New & Improved Mel

You look AMAZING!!! I can't get over how much your face has changed and how your eyes and smile really stand out now, just gorgeous!!! It is obvious you have a totally different life now!! Best Wishes xxx

Thank you both, It was a relief to hear I wasn't doing too badly. A special thank-you to Tiffykins, I printed out the information from the 3 links you gave me and got them bound into 3 booklets so I am able to read and refer to them easier. The information from ASMBS was particularly great information to have hold of at this stage, to make sure I do not end up one of the statistics! I have changed to a Vitamin D tab that includes Calcium, and I am trying to find Vitamin B in 'under the tounge' form (or at least chewable). I am from Australia, so I don't think we have quite the range available in the US. I really appreciate all the information you have given me and the fact that you have taken the time out from your busy schedule to help me & all the fellow sleevers you tirelessly help, especially with Lil' Sprout on the way - CONGRATULATIONS

Hi Peoples, I was sleeved on the March 21st, so I am 3 weeks out. Unfortunately my surgeon had only performed 3 sleeve surgeries prior to mine, (but been an gastroenterologist for 10+ years, just never offered sleeve surgery before). But my problem is that now due to myself being one of his first patients, I really feel like I am doing this blind. I do have a dietician and I saw her prior to surgery during the 3 week Optifast stage and 10 days after my operation, but I felt like I didn't ask enough questions in her office and the 3 A4 pages she photocopied for me to follow from week 3 to 5 didn't contain very much information. I feel great and already I seem to be able to eat anything, I haven't felt sick and haven't vomitted. I have been basically eating or having small tastes of 'most' things since a week ago (2 weeks out)... Is that bad? and am I putting myself at risk?? I take: a multi-Vitamin 2 x a day, which contains a good amout of B group Vitamins, high-strength fish oil, Vitamin D supplement (because my blood was low on omega's & vitamin D) & Nexium (prescribed for the next 3 months) I try to incoporate more Protein into my diet.. is 40-50gms the target to reach of protein a day?? I try to drink 2 glasses of L/fat milk, have a yoghurt, some cheese and have some meat with dinner (not steak or anything). I also try to have a high-fibre Breakfast Cereal every other day to keep me regular... but apart from that I don't know what other things I should be doing or if anything I am doing so far is wrong? I worry that the ease in which I am managing this means that my surgery wasn't as drastic enough or my stomach wasn't restricted enough and I may not be successful in keeping my weight off in the long run.. or may not lose very much at all. So far I have lost 6kg since surgery (13.2 pounds) and have another 26 kilo to lose to reach a BMI of 24, which is 57 pounds (in 3 weeks). Any advice anybody can offer would be greatly appreciated because I really want make sure this surgery actually extends my life, not shorten it because I failed to get the right nutrition.

I told my immediate family and my two closest friends.. well already one of those friends is being a bit quieter with me and pointing out other people's failures with this surgery, both started dieting themselves as soon as I told them of my decision, and the other scheduled a visit that felt more like a progress check-up mixed with a spanish inquisition... It is as if all these years they have been comfortable in our 'social statuses' of me being the fat one, them being the thinner ones, and now they are panicking... what is wrong with me losing weight, isn't it fair since I have had to stuggle with being obese all these years?? Can't they simply be happy for me without thinking my weight loss is going to impact on them in any way? It makes me think that perhaps its not a coincidence that they have had a fat friend all these years, perhaps they needed a fat friend to make themselves feel better about themselves. Well my darlings the tables are about to turn!!! Its funny one of them had a small mole removed from the side her nose 12mths back and nobody would judge her for doing so, whereas I have struggled with obesity for 20+ yrs and now I have decided to get some help, and nobody has the right to judge me for that either!!! Their reactions alone have made me glad that I decided not to tell anybody else, I have certain members of my extended family that are very opinionated and I only truely care about and have the energy to explain the intricate details of my personal life with the closest people in my life.

It's highly unlikely that you will regret your decision to have surgery. I am 6 days out from surgery, lost about 2 kg / 5 pounds and I am already finding things in life a little easier, such as bending over to put on the TED stockings (for after surgery to prevent blood clots), the action of doing that is already easier than a day ago, and a whole lot easier than 6 days ago!! It puts you on such a high! I have more room in my clothes already and feel more comfortable, and my face has slimmed already. The slimmer person is already starting to peak out!! And I tell you what, she is a whole lot more attractive and confident. To answer how I feel, at the moment I feel weird. I still have trapped gas in my stomach cavity etc and the liquid diet makes your stomach and bowels behave erratically. My stomach 'rumbles / spasms' very often and sometimes it is quite loud, but I honestly can say I have felt no hunger at all. Which is the greatest thing!! but that is not to say that when I smell foods like the pizza, lasagne or chinese that my hubby has eaten lately, that I did not want to have some. I still crave to taste those things at the moment, but I am not actually feeling hungry and if I move away from the sight and smell of them, I don't need them, which I never could have done before. I can't see how this tool cannot work, before on any of the 100's of diets I have been on before, the hunger always got me and once I had stuffed up once, I just thought oh stuff it and continued to eat whatever!! So I view this as a new life 'diet' with a double cheat card: 1) no hunger and 2) restriction on the amount I can eat. And what I chose to fill my new small stomach up with will determine how well I am going to go.

