New to fifties group

[LainieG 132]

Happy Birthday Beachgal !! Hope that your day has been a great one !

Been thinking about Kathy today. I am sure she did fine and cannot wait to hear from her.

I don't remember if I posted but I will be having a cardiac cath on Tuesday. They are not certain there is anything there but the camera images were not 100% so they want to be sure they did not miss anything. Keep your fingers crossed for me !

Have a good weekend !

[Vsglady 142]

LainieG fingers crossed and have a great weekend to you too!

Beachgal, Happy Birthday!

[beachgal2935 596]

#9grammy - Congrats on the weight loss! I'm on day 3 of my 1200 calorie diet and have stayed within the parameters even with it being my birthday - whew! Now if I'm being totally honest, between lunch and dinner and then again around 10:30 p.m. I feel that stupid ghrelin or as I call him gremlin hard at work and I'm starving! At least I feel like I am. I know the first week on any diet is usually the worst so I will push through. I'm going to try and get as much weight off as I possibly can pre-surgery Sure hope Kathy812's surgery went well

[The Candidate 3,215]

Hello everyone! I am 53 years old and hoping to have the sleeve. I'm in the intermediate stages of the approval process with Kaiser So Cal, which probably has one of the longest wait periods I've seen so far. At orientation in September we were told it averages around 9 months.

So far I've gotten the referral from my PCP, attended the mandatory weight management class and bariatric orientation, completed a comprehensive questionnaire covering my medical history, past diet attempts, body image issues, support, etc., completed a battery of labs/tests, and met with the head of the bariatric program who approved me for their options program, which are 24 weeks of mandatory classes (1 per week), which I'll start in Nov. and expect to finish sometime in May. He also told me I'll need to lose 20 lbs.

After graduation then we meet with the surgeons, and I should find out then if I'll get the sleeve or not, psych eval, NUT, more labs/tests, their required orientation (Kaiser So Cal contracts out to Pacific Bariatric, and the actual surgery is done at Scripps Mercy), and finally.... surgery, hopefully by July at the latest. When they say 9 months, they mean 9 months!

At first I was bothered by the long wait, but now I'm excited. I can't wait to start the classes, as at least I'll be doing something. Between here and the classes I should be more than prepared.

Anyway, that's my story. So glad to have found this forum, and thanks @@#9grammy for the invite to the 50's. It will be nice to swap stories with my own generation!

[NavyMom2006 119]

@Candidate - welcome to the group!!

[The Candidate 3,215]

Thank you @@NavyMom2006 for the warm welcome!

[Vsglady 142]

@@The Candidate howdy! This is a great group that offers a lot of support. I know 9 months seems like a long time but I bet it will fly by. My Six month program sure did. Your program seems to offer an amazing amount of education and support. I really learned so much in my 6 months from the diet classes to the special Bariatric surgery exercise program. I just felt more comfortable with these programs because they were so non judge mental. We were treated as patients not customers at a gym or diet center. If you know what I mean. Check out Queenofcrop blog for an uplifting read. We're big fans around here!

[The Candidate 3,215]

Hello @@Vsglady! Thank you for kind words! You are so right about the time flying by! Every time I do get a little down in dumps about the wait I just remind myself that I shouldn't wish my days away, as they're just too precious.

I've really been impressed so far with Kaiser's bariatric program. It's very streamlined so I always pretty much know exactly what is supposed to happen next. I'm also very lucky to have a wonderful PCP who supports my having this surgery 100 percent.

But I think the thing I am most grateful for is that I am finally feeling hopeful again. I'd become almost resigned to living the rest of my life this way. Waking up in pain, going through the day in pain, and going to bed in pain. When you're younger it's easier to fool yourself that being obese isn't the end of the world because you still have all that energy and vitality. You find ways to work around it. And then one day, usually around the 50 year mark (sometimes sooner), you suddenly realize that your body has become your worst enemy. It's out to get you. You've treated it like trash all these years and now it wants revenge! And rightfully so. :-)

I've come to feel about this surgery the same way I felt about LASIK eye surgery when I had it. It's a blooming miracle! Finally my body and I will be on the same page, working together. I'm more than ready to turn my life around, exercise, eat right, and do whatever it takes to finally feel good again.

