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So, last night, I finally told my best friend that I am having WLS.... She asked a lot of questions, mostly about the difference between VSG and gastric bypass... I told her the amount of weight I needed to lose and she was shocked... LOL.. I could literally see her subtracting the pounds in her mind from what she thought I actually weighed!!! I told her that I'm much larger than I actually look!!.. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me, because she was very supportive and making jokes about how she'd gonna have to lock me in the house because I'm already "something else"!! Just wanted to share... Up next, telling my mother!!!

Yes!!! She is!! I'm so glad about that... I analyze EVERYTHING.. and in my head I have different scenarios for how conversations can turn out and my response to each one... I think I'm a slight control freak!! LOL... The convo last night, just sort of happened! She was asking me if I'd been eating as my NUT instructed... and just flowed from there!! I have this one friend who is almost as large as I am.. and I tried discussing the lap band with her.. thinking that she would understand.. and she freaked out on me and basically said that I haven't been trying hard enough and yada, yada... I couldn't believe.. I asked her what her excuse was... and ***CRICKETS*** I was in tears and that so hard to do!! LOL.. I'm not very emotional.. but I was so hurt that she would basically try to attack me for my decision.. I'm a very driven person... I am very successful in my career and other endeavors.. but I can't get this weight thing together!! That being said, I was apprehensive about telling my BFF because I had gotten burned by discussing this with my other friend!.. BTW, I am definitely "something else"..My mechanic told me that yesterday, as I "negotiated" the price w/ him.. I guess it helps that he has a crush on me!! LOL.. I'm ready for my outside to match my inside!!!

AWESOME!!! Congrats on ALL fronts!!!! And, you don't look over 7 months pregnant!!!!

Congrats!!! I'm very happy for you.. Please keep us updated!! I am in the 3rd month of my medically supervised weight loss program.. so I'll probably have surgery in January... I'd love any advice, info you can offer!! Take it easy and feel better!!!

Oh WOW!!! You're almost there!! The beginning to the rest of your healthier life!!! Thinking good thoughts towards you... Imagine the possibilities when you are smaller, more mobile and healthier!!!

Congrats!!! I'm so excited for you!!!!

Congrats to each of you!!! How exciting to began the journey to a healthier life!!! I'm ready to follow in your footsteps!!!

How exciting!!!! Thinking good thoughts!!!

Congrats!!! I'm so excited for you!!! Keep up the good work.. Your pictures are BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Hey!!! Congrats!! I'm still waiting... but I'm excited!! I'm sure you will do great!! Keep us posted!!!!

LOL!!! I was gonna get her address and start sending flowers and Protein drinks!!!! LOL... and then ask!!

I have BCBSIL as well.. I was just emailing my pt. coordinator about how long it takes for approval, when I came across this post.. I will definitely take your advice, as I am hoping to have surgery leading to my holiday break from school (I'm a high school teacher).... Thanks again!!!

That's the main problem between my doctor, nutritionist and myself!!! I'm very scale conscious... I recently started eating Breakfast as instructed... I'm afraid to weigh-in on tomorrow!!! LOL... I'm just ready for all the doctor's visits to be over so I can get the sleeve!! In the meantime, I'm trying to forge a healthy relationship w/ food and my body!!! I'm starting strength and flex training soon.. I want to try and get in the habit of exercising regularly....

Congratulations!!! That's a great accomplishment!!! So, do you have any advice??? What is your workout regime like???

Thanks for replying... My surgeon is Dr. Gerald Cahill at Little Company of Mary in Evergreen Park....I'm a little nervous about this whole process... So far, the hardest part has been getting my Cardio consult.. I'm still waiting on a return call... You've made amazing progress and I'm happy for you!! So, what was the most difficult part as far as adjusting to your new body?? Unlike someone people who've experienced being at a normal weight, I haven't.. I can't ever remember not being overweight!!! I'm excited about this life changing move.. I hope we can keep in touch.. I'm sure I'll need someone who knows how it is.. to talk to.. (My friends freaked out when I told them that I was considering lap band surgery... they said, "Oh Tina, you're not that big, you don't need that.. you're so active"... So, I haven't told them about my decision to do the sleeve or that I'm already going through the process... They don't know how it feels to be in my body!!!.. Anyway... Thanks again for responding!! I hope things are better w/ you health wise... Blessings

Hello!!! I'm still completing my 6-month supervised weight loos program.. My WL doctor is trying to get me to eat more, I know i need to, but when I eat the 3 small meals and 2 Snacks he wants me to, I gain weight!!! I'm working on not being as scale conscious and instead, trying to be health conscious!!! I've done my NUT visits, Psych eval and I have seen my surgeon who is requiring a cardio and pulmonary consult... I'm ready for all of this to be over!!!

