I Made It

Hi Tammy, I had my surgery with Dr. Aceves a year ago, my 1 year anniversary was last week. If a year is good enough (I know you said 2 years), feel free to browse my posts and/or send me an email at wendyjwolf@yahoo.com. I am totally willing to share my experience, highs and lows via email or phone....

This is such a big day for me..... I started this journey around age 13 when I joined Weight Watchers with my mom. I remember the lady teaching me about the food groups I would be eating and how to measure my food. I remember in 9th grade the popular girl telling me she noticed that I lost weight and looked good, I felt so good at that moment, and that my hard work was paying off. Fast forward 31 years, 2 kids later; a lot years of being self-conscious of my body image, size and how I always felt fat next to my freinds. A lot of my money spent on Weight Watchers, Phen Phen pills, Jenny Craig and every fad diet that came along. I knew I was never going to lose the weight AND maintain it off the rest of my life.. It just seemed impossible for me.... I am grateful for 1 year ago today. I am grateful for being able to put my surgery expenses on a credit card. I am grateful to Dr. Aceves and Dr. Campos and his staff. I am grateful for the person that invented and pioneered the Vertical Sleeve, I am grateful to my husband for saying yes I can have the surgery, and yes I changed my mind you can go to Mexico. I have been grateful everyday for the past 365 days for taking the leap of faith and having this particular surgery. I still think about it everyday. My stats- I went from a size 18 to a size 8 and I kissed Lane Bryant goodbye forever. I liked her because I was on the smaller side in her store..... That was my rationalization as I snuck in and out of her store hoping to go unnoticed by someone I might know. Now it's Macy's and Nordstrom and Target and Loft. I would like to say you will save money on food by not eating as much or spending as much on ordering in a restaurant. The truth is you will more than make up for it going shopping and finding that most of the things you try on actually fit you, look good on you and you have to try on a lower size than you thought you were. For those who are thinking of taking the journey, or are newly sleeved, all I can say is it's worth it! I won't say it's easy, it's not a cake walk, there are days I miss my intimate relationship with food and I want to be able to gorge myself silly. There are times when I go out to eat with new people I've met in the past year that don't know about my surgery, I get anxiety about how I am going to maneuver through ordering small on the menu because it's obvious I can't eat much and silly for me to order a big plate. In trade-off I don't miss the guilt every time I ate, or the embarrassment of what I ate in front of people, or the embarrassment of seeing myself in pictures that reiterated the denial I wanted to be in. Also, I lost a lot of hair. Honestly, I have thin hair and not a lot of it as it is... the surgery thinned it out more. I am bummed about that, but it doesn't take away from my happiness of being "thin." I take Bioten and a multi-Vitamin everyday, hoping my hair will get back to where it was before surgery. I feel like I was given a gift of a vehicle that I can use to control my intake. I work hard to get the Protein in and I still stumble with my love for sweets, but I don't have the everyday guilt and shame I carried around all of these years. It feels awesome to walk in a room and I am not the fattest, I am one of the thinnest or what I consider average. I have 2 small children - 5 and 6 years old. I did it for them, so I can teach them to eat better and take better care of themselves. I want them to be proud of how their mommy looks and takes care of herself as they grow up. I wanted to be healthier and have more energy and a more positive outlook on life, I am a better parent because of the surgery. I need to exercise more, I really haven't exercised much the past year. I never liked it but I did it to help control my weight. I know it's good for my health and will help me tone my body, I need to incorporate it into my life. My next step is focusing on maintaining my size 8 and being healthier through exercise. Thank you for reading about my journey.... I used this forum to give me courage to have the surgery and a place to go when I needed questions answered or forum of friends that can relate to me.... I am grateful for this forum too.

I am 1 year out.... I'm 5'5', weighed 210.5 with 35 BMI. Today I am still 5'5'(lol), weigh 144 and have a 23 BMI, very happy with my weight! I weigh less than my driver's license!!!