[beachgal2935 596]

Hi & welcome Candidate! I'm a "newbie" too. This is day 4 of my pre-op diet. I'm having my surgery at mayo hospital and both they nor my insurance company require me to lose weight, I just can't gain any while going through the 3 months it's going to take Mayo to pick, prob and put me through their battery of tests - LOL! I've been told if I follow the post-surgery protocol, with a beginning weight of 250, I will lose 60 lbs. with the sleeve and 85 with the bypass by the end of 12 months. That is all my body will want to release before resetting my set-point. It's based on percentages and I will confirm this when I meet with the surgeon next Tuesday. That is why I want to lose as much as I can before my surgery. I can't believe I started my diet the week of my birthday. I went out to eat Thursday, Friday, today and I'm going out tomorrow and Monday. I've looked up and logged EVERYTHING I've eaten and so far so good. I can't wait to see what the scale says when I step on it at Mayo Tuesday

[The Candidate 3,215]

Thank you @@beachgal2935 and a happy belated birthday! It's kind of fitting that you started your pre-op on your birthday as you are on the threshold of beginning a whole new life after surgery. A life of better health, and the possibilities are endless! :-)

[Kathy812 794]

Hello everyone! Welcome Cadidate! Well day two after my surgery. I won't lie, because I think it's important that we get an honest perspective of what everyone goes through. The first two days were rough. Worse Than My C-section. I was in so much pain. Today. My pain is more tolerable & I am being released at noon. I really needed two days in the Hospitsl. Believe it or not, despite my pain, I never once thought why did I do this. I am holding on to the big picture. First day my pain level is 5 or less. Another sleeve sister who had surgery the same day has had a remarkable recovery. Clearly everyone's body is different. I wasn't so lucky but hoping I will be w/my weight loss. Thank s everyone for your thoughts & prayers.

[Queen of Crop 1,104]

HI ladies! OK, with your encouragement I have stayed here in the 50's even though I will be 61 tomorrow! And also with your encouragement, I have started writing my blog again.....not sure if it will make any sense to all of you who are embarking on your journey as it has nothing to do with pre-op or paper work, but my hope is that it will inspire you to know that you too can have a dream life, whatever that means to you, by this time next year!

I couldn't imagine how vibrant and incredible and amazing my life would be 3 years later and it would never have happened without WLS.

To read my most recent post (just posted today) just go to www.queenofcrop.com If you are interested in reading about my first year, just follow the link below.

And although I don't often respond, I am reading all of your posts and I can feel your excitement!!!!!

[The Candidate 3,215]

Congrats @@Kathy812 for officially becoming a post op! I'm sorry you had to go through so much pain, but I'm so glad you're feeling better now. I appreciate the truthfulness. I for one don't want anything surger-coated, prepare for the worst, but hope for the best as they say. Please keep us updated on your progress from day to day, the good along with the bad.

Hello @@Queen of the crop, looking forward to reading your blog!

[LainieG 132]

Kathy, so glad that everything went well for you, outside of the csection comparison. I was wondering which would be worse, the surgery or birth ? I had my son naturally, with no drugs. Can't imagine anything being worse than that was. It will be better day by day. Keep us posted as you feel up to it !! Prayers are with you

[beachgal2935 596]

I'm so happy for your successful surgery and thankful for your honesty. How could it not hurt when your organs are being manipulated and stapled during a 90 minute procedure?! Not to mention the after-gas pains from the air they pump into your abdomen. Maybe, like childbirth, those memories fade when you look in the mirror 6 months from now and don't recognize the slim new you At least that's what I'm hoping for! Please keep us posted with your progress and know that we're all here to support you.