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Surgeon Testimonial

Anne Lidor
On 6/10/2011 I had the VSG done by Dr Anne Lidor at the John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
Dr. Lidor is a competent surgeon with a lot of energy. She talk fast and moves swiftly.
I came to the center with a lot of information at hand and I let her know that upfront. I think because of this I did not get a ton of information from her but she informed me about risks and expectations.

This center does have a strong focus on the RNY and if you are getting sleeved I would advise you to research on here, online, read,read,read. This center does a 40f bougie sleeve size so if you want a smaller sleeve look elsewhere. There are fewer complications with the 40 vs the 32 but I have heard that the mature 40 sleeve holds a bit more food than the 32. That may make a difference in maintenance. For me it will not matter as I know I have to exercise and eat measured amounts.

My biggest complaint is that I had to literally ride the damn office staff for my info to get submitted, approved and getting my date.etc. That was a real pain. I never got a call from the finance lady, I worked closely with the coordinator and got things done.

The hospital stay was 2 nights. Some nurses were better than others (the 3rd shift ones) The day nurses ..smh -no comment. I came out alive so I won't complain.
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Crabadams72's Blog
Crabadams72's Blog


Month 13
on July 29, 2012 7:44 pm
Hello OH,
Yep, I am slipping with my updates.  I did not realize I skipped my 1 year posting.  I have gotten side-tracked with the blog and it just slipped my mind.

As of today i am 122.6 
This number is a new low for me.  I have never been a adult woman weighing 120 anything.   I think I got in the 120's back in late May or early June.  It was really a surprise for me.  I'm trying to maintain now.  Its possible I will dip as low as 120 but I do not want to go lower than that.  My doctors appointment with my surgeon was interesting.  She was amazed I had gotten so low so quickly.  She said I lost like a RNY patient.  Honestly I took advice of the veteran sleevers here and I got to goal.  I looked at the plan given by the nutritionists and it had a lot of corbs, fruits and calories--like 1000-1200 a day (ok for maintenance, not losing!).

I am so thankful for the information I got off the boards.  Now I have to get my protein levels higher and vitamin a.  Then I need to get labs done again.  I bumped up the protein and I actually lost a few more pounds.  I still have a pattern of gaining before my pms and the week of. I gain 5 pounds and then it goes back down. 

I can wear size 0 dresses, xs tops, size 1 at the Gap, size 2 Jeans. I have fun shopping and trying on clothes.  It is a sport of mine to try stuff on and then take pics in them and walk away (on a budget).  I turned 40 in July and my son starts college in Sept so I dont have a lot of room to spend clothes on full priced items.  I will hit the clearance whenever possible.

The bad is that I can eat junk and I do get cravings for sweet stuff.  I just don't buy too much bad stuff. 
The loose skin--for me the arms, my saggy boobies and my deflating bum.  Those I am going to save some money and get fixed.

I am enjoying sleeved life.  Maintenance is about learning and staying on the path that lead to weight loss.  We can't ever forget that obesity is TREATED by this surgery not CURED.  Anyone can gain ALL the weight back if they do not establish life long GOOD habits.
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Month 11
on May 15, 2012 6:24 pm
Today I am 132.  I did hit a low of 129.4 April 28th but my cycle came and so did the typical 4-5 pounds of bloat.  I am now going down again YIPPEE!  I think I want to maintain between 130-135  BUT I am not opposed to losing down to 125 and stopping there.

Next month is my 1 year surgiversary and follow-up with my surgeon.  I have to make sure my protein levels are up.  Last time the numbers were low--even though my food intake is 90%protein--make that 95!..

Still no regrets about the sleeve.  My measurements are 30-25 1/2-35 and I can wear a size 2 some 4's.
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Month 10.5
on April 25, 2012 6:01 pm
I am overdue in writing this but there have been some stressful events occuring in my life and I did not feel up to writing a lot.

I'm doing well and still losing weight. March was a slow month and then I had a bad scale. This month started off slow but then I hit a groove and dropped from 139 to 131. 

