WillieBradley

I am in here reading everyday, but I don't post as much as before surgery. I am doing well. Had surgery on October 15th. My highest weight was 289. I was 280 before pre-op, 272 at surgery, and am now 239. I am eating ok, and sometimes hit goal on liquids, but always manage to hit the Protein goals as of lately. Strange because I was drinking over 90 ounces a day before surgery...
Otherwise, nothing too eventful here. Keeping up with the exercise every other day, and trying to eat whenever I can although I am not hungry very often. Hopefully I will have some before and after pictures to share. Viewing other people's before and after photos are very motivational. Everyone looks very good.

I am in here reading everyday, but I don't post as much as before surgery. I am doing well. Had surgery on October 15th. My highest weight was 289. I was 280 before pre-op, 272 at surgery, and am now 239. I am eating ok, and sometimes hit goal on liquids, but always manage to hit the Protein goals as of lately. Strange because I was drinking over 90 ounces a day before surgery...
Otherwise, nothing too eventful here. Keeping up with the exercise every other day, and trying to eat whenever I can although I am not hungry very often. Hopefully I will have some before and after pictures to share. Viewing other people's before and after photos are very motivational. Everyone looks very good.

I am in here reading everyday, but I don't post as much as before surgery. I am doing well. Had surgery on October 15th. My highest weight was 289. I was 280 before pre-op, 272 at surgery, and am now 239. I am eating ok, and sometimes hit goal on liquids, but always manage to hit the Protein goals as of lately. Strange because I was drinking over 90 ounces a day before surgery...
Otherwise, nothing too eventful here. Keeping up with the exercise every other day, and trying to eat whenever I can although I am not hungry very often. Hopefully I will have some before and after pictures to share. Viewing other people's before and after photos are very motivational. Everyone looks very good.

I just had surgery on October 15 with Dr. Heider at Centers for Surgical Weight Loss at Lake Norman in NC. I was released from the hospital on Friday. Dr Heider was wonderful. Surgery went great. The staff is wonderful. Each one came by the hospital to check on me before I left and to make sure I understood what I needed to do when discharged. I was also a self/pay and traveled from Columbia, SC. I stayed at a Mariott the night before surgery which the staff helped arrange for me. It was very convenient. I highly recommend the Centers for Surgical Weight Loss at Lake Norman. Dr. Heider even offered for me to stay another night at the hospital if I didn't feel quite comfortable enough to go home the next day (and at no additional costs) but I was ready to go. If I can answer any questions for you, please email me at Williebradley@hotmail.com.
Also everything was bundled at Lake Norman. Price was all inclusive.

Surgery was October 15th, so today is the end of my 4th week. Surgery went well. I weighed 285 lbs. when I started preopt. Was 274 lbs. at surgery. Am now 246 lbs. I feel good but it took some time to heal. The liquid pre and postop was very challenging (more so preop than postop....during postop, I'm just not hungry very often.) Getting in the Protein and the liquids has also been a challenge postop, but it's getting better. My primary physician said that 99.9% of the people wouldn't be able to have WLS because of the strict regime and lifestyle change. Therefore he does not recommend many of his patients for WLS. He said only a select few can handle it. I'm glad he thought I was a great candidate for the surgery. It has already begun to change my life for the better. Each of you should be proud you stuck with it and, instead of thinking or talking about it, you took action!! I'm proud of each and every one of you. Including those who are still seeking approval from insurance and those who are just starting preop! We are blessed to be the"chosen ones!"

Surgery was October 15th, so today is the end of my 4th week. Surgery went well. I weighed 285 lbs. when I started preopt. Was 274 lbs. at surgery. Am now 246 lbs. I feel good but it took some time to heal. The liquid pre and postop was very challenging (more so preop than postop....during postop, I'm just not hungry very often.) Getting in the Protein and the liquids has also been a challenge postop, but it's getting better. My primary physician said that 99.9% of the people wouldn't be able to have WLS because of the strict regime and lifestyle change. Therefore he does not recommend many of his patients for WLS. He said only a select few can handle it. I'm glad he thought I was a great candidate for the surgery. It has already begun to change my life for the better. Each of you should be proud you stuck with it and, instead of thinking or talking about it, you took action!! I'm proud of each and every one of you. Including those who are still seeking approval from insurance and those who are just starting preop! We are blessed to be the"chosen ones!"