My doctor told me some of the same things yesterday!! I don't eat enough food, I don't eat at regular times, and I don't eat often enough... Those 3 things in themselves have caused me not to lose weight at all in the past month or so.... For me, I'm processing the whole situation.. I'm not a mother, but I am daughter of 2 elderly parents, a full-time educator, doctoral student and vocal artist (with a project to finish this month.. ugh!!)... With all of that on my plate, plus I'm a total perfectionist and very hard on myself because I have a medical background.. I feel I should know and do and yada, yada, yada.... Well, yesterday, as my doctor and dietician were both telling me how great I was doing w/ eating Breakfast lately, I had an epiphany... I can't get there for my loved ones or do the things that I aspire to do without being healthy and wise!! I know I need to eat and choose good food, not just for my taste buds but for my LIFE.... Ultimately, if I get sick, I will join my parents in needing medication for the rest of my life, being on dialysis and insulin and at the mercy of my caregivers.. That's not the life I want.. I'm only 36 years old... Now, I know that I must do something.. and that something has to be a tool to help me get ahead of the 8-ball instead of playing behind it ALL the time.. WLS, diets, trainers, nutritionist, etc... are only tools to help me come to know that I have to think more of myself, my quality of life and my future.. There is no cure for food addiction, there is no magic bullet or pill that I can take and wake up healthy mind, body and soul from this thing that has plagued me all of my life.. I'm not naive!! Neither am I naive about the ramifications of not doing anything about it now... For me, it's very difficult to accept that I can't do this on my own.. I struggle w/ feeling inadequate and impotent because I have not been able to maintain a significant weight loss ever... I don't like feeling vulnerable and neither do I like conceding to defeat... But I find freedom in saying, without the help of WLS and the group of professionals that I am working with, my food addiction, hormone imbalance and insulin resistance will cause me to have an early death or a quality of life that is not really life at all!!! Now that I think about it, it's not defeat at all to need help.. I tell my students that the most noble thing is to admit you need help and not fail because you are trying to save face and do it on your own... I'm not sure if you have someone who can help you for a few hours a week.. or just maybe one hour... During that time, I suggest you take a walk in the park or to your favorite quiet place and reflect on the kind of life you want to live, the kind of life you would have if you got sick from some weight-related illnesses and finally the kind of life your family would have if you died from an obesity-associated disease....What legacy do you want to leave for your children?? After that, set small goals.. and Celebrate each accomplishment.. It will help you remember and look forward to the next one.. My goal this week is to eat breakfast each day... So far, so good!!! I'm going to celebrate this weekend by purchasing a new blender!! As far as exercise, housecleaning or walking around the house is a start... Don't feel like you have to have everything down to a science!! One thing at a time, one day at a time, one step at a time!! I was freaking out when I started doing 3 meals a day and I gained 5 lbs!! I stopped eating again.. DUH!!.. I was too scale-conscious.. though my body felt great, more energy, finally sleeping, etc... I could get passed the numbers on the scale creeping up... Today, I'm planning my small goal for next week... drinking the appropriate amount of Water.... So, I understand the thinking and processing that must be done when considering WLS or any other major life-changing action.. Just know this, small successes build us up to have larger ones... you will get addicted to accomplishing your small goals and before you know it, your decision will be made, your life will be changed and you will be able to help someone else through the process... Sorry this is so long, your post really helped me put some things into perspective for myself.. So, maybe I needed to write this for me!! LOL... Blessings to you!!!

LOL... Nothing wrong with that!!! I'm great w/ 200-220.... Because of my height, I think it's perfect!! Had my 3rd appt w/ my WL spec... He's concerned that I'm paying too much attention to the scale and thus, not eating enough!! UGH!!! I'm so hard on myself... So, now I have to schedule each meal and snack each day!!! Didn't do so well this AM, but I'm eating Breakfast now (oatmeal, green tea).. gotta find some Protein... What are your meals looking like these days??

