m-strings

Hello: I am a 50-yr old female, 5'2", starting weight of 274. Sleeved on 02/06/2017. Down about 35 lbs so far. Although I would prefer to lose 150 pounds overnight (lol), this is working. It's a great tool and I am happy with it!

I was sleeved Feb. 6th. At my 2-month post-op appnt, my surgeon said no more protein shakes. Yay! No more drinking calories. I'm totally happy w/the sleeve. At 5'2" and 50 yrs, I am down about 35 lbs. Walking is tough with my knee problems, but I do what I can. Just bought a Simply Fit Board today, which is fun and easy on the joints. I love being able to eat some real foods (fish, veggies, salad, etc.). I am working on eating less soups. I still need to focus on stopping when I am full. That takes awareness and staying in tune with the body. This is a process. The sleeve is a great tool. So far so good!

I am sorry to hear you are not feeling well. :-( I am not much help b/c I have not been through the procedure yet. However, I have read that many people go through feeling ill in the very beginning and having regrets. In every case that I read so far, this goes away, and if they had the option of going back and doing it again, they would. Hang in there!! Hope you are feeling better very soon!!

Hi Everyone: I am new to this forum. I am 50 years old and have been contemplating bariatric surgery on and off for probably a few decades. After my final straw (knees have bone-on-bone arthritis, making walking very difficult), I attended my second weight loss surgery (WLS) seminar with the intention of signing up for the Lap Band procedure. The seminar & surgeon changed my mind and after doing more reading and talking with others who have had WLS, I decided the Gastric Sleeve was the right procedure for me. Currently I am going through the lengthy pre-op phase. I decided on a surgeon and hospital. I met with the nutritionist and completed the psych eval. I will attend the nutrition class next week and meet with my primary doc the following week. I submitted my weight loss history to the surgeon's office. That was a bit of a feat to compile. Luckily I kept some journals over the years of my numerous attempts to lose weight. I consider myself somewhat of an expert in this area. I have lost nearly 100 lbs many times,... only to gain it all back and then some. (I suspect most of you know this story.) My surgeon requires that I get an EKG, treadmill test, sleep study, ultrasound, labs, etc. I will be out of town for a training toward the end of October/early November and was hoping I could get these tests completed prior to leaving. It doesn't look like that will happen as I can't order most of the tests until I meet up with my PC. Ah well,... I am practicing patience. But it's not easy. After spending years debating the surgery option, now that I have decided what I want to do, I want it to happen NOW! lol. (I need to work on this.) I am a little concerned about my current food behavior. I have read people refer to it as having "food funerals". I am certainly in the food grieving stage and not doing such a great job of looking like someone who is serious about losing weight. I understand this is somewhat "normal" though. ("I just want to have one last burger or one more pizza,...") Not feeling great about my body right now. On the other hand, I am hopeful. I know it is going to be a difficult journey. This is going to be a lifelong change. It's exciting and scary at the same time. Reading the stories on this website has been very helpful. I especially appreciate those who have come back to post 5+ years out. The long-term success stories are really inspiring! One worries that this surgery is just the latest trend and will be considered barbaric in 20 years to come. (On the other hand, I don't have 20 years to wait for the next latest, greatest weight loss procedure.) So far, I am pretty pleased at the studies I have read and the success stories shared here. Thank you to this community! This was a long post. If you got to the end, thank you for reading!

Mine was finally having my knees give out at 50 yrs. The vain part of me is fortunate in that I tend to look younger than my age. However, when people see me in motion (waddling in arthritic pain), I am certain they think I am well beyond my years and on my way to sign up for social security. For the first time in a long time, my career is in jeopardy because of my weight, as I need to be mobile at my job. After reviewing my x-rays, my orthopedic doctor told me that I am "bone on bone" in the inner parts of both knees and should have a partial knee replacement. However, he won't touch me w/out losing weight. He said if I lost significant weight, I might not even require surgery for many years to come. After years of trying to avoid bariatric surgery, I do not see there being much of a choice. I have lost and gained almost 100 lbs many times. I need something more permanent to help me on this journey. I am glad that I do not need to waste any more time waiting for my final straw.

I am contemplating getting the sleeve procedure. I really appreciate hearing from those who have sustained weight loss after several years. Please keep coming back and posting on this site periodically. It really helps others. Congratulations!!

I am happy to hear your news. Thanks LunaRose. I came on this site specifically looking for stories of people who have been 5+ years out of surgery. This is very helpful.