Helen the Cat

ReeseMae, Let me offer my congratulations also on making such a positive choice to change your life style and get healthier. I too comtemplated WLS for several years, and just couldn't seem to "get off the dime" and move forward with it. I finally got up my nerve and things seemed to go so smoothly after that. I prayed about the surgery for a long time, seeking the Lord's will for my life. I am convinced that He would not have us continue to live an unhealthy life style if it is within our power to become healthier! My surgery date was June 18 of last year, so I am about 8 months post op now. I am so thrilled with my results. My cholesterol is now normal, my blood pressure is normal, my blood sugar is normal, and (big surprise!) my allergies have improved! I have been able to go off all the medications I needed for the above mentioned conditions, plus have quit taking my anti-inflammatory medication, as my joints no longer hurt/ache. What a blessing! I am now down about 100 pounds. (Some days it is 98, some days it is 101 pounds. Depends on how hydrated I am, whether I have been really active the day before, etc.) But average, am down 100 pounds. I have gone from wearing a size 26/28 top to a 12/14. My pant size has gone from 22/24 to a size 8. (I love to say that so much, I'm going to say it again, I wear a size 8 jeans!) But looking better is just the (tasty) frosting on the cake! I love the fact that I am now healthier than I have been in years! I know that I will live longer as a result. Some days I get frustrated, as I love to cook and bake. And I know that I can't eat much (if any) of the things I bake. I love to make Cookies, cakes, pies, breads, etc. Also love to try new recipes, love to entertain and WOW my friends with a gourmet meal. And some times I sort of lament that I can't enjoy unlimited quantities of what I make. But I know that is the trade off for improving my health and looking better! And when I am honest with myself, it is a minimal trade off to feel so much better. One other thing I have to say, you have THE MOST BEAUTIFUL eyes! Your picture just glows! And your eyes are So attractive. Congratulations on making a decision to make the rest of you as beautiful as your eyes! Can't wait to welcome you to The Loser's Bench!

