Paul11011

Thank you all so much for your kind words and encouragement. I wish I had a secret to tell. I'm following the instructions I've been given and trying to make sure I live my life thinking of food as required energy. It's not emotional support, entertainment or a friend of any kind. Thanks again y'all!

So this last Saturday (Sept 10) marked the 8 months post op point for me on this journey. I am still amazed at what a process it's been. I have had success well beyond my wildest dreams. As is often the case nothing is ever completely positive. There have been some bumps to work through that I never would have predicted before surgery. Primarily dealing with relationships. Relationships with both people and my relationship with food. It has been a learning experience in so many ways. In snapshot form: I've lost 242lbs since my first consultation on Nov 23, 2010. I've lost 206lbs since my surgery on Jan 10, 2011 I'm now smaller than I have been since the 6th grade. I have never been this size as an adult. I am in the smallest pants and shirts I have worn since who knows when. I have cleaned out my closet of the old clothes and this time instead of storing them in the basement to use when the weight returns, I am getting rid of them. I'm beginning to feel on the outside like the person I have always believed I was on the inside. I am so fortunate that I'm still seeing benefits and confirmation, almost daily, of my choice to have the sleeve . Thanks for reading. Take care y'all.

Thank you all for your re[lies. We are in the process of working through the issue and have had some good conversations.

I am beyond thankful for the success that I've experienced thus far and praise God for this opportunity to have a longer healthier life. The dilemma I have recently discovered is I've begun to question myself about the amount of enjoyment I get in talking about my WLS journey. I have always enjoyed sharing my story with others for a number of reasons. The most predominate reason though is that I have found so much encouragement form others as I was looking into and beginning my journey and I hope to be able to provide that encouragement to others. I really love sharing the adventure with others. With weight as the topic I feel I have been to the near extremes, I was never on a public service special but I had gotten to the point where some of the basic life functions where cumbersome to say the least. Maybe the depth of sadness I felt at those times in my life are now being counterbalanced by the happiness I now feel. I've had better than average success with this WLS surgery and I feel like I'm in the best possible position moving forward with the rest of my life. I'm still seeing scale and NSV regularly and feel badly that others have struggled where I have not. So my question is this justified, is it ok to still be so happy and excited. Am I providing any value by continuing to tell my story or am I an attention ***** destined to turn into a daffodil?

Thank you all for your comments and support. My wife is not a surgical candidate since she has lost the 50lbs on her own. She originally had about 100 lbs to lose and since she's lost 50 already, she would not be a candidate based on BMI, lack of co morbidities, etc. I met with the behaviorist at my surgical center today and he was very helpful. He provided some very valuable insight and some great suggestions. Ultimately though he helped me to realize that the feelings she is having, while connected to my choice to have surgery, are not my fault. I full understand the struggle she is having, I just never imagined it would happen. Meg, thank you for sharing your view with me. It's encouraging to know that this does happen with others and we're not an isolated case.

Lol...yep meant it to be at least a little funny. Thanks for getting a laugh out of it.

My wife and I went away for an impromptu weekend away to one of our standard get away locations. Birch Run outlet mall in Birch Run MI. This was the first trip we've made to the mall since my having surgery. I was eager to go to some of the stores that my presurgery self would have never been able to shop, Tommy Hilfiger, RL Polo, Izod, etc. Let me also tell you that I am incredibly cheap and the only way I would ever buy anything at such stores was if it were on clearance and I had a stack of coupons. The clearance shopping gods were smiling on me this weekend! Not only were there some great prices, perfectly caught the end of summer season polos, jeans, shorts, etc but I was able to fit in sizes I would have never before dreamed. All of my new polo shirts are XL with the button up shirts XXL. What a dramatic difference from the 3XLT polos and 4-5XL button ups I would have had to previously purchase. Now the really exciting stuff...pants....I'm wearing 34 jeans from Levis, Tommy, Gap and Nautica and 36 dress pants from the same places. This is an area I would have NEVER imagined I would be. That takes my jean size change from 48 to 34 and dress pants from 50 to 36, unfreaking believable!

In addition to the shrinking of the stomach and liver allowing for more room for the surgeons to physically operate there is one even more important reason for the pre op diet. A reason that causes me to believe that those surgeons not requiring it are damn fools or are looking forward to doing your revision work. By following a pre op diet you demonstrate that you can actually follow a diet. This is an absolute necessity for continued success after your WLS. I just recently encounter a prospective WLS surgery patient that was dropped by her surgeons. She gained weight during the preop diet and admitted to not following it. She's now trying it again with a different group and I'm pretty sure she learned her lesson. This aint the easy way out folks.

