blackcatsandbaddecisions

Smart move! Hopefully they can get it added, and if not you’ll still be getting an effective and safe surgery. I feel like it’s a good thing I saved the money on the surgery because I ended up spending it on new clothes, exercise equipment for my new home gym, and weekend trips around the state with my family now that I have energy and can actually hike and participate in activities.

I always said that being morbidly obese had hundreds of different small inconveniences and downsides that just added up every day. 150+ lbs down and I have a whole list, some things I didn’t even realize were possible Fitting into my wedding rings Wearing straight size clothing, and being able to actually wear hot weather clothing My thighs not rubbing against each other Feeling energized and athletic, and excited to do things instead of dreading what I can’t do. I don’t feel exhausted by just hauling around my body all day. Not being humiliated by pictures of myself Yes, people treat you better when you’re normal sized. And yes, I’ll probably feel bitter about that forever. Not having kids ask if I’m pregnant anymore! And just a million other things. Just small realizations throughout the day of dumb, small stuff. I can fit in this small toilet stall, I can wear high heels and they don’t hurt, I can make a doctor appointment for something and have them take me seriously, etc. I could list things all day. Surgery and losing the weight is 100% worth it. I still have 21.4 lbs to lose to goal, and even still I feel amazing each day.

I received the sleeve and that’s what I wanted, but you better believe it insurance had only covered bypass that’s what I would have gotten. For me it wasn’t the original cost that stopped me from getting surgery (I had to wait years to get on a plan that covered it at all) it was the unknown of potential complications increasing the cost. I could have afforded the out of pocket but if I’d had a leak or needed additional days in the hospital this could have been a huge issue. I work in the medical industry and the out of pocket cost for uninsured medical complications is no joke. I would always recommend to someone if they can get insurance for it then go that route. It’s just safer from a financial perspective.

My weight said 180 for so many years- they never asked me if I needed to update and I didn’t offer, so my weight kept saying 180 even when I was around 340- yikes. I’m currently only 6 lbs from that lie, so when I renew next year I can either keep the weight there or hopefully be lower than that? Thank goodness I didn’t go missing anytime in the last 15 or so years because if they advertised that the missing woman was 180 they’d have never found me even if they were looking straight at me.

Ok but shaving underarms when they are concave is a much bigger challenge! I heard somebody got loose skin removed on their upper arms and it took out their underarm hair- of a surgeon could promise me that I think I’d start saving for surgery tomorrow! 😂

No visitors when I had my surgery- I’m actually pretty glad for it. My husband dropped me off at the door and picked me up the next day. I wouldn’t have been great company that day anyway. Just walking and sipping.

Oh man I had the same fears last November- cases were going back up and I was just like for Pete’s sake can I sneak in before we get shut down again! The good news is that the hospitals are much better equipped to deal with this now, and they won’t shut down electives unless they truly have to since it hurts the hospital so much financially. The hospitals have more experience than they wanted to get at managing this so your odds are better that it will all go through!

1. Not really but I’ve heard it’s common 2. I had a period of time where my back was hurting a lot and I did feel off center- happened about the time I was losing a lot of weight off my stomach/front. I do think it was related to center of balance moving . A few months later and I don’t have the issue at all. I feel like running and rowing helped. 3. Thrift stores, I buy cheap things at old navy, and I bought way too much stuff once I hit “normal” sizes I’m now having to sell. Oh well, I knew it was stupid but I enjoyed wearing it while I could.

90s jeans are back in fashion! You should be good to go once you’re back in them. I finally got rid of my former favorite jeans that I used as a goal- they were from 2006, ultra low rise boot cut jeans. I might be nearing the weight to where I could have fit in them but the style wasn’t going to be something I felt like wearing out and about. 😬

I’m 152 lbs down today so I’ve met all my goals but the final one- hitting a “normal” BMI. I’ll hit that one in 16.4 lbs. A few more milestones I hadn’t considered: 1. Went for a hike yesterday in 3 inch inseam shorts because my legs don’t rub together anymore! Last summer I didn’t even wear shorts- just size 4x leggings that I overheated in. 2. I am almost to the weight that my drivers license has said for like 20 years. I love that last time I renewed it and was clearly more than 150 lbs above that weight the lady didn’t even blink an eye. I renew in about 6 months so hopefully I’ll update the weight down this time.

