Stacy160

My main one I have achieved. That was to no longer be diabetic.
- be able to keep up with my nieces and nephews.
- reduce or be off most of my meds (1 of the 2 bp meds has been reduced
- be able to go into a store, try on clothes and they fit.
- keep in onederland forever


SW 350 (11/15)
BSW 260 (10/17/17)
CW 209.6 (2/25/18)
RGW 199
GW 175

1. Adopt kids!
2. Run some marathons
3. Buy a kayak and use it
4. Get a horse
5. Get an electric bike and use it as main transit
6. Travel the world

SW: 366
CW: 315
GW1: 200
RNY Dec 18, 2017!

While it's easy to get caught up in the fear of surgery it's better to focus on the life style changes that are required. After all is said and done WLS is a tool. It is not a means to an end. Having a smaller stomach does not cure head hunger. It doesn't magically fix food addictions. It's honestly pretty easy to cheat with your sleeve and end up gaining weight back if you want. Getting ready to go through with WLS is much more mental than a lot of people realize (myself included).

This place is filled with lots of success stories. There are also those that come back after regaining weight a few years after surgery. Those are the things that I constantly remind myself of. That I can have continued success but it will always take work to stay on track and not fall back into old habits.

It's normal to be nervous and second guess yourself, but as I and many others will say it was one of the best decisions we've ever made.

1) Live Healthier:
2) Live without BP meds
3) Live without the CPAP machine
4) Live without knee pain
5) To ride my bike again
6) To run (maybe even the participate in the Cotton Row Run)
7) Make love to my wife (it has been a long time)
8) Shop in the regular clothes section of any store!
9) Put a seatbelt on without having to lift a butt-cheek
10) Travel (where I can fit in the seat on buses and planes)

Top 10
1. Live Diabetes free
2. Tough mudder
3. Sky Dive
4. Kayak
5. Indoor Rock climbing
6. Climb a mountain
7. Zipline
8. Scuba dive
9. Run a 5k
10. Become a yoga instructor
I haven’t been fit enough to do any of these and I BELIEVE I CAN and I WILL!!!

All of your goals are so inspiring! I am certain all of you will achieve what you envision and live the life you deserve!

I have to think more about my list, but I know swimming, skydive and 5k were also on mine.

If you can believe, you can achieve!

There's not much I want to do that I don't do already (I learned long ago to push past the fear) but here are a couple of things:
Skydiving.
Dating.

I've been keeping 2 lists. One list when I was heavy were activities I COULDN'T do because I was too heavy and had to opt out of. The other one is things I want to do when I'm thin again. I was always active, so all my things are physical outdoor type things. Apologies for the wall of text, I like to keep lists
Things I couldn't do because I was too heavy:
Indoor sky diving place (250 lbs weight limit - I CAN do this now)
Horseback riding with my wife (250 lbs weight limit - I CAN do this now)
A kayak tour in Puerto Rico of a bio luminescent bay (250 lbs weight limit - I CAN do this now)
Unable to hike a bunch of mountains in Maine I used to hike every summer (I will hike them this summer)
Over office chair weight limits (under the normal limit of 250 now!)
Ride a camel at the zoo (250 weight limit - I did this a couple weeks ago)
Zipline (was above weight limit)

Things I plan to do as I get thin:
Bike 100+ miles in 1 day (had done this in 2006, training to do it this summer now)
Run a 5k or similar race (planning to do this with my wife this summer)
Participate in a local tri-athalon
No more snoring (this already happened - wife doesn't need ear plugs)
Hike mountains regularly (planning hikes for the summer)
Get rid of persistent fungal issues (they're GONE!)
Reduce chronic arthritis / back pain (it's almost gone already)
Longer kayak trips 5+ miles (did this almost daily for a week+ 2 weeks ago)
Run a mile without being dead tired
Comfortably fit in an airplane seat (Did this a couple weeks ago)
Learn to distance swim (need technique coaching and training - will do this summer)
Climb with my kids on playground equipment and not get stuck (can do this now)

Oh boy where to start..
1) I want to be able to jog with my dogs. My dogs have been my lifeline and even just 2 months after surgery I already have more energy so am giving them longer walks which they love and I love, but eventually I want to be able to jog with them. They are active dogs and they deserve better so I hope I can give that to them one day.
2) To have the confidence to go swimming again. I used to be a big swimmer, I lost like 70 pounds about 6/7 years ago when I would swim daily. Then stuff happened and I stopped swimming and the weight piled back on. I need to regain the confidence to say who cares to what the world thinks of my fat arse and just get in a pool and swim like Jaws is tailing me.
3) To have body confidence.. To get real personal real quick, I have severely low self esteem and due to that I have been incapable my whole life of forming romantic bonds with people. I've had chances to but have also shot them down because how could anyone love me when I can't love myself? I want to get to a place where I can believe that someone would love me and return those feelings.
4) SKY DIVE
5) Eventually I want to return to further education. I messed up when I was in high school and now I work a job that has no future because that feels like all I'm good for. I want to take up a part time choice in something I care about and hope to change career to something I would feel happier doing.
6) Enjoy my life. Because for 30 years I've bee coasting. I want to live before I regret not.

