shannongetsslim

Thank you all for your supportive serious answers, I was a little timid about posting this! My fiance and myself thank you all! I also thank you all for your supportive comments and sence of humor. Hearing your experinces and thoughts makes me so much more sure I am doing the right thing! THANKS THANKS THANKS!:thumbup:

Alright, so I am not sure about how appropriate this is to talk about, but my fiance and I had a serious discussion about how long we will have to go before we can be intimate after my surgery. Now I know this is personal and I am not asking for details, just wondering what sort of wait period people needed to take. Thanks for the info and hope I didn't offend anyone. Shannon

Thanks so much you guys. I was so nervous about asking! Yea the thought of waiting 8 weeks made me a little weak in the knees, too long, but I guess it will be like most things, when the body feels better I will know. But really glad to hear there were no firm restriction. My fiance and myself thank you all!!!

Home! And heading to bed! Thanks for all the suggestions! Night night.

Hey Kami! Yea not too far indeed! Three days before me! I am excited for you and expect play by plays so I know what to expect ok!!! Good luck

all I can think about is my bed right now! Well don't work too hard and be safe driving home. I am on my first of four....almost one down!

wow, thanks for the quick reply. All good ideas and the thing will be for me to have something small i can snack through the night with! Thanks again I am on a night shift right now! so back at it I go and I will certainly stay in touch! Shannon

Hi all! My name is Shannon I am an Rn in vancouver canada. I currently work in psychiatry as well as an acute surgucal ward. I am so happy to be going for my surgery this month, on the 30th and can't wait to loose the weight, be lighter on my feet, and not ache so much after those long shifts. I just graduated in 2007 December with my bsn and could not do up my grad gown. I knew i had to do something soon. Now with the love and support of my family I am on my way, and so excited. Good luck to everyone. And one quick question. Anyone have any good healthy snack ideas for night shifts? Thanks!!

wow, sounds so great and encouraging! Thank you for sharing! I go May 30th!!

May 30th for me guys, wow what a list!!!! I am from vancouver canada!! And so excited, good luck to those done and those to come!

Hi Kami, I am being banded here in BC. In surrey actually. Really looking forward to it! shannon

Hi all! So I am Shannon and I am a nurse who lives in Vancouver Canada. I am 28 and I will be going for surgery May 31st! So just under the wire to qualify for the group! My birthday, is a few days before my surgery date, it is just how it worked out. Actually I was supposed to go August 15th but was bumped up as I am paying and two other people had to cancel. So I am beyond excited, scared, nervous, excited, and mostly excited. I have been heavy my whole life, and I have come to see that if I continue down this path, well my path will be cut short. So I know that I want to be around for many years, and since I got engaged a year ago, have come to the realisation that maybe I do want kids, but not like this! So here we go, with the help of my loving family, fiance and friends and mushy cat I have 41 days and counting....not like I am counting, well basically every waking moment I am counting, it is a new life! So Good luck to those who will be going soon! It is an exciting time for everyone! Shannon

oh my gosh! I am so excited for you!! Where are you living in BC? I am in Vancouver. I am going for my surgery in exactly 41 days and I am so excited! So how are you feeling after 5 days? And yes I believe there is another meeting in May! Take care of yourself! Shannon

Well I am self pay as well. My surgery cost is 12,000$ I was given $5000 as a gift from parents and $1000 from grandparents for graduating with my degree. The $4000 I saved and $2000 a loan from the grandparents! It will be worth it, i mean honestly what is the cost of a few more years of life! I get banded 05/30/08! yayaya

Hey JMHO, So I think what you said right off the bat is what I am trying to focus on. All I keep thinking is that this little scare is nothing compared to the laundry list of things I need to be worried about if I continue to live this way. So the end 100% justifies the means. I guess right now, I am just trying to put that out of my mind. And certainly hearing about everyone elses experinces has helped so much! Thanks for the positive energy!

