Tink22-sleeve

Thanks so much for the support. I am off to the DMV!

Question: The picture on your profile, is that you? Is it current? I ask, because I think you look quite attractive in it. I'm 52 and in my whole life, I only had one license photo come out relatively human-like(lol).
Get your license done and as Shrinkydinkme said, go back in a year and proudly say, "take my picture again!"

Tink
come on, i see your head hanging low - stop that!!! you gotta have your license renewed - fact of life - I don't want to call the law on you
as mezanne says - keep the old license, reminding you of your past, as a "souvenir"
you'll always know where you are, but sometimes you need a reminder of where you were
my license doesn't expire til 2019 - crazy how far away that is
i will always hate having my picture taken - but i'm trying to improve on those old feelings - i was debating on getting a new license/new picture/new me!!!!
i was thinking of getting the "new me" picture - its not that i'm "unrecognizeable" from before when i was heavier - its just that why should i look at that mug on my license - who is that person?????
ok, i just talked myself into "it", with your help ladies and gentlemen - i'm going to get a new photo next week - and i KNOW i won't break the camera !!!!!
things just keep getting better and better

Today I HAVE to go to the DMV and I am dreading it. It's the whole driver's license photo thing. I am at my heaviest right now and I don't want my picture taken today. In fact, I dont want any pictures taken of me, period. I want to wait until 1 year after surgery.
Help! How do I work up the gumption to go do this?
I have put this off for over a week and now my license has lapsed. This is getting serious!

In new jersey they ask if you would like to use the old picture. I personally would get a new pic now and just continue to look back at the id and tell myself never be that way again. Kinda like a permenent reminder. Smile life is to short to worry about a photo.

You can go to the DMV proudly, walk in, take your picture and be honest about your weight. When you are at goal, get your license redone and use the first one with all of your past as a "souvenir" so to speak and a reminder that life can only get better!

I was wandering around target yesterday trying to find a solution to bringing Protein Powder to work and was failing miserably so I went to get baby utensils and found the formula containers! I remembered reading about it at some point but forgot about it. This thing is awesome! I wish I had a few of these during pre op!

Yup, just get it done, stuff it in your purse and only take it out when you have to knowing that it's going to be really different later. (been there, done that.) I broke down crying on the guy at DMV one time because my picture was so bad. He retook it!! (it didn't make me any thinner though;) )
On the weight section, my license has said "199" for about 15 years! I told the lady one time that it's about 150 lbs off, and she said "awwww just leave it like that, it sounds better. wink wink" Very UNdmv-like! LOL
Try not to stress about it.

Hello :-)
I'm on the pre-op diet and my diet is a Protein Drink for bfast & lunch, with a lean meat/veggies for dinner. I can snack on a piece of low fat cheese or light yogurt. I'm on my fourth day and I'm doing ok. Not sure if I'm just second guessing myself, but its not that bad. I've found that my Protein Drink tastes pretty good with mio in it, I tried the chocolate dream powders? utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury in fat free milk this morning (it was yummy) and my snack has been Greek yogurt (which I don't like plain) with fat free sugar free powder pudding added. I guess I thought I'd feel miserable, but I don't. I thought the food would be horrible (I'm a very picky eater) and its not.
Has anyone else experienced this 'this isn't so bad' realization?
I'm looking forward to the surgery...the 20th can't come soon enough :-)
P.S. I love reading everyone's stories...they are true inspirations...keep up the GREAT work!!!

I agree in prayer that you will be healthy and happy, And that you wont have to be operated on again. God bless!

Go get a new photo when you are close to goal. Go in at that point and tell them that the change you have made makes a new photo necessary, the current one is unrecognizable and causing problems when you have to varify your ID using your liscence. I think it costs about $25 and would be an awesome reward for your hard work and success.
I will agree with you that the before pictures are so difficult to do, but must say I am so glad I did them, and nothing fellow sleeve buddies show me, inspires me more.
2nd idea is - Do you have a good friend that would go with you. It always helps me to take a friend when I have to do something difficult.

