Just-A-Gem

Last night I had a meeting for my son's high school football team. I had not seen many of my friends from football since before the summer. It's only been 10 weeks since my surgery, but I got so many compliments on how great I looked. I have not felt pretty in YEARS! Last night I felt like Miss America! I also felt confident and happy. I am amazed at the psychological change losing weight brings on.
For those of you experiencing stalls early out and stressing over them.... I have had two so far (am currently in one now) that have lasted a few weeks. Trust me when I tell you, your body is still changing for the good!

Let's see..
About 20 lbs ago, I was carried around piggy back for the first time since childhood... All around my house. It was the most amazing feeling ever!
16 lbs ago, I got the courage to post the picture to your left on Facebook!
Facial comparison shot: (on the right in each)


I can shop for panties at VS.. My bra band size is 32/34, but my cup size is still DDD, so catalog or some other store is still required for bras, but no more LB!!
I wear my 4 and 5" heels with EASE!!
I can sit on my BF's lap and not ever worry about hurting him.
I have lost 4.9' from my hips, waist, and bust alone.
My waist is now 27".
I have freaking defined collarbones! Not the scary kind, but defined and I love them.
I fit into EVERY chair, usually with room to set my purse next to me.. This is sometimes not the case.
I think by the time I hit goal and have my plastics, my measurements will be very, VERY close to 36-25-36.
Men ask for my number in bars and clubs.
I get carded more often.
Doors are opened more often.
I am 110% more confident at work.

Houston here! 38 days to being sleeved. I am really surprised by the lack of Houstonians.

I was sleeved September 2nd, 2011 and I have lost 134.2 lbs thus far. I am 6 lbs from "normal" and 13.2 lbs from goal. While I originally wanted to make this by my surgiversary, now I am satisfied just to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I WILL make it!

I was sleeved September 2nd, 2011 and I have lost 134.2 lbs thus far. I am 6 lbs from "normal" and 13.2 lbs from goal. While I originally wanted to make this by my surgiversary, now I am satisfied just to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I WILL make it!

gemintherough

Houston here! 38 days to being sleeved. I am really surprised by the lack of Houstonians.

At surgery I was 302 lbs, 5' 7.5" wearing size 24 and 2X tops. I am almost 5 months out and I currently weigh 232 lbs and am wearing loose 20s, tight 18s and XL tops from the normal section. My pant sizes are going down slowly. I've had two vertical c-sections in the past 5 years and I have quite the "spare tire". When I measured that presurgery the tape measure was too short. I was about 63" at the hips. Now my hips are 53".... so I am steadily working toward those smaller sizes. Can't wait!

I have some things to say on this. He IS very experienced like you said and:
 
1) The armed robbery was in late August. I was there September 2nd for my surgery. It was at the recovery house and it was an inside job, which is why the person was able to get in. They dealt with it though and the staff that is there now is amazing.
 
2) Most surgeons do several surgeries a day. He doesn't do above the norm in my opinion.
 
3) He doesn't speak very good English, but his staff does and they will translate for you. He's working on it.
 
4) I live in Houston. There are TONS of surgery centers here no bigger than a strip mall unit and usually laparoscopic procedures can be done in them as outpatient procedures. The same is true in many other cities.
 
6) You go to a recovery house where there is a nurse that will take out your IV port and your drain. There are 2 nice full bathrooms, 1 half bathroom and there is one large room with 5 single beds and 2 other smaller rooms with 2 single beds. The beds are comfortable and the rooms are kept cool and dark in the evening. Plus, Sylvester will give you massages (tip him well, he works there for room and board but it not paid.. )
 
7) There are many other facilities that if you travel to you'll have to take out your exterior incisions or have your doctor do so. Not sure what you expect. I had my husband take mine out after 12 days. It took 5 minutes and was no big deal.
 
Overall, I am pleased with my experience. Dr. Almanza is friendly and the nurses were EXCELLENT. I even have one "friended" on Facebook. LOL. I had a not-so-great reaction to the general anesthesia, but that is not their fault.

