The Candidate

Good for you jumping back into the game! Better to back out than to have any lingering regrets. You're going to shine. Congrats!

I may require you to provide some additional proof that those are indeed the same two people. ???? Seriously, you are completely unrecognizable! You should be the poster child for weight loss surgery success. Congrats! And keep on sharing because as a pre op I crave motivation like that!

We were also warned about avoiding corn in my program. But when you're in class it seems like such an innocent faraway abstract. It helps to learn as a pre op from a post op that there are indeed consequences for straying from the script. So I really appreciate you sharing your experience!

You might want to check with the hospital/surgeon first. I'm a rabid pre planner so I purchased one. Only to find out that they will be providing one for me free of charge.

Congratulations! I'm sure you're over the moon with happiness! I hope I will be even half as successful as you've been!

While my mom is/was a terrific cook, she very rarely displayed her talents. Nor did she teach any of us. I grew up in the 60's/70's, and I must have been at least 15 before I even realized we owned a dining room table. It was just a space to collect junk as far as I knew. My siblings and I were early bloomer latch key kids, home alone the majority of the time. We had to scramble our own meals out of whatever we could find, and make our own school lunches. And of course this was pre microwave era. I don't recall there ever being anything fresh available. It was all canned, boxed, freeze dried, or frozen. My favorite food groups! When I started making my own money babysitting, I spent almost all of it on my faithful friends: Chef Boy Ardee, Hostess, Frito Lay, Nestle, and Hershey's, just to name a few. But my biggest vice has always been soda pop. I really only remember one time that my parents intervened and tried to break us of our bad eating habits. My father decreed one day that the land shall be free of all things carbonated. It did not go over well, and we had numbers on our side, as there were four of us. So he compromised, and said that on Fridays we would be allowed to drink a limited amount of soda. And that's how Fridays became known as "Pepsi Day" in our household. I distinctly remember nearly salivating as I stepped off the school bus on Fridays, in sweet sugar rush anticipation. Which is really sad now that I look back on it. Of course, it didn't last very long, as Pepsi Day just slowly faded out of existence. That's because we were resourceful little buggers, and somehow always found a way to sneak in our own stashes, that we'd hide in our rooms, like the clever little sugar crack addicts we'd become. Ah, nostalgia.

You've gotten this far into the process for a very good reason - you want it more than anything else and it's the right decision for you. It's perfectly natural to have second thoughts, but don't lend any more credence to the current little voices in your head, and unsupportive family and friends, than you do to all the positive research and testimony you've researched along the way. There's a lot more than money at stake here, as there is not enough currency in the world that would equal obtaining long lasting health and happiness! Good luck and congrats!

What a terrific milestone! Congratulations!

I know you're probably tired of hearing it, but it WILL get here before you know it. Mine took a year, and I'll never forget how jealous I felt watching people I started out with all getting dates before me, who are now six months or more post op. Or worse yet, all the ones who started way after me getting dates before me. Talk about feeling like a wallflower at the prom. Nobody was interested in signing my dance card and there was no spiked punch around to commiserate over. But then one day I began to just let it go, and stopped trying to fight a battle I could never win. That's not to say that I haven't had my share of "woe is me" days, and more than a few private hissy fits have been thrown and tears shed. Heck I've grown a year older since I started this journey and I'm no spring chicken to begin with. I've celebrated Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, MLK, Easter, Memorial Day, and 4th of July (twice) since I've been waiting, and now the cycle is starting over again. Now finally, I've got my long awaited date - the pivotal golden ticket - and wouldn't you know it - I'm still waiting, because it's not until 07/29! I bear the dubious distinction of being the only Girl Scout in my adolescent troop to have never earned a single badge. Not one. (I was a bit of a rebel in my day). But you know what, I'm going to go buy myself a sash and pin on a big old golden "Patience" badge of honor on it, and I'm going to wear that sucker on my chest proudly as they wheel me into the operating room. The moral of this story, in a very round about way is, you can swim yourself into a frenzy, but you're never going to change the direction of the current, so don't waste your time. Start swimming with it and you'll be surprised how quickly you will arrive at your chosen destination.

I also have been keeping a video journal since day one. That helps me.

The possibility of GERD issues being exacerbated with the sleeve is why I changed my mind and am having the bypass. But then again a lot of people who are sleeved don't have an issue at all after surgery, while some others are converting from sleeve to bypass. I believe there's even a separate section for that, not sure. If your surgeon gives you a choice you'll have to weigh the ultimate pros and cons. If he won't do a sleeve and that's what you are determined to have you might have to switch doctors. It's a very subjective decision.

I used to think that doctors broke the mold for having God complexes. But now I know who really holds all the power - it's their schedulers!

Congratulations! Remember this feeling as it will carry you through the rough spots. You are going to do fantastic!

Welcome aboard! You've found a wonderful sounding board for support and knowledge. Good luck on your journey!

I became good friends with a lady in my insurance mandated classes. And it turns out we live just blocks apart to boot. My surgery is on the 29th and she's waiting for the call for hers. We were just talking about all the things we want to do together to Celebrate our weight loss. I live in CA and I love amusement parks and was beginning to lament ever going again, so we're going to hit Disneyland and California Adventures. We want to ride the donkeys (without breaking their poor backs) down into the Grand Canyon. We want to do the paddle boats at the harbor. Do a 5K walk/run. Go skiing for the first time ever! I get overjoyed just thinking about catching up on all the stuff I've missed out on all these years! The list is endless and the renewed hope is just overwhelming!

Wow at only one week out too! Admire your ability to get back to work so quickly also! You're going to do amazing!

@@imsoglad56 I completely forgot the cover thing until you mentioned it! I haven't used covers for too many years to count. And I have like 6 pillows, plus a wedge. If I could have gotten an adjustable bed up my stairs I'd probably have one of those too! I never really realized just how much planning and accoutrements go into being fat!

Lots of excellent information here to consider. Thanks for sharing!

So glad that all went well and you are progressing so well! Congrats on your weight loss so far! You're doing great!

Having gone through an extended approval process myself (took a year),and now just weeks away from surgery, my biggest hope is that someday there will be a standardization of the hoops wls candidates have to undergo. They are so vastly different and confusing now, with no two alike, that I'm sure there are some people who just end up giving up. And that is so sad.

That is an incredible turn around. Getting your health back and being freed from all those meds is a big part of what this is all about. Congratulations on your new life!

@@no onions #5 really hits a cord with me too. I'm hoping my electric bill takes a big plunge after I lose the weight. Hoping I won't need it nearly as much to cool off as I do now. I pretty much have it on at least 10 months out of the year. I hate that I'm sweating buckets just five minutes out of the shower!

Great story! It's NSV's like that that really remind us not to focus so intently on the scale. Congrats!

This is your journey not theirs. Try and make a point of surrounding yourself only with people who you know will support you. Stay true to yourself and your own goals to lose weight and be healthy. You'll be a much happier person in the long run if you don't change your direction to please somebody else's vision. Good luck!

Welcome and best of luck on your journey!