I was wondering if anyone had/has to do the 3 and 2 diet? This is where you eat/drink 3 shakes or Protein Bars, and 2 green meals a day. I am started this diet Monday for the next three months and I was wondering if anyone else had to do a diet like this, and how it was? I'm so scared I'm going to be hungry..which I probably will..lol. Any tips would be great!

I was sleeved on Wednesday:) My swallow study showed things weren't moving through my sleeve as fast as they should be so I have not anything to eat or drink since Wednesday morning. My doc is talking about worse case scenario being re-operation with conversion to bypass if things don't start working soon.. Turns out my stomach and now my sleeve is shaped like a letter J and the contrast is slowed by the loop at the bottom of my sleeve I have had no nausea or vomiting so my Doc is going to let me try some liquid to see how it goes... Pray for me that everything passes through well and I don't need re-operation...

1 year ago today I was being rolled into the Operating room thinking that this is my last chance to change my life. This is the last chance I have to get healthy and make a change for the better. This is the last chance for me to for me to stop just existing and start living. Growing up I was always the largest kid. In high school I went from being a 5 foot 8 kid to being 6 foot 4 man wearing a size 15 shoe. In high school I was athletic and worked out daily. After high school my family moved to Atlanta so my sister could receive better treatment for her MS. During my time in Atlanta I started to gain weight .I was sedentary and but still eating like an athlete. My sister lost her battle with MS and it affected my family severely. I started eating and packing on pounds , and me working a call center job working second shift did not help. In early 2011 I started looking for a way to get healthy. At this point I had not been weighed in at least 3 years. I went to the doctor and stepped on the scale and it read 540 pounds. My mother started crying uncontrollably at the doctors office, she saw 540 pounds and then saw me in a grave next to my sister. That was the day I decided that I have to have WLS, I had did diets and lost weight but it always came back. I started my journey at 540 pounds with back and joint pain, High blood pressure, borderline diabetic, and un-diagnosed sleep apnea. I was able to get down to 490 the day of surgery. I am down to 330 pounds as of today with a total loss of 210 pounds. I still have about 40-50 pounds to go but I am more than happy with my results. My life has improved so much in the last year. Physically I am able to walk for 10 minutes without my back being in knots and my joints screaming in pain. I am able to get a full nights sleep and not wake up tired. No more high blood pressure, no more back or joint pain, no longer borderline diabetic. Mentally I have become a different person also. My outlook on life is positive. I have become a stronger person inside and out. I no longer let negative people or issues get me down. I was just diagnosed with MS October 15th. Usually this would get me down especially since my family has history with this disease( my deceased sister), but I just started living again, I will not let this control my future. I am not going to stop living until I am dead- and I am not dead yet. I will you leave you guys with a quote that I live by. Stay strong and stay positive everyone.
"Now we are the masters of our fate, That the task which has been set us is not above our strength .That it's pangs and toils are not beyond our endurance .As long as we have faith in our cause and an unconquerable will-power Salvation will not be denied us ! "- Winston Churchill
These pics are all recent. i have the before pics on my profile

Did anyone have to get a letter stating that they were set up with a therapist prior to surgery? I have a history of anxiety and was abused as a child which is part of the reason I ate. When I went for evaluation I was told that I needed to get set up with a therapist to have surgery.

Started my Journey June 2011 surgery April 2012. Second picture Mothers Day 2012, 3rd picture at class reunion in September.
Last picture 6 month visit October 30th

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I just thought this wud be a little motivation to help those of u that have decided to go head wit the surgery and those of u that are debating and not quite sure yet.. This is my progress so far. I was sleeved 8/24/12 I started out at 240 date of surgery 217 and now I am 175 and I look like this

Color me jealous!!!

