Helen S.

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 I can't believe it's been 9 months. I've lost 55lbs now so it's been going very very slow since my last post. When I went for my last check up everything was still looking great. No more high cholestrol and all blood work normal. Doctor say to lose another 10 lbs. I guess it's normal that the closer I get to goal, the slower it comes off. But I'm no longer obsessed with my weight.. I feel so good, I think I look good, I'm energetic, and I'm happy!!!  Losing the weight has changed my life!!!!!

 A little over 4 months have past since my surgery! Life seems pretty normal now. I just went on a week vacation with 3 of my girlfriends and had a fantastic time! We walked and hiked every single day and I was amazed at the amount of energy I have and the things I could do that I could not have done 5 months ago. We ate out every single meal and when I got home I had lost 3 lbs. Amazing! So I'm down 50 lbs total now and feeling GREAT!!! I haven't had a single complication and it almost seems too good to be true. I'm very thankful! Surgery was the best things I've done for myself!!!!!! I'm so happy I was brave enough to go through with it!!!!!

2 months since surgery and I've lost 38 lbs altogether! It's amazing! I haven't been at this weight since my kids were little... now they're grown. It feels so good!  It's unbelieveable to me that I've had such an easy time through all this. I did so much agonizing before having the surgery and now I'm just so thankful that I was brave enough to go through with it!!  It's nice getting so many compliments!!! It's even nicer FEELING so good !!! 

I just got through a 9 day stall.  I wasn't really prepared for it so after about the 6th day of not losing a single pound, and not even 3 weeks out from surgery, I started doing a search. Viola!! I discovered it's called THE FAMOUS 3 WEEK STALL!!! Pretty funny! Once I realized what was happening in my body, the medical reason for it, I breathed easier and got over my fears that I would be the one and only person alive that was not going to lose weight after surgery. As of today I've lost 3 more pounds. So I feel very happy, and so blessed that I'm on my way. This site has been the very best resource and I don't know what I'd do without it. I've learned so much here.... and will continue to. Right now I just need a good protein pudding recipee. LOL That's it!!!  

I'm home from the hospital today and feeling soooooo happy! I don't think my surgery could have gone better, honestly! Only one thing, the nurses hitting my veins on the first try. But that's always been a problem with me! 
The day before surgery I was freaking out. I wondered how many people go this far and then just don't show up because they've lost they're courage. I almost lost mine. I did sleep really well, amazingly, woke up to my alarm Tuesday morning at 6am and took a shower. Got all ready, put on my makeup (gotta look good during surgery, hahahaha) and hubby and I were off to the hospital and got there right at 8am. Checked in, paid my co-pay, got my bling bling (bracelets) and they then took me right back to pre-op. Put on the lovely white tights and hospital gown, talked to the nurses, anesthesiologist and then my doctor came in. He's so nice, and said everyone is nervous, but he'd take good care of me and even bring me a margarita... which, of course, was in the form of a injection in my IV. That was all I remembered til I woke up and it was all over. I guess I slept most of the day. I remember waking up briefly to see my hubby sleeping in the chair, poor guy must have had a real stiff neck the next day. I was awake by afternoon, feeling no pain, maybe just a little discomfort. The nurses always came in and asked me where my pain was on a scale of 1-10 and I never said any higher than 6, but even that was probably an exageration since I figured better to over-estimate than under-estimate. LOL  By afternoon and evening I had walked up and down the halls probablly 20 times (short halls) and I was thinking... "did I reallly have this done? shouldn't I be in worse shape?" Nothing like being an optimist, huh? The second day they brought my breakfast, chicken broth, jello, hot herb tea, and a popsicle. Which they served exactly the same thing the rest of the time I was there too.  I thought I might get to go home, but the leak test wasn't planned until today so I just watched tv, walked, drank, slept. Then this morning (my 3rd day) they came in early and took me to get the xray. I drank a few sips of the yucky drink and watched it go through... all OK!!!  Before I knew it, I was in my clothes and hopping in my husbands truck. Ok, I didn't hop in, but I didn't have trouble getting in either. We stopped by and picked up my pain meds and got home at 10:30am. I haven't been hungry at all since the surgery. My stomach gurgles and makes all these noises but it's not a hunger feeling. This process of going through liquids, then soft foods, etc  I don't think will be as hard as it was drinking the protein shakes before surgery and feeling so ridiculously hungry all the time.  I feel like I already have a new body (on the inside anyway) and from here on out I am treating this body WAY better than I treated the other one!!! I'm very very thankful!!! 

 June 21st!!! I'm now on the 2 week pre-op diet now. 2-3 protein shakes a day and a small palm size meal of lean meat and vegetable. I got through yesterday and today. We'll see how it goes. I'm so happy to have a date and I feel like I am making the best decision for me!  I've gone through so many emotions since this all started, but I think I needed to and that's what has brought me to now, and the certainty I feel about this surgery. I'm 100% confident and at peace about it. Ask me again on June 20th. haha

Today I got a call from my dr's office. My insurance has approved my surgery.  I have such mixed feelings still. I'm not positive I want to go through with it. She said I will see the doctor pre-op so I guess I'll ask all the questions then and see how it goes. I hate this. I should be happy.

Well, all I've done practically for the past few weeks is read and search for inormation and answers about WLS. I've definitely decided on the sleeve.  So now it's not WHICH, it's IF. Of course I need it, and reading about all the success stories makes me giddy with anticipation of what life could be like if I get it. But I wonder how many people change their minds as often as I have. One day I'm scared by something I've read and I'm not getting it, next day I can't wait to have it. Back and forth back and forth!!!  I talked to my coordinator at Dr. Cavasoz's office last week and she thinks we can have insurance approval and a surgery date by the end of May. That's only weeks away!!!!! My oldest daughter and grandson are coming to visit June 3rd. My daughter will go back the 9th, but my grandson is staying until July 7th. I'm a little worried about having the surgery before they get here, or while my grandson is here. Especially if I have a hard recovery. Sooooooo.... I have all these things going through my mind.   I want soooooo much to get rid of all this extra weight and feel good and healthy again. I'm so afraid of complications. I want it, I don't want it, I want it, I don't want it. I should have known this would be a hard decision since I have not been a good decision maker for quite awhile. Head fog! I wonder if WLS will cure that? hmmmmmm something to think about!