So excited for you!

Ok I know I’m being petty but I’m feeling petty today so here goes. So far I’ve lost 150 lbs and I’ve decided this is how the comments from coworkers/acquaintances goes: 1-50 lbs: nothing 50-100 lbs: have you lost weight? Keep it up! 100-125 lbs: wow you are looking great what’s your secret? 125+ lbs: said in a disbelieving voice “how much more weight are you planning to lose? Aren’t you done yet? I know that this is a problem that is great to have in the sense that a year ago I would have given anything to be this weight so please don’t take it that I’m not happy about losing or that I feel like people shouldn’t comment. But I’m still overweight, and regardless of if I was a normal weight or overweight or heck if I was obese I am getting tired of people making comments like I don’t have the autonomy to determine my own goal weight. And realistically it’s been so long since I was a normal size I honestly have no idea what my true goal would be because I will know it when I get there (hopefully!) I tend to make a lot of jokes so I’ve just started saying really implausible amounts (I want to lose 200 lbs more and be lighter than air, I want to hit my birth weight of 9 lbs again and get back into my going home from the hospital outfit, etc) but in my head all I can think of is please stop commenting on my body for five minutes thanks. anyway this is a first world problem I am well aware, and I know I’m just being salty but here I am.

Me at 192

8 months- checking in today at 192.8 lbs, for total weight lost of 146.2 lbs. I have 27.8 lbs left to go to get to goal. My weight loss is slowing down but it’s still going. I know that as I get closer to a regular body weight the weight loss is going to get slower and more difficult but I do miss the days of regular 3-5 lb drops every week. July 5 represented one year of concerted weight loss effort for me. On that day in 2020 I started a low carb low calorie diet that was supposed to last for two weeks- I needed to drop weight for my first in person weigh in at the Bariatric clinic and I was terrified I was going to be disqualified due to gaining weight during my 6 month program. I squeaked under the line, and when I got home I just decided to keep it up a little longer to help with weight loss prior to surgery. I ended up keeping it up a whole year! So I have two anniversaries in my head, July 5 and November 10, diet date and surgery date. I’ve been doing good on exercise, and I’m trying to focus better on making sure I keep my diet in check. I’ve gotten lackadaisical about tracking food and I need to work on that because I can’t rely on portion control forever. I also need to focus more on getting sleep- I know that impacts weight loss and I’m terrible about staying up late after the kids are asleep to read books. I remember some celebrity had a big awards show and said something like “I want to thank myself, for all the hard work I put in, for the sacrifices I made, etc” and everyone laughing. But you know what, I would like to thank myself. For starting a diet 12 months ago and sticking with it though the hard parts. For getting a surgery that terrified me but still jumping through all the hoops and getting it done. For drinking tomato soup for thanksgiving and giving up the candy and snack food that got me to 339 lbs. 😀 If anyone is reading this and has 150+ lbs to lose, it’s possible. It’s possible with a sleeve, or a bypass, or whatever surgery you get. Surgery doesn’t do the work for you, but it helps so much. Next month I will be in the 180s and getting closer to a normal BMI. I’m committing this month to tracking each day, exercising 3-5 times a week, and going to bed earlier. August here we come!

Yep, as others have said totally normal. I have an iud and prior to surgery I never had a period. It came back sporadically during weight loss initially- seems to be leveling off and hopefully going away again. Just another one of the joys of womanhood I guess.

But what about the sound nutrition advice given via lifestyle bloggers on YouTube who have this amazing cleanse to sell you?? Or a raw vegan paleo high protein keto diet consisting entirely of lemon water? It sounds so legit. 😬 All kidding aside, great advice. And I think it also bears to mention that although you should follow the advice given by a credentialed professional, there are bad and good doctors out there and the same follows for dietitians as well. If you feel strongly that you’re getting bad advice, you might want to seek out another opinion.

I made a joke to my husband a few weeks ago that I wanted one work day where nobody make a comment about my body or weight. Still waiting on that day! I know it’s short term so I’m happy that this is just the current stage. Still annoying in the moment though. Part of this is just my circumstance as well- I’ve worked at my current job for almost 15 years, and I’m in a very visible position so like 350 people who work in the same facility as me know me personally. That’s a lot of people to have make the same comment over and over again.

