And So Our Journey Begins...

[Chrystee 838]

I really enjoyed reading about your first 30 days. I hope you continue to update!

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

I am also on day 3...doing great! Having a hard time getting all the Protein and Water down, but no pain. How are you feeling?

I am doing incredibly well. I am about 48 days out, almost 7 weeks. I have lost a total of 29# so far. My body looks better, I am entirely too confident for a woman of my size, lol. The only issues I have are that it takes entirely too long to eat, and if I eat too fast, which I did 1 time I have a really strong feeling of discomfort in my tummy, I had to lay down to allow the time to pass.

I'm really glad my surgery was out patient because all I wanted after my surgery was to go back to sleep, or to go home to my bed.

Protein is going to be a struggle for the first weeks or so while you're healing but I can confidently say that it does get better, and it was 100% worth it.

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

I defintely intend to keep this thread alive, at least once or twice a month I'll come in here and give an update. Thanks for the positive comment! I really appreciate it!

I really enjoyed reading about your first 30 days. I hope you continue to update!

[MariaW 14]

I'm glad she's doing this too...I'm scheduled for VSG on August 27th!

I am really grateful for this post as I am just beginning my journey

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

So this lucky duck just went to Disneyland/California Adventure/Ikea from 9/11-9/13 and I walked my little butt off!! It was hot and sunny and humid and magical! I fit comfortably on every ride and in some cases with room to spare. It was really easy to find things to eat, I took a couple Quest bars in case of emergency, and only ate 1. I left weighing 246.8 and came back weighing in this morning at 241.6. I think my body really needed the movement to break the slow loss pattern I had put myself in. I shared food when possible or ate small when I wanted, there was no typical snacking, and I was crushing it on the hydration front. The trip was awesome and I can't wait to go again!!

In my personal life. I started seeing this guy, I reconnected with on OKCupid.com (I got an email from them that I am ranked one of their most attractive people in my area - NSV), that I knew from HS and I was really nervous to tell him about my surgery, I was pulling a classic Misty and overthinking it. We had our first (and second) meal together yesterday so I knew I had to tell him. He was really supportive and sweet about it. Not one drop of judgement to be found, and I was really relieved. I wasn't aware how stressed about it I was. He is also very much infatuated with my slowly changing body, even though I have a long ways to go he can't stop touching me, evidenced by spending about 9 hours in bed watching movies all day and cuddling. This surgery has given me so much more confidence than I have ever had about my body and in myself and it has been worth every moment of discomfort (of which there have been few).

Oh! Random NSV, when I was showering this morning I was washing the soap off my shoulder and boom! I can feel my collarbone. Can't see it very much but I can feel it solidly right there. It was such a shocker, since I have NEVER in my left actually just felt it without searching for it. I'm a very happy lady these days!

Thanks for reading!

[MariaW 14]

So proud of you Misty and nope you keep updating. I need this type of support since I am just starting out on my journey. I know in the end it will all be worth it, but my emotions take over sometimes. I have my first meeting with my Dr this thursday. I want to have the sleeve and hope he does not suggest the bypass. I do not want the bypass! :-) I pray for myself and all of us that we will be success stories. I fear losing and gaining it all back! I lost 100 pounds when I was 37, and gained it all back. I do not want to do that this time around. May I ask if you are doing daily exercise??? I have been for a couple of months, I know I would much rather not, but I need to and it is part of my entire life change. I just hope my boyfriend can deal with it. I worry about our relationship... I wonder if he will be on board with me or if it will cause distance between us. He is the type that likes to sit around and watch tv. not into physical fitness at all. he has been walking with me but complains the whole time. yeah my feet hurt too but I do it! I worry we will drift apart idk...just another fear of mine...among the thousands of others..... Please keep us posted if you can, I know you are feeling great and that is GREAT! but please don't forget about us.... right now I am seeking minute by minute from the time the surgery happens.... I'm very nervous about right after surgery...fearing leaking in the stomach at the amputation spot. how does one know if that is happening??? what happens to the staples? how many post op dr visits do you have to go to.....I'm a newbie and need a lot of advice and help :-) Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

So proud of you Misty and nope you keep updating. I need this type of support since I am just starting out on my journey. I know in the end it will all be worth it, but my emotions take over sometimes. I have my first meeting with my Dr this thursday. I want to have the sleeve and hope he does not suggest the bypass. I do not want the bypass! :-) I pray for myself and all of us that we will be success stories. I fear losing and gaining it all back! I lost 100 pounds when I was 37, and gained it all back. I do not want to do that this time around. May I ask if you are doing daily exercise??? I have been for a couple of months, I know I would much rather not, but I need to and it is part of my entire life change. I just hope my boyfriend can deal with it. I worry about our relationship... I wonder if he will be on board with me or if it will cause distance between us. He is the type that likes to sit around and watch tv. not into physical fitness at all. he has been walking with me but complains the whole time. yeah my feet hurt too but I do it! I worry we will drift apart idk...just another fear of mine...among the thousands of others..... Please keep us posted if you can, I know you are feeling great and that is GREAT! but please don't forget about us.... right now I am seeking minute by minute from the time the surgery happens.... I'm very nervous about right after surgery...fearing leaking in the stomach at the amputation spot. how does one know if that is happening??? what happens to the staples? how many post op dr visits do you have to go to.....I'm a newbie and need a lot of advice and help :-) Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing

Hi Maria! You ask a lot of great questions. I do not know how you know if you are leaking, I imagine there would be a great deal of discomfort inside your body. I know that most if not all surgeons do a leak test before/after they seal you up but things do happen. I recommend that if anything does not feel right at all you contact your surgeon. Better safe than in the ER. You asked what happens to the staples and it is my understanding that they just become a part of your body, your incision heals around them. I've had zero issues with them.

