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It turns out that I look forward to giving myself the blood-thinner shot each day. I feel like such a bad-a$$ when I face my fear of sticking myself with the needle each day and am able to overcome it and plunge it in It's such a confidence booster knowing I can do it!

Great NSV!! Best wishes for your hubby too! How's he doing?

GOOD GIRL!!! kudos! that's a NSV to me!

I chose to have VSG as a last ditch effort to save my life. Not because I was a compulsive over eater, because I was not, but because even eating like an average person caused me to be excessively large. I was a befudlement to my doctors. I had multiple health problems, extreme pain, used a cane to walk (when I could walk) or used a wheelchair. I was on 15 Rx meds and 6 supplements. I was dying. Today I am almost three weeks out of surgery and I am happy to report; I do not use the cane or wheelchair any more. I don't even walk with a limp. I wore high heel shoes to church this morning for the first time in years, walking completely normal and with no pain. I have also quit ALL of my meds- cold turkey. My doc was amazed and to tell the truth, so am I. They never gave me any hope of being able to quit my meds. I only take a ppi and a Vitamin now. It is so great not to be held slave to that pharmacy bag any more. I have not been able to go more than a day without them in years. I feel more like myself than I have in forever. I am not saying I will never have to take meds again, because I dont know. I can't see the future. I am saying that my future seems a whole lot brighter to me now though. I believe that God is still in the healing business, but sometimes it's not in the way we were asking. I think VSG was the miracle of healing God sent me. I feel like I have a new lease on life. Thank you Jesus, I'm LML Sent from my iPhone using VST

Today was the first time since I was 11 years old that I actually went into a store and bought clothes a size smaller (one was actually 2 sizes smaller). I mean, I've lost weight before but I honestly can't remember purposely buying smaller sizes because my clothes are not fitting me good now - with plans that I will get smaller. Its weird! I guess because I haven't lost almost 50 pounds in a long long long while. I always just dealt with my clothes I had because I always knew I'd gain weight back. Now I KNOW I will just get smaller. I am due to have surgery in late May but I am proud of what I've done so far. I know with the sleeve, I will be able to do wonders! So that's my NSV and I am relishing it big time! Can't wait until there are more to come. Of course, a couple of scale victories would be awesome too!

So I was at a realtor luncheon today and another realtor came up to me and said wow you look good like you had plastic surgery on your face. I thought to myself d@# I must have been really messed up but nevertheless I'll take it and thanks I think. The things people say when they don't know what to say is unbelievable lol.

I had a wonderful NSV!! I work at a high school, a coach that was here last year but went to another local school this year came by the school. I was in the faculty workroom signing out when he and another coach walked in. When he saw me his eyes bugged out.. and he said.. "Girl... how many rocks of Crack you smoking a day?" The other coach who I work with daily and knows about my surgery quickly said.. "at least 3 a day". I laughed and laughed... I have lost about 55 pounds since August. I had surgery in November but started dieting seriously in August. I still laugh when I think about it.. Rhonda

It i the dreaded stall. Stop making yourself crazy and step away from the scale. Look for other NSV (non scale victories). It could be taking your measurements (neck, boobs, waist, thighs/hips) and measuring the differences. It could be noting the changes in your body; can you walk further? It it easier? Do you have more range of motion in your knees?, etc.... Throughout your weight loss journey there will be stops and starts as your body adjust to the changes you are making. Do not let them frustrate you. As long as you are following the program, the weight will come off.

Hi All, I thought I'd share some of what I thought were the odder moments of surgery. First off was I had been in my room several hours before I noticed the gown I was wearing when I was willed in was a different one. Now I know during surgery we are all laid out like Sunday chicken but it still felt odd to think of someone undressing and redressing me! I also had something called an On Q pump an odd little gizmo that pumps in a novacaine type drug into your stomach area. The last was a bit of a NSV well not really but felt like it they came to take me to x-ray for the upper gi they brought this wheelchair big enough to almost fit two of me in it. The barium stuff was nasty as could be but with someone like me with bad reflux I was able to do it. Oh and a last bit of advice for anyone waiting on surgery, when they bring you your first liquid tray do not go crazy mixing in the unflavored Protein into every thing (G) Nancy

So I'm now a little over three weeks since being sleeved. I actually typed this up once before but somehow lost it and was too tired to type again until now. My time in the hospital started off with a glitch and ended with a glitch. At first (after being at the hospital for over 5 hours- also had a vena cava filter put in) my bloodwork showed I had low potassium. If they couldn't get it raised by taking what I call potassium "shots", which were super nasty tasting, then my surgery would have to be post-poned. Yeah...I freaked, but my levels did raise about 40 minutes after the potassium shot- so yay surgery! Everything with surgery went fine. The surgeon said if I hadn't lost the 63 lbs. ahead of time she would've had to have done an open procedure because my liver was still pretty big but thank goodness that didn't happen! I was so happy to wake up alive and with the laproscopic option! My other glitch was one night I woke up with a nurse sitting by my side. Apparently my oxygen levels went really low and I stopped breathing. The nurse had to stay with me as I slept that night since it kept going low- scary! Anyways that led me to staying in the hospital another night and I was supposed to stay a fourth night but they decided to let me go home if I slept with oxygen at home and scheduled some heart tests and a sleep study. Whew- I was glad I could leave the hospital! I was so ready to be home! Finally after a couple days home I got on the scale- oh I so shouldn't have- I had gained 15 lbs!!!!! What... I thought I was supposed to lose weight! So I know it was due to receiving fluids for 4 days and the air they pump into your stomach during surgery but still it was depressing. I've since lost those lbs- thank goodness. Then came the appointments. Had an echocardiagram and bubble tests done on the heart, potassium checked, additional bloodwork done, follow- up with the surgeon and nutritionist, and more bloodwork done to see if I had infection (had some bad stomach pain). All of that came back good. And then I had the oh so fun sleep study last night. Wow- that was an experience! How weird to be hooked up to so many wires and to have someone watch you sleep. The strangest thing was waking up in a pitch dark room while someone was saying my name. Of course I woke up forgetting where I was and I kept looking around trying to see who was calling my name- well duh it was over the intercom. he he . I haven't received results yet but the technician said I definitely didn't have severe sleep apnea and she wasn't even sure I'd be diagnosed with sleep apnea/need a c-pap. Both she and my surgeon guess it may be because of the pain meds why I had issues in the hospital- but of course I won't know for sure until my follow-up with the doc. Whew- well there is my story. Overall things went well. It is definitely an adjustment but I continue to tell myself it will get better and better. I've really enjoyed reading all your stories and NSV's and can't wait to be there with you soon!

Just ran out on my lunch hour to d**k's Sporting Goods to get goggles for my swimming lessons.... they were having a clearance sale ( additonal 50% lowest ticket price). I purchased 3 Dri-Fit workout shirts in size MEDIUM... MED-DEE-UMMMMMMM!!!! for $6 each... I was tempted to buy more but since I still have weight to lose these will due for now.... They had a LOT of XL and XXL stuff on the clearance rack..not much in medium... So I was reminded 1 of the downsides of losing weight...the middle sizes are the first to go... the extremely tiny and the humungous clothes seem to hang around the racks a little longer, especially in stores like this...

The NSV's are the best. I am 7 weeks out and have lost 31 pounds, post op. But, I went from a 2-3x shirt to a loose(not falling off) x large. My pants (that have remained after disposing too big's) are still bigger than I'd like. Pants went from a 24 to a 20 (maybe 18, if I have an elastic waist).