lamsunshine

I know I'm excited to be able to go to Goodwill and actually find clothes in my size, because in the larger sizes they usually don't have that many, but regular women's clothes they have a lot of. Here the first Saturday of every month everything in Goodwill is half off. I have also been finding alot of clothes a garage sales too. Then I hit the clearance racks, I bought two pair of jeans at Jcpenney for $2.50 each.

I'm actually fee based the VA's here dont do WLS, so they sent me to a civilian surgeon.

I don't understand I was actually surprised when they told me the VA approved my sleeve. Why would the VA cover it, and not Tricare.

When you start getting scared you just keep thinking about Disney World. I mean for anyone to want to go face that crowd at Disney World shows how much it means to you. Good luck with your surgery, and keep us posted.

I hope everything went well with your surgery. I will be waiting to hear how things went.

I am right there with all of you. I talk about my surgery so much. My favorite saying is after my surgery I will be able to ________. I know I am driving my daughter bonkers, but she is excited for me too. Not only that but a few of the things I have mentioned is things she has wanted to do. I also love going shopping and looking at the smaller clothes, and say after my surgery I will be able to wear that. When I first started going through the process I was really bad, but after the long delay in getting my surgery date, I slacked off, and actually until I recevied my date I was trying not to think about it in case for some reason my surgeon denied me. I just joined this site last week, and I used to be a facebook fanatic, but now I'm on here more then I'm on facebook. That says something right there.

Wow, that is great. I know what you mean I am a baggy clothes person. I can't even grasp the thought of being able to wear shirts that are not baggy on me. I can not wait though every shirt I own, I have to pin to my bra strap. I guess they think all bigger women have big chests. I will not miss having to shop for plus size clothes. Thank you for your replies, it has made me just that much more excited for my surgery. I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas, my surgery date is just not getting here fast enough.

Does anyone have the sleep disorder Narcolepsy??? I have it and am hoping that someone that has had the surgery has it, so I can ask them questions.

Oh, I do know how you feel. I went for my consultation last October, already been approved, by the VA and thought I would have my surgery by December, boy was I wrong. The surgeon would not take my evaluation from my VA psych doc who actually knows me because I go see him every three months, I had to go to their Psych doctor. Went for my sleep study, my Sleep Doctor said I was ok to have the surgery without being on the cpap machine sent documentation to my surgeon, and the surgeon insisted that I had to be on the cpap for 4 weeks. With the VA it takes forever sometimes to get things done, and finally in April I received my CPAP machine. THen I told my nutritionist I get up and eat at night, so then my surgeon said I had to be evaluated, and treated for nite eating syndrome, which of course I don't have it is just habit. So I totally understand how you feel. But stay strong, and don't give up it will be worth it.

No question is ever a dumb question. I bet alot of people do not know what that means. I actually had to think about it. lol

Hi Aplus, I guess I can say I was never really scared until recently for the surgery, and when my doctor told me if I did not lose weight I probably would not be around to see my daughter marry and have kids, because of the health problems I have which are related to my weight, that day I knew what I had to do. Of course I get a little more scared each day I get closer to my date. Today I even prepared a Will, and some other legal documents in case something is to happen, just to be prepared. I know when I go into that operating room the Lord will be with me, and if it is my time I will be ready. I'm ready to start living again, because for the past 15 years all I have done is exist.

Welcome, I am new myself, and reading the posts on here have helped me alot. Good luck, and best of wishes. Keep us posted.

I hate when I tell people about my surgery, and they say are you big enough to have that surgery. Ok I'm like 5'3 and weigh 275 pounds, so you can imagine, I'm not even close to being a decent weight. I just laugh and say thank you, but do you need glasses. Then when they say that the surgery is dangerous, have they really researched it NO. When they say that, I come back with being a walking time bomb for a heart attack is dangerous too. I honestly don't care about those people, they just make idiots of themselves. Your true friends, and your family will support you and stand by your side, forget about the rest of them, and that is putting it nicely. Another thing that really gets me is when I'm shopping and people come up to me and ask me when I'm due, they don't even know me, but assume I'm pregnant, but I laugh and say next week, and then tell my daughter, at least I look pregnant and not fat. lol lol

Good Question, I was wondering the same thing myself. I have a desk job, and have taken off a week so far, but told my employer I may need more. I may be able to do work from home, but don't know if I will be up to it or not. So I'm anxious to read the replies to this question. Thanks for asking it, I have so many questions running through my mind I don't know where to start. lol

I'm scheduled for August 24th , with Dr. Williams at Vanderbelt in Nashville, TN. 40 days and counting.