I'm sorry you are scared but remember - YOU did the research. Your family did not. You've obviously been on this website and you need to stay on it! VST members are the best people I have ever had the privilege of sharing with and learning from. When I have questions - people that don't know me from Hannible Lector offer help, encouragement and love.
If you are fearful of "not waking up" call your physician and ask him/her point blank. How many people have you personally lost doing this procedure. If he say 22...get the heck out of dodge! But if he says less than .001 percent - then jump on that table and ask for the happy koolaid as fast as you can.
Blessing young lady. I wasted 30 years being fat and my grandchildren say, "Nana - how come you don't sit on the grass with us?" Because I need a backhoe to help me get back up! (Well...maybe not that bad.) I'm 56 and will be sleeved in 6 days. Reb

This not only has to do with how people naturally carry their fat stores, but also with how much muscle mass they have lying under all that padding. We've all heard that muscle is denser than fat and therefore 5 lbs of muscle takes up much less space than 5 lbs of fat. Distribution between the two is what makes the difference in a lot of cases, I think. Someone that is 160 in a sz 4 has way more muscle mass than someone at 160 in a sz 10.

You're a little confused. Just saying...

This not only has to do with how people naturally carry their fat stores, but also with how much muscle mass they have lying under all that padding. We've all heard that muscle is denser than fat and therefore 5 lbs of muscle takes up much less space than 5 lbs of fat. Distribution between the two is what makes the difference in a lot of cases, I think. Someone that is 160 in a sz 4 has way more muscle mass than someone at 160 in a sz 10.

I recently asked my husband "how come we never argue like those people?" pointing over to a couple we were nearby and they were really going at it big time. He replied "because neither of us ever do anything wrong to each other."

So true.

Moral of the story is, as long as your foundation is strong, your relationship will make it. Through thick or thin.

My doc gave me one in the hospital. It's a waist binder. It really helps with the pain, and moving around better. It can be for any kind of tummy surgery. It helps keep my fat tummy jiggling and hurting the incisions. LOL

Tamz - You were over 300 pounds and really need a reality check. Everyone has bad days, but you seem to be extrememly negative about the sleeve and that is your right, but in all honesty - there isn't **** you can do about it now. So you have to embrace it and learn to love it. I fear your misery will be forever if you don't punch yourself in the face and start telling yourself that first you needed this because you couldn't do it on your own and second so what if you can't eat. FAT OR EAT? I guess you wanted to be FAT. BUT I know you didn't and you don't. SO PUT ON YOUR BIG GIRL PANTS and tell yourself you made the right choice...Because even if you didn't, again...There is no going back. I am not even 30 days out yet and my incision pain is still seriously bothering me. It feels like SCIATICA in my stomach, but OH WELL. I gotta go to work. I am dizzy everytime I get up, but I gotta push through it and drink more and figure out what I need to do. I was eating like I had lost my damn mind, but finally, no more bad fat girl thoughts...Eater's remorse. GONE. At 30 days. You have to really get it together. Because we are gonna lose our hair, our skin is going to be saggy and who knows what else is gonna happen...You have got to start getting to a positive place because the journey is long and FOREVER. Do you want to be all down forever. You post a lot of negative things on this site, and I think you need to take a break, get your nails and toes done, get a massage and LET THE **** GO. It is ok to have a bad day, but you don't seem to have any good days. Maybe you should also see someone. And I am really sorry to say this, but I have been lerking on this site for awhile and it just seems you are really bad off. Attitude really is everything.

Having negative thoughts constantly is a terrible thing. People on here have a bad day and then find relief. This seriously pretty girl is trippin and needs some tough love. THERE IS NO GOING BACK. So she needs to saddle up, get off this site which just allows her to be negative all the time and find some happy things to do. This place is the only place where someone who constantly has negative thoughts can have someone feel sorry for them. I am my mother's child and she would tell me to stop wallowing in my negative thoughts. NO ONE ON THIS SITE WOULD DO THAT. Support is one thing, but if my mother ever heard me say what she just said about regretting it every day because I can't eat with my friends...After I cried and cried about being fat...She would slap me. She didn't say she was in pain. She didn't say she was having a compllication. She was saying she regrets it everyday because she can't eat with her friends. Nope sorry. Not gonna let that one go. Well I am certain to be a pariah now, but I just couldn't let another day go by where this...DID YOU SEE HER...SHE IS SO PRETTY...girl wallows in her own self-pity or if it isn't pity possibly maybe needs to seek out some therapy if she could be depressed.