Dear NAK77BRR, First of all, let me offer you my sympathies on your Mom passing away. My Mom is also one of my best friends. She is 90 now, and although still healthy and in her own home, I know she won't be around forever. I dread the day she is no longer there for me! Secondly, Congratulations on making a life changing choice! Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy is truly a Life Changer! I was overweight ALL my life! I have been to every weight loss group, taken part in every new program, tried EVERY diet ever published in the Women's magazines. In short, I have DONE IT ALL (several times!), and NEVER with any lasting success! I joined (and when I got bored, quit) Weight Watchers 17 times! Every single time I lost at least 40-60 pounds. But every time when I quit, I gained it all back, plus a couple more pounds. It was so frustrating. I went from being mildly overweight (5'7" and 175 lbs) to being morbidly obese (258 lbs) after about 35 years of weight loss efforts. I thought about getting skinny 24/7. It consumed me, but I was always paralyzed with inaction. I could never really take a step towards doing something permanent. Finally I needed surgery for a hernia, and went to my 1st cousin, who is a general surgeon, but has had bariatric surgery himself. He is now specializing in bariatric surgery, specifically Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomies. When he was getting ready to do my hernia repair I asked him how hard it would be to slip a Lap Band in while he was repairing the hernia. He told me he didn't do Lap Bands anymore. He gave me all the stats about how they didn't have a very good success rate long term. He told me about VSG and highly suggested it. Unfortunately, my insurance wouldn't pay $0.01 towards bariatric surgery. So even though Steve (my cousin) offered to do my surgery free of charge, I chose to go to Mexico to have it done. (I would still have had to pay for hospital and anesthesia charges myself, which he estimated would be $15-20,000!) So off to Mexico I went last summer (June 18th) where I underwent a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. Although my hospital experience was not perfect, I have had fantastic results (and no complications)! Just last week (or maybe it was the week before) I hit the 100 pounds lost mark. I have another 8-18 pounds to loose to reach my goal. Originally I wanted to weigh around 150, now I am thinking of adjusting my goal downwards to 140. (Currently weigh 158 lbs) I too was a boarderline diabetic. I had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, was on anti-inflammatories for my joint aches and pains, bad environmental allergies, horrible fatigue, my life just sucked! When I was 47 I had to have a total hip replacement because I had worn out my right hip socket. My surgeon said if was largly due to being overweight my entire life. (Thankfully my left hip is healthy!) My knees were getting bad, and I was afraid that bilateral knee replacement was in my near future! Since the surgery and my weight loss, I am off my cholesterol meds, I am no longer boarderline diabetic (off that medication), my blood pressure is normal (off that medication), my joints don't ache all the time, (off the anti-inflammatory medication). And for some strange reason, my allergies are SO much improved. I quit taking my sinus meds and using the nasal spray that I used for the environmental allergies. I feel so much better, Have tons of energy, and can't tell you how much my life has improved. When I was discussing with my husband why I wanted to proceed with the surgery, I told him I wanted to be healthier, to live longer. (He was AGAINST the surgery 100%!) I told him looking better was just "frosting on the cake". (His argument against the surgery is that he loved me no matter how I looker.) But I have to say, it is Tasty Frosting!!! I LOVE being able to shop in any department store for clothes. I love clothes and I love dressing nice and looking good! I also love that I no longer am limited to shopping in Lane Bryant, Catherine's, Fashion Bug and Dress Barn. I go to all the trendy stores and love it that I can fit into a regular size! Never in my life have I been able to do that before! It is SUCH a HIGH!!! I can't stop looking in the mirror, and it never ceases to thrill me how I look now! I have to admit, there are down sides to being a smaller size. I gave away most of the clothes that were to big for me. I am now at a point where I am going to have to give my clothes to Goodwill, or find smaller friends, as I am smaller than all my friends, and have no one left to give my clothes to as I continue to lose! Also, I am a cheap date. We used to go to Sam's Club or costco on Saturday mornings for our groceries and then out to lunch. Now when Bill and I go shopping at Sam's or Costco, I only need six to eight bites of the samples they are giving away, and I am full. So when he wants to impress me, Bill takes me to Sam's on Saturday morning and feeds me their sample bites. After that I am to full to go out for lunch! Have also found out that I can't drink as much alcohol as I could pre op. I have to limit myself to one glass of wine or one mixed drink. So am REALLY a cheap date! Seriously, I think you are making a wonderful choice for a healthier life style. Best of luck to you. Please continue to frequent this web site and post how you are doing. Everybody here is great at cheering you on, offering encouragement and advice when you need it. Looking forward to Welcoming you to The Loser's Bench! (Sorry this turned into such a long epistle!) Again, welcome and Congratulations! Kathy D (alias Helen the Cat)

Elracimo3, Am so sorry to hear about your rough journey with the whole diverticulitis issue. You are young to have had so many problems with dicerticulitis and the fibromyalgia! Diverticulitis is usually a disease of us old people! Hope you are doing better now. I wish I had some advise for you on how to speed up your surgery. It is often a slow process that you have to navigate to get to the reward (the surgery)! As Dorrie suggested, I would speak with your surgeon and tell him how anxious you are to get your life back on track and improve your health, and that you see the surgery as a major tool to that end. Don't know if it will do any good, but worth a try! In the mean time, keep posting. The bunch that frequents this web site are great to encourage people. Best of luck! Kathy D (Alias Helen the Cat)

Someone asked when I had my surgery. It was done June 18, 2011. So I am just short of 8 months post op.

Jasleeve, I'm so sorry to hear that you are feeling like crap again. I hate to throw up, so I don't know how you tolerate it. The best thing I can say about being on Nexium, is that when I throw up, there is no acid taste. The Nexium seems to be really effective in eliminating my stomach acid. I wish I had a solution for you. But all I can think of to say/do is to pray for you. So I am praying right now for you to be healed. I have faith in Jesus, so I have to believe that HE will answer our prayers. God bless and keep you. And again, I am so sorry. Love and Hugs and Prayers coming your way rightnow.