Hi All,

First of all, sorry for the long message. I'm new here--I've actually been lurking for about a week, but I just decided to join. I've been overweight all my life and I've been considering WLS off and on for years, but I just told my bf and my bff about it this week and they aren't being entirely supportive. My bf is supportive of me having the surgery, but he's against me going to Mexico to have it, although he won't (and can't) stop me from doing it. My bff is the person I asked to travel with me and she's not totally against it, but she is adamant that she won't travel to TJ because she thinks it's too dangerous, so she'll only go with me if I get it done in Cancun or PV, which I'm sure you all know is more expensive (but she also started crying at the thought of me going alone). She also wants me to wait a year and to go on a diet and exercise plan with her (mind you, she's only 30 lbs overweight) to see if I can lose enough weight that I'll change my mind.

I'm a grad student, so I don't have a lot of money, so the added expense of going to Cancun or PV is significant. I'm also 37 and I really felt like I dodged a bullet when I was told after my last checkup that I don't have diabetes--diabetes runs on both sides of my family and my mom was diagnosed as diabetic in her 40s, so I feel like a ticking time-bomb. I could actually give a grocery list of all of the obesity-related health issues that run in my family, which is the main reason I don't want to wait anymore. Since I am in school (and spending the winter holidays with loved ones), the earliest that I can get it done is spring break (end of March), which I think is my preference. I have also considered waiting until summer break, just in case I need more than a few days to recuperate, but I would want to do it at the beginning of the summer. If I wait until the end of the summer, I might be able to talk my bff into going with me since that would be a 9-month wait from now, which is sort of close to a year--I am not willing to wait exactly a year because I'll be in the same situation with being in school and unable to go until the end of March. The problem is, even if I wait until the end of summer to get her to go, I will wind up having to pay at least $1500-$2000 more (surgery and airfare) to go to someplace that she feels comfortable. So my dilemma is: do I go in March (to TJ) and hope that I don't have any issues returning to school the following week, do I go in June (to TJ) when I have more time to heal without having my school/work commitments, or do I go in August (to Cancun or PV) when I hope my bff would go with me, although this means a lot more money? I mostly feel okay with going alone until I start to think about what happens if something does go wrong, so any advice and/or words of encouragement would be appreciated.

Wasn't sure where it was most appropriate to share this but I'm so excited I had to tell someone. I realized I can see my va j-j for the first time in many years while I was shaving in the shower today! Don't mean to gross folks out but this is a most awesome and unexpected non scale victory forme!!!

I do worry about lifestyle changes. For example, my husband and I like to travel and i'm thinking about how that will be affected by these lifestyle changes. But i know that lots of things will change for the better- like tying my darn shoes with ease! Lol. Good luck with your surgery.

I just love this forum and chat room. I have found friends and comrades where I least expected to find them. I have stayed up late at night to chat when I am feeling low, or just cant sleep, or when someone else needs a friend or information. I have laughed out loud at our conversations in the chat room. In the chat room and from the posts, I have learned what to expect and not expect from this surgery.
Most of all I have found a place where I belong- A place where I can be heard. And that is a special thing, indeed.
Thank you for walking this path with me. I hope we meet along the way.
See you in the chat!

Good to be up and moving. And of course, take those pain meds. Do you have GasX strips? Maybe try those.
Congrats on your surgery and good luck

I just love this forum and chat room. I have found friends and comrades where I least expected to find them. I have stayed up late at night to chat when I am feeling low, or just cant sleep, or when someone else needs a friend or information. I have laughed out loud at our conversations in the chat room. In the chat room and from the posts, I have learned what to expect and not expect from this surgery.
Most of all I have found a place where I belong- A place where I can be heard. And that is a special thing, indeed.
Thank you for walking this path with me. I hope we meet along the way.
See you in the chat!

I just love this forum and chat room. I have found friends and comrades where I least expected to find them. I have stayed up late at night to chat when I am feeling low, or just cant sleep, or when someone else needs a friend or information. I have laughed out loud at our conversations in the chat room. In the chat room and from the posts, I have learned what to expect and not expect from this surgery.
Most of all I have found a place where I belong- A place where I can be heard. And that is a special thing, indeed.
Thank you for walking this path with me. I hope we meet along the way.
See you in the chat!