From what I understand this is going to be a tough transition for both of you, I was with my ex-wife as I began the journey and we split up right before my first appt, she was very supportive however, but for the most part I have been single throughout this and my support system has been my friends/family, and now this lovely gent that I am seeing is also supportive. We tend to forget our significant others in all the excitement of the changes we are going through. It might be beneficial to take him with you to an appt and have him hear first hand how imortant this is to you and how important exersize is and you need to take some time to make sure you let him know that you still love him and etc. If he doesn't want to exersize I would suggest making a friend who will want to. Maybe meet someone who is going through this journey at your surgs office? I met a nice lady at my pre-op appt who offered to exersize with me whenever I'm ready. I haven't taken her up on it yet.

I haven't done really any exersize, I'm being very lazy about it, i'm not going to list my excuses, but by the end of this month I will have a gym membership and my BFF wants to work out with me. I've just been enjoying my changing body, but it is definitely time to get my butt moving more often. This last weekend proved how important exersize is to weight loss.

I will keep updating periodically, I'm not letting this thread die anytime soon! If anyone ever has any specific questions I will happily answer any of them. I am an open book.

Edited September 15, 2014 by MistyAnnMoon829

[MariaW 14]

Thank you! I do exercise but at times is rather not lol but I still do it

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

Hey all, I haven't popped in here for almost 10 days. Not a whole lot going on. I have dropped down to 237.2 and I am in a size 16 jean (slightly snug) and a 2X top, from a size 18 (snug) and a 3x top. I'm still very energetic and my confidence grows all the time. I'm almost 40 lbs down at the 2 month (today) mark. I'm so very happy with these results. Still haven't gotten my gym membership yet, but I just dropped a class in college (down to 2 from 3 and I work full time) that was stressing me out, so I should have time now. I'm still sort of seeing that same guy mentioned earlier, and he thinks I'm beautiful and amazing and that helps with the ego big time! I am really happy that this sleeve is working so amazing for me and I definitely do not regret it!

food is not a problem, Sleevie lets me know when I've over done it or if i'm getting close, but mostly it is from eating too fast, I hate that it takes forever for me to eat, but better that then what I was doing before. The man friend took me to sushi and that was definitely too much too fast for me. I had two small pieces and one larger piece and a quarter of strawberry mochi and I was stuffed. The feeling went away after 30 to 45 minutes but lesson learned, sushi in SMALL amounts. Though compared to what I ate before that was nothing.

So faithful readers...life is good. Hope it is with you all too!

[nrhannon 11]

Congrats, Praying for your speedy recovery.

[nrhannon 11]

The final straw for me was bladder leakage. I have struggled with high blood pressure, sleep apnea, arthritis in knees & back but bladder leakage was the last straw, I am 51 & too young to wear diapers. My smaller sister had the same problem & they fixed hers but because I was obese they told me I had to loose weight.

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

Here's a 2 months out picture. 1st picture pre-op. 2nd picture 1 month, 3rd picture 2 months! Not a huge difference between month 1 and 2, but there is a difference, AND I'm at 40 lbs down!!! Life is good, friends.

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

Hello! Short update. No super signficant loss since my last update. I'm about 41 lbs down since surgery and I am happy! I am noticing that I am bonier in the weirdest places. For example my back, I got out of the shower yesterday and looked at my back in the mirror and there were to lumps right where my shoulder blades are when that use to be smoothed over with, you know...fat, and my wrists/fingers are substantially smaller.

Ren Fair in my city (Las Vegas) this weekend and I plan to dress up, so I will post a picture of me in my outfit sometime next week! I'm so excited. Hope everyone is as happy as I am right now!

[clautxs 40]

I read all your posts!! Congrats for helping us.. my surgery will be on nov 7th and i'm a little bit excited and scared at the same time.. but i know that this will be the best for me.. my cw is 254 and 4 months ago i was diagnosticated with t2 diabetes.. so i dont want it in my life!! Is now or never so i need to do it and im under control with my diabetes right now.. thank you for your updates!! And btw the shorts look bigger on you!! Sorry for my english but i hope you can understand what im trying to say lol ..

[MistyAnnMoon829 387]

I read all your posts!! Congrats for helping us.. my surgery will be on nov 7th and i'm a little bit excited and scared at the same time.. but i know that this will be the best for me.. my cw is 254 and 4 months ago i was diagnosticated with t2 diabetes.. so i dont want it in my life!! Is now or never so i need to do it and im under control with my diabetes right now.. thank you for your updates!! And btw the shorts look bigger on you!! Sorry for my english but i hope you can understand what im trying to say lol ..

Congrats on getting a date!!!! I can't wait to hear YOUR journey! I noticed the shorts look bigger, and the top looks a little looser around my spare tire. I'm really happy with my progress. I dropped another 1.5 lb since yesterday!

Your surgery will be amazing and this will be the best decision you ever made for your life! Thanks for reading!