Ruth, Welcome to the BEST site on the web for Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomies! You will find a wealth of experience and advise here. Everybody is friendly and really knowledgable about the VSG, both pre and post op. Whenever I have had a question, needed to vent, or just wanted to talk, I have always been able to find someone here who could help. It is a fantastic site! We hope you will be a frequent poster! We are so happy you chose to join us! And a BIG CONGRATULATIONS on your weight loss. You are doing awesome, fantastic, fabulous! I am 8 months post op, and it has taken me that long to lose 100 pounds. You have done it in just three months. You Rock girl! Please be sure and come back tomorrow after your doctor's appointment and let us know how it went. We are all interested. Keep up the Fantastic work! rock that sleeve!

Jewels, I think what the others above have posted addresses your issue well. I personally have been sleeved for 8 months. There is nothing that I CAN'T eat. BUT there is lots that I CHOOSE not to eat. I don't routinely eat lettuce salads anymore, because my capacity is so limited, I need to eat my Protein first. If I have room after I eat my protein, then I eat my veggies (with the exception of potatoes, I don't usually eat potatoes). If I can eat my protein AND my veggies (very rare) then I will nibble on something with lots of carbs, like bread or potatoes. But I usually don't have room for anything after the protein and veggies. Also when I say "nibble" that is exactly what it is, a nibble. One or two bites is usually all I can manage after I have eaten my protein and veggies! When my hubbie and I go out to eat, we have started sharing a meal. If the restaurant gives a choice in the size of the entree (Lots of restaurants will let you order a Steak in 8 oz, 10 oz or 16 ounce) we will order the large entree to split (although we split somewhere like 30/70, with me getting the 30% of the steak). Bill then eats the bread, the potato and the salad. Usually just the meat is all I can handle. Once in a while I will have a bite of his potato or bread. Sometimes I will order a dish of cottage cheese to go with my entree. But it is all about getting enough protein!

I know how you feel. Before I had my procedure, I told ONE other nurse at work, and asked her to keep it quiet. Well, she didn't! I had tons of calls and cards from other nurses that I work with, so I know she told everyone. (It was nice that they called and sent cards, but I really wanted to keep the news of my surgery quiet!) I was only 10 days post op when I went back to work, and everyone kept telling me I didn't look any different! Well, what do you expect in ten days? But they were so suportive as I progressed in my journey. Keep your chin up, and don't worry, everyone will be envious as you drop those pounds and start to look and feel so much better! Keep posting. Let us know how it goes at work. You are in my thoughts and prayers tonight!

It sounds like you are doing great! Be sure and post tomorrow after your doctor's appointment, so we know how that goes. And remember, it is a journey that we all take one step at a time. I can remember when I was just a couple of weeks post op, and in a hurry to get all my weight off and "be done with all this". It finally dawned on me that it will never "be over". That I will always be a post op VSG. That although the day will come when I will eat more normally, I will always be limited in how much I can eat. I will always (hopefully) eat less than I used to, but the other side of the coin is that I will weigh less than I used to also. In short, it is a new life style, one that will help me be healthier, happier and hopefully live longer. Best of luck tomorrow at your doctor's appointment and congratulations!

You are doing SO great! The pictures are an inspiration. Keep up the great work! I know I am SO happy with my results! Be sure and keep us posted, and keep posting pictures! I attached a photo of me shortly before I had my procedure. You can see from my profile picture how different I look. You are doing great. Keep it up! I am the one in the middle.

! am SO sorry to hear that you still aren't feeling better. Know that you are in my prayers (and the prayers of lots of other good folks who frequent this web site)! It must be horrible to go to surgery expecting to have a fairly simple procedure, and then end up feeling so horrible! (Makes me SO thankful for my fairly uncomplicated recovery! And makes my problems with fatigue seem so minimal!) I have a friend who had a Roux N Y (another bariatric procedure) and had a huge leak. She almost died and was sick for months and months. She became so depressed. Please don't get to the point where you are that depressed. Get some help! I know that right now your physical symptoms seem overwhelming. But they will resolve eventually! Don't get so depressed that your physical recovery is complicated by mental depression. And again, KNOW that you are in my prayers! Love and Hugs and Prayers coming your way!