This is my number one goal!! I'm going to have a CPAP machine burning party as soon as I'm set free.

I want to Fly all the way to Japan with my Family in 2019 and be comfortable (well as comfortable as you can be in coach).

Run a 5k. Like actually RUN it. And climb one of those indoor rock walls.

losing my sleep apnea!

I had no surgical pain at all, but I did feel like I'd done 2,000 sit-ups,
What you WILL feel that's different, when you start eating more than liquids, is where you feel full... pre-op, you know that nice satisfying (and sometimes nauseating) feeling when you're really good and full, and you feel it in your belly? Well....now with your stomach basically gone, your full feeling is going to be waaaayyyy up high between the boobs, like it's right at the bottom of your throat, because it almost is. That'll take some getting used to, don't be surprised by it!

I had no surgical pain at all, but I did feel like I'd done 2,000 sit-ups,
What you WILL feel that's different, when you start eating more than liquids, is where you feel full... pre-op, you know that nice satisfying (and sometimes nauseating) feeling when you're really good and full, and you feel it in your belly? Well....now with your stomach basically gone, your full feeling is going to be waaaayyyy up high between the boobs, like it's right at the bottom of your throat, because it almost is. That'll take some getting used to, don't be surprised by it!

ABSOLUTELY!!!

Regaining weight is very easy, if you allow yourself to go back to your old habits and graze constantly on crappy food! You'll want to follow the rules until you get to goal. Most people find that eating "on-plan" 80-90% of the time allows them to maintain nicely. The trick is, when you do allow yourself a little treat with the kids, or pizza night, or whatever, to not let that become "Well, might as well have more, might as well go crazy and get back on it tomorrow, might as well finish out the week and get back on it next week....well, next week's [insert holiday or occasion here]...remember that from the dieting years? It's a sneaky, sneaky thing but before you're aware of it your "old" self can come for a visit and move right in.
That's not to say that you can't enjoy those things ever...you just have to be vigilant about keeping focused, and not get careless about eating whatever, whenever. And I'm preaching this all over the place: If you feel like you have a "sweet tooth" now, please do some research on sugar addiction ahead of time. It's a real, physical addiction and the ONE thing I wish I'd known about, identified in myself, and been prepared for ahead of time.

Years ago we had a thread running here where people would list all the things they want to be able to do, or have the guts to do, after surgery. It was great, inspiring...so in that spirit I'm starting a new one! The original, if anyone wants to read it (highly suggested!) is here:
I very strongly suggest that all of you pre-oppers and newly post-oppers WRITE IT DOWN! Everything you hope for, everything you want to accomplish, everything that you can't even imagine being able to do right now.... you'll be shocked by how quickly you'll be able to start ticking things off your lists. I've spent an hour trying to find mine (which I thought was on the original thread above) and can't find it and I'm so bummed....so, please copy your list and put it somewhere you know you can find it way down the road. And then share your victories as you go....
OK, who's going first....ready? GO!!

If you don't want to travel as far as Texas, Mark Pleatman in Michigan has a $11,500 self-pay deal worked out with the hospital. That covers his surgical fee, the hospital fee, anesthesia, overnight in the hospital (or longer if needed for some reason), pre-op testing, and two years (if I remember right!) of aftercare. He's done me, my son, and my brother. His office gal Cari is excellent and they do a TON of out of state patients, so they can help with suggesting accommodations as well.

Yes I am from out of state (Ohio.) I'm only a couple hours south of Dr P' s office.

D.R. Potential Sleever

ElseeG I'm so glad you called and spoke with Cari on Friday! I did too. I just sent Cari an email with my availability so that I can get my first appointment scheduled.

D.R. Potential Sleever

Hi Stacy 160.
Thank you SO MUCH! I called Pleatman’s office, and the patient coordinator, Kerry, was great. She was on the phone with me for an hour discussing everything about surgery and diet. She said Dr.Pleatman would call me on friday. He didn’t, so I hope to speak with him next week. I’m aiming for a late March surgery...in time for my 50th.
I cant thank you enough for sharing his name. $11,200, I can do. $29k was unthinkable.
ElseeG

Aw that's a really great idea and I'm so glad they were supportive! I feel like my coworkers would laugh in my face if i wrote them a letter [emoji52]


HW: 221
SW: 209
CW: 202

Sleeved 2/13/18

If you don't want to travel as far as Texas, Mark Pleatman in Michigan has a $11,500 self-pay deal worked out with the hospital. That covers his surgical fee, the hospital fee, anesthesia, overnight in the hospital (or longer if needed for some reason), pre-op testing, and two years (if I remember right!) of aftercare. He's done me, my son, and my brother. His office gal Cari is excellent and they do a TON of out of state patients, so they can help with suggesting accommodations as well.

Peaches and cream sounds goooood! My Breakfast for a few weeks post-op was Country Peach herbal tea with half a scoop of vanilla Protein in it. May have to try these.