xemmaleighx

that you set as a goal for yourself to accomplish post surgery, the thing that was unattainable prior to surgery? i have a few but my biggest is to be able to go up the steps to the art museum near me and not feel like i'm ready to die after the first flight of stairs lol. i don't even need to do a rocky re-enactment and cheer when i get to the top, not even run, just make it to the top. small goal i know lol :wink2:

i don't have any surgery scars yet but from the work that i'm sure each of you have put into this process, i don't feel as if it's anything to be ashamed of. and i have to agree with unforgettable and a few others comments, if they bear issue with it, they are certainly not individuals worth having in your life. i am covered in scars from a rough and abusive childhood but i wear them all as a badge of honer so to say, so i feel as if the same principal should apply. just my two cents :cool2:

i've shopped at lane bryant since i was 16 and torrid since it was online before hitting the malls lol. i have no idea where i will shop once the weight drops. my husband and i have had conversations about this lol, but it'll be nice to have such a bigger array of choices

oh that's a good idea, and no i'm not a fan of the head on beer, just the taste of a good amber lager lol. i've never really have been much of a soda drinker so that doesn't worry me if i have to give it up. i think the hardest bit is going to be no caffeine. i am such a junky for it, so it's healthy to break that cycle i know lol. i've begun the stepdown to half/half so that upon surgery, it's not a total shock to my system. the walking has been rough but well needed and i've seen my stamina increase over the weeks which is exciting. i'm still red in the face and dripping with sweat but at least it doesn't feel like i'm gagging to breathe lol.

i went to my first group meeting yesterday and they all pretty much said recovery is along the lines of what you faced, however most of them were gastric bypass patients. they all reiterated the comments about the gas and also said that walking will help it to subside. oh my, pre-op diets, i've had to watch what i'm eating and severe portion control but nothing beyond that. i've been walking between 45-60 minutes daily for the past month now just to try and get my mind to the right place for this whole process. i've never had a problem with dieting and looseing the weight. it's just when i thought i lost enough weight and went off the diet that i would yo-yo all over the place. the only thing i think i'm going to miss initially post surgery is a good cold beer. i'm not a heavy drinker but while drinking one yesterday i thought about that. :wink2:

i'm 29 and wll be banded on july 30th

thanks for the encouragement, i do appreciate it :0) it truly is about mind over matter at the end of the day. people laugh when i tell them the surgery scares me with the amount of tattoos and piercings i have. i love the outcome of them but the expectation of the pain from a tattoo or piercing is not on the top of my to do list lol

I'm in Philadelphia, PA as well and working through the process with Doctor Korus from the University of Pennsylvania. So far I have no complaints, I think he's wonderful along with his staff.

i actually told my co-workers and not most of my friends or family lol. i work in a small office with a great group of supportive people. with my family or friends, most of them would just criticize the entire process. i've told a close few of my friends. my husband has been extremely supportive and has respected my wishes in not telling everyone my plans. i am interested to see if post surgery, will any of the people i know, change in light of a new figure. at the end of the day though, if they do, they're not worth having in my life to begin with, or so i think.

Oh thank god someone posted this thread...I have tattoos on both arms, my chest and my stoamch. I haven't set a date for surgery yet and I've been nervous to see what will be the outcome of most of my tattoos when I loose the weight, especially the piece on my stomach.