Rosalind, It's funny because my surgeon didn't think I needed to lose the amount of weight that I do... I was all for the band, when he paid attention to my chart, he was surprised that I weighed what I weigh...I'm looking to end up between 200-215 because I'll be in the 10/12 range... I know my "ideal" BW is 150-163, however, I'll take a healthy, shapely 215 anyday!! I've only lost a little weight and people are commenting that I look 20-30 lbs smaller....

Thanks for posting this!!! I've grown a bit overwhelmed w/ the number of consultations and drs visits!!! This is besides my regular check ups and visits w/ my gen prac, gyn and dentist!! GEEZ!!! But, it's for a good reason.. I keep telling myself!! 66' timestamp='1313507907' post='194967'] So I am starting to get a little anxious with all of this pre-op evaluations. They seem neverending to me because everytime I do something, I have to go back again for something else. For example, went for Cardio clearance and everything looked great but he can't clear me without an echocardiogram and stress test so I have to go back for that this Thursday. Same with Gastro, went for that, went for Endoscopy and have to go back for results (which really can be done with a phone call, but phone calls don't give them co-pays). Sorry, I'm just venting frustrations. But I am in the home stretch of all of these things - Thursday I have 2 appointments, Friday is final gastro appointment, Saturday Bloodwork and then I'm done. I just called my surgeons office and spoke to the person who handles all of this there (sooo nice & helpful she is!) and she made me feel so much better about all of this. She told me what she had already received and what she still needed and I gave her all the dates of my upcoming appointments. She said that by the last week of August she should have everything and then she gives the complete file to my surgeon who will review it all and sign off his approval. Then she will call me and we will decide on a surgery date, which will be at least 6-7 weeks from that day (because of my insurance company). Then she will submit that to my insurance company (GHI-CBP in New York) and they take about 5-6 weeks to give approval. She said that's how my insurance company does it, they require a surgery date for the approval process. So basically I will have a surgery date before I have actual insurance approval (which will be very nerve wracking to me!). But it is what it is. She also said that GHI has been very good about approving surgery. I also told her that I have a deadline in my head of November 7th, otherwise I am waiting until January. I asked her if she thought I was being unrealistic but she said I am very realistic and so long as she gets everything as expected, realistically I can have it done by the end of October!!!! So that made me very happy. The reason I want it before the 7th is that I don't want to run into the holidays while still on the liquid diet. I realize I won't be eating a hell of a lot at Thanksgiving no matter what, but I really don't want to have to explain to anybody why I'm drinking a Protein shake instead of eating dinner. So that's my update. I started my day very anxious about all of this and now I feel like I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. The light is still a small dot, but I can at least see it now.

Congrats!!!! I'm in month 2... It's been soooo much going on!!! I'm so happy for you!!! I'm also glad to hear that everyone else is closer to their surgeries!! I started work again this week.. Pray my strength!!! LOL...

Hey Guys! I am a 36 year old teacher and doctoral student from Chicago.. I have been researching WLS for a few years now. Until recently, I never took the next step to meet w/ a WL specialist and surgeon... I'm in my 2nd month of a 6 month pre-approval process.. I was dead set on the band, even w/ the failure percentage and probability of revision and port problems.. Yesterday, I met w/ my surgeon Dr. Gerald Cahill and he gave a thorough explanation of why I am a prime candidate for the sleeve.... I'm still apprehensive, but upon perusing the board, I'm encouraged by the success stories and the support provided here... I am so SCARED to share this news w/ my family... a little over 7 years ago, my 28 yo cousin died from complications of gastric bypass, because of this they are not very open to WLS...Also, because I am active, confident and successful... my friends and fam don't think I need WLS... I've been losing weight fairly steadily, but I aggravated an old back injury and can't workout like I need to.. and for the past 2 months, I've not be eating properly and essentially sending my body into starvation mode and an imbalance in my blood sugar..... I think I just got disgusted w/ my weight and kind of said.. whatever!!.. I'm much better now and excited to start focusing on me and what I know I need for my life... How did you tell your loved ones?? Or should I wait until after the surgery to tell them??? I'm willing to accept all advice, input, etc.... I'm going to do it...I want my life back!!!!