Hello, I am here to tell my story. I decided to have surgery almost a year ago. I went to one of Dr. Husted's seminars and began the process of my weigh-ins, tests, and learning about the surgery procedure. I have completed all my tests. If the last test results come back "ok" Thursday, then I will be ready to turn them in to the surgeon. I am also waiting for my phyciatric evaluation to be turned in this week or next. Right after they receive this information, they will submit it to my insurance to see if I am approved for the VSG surgery and if I am, I will receive my pre-op packet with my surgery date. I will begin my pre-op diet of milk shakes. Dr. Husted told me that I would be on the pre-op diet for two weeks before the surgery. I started my weigh-ins the month of Feb. 2009 and my weight was at 253. I have lost and gained several times. My weight reached upwards to 266 and I weighed in at 244 this month. I am hoping that I will lose some more with the pre-op diet. I have sleep apnea, high blood pressure, arthritis, fybromyalgia, mixed connective tissue autoimmune disorder and some other health issues related to my obesity. I have had a total knee replacement last year, now I don't have to walk with a cane! I am waiting, hoping and praying that I will be approved for the surgery. I want to have the surgery and lose weight to live a longer healthier life. I am learning many things from all the people who are posting on these forums, and I hope one day soon that I will be able to help others from my experience. Thank you all for being here!!! I will try to keep you updated on my surgery date, and my progress.

Edited September 29, 200916 yr by mountain_lover

Congratulations ML! I am keeping you in my prayers and sending good healing energy. I know you will do great!

Hugs,

JoAnne

Thank you JoAnne for all your prayers!! Please read this:

Thank you for all your concern and comments. I am back and it feels so good. I have not been on for awhile because I have been so sick from the nausea. I have not had any vomiting, for which I am very grateful.

Today is the best I have felt since surgery. I have not had as much nausea today. I went to the Y and exercised on the stationary bike which is ok at this time. Walking and stationary bike is all. Once my incision heals up I can go back to my swimming classes. I will just have to ask the doctor how much of the exercises can I do. I may have to take it easy at first, but just being in the pool will help, I am sure. I am so grateful for you all on this forum. I hate to think about my journey without you all here for support. Have a good day!!

I am sure I will be posting more as I continue to heal and feel better each day.

Wow how time goes by so quickly when you get on here and start reading everyone's comments and then start replying. I can't believe what time it is. I have to go to bed and get some rest. Need to so that I can heal faster!! Good night to all. Be back soon!! I have enjoyed my visit on the forum!!

You sound good ML! Hope your feeling well. . .are you having some pain? Gas? My surgery is on Dec 29th, I don't know how I feel right now. . . this morning I was like "what the hell am I doing" . . . now I'm like indifferent about it. . . my body tells me "I'm hurting so much you need to do this so you lose weight and I won't hurt so much" my brain tells me "your crazy girl!". . . I don't know. . . . thanks for listening.

You sound good ML! Hope your feeling well. . .are you having some pain? Gas? My surgery is on Dec 29th, I don't know how I feel right now. . . this morning I was like "what the hell am I doing" . . . now I'm like indifferent about it. . . my body tells me "I'm hurting so much you need to do this so you lose weight and I won't hurt so much" my brain tells me "your crazy girl!". . . I don't know. . . . thanks for listening.

Hello thinoneday,

Thank you!! I have not regretted having the sleeve so far. I am doing ok, and the weight is slowly coming off. I weighed 235 three days after surgery and today I weighed 236.6. I am getting over that real bad nausea and gas pains that I had all week. Now I am taking my medicine for it, which helps too. Whenever you get negative thoughts going through your head, just read Aristotle's Quote that is on your postings. It is so true. Your surgery is on My Mother's Birthday. She past away last year. I will be thinking of you on that day. Please hang in there and stay positive. I will keep you in my prayers!!

I thought that I had better update my story of my journey. Soon I will also put on some new photos. I have really been busy with christmas and I had to go into the hospital on Dec. 24 and the 25. I was having chest pains for 2 days and I had read that it could possibly be a blood clot in the lungs. The information said to call 911, which I did and I stayed in the ER for about 8 hours while they done tests on my heart, blood work and a CT scan. Thank God!! No heart attack, No blood clot in the lungs!! But I did find out that I have a hematoma on my spleen. As long as it does not burst or become infected, I guess all will be OK. I was given the OK to travel, so I traveled out of state the day after Christmas. I weighed myself on Dec. 30, the morning after I came back and I had a hard time believing that I had lost some weight. I had gained 3 pounds the two days I was in the hospital, I guess it might have been from the fluids they put in my IV. So I have lost almost 5 pounds while I was on my trip.

I now weigh 214.4, only 15 more pounds and I will be in onederland!! I have not been at this weight for approximately 20 years. I hope the pounds keep coming off. For about a week I was stalled and gained that 3 lbs. I was a little discouraged, but I have read that is common for people to get stalled at 3 weeks out, and that was my situation also.

I am getting ready to start eating regular foods. I have been on the soft foods for 2 weeks. I know that I was eating things that are not considered soft, but when I did I chewed, chewed and chewed some more so that it would be easier for my stomach to digest. I still have problems with some nausea, but I am doing OK. I just try not to overeat and I try to go slow and chew my food real good.

While I was visiting for the holidays, I did have a few things that were sweet, but they were hard to tolerate with my nausea. I don't know if I will not be able to tolerate sweets or if it will go away. I hope I stay more like this, because before surgery, I was so addicted to sweets and I ate way too much of them. Whenever I do have sweets now, I will limit my intake. I do have bouts of head hunger, but no hunger like before surgery. I really am so happy that I had the Sleeve done. I do not regret having it at all. I did not have any pain from the incision. I only had the pain from the gas pains and bad nausea for one week after surgery.