Hey, BIG congratulations! And March 5 isn't even a month off. Will be here in NO time! Be sure you keep us all posted, we want to know how you are doing. And we love to hear success stories! Welcome (in advance) to the Looser's Bench!

I can't remember how soon after my surgery I started loosing pounds. I do know that it seemed like I was loosing weight but not inches for ages. I had lost 25-30 pounds before any of my clothes started to look/feel loose. I was beginning to wonder if all the pounds I was loosing was off my feet, fingers and sinus passages, as my rings were loose, my shoes were loose and my allergies/sinus congestion had cleared up! Then all of a sudden, boom! My clothes started getting to big for me, and stuff (like my pants) started to fall off. I am now almost 8 months post op, and the weight loss has slowed down significantly, but I am still loosing about 1-2 pounds a month. I am so happy with my sleeve! I am down right at 100 pounds (it varies by a pound or so daily). I have gone from a size 26/28 top to a 12/14, size 22/24 pants to size 8 and my weight has gone from 258 pounds to 159 (this morning. Last Friday was 158. It varies on how much I ate the day before, how hydrated I am and how my scale feels like treating me each day!) I wouldn't go back to where I was for anything!!! Hang in there, the scale WILL start to move, and you WILL lose!

I am one of those people who went to Mexico to have their surgery. So haven't seen my surgeon since June, when I had my surgery. And to my knowledge, there is no support group in my geographical area. BUT I love this board, and it takes the place of a support group for me. I read it almost every day, and have learned SO much from the posts I have read. A BIG thank-you to everyone who was sleeved before me, and has posted about their experience. It has been a learning experience for me. I am SO happy with my sleeve experience! It has literally changed my life!

I was self pay for my surgery, so there was no imposed "wait period", it was just a matter of getting the time off from work and the doctor's schedule. As far as return to work, I went back to work 10 days after my surgery. I am a labor and delivery nurse, and work 12 hour shifts (night shift), and I was tired. Some nights I didn't know if I was going to make it through the shift or not. I wish I had had the luxury of staying off work 4-6 weeks, but I am a Travel Nurse, and most travel agencies don't offer sick pay, or short term disability, or stuff like that. So I went back to work cause I had to. But I made it through, none the worse for wear, and today (I am almost 8 months post op) I feel great, and feel sure that I am healthier than I have been for years. I am down about 100 pounds, and thrilled with how I look and feel. Hope this helps you some!

I am 62 (for another month anyway) and am so happy that I had my procedure! It is the best decision I ever made! I am so much healthier and a lot happier. I have been able to stop several of my medications, and know that I feel SO much better! Have never had any real complications. Loving my Sleeve!

Prayers coming your way! Be sure and keep us posted as you progress post operatively! We love to hear how everybody is doing!

Linny, I am SO sorry that your family doesn't choose to support you in your decision. My husband was "iffy" about my surgery to begin with, but has been really supportive since I went ahead with it and have done really well. I didn't tell my Mom, not because she wouldn't be supportive, but because she is 90 years old, and I didn't want to worry her. At the time I had my surgery, she was living in Iowa, and I was living/working in California. So there were prolonged periods of time when she didn't see me anyway. I told my sister, who lives down the street from Mom ( Mom is still in her own home, driving, her car, playing the organ for church, leading sing-a-long at local nursing home, etc. Very active!). My sis knew what was happening, and I left it up to her to tell Mom if anything happened to me. Fortunately, nothing at all happened, except that I have now lost 100 pounds. I have since moved back home to Iowa, and Mom has never asked HOW I lost the weight, and so I haven't said anything to her about the surgery. But it must break your heart to have your Mom making comments like that to you! Please know that you are in my prayers! I don't think we ever outgrown the need for our parents approval, and itcan hurt so much when a parent makes a comment about things we have done that can't be changed! Although I know that my Dad loved me a lot, he was always unkind about my weight. I don't know if he realized how much it hurt me to hear his comments. I don't know if he realized that I didn't CHOOSE to be overweight, it is just the way I was. Sadly, he did not live to see me down 100 pounds. Am keeping you in my prayers. My heart goes out to you!!! Love and Hugs and Prayers!!!! Kathy D (alias Helen the Cat)