I went to my cheap standby Old Navy and was looking for some cheap work clothes.  I picked up a demin skirt in a size 2 ( I wear a 4 in jeans and usually can get in smaller skirts) Plus it was stretch denim.  I also got a size 2 jean to take to the fitting room to see if they would fit.  The jeans fit!!!  However they gave me pancake butt and ummm no maaam that is NOT the look for me.  I am fighting wil all my might to keep my bum.  Imagine Dolly Parton with flat boobs.  Um yeah. I have always had a booty. Boobs I will be buying those!

Ok rambling...I know!.  Anywho, the size 2 was a bit loose. I went back out on the floor and got a size 0. I tried it on and BAM! it fit.  Now the modern-day feminist in me--I don't like to be defined as a 0. That is really strange to me.

Never in a million years did I EVER think I would get in 2's and 0's--even it if is the magic of vanity sizing.
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9 Month update
on March 12, 2012 6:36 pm
 Time really flies.  Today 3/12 my dad would've been 85. He passed away in 2003, 3 weeks after his birthday and on April Fools Day.  I miss my parents but that is not the point of my post tonight.

WLS for me was about extending my lifespan.  My highest weight--that I know of-was 243. I was a lightweight and many people do not understand why we "lightweights" have surgery.

Genetically speaking, as a woman of color I was quickly going down the same obese with diabeties road my mom and sister went down.  I did not want that for myself. See my mother was on life support and declared braindead in September 2009. I did not want my kids, or husband to go through this because I was not able to get my weight under control.

I went on many diets and each time I gained weight. I would lose a max of 20-30 pounds and then end up gaining 40-50 more.  Lost fat cells came back with a herd of friends named cellulite and stretchmarks. 

I was never the "happy" fat girl.  I did not like the clothing, the feeling, the way my body felt during intimacy.  I was losing myself.  I went to a WLS seminar on 11-17-10 and decided I was having surgery.  Thanks to OH, and Youtube Videos  I changed my mind from the band to the sleeve.  My insurance required 6 months of "hoops", lol.  I complied and had surgery on 6-10-11.

I followed the plan provided by my bariatric team, but also took advantage of the advice given here by successful sleevers.   I eat 2.5-3oz of meat and a bite of veggies for lunch /dinner, breakfast is my premier protein drink. I might snack on a Atkins bar or a few pork rinds but that is rare.  I always get in 76 oz of liquids daily. I also have to watch out for salty foods. I walk daily and have started jogging a bit but I don't do anything hardcore. I plan on adding more weightlifting soon. 

My goal weight was 145 and I hit it at 8 months out.  Today I am 138 and I went to the mall and I can get in several different size 4 brand jeasn, size small dress or a 2 dress !  I plan on stopping (trying to anyhow) at 135.  I am truly amazed and so thankful that I got sleeved. 

I can't take pics because I have managed to lose my camera charger .  As soon as I find it I will add pics to my profile.  
 



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Month 8
on February 10, 2012 7:40 pm
Today I got on the scale and I am 147!. I lost 10 pounds between Jan and Feb.

I have to say that this has not been very difficult for me.  I did have to go on the road to my hometown to handle some business and I ate some things that weren't "low carb". My weight went down and then bounced up.  This week I got extra vigilant and the weight came back down. 

My goal weight is 145.   I think I am going to go down another 5-10 pounds so I have some wiggle room. 

I love my sleeve 

I went to Macy's and tried on  size 2 Calvin Klein dress and it fit!  My torso is so small and the dress flared at the bottom.  I was so excited. 

I am wearing a 4 jean at Old Navy  flirt/sweethart only.  Most brands I can get in a 6 if it has stretch.  Tops are a small. I am really blown away.  I feel my bones at night when I try to sleep. I need pillows between my knees.

Feb 11. I hit GOAL!

I can't believe that the day I hit goal is the day that Whitney Houston died.  I remember her voice sounding like pure perfection as I was growing up. I so desperately wanted her to get her life back on track.  I know she had a long struggle with substance abuse that only got worse with her troubled marriage.  I pray she finds peace now......r.i.p Whitney.
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My Story

Back to me.

