I guess I will start...

My name is Regina, I am a 34 yr old wife, mother of 4, sister, daughter who is originally from NC. I had my surgery in Tijuana, Mx on April 8, 2011 by Dr. Ponce DeLeon. I am hoping to lose almost 150 pounds total but will settle for 120.

I own a few small businesses and have a passion for music and handbags. I am a Blue Devil, Pittsburg Steeler, Boston Celtic, Dale Jr. sports fan though I have been too busy so far this year to really watch them on tv.

I am happy my surgery went well and hope my weight loss is as successful.

Hi Regina!

I am Lorraine "Raine" for short by my sisters both and blood and otherwise Married to the most supportive man in the world and we have a 13 year old son who is just a great kid, but hey I am not biased at all LOL. I was born and raised in Brooklyn NYC and have lived in Charlotte for the past 6 1/2 years.Yes, I am a damn Yankee I love it here and wouldn't move back. Mind you I love to go back and visit but Charlotte is my home now.

I was sleeved on 4/27/2011 and am down 30lbs since the 2 week pre op diet. I love the sleeve and what is has done for my health and over all quality of life in this short amount of time. I would do it all over again in a heart beat.

Sports, well I am a stands fan and will route for the home team but I don't follow stats and couldnt for the life of me tell you who is who on what team etc. I love martial arts, specifically, Jeet Kun Do, which is Bruce Lee's style of Martial Arts. I plan to go back in a couple of weeks after I get back from my sisters wedding. The doc gave me to go ahead. I figure if I have to exercise it might as well be at something that I like doing. I am a high red belt now and have 3 browns to get to my black belt. I had to stop because of my job and well to be honest it was getting too hard with the weight climbing once agan.

Glad you started the group!

Raine

Hi Regina!

I am Lorraine "Raine" for short by my sisters both and blood and otherwise Married to the most supportive man in the world and we have a 13 year old son who is just a great kid, but hey I am not biased at all LOL. I was born and raised in Brooklyn NYC and have lived in Charlotte for the past 6 1/2 years.Yes, I am a damn Yankee I love it here and wouldn't move back. Mind you I love to go back and visit but Charlotte is my home now.

I was sleeved on 4/27/2011 and am down 30lbs since the 2 week pre op diet. I love the sleeve and what is has done for my health and over all quality of life in this short amount of time. I would do it all over again in a heart beat.

Sports, well I am a stands fan and will route for the home team but I don't follow stats and couldnt for the life of me tell you who is who on what team etc. I love martial arts, specifically, Jeet Kun Do, which is Bruce Lee's style of Martial Arts. I plan to go back in a couple of weeks after I get back from my sisters wedding. The doc gave me to go ahead. I figure if I have to exercise it might as well be at something that I like doing. I am a high red belt now and have 3 browns to get to my black belt. I had to stop because of my job and well to be honest it was getting too hard with the weight climbing once agan.

Glad you started the group!

Raine

Raine,

Welcome to the group and congrats on your sleeve!!! I think it's great you love NC enough to wanna stay. We plaan on moving to Florida when we retire but I know it will be hard since NC has always been home.

I have a boxing bag that I sometimes kick but that's as close as I have gotten to martial arts. But it always was something that sounded fun to learn. Maybe I will take a class or two one day to see if I have the knack for it after I lose a little more weight.

Please feel free to add any info or post new threads to help get the group started. I know quite a few "Yankees" and they always have something to say lol so feel free to do so here.

Hello Everyone. My name is Kim and I am originally from Richmond, VA but have lived in Charlotte for the last 27 years. I have been married to my very supportive husband for almost 22 years and we have 3 children ages 20, 18 and 10. I am very fortunate to have my family's support as I a go through the process to be sleeved. I am currently in my 5th month of the 6 month supervised medical visits and I hope to be sleeved in August. I am also a preschool teacher and am an online student at UNCG.

Hello Everyone. My name is Kim and I am originally from Richmond, VA but have lived in Charlotte for the last 27 years. I have been married to my very supportive husband for almost 22 years and we have 3 children ages 20, 18 and 10. I am very fortunate to have my family's support as I a go through the process to be sleeved. I am currently in my 5th month of the 6 month supervised medical visits and I hope to be sleeved in August. I am also a preschool teacher and am an online student at UNCG.

Hi Kim,

Welcome to the group! Glad to hear you have your family's support and best of luck in your last month of dieting. Before I went across the border to have my surgery, I looked into other options here and those diets really surprised me. I salute you for staying on task. The few weeks I was on it was not hard but I doubt I could of stayed as faithful as I was for 6 or more months

Keep us up to date and feel free to interact however you like. I really do hope we become an active, close knit group.

Hi Kim, What doctor in Charlotte did you decide on? Did you look into Dr. V?

Hey Raine. I used Dr. V a couple of years ago and was very unsatisfied with the way the office operated. Dr. V was wonderful but it was difficult to get appointments and the office staff was horrible about returning phone calls and email.

I am using Dr. Gersin with Carolina Weight Management and Wellness Center and have been totally pleased with them. I'm hoping to get sleeved in August. I have one more month of supervised diet to go.

Hi Kim, What doctor in Charlotte did you decide on? Did you look into Dr. V?

I can believe that. Dr. V is a wonderful surgeon and person, but you are right the staff is a bit disorganized at times. I actually waited in the waiting room for 45 min one time without anyone telling me an ETA. Told the girls up front I had to go back to work and needed to know when he would be ready, they said not for at least a half hour. I told them to reschedule me and left.