Dulce_jtrivera

6 months is not bad at all I started by supervised visits in February I have #4 of 6 on the 28th of this month and I'm honestly surprised with how fast this has all gone. I've been more focused on my changes than the 6 months. Good luck everybody.

I started doing research in February, I went to the seminar in March and support group in April. You got your consultation appointment very fast! I was sitting by the phone waiting on mine, lol! I am just so ready to start towards a healthier, happier ME!!! 6 months will fly by!

@deesleeved you will love it.. I just got sleeved with bsnc.. I love it.. love my new life.. I'm down 24lbs...

Yes!! 6 months is closer than we think!! I just started researching WLS last week (last wed to be exaxt) so I feel like all of this is happening so fast so that 6 month rule worked great for me-lol. Best of luck to you too!!

Hello everyone! I'm in the Raleigh area and just had my consult yesterday at Bariatric Surgeons of NC (in Cary). Looks like I have a 6 month weight check/supervision required by insurance so my last check will be oct 21st. I imagine surgery sometime in November.
I was expecting a 3 months supervised diet but turned out to be 6, not too bad though bc I'm still trying to get my hubby on board ????

I think everyone on this forum can tell the same story...tried every diet and gimmick under the sun....including hypnotism and acupuncture...
I was was part of a very disciplined medically controlled weight loss program...weekly visits, very monitored with blood work, etc...a very well structured program...everyone in our group lost ....I lost about 80 lbs.....only to gain it all back, and then some....
But then that is why I had surgery...to do what I could not do.....I wish I did not have to do this, but I do not regret my decision one bit.....and also wish I did it a lot sooner....
I have been set free from all that marketing nonsense....never having to diet again....right now people are talking about getting in shape for summer, wanting to look good in that bathing suit....etc...
The TV is full of advertisements for this and that new miracle weight loss product....that "magic" remedy....
I once had a Dr. tell me the "secret" to loosing weight...."Don't Eat so Much"!
I just have to smile to myself.....I will NEVER fall into that mindset ever again....diet is a four letter word I do not wish to use! It is now a new - normal lifestyle.....for me....

I have that problem too! Summer is coming and all these dresses are sleeveless!! My hubby bought me this white I guess it's called a shrug or whatever and it works well to hide my bat wings ! They come in different colors!

I have often suggested to post-op folks the importance of measuring any goals they are considering against two things – every goal must be realistic and sustainable. Any goal being considered that does not meet those two criteria should be eliminated in favor of a realistic, sustainable alternative.
Your exceptionally well-written post inspired me to consider goals in the pre-op, decision making stage of the process. How do I get to my goal of 100%? I don’t have an answer to that question. But, in my case, what is more important is that I don’t believe the goal is realistic. Or sustainable. 100% implies absolute certainty – that’s not realistic. There are risks with any surgery and bariatric surgery is no exception. There are no guarantees. Even knowing that, I went through times when I was “absolutely certain” that the surgery was the right choice. But in the weeks and months leading up to the surgery there were other times when my conviction waned – that’s code for there were times when the whole idea scared the bejesus out of me. What if? Absolute certainty was simply not sustainable.
So my goal became to learn everything I could about the benefits, and the risks, of bariatric surgery. That goal met the criteria. It was realistic. And it was sustainable. I discovered that once I had met my goal, the decision was relatively easy, even in the absence of absolute certainty. The odds of having a successful, life-changing experience were overwhelmingly in my favor.
Bariatric surgery is the most effective option known to medical science for the treatment of obesity and more than 30 comorbidities associated with obesity. Find your realistic and sustainable goal and you’re gonna love the new you!!

It's hard to choose, but this might be my favorite response.

85% convinced. How do I get to 100%?
You don't.. They're only taking 85% of your stomach, so you're good to go.

