Amylou

Are you familiar with 12 Step programs? Their mantra is one day at a time...and if that's too overwhelming, one hour at a time...and if that's too much, one moment at a time. Focus on successful hours. Focus on moments of success. You can do this.

I'm still pre-op but I will tell you that 32 is not too old to be pregnant. More and more women are having healthy babies from healthy pregnancies into their 40's. The most important thing is that you go into pregnancy healthy - it makes everything about it easier. I've had three babies - and the healthier you can be, the better. I know how plans in our minds and our dreams don't always match up with how reality unfolds but don't let that get you down! By taking the steps to get yourself healthy now, you're already making a positive choice to be a better mom in the future!!! Hang in there!!!

I chose to share my surgery news with my boss because of the time for appointments I had to be out of the office. I also wanted to use Short Term Disability for my time off work and not my vacation time. I'll be out two weeks and perhaps working half days at home on the third week depending on how I feel. My boss has been amazingly supportive. My husband and parents know. A handful of friends know. I'm keeping it pretty quiet. Mostly because I don't care to hear everyone's take of it - it's my journey and mine alone. However I don't think it takes a genius to figure out what happened a few months down the line. I'm still on the fence of telling my kids. I'm thinking I'll tell them AFTER the surgery is over - I'd hate for them to worry unnecessarily.

I'm on the 22 too!!

I'm June 22nd - very very close!!

Hello! I'm Amy. I live in Mound, MN - a western suburb of Minneapolis. I'm married and have three sons, ages 10, almost 4 and almost 2. I work full-time as a Buyer. I'm 38 years old. I'm scheduled for a Roux-En-Y on June 22 after 6 months of Nutritionist Appointments, Exercise Physiologists, Psychiatrists, and Surgeon appointments. I'm 'the ideal candidate'. I'm pretty sure my story isn't much different than anyone else on this forum...I've struggled with being overweight since I was 8. I don't know what it's like to feel comfortable in my own skin. I have always been seeking out the magical diet or super-pill that would make me a slim and fit super-woman. I contemplated surgery for a while but needed a push from God to make it a reality...and then a good childhood friend had it done and I saw how much it changed her. She's always been a gorgeous person but after her surgery, she radiates happiness. Seeing this was the nudge I needed to start the discussions - first with my husband. In my head, he was going to tell me I didn't need surgery - that I just needed to workout more and eat less...but instead, he told me how much it pained him to watch me struggle and fail over and over. He wants me to be my best me and if surgery is the way to get there, so be it. So he joined me in attending a Bariatric Surgery informational session and held my hand as we heard the good, bad and ugly details of gastric bypass. As we left, he was more supportive as ever and I was excited to begin the process. I scheduled my appointments - the entire 6 months at once - and jumped in head first. Insurance approved my surgery upon the first submission on 4/6/2015 and I scheduled in early May. Currently I'm a little over 3 weeks away from surgery and 4 pounds above my 'necessary' weight - so I'm following a low-carb, high lean protien, Water diet and this has helped me drop 9 pounds in the past 9 days. I have my short-term disability leave lined up with work with 1 week at home doing nothing and one week working from home. I can start back to work as fast or slow as I can handle - my boss is super supportive. My biggest fear right now is not pain - I got a preview of the RNY post-op when I had my gallbladder out in December. Granted, I was able to eat and drink immediately following that surgery but the incisions were very similar to the RNY. My biggest fear is breaking up with food. I watch my kids eat ice cream at night and almost feel like crying. I love food. And changing my relationship with it is going to be very very hard. Necessary, I know...but hard. So that's my story. I have participated in another online forum for moms for the past 10 years and I know how amazing online communities can be so I'm excited to have a new group of folks to help me through this. I look forward to getting to know you!! -Amy

I'm currently scheduled to be off work entirely week 1, working from home week 2, 2/3 days at work week three. My surgeon and nurse highly recommended taking two weeks off for recovery minimum - mostly because the calorie intake post surgery is so low you have a hard time functioning.

I'm June 22, so not July - but I am in MN.