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450 pounds, 23 y old, TERRIFIED!



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Hi all,

I'm brand new to this forum but have been looking for somewhere like this for a long time.

My names Emma and I'm 23 years old, from Ireland.

I've been reading through all of your posts and just want to say congratulations to everyone on such amazing weight loss results.

I myself am booked in to have a gastric sleeve done on the 22nd of this month. I have all pre op testing done and passed everything with flying colors, except for my sleep study which revealed sleep apnea so I am using a CPAP machine for that. Basically I came here just looking for advice and support. I am terrified that something will go wrong during my surgery because I am so big. I am starting my pre op diet tomorrow so hopefully should have lost 20 pounds by my surgery date.

Are there any members out there who were as big as me and have a success story to share? I guess I am just really looking for reassurance because I'm suddenly filled with doubts since getting my surgery date yesterday.

Anyway thanks everybody for reading, I hope I get to know more about you all on this site.

Love Emma

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I totally understand. I haven't had my surgery yet, and it is soooo scary to think about. You will do great.

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Hi all,

I'm brand new to this forum but have been looking for somewhere like this for a long time.

My names Emma and I'm 23 years old, from Ireland.

I've been reading through all of your posts and just want to say congratulations to everyone on such amazing weight loss results.

I myself am booked in to have a gastric sleeve done on the 22nd of this month. I have all pre op testing done and passed everything with flying colors, except for my sleep study which revealed sleep apnea so I am using a CPAP machine for that. Basically I came here just looking for advice and support. I am terrified that something will go wrong during my surgery because I am so big. I am starting my pre op diet tomorrow so hopefully should have lost 20 pounds by my surgery date.

Are there any members out there who were as big as me and have a success story to share? I guess I am just really looking for reassurance because I'm suddenly filled with doubts since getting my surgery date yesterday.

Anyway thanks everybody for reading, I hope I get to know more about you all on this site.

Love Emma

Emma, first of all... WELCOME!!

Second, you have definitely come to the right place for support! :cursing: Try not to stress, you will do great. It's not easy and that's why I'm glad I had the lap band so I sorta kinda know what to do as far as post op diets go.

Everyone here is outstanding! I've already met some awesome people. This is the place to be!!!!

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Welcome Emma, I glad you are here. You will find everything you need in respects to support, guidance, and a good old-fashioned scolded if need be. Best wishes to you on your pre-op diet and good luck with your surgery. Everything will be fine. Just keep telling yourself that. Think positive.... that's one of the keys baby girl. Keep us updated with your progress.

Deb

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Hi Emma and welcome,

This is a great site I can not tell you how many times I ran here when I needed to be talked off the fear edge. Fear and doubts are perfectly normal. You will do fine especially at your young age.

nancy

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Hi Emmalouise. Welcome. I am 40 years older than you. I weighed 385.5 at my initial consult. Lost 19 pounds in the month preop. I selected the sleeve because of low risk of complications given my age and weight. I made it through surgery fine. No problems. Did great in the first week postop and since. I'm 9 weeks out. I'm now at 330 lbs. If I can do fine at my age and weight, you will do great!

Edited by Roseib

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Thank u for the amazing replies guys. It's great to know you are all here supporting each other through this journey. I'm feeling much better already. Eureka-C I wish u the best of luck in your surgery. I hope we can support and help each other through the tough times. Lil Miss Diva thank you for the warm welcome. I'll take your advice not to stress too much. Deb I think the more positive I go into this whole thing the better the outcome will be. I just really want to get over my fears and start looking forward to the future. Thanks for the welcome. Nancy I'm looking forward to getting to hear all about everyone's weight loss journeys. Think u for the lovely welcome.

Roseib- thanks so much for your input!well done on your fantastic progress so far and thank u for giving me such hope. It's exactly what I needed. Big props to you for being so brave and undergoing surgery.

Thanks guys. I hope I get to learn about all your experiences. I need to be able to see the bigger picture after the surgery! Up until now I couldn't see past the operating table. Thank u for making me start believing.

