Sheila

Today is February 17, 2012.

My name is Sheila Pinkney.  I was born and raised in Lawton, OK.  When I was 30, I moved to Canada to marry my husband.  I have been here every since.  I have been married for 15 years now.  I have one daughter who is now 26 years old.  Doesn't seem possible.  

I have been overweight my entire adult life.  Every since I was pregnant and gave birth I have been overweight.  I have gone through depression been on antidepression medication, I am no longer depressed but I do have to fight every day to keep myself from falling down that dark road again.  So far I am winning the battle.  

When I was 36 I was diagnosed with Endometrial Cancer (uterine cancer) and had to have a total hysterectomy (everything removed, ovaries, tubes, uterus and cervix) which threw me into very early menopause.  The only good thing about it is I no longer have to worry about "Aunt Flo" every month.  

About 5 to 6 years ago I began hearing about a new weight loss surgery that was non-evasive totally reversible and helped with weight problems.  The Lapband.  I started to look into it and decided I wanted to proceed with the surgery.  I found out about a program my province provided to offer the LapBand and would be 100% paid for, you had to be referred by a doctor and start jumping through their hoops.  Therefore,  I went through classes, I went to physicologist, I went through dietians and neutritionist, only to find out the province had discontinued the program after I was all done.  I was heart broken.  I didn't allow it to stop me however, I started to look into other avenues.  I found a weight loss doctor in where I live, and I went to see her.  Her services mainly consisted of offering a food dietary plan which cost a lot of money.  But she did inform me about a doctor in my province who offered to do weight loss surgeries but was very hard to get into his program.  She offered to referr my to him and then it was a wait and see game.  

My referral was accepted, my consultation was on November 30, 2010.  I went to that visit 100 % convinced the Lapband was what I wanted.  After all the research I had done and classes I had gone to, I was prepared to have the Lapband.  At that visit, he presented a video that discribed the 3 options his clinic provided with all the risks and pros and cons of each surgery.  After seeing that video and talking to my surgeon afterwards, I decided the Lapband was not for me.  I felt strongly that I should have the Gastric Sleeve.  Well, I spoke to the nurses and the doctor, was sent home on a "training diet" to prove not only to the clinic but to myself I would be able to follow the diet after surgery.  My "training diet" consists of 1 cup of food 3 times a day.  No bad foods go into the cup, the only things I can drink are: water, decaffinated tea or coffee, and skim milk.  Well, I do not drink coffee, and I only drink iced tea, and I just can't drink milk as a drink.  So water it was.  I drank only water and sometimes I added lemon to it.  From November 30, 2010 I lost 45 pounds on this new diet prior to surgery.  I continued to progress nicely through the entire wait for my surgery.  My surgery date was: July 27, 2011.

Since surgery I have lost to date 78 pounds.  Today is February 17, 2012.  I have gone down 14 pant sizes and 4 top sizes.  I think I have lost half of my breast  size (which my husband is not particularly happy with).   I am now beginning the process of searching for a good plastic surgeon either here in Alberta or abroad.  My body looks like I am melting into a pool  around my middle.

I wish everyone who has gone before me and who will come after me the best of luck with your journeys.  May you reach the goals you have set for yourself and become the best YOU you can be.

I look forward to hearing from you all and sharing in your journey to become healthy.  

Sheila