like I can be me and act and dress how I want and not worry about being judged because I am the fat girl. The sleeve was the best decision I have ever made for myself, I know I couldn't have done it without it. If your on the fence, please - do it for yourself!! I'm so glad I did.
DOS 1/6/13
Starting weight 262 lbs
Current weight 165 lbs
Goal weight 150 lbs
I have really been going back and forth as whether to post here or not. I guess I am sort of a "forum person" in my hobbies and areas of interest, but I have to be honest, I have avoided posting on this site or even looking at it for a couple of reasons. I found this site only a few days before my surgery but when I found it I found more negativity and frightened people then I found inspiration. Actually, I have gone here and gotten the (bleep) scared out of me by a few posters, every time I see their posts I get knots in my stomach. The main poster that does that to me has a screen name that starts with the letter "i". Everybody is terrified of leaks and all the negatives of this surgery and I just haven't been able to relate to many of the topics. Below I will share some of the basics of my journey so far.
First off, I am a 35 year old male who is 6 feet 3 inches tall. I wasn't fat my whole life, I actually weighed 218 when I was 19 years old. That was pretty close to a "perfect" weight for me. I got into a business where the guys I worked with partied, ate, and drank to excess. Over the years I ballooned to 445 lbs which is where I have been for the past 2-3 years. In 2010 I was considering the lap band but chickened out. I was back on in 2011 but chickened out again. In 2012 I HAD to make a decision because I was put on Metformin for borderline diabetes and Lisinopril for borderline blood pressure as well. That was it. I started again with the nutritionist appointments and made an appt. to see my surgeon who is located downtown Chicago a few miles from my house. My first appt. with him was in early October 2012 and he suggested a VSG instead of the lap band because of the large amount of weight I wanted to lose. I left thinking about it and did the rest of my pre op requirements such as upper GI, psyche, EKG, etc. I saw my surgeon again on November 14th, 2012 and we decided on the VSG (which I really didn't know a lot about). We set surgery for December 21st, 2012.
Because I am a big fella, my surgeon put me on a 28 day pre op liquid only diet (to shrink my liver and loosen my skin) which I started on November 23rd, 2012 (the day after Thanksgiving). The first few days were tough but I have very strong will power and stuck to it, following the requirements to the letter. I didn't cheat even once. Again, not even once. After about 12 days it was smooth sailing and I just plugged away and kept up the exercise plan that I had been doing for over a year which was just walking 1.5 miles, three times per week at my local YMCA. I didn't weigh myself even once the entire plan and weighed myself the morning of surgery. To my astonishment I lost a staggering 49 lbs!!!!I I couldn't even believe it, to be honest with you I began to sob like a little girl! I went from 445 to 396. I was just so shocked. My surgeon told me that I broke his practice record which was previously 45 lbs for a pre op diet. Again, I LOST 49 LBS IN 28 DAYS!!!
On the morning of December 21st, 2012 I was ready for surgery at a major hospital downtown Chicago. I arrived, valet parked, checked in, and was laying on the table prepped for surgery within 1 hour just waiting for the anesthesiologist. I was in surgery about an hour and a half later and the surgery took 2 1/2 hours. I am going to cut the details of my hospital stay down so readers aren't sitting here all day reading. Any questions just ask me. I wanted to leave the hospital the next evening but my surgeon said that he wouldn't allow me to break two records and that I should stay another night. Quick recap, I was checked into my room after surgery at 6pm Friday night and was discharged from the hospital at 11am Sunday morning, less then 48 hours after entering my room.
Upon arriving home I checked my weight, expecting to have lost a few lbs, and actually gained back 2 lbs due to all the fluids that were pumped into me. I was back up to 398. My recovery went ok I think, I was in a lot of pain along my largest incision which is about 3+ inches wide. I was on Tramadol which sucks. It took me 9 days to finish the 25 pills that I was prescribed since I was skipping doses. I was home on Sunday morning and by Wednesday morning I was off to the YMCA where I walked only one lap around the track. I limped around and talked to my friends there before going home. I was back at the YMCA on Friday and actually walked 5 laps (a half mile). I finally weighed myself on Friday, one week after surgery, and I was down from 398 to 391. I weighed myself again on Sunday afternoon and I lost another 4 lbs from Friday to Sunday, 9 lbs in 9 days, ending up at 387 lbs, 58 lbs down in 38 days.
