BrainyBabe

Click on my name and then "send me a message."

I had surgery w/ Dr. Garcia 12/19/2012 and had a very positive experience. You are in good hands. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or I can be of support in any way.

Top Ten Reasons to "not" have WLS. Great video that addresses the main objections you'll hear from friends/family.

Great! What you do with your body is no one's business. I only told a handful of people and everyone else is just amazed by how good I look. :-)

My goal was to lose 60 lbs and I'm more than halfway there thanks to VSG. This is the best thing I've ever done. I finally feel somewhat in control of my eating habits thanks to this wonderful tool.

OMG! That's kind of sick! Cancer, AIDS, cocaine addictions, etc. are a terrible way to lose weight! When I was little my aunt told me that no guy will ever love me if I'm fat. Great message to send a 6-7 year-old, huh?

We should start a new blog entitled "insensitive comments stupid people make." I've had my share of comments too though I've never been huge. One memorable one is going to buy a cookie in the mall. The pimple-faced teenager behind the counter asked me "do you really think you should be eating that?" Huh? I was stunned. Another time a black guy in a parking lot whispered to me "chubby...I like that!" He meant it as a compliment of course... I've heard the "you have such a pretty face" comment many times. My mother has been the biggest critic of my weight my entire life. She is a fatty-phobe and even led to the demise of a relationship I had with an awesome guy who treated me like a queen...and was a lawyer/judge who did very well. Why didn't she like him? Because he didn't meet *her* weight/attractiveness criteria. Imagine my shock when I visited my mother in Florida two weeks ago. She was so impressed by my weight loss...and all the compliments *her* friends/neighbors were giving her about "how beautiful" her daughter is, etc. that she gave me a monetary gift towards the surgery I had in December. This woman hasn't given me a dime since I was 18 and all of a sudden throws money at me since I conform to her beauty standard. I have such mixed feelings about this that I still haven't cashed the check... Weight issues/addictions are emotional and it's clear that our family members contributed to them. Fortunately we're all adults and can take charge of our lives. Alexis

Make sure you try them on as you lose weight. Since I was *scared* of clothes I missed the window of opportunity for wearing some of them! :-)

I'm wearing my old clothes that didn't remotely fit before. In fact, I have some clothes I bought "for when I lose weight" that still have tags on them. I tried them on last week and found that I can't wear them...but for a different reason... because they're now too big!! It's a shame but I'm definitely *not* complaining. This procedure is literally life-changing...in a positive way!!

I can totally related! I've had many family members and total strangers make inappropriate comments, and my self confidence was on the floor. Since having surgery on 12/19/2012 I've lost 33 lbs and feel great!! Best of all, my mojo has been returning. I'm happier and more flirtatious than I've been in a long time. Once I lose the remaining 27 lbs I will be unstoppable...and somewhat dangerous! This is undoubtedly one of the best decisions I've ever made. Go for it!! XOXO, Alexis

If you weren't nervous there would be something seriously wrong with you. :-o I was a nervous wreck and asked the anesthesiologist to give me something for nerves. He basically knocked me out in my room and my next memory was being back in the room post-op. I don't remember the trip to the O.R, being in recovery, etc, The procedure went smoothly and the worst part of the entire experience was the draiin. My doc always uses a drain but not all do. Does Dr. Kelley? This is major surgery and the only thing you can do is research, ask questions, perform due diligence, etc. Then there's the final component: faith that everything will turn out as you expect. Alexis

TOTALLY WORTH IT!! I'm 5'8.5", weighed 211 on surgery day and now weigh 181.5 a bit over two months out. I feel great and am half-way to goal. This is the best thing I've every done for myself. I'm happy for you.

I was sleeved by Dr. Garcia on 12/19/2012 and am doing great! I love my sleeve and have lost a tad under 30 lbs in two months. I am happy, happy, happy. Dr. G and his team are amazing. You are in good hands.

My BMI was just under 32 and I had VSG on December 19, 2012. It's the best thing I've ever done for myself. I am THRILLED. I'm losing slowly and steadily - approximately 25 lbs in 6 weeks.

My doc was Dr. Garcia too. He's an excellent surgeon. You are in good hands.

I am 24 yrs old, 5'8" and 224lbs with a bmi of 34. *** Kudos to you for having this procedure done when you're young! I wish the technology would've been available when I was your age! I had my procedure done in Mexico in December and couldn't be happier. I've heard wonderful things about Dr. Kelly and am sure you'll do great!! Congrats for taking this positive step!!

I'm fortunate to have a low BMI and good health (no co-morbidities). However, the yo-yo dieting for over 40 years has taken a toll on me psychologically, socially, etc. It's about *loving yourself*, not pleasing others or worrying about what society thinks. I'm fitting back into my size 14 jeans and feel so much better. My goal is to wear size 10, which is very feasible. Since I converted from LapBand, my weight loss is S-L-O-W. However, I'm still happy that the scale is heading in the right direction. I am grateful to this group and several other online forums for giving me the strength to do this. It was a VERY scary decision and I'm thrilled that I made it.

I've never had a high BMI person question me about this. THIN people, however, told me "you don't need sugery...you're fine...just exercise and watch your calories." It seems to me that obese people who've struggles with weigh for a long time understand how difficult losing and maintaining can be. Naturally thin, people, however, just don't get it. Alexis

I was sleeved in Mexico on 11/16/12 with a bmi of 32. So far I have lost 48 lbs and feel amazing! *** Wow, that's totally amazing! I am losing slowly, I guess because I had the lapband for 10 years and my body's metabolism became accustomed to less calories. Have you been working out? If so, doing what?

I went to him dec3, also had a 32 bmi,, was 203 an now at 172... I think I'll cry when I hit the 160s cause I don't ever remember being there! *** Wow! You are doing great! 31 lbs in a month and a half!! Congratulations!! I had vsg on 12/19/2012 with a starting weight of 211. Now I'm weighing 196. Am losing slowly but have no complaints. without surgery my weight would be going in the *opposite* direction! I converted from lap band so weight loss is slower than "virgin" WLS folks.

Sweetvee, I am losing slowly too but don't care. I was sleeved on December 19th and have lost around 15 lbs. The lower your BMI the slower we lose. As long as I lose I'm happy. Can't wait to start working out since I'm feeling very flabby. Hang in there!!

Hello everyone, As I type this I'm sitting in the airport heading to Mexico, and will be sleeved tomorrow. I'm still pretty nervous but optimistic at the same time. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. I've been yo-yo dieting my entire life without long-term success. Hopefully this will be *the* tool to help me overcome this issue once and for all. Based on my research, feedback from group members, etc. this is the way to go. I haven't read any negative comments, nor have I come across anyone who regrets the decision. Wil be thinking of my fellow December 19th sleevers! Lexi

Hello everyone, I am super nervous about having the VSG done. I had the lapband installed in 2002 and removed January 2012. I had a lot of problems with the band, but fortunately it was reversible. What concerns me about VSG is the irreversible nature. How did you deal with the concept of losing part of your stomach? It seems unnatural. I've been yo-yo dieting since the age of 7, when I was put on my first diet. I've lost all hope in losing weight on my own and am truly desperate. That being said, I'm nervous about voluntarily cutting up my body. How did you deal with this concept? Also, how are all you low-BMI folks doing? How has your weight loss journey gone? How has your skin fared? I welcome your thoughts/ comments/ experiences. Thanks! Alexis