Hi all- I'm a vet, had my wls in 2014. Lost to goal and then some and have successfully maintained. I have also had all my plastic surgery and am just living a happy life now.

I am here because I want to be supportive of others. Bariatric surgery was very complicated for me and I feel I have a lot to contribute no matter where you are on your journey because I have really struggled myself. I want to be there for newbies and other vets who may need support down the line.

This surgey changed my life, almost cost me my life, and gave me back my life. If you want to talk I am here and never going to judge you.

@bellabloom

nice to see you and your smile again

glad maintenance is an ongoing success

i have 3 questions.....

how can i add 3 inches to my height??

how can i become a cutey and a youngun

again like you?

can i eat pizza on the way home from hospital

you look maaaarvelous!!!

Plastics - what did you have? painful? cost etc?

you said "Bariatric surgery was very complicated for me"

(continued protein, water? etc)

what was/is the hardest part of the journey and maintenance??

inquiry minds want to know!!!

keep up the good job

kathy

congrats

[mention=235696]bellabloom[/mention]

nice to see you and your smile again

glad maintenance is an ongoing success

i have 3 questions.....

how can i add 3 inches to my height??

how can i become a cutey and a youngun

again like you?

can i eat pizza on the way home from hospital[emoji3]

you look maaaarvelous!!!

Plastics - what did you have? painful? cost etc?

you said "Bariatric surgery was very complicated for me"

(continued protein, water? etc)

what was/is the hardest part of the journey and maintenance??

inquiry minds want to know!!!

keep up the good job

kathy

congrats

Hi beautiful!!

You're so funny. I wish I could help you with your height and age goals but I think that's out of my reach. I'm sure your amazing and lovely just the way you are. Plus being tall isn't that great, I'm taller than all the men I want to go out with!!

Pizza on the way home from the hospital... depends on why you went to the hospital. If you were there having wls surgery hahaha no. If you were there visiting a sick friend than yes by all means!

I had plastics in Mexico and paid 13,500 for a neck lift, breast lift, and tummy tuck. It all came out absolutely amazing. My surgeon was the best of the best. Worth every penny.

My bariatric surgery was complicated because I had to have my bypass reversed and converted to a sleeve. I had seven surgeries in all. Bypass, gallbladder removal, exploratory, reversal and conversion to a sleeve, stricture dialation, granuloma in my belly button, and plastics. I couldn't eat solid food for almost a year and became extremely malnourished. During the course of the early surgeries I became physically addicted to narcotics. I had to go to detox to get off of them. Also wls triggered anorexia for me and I had to get treatment for that. So yeah. Complicated. Not to mention the huge life altering experience weight loss can be.

The hardest part for me has been maintaining without continuing to diet. I realized I could not continue to live in a diet mentality or I would either remain anorexic or regain all of my weight. I had to get therapy and learn to eat intuitively. I also had to let go of trying to have the perfect body and obsessing about my weight. I had to decide to allow my body to choose its desired weight without interference from me and to be body positive and embrace health at every size.

I would say thank you to keeping up the good job... but this isn't a job. This is life. Weight is not your "job". We weren't out on this planet to be skinny and perfect. There are a million other more important things in life than what size ones body is. It's wonderful to have a good relationship with your body- practice self care and self love. But treating your bodies shape like it's your job to make it perfect and it's something that must be done in order to be a valid person... no. Life is so much more than that.

I am very happy with my body right now but I have accepted that I am so much happier letting go of perfection. If I gain some weight back... that's okay. I deserve to be happy, nourished, and my body deserves to be healthy.

7 surgeries?? Not eat solid foods for a year?? Woah u are a soldier. Good job overcoming so much! You look awesome and more importantly you're happy which is great. Where did you go in Mexico for plastics? Who was the doctor

Congrats on your health. WLS vet or military vet? Both?

Weight loss surgery vet lol.

I was in Tijuana with dr carmina cardenas. Best ever