Momonanomo

Emliy you are doing SO fantastic! Great job!

love the hot shoes

You probably could have gotten out of the ticket if you would have said (in a husky voice), "Here, let me show you my scars." And start unbuttoning your blouse.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So naughty!

what a great way to distract the cop from the infraction he pulled you over for in the first place! That is one of the best get out of a ticket stories I've ever heard!

I'm pre-op and I reeeeallllly look forward to needing to go get a new drivers license picture. I also really look forward to actually weighing what I say I do on my license LOL I dunno who I'm kidding with that, and why the dmv never called me out on it! No way anyone would believe I weigh like 90 lbs less than I actually do

well hello tinythighs! ;)t hat's awesome! I bet you feel super strong too! Once I get some weight off, I intend to try spinning again, but for now it hurrrrrrts my hooha to sit on that bicycle seat at this weight. People I've known who got into it really were able to just melt away excess weight. It's on my list of for-sure stall breakers when that time comes!

oHNO! I am so sorry you're having a rough time -- hope you are mending soon.

Brava for standing up for yourself and getting the answers and treatment you need!

To funny. Well I'm 31 and no kids and I seem pretty solid but u never know. I just hope for the best.

That's pretty much what I've decided -- to hope for the best. There's no way to tell how it will be for you until you're already there!

not to wear out the soapbox, but you've just gotta become a non smoker before surgery. It is not easy, I smoked for 25 years and stopped 8 wks ago. But I've decided to have this drastic surgery to remove 85% of a major organ so that I can have a chance at a healthy life. I just couldn't reconcile the thought of not giving myself the best possible chance at a successful recovery. If you are considering this surgery, you should quit, and the sooner before surgery the better.

You can do it! I promise!

omg i know what you mean about the arm rest! can't wait for that to stop

congratulations-- you're doing great!

congratulations on 70 lbs and all thise meds -- gone forever!

And I can't wait to hear more about this cookbook of yours

I put cauliflower through the food processor as a sub for mashed potatoes when I was on WW. I liked to add garlic, and laughing cow lite helped make it creamy without adding butter. I even fooled some folks at thanksgiving one year thinking it was the real deal. Yum. But yeah, it is a pretty 'stout' veggie so you might wanna wait a bit.

Hi Lee. I had my last cigarette 7 weeks ago and am slowly getting myself off the nicotine gum that helped me quit. I expect surgery in May. First, let me say that I know it is difficult -- it is an addiction after all. When I smoked and I knew it was SO bad for me but I did it anyway...well I just knew it was bad. The whole 25 years that I did it.

I think what really motivated me to quit though was indeed getting this surgery--- I want the surgery and recovery to be as easy as I can get it. And the reading I've done about smoking and anesthesia and surgery, well it was eye opening.

Try read: http://anesthesiologyinfo.com/articles/12012003.php

One sentence that really struck me in this article was that these are proven facts, not just theories.

The gastric sleeve surgery is pretty hard core. Why no do everything in your power to give yourself the best opportunity to recover well? You CAN do this. If I can, you can -- I promise.

It's only been 4 months?!? Wow awesome progress! Congratulations!!

love love love love love love love lovelove LOVE LOVE

I've been told I'm strange.

does that count?

jus curious if, at least in the first few months after surgery, is cabbage one of the tough ones on the stomach?

What is 'pulled pork'? Maybe this should be in the Men's Forum.

pork roast cooked to very tender then shredded/ pulled apart. Very yummy!

but I always thought it sounded naughty too!

Pre-op here, aiming for a May surgery. I haven't had a cigarette in 5 weeks -- oh wait it will be 6 weeks tomorrow! yay! I used the gum, and now I barely want that anymore. The key for me was my husband had to quit too. I knew if I was around cigarettes I would want one -- that's been my experience in the past when I tried quitting & he didn't. It's actually been easier than I had thought this time; I was way past ready. Now I'm actually enjoying not smoking! I love that I don't smell anymore! LOL. And c'mon seriously....it is SOOOOO bad for your body. And it's expensive! I smoked for 26 years (yes I started young) and I'd hate to think of all the money I spent and KEPT spending even as the price went up (in Hawaii it's like $9 a pack now!), All just so I could poison my lungs and make myself an outcast of society LOL! Pretty stupid.