Surgery was October 15th, so today is the end of my 4th week. Surgery went well. I weighed 285 lbs. when I started preopt. Was 274 lbs. at surgery. Am now 246 lbs. I feel good but it took some time to heal. The liquid pre and postop was very challenging (more so preop than postop....during postop, I'm just not hungry very often.) Getting in the Protein and the liquids has also been a challenge postop, but it's getting better. My primary physician said that 99.9% of the people wouldn't be able to have WLS because of the strict regime and lifestyle change. Therefore he does not recommend many of his patients for WLS. He said only a select few can handle it. I'm glad he thought I was a great candidate for the surgery. It has already begun to change my life for the better. Each of you should be proud you stuck with it and, instead of thinking or talking about it, you took action!! I'm proud of each and every one of you. Including those who are still seeking approval from insurance and those who are just starting preop! We are blessed to be the"chosen ones!"

Surgery was October 15th, so today is the end of my 4th week. Surgery went well. I weighed 285 lbs. when I started preopt. Was 274 lbs. at surgery. Am now 246 lbs. I feel good but it took some time to heal. The liquid pre and postop was very challenging (more so preop than postop....during postop, I'm just not hungry very often.) Getting in the Protein and the liquids has also been a challenge postop, but it's getting better. My primary physician said that 99.9% of the people wouldn't be able to have WLS because of the strict regime and lifestyle change. Therefore he does not recommend many of his patients for WLS. He said only a select few can handle it. I'm glad he thought I was a great candidate for the surgery. It has already begun to change my life for the better. Each of you should be proud you stuck with it and, instead of thinking or talking about it, you took action!! I'm proud of each and every one of you. Including those who are still seeking approval from insurance and those who are just starting preop! We are blessed to be the"chosen ones!"

Surgery was October 15th, so today is the end of my 4th week. Surgery went well. I weighed 285 lbs. when I started preopt. Was 274 lbs. at surgery. Am now 246 lbs. I feel good but it took some time to heal. The liquid pre and postop was very challenging (more so preop than postop....during postop, I'm just not hungry very often.) Getting in the Protein and the liquids has also been a challenge postop, but it's getting better. My primary physician said that 99.9% of the people wouldn't be able to have WLS because of the strict regime and lifestyle change. Therefore he does not recommend many of his patients for WLS. He said only a select few can handle it. I'm glad he thought I was a great candidate for the surgery. It has already begun to change my life for the better. Each of you should be proud you stuck with it and, instead of thinking or talking about it, you took action!! I'm proud of each and every one of you. Including those who are still seeking approval from insurance and those who are just starting preop! We are blessed to be the"chosen ones!"

Surgery was October 15th, so today is the end of my 4th week. Surgery went well. I weighed 285 lbs. when I started preopt. Was 274 lbs. at surgery. Am now 246 lbs. I feel good but it took some time to heal. The liquid pre and postop was very challenging (more so preop than postop....during postop, I'm just not hungry very often.) Getting in the Protein and the liquids has also been a challenge postop, but it's getting better. My primary physician said that 99.9% of the people wouldn't be able to have WLS because of the strict regime and lifestyle change. Therefore he does not recommend many of his patients for WLS. He said only a select few can handle it. I'm glad he thought I was a great candidate for the surgery. It has already begun to change my life for the better. Each of you should be proud you stuck with it and, instead of thinking or talking about it, you took action!! I'm proud of each and every one of you. Including those who are still seeking approval from insurance and those who are just starting preop! We are blessed to be the"chosen ones!"

