Hello everyone my name is Tiffany! I am very excited that I set the date for my surgery it's August 11th, at the same time I am feeling some nervousness. I have been trying to get weight lose surgery for almost 5 years but with life I had to keep cancelling and changing plans. I finally decided enough was enough and went to see my bariatric surgeon last year.I have spent my entire adult life morbidly obese and am done with it, I honestly can not remember the last time I was under 200lbs. At my highest weight I weighed in at 515lbs, as of yesterday I weigh 457 just using my surgeons advice and eating healthier and being more aware of foods. I am looking forward to starting my new and improved life for not only myself but for my 2 kids, I want to be a better role model for them and teach them that they can still enjoy food and be healthy. To me losing the weight isn't about being skinny and looking a certain way, it's for health reasons I am having the surgery. I have so many health issues that my cardiologists is just giving me a year to live he doesn't think I will live to see 30, that was a big wake-up call for me. I don't want to die young, the more I thought about it by me being this size I am slowly killing myself. I look forward to losing the weight, being healthy and growing old to watch my kids grow up into adults with families of their own. So if anyone has any advice or tips about what to expect after surgery, please let me know I would love to hear them!

So happy for you, Tiffany! Aren't our bodies such amazing machines? And isn't it wonderful that we have this second chance to get and stay healthy and be able to "stick around" for the long run? This time we really know and appreciate what a gift our body is and are learning how to treat it like it is intended to be treated. It is never too late. . .

Just keep on reading all the awesome tips and trick here on BariPal from all here who are your partners in this adventure. I think the main message that most will agree on is that the sleeve is an excellent tool, but it doesn't just magically make all the weight go away. The owner of the sleeve is the one who has to do all the hard work to make that sleeve work. It's often not all a bed of roses, but the closer you adhere to your bariatric program from the very beginning and for the duration, the greater the odds are that you will enjoy the permanent rewards of WLS.

Happy waiting for August 11 day!