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Kiwi having surgery tomorrow!



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Hi everyone,

This is my first post on this site, I've been reading it for a few months and now that my surgery is finally here I thought I would join in.

I live in New Zealand and am getting my VSG done tomorrow. I haven't actually been nervous up until now. I think I'm actually more excited than anything.

It's been such a full on past couple of weeks, managing getting work squared away so I can go on leave without stressing. I have two and a half weeks off work and then I'm working from home for another week so I've got a good amount of time to myself.

I am a self pay patient as here in NZ pretty much none of the health insurance companies cover bariatric surgery of any type. It is costing me a total of $24,000 which we have taken out on our mortgage (which is already massive as it is!). I'm lucky I have a very supporting partner who has encouraged me the whole way through this. We have been together for nearly 10 years (we got together when I was 14, I'm not 24 yrs old) so he has seen me at my lightest (65kg/140 pounds) and my heaviest which is currently 115kg or 253 pounds.

I haven't really told too many ppl about my surgery, only my immediate family and 2 close friends. They have all been incredibly supportive and I probably will ensue telling some more friends as time goes on and I get closer to goal weight. Bariatric surgery isn't very common here in NZ and I don't know anyone who has any form of weight loss surgery and given that I am only 24 years old, I'm just a bit hesitant to tell too many ppl about it as I just don't think they would understand.

I have PCOS with my main symptoms being excessive hair and weight issues. My periods are like clockwork so luckily I haven't had to deal with that side of things. I'm really hoping that my weight loss isn't incredibly slow like it always has been after the surgery. I know that it's a tool and I still have to follow the rules but honestly and I cannot wait to just start losing weight, I'm over being fat and am ready to get to work and earn my new body and life.

So I'm going into hospital tomorrow and will probably be there for 3 nights. I've been keeping a video diary since the start of my journey and will hopefully be able to look back on it on my surgiversary next year and not recognise the woman looking back at me.

I look forward to chatting with you go on the boards!

Ellie xx

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good luck and I wish you the best and a speedy recovery keep me posted on your progress I'm being sleeved feb7,2013

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    • 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.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • 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.
    • KimBaxleyWilson

      Three months and four days ago... I was in Costa Rica having a life changing surgery! Yesterday we had a followup visit with Dr. Esmeral via video chat and this morning my middle number changed.  I'm down 47lbs and two pants sizes. I can wear a Large tshirt for the first time in like... 14 years! Woot!! Everything is going great. I have zero regrets. I went down to the riverwalk with a friend and walked 2 miles on Monday without even getting fatigued. And no more snoring or chugging pickle juice for crazy leg cramps! I need to go to the gym more... I'm making new shirts next week so that will motivate me. LOL But I'm also just not as TIRED all the time! I have a LONG way to go...but seeing the progress on the scales and in the mirror is a huge motivator!! Thank you all for cheering me on and supporting me!!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • bellaamey

      https://alluniqueguide.com/java-burn-coffee-reviews/
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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