I am a week (7 days) out of surgery and am doing great. I have my first post-op appointment tomorrow morning to see how the surgeon says I am progressing. Again I want to thank each one of you. Reading your post and feeling your inspiration had taken on new meaning and given me the courage to survive WLS. @@60&goin4it you are my hero. Thanks for being YOU!!

I am a week (7 days) out of surgery and am doing great. I have my first post-op appointment tomorrow morning to see how the surgeon says I am progressing. Again I want to thank each one of you. Reading your post and feeling your inspiration had taken on new meaning and given me the courage to survive WLS. @@60&goin4it you are my hero. Thanks for being YOU!!

My surgery went very well. I had a rough day yesterday (the day after surgery) but everyday is a better day. The gas pains are the worst. If I can manage the gas pains, I wouldn't have any complaints. Haven't taken any pain meds since being released from the hospital yesterday because my nurse said it might slow up my bowel. So I've been handling it. Not really much pain (again aside from gas). Glad everyone is doing good. I couldn't post for the past 2 days because I was weak and focused on trying to get the liquids in. It's tough but that too gets better. Thanks again for everyone's support. Couldn't have done it without you all!!

I am a week (7 days) out of surgery and am doing great. I have my first post-op appointment tomorrow morning to see how the surgeon says I am progressing. Again I want to thank each one of you. Reading your post and feeling your inspiration had taken on new meaning and given me the courage to survive WLS. @@60&goin4it you are my hero. Thanks for being YOU!!

I am a week (7 days) out of surgery and am doing great. I have my first post-op appointment tomorrow morning to see how the surgeon says I am progressing. Again I want to thank each one of you. Reading your post and feeling your inspiration had taken on new meaning and given me the courage to survive WLS. @@60&goin4it you are my hero. Thanks for being YOU!!

I am a week (7 days) out of surgery and am doing great. I have my first post-op appointment tomorrow morning to see how the surgeon says I am progressing. Again I want to thank each one of you. Reading your post and feeling your inspiration had taken on new meaning and given me the courage to survive WLS. @@60&goin4it you are my hero. Thanks for being YOU!!

I am a week (7 days) out of surgery and am doing great. I have my first post-op appointment tomorrow morning to see how the surgeon says I am progressing. Again I want to thank each one of you. Reading your post and feeling your inspiration had taken on new meaning and given me the courage to survive WLS. @@60&goin4it you are my hero. Thanks for being YOU!!

Surgery tomorrow morning at 9am. Nervous. Headed to the hospital to do the last minute upper gi, X-rays, and lab work. I'm ready to go! Hope everything goes well for everyone. I feel blessed to have been able to read and interact with all of you during this process. You are the only ones who can truly understand what it means to go through this journey. Thank you. Love you all!!

@@purz59 that's normal. Trust me. I just had surgery on the 15th. The pre-op was more challenging than the post op. But you will survive. I actually didn't work during the 2 weeks preop which was worst. All I had to think about was what I couldn't eat! I'm I the 5th day post-op and feeling much better, even able to tolerate the liquid diet now. It will get easier. Just do your best. You will be fine.

HW was 463, SW was 445 on 1/15/15. As of this morning, 9 months later, I'm 294 (down 170 pounds) and my life has already changed so much. I plan to hit my goal of 200 gone by my one year checkup. I have had only 1 stall in all this time and lose 2-3.5 lbs a week (although I know that won't last).
Even though I'm still very overweight, I feel better now than I ever have in my life. The only problem now is I'm running out of clothes and live in a rural area and don't have easy access to a Goodwill. I'm following my eating plan and exercising regarly. A goal of mine is to do a 5K this spring and be able to jog most of it.
I chose the sleeve mostly because I was afraid of malnutrition issues. With the sleeve I had problems with exhaustion in the beginning that went away when I was able to up my calories a bit. I think that a person can succeed with either option as long as you've researched the procedure, know the pros/cons and are prepared for the work that goes into it!
Good luck!

