Let Us All Get to Know Each Other :-)

Hi, on line my friends call me Ani...at home, Anita.  I live in Alberta Canada!!!!  I have been overweight for as long as I can remember... always known as the fat kid in school.  Things were different back then.  You would be hard pressed to find 2 fat kids in school then, so the teasing was misserable.  Kids are very cruel and I believe I have been scarred on my insides from how I was treated in school.  Even had teachers that were cruel...but that is all behind me now. I will be 45 next month...UGH!  I have been with my husband for 18 years.(Married for 7)  I have 2 boys from my first marriage.  Kyle is 24 and Calvin is almost 22.  Calvin is making me a grandma this year.  I have a granddaughter due Aug 30...I am absolutely thrilled.   I was a size 5 when I met my hubby.  I was on a diet that lasted about 3 years...so although he met me thin, he married me fat...I know he would love to see me thin again...Just as I would love to see me thin too.   I am a proprietor to a young man that has disabilities.  I also work part time in a couple different group homes, and at Walmart part time too.  I love working with people with special needs.  I find it very rewarding.  My eldest son has aspergers syndrome.  Currently we are working on getting some services in place for him so that he might gain more independence and move out of home.  It makes me nervous, but excited for him at the same time. I have diabetes, but haven't had any insulin since I started my liquid preop diet.  I hope that I will be cleared of this aweful disease at some point. I am a food addict.  I do use food to soothe.  I have been working on this for about a year now...having my sleeve is the tool I needed to pull my therapy together...Even though I feel like I am still struggling.  I am making sure that if I am hungry, I am eating protein first...at this point I am missing salad...and crunchy broccolli...but I know I will be able to have those things again, sometime.   My biggest struggle since surgery is exersize.  But I am happy to report that I have used my treadmill for 2 days in a row now.  I also try and get out most days so that I am getting walking in while window shopping.  Found a beautiful purse on my venture today...broke the rules and bought it...LOL  Gawd...I just know I am going to be a clothes hog once I get even close to goal..LOL

Hi all: I'm Roxy, I'm a soon to be 39 year old mom of 3 (two boys, 9, 6; one girl, 3). I'm married to my HS sweetheart for 13 years (we lived together but didn't marry til grad school).  We moved to Silicon Valley two years ago from the east coast, so we're still adjusting and building community here.  I've been overweight since puberty, diagnosed with PCOS.  My doula for my last two children had a RNY, and lost 150 pounds. I wanted WLS then, but my hubby was too scared. Then, my dissertation advisor, followed by her husband, had a DS and lost huge amounts of weight in one year. I thought that was the surgery for me, but couldn't get over my horror at the idea of foul smelling gas. I'm a psychologist, and was afraid that my patients wouldn't want t bein the same room with me. Not rational, but I worried. I'd decided to do it anyway, went to the doc, *****commended the VSG. After lurking here for a month or two, I decided to jump in and do it. I'm only two weeks out, and down 13  pounds, and irrationally worried about being a slow loser. But, feeling hopeful that this tool will help with a struggle I've had most of my life. Still lurk a lot, but beginning to post more. Really enjoying the sense of community here.

I smell another soon to be birthday girl?? Very nice to meet you Roxym!! Congratulations on your new sleeve....you are doing great so far girl....13lbs in two weeks!!!! Awesome!! :-) Please jump in a post all you like....we are a very nice group of people here....all wanting to help and share..with tons of information. I learn something new every day here it seems.

Hi Sherri, It's Fred, I've been reading the posts on this thread, and thought I'd throw in a little info about me. I'm 71 years old, divorced and get along great with my ex. We have 3 kids and 9 grandkids. Sometimes my sense of humor gets me in trouble, as I don't stop to think about how others will receive my words. I am going through the hoops with Kaiser, and hope to get sleeved before the end of the year. I have one friend on the board currently, and am looking forward to having more. You know, I can't think of anything else to recommend me, so will just sign off. Hugs to all, Fred

Fred...your sense of humor is right up my alley!! I love it....and it makes me laugh and smile to see you post!! Wishing you lots of luck with your insurance and sending loads of positive goodness your way!! Sherri

This is Awesome!

Well, my name is Amanda, and I had my surgery 12/20/07 with Dr. Alvarez. i started at 320, and im now at 262, so ive lost 68 pounds in about 4ish months.

I am a sociology student, and will probably go on to get my MSW. I love doing research, I have written a proposal to study married WLS patients and marital satisfaction that I hope to complete in the next few years. My thesis is on BMI and weight behavior and condom usage

