Kristina J.

And I completely agree, especially in my old workplace (since I'm a stay at home mom this time around it won't be an issue). In my old work place "I'm having surgery." Wouldn't suffice. It was a small office and they wanted details and I wouldn't have felt comfortable saying "it's my right not to tell you!" My decision to not lie came down to knowing that I would be losing weight, pretty dramatically and if I lied, my "little white lie" (about life risking surgery) would have to be followed by a year of more lies about how I was losing all this weight. It's like OTR says, it's a matter of integrity and your employer isn't stupid. It is definitely something each person has to decide for themselves, and you're right, there are a lot of factors, one of which being the intimacy of your office... But for me that was all the more reason I couldn't just lie to them when I went in for my lap band. Oh goodness, so glad I don't have to make this decision again this time. I really hope my posts don't make it sound like I am trivializing your decision or making it seem like I think you're a bad person if you lie about it. I really don't feel that way!! I struggled with the exact same decision when I had WLS while I was still working. But in the long run, I decided I wanted to keep my integrity intact and stand up for my decision to make myself healthier!!! Best of luck to you whatever you choose!!!

I can understand not wanting them to know, but I wouldn't lie, and especially not about a specific procedure... but even more so, not about an emergency procedure. You also have to consider that your next issue will likely (and hopefully be), "wow, what did you do to lose so much weight?" So you might want to be prepared for that as well, and those who might put two and two together as so many people now know someone who has gone through WLS. I would simply tell people that you are having surgery and leave it at that. The other posters are correct in that you have no obligation to provide further information, and by providing false information, you might put yourself in a bind. Lying is rarely the best route though.

Let's not forget that this must ALWAYS be before our shower!! We all know that a shower can add, what? 10 pounds of water weight?!?

My husband is as fit as can be, has never had weight loss surgery and considers weighing pre and post poop one of his favorite past times! This is my prize... This is what God gave me...

I wouldn't take it too personally. Elective is a medical term and technically this procedure is elective. While we know it's an essential part of getting healthy, we are making a choice to have weight loss surgery. That is a choice that some people would never make though, no matter their weight. For some people it is just not worth the surgical risk at any BMI.

Laura, as per usual, is right! And something to think about, if you feel better about yourself when you're nice a neat downstairs (I know I do) but you can't quite do the reaching... Get nice and clean, have a nice big glass of wine and get the hubby to do it (then you do his if he'll let you!!). You'd be surprised how fun that can be and maybe it'll be a little confidence boost to get things started But definitely look into a therapist for both pre-op and post-op. A lot of counseling centers have therapists that can work with you individually but let you bring the hubby in as you wish to talk about your fears/concerns and such in a safe place that is separate from home to make it a little bit easier! Yes, losing weight is going to help, but we can't fall into the trap of thinking it will solve all of our problems either! It sounds like your husband loves you very much and you obviously love him! If you're up for trying, he may be more understanding of your current limitations than you think, especially if you really talk to him about it... he apparently still wants you! But look into therapy. It's a saving grace for me and I think it could really help you too!!

Congrats!!!! Zumba at just a few weeks in, that's awesome!!! I hope I'm that ready to jump right in too!!! So happy for you!! One of these days maybe we can all get organized and actually get together Can't wait to hear about your continued success! Keep us posted for sure!!

I am not scheduled until May 11th, but so far I am so confident in my choice with Dr. Garcia that even I can't believe it!! I am paying $5500, but that is with consideration for my revision, so I have heard that others are paying even less!! I will definitely keep in touch and let you know how it goes in May, but I have heard the most amazing things from so many people who have used him and I researched quite a few different doctors before settling on him! I will keep my fingers crossed for you that you guys can get a house this year too. My husband and I were able to get a house again after he had to foreclose on his old home due to his divorce. My family had to help us, but the feeling of having a place of our own for our kids to grow up in has been such a wonderful feeling!! I really hope you can add that to your whirlwind blessing windfall!!

You look fantastic!!! Love your kid peeking around the corner!! Congrats on your success so far!!!

Psychologically... Stupid autocorrect!

Ok, maybe not a total mystery. I have been making some pre-op excitement efforts. Biggest one? I gave up soda. But... That was a week ago. And today, at a follow up appointment with my primary care (yes, I'm Mexico self pay, but my PCP is awesome)... I'm down 6lbs!!! Crazy... But I'll take it!! I know these pre-op nuggets won't all come so easily, but I'm going to enjoy this one and do a little happy dance. I haven't seen the scale move in this direction in MONTHS!!!! Amazing what the motivation of knowing that help is on the way can do, huh?

I know there are some people who still drink a little bit of soda and have been successful, but for me it is really important to give it up because I didn't really commit to giving it up, along with other bad habits, when I had my lap band. I think the reason I failed with my lap band was partly because it is a flawed product that comes with too many complications, but I also think it didn't work because I was always trying to negotiate ways to not give up things from my old lifestyle. Soda is a big one of those things for me. It is an unhealthy and unnecessary part of my life, in regular or diet, and if I am going to commit to this new life, I need to do it without negotiating. It has been shown that diet soda is unhealthy for you, and the carbonation is not good for our tiny tummies. But I think for me, it's more important physiologically that we make the commitment to a new healthy lifestyle, and if we're honest with ourselves, soda has no place there!!

