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Hi Everyone, I can hardly believe I am going to say this...so listen very carefully I shall say this only once..........I weigh under 300 lbs for the first time in 25 years!!!!!!!!!! I decided to take some measurements to compare from last June, boy was I amazed to find that I have lost 24 and 3/4 inches. Yea me. That of course is spread all over my body, but on my main areas bust, waist and hips I have lost 4, 3 and 1/4 and 7 inches respectively. Woohoo, I can hardly believe it. Well of course, once I saw that I just had to weigh myself didn't I. Again, I could hardly believe my eyes 299.5 Woohoo. Ok, I know it is barely under the 300, but when you have been this big for sooooooo long you never really believe you'll ever get under that number again. I have been dancing around the room like a whirling dervish, and wouldn't you know it, there is no one at home to tell. I shan't be able to tell my husband until he gets in later tonight. So I had no option I had to come on here and announce it straight away. If I didn't I would probably have burst something! So, for anyone thinking that the sleeve won't work for them, rubbish, it is obviously working for me. I am just so happy and delighted I can't wipe this smile from my dial. Love to all Phoenix

It's hard to believe that a week ago I was in the hospital getting my lap band removed and my sleeve done. This past week has been really amazing, and in some ways really surreal. I'm feeling really good, not having any issues with anything that I've eaten so far, and I get to start my "blended/puree" phase tomorrow (1st thing on the list is soft scrambled egg). If it weren't for this website, and the friends that I've made, I don't think I could have been nearly as successful. Really looking forward to week 2 and the new things I'll learn!

i had my first fill this morning under fluro...it took all of 15 minutes and i was a nervous wreck prior...it proved to be all for nothing. the worst part was having to have all my piercings taken out prior to the procedure! here's what went down... i laid on a table and had a pic taken of my belly that showed up on a small screen beside my bed i saw my port and the how it was attached to my abdominal wall with hooks (that was weird) i saw my band which is nowhere near the port and in between all sorts of other inside stuffs! i was given a shot of lidocaine to the numb the area-it burned a little like the heparin shots the NP stuck a needle in my port area and felt for the pockets on the band (which i did not feel but could seen on the screen) the needle was attached to some tubing but i could not see what was in the end of it... the bed was placed in a standing position and i was given a cup of contrast that i watched flow freely down my esophagus she injected some saline i think about 1 cc and i drank some more contrast...the flow was a littler slower she injected another cc and i drank some more contrast...the flow was slower still... she injected another cc and i drank some more contrast...i felt like it was going to come up... she removed a 1/2 cc and i drank some more contrast...i felt like i had to burp... she removed another 1/2 cc and i drank some more contrast and then some water...and i felt ok... so i got a 2 cc fill today on top of the one from surgery...so 3 total in my 10cc band i felt like a had a lump in my throat for the first hour afterward, but i feel better now... i am now back to mushies for two days...she said it appears i am tighter in the morning and i should try to drink a shake or yogurt in the mornings... that's it:) now the fun begins...i must remember to chew...

Ok i'm probably gonna be late for work but who cares. I FINALLY HIT ONEDERLAND!! i thought i did yesterday but wanted to make sure today and yep 199!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it was a long haul, but now i'm here. i believe i can make my goal in1.5 months!!!!! thanks for all the encourgement guys...ok gotta get to work!

I am grateful to report that while the inital response from my insurance was that the sleeve was not covered, it turned out they just mis-read the policy. It is covered. Now, begins the hoop-jumping. The traditional 6-month, doctor assisted weight loss program is required, and since I had already started such a thing with my chiropractor (an herbal cleanse that helped take off a whopping 12 lbs and then stalled) in January, I believe that June or July would reach the 6 month mark. She has already offered her full support, and will provide the necessary check-ins and documentation to support my endeavor. I've been with my chiropractor for nearly 20 years, and she has witnessed my struggle. She told me she was proud of me for taking the necessary action to improve my health. I keep expecting those I tell to exclaim their horror at my choice, and not a single person has done so. Today, I saw my Internist for severe body aches I've been suffering (turns out it may be caused by the antibiotic I've been on for an upper respiratory infection), and I also received her full support and enthusiasm. I wonder how my Neurologist, whom I see for my severe sleep apnea, will respond when I see him next week. We check in every few months so he can read my CPAP card and ensure that I am truly breathing through the night. Since I still suffer from fatigue, I often wonder if I'm not holding my breath while I sleep. I dedicated 2011 to resolving my fatigue issues, and decided that since even Provigil (made for Narcolepsy) couldn't keep me awake, I would be open to any form of healing that is presented. So, this week, I sat down for BioMeridian testing, and it determined that I have issues with my digestive and endocrine systems (duh), and so I'm now taking supplements to support them. I'm not absorbing protein well, which is actually backed up by blood work that consistently shows low protein. If it turns out not to be just a bunch of hooey... then my body should be in very good shape for surgery down the road. I was also introduced to something called Cell Food, which are oxygenated drops of minerals and amino acids that are supposed to conquer fatigue and inflammation. I tend to be a skeptic, and so I reserve my opinion on said healing effects for some time down the road, when my body ceasing this aching and my head is clear of fog. I met a woman in a WLS support group I've joined, who is using a FITBIT, which is sort of like a super-fancy pedometer, but it also tracks your sleep, not just your movement. So... I ordered one. I figured that I need to start adding more movement into my life, and I am fascinated by the sleep monitor. I feel like I sleep pretty well with my CPAP machine, though some nights it seems I am adjusting the mask all night long. I'm curious to learn, of the 8 hours I'm in bed, how long I'm actually asleep. In summary, I am 43 years old... and I hurt like I'm 83. I dream of feeling well. I am not fantasizing about being a size 2 (which wouldn't be possible, anyway)... I am yearning to be free of back pain, knee pain, foot pain, ankle swelling, and suffocating in my sleep. I am on a path toward healing and wholeness. Because... I'm worth it.