Congrats on the upcomoing surgery!!! I think it is so worth it. I am thrilled evetry single day with how I look and feel now. In spite of the controversy being stirred up over leaks, complications, etc. the majority of us do very well with the VGS, recovering fairly quickly, and going on to have a very satisfying weight loss and improvement in our health status, Will be praying for you the day of your surgery! Best of luck!

Soon NOBODY will make that mistake! Welcome (in advance) to the Looser's Bench!

Two summers ago I was helping my daughter strip wall paper and paint the 14 room house that she and her husband had just purchased. (Is an old Victortian house, beautiful, but badly needed redecorating!) Every single room was wall papered and needed to be stripped. I was up and down the ladder about 500 times a day. By the end of the day my legs hurt SO badly! Finally one day I fell getting off the ladder. Since they weren't living in the house yet, I was working there alone (daughter Sarah and hubbie were working all day long). I couldn't get up and laid on the floor for over three hours till Sarah came over after work to check on me. The ladder fell when I did, and there was nothing in the room to help me pull myself up. I was SO embarassed and I hurt terribly! I was laid up for almost two weeks getting over the contusions and abrasions. To add insult to injury, we put up new wall paper in a couple of rooms, and I have always laid it on the floor when I put the paste on it, I couldn't get down on the floor and then back up again with the wall paper. Had to hire one of the grandkids to help me pick up the wall paper off the floor AFTER I managed to pick myself up each time (a very laborious process at the time!). SO EMBARASSING! Am so thrilled to be rid of 100 pounds of fat, and able to get up and down off the floor time after time with NO PROBLEM at all today!!!!

I have been waiting for nearly 8 months to write the following sentence "I have lost 100 pounds since last June!" And today is the day I can officially write it! WooHoo!!! 100 pounds gone off this fat old body! I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be able to do it. Daily when I get up and get on the scale, I am amazed, I mean, literally AMAZED that I can (have) lost this much weight. Thank you Sleeve, Thank you Dr. Rodriguez, Thank you 401-K that I cashed in to pay for the surgery. Thank you to my cousin, (the bariatric surgeon and recommended the sleeve to me.) THANK YOU GOD for giving me the determination, guts, fortitude, etc to go through with the surgery. And lastly, Thank you to Bill, a HUGE thank you to Bill, my husband, who although he didn't want me to do it, stood by me and went with me to Mexico for the procedure! Thank you Everybody!!! The last 8-10 weeks the weight loss has been really slow, and at times, I was convinced that the weight loss period was over, and I wouldn't lose anymore. But as I step on the scale and see the numbers change ever so SLOWLY, I have seen a gradual weight loss that is SO Gratifying! It seems I will gain and lose the same 1.5-3 pounds for days, some times it seems like weeks at a time, and then all of a sudden, I will loose a pound or two. When I was hovering around 170 pounds, it almost drove me crazy, 170, 169, 170, 168.5, 170, 169, 168, 170, etc., etc., etc. And then, all of a sudden I was 165. Now (I hope) I am FIRMLY in the 100 pounds lost column! I am sure I will do the same thing, up a pound, down a half pound, up a pound, down a pound and a half, etc. But I can live with that. I know that I have firmly hit one of my goals and even if I do the yo-yo thing up and down for a while, I know I will eventually come back down! Anyway, just want to encourage all of you out there, who aren't quite as far down the road as I am. It will happen! It DOES happen! And boy, does it feel good! Keep rocking your sleeve. Keep on Keeping On. It does work! It does happen. And best of all, it feels SO good! I don't have a new full length photo of me since I have lost so much, but am attaching (at least TRYING to attach) a photo of me just before the surgery (I am the one in the middle) and a head shot of me taken for Facebook recently, so you can see a little bit of the difference.

