My name is Denise but most people call me Neese. I am 23 years old, I will be married for 2 years, in May to my DH, Sean. We met when I was a junior high school (he was first year of college) and we have been together almost 8 years. I have been chubby/overweight/bigger, or whatever euphemism you prefer or have heard, all my life. It was never an issue until I could drive and that started the eating out and the no exercise because I had a car--I didn't need to walk anywhere! It wasn't until I realized I want to have children that I want to be healthy in my late 20s and from then on. My goal isn't to be skinny, but like most of you can relate, to honestly just be healthy and feel good in my own body. It was when I stepped on the scale at 5'6 and I saw that I weighed 292 that I realized it was time to be more serious about my health before serious health complications arose as a result of my obesity.

So my journey, well my serious one after many failed attempts anyway, started in May of 2011. I did an online seminar and then had my consult the very next day. The next 6 months, as that was my insurance requirement, seemed to fly by and other days seemed to lull on forever. I remained at the same EXACT weight of 292; I will never know how I stayed at the exact same weight at all of my checkups . So my surgery was set for January 31, 2012 and I was only given a weeks notice because of some error at the doctors office.

I have never had any surgery, e.v.e.r, I have never even been hospitalized overnight! I have no huge health problems (except, the obvious--obesity). My husband had to work that morning, I insisted he take off on a Friday so he could be home with me longer. My best friend came up from Virginia to take me to the hospital along with another best friend of mine. Before I knew it I was being put under, and when I awoke I was not in pain, although I had a catheter in that I was not crazy about. So it took about 4 hours to get me out of recovery because they had no clean rooms?? I dont know what that was about haha!

Once I got to my room I had probably 10+ visitors with gifts and flowers--I am a very lucky gal to have such amazing people in my life. Not that I showed my appreciation much because I was SO out of it. I was released two days later--just in time for the weekend. The first two weeks home went ok, the head hunger was a killer because I watched a lot of TV and it was right around the super bowl . Then after feeling awful at my two week check up I was hospitalized overnight due to dehydration I felt so dumb like I couldn't even take care of myself.

Tomorrow I will be 1 month out officially and later this week I am going back to work. I have lost 27 pounds, including 5 pre-op, and I have been at a stall since my stint of dehydration at the hospital. I am walking almost 50 minutes a night for exercise and getting enough liquids in and working on the protein. I am on the mushy phase early because my NUT believed I was doing so well that I could move up. I do NOT have a cranky sleeve, thankfully, nothing has really made me sick. I just hope to break this stall soon!