HI! I looked into having the lapband about 18 months ago. During my consultation/seminar they mentioned all of the different procedures and when the began to describe the sleeve, it was like a light bulb went on and none of the other choices made any sense to me. That's when my sleeve journey began! I ended up not being covered by insurance and was a self pay. I am 1 year out and it's the best investment I've ever made in and for myself! I am sooooooo glad I did it. Your post reminded me of me in the sense that I was always weight challenged, but after having kids I lost complete control and could not figure out how I could not only lose all the weight but maintain it off too! I felt like Weight Watchers and I needed to break up and I needed to find a new relationship with the sleeve.... I'm in love! lol... Good luck to you and I wish you all the happiness in taking this journey... it's so worth it! Just jump and don't look back! Wendy

I am posting my "I made it" photo! I am going to weigh the same one year from now, dammit!!! My friends say I shouldn't lose more weight because I will start looking gaunt.... no one has ever told me that before!!! lol.. Thank you everyone for your support, I hope I can give back to inspire those who are thinking about taking the journey, ready to be sleeved and are newly sleeved. It really does get easier and easier..... I had the foamies, the spit ups and the throw ups for the first 4 or 5 months. It seems like it will never end, but I promise you it does! Starting BMI - 35, today it's 23.9

BTW, chewing is overrated! lol....

Thank you Sara for your kind words, it really touched me! It's actually nice to hear from someone that seems like they have had the same challenges as me. I love that you are close to goal, and my guess is you will fly past your goal and be surprised where you land! I bet you are shocked to see yourself in the mirror... feels great, huh! Wendy

Hi, I was sleeved by Dr. Aceves on 4/13/11... I must have met you or passed you on our walk in the hallway. My room was across the hall from the nurses station. I am happy to say I am down 67lbs and below my personal goal of 150lbs I am happy to hear you are doing well too! Take care and keep it going! Wendy

Not sure when you are having the surgery, I am from So. Calif. I drove myself over the border and it's only 3 blocks past the border to Almater Hospital. Parked my car in the lot right by the security guard and had the luxury of leaving a day early, I was ready to go home to my bed and felt good! In addition, parking was free and it was nice to have my body pillow handy The driving part was easy... . Coming home took about an hour to get over the border, it was fine. Good luck to you! Keep me posted...

Jen, It's okay to get on the scale everyday out of curiousity. But measure your weightloss based on a specific day of the week. For me, it's Wednesdays because I had my surgery on a Wednesday, and I document Wednesday as my weigh in day. Don't get discouraged if you don't lose any day-to-day - look at it week to week.... I'm happy for you and it's only the beginning of a great journey! Be patient, it will happen!

Jen, I don't think I ever feel "full" like I did pre-sleeve. It's a different kind of full, it's where the trap door shuts in your esophagus and you feel like you are going to throw up because you ate 1 bite too many or will throw up if you eat another bite. But I don't think you really get that feeling until you transition to solids. I remember trying a Matzo ball a few weeks out, probably earlier than I should have... it's pretty mushy but expandable.. Couldn't get to a 3rd small bite, was going to make me sick. You will KNOW! lol... Hang tight, the next 4 months are trial and error... you will know when error occurs! Good luck to you and congratulations on your new tummy!

Hi Crosswind I have been following you since you got sleeved last year. My old screen name was "newly sleeved", I had to change it as don't consider myself a newbie anymore. I had my surgery 2 weeks after you with Dr. Aceves and your 'left my stomach in Mexicali' was my bible, and I felt like I followed in your footsteps every step of the way in Mexicali! Anyway, just want to stop in and say hello... I celebrated my 1 year on Friday and can proudly say I made and exceeded all of my 1 year surgiversary goals... I wrote about it here in one of the forums if you want to catch up with me. I am so happy for you and the progress you have made... over 100lbs is amazing and inspiring! You've inspired and given shi** and giggles to many people here, finding raw humor in the journey of a lifetime... hugs to you! Please post pictures, you don't have to hide anymore... you da bomb!

