M2G

Thanks ladies. I think he feels like a fraud saying that we are doing 'lifestyle' changes but we are. I could testify under oath that I am watching calories, carbs, fat, drinking tons of Water and exercising...and it would all be TRUE! Ugh! <br><br>But I get what you are saying, that he can blab all he wants about surgery and I don't have to admit that I had it as well. Although I'm sure anyone who can add 2+2 could figure this "mystery" out as well. Bah.

Good to "see" you around! I hope things are looking up for you!

You are rocking that sleeve and rocking that bikini...WOW! Congrats on all your success, and you are right, we are blessed to have the chance to have a 'do over' (that is what my sleeved hubby calls it!)

Awwww, congrats Tiff! I am SO happy for you. I just *knew* you were having a girl. What a perfect blessing! I only have girls so nothing to compare it to, but I LOVE being a mom of girls!

WOW! Congratulations! You don't even look like the same person. I can't believe you still have 50 more lbs to lose...keep on working that sleeve and I'm sure you'll be there in no time at all!

Wow, you look great! So much smaller!!! Can I ask how the gastric balloon worked and what you think of it compared to the sleeve? I am just curious as I saw that some surgeons are doing balloons on a trial basis. I see that you lost weight with the balloon but I'm just curious as to how it works and your thoughts on it.

:jaw: WOW, you look amazing! Congratulations on losing the weight AND maintaining it...I see you went even beyond your goal, that rocks! Best of luck to you in the quest for motherhood, I hope it will happen soon for you!

:party: WOWIE!!!! That is awesome Irene....you look FANTASTIC!!! Way to go...SIZE 6!!! :bananajump: :bananajump: :bananajump: :bananajump: :bananajump:

I had a JP drain, and it defitiely did it's job of clearing excess Fluid. I had mine in for 6 days post-op and it was annoying, uncomfortable and to be honest a little gross. My surgery and recovery went perfect and I wasn't in much pain. SO since I had an easy time of it, if you were to ask me what the worst part of surgery was I probably WOULD say the drain. I was so happy when I went back and had it removed. My hubby had the same sugery, same surgeon and yep, a JP drain and he had his in for 10 days and it didn't seem to bother him much. lol. Go figure. It certainly is worth enduring a little bit of pain to achieve the results you want. Oh and some drs. only use them while you are in the hospital and you don't have to go home with one. Just ask your dr. what they use and for how long.

What kind of dr. asks to meet you at Starbucks and will buy you lunch? Glad he was caught before that lady got on the OR table. I hope she gets her money back.

<p>Double post...can't delete but I can edit it. <img class="bbc_emoticon" alt="" src="http://cdn.verticalsleevetalk.com/public/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif"> </p>

Well, I'm not a Man but I think you are right that there is something to that machismo...putting up a wall and if a block falls off that wall then there is a weak link. Women do share and communicate more easily. I can pretty much guarantee that my husband would not have had the sleeve if it wasn't for me. Not that I forced the issue. I brought it up once I had made up my mind to have surgery, I said "let's do this together"....no, was his response. I support you 100% and know that you will do great with this, but no thanks for me. Well, our insurance had a 6 month wait time and during that time as I started jumping through the hoops, he had a change of heart and he decided yes, he wanted this too. It just took him a while to sort it out in his own head I think. So I guess maybe your only recourse is living by example? When I called my brother to tell him about surgery we had a very open and frank discussion about obesity in general (he is about 300lbs and only 5'9") and it was the first time we had discussed obesity in such an honest way. His health is being compromised by the obesity too, but he refused to do anything about it. He had high-blood pressure and also was pre-diabetic but refused to do anything about it. A lesson from the dentist (who refused to perform anything on him because his BP was so high) and some prodding from our dad and he finally went to the dr. and got some meds for both issues. I think he is doing better now but we don't talk/see each other very often. Unfortunately. I am sorry that your brother is being so stubborn. I hope that he decides to do something soon but in the meantime keep talking to him and keep showing him the way.

Well I don't know about the urine sample thing...that seems rather odd. I would be asking a whole lot of questions on that one! But for the EGK, for my pre-op, they just leaned me back in a chair and the gal had me lift my shirt and she stuck all the little stickies with wires all over my chest/abdomen and the little machine took it's readings. I've had 3 EKG's in my life and they were all like that. So I don't think you are going to get much privacy there. Except your bra.

Well, I just have to say that while it's nice sometimes that our husbands (or mothers, aunts, brothers, fathers, cousins, etc.) would like to "chime" in on what they THINK you should weigh, honestly it is really up to you. Yes, our surgeon's can give us guidelines and there is the ever-important BMI chart and for us women there is the time of the month, Water weight gain, etc. Basically there is a LOT to think about when figuring out what you should weigh. But honestly it all comes down to you. What you are comfortable with, etc. I personally would hate to lose so much and then not be able to maintain that weight. I didn't have surgery to get to a number on the scale and then spend the rest of my life chasing that number again. So for me, I've picked something that I *hope* I will be able to maintain for life. And it puts me just barely inside the normal BMI category. Anything after that is gravy. And I agree with Tiff...just because you weigh the same as someone else doesn't mean that you wear the same size or even look like you have similar bodies, etc. Do what feels best for YOU!!!

