Rainsong

Hello my fellow December Sleevers!! I was sleeved on 12/19/11 and I have lost 122lbs!!! I feel great about myself now and about life. I have competed in two triathlons and I have another one in September to celebrate my 36th year birthday. I also have two 5Ks coming up soon. I went from being 296.8lbs to 175 and a tight size 22 to a size 6 or 8. I am hoping to lose another 25lbs and get a tummy tuck and a boob reduction. Sorry boys if that is tmi. This surgery has changed my life is so many different ways. But the most important is the knowledge that the surgery is just a tool. When people ask me how I've lost so much weight, I tell them I exercise a lot, eat well, and oh yeah I had surgery. I am also living a dream I've wanted to do since high school. I always wanted to be in the color guard of the marching band but I was always too self conscious because who wanted to be the fat girl in the tight uniform?? So now I am the instructor of the color guard!! I love it. Keep up the good work everyone!!!

Dec 19 was my date. I'm feeling great! Down 32lbs and lost over 20 inches off my body. Wearing a size 16 jean as I type! Woot woot!!!

Great job dreamer! Keep up te great work!!

Well everyone I was sleeved yesterday morning and all went very well. Hardly any pain. I stopped taking morphin around 9 last night. Throughout the day the nurses had to remind me to take pain meds. I've been pretty much off all meds today. Drain is out, folly and iv are done. Swallow test went great. All and all I'm very happy with everything. I had a really bad c section and emergency surgery after the c section so this was a breeze compared to that. I know everyone is different but I still wanted to share my story with you all! Tonya

Thank you so much!!

It's been a long time since i've posted on this forum. But tomorrow is my big day! I report to the hospital at 9:20am. I'm thinking my surgery will be around 11ish. My husband came home from deployment on Wednesday and has been an amazing supporter! He is going to take my measurements and pictures sometime today. Good luck my fellow December 19th sleevers!!! Tonya

Hi Beyonc! I'm so sorry I usually don't check this site! I haven't told my administrators what I'm having but I think they have guessed it. They have been NOTHING short of supportive. Have you gotten a date yet? Please feel me in. You can send me a private message and I'll give you my email so we can keep in touch. PS Anyone who has responded to this I will do the same for you guys too! Thank you for your support! Tonya

My sleeve sister!! Thanks for your words and support. I understand exactly what you are going through. I suspect that some of my friendships will change because I won't be the token 'fat' person in the group any longer. I'm okay with that. I will mourn the lose of some of my friendships, but I am GETTING MY LIFE BACK!! I don't care if people think this is the easy way out anymore. I don't care what anyone thinks. I'm doing this to save my LIFE! I hope all goes well with your surgery. I know what time mine is on Friday afternoon. I'll be sure to let you know. Unfortunately I don't check this site as often as I check the other site I use but I will try to do that for you! Tonya

Wooohoooo! Congrats! I know you've Ben waiting for this for awhile. Less then a week til the start of my new life!

WOOOHOOO I'm official now my fellow December Diva Sleevers! See you on the bench on December 19th!

Thank you so much for sharing you story with me. I really heard and took in what you said about the guilt factor. I too started to see a therapist when I made the decision to do WLS. I think your right that telling people might free me up a little.. but I'm going to do what you did and wait awhile to make sure it works. LOL Deep down in my heart I know it will. I just talked about having a balance of positive outcomes and negative outcomes with my therapist yesterday so thank you for unknowingly reinforcing something I'm trying very hard to achieve. How are you and your family now? My condolences about your wife. :hug: I would caution you about one thing though. I've dealt with some guilt about "taking the easy way out," even though in my heart I know it is not the case. I see a therapist and he did help me to see that, even though I absolutely have the right to tell or not tell whoever I like, for me, keeping the surgery a secret did add to the feeling that I had something to be ashamed of. I do find that as I tell more people I do feel freer and lest burdened about "keeping my secret."

First of all sorry for all of the confusion regarding your insurance. I actually did not have to do any doctor weigh-ins. I had written up a quite extensive list of my prior weight loss efforts. At one point before I had my daughter I lost just shy of 100 lbs. I also agree with you about BCBS, everyone that I have spoken too in this entire process has been GREAT! I'm the type of person that if my service is bad, I'll kindly let people know and on the other hand if my service is great, I'll also let them know. I've commented to every person at BCBS how nice they have been! Good Luck! Let me know how things turn out.

Thank you everyone for your words of support! I'll be sitting next to you soon!!

Hi there.. I'm actually planning to write a blog or something that details my journey. But I met one on one with my surgeon on Vet's Day November 11th. Officially picked the sleeve on that date but I already had a surgery date about two weeks prior to the appointment. My insurance company received my info on Monday November 23rd and I got the approval Monday November 28th. So essentially it took four business days due to the holiday!! WOW It felt like four YEARS, decades.. :Banane55:

Its funny how one little word can change so much, so quickly. I went from being a crazy anxious grumpy b***h waiting to hear from my insurance, to screaming and dancing for joy in a parking lot when I read my one word email from my surgeon's administrative assistant, to trying to not to cry like a baby. I just wanted to take the time to say the following... ~ I'm grateful and thankful for being given a tool that will not only change my life but quite possibly save it ~ I'm grateful that I'll be reaching several goals that I've always had but didn't have the courage to share with people.. (i.e. riding rollar coasters again, going kayaking with my frieinds, SHOPPING at any store I want, being able to look at myself in the mirror again, being a role model for my daughter, finding TONYA again under all my blubber) just to name a few ~I'm grateful and thankful for prefect strangers that I've never met. All of YOU who are reading this and totally understand just how much one little word means and who support not only me but everyone on here. ~I'm grateful and thankful for truly understanding the following and finally living up to it.. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Labor day weekend 2011 marked a change in me that I will never forget. I felt something snap in me. I knew I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. Tired of being fat and unhappy. So I started researching WLS. I went from wanting a band, to a bypass, and finally to the SLEEVE. Which I think is perfect for me! Happy Holidays to everyone. People who are waiting, keep up advocating for yourself. People who have had it.. I'll see you on the losers bench Monday December 19th 2011. The date of my rebirth!!! Tonya