Anna Nim

@@Inner Surfer Girl Wow! I can totally get the battle to feel full!! Always in my head.. @@KristenLe My Dad is in VA. To his credit, he has been all over the internet, Doctor sites, youtube. I gave him a link to this site. He is worried, and so am I. But, like I said, I've been up and down and I am kinda done with the "All you have to do's"..

If/when I get surgery and lose enough weight, a trip to Colombia to visit my brother for the summer is in order. It is the Land of Plastics!!

I I don't know. I just know it is 80% gone. I went to a doctor when I had knee pain that wouldn't go away. He said the arthritis is caused by ALC surgery (a common outcome). I had a MRI to see what the damage was & I was shocked! 80% gone! Doctor said the primary cause of the arthritis was my surgery and not my weight! (haha!). But, he does say that losing weight will help it immensely. I am going to PT twice a week, being a bit lazy on the home exercises. I plan on having "revision" surgery on my knee. Being a teacher, I think it is best to have it in the summer, but not this one. I debate if I should do it now or lose some weight/PT first. I do want the second surgery to take & need the best chance I can get. Course, if my knee felt good, I would be exercising more.. Round and Round we go.. As for failure, I had surgery 12 years ago and it never, ever felt right. I know the major reason for failure is in the surgery itself.. Sometimes over the past 12 years, especially after some hard work, it would swell, etc, but went away. I think every swelling was a micro-tear and then at some point it just gave too much away. Despite my weight, I was pretty active-but I could never squat or come close to it. Maybe some was not enough PT after surgery. I have NOT had a fall or anything! While the doctor doesn't exactly say this, having poor muscle strength and sheer pounds means that my muscles are not doing the job and it is falling heavily on the ACL to do the job. Maybe for you, do some PT. It is the Butt, hamstrings then quad (in that order) they say I need. Shoring up those muscles will protect what ACL I have left, the rest of the damn knee and I know, make the re-surgery more likely to last. I just don't think I have it in me for the summer. I Surgery sucks. I really, really, don't want to have it.

I hear you all, but it seems if you are not willing do to the work, make different choices, then it won't work, but honestly...if that worked, wouldn't be all be already a healthy weight?

I am in the same boat! If we can follow the lifestyle advice after surgery, why not do it now and avoid it? That is the 100K question. If "all" we have to do is follow the advice, we would "all" be normal weight. Carbs are addicting. Carbs beget carbs beget carbs. HFCS and MSG suck. IF we could *simply* avoid those foods we would be fine. Diet, as in what you eat, is 80% of it...yet, knowing this, here I am. 5 years ago this month, I was scheduled for insurance paid for gastric sleeve. I had lost a bit on the pre-diet and at a stressful outside job I had-(30 lbs?) I backed out of the surgery for various reasons. I gained it back, then I lost & gained; then had an devastating break-up that about killed me. I lost 40 pounds in four months from not eating, crying all night, pacing in circles and finally going hiking to stomp myself into bone spurs. I was so despondent that I didn't even realize why my pants were falling off! The only good thing that came out of that breakup was the weight loss (I don't advise that route But, within 2 years I gained it all back and MORE! Life has lifed me.. So now at 46 years old, the discovery of my failed ACL knee surgery from years ago & arthritis in my knees (plus trying to date) what am I to do? Will this keep me more healthy or am I just borrowing time? It is your body, you wake up in it and go to sleep with it. It has to be your choice and yours alone.

I have a history of not taking any BS from doctors. I have switched doctors for having bad staff, stood up to them when I was not really in a strong position to do so (Literally on my back at a charity clinic). YOU are the expert. YOU pay the money, call the shots and wake up with your body. Your doctor can certainly express concern, that is their job..but that is about where it stops.

Have you gone to The Limited website, since they are owned by the same parent company? (That does not mean same quality, although The Limited tends to be well made). Most manufacturers have their own cut and patterns-making it larger/slightly different than smaller size is not rocket science My point is the argument for different patterns or cuts does not justify a higher price. I've actually noticed that they have with coupons etc, became cheaper (ish) and I think it is due to online shopping cutting into what was once a corner on the bigger size market.

WHO knocked you off the list, did you tell the hostess about the unwanted kiss or is the drunk guy cutting you off the list. I'd just show up and act like you have no idea and keep showing up, you DO live there, right? You are the pres of the housing association. Just act like you don't know nor care.. If you bring up, I would NOT mention the kiss, as maybe not why. I hate people.

@@OutsideMatchInside It may be a different cut for larger clothes, but that is what a larger clothing store sells to. It isn't THAT much harder to make a larger size/cut. Clothes from different stores are cut different/same size, so every clothing maker has their own patterns. Comparing Lane Bryant to Wal-Mart isn't a equal comparison, but comparing similar quality clothing with LB is a decent comparison. They are overall charging more. Worse, they love to have hideous patterns. Plus Size clothing makers MAINLY charge more not because of the rocket science of making larger science, but because they know they are a niche market. Where else are we going to go! I drop the cash at LB on their bras, jeans, pants because they are worth it-although it does make me cringe.

@@danser I haven't had surgery yet. Just found out self-pay is the same as going thru my insurance and I don't qualify for a loan. Trying to beg family to loan me the $$. I was approved (and it was paid for) a few years ago-but I walked..

I am curious what you have done. My thought is too big of a sleeve and maybe some sliding of diet.

Yep. Isn't this whole post for LGBTQ peeps?

For what is worth; 5 years ago I had the sleeve approved/scheduled and ready to go. I cancelled. I had lost some weight & other factors. Later gained it back, lost it again, had a breakup and lost about 40, re-gained that, plus more and kept it all on for over a year and a half. So now, 5 years later I am now a good 40 lbs heavier than the day I walked from surgery...and now, today, rejoined this forum and discovered that I NOW will be a 11K out of pocket patient. (Lotto anyone). I am terrified to have surgery and have it fail, but at this point, in my 40's with a big booty and a bum knee it might be my best bet..