I had surgery 3 weeks ago - so I very clearly remember my pre-op fear. I never got to 100%. A doctor of mine matter of factory told me I needed to do something drastic, he said you don't have any health problems now but there is 0% chance that will continue as you get older. So what is your plan? And her referred me to my surgeon. I left his office pissed and embarrassed. But he got the idea percolating. I started asking different doctors I knew what their thoughts were and they all said "do it yesterday"
My advice is do your research. Find the best surgeon you can. And then go for it. It's not easy, is no quick fix. It's harder and easier then I thought. Trying to take my daily Vitamins, drink my Water, get my Protein, swallow vile tasting medicine and pooping consume my thoughts!!
But I have had enough of not wearing the cutest clothes, being the funny fat girl (seriously I'm hysterical ) and being too fat and too tired to do all the stuff I wanna do. Not to mention positioning everyone in photos to hide my fat!! I've been fat most of my life with small windows of being fit. I have felt beautiful always so that's not the issue. I feel powerful, strong, healthy and hot when I am fit.

Enjoy your trip...just think...after the surgery, you will be able to enjoy trips more... it's so nice having room in the seat...not having to get an extention for the seat belts... being able to bend down to tie your shoes back up... etc etc etc... life is good!
We are here for you

I'm so glad people have continued to chime in here. I've always been someone who's somewhat resistant to change and needs to think through the pros and cons of any big decisions quite a lot before taking an action. I can be a ditherer and want to keep paddling down the river of denial often. Sometimes it just helps to hear that others were unsure too. I'm encouraged that my worries are normal and that many of you had the same fears, yet forged ahead despite them and have no regrets and consider this the best decision of your lives.
I have a combination business/pleasure trip to New Orleans coming up in a few days, and when I return, I plan to call for my consult with the surgeon's office. Thank you all for your help.

I haven't had surgery yet and I am still in the contemplation phase as well.
My biggest fear is that, I will have the surgery and the weight won't come off. I know this is probably crazy sounding to most. I have PCOS and was diagnosed at a young age. I have been obese for half of my life because of this condition. The smallest I have been in the past 10 years was 220lbs and I was basically starving myself to get to this weight. I have been a consistent dieter, I eat very small meals now and hardly ever have junk foods. I am just scared that I will have this surgery and not lose anything!
My consultation appointment is on May 19, so I am planning on discussing this with the surgeon, dietician, and psychologist. I was so "ready" for this a month ago, now all of these doubts are hitting me. I want to have a peace with this decision and not have any second guesses.....

I agree with one of the posts above -- maybe 100% is unrealistic. I think doubts will always creep in and it's normal. There are probably very few big decisions in life where you hit the 100% confidence mark.
I think the best thing is to weigh out the pros and cons, decide what chances you can live with and then go for it.
I'm a "lightweight" and I don't have a lot of complications yet but I can see the trajectory I'm on (slow and steady gain) and I don't want to end up 5-6 years down the road with more complications. Then the surgery will be riskier and maybe not even an option. I want to take control of it now.
Best wishes! Only you can decide what's best for you.

Wasn't it one of your great countrymen that stated..'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.' (F D. Roosevelt)
I'm going to add - 'Every day is a school day'.
When we learn, we grow. Living with a 'status quo' is not living. It is not growing, either. (Except, width ways)
If you calculate the percentage risks of surgical complications (under 2% on average), with the complications of all the health issues we were all presenting with?
Then calculate the likelihood of ending up having to have some god-awful treatment down the road, which will then potentially snowball into other treatments, to overcome the side effects of the first treatment. Then secondary issues because of all those, which then become primary issues, because your body can no longer withstand the abuse its been subjected to?
I thought about this. It boiled down to this one, hard, inescapable fact:
'When I'm 70 (I was shooting high here, given my health issues), laying on my deathbed, with tubes coming out of every orifice, will I be thinking 'I am so glad I didn't change the state I was in. I had a good life, if limited and full of crushing feelings of inadequacy, but it was 'okay'.'
Or will I be thinking (at 85 years old) 'Hell-to-the-f**** yeah, I spun that barrel and gave it all I had'.
Its a personal choice, I totally get it.
However and for me, this was a no-brainer. I was shooting for the stars.
I still am.

What happens if you don't do it? You continue to live as you always have - only you can decide to make the change.
If you could live the life of being sleeved just for one week - how it feels to look in the mirror,and truly SMILE, how it feels to try on a pair of pants that were tight last week and loose this week, how it feels to have your husband hold you tight and FEEL how much you've lost, how it feels to step on the scale and see 2-5 pounds gone per week, and to me, best of all how it feels to not be a slave to food - you would have 0 second thoughts. You wouldn't be at 100% - you would be at 110% and saying why didn't I do this sooner????