Oooh, that is good. I can totally see how their comments could be construed as hurtful. I am guessing these are good friends of yours so yes, it is time to have a little chat with them. You could add something about the fact that you can find something to eat any place any where and once in a while you are good letting someone else choose the place. What I find funny is that when people KNOW I've had surgery THEY tend to eat less in front of me.

What an awesome way to Celebrate losing those lbs!!! How FUN! And I've said this before and I'll be a broken record saying it again, I didn't feel sick before (I was healthy my only 'ding' on my health was that I was MO, I exercised regularly, low BP, low Cholesterol, etc.) but I simply feel AMAZING now after losing 70+lbs...I just can't imagine carrying around 70 extra pounds...(like I imagine picking up a 70lb bag of rice and having to carry it with me wherever I go) the thought boggles my mind.

WOW! Congrats on your loss...you are doing awesome! Yes, SMILE next time!

Looking great!!! I love clearance too! And saying goodbye to PLUS SIZES FOREVER is the most awesome feeling in the world! If I could just figure out how to get off of Lane Bryant's mailing list...now that would be awesome too...lol.

WOW, you look wonderful! Congrats! BTW, you and my hubby were sleeved on the same day (it also happens to be his birthday) but I don't think he has lost quite as much, close but not as much as you (49 since surgery?)That is saying a lot since men tend to drop the weight so dang fast! So kudos!!

Woo hoo! Awesome NSV! For me after losing -70lbs my wedding ring no longer fits, it falls off. I have a crazy small ring finger (sz 5.5), and fear that when all is said and done I will be below a size 5. Not a bad problem to have, just sucky waiting to lose more so I can have my ring resized to fit.

"FTR- she is skinnier than when we married, not that it ever mattered to me." I forgot to mention that I'm in the same boat! My wedding dress was a size 24, and I'm currently wearing a size 14. Maybe a do-over (vow renewal and PICS too!) are in order when we both reach goal.

Nice to meet you too! I have always weighed less than my husband (sometimes not by much, in fact our surgery start weights were almost identical but he has 3 inches in height over me) and he has less fat than I did and is more muscular, in fact one time he told a former family dr. that he wanted to lose weight and she told him she thought he was fine (I think she was hitting on him... ) As I was getting wheeled into surgery, our dr. told me "it's good that you are going first" and I thought he was referencing the fact that I was being a guinea pig, but he was like "it's good because you will get a good headstart on him and he won't be able to pass you up (losing-wise)" and I think he is right, the ladies should go first, because nothing is more irriating than a man who just drops the weight overnight. Honestly though we both easily look 10 years younger...and feel like it too! Like you said, win-win!! He is working out a lot, and it's showing. He only writes his weight down once a month so at his 3 month post-op he was down over -40lbs. I'm happy and proud of him...I bet your wife feels the same about you!

Wow, that is cool! I log on caloriecount.about.com but I don't see how I can copy and paste my graph in here. I don't put my weight down in there everyday though...that would have been cool to see.

My hubby and I are both sleevers. We were both morbidly obese (my BMI was higher than his, mine 44ish and his hovered around 41) we have talked about doing WLS for a long time but were both hesitant to do bypass. Then finally in April 2010 I made the call to our insurance to get the ball rolling. I asked him to consider it as well. It took him a while, but he did finally decide that he wanted to do this as well. And I have to give him TONS of credit because I was originally going to do the band and he begged me to research the sleeve...once I learned about the sleeve, I knew it was the right surgery for me and ultimately for us. Due to insurance, I was sleeved Oct. 2010 and he wasn't sleeved until March 2011. But that worked out fine for us (it actually cost us more money as we have a high-deductible insurance plan and had met our ded. in 2010, but it was still worth every penny!) We very much have the "team" mentality. He has always been my biggest supporter and has never once said I was not attractive to him, no matter what I've weighed. My weight has been all over the place in the last 19 years that we have known each other, and we have been married for over 15 years. He always says I'm beautiful, has supported every diet I have ever been on (even the crazy ones), and never given me grief when I wanted to eat ice cream. In short he is and always has been my rock. I love seeing other couples who are doing this together! Thanks for starting this thread. Valentina...oh my goodness, that is so awful. I can't imagine someone being so low as to call someone in the hospital and tell them not to come home. I'm glad you are doing well, and you sound like you have such a positive mental attitude. I'm sorry that happened to you, but it sounds like you are going to come out stronger for it in the end.

What cool friend to have!