OMGosh! I did it! Home today, I had to spend 3 nights in hospital... just standard proceedure for Australian patients and you know what?? I'm fine!! Everything went well. I felt well prepared for hospital and had everything I needed. And for that I have to thank the wonderful members of this site and LilMissDiva who prepared the very helpful hospital checklist So far I have felt minimal pain (keeping up with the meds) and minimal nausea (keeping up with those too)... I feel different, kinda funny: like an office Water machine when someone takes a drink and the huge bubbles 'blop' to the top (and this feeling is making it hard to sleep) but apart from that I am mananging everything just fine. I seem to be able to sip quite a lot of fluids at one sitting probably a cup already at day 4 (I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing?) and I am not regretting my decision in the slightest because you know what?? I haven't felt the slightest bit of hunger, it's amazing! (Probably explains the water machine feeling) It is all so new and I have a lot of learning to do.. but I am so excited, for the first time I can picture my self slim, I just have to figure out the sleeping issues. Any suggestion or helpful hints for more restful sleep would be greatly appreciated. I know I can do this with sensational tool, and you know what else, I don't have to totally miss out on things either! I think I am close to declaring that I already love my sleeve, but I had better wait until solids are reintroduced

Thank-you, your story is just what I needed today. I was getting a bit anxious about my surgery tomorrow, but your story made me feel excited again, about the new life I am going to have This site is truely full of Angels xx

Best of luck, Crosswinds and Sammi... My surgery is in 2 days (on the 21st of March)... then we can all begin new lives!

My Brother has Myasthenia gravis too, it started in his late twenties. So far he has managed it quite well with steroids and it only affects his eyelids and vision when he becomes over-tired. I am sorry to hear you suffer from it too. I am having sleeve surgery in 2 days time. I made the decision to have the sleeve after my surgeon informed me what would happen if food ever got stuck in the lap band. He described how a vomitting fit would occur and continual retching, and you must go to your nearest Emergency room immediately. He described how it was something that definately happens, and usually on the weekends or when his patients are enjoying themselves (on holiday etc) because they are not keeping their mind on chewing the food as required after having these surgeries. (And for this reason he removes his patients band Fluid when they are holidaying in places without A1 hospitals). Whereas he told me that with the sleeve, for the same easy mistake of not chewing food properly, you will know about it with terrible discomfort. (Like you swallowed a cornchip without chewing it) but it is not an emergency room situation. You may need to lay down or take it easy until it passes... that for me, along with the less dietary restriction that the sleeve offers made me decide it was for me. I have two small children and I couldn't put them through a frightening experience like that, just for a simple mistake. I am sure next week I will have points when I think I should have stayed obese rather than either choice, but in the long run we have all got to do what we are comfortable in doing. Best wishes to you

Best of Luck!! I am getting sleeved on Monday 21st of March too!! My story is similar to yours: been overweight all my life (since 10, turning 33 soon). How lucky you are to be doing this with your sister!.. My sister is thin, never had weight issues and this has caused us not to relate to each other very well, we are like chalk and cheese. Maybe this will improve our relationship too, I really hope so. I have been on Optifast shakes and the other products they offer, for a nearly 3 weeks now but I am a little dissapointed in my weight loss, I have lost 6.2 kg / 14 lb. In the past, when I have dieted this hard the weight has fallen off faster, but I am a bit older now & it is hanging on more Also in the past the weight has fallen off faster and come back on even faster, in an instant!! So maybe I should be happy everything is happening a little slower! It is very exciting that this is going to be the last time I lose these same 6.2 kilo's! That horrible baggage will never be on my body again! And I know that for certain this time, it is very liberating! I hope to hear how you are going.. so we can compare notes etc

This is my story so far: (Warning it is pretty depressing!, quick click on somebody else's story.... or hang on, your obese too, or once was so, I am sure your story hasn't been 'All Roses' either).. It all started at the age of 10 for me, within a wink of an eye I went from a fun-loving young girl, from a happy home, who enjoyed BMX racing; to a self-conscious fat girl, who never fitted in. Quite literally it happened with a bang for me. At the age of ten, my brother (Ian) died in a head-on collison, I started menstrating and stopped growing, the family quit BMX and I got instantly fat. Yep I have been this height since 10.. 158cm, a little taller than a midget! (WOW I must sound attractive now!) I dunno if it was all a dose of bad luck or the shock of losing my brother that brought on menstration so young and stunted my growth.. but I know I felt extremely ripped off when I realised in year 10 that I hadn't grown and inch since grade 5!.. well technically that is so not correct, because I had grown quite a few inches, just not in height! In short I have lived the past 22 years trying to be the funny or super-friendly one, always thinking about the one day when I will be thinner. Thinking twice about purchases for myself because one day I will be thinner. Delaying doctors appointments, you name it, from the shame and the day I will be thinner.. Dreading having to find something to wear, trying not to stand out or get in the way on social occassions.. Feeling as though everybody is staring at me, and feeling pressure to be extra nice, saying thank-you 200 times a day or "You're right, Idiot me didn't think of that". A year ago I had enough, signed up for health insurance.. have waited 12mth for weight loss surgery and am now booked in on the 21st of March. Now its a waiting game. At the moment I feel starving (only because I am saving my lunchtime shake to have after tea, with my husband.. so it feel like a treat), but it will be worth it! I'd be glad to meet others who feel the way I do or have gained a new better life, I just can't wait Mel

OMG!! It must feel amazing, being thinner than graduation... at the moment I would settle for being thinner than my full-term pregnancy weight!! lol. Good on you for standing up for yourself, it's a hard thing to do when you've spent a lifetime feeling less worthy than others. Thanks everybody for you words of encoragement, it means a lot to me. It is just so great to have a place to talk to people who know what you are going though, have been through it and are so supportive. Thank-you (here I go again, with thanking!!) lol ;0