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Hello fellow sleevers, Well tomorrow will be six months since my surgery. Wow, what a ride. For those that haven't read my other blogs, in summary, I had my surgery on 03.09.2012 and my start weight was 173kg (382 pounds). Two days after the surgery, I had emergency surgery due to sepsis from a leak. I was in ICU on a ventillator and later transferred to the surgical ward where I remained (bumping back and forwards from short stays in the ICU) for the next two months. I came home in November 2012 and have been home ever since. I haven't had to go back to hospital but have to admit that it's only now that I no longer freak out completely (there is still a little freaking out) when I get a twinge in my tummy. I am back at full time work. I recently applied for and was awarded a pretty significant promotion at work. I am far more active socially now then I was previously and certainly have more energy. So how have things changed? Well, I now care about how I look. I don't just look in the mirror and keep going. I stop, have a proper look lol. I have more confidence - I would never have considered applying for this promotion previously. I also feel much more confident when I go out. Not dating (yet lol) but it's at least an option now where as before I totally would have rejected as even a possibility. I move quicker and more easily now - I work with kids and I can run, chase and play on the floor. With my own little fellow, I can do things with him. Go swimming. We're actually going on a holiday to the Gold Coast soon and I bought swimmers to wear whilst I am away! I hate saying this because before surgery I would have totally denied that I was unhappy, but I AM happier now than I was before. How can I not be? It is easier to move, it doesn't hurt to do things. I can easily get in the bath tub and enjoy myself without being squished in and worry I won't be able to haul my butt outta there. My start with the sleeve sucked and I caution anyone who is thinking about this surgery to really understand what will happen if things go wrong. Take precautions. Make sure that you have things sorted out financially if you can't work for several months. I'll get off my soap box now and share some before and after picks. So to recap, my start weight was 173kg (382 pounds) and my current weight is 110kg (242 pounds). I still have a lot of weight left to lose (another 38 pounds or 17kg to get to my surgeon's goal and 35 kilos or 76 pounds) to get to my goal. Hope you're all going well! Cheers, Lila

How many times have I heard this. Everyone with the band is not going to lose weight at a high rate of speed. To me a loss is a loss whether it be a pound or an ounce. Many factors play in to weight loss and they are consuming less calories then you burn, getting 8 or more hours of sleep, moving your bowels regularly, eating high protein meals with good carbs such as vegetables and fruit and moving. Actually wheat products such as wheat breads and pastas have been proven to be no better then white bread and pastas and may even cause more weight gain. Yes, gluten is a real problem. But the problem is not just gluten. In fact, there are three major hidden reasons that wheat products, not just gluten (along with sugar in all its forms) is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, depression and so many other modern ills. How Wheat -- and Gluten -- Trigger Weight Gain, Prediabetes, Diabetes and More This new modern wheat may look like wheat, but it is different in three important ways that all drive obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia and more. It contains a Super Starch -- amylopectin A that is super fattening. It contains a form of Super Gluten that is super-inflammatory. It contains forms of a Super Drug that is super-addictive and makes you crave and eat more. So if you have changed over to wheat products and are not losing this may be why. It really isn't wheat anymore but a bunch of fillers so that may impeade your weight loss. There are many reasons why you may not be losing as much as others, but I say keep doing what you are doing and eventually you will get to goal. It can take two years to lose 100lbs that is not uncommon. Yes you want it off now because you had surgery but the slower the better and if you lose weight slowly you will be more apt to keep it off long term.