Hi New Life! I was sleeved last year on 4/13/11, is that close enough??? My starting stats seem similar to yours. I went from weighing 210.5 at the start and now I weigh 143.5, a size 18 to 8 in less than a year. I just posted my journey and results on my anniversary, feel free to go back and read it. In a nutshell, I am over the moon at my results. Have met and exceeded my hopes and if I had any expectations, the surgery has exceeded them all. I am pretty up front about the pros and cons of the surgery and what you give up in return for the results. I wish you the best of luck on your new life, it's a journey and one worth taking. Feel free to contact me anytime, I have been there! Wendy

Congratulations! Great Post! Just celebrated my 1 year anniversary this week, and I agree it's the best thing you can do for your personal happiness! It's great to hear from a 2 year veteran!

HI! I was so scared, it's a LIFE CHANGE and it's permanant! My start weight was 210.5, I was hoping to reach the weight I got married at (158), and my goal was to see 155! Pre-surgery I focused on the idea that I was making a life change because continuing to stay as the same was not an option, and the journey of Weight Watchers AGAIN was just another set up to fail and I knew it. I can do WW for 3 weeks really good, then I am just sick of it. I knew that if I did this, I had not choice after the 3 weeks. And yes, I sat there a few months after the surgery and had the conversation with myself that this sucks because I want to eat a big meal and I can't and never will. To tell you the truth, it's a bummer! But I would do this all over again in a heartbeat, it's all a trade-off!. I am currently 143.5 and shocked I surpassed all my hopes. I had no expecations because I didn't know what to expect but knew I wanted to reach at least the weight I was when I got married. As far as complications, I had none. I can't speak for how other people experience their aftersurgery but I can tell you that I drove Mexico myself, drove home myself. The hardest part was the first 3 months. My energy level and feeling well were perfect. The food intake and struggles with what to eat, what I liked and what I could keep down, including quantities, was very trial and error. I threw up a lot the the first 4 months or so, just because I was always a fast eater who didn't take the time to chew, chew, chew and my mind not catching up to my body feeling full while I still had food in my mouth and swallowing it caused a lot of my problems. It just takes time to heal and you have to be patient during that time and know the tolerance increases over time. The other thing that I miss is you can't eat a meal and drink at the same time. Not because "you aren't suppose to" but because your body won't let you. It's very uncomfortable and your stomach gets filled by the liquid and can't intake the food. You are hyperfocused on these things the first 6 months. The last thing I want to say is my "AHA" moment came a few months ago when some cashier asked to see my driver's license. I handed it to her and as I glanced over I realized I weighed less than the weight on my license said... I smiled the entire day knowing I made the right choice... that was when I knew the surgery had far exceeded my expectations! Anyway, sorry for the long-winded response. I wish you so much goodness on your life change and if you need a surgery support friend, please feel free to write, call or text. One thing I didn't have and still don't is someone I know who has had the same surgery as me. I relied heavily on reading the website forums here for advice and information. Wendy

Thank you! Don't be scared about stalls, they happen and it's not something to get worried about as long as you know know you are not over eating or going crazy. It's your body adjusting to your new food intake and body size. Get worried when a few months go by and you are not even close to where you want to be. I mentioned in my reply above the app I used, it's called TargetWeight. I think it was free and it really helped me because it graphed the journey and I still use and log every week so I can compare each week-to-week and week to month etc. Please know, it isn't an easy journey and it will never be an easy journey as far as handling your food issues. I get full so easy and what I mean is that it's not that my stomach feels full, it's that a trap door shuts down in my throat and says "no more food" or you will throw up. Sometimes there is actually food in my mouth when this happens and I have to casually spit it out into a napkin so no one notices. If I try and take it in, I am getting myself to a bathroom asap to throw up. Anyway, I am happy to take this problem in exchange for all of the guilt I felt after eating or the embarassment of standing next to my husband when he introduced his fat wife... lol! Good luck on your journey and I am here for you if you need a support friend.