Awesome that you're getting the attention you deserve for your success. Now the package that the attention came in....well I'll leave that up to your interpretation. Congratulations on a huge NSV!

Thank you all for your replies and support. It's sharing this journey with amazing individuals like yourselves that makes the successes another level of wonderful.

7 months ago today was my surgery day. I can not believe, nor would I believed had you told me then, what a different life I have now. On the morning of surgery I weighted in at 456lbs. Today as I type this I weight 280lbs. I have lost 176lbs post op. From my initial consultation to my surgery I had lost 36lbs for a total now of 212lbs lost. It is so much more than just the decreased numbers on the scale that have changed my life. Obviously it all goes back to the diminished mass I now carry but every aspect of my personal life is better. I'm happier, more optimistic, more outgoing and confident. I have returned to college, completed two courses over the spring and summer, both A's thank you very much, and will be going full time this fall and winter. I never would have put myself in the position to have to squeeze into desks or lecture chairs at nearly 500 lbs. Additionally this WL journey has helped me to focus on what I want to do "When I grow up". I'll be completing my BS in Health Sciences at the end of April 2012. From there I'm investigating options, I would love to be involved with a bariatric surgery center to help patients on their journey. My health, the real reason for doing this, is dramatically improved. I no longer take blood pressure medication or cholesterol medications, my blood sugars are well down in the normal range instead of high-normal and with a final test next week to confirm, I'll likely be officially off from my cpap (haven't used it for a month and feel great). I am more active, willing to try new things and excited about physical challenges. My golf game is much improved. I've, in the past 3 weeks, canoed and kayaked for the first time in my life. My wife and I have bought bicycles and we've went on rides of 12 and 14 miles thus far. We're finding a whole new relationship doing things other than setting on the couch. I've found what a great help it is to be involved in a strong, reliable support network. I have made some great new friends and learned the value of listening to those who have went before me and the satisfaction of helping those coming behind me. I would have never considered myself a support group type of guy, but I view it as one of the most important pieces which will lead to the successful completion of this journey. As great as this 7 months has been it is not without some surprises and challenges. My hair is starting to thin a bit. I have developed gall stones which will be taken care of with my gall bladder being removed on August 17th. I have loose skin in places I never would have imagined. Perhaps the strangest bi product and the one my wife takes the most joy in pointing out, my ears now seem bigger. I have been very fortunate and really have no issues for which to complain. I would do this again in a minute. Thanks for reading and taking the time to let me share my journey with you. Take care.

I am proud and excited to say that as July 18th I have officially joined the 2 century club! I am now down 204lbs since the start of this journey. I still can not believe it's gone as well as it has. I thank God for the success he has allowed me to see with this process. For the first time in at least 23 years I am under 300lbs. This takes me back to my early days in high school. I have never been at my current weight as an adult. I still keep expecting to wake up from this dream and find myself still carrying around nearly 500lbs of mass. For all those that have 200+ to lose and question if it can happen for them let me tell you it can and will. I started this journey at 492 lbs with a BMI of 72ish. If I can do it, so can you.

In every profession there are those that are arrogant and ignorant. Too bad you found one that was both. Good decision getting the hell away from her.

What scares me the most is not that there are many PCP that do not know what the VSG is, it's that they have patients that are relying on those PCP for follow up care. I am so thankful that I have a dedicated circle of excellence center to work with me both pre and post op.

I am proud and excited to say that as July 18th I have officially joined the 2 century club! I am now down 204lbs since the start of this journey. I still can not believe it's gone as well as it has. I thank God for the success he has allowed me to see with this process. For the first time in at least 23 years I am under 300lbs. This takes me back to my early days in high school. I have never been at my current weight as an adult. I still keep expecting to wake up from this dream and find myself still carrying around nearly 500lbs of mass. This week has been full of NSV as well. My family and I went camping this weekend. One of the first things that hit me as I was setting up the camper was how much easier it was to do. No more struggling over the little things that most people do without even thinking about. For the first time in such a long time I was one of those people that was just doing things and not feeling physically exhausted or prohibited while doing them. I went canoeing! Yep, my wife, our daughter and I took out a canoe for a 3 hour trip down a local river. It was so much fun and an activity that I would have never attempted while carrying around my previous weight. I am finding myself being interested in sports and activities I previously would have never considered, biking, kayaking and scuba diving are now all on my want to do list. Thank you for reading and for the support and encouragement along the way.