Note: If you have been following my blog this should have been entered before "Friend or Frenemy" but I had a moment and didn't realize I hadn't posted it until today....please forgive me! Going to get a physical, and this is my annual physical. Did I mention that it has been over 25 yrs since I had an annual physical. Now I have not neglected the annualy "women" physicals, the necessary mammograms when you get to "that" age or even the colonoscopy due to family history, but oh noooooooooo I wouldn't get a physical. <<dramatic pause to allow you to stop laughing>> Yeah I know beyond weird huh? I was afraid of that apparatus of stress, the one with all the numbers that used to be a dial and now is just digital which i think is worse, becase it is in kilograms and it gives me that false sense that I weigh less than the actual weight I am, the scale scared me. Going to the dr caused me so much stress I just kept being busy. Now what makes this even more pathetic, my insurance pays for annual physicals at no cost to me. You see I never wanted to find out what was really wrong with me. I was afraid of a conversation about my weight, my eating habits, and my lack of exercise. Kind of like when you go to the dentist and he asks if you floss "why yes I do 3 times a day" said no one ever! I was afraid of the truth. Well, I finally woke up, no more, I was going to find out just how bad all this weight had effected my overall health. We all know what I am talking about so I won't go thru the laundry list. I went in to the doctors office, with my head held high and they took my blood pressure first. The medical assistants didn't take it once or even twice they took it four times (2 diffferent medical assistants). I started to get worried was I having a stroke! Then they said "hmmmm we will take it manually in the room". Why, is my pressure so high I am off the scale on this medical apparatus too?? Then they checked my heart rate, the next comment was "we should get this machine checked". Ok, now I am starting to be validated for why I stayed away, sick, I am sick.....how long before I am on a list of medication the length of my arm???? I made myself take a deep breath and walked steady to the room. Once there one assistant started taking my pressure again and the other was asking me the list of quiestions I am sure if printed out would be about 5 pages single spaced, about every illness I and my family have had. When they finished my blood pressure the assistant whispered to the other and I knew then something was wrong. When I asked they said the doctor would let me know what it was and answer any questions I had. They left and in came the phlebotomist, oh how I hate needles (and I work in the emergency room ~ it is a lot different sticking than being stuck!). She was good one small poke and that was over. The doctor comes in and we start talking. Now I had seen this man for years for bronchitis, sprains and any minor need for a physician. So his first words to me was "why a physical now?" and he smiled a smile that made me immediately relax. I told him I was taking control finally. He was glad to hear it. I immediately asked about my blood pressure, and what happens he smiles again. Well it seemed that I had a pressure of 110/60, and it was verified as it was that every single time they took it. But, the medical assistants assumed that it was wrong based on my weight. I was happy, but kinda mad at the skinny little techs for judging me, but I let it go. I got to feel the cold stethoscope on my chest and back, and breathed deeply as he instructed. He poked me and proded until he had check me thoroughly (oh and yeah I did stick my tongue out and say ahhhhh!). He said it looked good but he was waiting on my labs and outside tests before he could give me results. So I left with a bandaid from my lab draw and a small strut past the little medical assistants proud I had such a good blood pressure. A little part of me was afraid of what the labs would show, but right now this was my victory walk. The next day I get my results..........healthy, I am healthy? how can someone be morbidly (i sure think they could pick a better adjective) obese and be healthy???? But I am. My ten year prediction of CAD is less than 1% (and according to the dr it doesn't get any lower!) I am happy that there is no underlying condition, that I am healthy but how did I get so lucky? why me? Then my heart sank, I will have to lose this without surgery even though my BMI is over 50. My healthy heart ached, I cried. How sad is that, I cried because I was healthy, people would give their right arm to have my labs and health and here I am crying. After a short pity party, I called my insurance company and asked what requirements (no matter the height of the hoop, no matter how hard to jump thru, I was going to do it) did I need to comply with for approval for the surgery. Turns out it is my BMI and a year of dietary supervision by a primary care doctor is all it took. A year that's all, heck that's easy I have been overweight my entire life (sometimes more than others), I can do that. So for the last 6 months I have been soaking up every bit of knowledge and information I can get my hands on and now I am halfway there. One last summer in a swimsuit looking like a stuffed sausage, one last halloween unable to wear that sexy costume, one more christmas of not being able to ask for clothes because I won't tell my size. Soon I will be able to sit in any chair I want without fear of fitting be comfortable walking in any store to look at clothes because I know if I want it they probably have it in my size. It is so close .......... the beginning of the best part of my life.

I can not believe that it's March! Only ten days until my surgery. Nerves are setting in, but I am so excited for my life to change. I'm doing ok on my pre op diet... I needed to stop myself from straying but it hasn't gotten out of hand. The only thing in between me and surgery is my last meeting with my surgeon. I am not sure exactly what is going to happen I am sure it's just him giving me directions and stuff for the big day! Ahh I am still in shock that I am actually going through with it! *breathe*

Omg....I am so excited....I hit the one hundreds today!!! Love my sleeve!

Here ya go!

Highest known weight: 205 1/18 DOS 179 Week #1 171 (-8) Week #2 167.4 (-3.6) 11.6 total Week #3 165.8 (-1.6) 13.2 total Week #4 163.8 (-2.0) 15.2 total 1 month 2/18 161.4 17.6 total Week #5 161.4 (-2.4) 17.6 total Week #6 159.6 (-1.8) 19.4 total Total weight loss from highest weight: 45.4 Slow and steady. I never feel like the scale moves for me, so it is nice to look at this and see that I am making weekly progress. I am thrilled to be in the 150s finally. It has probably been about 8 years since I got to the 150s. Also, four or five days ago I switched from prilosec to prevacid and it has made a big difference. I am not feeling hungry anymore. So happy about that! I'll check in again next Friday.

I'm so excited. I've lost 4 pants sizes. I'm fitting into jeans in my closet that i haven't warn in years! Spring break is in a few weeks and we are going to Disneyland can't wait to spend some time in sunny Southern California