AshleyMidwife

Your doing great. I had my procedure jan 31,2013. I have lost 97 lbs and 17 more to go until goal. I have so much more energy. This was the best decision I ever made.

Wow lady great Job!!! I honestly didn't recognize you in the second pic! You look totally different. Your doing amazing girl! Keep doing whatever your doing because it's working for ya
I just added pics to my gallery a few days ago

Excellent progress!! You look awesome!

Down 43 lbs. HW 297, SW 287, CW 254 I'm 5'10". Feeling great! Keeping it going!

Down 43 lbs. HW 297, SW 287, CW 254 I'm 5'10". Feeling great! Keeping it going!

Down 43 lbs. HW 297, SW 287, CW 254 I'm 5'10". Feeling great! Keeping it going!

Down 43 lbs. HW 297, SW 287, CW 254 I'm 5'10". Feeling great! Keeping it going!

It was great today to get on a plane, sit down and put on my seat belt without worry that I could fit in the seat and if the seat belt would buckle. Love, love, love it!!!!

Although in a stall since Jan 7th..I am officially out of plus sizes...went to kohls today...where I was previously a 2x..today I tried a 1x..swimming in it...carefully wandered to the regular sizes and walked away with a cute XL top and a pair of 18 rockstar skinnies from old navy and 16 from the gap..great way to close out the weekend!

I am the same. Mirena and have had it for 3 years. I haven't had children and was just fine to have it placed. It's great bc it makes your periods light and might even make then go away. I haven't had a period in over a year!!

Ok here's a better update. Down 130 from surgery on 11/20/12.

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Just wanted to give an update on my progress so far. I am 5'10" with starting weight 297lbs. Surgery weight was 287lbs and currently I am 260lbs. I had my surgery dec 9 and I have lost 37 lbs total including the 10 I lost preop. I know this is an amazing loss of poundage, but I can't help but feel that it's slower than most. I haven't incorporated regular exercise yet, and I start playing volleyball again next week. I still get pretty darn tired after work or vigorous activity (like a long walk).
The most calories I've been able to eat so far is about 700-800 but avg 500-600 most days. Not hydrated for sure, but working on that and it is getting better. I'm excited because it seems i can tolerate more and more foods, which makes me feel more normal. Protein is still hard to get in.... Probably because I'm so bored of Protein shakes!
It is so weird still to sit around other people who are eating a meal and I only have 2-3 bites. Makes the quality of the food more important and the company as well! How priorities change......
I definitely have a fascination now with watching other people enjoy food. Especially if I cook it for them. That's love to me!
Just thought I'd update ya'll on my progress

NOBODY WARNED ME! So I've been having is Icky taste in my mouth for about a week and just figured "hey I'm in ketosis, this is normal." Then one day I noticed some dark stuff on my sink when brushing my teeth. I looked in my mouth and my tongue was completely black! Eeewwwwww! I brushed and brushed and finally got it looking normal, but gross! I did a little investigation and I guess it's not that uncommon in our population to get bacterial/yeast mouth infections because we aren't eating normal food that would help clean the bacteria/yeast in our mouth, we are almost all chronically dehydrated (at least in the beginning), and I had been using pepto bismol for heartburn until I saw my doc, and that can make it black too! So I stopped using the stuff and it's getting better. Trying hard to hydrate, but ew I wish someone woulda warned me! So here's my warning to all the newbies.... This can happen to you! Hydrate, take proper heartburn medication and brush and floss religiously. Maybe I can save you from this icky weirdo side effect.

NOBODY WARNED ME! So I've been having is Icky taste in my mouth for about a week and just figured "hey I'm in ketosis, this is normal." Then one day I noticed some dark stuff on my sink when brushing my teeth. I looked in my mouth and my tongue was completely black! Eeewwwwww! I brushed and brushed and finally got it looking normal, but gross! I did a little investigation and I guess it's not that uncommon in our population to get bacterial/yeast mouth infections because we aren't eating normal food that would help clean the bacteria/yeast in our mouth, we are almost all chronically dehydrated (at least in the beginning), and I had been using pepto bismol for heartburn until I saw my doc, and that can make it black too! So I stopped using the stuff and it's getting better. Trying hard to hydrate, but ew I wish someone woulda warned me! So here's my warning to all the newbies.... This can happen to you! Hydrate, take proper heartburn medication and brush and floss religiously. Maybe I can save you from this icky weirdo side effect.

I'm 5'10", starting weight was 252. I'm 8 months post op and now 179, my goal is 170 because that will put my BMI under 25. Currently my BMI is 25.8. If I never lost another pound I'd still be the happiest person in the world! I'm wearing size 10 jeans (sometimes size 8) and medium tops. I finally feel NORMAL!!

Mine said the same thing. Guess I will just have to see when I get there! I had my surgery 12/9- HW 297, SW 287, CW 271. I am 5'10".

