Hello Folks... and a warning....I'm talkative and long winded.
I've been lurking for several weeks now, and learning a lot from this bb and the entire site. I appreciate all of you and how open you are with each other about your journey, complications and triumphs.
I live in a small community outside of Columbia, and I noticed another newbie from Fulton - hey there! I've been married for 27.5 years and we have a 19 year old son. I'm now 46 years old.
I can't say that I've been heavy all my life. It actually started when I was 19....about the times my periods went whacky. I developed pcos and weight just started leaping up the scale. So since about age 20, I was at least 200 lbs. Several years ago, I started paying close attention to weight loss surgery, but my dh (dear husband) was terrified by tragic stories of starvation. When I mentioned it he was dead set against it.
Back in 2002, I took a severe fall which messed up my knee, and herniated a disk in my lumbar. It caused nerve damage in my legs and I was no longer able to walk normally. Since it slowed me waaaayyyy down, the weight started bounding on even more. This last fall I reached my highest....340 
as embarrassing as that is to admit, I know that I'm in good company. btw - I HAVE recovered enough that I don't require braces to walk anymore. I stumble often and I have to walk slower than before. I also have diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and hypercholesteremia.
Why is it that you often don't notice the weight until you see a photo of yourself? Someone snapped a photo of me at Thanksgiving, porked out on the couch and it stunned me. When had I gotten THAT big? That's when I weighed myself. Maybe that would explain why my insulin needs had been going up too.
Meanwhile, the Lord has been doing a work in my dh. We were watching TV when that Lap-band commercial came on with the lion...and I told dh that this was the surgery I would want. Well shock me....but he told me he had been doing some rethinking and thought we should get more information.
I had already chose a doctor - James Pitt from Columbia Surgical Associates. He has a whole team approach with the dietician, pscycologist, and phsycial therapist. early this month, dh and I went to the required seminar and I enrolled in Dr. Pitt's program. I weighed in at a whoppin' 331 and learned that I've shrunk too. I was a whole inch and half shorter than when I graduated from high school. Which made my bmi even higher than I expected.
I have appointments this next week with the dietician, the physical therapist and the pscycologist. Then my first appointment with Dr. Pitt is Feb. 16th. My insurance company pays for wls if you meet the criteria, no exclusions. So the doctor's nurse projected a surgery date for March.
In the meantime, I'm working on new habits. Not drinking with meals, getting more water, eating smaller portions, chewing thoroughly, using a baby spoon (I've learned you can eat your ice cream a LONG time with a baby spoon!) and I'm trying to find a protein drink that I like. I LIKE slimfast, but I'm supposed to find something with at least 20 grams of protein. So I ordered samples from Vitalady. So far - Fuzzy Naval is the front runner. I'm copying all protein drink, smoothie recipes I come across.
So I'm just kind of starting on this journey myself. I'm so excited, I can't stand myself. I feel like I have a HOPE that I might be able to end all the medications I take for diabetes and hypertension as well as fit into something smaller than a size 30....
I look forward to getting to know each of you better.
as embarrassing as that is to admit, I know that I'm in good company. btw - I HAVE recovered enough that I don't require braces to walk anymore. I stumble often and I have to walk slower than before. I also have diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and hypercholesteremia.
Why is it that you often don't notice the weight until you see a photo of yourself? Someone snapped a photo of me at Thanksgiving, porked out on the couch and it stunned me. When had I gotten THAT big? That's when I weighed myself. Maybe that would explain why my insulin needs had been going up too.
Meanwhile, the Lord has been doing a work in my dh. We were watching TV when that Lap-band commercial came on with the lion...and I told dh that this was the surgery I would want. Well shock me....but he told me he had been doing some rethinking and thought we should get more information.
I had already chose a doctor - James Pitt from Columbia Surgical Associates. He has a whole team approach with the dietician, pscycologist, and phsycial therapist. early this month, dh and I went to the required seminar and I enrolled in Dr. Pitt's program. I weighed in at a whoppin' 331 and learned that I've shrunk too. I was a whole inch and half shorter than when I graduated from high school. Which made my bmi even higher than I expected.
I have appointments this next week with the dietician, the physical therapist and the pscycologist. Then my first appointment with Dr. Pitt is Feb. 16th. My insurance company pays for wls if you meet the criteria, no exclusions. So the doctor's nurse projected a surgery date for March.
In the meantime, I'm working on new habits. Not drinking with meals, getting more water, eating smaller portions, chewing thoroughly, using a baby spoon (I've learned you can eat your ice cream a LONG time with a baby spoon!) and I'm trying to find a protein drink that I like. I LIKE slimfast, but I'm supposed to find something with at least 20 grams of protein. So I ordered samples from Vitalady. So far - Fuzzy Naval is the front runner. I'm copying all protein drink, smoothie recipes I come across.