Emma x

Edited by emmalouise

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Hi Emma! Welcome to the boards. I understand how you feel. I get more antsy the closer to surgery I am but, in the end I refuse to let the fear keep me from taking this next step to a healthier me. There are so many wonderful memories I want to build with my husband and this surgery will help us!! We are both scheduled on the 13th. :) I will keep you in my thoughts, please do the same for us! :)

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Hi Emma! Welcome to the boards. I understand how you feel. I get more antsy the closer to surgery I am but, in the end I refuse to let the fear keep me from taking this next step to a healthier me. There are so many wonderful memories I want to build with my husband and this surgery will help us!! We are both scheduled on the 13th. :) I will keep you in my thoughts, please do the same for us! :)

Wishing you both the best success papillon!that's brilliant that you are both undertaking such a huge step together! My fiance is so supportive and can't wait until we can start enjoying life to the fullest together again. I wish you both the same.

Emma x

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Just remember - the sleeve was originally done as a precursor to duodenal switch for those who were very heavy because it was much safer for them. I'm sure you'll come through swimmingly. :)

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Emma welcome!! This road hasn't been always easy. But it was the best decision I made for myself and for the life I wanted. You will do fine just follow all the rules during pre op, rememeber when in recovery to breath steady, and post op remember to eat SLOWLYYYYYYYYYYYYY. I wish you the best luck

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Emma! I think it's so great that you're taking control and getting this done at an early age, instead of wasting years and years with all the "someday" stuff most of us have gone back and forth with. That's awesome. :D

As far as being scared goes... well, that's perfectly normal, almost everybody questions their decision and gets a little scared if they think too much about the remote possibilites. But the possibilites are just that -- REMOTE! The sleeve is the safest WLS out there. There's suuuuuuch a super-small chance of anything going wrong during surgery... but on the other hand, if you don't do something about the weight, then the chances of something going wrong with your body change to almost 100%. That's how you have to look at it. There's a tiny chance of anything bad happening, without it, bad things WILL happen. Know what I mean?

Oh... and welcome! :)

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:D

Hi all,

I'm brand new to this forum but have been looking for somewhere like this for a long time.

My names Emma and I'm 23 years old, from Ireland.

I've been reading through all of your posts and just want to say congratulations to everyone on such amazing weight loss results.

I myself am booked in to have a gastric sleeve done on the 22nd of this month. I have all pre op testing done and passed everything with flying colors, except for my sleep study which revealed sleep apnea so I am using a CPAP machine for that. Basically I came here just looking for advice and support. I am terrified that something will go wrong during my surgery because I am so big. I am starting my pre op diet tomorrow so hopefully should have lost 20 pounds by my surgery date.

Are there any members out there who were as big as me and have a success story to share? I guess I am just really looking for reassurance because I'm suddenly filled with doubts since getting my surgery date yesterday.

Anyway thanks everybody for reading, I hope I get to know more about you all on this site.

Love Emma

Hi Emma, welcome to the VSG club from the UK. I am sure it will be a positive step for you especially at your age, you have all your life ahead of you and to live it without the burden of the excess weight will be wonderful. There is a fellow Dublinner called Bookleen on this forum. She was sleeved in April in Belgium.

Jane x

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:huh0:

Hi Emma, welcome to the VSG club from the UK. I am sure it will be a positive step for you especially at your age, you have all your life ahead of you and to live it without the burden of the excess weight will be wonderful. There is a fellow Dublinner called Bookleen on this forum. She was sleeved in April in Belgium.

Jane x

Thanks for all the positive comments guys. I feel so welcome :-)

I am so glad that I am actually doing something about it while I still can. I just really hope it isn't too late.

I'm gonna start a new positive way of thinking from today on I promise :-)

No point going into all this negatively so its time to get POSITIVE!

Thanks everyone x

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hi emma

welcome to the forum! there is a september sleevers thread on here where all the people getting sleeved this month are! its good having that little bit of support from people who are going through the exact same as you at the same time!

you will be absolutley fine - this surgery is going to improve our lives for the better - we just have to keep reminding ourselves of that whenever we get nervous or scared!

Rhian x

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

      2. Doughgurl

        Thank you so much for your well wishes. I am hoping that everything goes easy for me as well. We don't eat out much as it is, so it wont be too bad in that department. Thankfully. Also, I hear you regarding your back and feet!! I'd like to add knees to the list. Killing me as we speak! I'm only 5' so the weight has to go. Too short to carry all this weight. Menopause really did a doosey on me. (😶lol) My daughter also lives in Houston. with her Husband and my 5 grand-littles. I grew up in Beaumont, so I know Houston well, I will be sure to keep in touch and update you on my journey. I may need some advice in the future, or just motivation. Thank You so much for reaching out, I was hoping to connect with someone in the community. I really appreciate it. 💜

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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