Now I am ready to get started on some serious exercising to try to firm and tone my body after losing some weight. I am looking forward to this journey and reaching my goal!!

Way to go ML! You are doing great! I still have nausea some days and even the thought of sweets makes me feel kinda yucky. That helps prevent indulging in them so I am fine with it. Just remember that eating carbs or sweets can make some people crave it even more so it can be a vicious cycle! Stick with the good stuff!

Mountian Lover: Good job! You are learning to trust your new tool. It will work for you when you "slip up". I think I tested mine several times before I finally got that my sleeve will work for me even when I am not working for it. It works much faster if I work (eat right) with it. I am down over 40 pounds since Oct 15. 40 WOW just wow. I so love my sleeve. My stomach is so much smaller. (outside) I do not have food cravings. I do get hungry, but am satisfied with very little. Sweets used to be my downfall. I had them hidden everywhere in my home. My friend brought me her home made fudge for Christmas. Now, she was not being mean. She knows I am sleeved. She brought me 3 pieces in a darling little tin box. I love her fudge. I am here to tell you it is still sitting in its little tin. I have 0 interest in it. I cannot believe I am not eating that fudge. This is a wonderful tool. I only pray it keeps working. I still have the head fear of gradualy slipping back to the old ways. Thanks to the postings of DeeDee and Tiffy I am starting to believe it won't go away. It will keep working. Wow, I am so emotional this morning. Just so darn thankful.

I am going to go and make a great day for myself and everyone in my home. ((((hugs))))

thinoneday,

How are you feeling today?

Thank you for all of your comments, I am really trying to stay away from the sweets. When I was visiting out of state, my sister bought some chocolate covered cherries and those were my favorite at christmas time before surgery. I usually always ate the whole box over 1-2 days, but I only ate 2 and didn't eat any more. They tasted very good, but the sweetness made me nauseous. I have tried cake 2 times and both times I couldn't eat all of it, I became very sick to my stomach. It really seems so weird being like this, because I have never in my life been this way. Not complaining, don't get me wrong. I am very happy that it is this way and That is why I said I hope it stays this way. Sweets use to be my biggest weakness. My head still tells me that I want cookies, cake or ice cream, but my body tells me I should not eat it or very little if it does go down ok. I decided to buy some low-fat frozen chocolate yogurt, because I had a hard time getting a hot fudge sundae from McDonald's down. I use to eat them all the time, but when I tried it, it was too sweet and tasted very different and I could not eat it all. I thought that the frozen yogurt would be healthier and taste better, but for some reason it did not taste very good like it did before.

Is there anyone that has been like this before and after surgery? Have you stayed like this or has it changed? I know that it is important to get in lots of protein, so I try to eat meals high in protein. I always try to remember that most all sweet foods contain very little protein if any at all. Sometimes I just have a little bowl of cereal for a snack, I tell myself that sounds like a healthier snack. I even get a little bit nauseous eating cereal. I am sure that I am not alone in feeling like this, but I sure would like to hear from others about this.

I weighed 210.4 this morning, since July I have lost a total of 56.4 pounds. (The night before my surgery, Dec. 1, I weighed 232.)

I find sweets to be nauseating also. They don't really tempt me any more. What a great thing.

goodluck, everything will be just fine!!!

The therapy swimming pool at the Y was shut down for almost 3 weeks to be repainted. I really am glad that now it is open. I have went 2 times this week. I really need the exercise. It helps in so many ways. I have lost some weight and I need to do some firming and toning.

This morning my weight was 207.6 pounds. The night before surgery on Dec. 2 I weighed 232 so that is a loss of 24 1/2 lbs in 6 weeks. I know that the exercising will help me to lose some more and will help to tighten up some of this loose skin.

July 2009 I weighed 266, so I am almost half-way to my goal of 145 pounds. I am so happy that I had the sleeve.

On Friday 1/22/10 my weight was 204.2 pounds. I am now more than half way to my goal weight of 145 pounds.

Recently I bought me a pair of Rider Jeans size 16 M, and I had been looking for size 18, because the size 20 were getting loose on me. Well I tried them on and they fit me real nice, only a little snug around the waist. It has been many years since I was in a size 16. I was so happy. Before surgery I was wearing 22-24 jeans and some of them were tight on me at times. I am so grateful that I had the sleeve, I do not regret having it done. I still have a long way to go to my goal weight, but I am very positive that one day I will see the scales at 145 pounds. Many people on here have been a great inspiration to me, and I want to give a special thank you to Tiffykins for all the comments and photo updates. She incourages me to hang in there and keep looking towards my goal, even when I have my ups and downs.

I haven't posted any new photos yet, but I am planning on doing so real soon. I look at my profile picture and I am so happy for the results from my sleeve. I am thankful to God and my surgeon Dr. Husted for helping me to change my life. I never want to go back to where I was. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I was ready for a change. I am changing a little bit at a time, but I do believe that I will reach my goal and be able to maintain my weight with God's Help and all the help I receive on this forum from all the sleevers. I wish everyone all the best!!

Good luck to you. I also am awaiting my surgery date. What kind of "milk shakes" are they making you drink? Thanks.

Good luck to you. I also am awaiting my surgery date. What kind of "milk shakes" are they making you drink? Thanks.

Hello NoPatience,

I no longer drink the Protein Milkshakes, but when I did I drank the ones from GNC store in the mall here in Somerset. I thought that they tasted better than the ones from Wal-Mart.