I kow this is an old thread, but I'm disturbed by the misinformation I've seen on these sites re: cannabis.
I stopped smoking two weeks before surgery, and started smoking again about two weeks post-surgery. I don't drink or smoke cigarettes -- this is my relaxation/meditation/recreational substance of choice. I NEVER get hungry when I smoke; never have. In fact, if my stomach is upset for ANY reason, including hunger, smoking makes it feel better right away. Usually helps with headaches as well. I, too, am energized by it, more social, more focused.
I think a lot of people who comment negatively have 1. never smoked weed 2. never smoked it responsibly as an adult 3. never smoked high-quality weed 4. have only ever read crap scare-tactic "studies"/propaganda about it and/or have insulated themselves from the real science on it.
Marijuana is not addictive, toxic or detrimental to neurons; it is not a nervous system depressant (like alcohol). There has never been a recorded incident of marijuana overdose. According to a 2012 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), lifetime, moderate marijuana smoking (defined as at least one joint per day for seven years or one joint per week for 49 years) was not associated with adverse affects on pulmonary function. [1] Marijuana use is not associated with increased prevalence of certain types of cancers, such as melanoma, prostate cancer, or breast cancer. [2] Marijuana use has never been associated with higher prevalence of tobacco-related cancers such as lung cancer. [3] and [4] Investigators have concluded that using a vaporizor (very common these days) is even more "safe and effective." [5] and [6] Anecdotally, it has had ZERO negative impact on my post-surgical health, healing, energy, or appetite. In fact, just the opposite.
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[1] Pletcher et al. 2012. Association between marijuana exposure and pulmonary function over 20 years. JAMA 307: 173-181.
[2] Sidney et al. 1997. Marijuana use and cancer incidence. Cancer, Causes & Control 8: 722-728.
[3] Hashibe et al. 2006. Marijuana use and the risk of lung cancer and upper aerodigestive tract cancer: results of a population-based, case-control study. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention 15: 1829-1834.
[4] Marc Kaufman. "Study finds no cancer-marijuana connection," Washington Post. May 26, 2006.
[5] Hazekamp et al. 2006. Evaluation of a vaporizing device (Volcano) for the pulmonary administration of tetrahydrocannabinol. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 95: 1308-1317.
[6] Abrams et al. 2007. Vaporization as a smokeless cannabis delivery system: a pilot study. Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics 82: 572-578.

Hi all..wow there are a lot of strong opinions about mj! I am a nurse and I smoke mj in moderation to reduce anxiety and stress, its helped me more than any pill can..mj has actually been used for thousands of years for its medicinal healing properities! It is not at all like smoking tobacco not even close! I am quitting now because I'm having surgery in 2 wks and want my outcomes to be the best they can possibly be! I don't plan on smoking after surgery for at least 3 months..I just think people should really do their research about mj before commenting and or passing judgment on someone else!

I'm in the Seattle area too! Sleeved dec 9th...lost 24 lbs so far (including preop week). I'm so happy for you and you look amazing! Congrats!

Well, after 3 years on my own following the break up of a 30 year relationship, at the weekend I finally got naked with someone I have lusted after for years....
He didn't run away screaming at my wrinkly, saggy bits. I took my clothes off - ALL OF THEM!!!! And the world didn't end, he didn't laugh and I didn't die of embarrassment.
Something for me to add to my list when people ask how my sleeve has changed my life - I can do naked :-)))))))
Sorry if is is tmi, but I actually never thought at 52 that I could throw my clothes off with such abandon and without stressing -oh how I love my sleeve!

One year ago I gave myself the best Christmas present ever. I was sleeved on 12/24/12, and even though I spent xmas eve, and xmas day in the hospital, it was SO WORTH IT. I had my one year checkup with my surgeon yesterday. When I signed up for the program, I was 288 lbs. I was 277 day of surgery, and I was 149 in the office yesterday, clothes on THAT MAKES 139LBS lost!!!! I lost almost 50% of my body weight. HOLY SHIT that sounds crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I lost 100% of my excess weight. Haven't taken a Vitamin since surgery, all my levels were great! (Do not do this, take your Vitamins, I suck for not) The only thing I was moderately low on was Vitamins D and B12. He scolded me for not taking them, but was very pleased to see how balanced I was just from diet alone. My surgeon referred to me as petite, and they asked me to come speak at the seminars for people who are thinking about surgery.
I'm sorry if this all sounds quite braggy, but honestly I don't care!!! This has been LIFE CHANGING and I (and all of you) deserve to celebrate!!!!
My surgeon gave me such a big hug when I left that my feet actually left the ground a little lol!!
Merry Christmas to you all, thanks for all of the support and wisdom provided over the past year

Also I was a tight 22 going to 24 at highest
Surgery was Oct 7
Bought a size 18 pants today...think I might have needed a 16

I know some people have wondered, and I know I was wondering pre-surgery, so I'll put my input and experience out there. I am now 2 1/2 months post-op, 50 pounds lost, and successfully breastfeeding without issue. I don't know if I'm lucky, or if the womans body really is such a wonderful thing, but we've not had any set backs and it's been smooth sailing. That is all :]]
**I know this post only applies to a small number of ladies, but I was looking for a post like this pre-surgery!

. The top pic was taken in July before my July 22 surgery. I was at 250 lbs. The bottom pic was taken Monday, Dec. 16. Down 67 lbs. it's going slower than I expected, but it is going!