Welcome Julia!
I'm glad you're here! As everyone has already said this is a really great place to come for advice and support. Any questions that I have ever asked, I always have gotten a very caring response that seems to come from the heart. There are really good caring folks on this site.
With that said, my name is Ronette, I am 37 years old and I'm from IN. I have been overweight pretty much all of my life. I have dieted off and on for many years. Losing weight and then gaining it back. Before I got pregnant with my 9 year old daughter I lost 50 lbs. While I was pregnant, I gained all of that weight back, plus a whole lot more. In the last 9 years I have gotten bigger than I have ever been. My largest weight was 413 lbs. I had thought about the surgery a few years ago, but I had heard a few horror stories that scared me.
Finally, in February 2013 I looked at my 9 year old one day and realized that if I didn't do something I would be dead within 5 years! I also thought about the fact that I had never been able to take my daughter to the park or do any activities that require me to move a lot, just because of my weight. So I contacted my surgeon and came in for my first appt. My doctor put me on a LRD and told me I had to do 6 months of swl classes. In those 6 months I lost 94 lbs. on my own. My surgery date was Tuesday October 29th 2013 and on that day I weighed 319 lbs. It has been a week and a half after surgery and I feel pretty good! I have an appt. on Thursday and if my home scales are accurate, I have lost another 18 lbs. since my surgery!
I have had a few emotional issues since I had the surgery, but I wouldn't change anything I did for the world!
So again, welcome and if you need anything or just want to talk, I am always here!!