So that's basically that. It's been over 10 days now since surgery and I am feeling like a million bucks. Here are the "scary" parts. I am using the term scary because after reading this site I would have thought I was going to die from this surgery. I HAVE NOT been nauseous even for one second since surgery. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOT thrown up, or even gagged for that matter, not even once. I AM ABLE to drink 60ozs of Fluid per day. I just started puree on Saturday, 8 days out, and it's been perfect. I had 4 ozs of low fat cottage cheese (which I LOVE) today as well as only one Protein Shake, a bowl of Tomato Soup, and plenty of Water. I AM NOT hungry, EVER. I just eat to live, that's it. Today I feel the best that I have felt since surgery. Every day gets better. My goal is to lose 220 lbs, 100 in three months from the start of my pre op diet on November 23rd. I WILL do it.
I know I left out a bunch so fire away (or ask any questions that you want).
If you are on Facebook there is a collection of groups for plus-size clothing resale. It is called FatToo. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/276863985732449/
It is a closed group which means you have to ask to be a member and none of your friends can see your activity on there. Once on there I recommend checking out the "about" section because there are certain rules for buying and selling and also a host of other related groups. ForFatSake is sizes 14-20, FatToo (link above) is 20-26 but tends to be a bit of everything, FatTooGrand is 28 and up. There are also accessory and lingerie groups. I was a member for a while before I became active because I was too lazy to figure out how to do it BUT, let me tell you, it has been awesome!!! It is very easy! And I've made over $1,000 in a month!!! I've spent a lot of it too buying clothes from other women in the groups. I have found tons of awesome used clothes for great prices that I wear all the time. It's a great community. I have several regular "customers" because I had such a large wardrobe I'm still clearing things out. I had been meaning to post this in here for a while. I highly recommend checking out these groups! Apparently there are others on FB but none as active. If you have any questions about buying or selling on there, feel free to ask!
Hi! I had my surgery on 8/12 too! I've lost 8.6 lbs from my pre-surgery morning weight.
I had some complications after surgery (mainly an unknown allergy to morphine that caused me to heave through 7 different anti-nausea meds). The heaving caused my sleeve to swell and be VERY angry for a couple of days. I then had limited intake because anything more than 1/4oz would hurt going in.
But I'm doing MUCH better today!
Hi everyone, I'm Donna. Im looking forward to making some sleeve buddies!
Time is moving along fast since my sleeve surgery on Monday. I'm feeling so much better than I ever expected to feel this soon after surgery. I did struggle with some nausea and ended up in hospital longer than I anticipated. I weighed this morning and learned I've lost 11 pounds already. Amazing!
JensJoy - as a vet (3 yrs July), let me give you a little free advice: don't let yourself fall into the trap of rewarding Future You, it sets you up to feel like what you have accomplished is never good enough, which will lead to the boomerang effect of giving up before you reach goal, because you are never rewarding Present You and so you feel like you aren't accomplishing anything. Trust me, it's a real thing. Don't hide that dress away, wear it now with a Spanx bodysuit underneath like Lipstick said. I would also recommend some really bright red flat sandals and a BIG sunhat and sunglasses, for the total glamourpuss look
First I want to say
Wow this has been quite a journey so far!!!! Everything that had to be done to get where I am at today is beyond being worth it!!!
Second I want to thank my partner in crime Karen for telling me about this surgery to begin with. I would have never known about it or gone to have it done without her!!! Thank you Buttercup!!!
Third I want to thank my husband for supporting my decision even though he thought I didn't need to have it done. He even stood up and said something to my family when they were being turds about me having it done. Thank you Pookie!!!
So to finish up here, this is what has happened so far & what is not so far away!!
Surgery date: 5/22/2013
Height : 5ft. 6"
Age: 39
Start weight : 218
Current weight : 171
Only 3 pounds away from hitting 2 goals.
1st: hitting the 50 pound mark
2nd: hitting 168 ( the weight I was when I met my husband)
I also am only 36 pounds away from hitting my goal weight of 135!!!!!
Thank you everyone for being there even when I was whining & complaining!!!!
XOXO
donamay got a reaction from crowsnestmama in August 12 was my big day!