Candace76

I am looking forward to seeing old friends! I'd been too ashamed because my weight had gotten so high, I didn't want to see anyone I used to know. I'm going home for Thanksgiving and have already reached out to people to meet and catch up. Can't wait!

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I look forward to SHOPPING! I absolutely love it and haven’t been able to for years. Especially looking forward to buying some really nice pairs of tall boots 😁

Not being scared of having my picture taken or looking in the mirror. 😱😖
We actually just had a family photo shoot for our Christmas cards, and I wasn't horrified by most of them (a few bad angles or positions😝). 😄😂

Not being scared of having my picture taken or looking in the mirror. 😱😖
We actually just had a family photo shoot for our Christmas cards, and I wasn't horrified by most of them (a few bad angles or positions😝). 😄😂

Not being scared of having my picture taken or looking in the mirror. 😱😖
We actually just had a family photo shoot for our Christmas cards, and I wasn't horrified by most of them (a few bad angles or positions😝). 😄😂

Not asking for a seat belt extender on airplanes.

having a waist again

Not being scared of having my picture taken or looking in the mirror. 😱😖
We actually just had a family photo shoot for our Christmas cards, and I wasn't horrified by most of them (a few bad angles or positions😝). 😄😂

I just wanted to share some positivity with everyone, especially those going through the hard phases of pre and post surgery right now, or those that are in the buyers remorse phase. I had my gastric sleeve done in July, I have since lost 80 lbs and today was my first time post surgery flying on an airplane. I used to be so embarrassed that the seatbelts didn’t fit me I would put a jacket over my waist so the flight attendants wouldn’t see my seatbelt couldn’t buckle because I was too embarrassed to ask for an extender. But today, just about 3 months post surgery, I am able to buckle and fasten the airplane seat belt. This was a huge win for me & I just had to share :)
Please try your best to stay positive and get through the hard phases, I promise it will be so worth it!

This makes me so happy. I have a whole list of goals written on my white board (in purple marker, hence their name as Purple Goals) and one of my Purple Goals is no seatbelt extender and being able to put the tray all the way down. I usually try to fly up front, but I might take a short flight (maybe to Sacramento) to see whether I have achieved my Purple Goal.
I won't ever fit in the seat, of course, because I still have Atlas shoulders, but the seatbelt and tray table thing is possible.

I fly A LOT for work. Because I fly so often, I'm usually upgraded to business class, but when I'm not, I couldn't work because I couldn't put the tray table down well enough to put my laptop down and see the screen. Yesterday I wasn't upgraded on my 5 hour flight so I assumed I wouldn't get any work done, but I was able to put down the tray table AND pull it towards me so I had no trouble seeing the screen. Also, plenty of room in the seat (and the seat next to me was empty to boot! I worked for several hours until I went cross-eyed from the boring work and took a nap.

LOL, Im looking to get a tattoo in the style of the pic on the left: black fine-line florals with a pinky-reddish fill throughout…but the placement will be just on my upper back and side torso (to also camouflage my side boob PS scar…it totally shows on my right side when i’m wearing a bikini top)
The Kid is actually in the process of drawing the final image…with specific flower types (mine, and each of the fam’s fave flower) and less leaves.
So on the pic on the right - if u zoom in on the top arrow - you can see where the Kid drew some rudimentary flowers on my back to show how big its going to be, sort of. After the consult today its likely going to be bigger.
(the bottom arrow points to a teeny tattoo i got as a teenager of a sad little daisy. It actually moved up higher on my hip after my Tummy Tuck, lol)
Next appt for drawing finalization is in December, then the actual tattooing will be scheduled. Can’t wait!

Reasonable bra sizes! It was slim pickings for my former cup size. Now I can buy a bra anywhere

I can’t wait to be able to ride roller coasters again. I used to love riding when I was younger and thought that I would never be able to enjoy that with my son. Now that I am post op and losing I can finally look forward to it again!

I just want to be amongst people again and not feel so fat. I am staying home too much these days

Going down the Water slide on a cruise ship without getting stuck! (Yep, I did it about 10 times!!)

Well, I WAS looking forward to enjoying exercise, but I somehow think I may just be a slug no matter what size I am. I am looking forward to being able to move easily around spaces and not have to plan out my route depending on where chairs/tables/etc are (like when you get seated at the back of a restaurant).
And of course, I am looking forward to wearing "normal" sized clothes!

Being able to shop in the regular sizes. I am still not down to my goal weight so I have only ordered a few things online thus far so I am still looking forward to this. I just wish my best friend would decide to have the surgery too so we can have fun shopping together like we used to. We still have fun shopping now but we shop for house decor and stuff like that, not clothes.

Finding casual blouses that fit right and don’t look like a tent. I hated the shirts I used to wear….they are getting better now that I am a little smaller…..can’t wait to see how the tops fit when I get closer to my goal.

Being able to sit wherever I was put in a restaurant, whether booth or table.

Being able to shop anywhere (although it wasn't much of a secret, LOL).

What is something that you secretly look forward to, or looked forward to, when you started your journey? My surgery is still 2 months out, but one of my things is not to have to wear a bra extension anymore. You know that thing you wear because your bra won't meet in the back? I despise that thing. 😂

I hope your surgery goes well

You've got this! I was soooo nervous I wouldn't wake up, or that I would have a terrible outcome, or that I would fail, or regain the weight (I'm still nervous I'll fail or regain the weight), but you just have to put one foot in front of the other and then take a flying leap of faith!

It is normal to feel nervous, surgery is a big step. I'm sure your likely to be experiencing many different feelings. Hope, excitement, fears, etc. This surgery can help you reach your weight loss goals & get you on a path to a healthier lifestyle.
I was nervous about the surgery also, especially since I have two young children. The morning of surgery I was mostly excited & hopeful more than any other feelings. My surgery was smooth & recovery was fairly easy. I was mostly tired, in fact, very tired for the first 2 days. I had mild soreness & it was an adjustment learning to sip Fluid slowly. Things continue to get easier, and I have lost close to 60 pounds since I started my pre-op diet about 3 months ago.
There may be some challenges along the way, but for me, it has been totally worth it. Hopefully, you will soon be on the other side of your surgery & starting to see the weight come off. I wish you a successful surgery, speedy recovery, & amazing results. You got this!
Cheryl O- I hope everything went well, wishing you well on your weight loss goals.