I’ve been very happy with their care. I did most of my appointments remotely so I didn’t have to travel a ton. I like that they do so many out of area patients they have a schedule for you- you come the week before for a single day and do all your preop labs, ekg, final appointment, etc, then they have you stay in town until a few days post op when you get the green light to leave the area after your final post op visit. I emailed the PA a few times when I had questions and she wrote right back. I’m on the standard schedule for post op with regular teleappointments, and I do my labs here and they go over them with me. Overall I wouldn’t change a thing- he is one of the most experienced surgeons in the area and I know so many people who had great experiences there it was an easy decision. I used insurance and I could have seen a doctor in Portland or another city but I wanted someone who came recommended by people I knew. I got the sleeve and it’s been a good choice on that front as well. I’m 145 lbs down as of this morning and still losing without any complications or problems so I’m happy all around! 😀

Looks like an outpatient sleeve there is $9,995.

So it’s outside of PDX but Dr. Tersigni with Bay Bariatrics in coos bay has a very affordable self pay option. He’s been doing these surgeries for a long time. I saw him, and I personally know 3 other people who got surgery from him as well. I traveled from outside the area to see him- rented a house from vacasa and stayed there for 5 days. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Tek has the right of it- I would never think to criticize a drug addict who checks into rehab, or a person who gets help paying off significant debt, so why is it that obesity is the situation where suddenly there is a certain amount of suffering and moral penance required? I think you also may be experiencing a certain amount of body dysmorphia. A year ago I was 140 lbs heavier than I am today, and I keep having moments where I feel out of place in myself or confused at seeing my clothes/myself in a mirror. It’s ok to still feel a bit disjointed- stuff has changed fast, and your brain is still catching up to the new you!

I took off two weeks, but I would have been fine with one. I have a desk job though so for a clinic position I’d do two at least.

I’m getting close to 8 months post op, and I’m not at maintenance yet but getting closer. I drink on occasion, maybe once every few weeks. I’ll have a glass of wine, or part of a beer. I was never a big drinker pre op but I feel like 5 ounces of wine every 2 weeks isn’t going to derail my efforts much. I have to admit I am I am very cautious about drinking too much because of my family history. My parents were one or two glass a night drinkers into their 50s/60s and then after they retired it spiraled out of control. They ended up becoming alcoholics and my mother had multiple strokes as a result of this. She is now wheelchair bound and cannot bathe herself, remember how to eat, etc. My dad has dementia in addition but it’s hard to tell what was caused by the drinking and what is caused by the natural cognitive decline. Their entire life is defined by when they can have their next drink, and they have lost all interest in living outside of it. They will likely die soon, and the last decade of their life has been a miserable existence, for them and honestly for me and my siblings as well. I’m not going to advocate teetotal lifestyle because that is not how I live my life. I just want to entreaty people to please be very careful, especially if you already know you have an addictive personality. I’ve witnessed firsthand smart, caring, highly educated people destroy their lives and relationships with this. My parents will still some days deny that they are alcoholics, as I have to search their house from top to bottom looking for hidden stashes of vodka in water bottles. This isn’t how you want to live your life, trust me.

You’re going to do great! I’ve always been someone who can maintain a higher weight on low calories, especially for my height. The surgery has worked for me thus far- stick to your program, but also be mindful of what you know your triggers and pitfalls are. I know I can’t have candy or snack food because I am well aware that I have longstanding issues with control and these types of food. I still have snacks on occasion, but I have “real” food snacks, not chips or popcorn for example. Find distractions during the preop diet- it’s easier when you’re occupying your time rather than focusing on what you’re not eating. Finally, be patient! You will have stalls- almost everyone has a stall at 3 weeks and then comes on the forums to announce that the surgery didn’t work for them and they will never lose weight again. It’s normal, it’s temporary, no changes need to be made, just get off the scale for a stall and keep to the program. Oh, go take pre-surgery pics and measurements! I didn’t and I knew i should and I regret that.

I dieted for four months on my 6 month supervised diet. (Let’s not talk about the first two months). I lost 57.8 lbs.