I just want to be healthy in all actuality. So I am a 28 year old nurse who just recently graduated university with my degree in Science in nursing. In the last four years of school I have dealt with my little brother who has been diagnosed as menatlly ill, tried to finish school, met my fiance, and tried to keep my spirts up as i found that during this time I have continued to gain and gain and gain. So now, school is over, work is good, fiance is good, life is good, but I dont feel good. So savings are coming out of the bank and away I go. I was originally scheduled for surgery on the 15th of August, but like a dream come true, I got a phone call to go early, so May 30th is the day. So I am excited about the future, but nervous about the surgery. I am 350lbs and 5'6 I am scared about being put out. I am not nervous about the actual procedure or after, I have a high pain tolerance and a lot of great family around me, not to mention the 50 nurses I went to school with! So here I am at the begining of my journey, and nervous and excited about what the future now has to hold for me. Almost makes me cry, but it is happy crying. So I live in Canada and see from reading the various posts that there are small variations on how some of the surgery is done, but the results are the same. I have been overweight my whole life, and wonder how life will differ as I loose. Thanks for the inspiration and amazing stories, and I am basically here to meet people who will have or have had surgery and to listen to peoples stories. The idea of this life changing event coming my way feels like a gift, the begining of a new me, and a new lease on life....:confused:

Doddie, I know! It is like one minute I am beyond excited so much so I want to cry. The next I find I have chewed all my nails off as I worry about 'what is to come'. I really wish I could come tonight, I have a shift at the hospital though a graveyard, not my favorite by any means. But I have emailed you and hope to be able to attend the next group! Dr. Leung is going to do my surgery. The funny thing about this is his daughter is a nurse and I worked with her on my surgical floor. She said this to me..and I quote "his bedside manner sucks, but he is a great surgeon!'. I hope to see how right she is!

Thanks! I have certainly gotten a few ideas and think I will be ok, but don't you worry I will be frantically typing with my questions and concerns, and of course updates!

Mary, Thanks so much, it is great to hear I am not the only one who was/is scared. I have a lot of weight to loose, and when thoughts of being put to sleep start to scare me I focus on how amazing I am going to feel 6 months from now! Thanks again! Shannon

Thanks you guys, I am really excited, and beyond thrilled that my date was moved up. My doctor did not say anything about a diet prior to surgery. However I am going to do a liquid diet of sorts for 12 days before. Yogurt, milk, blended fruit and jello, maybe some mashed beans, but it is more for me and so that the change after surgery won't be such a big shock. Right now I am just trying to eat healthy, lots of veggies, and protiens and avoiding carbs. Other than that i am winging it! Thanks again I will keep you all posted as I get closer to the date. Good thing to come!

Thanks you guys, I am so glad I found this place, so nice to know that people had the same experiences and are still doing well. And I know your 100% right, I would rather take the risk of being put under than live the next 50 years like this. I have decided to do a liquid diet for 12 days prior to surgery, and am trying to watch everything i eat right now. I am going to stick to yogurt, milk, blended fruit and jello, maybe some mashed beans now and then? I am so excited, it is the first thing i think about in the morning and the last thing before bed. Thanks you guys!

Hey MicheleK, I know in my heart I really know this, I work in this field I know what it entails, but still it is kind of freaky. But I know you are right, we will be ok, we just need to be brave! Do you have a date yet?

Hi all, My name is shannon and I live up in vancouver canada. So i am about 350lbs and I will be gonig for surgery at the end of May. So I am really freaked out about being put under at this weight. I am not worried about the procedure or even after but the initial part of being put under makes me really nervous. So I see that some of you have high BMIs and am wondering if you had the same fear. Also my doctor is not putting me on a liquid diet prior to surgery, only after for 1 month, any thoughts about this? I am going to do it on my own for 6 days prior to surgery. Is that enough, should I just follow what they are telling me to do? Thanks for any advice guys!

So hi, I am Shannon and May 30th I will be going for surgery. I am scared, very scared, I am about 350lbs and scared about being put to sleep. This is my major concern, I guess it is the unknown. The rest I can handle, the funny thing is I mean I am a nurse, and should be used to all this. I am just not so happy about the idea of being the patient. So anyways my question, was anyone 350 or over before surgery? How did you each deal with the anxiety of the actual surgery? And is there like a support/meeting group in Vancouver I would so be intererested in having coffee with someone/anyone who has had it done or is planning on it. Let me know! and thanks for the advice, I am really happy I found this place.