Thank you so very, very much! I am happy to give you my stats - I am 45 years old, 5'5" and on the day of surgery I weighed 210.5lbs. Today I weigh 143.5lbs. I found an app on my IPhone that I love to help keep me in check - It's called Target Weight. I log it every Wednesday and it helps to keep me motivated and balance out the successful weeks with the less successful weeks in my journey. I found that I can see the ebbs and flows of my weight loss (usually attached to the weeks surrounding my time of the month).

Today is my 10 month surgiversary! Sleeved 4/13/2011 Height 5'5" Start weight -210.5 Today - 143.4 BMI went from 35 to 23.9 Went from a size 18 to size 8 in 10 months - I am so grateful everyday that I made the decision to have wls, and that I chose the sleeve. I can't say it's for everyone, but it's definitely the right choice for me. Dr. Aceves did my surgery, great experience and highly recommend him.

Hi, I don't post much as I am a mom with 2 little ones and just so busy keeping up. I have so much to say and the thought of sitting down to write it all down makes me think I want to write a novel about my experience to date. I had a BMI of 36, weighed 210 and am 5'5", struggled with my weight all my life and didn't qualify for insurance covered surgery. I chose Dr. Aceves after EXTENSIVE research and drove down from Los Angeles alone. I'll save the writing of a novel for another time, but I will try and tell you a bit about being alone. The hospital is 5 blocks from the border. Not sure if you are driving or flying and Ernesto picks you up. Either way, it's an easy and comfortable transition over the border to the hospital! The staff is great and supportive, and all though it's very strange not to have someone there you know to experience it with you, send you off to surgery and be there when you wake up, the staff really takes care of you and you rely on them. In the big picture, I agree with Dreamy, there is so much down time for someone to sit and hang out for 3 or 4 days doing nothing. I was glad I didn't have to feel bad or worry that they are comfortable or bored out of their mind! Contacting your family is easy, they have internet and I brought my Ipad and could send emails and used my phone to text. Also, when you get out of surgery, the coordinator calls your family to update them on your recovery status until you are well enough to call yourself. You will meet your surgerymates the first day and all of you will get to know eachother for the days you are there. They will be in the same boat you are in and you will shuttle to and from the hospital and hotel together. They will be in the hallways walking with you and you will not be alone. Anyway, to sum it up - I had such a great experience and I have no regrets about my surgery, surgeon choice, hospital choice and overall experience. Would go alone all over again unless I had a family/friend that had nothing to do and nowhere to be and could just hang with me for 4 days bored out of their mind... lol! btw, I am down 60lbs in 7 months and feel and look great. It's the best thing I ever did for myself. I am so pleased I took the leap of faith and made the decision to go to Mexico and trust Dr. Aceves and staff with my life, do it alone and be free of the weight I carried and the unhappiness it brought to my life. Feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions or just want someone to talk to. wendyjwolf@yahoo.com

Hi Everyone, I am over 4 1/2 months out - this journey has far exceeded my expectations.... Sleeved by Dr. Aceves on April 13th and I am down 49lbs- 16lbs to my goal. I would never have gotten this far and been able to maintain a weight loss without VSG. Very happy with my decision. I miss being able to eat and drink together. I wondered if that will ever be possible again? I used to eat a bite and drink a sip, eat a bite and drink a sip. I would be happy with a few sips at the end of the meal at this point! lol. Just wondering Thanks, Wendy

To clarify - Right now if I try and drink a glass of tea or lemonade or Water while I'm eating it's really uncomfortable. It feels like a big bubble in my stomach and throat. Just wondered if that will ever subside and I can have a few sips if I choose.... not even interested in the alcohol aspect of the whole thing.

Hi! I was sleeved April 13th. Started at 210 and weighed 169.4 this morning. Sounds line we are on similar tracks. . I am very happy with the speed of my loss and I am learning what I can eat and what I can't. Seems every day is different.