I was well over the 400 lb mark when I began this process. In fact, I wasn't too many pan pizzas away from the next mark.
I always assumed that I'd get back on Adkins diet and kill it in the gym and get my weight back under control again. Back & leg injuries earlier this year kept me from doing any type of gym work.....and even made doing my job impossible for a several weeks.
I knew it was time to take more aggressive action and do something that would help me lose weight wile still healing from these nagging & reoccurring injuries. I assumed I'd need gastric bypass for the simple fact that my younger sister had it done 15 years ago and has maintained incredible weight & health ever since.
I consulted two surgeons and went through classes with each as well as two nutritionists. By the end, my surgeon helped me to see that the sleeve was the best choice for me. This, in no way, means it's best for everyone. Each patient has unique demands and needs. You have to take all that into account, along with your surgeon's advice.
I'm only 6 days out from my surgery, still recovering, sore as hell from the hernia repair and waiting on the post-op inflammation to clear from my abdomen and the 9 new holes in it. I say that to say this.....I regret not one part of it. I'm glad I had the surgery. It's going to be a huge aid in my new way of living. I will get lean, stay lean and build my strength.
I had my 47th birthday last month. I am going to feel 15 years younger by my next birthday. By my 50th, I'll most likely feel better than I did on my 30th.
There has been zero pain from the sleeve portion of the surgery. I have to pull my shift up and look to prove that I've had it. The only pain has been from the umbilical hernia repair and it is less than it was on two previous open repairs.
On day 4, 5 and 6 I've been able to get in 3 Protein shakes each day. On days 5 & 6 I've been able to drink as much Water as I've wanted, but making myself drink at least 8 24oz cups per day. No gulping or chugging. Just frequent small sips.
Life is good. The tool has been delivered. There are no excuses, no whining, no complaining. It's time to get busy and get lean. There will be no compromises.

My surgery went very well. I had a rough day yesterday (the day after surgery) but everyday is a better day. The gas pains are the worst. If I can manage the gas pains, I wouldn't have any complaints. Haven't taken any pain meds since being released from the hospital yesterday because my nurse said it might slow up my bowel. So I've been handling it. Not really much pain (again aside from gas). Glad everyone is doing good. I couldn't post for the past 2 days because I was weak and focused on trying to get the liquids in. It's tough but that too gets better. Thanks again for everyone's support. Couldn't have done it without you all!!

My surgery went very well. I had a rough day yesterday (the day after surgery) but everyday is a better day. The gas pains are the worst. If I can manage the gas pains, I wouldn't have any complaints. Haven't taken any pain meds since being released from the hospital yesterday because my nurse said it might slow up my bowel. So I've been handling it. Not really much pain (again aside from gas). Glad everyone is doing good. I couldn't post for the past 2 days because I was weak and focused on trying to get the liquids in. It's tough but that too gets better. Thanks again for everyone's support. Couldn't have done it without you all!!

Have narrowed my options down to the following -- all are BLIS approved, which is important as I'll be self-pay. I'll also be flying in for the surgery. Has anyone used any of these options and can share their experience?
Western Rockies Surgical Center
http://www.coloradoweightlosssurgery.com/weight-loss-surgery-prices-denver/gastric-sleeve/
Denver, CO
$12,500
Blossom Bariatrics
http://blossombariatrics.com/out-of-town/
Las Vegas, NV
$12,500
Center for Surgical Weight Loss at Lake Norman
http://www.lnrmcsurgicalweightloss.com/
Mooresville, NC
$13,000
Thanks for your help!

My surgery went very well. I had a rough day yesterday (the day after surgery) but everyday is a better day. The gas pains are the worst. If I can manage the gas pains, I wouldn't have any complaints. Haven't taken any pain meds since being released from the hospital yesterday because my nurse said it might slow up my bowel. So I've been handling it. Not really much pain (again aside from gas). Glad everyone is doing good. I couldn't post for the past 2 days because I was weak and focused on trying to get the liquids in. It's tough but that too gets better. Thanks again for everyone's support. Couldn't have done it without you all!!