Hello All: Glad to be here and the journey continues. I started this journey, early 2000s, not knowing anything about WLS but that I wanted to loose weight. I was obsessed about diets and dieting, but nothing was working. I saw my co-workers getting the surgery and then loosing massive amounts of weight. It seemed like overnight, BUT it was not. I got accept for surgery right away and I thought that was great, but as I soon found out there are lost of classes to take and tings to learn before you find yourself on the loser's bench. well that was going too slow for me, and I got mad and decided I could loose weight with out the WLS and that all I needed to do was be stronger. I got every book, every DVD, recipes, and watched lots of videos about the subject of WLS. Well during all the learning, and knowledge gathering, still thinking I could do this without WLS, I got more sick. I already had HBP, and high cholesterol and sleep apnea... slowly coming on board being pre-diabetic and in denial about my condition. I did low-cal, Jenny Craig, and even weight watchers. I actually gained 25 pounds with Weight watchers! The super situation of having full diabetes and permanently damaging my eye site from unchecked diabetes. I was in ER the second time in 2 weeks with blood sugars over 600. Later during the second week I met an old co-worker in the grocery stores and she told me that her mother just died for a diabetic coma, and her blood sugar was 627 when it happened... Another hash tag counting up the reasons I needed this WLS... to save my life. SO by then it was 2012... I was too busy being tired and over weight to do not much more than be on autopilot for the rest of my life and no quality of life. I needed a change and I wanted better quality of life. I did not want morbid obesity to kill me. Things moved quickly with the motivation of living better and having a better life. I took the classes, and was honest... being honest with myself was the biggest and best coping skills for making things work with a plan. When I saw the surgeon in Nov 2012, they already had an on going list of my conditions and that I wanted to try again for having WLS. I stuck to the Bariatric food list, and meal plans... (notice I did not say diet?) another key coping skill = "mind set." I even practiced on what it would be like post op for 3 days of having nothing but liquids. I failed in the first few attempts but eventually got to it successfully. Planning it all out pre op made things run smoothly post op. It's been just a little over 2.5 years since my surgery and Y-T-D things are really good. People change and people got weird for seeing my body change... and I just deal with things as best I can. These days I cannot use food for comfort and knowing better that it's not what's needed for coping. You can never have too much education nor too many coping skills post op. That is what will make sure you stay on track and keep on being successful with this life long journey. Remember it is for life, and for the rest of your life. Finally stats HW= 297, SW= 252, CW =115... I call this my second chance and I don't want to miss a thing!

Congratulations!

Congratulations on taking control of your health! You look great!

Congratulations! So happy for you!