I already announced my big news on my blog today, but just had to tell EVERYBODY! When I got up this morning and hopped on the scale, I was thrilled to death to see that I had lost a total of 100 (that's right ONE HUNDRED) pounds! I lost 20 pounds prior to my surgery, so that makes my surgical weight loss 80 pounds for a total weight loss of 100 lbs! I have to say, I am LOVING being down 100 pounds! I NEVER thought it was possible. I never expected to get fantastic results like this from my VSG! I love it! I love it! I love it!!! Would put a new picture on this if I could figure out how, and if I had one to put on here. Actually I just figured out how to add a photo, and so I added one of me, my sister in law and a friend. I am the one in the middle. Pretty sad isn't it? We all needed (despartly) to loose some weight. My friend on the left HAD Roux N Y surgery about 10 years ago. Lost a bunch of weight and has gained a lot back. Gal on the right is my sister in law. She is a Weight Watchers participant. Has lost over 100 lbs on WW several times, and gains it back each time. She is going to WW again and has lost about 70-80 pounds since this was taken. (Photo was taken in March of 2011 on occasion of my Mother's 90th birthday party.) Second picture is a head shot of me that I took to use for my FaceBook profile picture, about 15 pounds ago. Wish I had a full length photo of me. Will have to get my hubbie to take one of me so I can post it. Anyway, just want to encourage all of you out there who are still making the decision to have or not have surgery, and to you who have had it and are not as far along as I am. (I am 7 1/2 months post op, surgery was June 18, 2011.) It is definetly worth the effort, the hoops insurance companies make you jump through, the pain, everything you have to do. I am SO thrilled! Just couldn't be happier if I tried! Kathy D (alias Helen the Cat)

Melanie, Bless you for taking the initial step towards a more healthy, more fit you. A wonderful side effect of bariatric surgery, is that it makes us so much happier with ourselves! I too thought about bariatric surgery for several years. My first cousin is a bariatric surgeon, and I even went to see him for a consultation. He even offered to do my surgery for free if I could pay for the anesthesia and hospital stay myself. (He said he felt guilty about how mean he always was to me when we were growing up. We lived in the same household, and he was (is) like a brother to me.) The problem being that our insurance company won't pay "one thin dime" towards weight loss surgery. My husband is retired, and has retirement health insurance through the union that he retired from. My theory is that since the policy is for retirees, they (the insurance company) would just as soon have us die, so they won't have to cover us anymore; So they don't pay for things like bariatric surgery, as that would make us healthier and live longer, and they would have to continue to insure us and pay for our medical care! I finally cashed in one of my retirement 401k plans for the cash needed in order to go to Mexico and pay for the surgery myself. Which is exactly what I did on June 18, 2011! I am SO happy I did! I have lost 100 pounds (as of today). I am so much healthier. I am off my BP medicine, my cholesterol medicine, my allergy meds, my anti-inflammatory meds, my blood sugar medication. I am so much healthier, and I FEEL so much better. I have lots more energy, and I certainly feel SO MUCH BETTER ABOUT MYSELF! Nothing is the same, everything is better! The people who frequent this web site are SO supportive and will be there for you! If you have a problem, questions, concerns, etc, here is the place to go for help. I see your first appointment is tomorrow. I will be praying for you! Hope it goes well, and you get your questions and concerns addressed. Keep posting and let us know how everything is going! We are here for you! Love and Hugs and Prayers coming your way! Kathy D (Alias Helen the Cat)

Best of luck to you with your appeal. My insurance company refuses ALL requests for bariatric surgery! They do no pay $0.01 towards weight loss surgeries. No appeals, no second chances, nothing, no how, no way! So I went the alternate route and paid for the surgery myself. But I am so glad I did it. As of today, I have lost 100 pounds! It is such a wonderful feeling knowing that I finally did something for me, to make me healthier and feel better. Looking better is just the frosting on the cake! I am so happy I did this for me! Hope you get approved! Love and Hugs and Prayers coming your way! Kathy D (Alias Helen the Cat)