I always get this when I take phenergan (an anti nausea medication) I had to take it a lot during pregnancy for severe morning sickness! It could definitely be from anti nausea meds if you have any of them in your system, I know a lot of them have that side effect!!!

Oh Amie I am so excited for you! What an exciting year!!! And if that baby can hold on one day longer it could share my birthday!! I know one of my biggest motivating factors in revising my complete flop of a band to a sleeve (aside from its many complications) is my desire to be a more active and parent! Congratulations on your sleeve, your marriage (shameful that we have to put significance on it being legal, but so exciting all the same) and even more so, the beginning of your family! Such an exciting time! Look forward to watching your progress!!!

I know sometimes in life there is just darkness. And those are the times it is the hardest to find the positive. You are on a path to being the healthiest you that you have ever been. You have a wonderful husband you loves you beyond reason, and two children, who even though their passions were cut short, were spared serious injury. And your player, who has had a devastating injury, is fighting, alive and has not only the support of her family, but apparently the best softball coaches I've ever heard of! There is a lot of positive in there!! Not too far into my relationship with my husband we had a rough week, to put it lightly... in the span of 8 days, we got a letter that our house was foreclosing (this of course was not a surprise, but we had hoped we could delay the inevitable a little longer while we looked for other housing options), he was in a horrible car accident that left him with a couple of broken ribs and a whole lot of pain and a totaled car, he was laid off from his job of 15 years due to budget cuts and the kicker, we found out I was pregnant (a huge surprise since I was on the pill). It was a BAD week. To date, the worst we have ever had. In the middle of it, we didn't see a way out and even though I am the queen of "things will work out, they always do"... I just didn't see it and I was melting down, and fast. Within a year, that surprise pregnancy was of course our first of two beautiful baby girls, our foreclosed home was a long forgotten memory and we ended up buying a new home with the help of family that we got at bottom of the market. We now have a bigger home for a third of the mortgage. His totaled car, while not covered by the uninsured driver that hit him, was miraculously covered buy some insurance on his car loan he didn't even remember purchasing, and he ended up getting a job at a company he never would have quit his old job for. But you know, this new company, after 4 years has been the best thing that has ever happened to him. He is now making more than he was before, with a better schedule and better benefits with happier people. I have always been like you, the positive, good outlook, things will work out, kind of person. Then it was really tested. And honestly, I didn't think it would happen and I started to spiral out a little bit. But I have seen it first hand from the bottom of the pile, that seriously, in the weirdest ways, life can turn around. I pray that things work out and your husband can keep his job! I don't wish a job search on anyone right now!! And I pray for health for your player and new direction and dreams for you kids. I pray for continued success for you. But you are right. You have a wonderful outlook on life. You are BEAUTIFUL. And the down swings are just that, swings, and the upswing is coming your way!!! All my love and prayers!!!!!!!

Thanks That's what I'm finding as well. Luckily, we were smart enough to choose the band the first time around, so we have options if we have these kind of complications down the road, right? Looking forward to my revision on May 11th!! Hope you're recovering well!!

Oh dude, a 10 week program would have just killed me!! hahaha But I'm sure I would have found a way to do it. Anything to get this band out at this point! hahaha Waiting to see what he says... most of his patients says it was a week or two of liquids... I can swing that!

That's so great mini.mee. If there is anything I have learned since joining VST, it's that I am not alone in my struggle with this band. I have felt like a failure for so long and have avoid doing something about it because I felt like it was my fault and my fault alone. I definitely think that I didn't stick to the program like I should and I wasn't a model patient, but my band failed me as much as I failed my band. This time around I am in a better place emotionally and I am ready to make the full commitment and be that model patient. I am excited to see where this thing goes!!

Oh yeah, that's not bad!! I have no idea yet. I'm not scheduled until May 11th, so all I know so far is that, thank god, it's not a 10 week program!! lol

Never a dull moment!!! Lol

I was in your spot (had to go through removal from complication) in 2005 when I was 100lbs down with my original band. Replacement was not an option for me at that point because of an erosion but I think that had I been able to replace my band 3 months later like my surgeon wanted (and insurance denied), after I had only regained around 15-20lbs, I really think I could have continued my success with the band. I'm glad you made the decision you did while your insurance supported it. I really think it's worth the risk. I ended up regaining all that 100lbs I had lost and by the time I replaced my band, I think in some ways, it was just too late and my second band never quite worked the same. So now I am in the spot you thought you might end up, revising to the sleeve. Yes, you may still end up with slippage down the road, but you may not! You may have just saved yourself a whole lot of headache! Congratulations. I wish you the very best of luck and continued success!