ctolbert

My Story
 
I am 42 years old, 5’5” and weigh 243 lbs. I wear size 20/22 pants and 2X tops.
 
I never really thought about my weight one way or another until I wanted to join the military (18 years old). When I went to check out all the branches I actually choose the Navy because I had to lose the least amount of weight – 30 lbs (I was 180 at the time). I put myself on a crazy crash diet and exercise program to lose the weight as fast as possible. I could only get to 25 lbs down and the day before I had to weigh in I took a bunch of laxatives (NEVER AGAIN!). I was over my weigh in by 2 lbs but they gave me a waiver and I joined the Navy for 5 years. The good thing about the military is that they give you a PT test and weigh in every six months so I kept myself within my weight range (not easily but I did it for five years). The moment I left the military and restrictions of weighing in and exercising came off I started a progression of gaining weight. Getting married, moving, new job, college, graduate school, and an uncertain future helped add more weight on.
 
I work very hard to not let my weight interfere with my life. We live in a coastal region so summer clothes and swimsuits are a staple. My husband (not overweight) loves the water and I love my husband so I am good about not letting my weight become an issue in our marriage (which means even if I feel uncomfortable in my 22 size bathing suit I fake my enthusiasm for spending the day on the water).
 
I never thought about WLS until my sister had lapband surgery a few years in Mexico. She actually had a bad situation with her band slipping and had to go into emergency surgery and now she is battling the insurance company to cover the emergency surgery. Up until then I hadn’t know about medical tourism or about the many WLS options.
 
This past fall I started to research different WLS surgeries. I have to lose 100 lbs and that is beyond overwhelming to me. The most I lost was 30 lbs on WW but gained that back and more.
 
I liked the sleeve option better then gastic bypass. My insurance does not cover it so I knew I was going to be self pay. My husband isn’t very chatty and I he said if that is something I wanted to do then fine but he is fine either way (I married an easy going guy). He won’t be going with me….no sense in both of us going if he’ll be bored. I am not telling anyone about the surgery. I don’t want to be talked out of it (it is enough to keep myself from talking myself out of it!).
 
I think I am a good candidate for surgery. My health is very good (minus the 100 excess pounds). My weight related ailments include – lack of energy, knees that bother me, and snoring. Our only son is married and serving in the military (so no small children). I am on temporary assignment outside of the classroom this year so I don’t have the crazy and stressful teacher schedule (which will make recovery easier for me).
 
I am mentally preparing for a rough few months after surgery (I am not a complainer and can tough out a lot). I am worried about the normal things – complications, insurance not covering complications, dying, long term ramifications, dealing with my eat out friends. However I am looking forward to buying clothes in normal sizes, fitting into airplane seats, crossing my legs, having more energy, enjoying being outdoors.
 
My surgery is on March 28th.

My name is Denise but most people call me Neese. I am 23 years old, I will be married for 2 years, in May to my DH, Sean. We met when I was a junior high school (he was first year of college) and we have been together almost 8 years. I have been chubby/overweight/bigger, or whatever euphemism you prefer or have heard, all my life. It was never an issue until I could drive and that started the eating out and the no exercise because I had a car--I didn't need to walk anywhere! It wasn't until I realized I want to have children that I want to be healthy in my late 20s and from then on. My goal isn't to be skinny, but like most of you can relate, to honestly just be healthy and feel good in my own body. It was when I stepped on the scale at 5'6 and I saw that I weighed 292 that I realized it was time to be more serious about my health before serious health complications arose as a result of my obesity.
 
So my journey, well my serious one after many failed attempts anyway, started in May of 2011. I did an online seminar and then had my consult the very next day. The next 6 months, as that was my insurance requirement, seemed to fly by and other days seemed to lull on forever. I remained at the same EXACT weight of 292; I will never know how I stayed at the exact same weight at all of my checkups . So my surgery was set for January 31, 2012 and I was only given a weeks notice because of some error at the doctors office.
 
I have never had any surgery, e.v.e.r, I have never even been hospitalized overnight! I have no huge health problems (except, the obvious--obesity). My husband had to work that morning, I insisted he take off on a Friday so he could be home with me longer. My best friend came up from Virginia to take me to the hospital along with another best friend of mine. Before I knew it I was being put under, and when I awoke I was not in pain, although I had a catheter in that I was not crazy about. So it took about 4 hours to get me out of recovery because they had no clean rooms?? I dont know what that was about haha!
 
Once I got to my room I had probably 10+ visitors with gifts and flowers--I am a very lucky gal to have such amazing people in my life. Not that I showed my appreciation much because I was SO out of it. I was released two days later--just in time for the weekend. The first two weeks home went ok, the head hunger was a killer because I watched a lot of TV and it was right around the super bowl . Then after feeling awful at my two week check up I was hospitalized overnight due to dehydration I felt so dumb like I couldn't even take care of myself.
 
Tomorrow I will be 1 month out officially and later this week I am going back to work. I have lost 27 pounds, including 5 pre-op, and I have been at a stall since my stint of dehydration at the hospital. I am walking almost 50 minutes a night for exercise and getting enough liquids in and working on the protein. I am on the mushy phase early because my NUT believed I was doing so well that I could move up. I do NOT have a cranky sleeve, thankfully, nothing has really made me sick. I just hope to break this stall soon!