K.  My name is Rachel, I'll be 27 (for the 11th time) on Thursday.  I am a divorced mother of a beautiful 5-year old French/English Bulldog mix (my gargoyle).  I am currently an RN in the process of attaining my Masters of Science in Nursing as a Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.  I figure, it takes one to know one!!!  Two years ago, I moved my parents in with me to monitor their health and to provide an ease of living that would allow them to enjoy hobbies and travel, and the good, healthy years of life that they still have in front of them.  It worked really well for the first year and a half.  Then, last November, mom and I decided to go for a bike ride for our health.  I took a spill and broke my right ankle in two places and my right knee in two places.  So...  Mom and dad have been busting their heiney's to pick up the slack, and the recovery time left me severely behind in school, but I'm not one to give up without biting, kicking and screaming! I stumbled on this board.  I don't know what I was doing, or looking for.  I had never heard of a VSG, but as soon as I saw the procedure and read about the surgery, I knew it was it. My mom and I are both having surgery on 8/11/8 with Dr. Alvarez.  Money is very tight right now.  Car payments and house payments are crazy, and the amount of 'free hours' I have to do for school, and papers/presentations, leave little time for paid work, or even the simplest act of recharging.  But I can do anything.  And I know in my heart, this will happen.  Good things come to good people, and mom and I are very good people, and deserve this tool to help us get to the root of our true issues. I want to take a moment to encourage everyone to join a local, in person, support group.  Tonight, mom and I attended our first, and it was fabulous.  Everyone there knew our story, because it was theirs too.  It felt truly wonderful!  It was like this board, but in person.  Astounding! Thank you, Sherri, and everyone else who took the time to respond! Rach

I feel so fortunate to meet so many potential new friends that I'm really feeling the need to buy a lotto ticket  Good fortune like this is rare!

Hi all, my name is Laurie, I am 53 yr old stay at home Mom to two daughters, 12 & 14.  We live in the Sierra foothills about 2 hours northeast of Sacramento. (Not too far from Rana)  We live in a very small rural town on a ranchette with 3 dogs (2 corgis and a springer spaniel) 1 cat, 9 horses, 1 llama and 6 chickens.  Life is never dull.  I have been overweight starting in high school and it just kept increasing until I hit an all time high last summer.  I have been on every diet conceivable.  Having the VSG has been a godsend for me.  I am already feeling sooooo much better.  I had an appointment with my primary care doctor last week and actually walked up the two flights of stairs.  I wasnt' even out of breath.  I can't remember the last time that happened.  I've also been able to walk all over our ranch.  In the past I would take our Gator (a John Deere utility vehicle) even to just go to the barn a few hundred feet away.  Now I walk to the barn with no problem.  Last week I mowed our back lawn and yesterday I was at my neighbors helping to set up a stadium jumping course for a horse show this weekend. I told the girls that after the show this weekend I wanted to start riding again.  I even went and bought a new helmet and paddock boots. This was definitley the best decision I've ever made and the best money I've ever spent. Laurie 

Awww (((Sherri!))) This is why I just love you so much! You are so amazing!  So! Im Janelle. Im 31 years young and married to THE MOST AMAZING man ever. Sorry gals, he doesnt have single brothers. :0) Im a mommy to my 3 sweeties. Faith is my oldest and she is 6. We adopted her. She is a miracle baby! She was born at 26 weeks and weighed in at 1lb 7oz. She is a bright, beautiful kindergartner now with a spirit that wont be broken. Anna Joy is my second child, first bio child. She is my heart and soul. She is just like me so I "get" her. She is a tender hearted girl with a passion for Jesus. She is now 4 and she is 2 years and 2 days younger than her sister. That makes for some FUN birthday parties! Especially since Anna was born on Halloween! LOTS of princess parties! Matthew Dawson is my last child and he will be 2 in June. Gosh! Where did the time go? I feel like I just got that positive pregnancy test for him. He is just like his Daddy. A sensitive, tender hearted, sweetheart of a boy. He is SO BIG! Haha! At 23 months old he weighs in at 38lbs! Thats my bubba! I am so SO blessed! I am also a mamma to my furkids. I have 2 English Bulldogs, both girls, We bred Emma and thats how we got her baby Harleigh. Let me just say that I LOVE breeding puppies! Its soooo FUN!  I am a Christian! I love God so much! I dont believe in religion per-say, but in a deep, personal relationship with the Father. I cant stand mean people who say that they are Christians. Mean Christian--oxymoron.  I love LOVE pregnancy and childbirth. I have this weird passion for it. If I could be anything when I grow up--and thats including still being a wife and mommy--it would be to be a midwife. Ahhhh! Birth is such a miracle. I am a decorator. Not professionally, but I have a knact for home interiors. Love it! I read and write, and love to craft.  I have PCOS and struggled for years with infertility, and miscarriages. I also have Insulin Resistance and Hypothyroid. Thank God that metformin took care of my infertility, but it didnt take care of my obesity. The sleeve is a Godsend in my life. I also looked looked into the band for months. It just didnt sit right with me. I couldnt COULD NOT lose weight, but I knew that the band would be a mistake. Then, on New Years Day this year I found Susan--with DrA. She called me and I knew that I knew that this was an act of God. Since then everything fell into place for me and was SO EASY. I have been one of the lucky ones who has an astonishingly easy time with her sleeve. Sure I have stalled and that freaked me out a bit, and I miss eating lots of food, but its a peice of cake. Thank you God. If there is anyone out there who is afraid to get the sleeve, but wants to--DO IT! My only regret is that I didnt do it years ago. I regret living with obesity. I regret that my beautiful, sexy husband had a fat, unhealthy wife for so long. I regret that my kids didnt have a mamma who would play with them until now. Thankfully they are still very young. I will never regret my sleeve. I would do it again if I had to. I have been blessed. And THANK YOU OH. I would not get through this life change without my new OH family.