Oh sh*t I don't want to be one of those self righteous former smokers. I know it's hard. That's why it's called an addiction.

I was saying in another thread yesterday, the crazy thing is I keep dreaming that I'm smoking! But each time, in my dream, I light up without even thinking about it and then am horrified by what I've done! In my dream the other night I was lamenting "oh crap now I've gotta start all over again!"

several years ago when bypass and the band were my only options, I decided against WLS surgery altogether. The band was a no go for me because I didn't like the idea of having a foreign object in my body. Late last year when I learned about the sleeve, I knew it was right for me. Especially since it addresses the issue of grehlin (the hunger hormone) whereas I don't think the band does. Once I made up my mind, I found VST. There's an entire gang of folks here that are band-to-sleeve revisions. And holy moly some of the complications people have had from the band are enough to convince me I made the right choice!

May for me too hopefully!! wooooo hooooo!

How exciting! And look how much space there is between you and the arm of the chair!!

congratulations!

and honey, this is one place you need never ask forgiveness for posting a pic to share an NSV ! Thank you for the inspiration!

My main motivation was, "Do I want to be in this situation this time next year?" And my answer was "No." I could only see things getting worse. But I don't regret a second of it. If they came back tomorrow and said I had to do it all over again, I'd hop on the gurney and surf into OR.

thanks for posting that Jo! I'm like dand, altho I don't have my date yet. But when I have a "moment" and do a reality check about what I am pursuing...I get major butterflies. I can imagine when I get my actual date I will want to throw up too!! But jus like Jo said, the whole reason I'm pursuing this is because I can't live this way anymore.

dand, I don't know about you, but my "normal" way of eating is what got me in this state in the first place! I'm wanting a NEW normal that will help get me to and keep me at a healthy weight

I love your new pic!

Thank you for sharing your story thus far -- I had read the bread Thread so I am glad to get to read more about you !!! You've been very successful and I know it's been hard work (as for all of us!) I'm preop and am a recovering smoker as well (5 weeks now woo hoo!). By day I think I'm doing really well, but 3 times now I've had dreams about smoking! So weird! Good thing is though, that in my dream I light up and then am absolutely horrified that I've done it! So funny the subconscious mind! The nicotine gum has made it really quite easy....but I know there will be no gum for a while after surgery....

Anyways! Just wanted to say congrats and THANK YOU for being an inspiration!

Man... if I get bitten I'm gonna be the only one going "Nah, I'll pass on the brains and flesh... don't wanna stretch my sleeve..." only it'll just sound like "RGHT LARNRR RARRG GRLRR, RERRRBRLRAHR..."

omg soooooo funny!

My impression is that it's up to the surgeon....I keep forgetting to ask my doc as well.....

I have a silly question for you guys though, can anyone give me the phonetic pronunciation of bougie?

Does it rhyme with Dougie like the dance

or does it rhyme with Doogie as in Doogie Houser MD?

Or does it rhyme with Hoagie like the sandwich?

lol

but, yeah.....?

I guess I'm not the only one who watches too much walking dead haha

Post op I think we all have a better chance of surviving. My pre op self so would have gotten eaten first lol. I think the sleeve is a good post apocalypse choice over RNY or the band- less chance of Vitamin deficiencies, no maintenance like with the band. I think we're good!

I completely agree!

thank you thank you for the words of wisdom! I'm just getting into that part and it's perfect timing for you to have posted this!

Yes here's a cheers to understanding bosses, they're priceless

Good luck with your gallbladder ultrasound; hope all is well with that buggah