So I'm just kind of starting on this journey myself. I'm so excited, I can't stand myself. I feel like I have a HOPE that I might be able to end all the medications I take for diabetes and hypertension as well as fit into something smaller than a size 30....
I look forward to getting to know each of you better. 
Hi Tina, Welcome to the forum and our family. I wish you well on your journey. I am scheduled for Lap RNY on April 2 and wi**** was like yesterday!!!
I too have followed the WLS trends for a whiile and then was lucky enough to find this site, My Dr whom I already knew and found out my ins. pays for it. It was like everything is falling into place. I have muscular dystrophy so I look forward to not having to carry all this weight to wear me out. I too have gotten shorter with age and that put my BMI way up.But I look forward to starting a new life. You came to the right group of people. Every person here is wonderful and caring and will help with what ever you need. Again I wish you well and hope to see you post again soon. Julia
I too have followed the WLS trends for a whiile and then was lucky enough to find this site, My Dr whom I already knew and found out my ins. pays for it. It was like everything is falling into place. I have muscular dystrophy so I look forward to not having to carry all this weight to wear me out. I too have gotten shorter with age and that put my BMI way up.But I look forward to starting a new life. You came to the right group of people. Every person here is wonderful and caring and will help with what ever you need. Again I wish you well and hope to see you post again soon. Julia 
Welcome Tina. Hope you find all you are looking for on this board and if you have questions ask. We dont all know all of the answers but can probably find someone that does know the answer to it.
The protein powder that i have found to be the best is one called ON 100% whey protein. in a black label. Here in South Mo. we can get it at GNC and at food 4 less.
They also have a web site. there are lots of flavors. but the one i like the best is Vanilla ice cream since you can change it around. with adding different sugar free flavors you can make a smootie about out of anything.
Most of the surgeons now days have a program that they have you go thru with all the details. Hope things go well for you so stay on here and keep us informed. Jan
Hello Tina, I live north of Columbia, even though I didnt have Dr Pitt as my surgeon I do attend the monthly support meeting there, so maybe we will meet soon. Dr Pitt was going to do my surgery, but insurance made a switch as he couldnt do it. But he is an excellant doctor and his whole staff are wonderful.
Welcome aboard. 
Kathleen
Kathleen 
Tina,
Welcome to a new world. Also to the Missouri board. You will find your life changed by surgery. I had Lap-RNY on 12/26 and am doing great. Feel like a new person, no more diabetes, HBP and elevated cholesterol. Don't worry too much about which shake you like. Before surgery I loved chocolate and now can't stand the thought of it. Thank goodness I had bought vanilla. I flavor it up with de-caf coffee and DaVinci syrups. And soon I can add fresh fruit. I am very careful about my eating but with the band you'll have a little more flexibility. Each of us has to chose the kind of surgery we want, for me there was nothing but RNY that appealed. Good luck and many blessings on your journey. It is the most exciting thing you'll ever do just for yourself.
Hugs and love,
Lana
Hi Tina,
I just wanted to say-congrats and I am so happy you have chosen to do this for yourself-I know you will feel so much better physically and then mentally and will be able to get off some of those medications and also-my knees dont hurt nearly as bad as they used to!! (I have stage IV Osteoarthritis in my knees, hips and back, and Degenerative Joint Disease as well in all those areas and my knee caps are totally gone-so I need both knees replaced, but was too fat-along with the fact that I couldnt hardly walk-but thats ALL changed, still need knees-but it will wait now!)
As far as protein...I tried everything-and MY favorite, and a lot of people I know-all LOVE the Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Instantized Whey-they have several flavors, and ALL are good. My personal favorite is Strawberry and the Vanilla Ice Cream, because you can add sf syrups to them and make them whatever you want!! I buy a 5 lb tub at Food 4 Less for about $28 and at our local health store right down the street its over $50!! If you want to email your address to me, I will send you some samples so you can try it before buying it! Someone did that for me, so I would like to pay it forward. They do sell the smaller containers...for about $15. The big tub makes somewhere like 70-80 shakes, so its a good deal and easy.....
Good luck on this journey and just keep your chin up and stay excited, thats what helped me out-was looking at the end result and this board saved me sooo many times, we have the MOST AWESOME people on here-and its even BETTER in person!! Take care and let me know if you need anything. Jan
I'm so glad you chose Dr.Pitt.He is wonderful.I had rny 7/20/05.They were so caring and thoughtful.I couldn't have had a better doctor.I was in Boone County Hospital.I have nothing but good to say about them.I didn't have to worry about anything.And me living 250 miles away.I was really concerned how I would be treated.But God Blessed me with a doctor an hospital *****ally cared about me.I have 2 friends that Dr.Pitt done there surgeries also.They'd tell you the same thing.Good luck.
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