The title above best describes where I want this journey to take me. There was a time in my distant past when I was a normal sized HOT young woman. At that time I thought I was fat! LOL! I had the body that Jennifer Lopez flaunted back in her "fly girl" days. Yep! I was that chick. 36-24-38. Hubby was all over himself because he felt like he snagged a hottie. Little did he know that I was killing myself trying to maintain that body. I was spending my 2 hr break between college classes working out. My diet consisted of a small bowl of cereal w/milk, a salad for lunch-or a Mc Donalds cheeseburger and some small portioned meal for dinner. I was around 131 at 5'5 in those days. Back then I wore a size 10/12. Hips--grrrr!

Marriage came quick and my oldest was born. I was put on Depo-Provera after he was born. I swear this crap stunted my weight loss and the number started inching up quickly. I went up to 172 with my son and never got the weight off. The best I could do was in the 160's. I was really giving it my all and in those days I went to the gym after work every day trying to get back down to the 130's. Never happened. My daughter came along in 1997 and my delivery weight was 197. She was 7 pounds 3 ounces and I did not lose a SINGLE pound the day after she was born!. How in the hell did I deliver a baby and not lose anything?

So, my weight steadily crept up during the 2000's. I will admitt that the beginning of that era was very rough. I was going to college on a part time basis and finished my Bachelors and Masters Degrees during that time. I had some lean years where the jobs were lacking or barely there. My dad died from Leukemia as I stood there over his frail body feeling helpless but reieved that he was no longer in pain. My husband and I relocated from Ohio to Maryland and then my mother passed away from complications of diabetes in 2009.

The death of my parents taught me lessons. I think of death as a spiritual and freeing thing for those who have passed. I pray to God and talk to him daily--even though I am not consistent in attending services I feel God's love all around me. I felt it when I was in the room with my mom and dad after they passed. I also knew that there was a message for me to do something about my weight after I lost my mother. She struggled for 20yrs, trying to control her blood sugar levels. She would have hypoglycemic drops and in 30 seconds just be completely out of it. I found her passed on more than 1 occasion. She had been admitted to the hospital in August 2009 with a blood sugar reading of 1100 (normal is 100). She recovered and was released a week later but I think the damage was already done. She had a few more attacks and on the evening of Senator Kennedy's funeral she went to bed and never woke back up. My sister found her breathing deep and shallow and called 911. She was admitted and put on a respirator, 48hrs later they told my sister and I that she was brain dead. She passed on Sunday September 6th as we were in church praying and crying and releasing our sorrows.

I come from a line of big women. "I" refer to us as the Aunt Jemima crew. Looking at old photos my maternal Grandmother, Aunts, female cousins, mother and now my sister and myself--we are all big. Funny and sad at the same time but I can look at a woman and predict if she will get fat/obese at some point. My mom was hoping I would be more like my dad's skinny side, and for awhile it did look like I was on that path but I too got fat. I am trying to prevent it in my children but they are "thick" kids and it is like pulling teeth to get them outside and active.

Fast forward to now. I went to my OBGYN in Sept 2010 and was 243. Errr excuse me? Really? Me? Uh huh. The previous yr I had gone to one of those B-12/Adipex mills and lost like 15 pounds and was spending $150 month for minimal results. My head was not into it, I wasn't dieting or exercising. Nor was I looking in the mirror. Something about that 243 hit me though. I knew a girl that admitted she was 245. In my mind she was FAT!. So my being right up there--that woke me up big time. My first thought was another diet but one night surfing youtube I searched WLS. The band piqued my interest at the time but I quickly changed over to VSG after coming here to OH.

I went to a seminar on November 17, 2010 and started the work needed to get approved by insurance. My surgery date is June 10th and I am so excited!. My left knee and right hip ache at the strain my weight is putting on them. My yo-yo dieting has given me gallstones, I have gastritis and gerd and found out I carry h-pylori. Yeah--I thought I was a healthy fat chick. Diabetes was just waiting for me to gain another 5 pounds--I could just feel it. I could also hear my mother's voice telling me to lose weight.

Back to me is where I want to be. Slender, able to move with confidence. Loving the fun of shopping in normal stores, wearing cute shoes, and feeling sexy and healthy.