Hello everyone! I discovered this forum yesterday and decided to join today. The name's BJ, and I'm currently 19 years old and scheduled to be sleeved on May 17, 2011. I start my pre-operative diet on April 26. I've been overweight all of my life and decided last year that enough was enough; I wanted bariatric surgery. Actually, thoughts of surgery were in my mind back even when I was 15. I originally planned to have the lap-band, but after reading about the sleeve gastrectomy surgery, I figured it would be the best option. I never considered gastric bypass; it scared me too much. As my surgery date draws near, I am feeling nervous, but at the same time I also feel excited, as it will be the beginning of my new life. September of 2010 is when I weighed the most; I clocked in at 437 pounds. After learning that, and talking to my surgeon, I began my own diet and exercise routine, and have lost 106 pounds so far, bringing me down to 331 pounds. But I feel I could easily gain all that weight back, and see this surgery as the ultimate tool in not doing so. I hope to make lots of new friends on here and ask various questions. I kinda hope that I won't be as sore or in as much pain after the surgery due to my age. And I did tell my surgeon that I want a picture of my taken-out stomach after the surgery; heck, maybe he'll even show it to me in person before that. Lol. Only my family knows the type of surgery I'm having; I've told my friends I'm simply "having an operation". It'll be a fun day telling them what I did.

Congratulations on taking your life, your future into your own hands! It is a challenging road ahead but very worth it in the long run.

Good Luck with your surgery. I too am new to the site and am due to have my surgery this coming wednesday. I have a 17 year old daughter who has struggled with her weight as well and if all goes well with me I anticipate she will be doing the surgery as well. I wish I would have found this site sooner but glad that a friend suggested it to me. Look at the protein shakes and taste them because I hear they are pretty nasty. So you have enough time to find one that you like and check out the recipes because one of the members has a huge recipe log for mixing them with fruits and syrups to mask the taste. From what I have heard and read recovery is not that bad. It's just re-learning everything we have grown accustomed too. Eating/drinking is not the same. good luck

I am so glad you are having this surgery now at your age. I am 57 and am getting sleeved next week. I fill I have wasted 30 years being obese - I only wish I had this tool when I was younger.

Best of luck to you.

Hello everyone! I discovered this forum yesterday and decided to join today. The name's BJ, and I'm currently 19 years old and scheduled to be sleeved on May 17, 2011. I start my pre-operative diet on April 26. I've been overweight all of my life and decided last year that enough was enough; I wanted bariatric surgery. Actually, thoughts of surgery were in my mind back even when I was 15. I originally planned to have the lap-band, but after reading about the sleeve gastrectomy surgery, I figured it would be the best option. I never considered gastric bypass; it scared me too much. As my surgery date draws near, I am feeling nervous, but at the same time I also feel excited, as it will be the beginning of my new life. September of 2010 is when I weighed the most; I clocked in at 437 pounds. After learning that, and talking to my surgeon, I began my own diet and exercise routine, and have lost 106 pounds so far, bringing me down to 331 pounds. But I feel I could easily gain all that weight back, and see this surgery as the ultimate tool in not doing so. I hope to make lots of new friends on here and ask various questions. I kinda hope that I won't be as sore or in as much pain after the surgery due to my age. And I did tell my surgeon that I want a picture of my taken-out stomach after the surgery; heck, maybe he'll even show it to me in person before that. Lol. Only my family knows the type of surgery I'm having; I've told my friends I'm simply "having an operation". It'll be a fun day telling them what I did.

Awww God bless you BJ. You have made the right decision. I wish i woulda taken hold of my life when I was your age. Actually i didn't hit the 200s until i was in my 30s but i kept telling myself i would lose it dieting...ha ha ha! I would lose and gain more. My surgery is next Monday the 28th. I feel like you do..if i lose weight on a diet, i will gain it all back like i have in the past. So this surgery is the ultimate tool. Good luck to you.

I'm 60 and awaiting a date. But my insurance didn't cover the sleeve until last fall. I have to keep that in mind, but how I wish I could have done this 10 years ago when the pounds started packing on! Good luck to you, Marti!

I am so glad you are having this surgery now at your age. I am 57 and am getting sleeved next week. I fill I have wasted 30 years being obese - I only wish I had this tool when I was younger.

Best of luck to you.

Thanks everyone; I already feel very welcomed to this site. As for the protein drinks, my nutritionist gave me a link to some she recommended that come in several flavors. They look pretty good to me. I myself find it interesting that I'll be having the surgery at a young age; since there's only around six years of data on this surgery, I guess I'll get to be one of the long term "pioneers" of it