Congratulations! I'm not to far behind you, I'm scheduled for August 24th. I'm having my surgery done by Dr. Williams at Vanderbelt Weight Loss Clinic in Nashville, TN. We will have to keep in touch, as we will be going through things at the same time. It is hard for me to get to excited because I'm so afraid my surgeon is going to post pone my surgery for some reason. So until I go my Pre-op I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch. lol

I know you are so happy right now. Congrats on your approval

My last meals I have been saying that for the past few months, and I probably have gained weight. Of course the one month I watched everything I ate, and worked out I only lost 2 pounds, but found out something is now wrong with my thyroid. I will stop eating everything thinking this is the last time I will be able to eat this. Thanks for the information. I was really motivated back last October when I was approved for the surgery, but lost my motivation, when everytime I turned in everything I needed my surgeon came up with something else for me to get or another doctor to go see. So when I received my final approval and my surgery date, it caught my surprise. So I have exactly one month before my pre-op visit, and I feel so unprepared now. I have alot of learning to do, and feel a little bit overwhelmed right now. I wish they had one of those books Sleeve Surgery for Dummies, because I sure could use one right now. lol

I think hair loss for me has been my biggest fear. I started taking prenatal vitamins, and biotin as soon as I found out I was approved for my surgery I slacked off once I hit the six month mark, and still was not approved by my surgeon, but now that I have my date, I guess I better start back up on them. My hair already hardly grows because of meds I'm on. So I tell my friends its either I be overweight with hair, or a healthy weight and bald. I will take the healthy weight and bald. If I have to I will go buy a wig. Really I don't know which would be worse, but at least if I'm a healthy size I will be able to do things I haven't been able to do in years even without hair.

Hi, I'm 38 years old, I live in in South Middle Tennessee. I have been overweight since my daughter was born in 1995. The day I found out I was pregnant I was a size 7, the day I delivered I was a size 22. I have lost some of the weight but just can not seem to keep it off. On top of my weight problems I also have a sleep disorder Narcolepsy, ( I get very sleepy, and with out my meds I would sleep all day). So being a single mother for many years, and always being tired, it was hard for me to excersize. Well I have decided it is time for me. The past 15 years has been all about everyone else now it is my time. I'm tired of being embarassed when I can not fit in a booth, or when I go to a concert and can barely fit in the chairs. NO MORE. I was in the US Navy for four years, and I am seen at a VA hospital, for the past four years I keep asking if they allow weight loss surgery, and kept hearing NO, NO, NO, until I was assigned a new doctor, and she has become my angel, she looked into and because of my health issues, put in for me to get approval, and they did approve me last October. So I thought that was it and I would be having the surgery before Christmas of last year. LOL boy was I wrong, even though the VA approved and I turned in my requirements, I made the mistake of telling my nutritionist that I eat , at night, man that was my mistake and on top of that I have mild sleep apnea, my sleep disorder doctor said I was okay, that i really did not even need a cpap machine, but my surgeon insisted on it, so after 4 months finally received my machine, and was found that I did not have nite eating syndrom, my surgeon finally approved me for surgery. I go for my preOp appointment on August 16, and my surgery date is August 24, 2010. I'm very excited, but also starting to get scared, what if I can do everything I'm suppose to. NO, I can, and I know I can. I have to if I want to be alive to see my daughter get married, etc. I will be spending the next 5 weeks everynight on this site to read, what everyone has to say.

I totally agree, this reading made me lose my appetite. THanks, maybe I should read it each time before I eat. lol Thanks for the laugh, kathym.

Thank you everyone for the replies. I don't feel so alone anymore. We have a support group but it only meets once a month and no one in there has had the sleeve, they all had the bypass. I will get to meet with them one more time before my surgery.