Where are you on your journey???

love the new picture, ginger! you look fabulous! congratulations. as for me, 18 months out, down 261 lbs. i continue to hover between 201 and 203..."onederland" taunts me, just beyond my reach. but i'm gonna get there! my longer term goal is a normal bmi...but i'm not certain i'll make that, unless i figure out some way to pay for the removal of LOTS of skin...perhaps i should start buying lottery tickets! i feel like i'm one of the luckiest women in the world. not only did i have this wonderful surgery that is saving and changing my life, but my experience with it has been virtually complication/problem free. all the best to you! deb

Hey Deb, Great job in the weight-loss front!!! I don't play the lottery..but if I did, I'd make sure all my over 50 BMI friends...myself included...got that plastic surgery/skin removal!!! Nobody deserves it more than a former SMO right?? hugsGinger

I have to say, all of you who have walked the path ahead of me are my heroes! I learn so much from all of you every day. I'm still pre-op, but not as pre-op as I was when I first came to the SMO board. My surgery will be August 14 after a long, long journey. My HMO approved me for surgery back in 2004 when the waiting list was a year long. Near the end of 2004, they decided out of the blue that I was too fat for surgery (BMI 90+). They were quite obnoxious about it at the time. I was sad, then got mad and hired a lawyer to appeal. The lawyer was inept enough that I thought I'd lose the appeal and I was trying to figure out how to go to Brazil for surgery. Turns out even though the lawyer was inept, I won on external review. During the months it took me to appeal, my HMO totally redid their bariatric program, improving it 100%. I met with the surgeon, who asked me to lose 10% of my weight first. This sounded reasonable to me. My wonderful bariatric doc put me on Optifast, and I have lost over 20% of my weight since Feb. My BMI is now around 65 or 66, and the surgeon is delighted. I've lost enough weight now to have lap surgery instead of open. I'd have probably had surgery by now if I hadn't had a few bouts of cellulitis since mid-2005 that put kinks in the timetable. I don't mind, though, because it gave me time to lose more weight before surgery. With the weight loss I have already had, and the bits of normal life I have experienced, I can't wait until I lose even more weight! Of course, then I will need to invest in lots of rolls of duct tape to keep my skin from dragging behind me. I can't wait until August 14th! Git-r-done! Kix

High Kix, You have really been throught the mill on this wls journey. Bless you heart for having the determination to keep with it and lose a substantial amount of weight in the process. August 14th will be here sooner than later! You cracked me up with the vision of rolls of duct tape wrapped around you! HugsGinger

I'm 9 1/2 months post rny Down 200lbs! I still have 100 to go!

Hi Marlena, Wow!!!! down 200 pounds?????? You are doing ausome girly-girl!!!! By the way..I love your new picture! Hugs,Ginger

Ginger, I'm 11 days out, no idea how much I've lost since surgery, but proud of the 23 lbs i lost beforehand. You all are such an inspiration to me. I would love to lose 200+ but if I lost 105, I will still be so much healthier and happier as you are. Julie in WA

Ginger you have been through some struggles I remember reading about the wound vac and the day you were shopping and couldn't find anything on the menu that you could eat. It's days like that...that make me run to my computer and talk to you guys. This surgery is intense...emotional and physical changes are just hard to deal with sometimes. I was/am one of those mom's who has thrown herself completely into taking care of the family. I'm a stay at home mom and have been since 96. My sister says I do entirely too much for everyone around here and need to take care of myself more. I can tell you that I'm trying but it's very difficult to put yourself first when your not sure what you really want. I've never taken time to sit down and ask myself what I want. In a way I feel lost, I'm traveling in unchartered waters. I've always been the biggest one in my family and always kinda sat back and watched the rest have fun. I made jokes and became the life of the party when I couldn't do anything else. I just keep thinking who is Jamie Simon..I mean what is she really like? I've lived my life behind some very heavy armor for A LOT of years and stripping that away is raising all kinds of questions. I'm losing my best friend (food), my protection (fat), and not sure who I am now. Does that make sense? I think I felt like I was tucked away deep in the puzzle of life and now I'm exposed as a corner piece and not sure exactly how to handle it. Part of me wants to live it..do things I've never done before, go to all the amusement parks, buy all kinds of cute clothes, just be wild.. THEN the other part of me says: Jamie you are 30 yrs old, 3 kids and a hubby...all the old fears creep up..what if he leaves, what if I don't lose, what if they still stare at me, what if....It's almost sickening. I try to push those thoughts out of my head and coming here and talking or listening helps tremendously. I think as time goes on and I lose more weight the questions will get harder and hopefully I'll be confident enough to answer them and find a comfortable spot between wild child and housewife.. I think having this surgery was the best thing I've ever done. It's the only thing I've ever done JUST FOR ME!! As obese women and men we don't do a lot of that just for me stuff so this is a biggy. Along the way I'm going to find me..the real me in here somewhere. Thanks for posting this Ginger it really makes you sit back and think. I tried to convey all the things this surgery has made me feel and it seems my thoughts are all jumbled. I will be 4 months out on August 7th and I've lost a total of 73 lbs. I'm only 24 lbs away from the big 2-0-0!! I can't even find the words to express what that will be like for me. I say this alot but it's the truth and I think it should be said often. You guys post ops and pre ops are the BEST!! I couldn't have picked a better board!! You have been with me through my journey from the start and have always made me feel like I had complete support and understanding. I want to say Thank You to everyone..( I would like to name you one by one but I'm afraid I might leave someone out) YOU GUYS ARE THE ABSOLUTE MOST WONDERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE ON EARTH!!! My hats off to the BMI Over 50 Board.... GREAT BIG FORMER SMO HUGS, Jamie

((((((((((((((((Jamie))))))))))))))) Your post just touched my heart I think you must be right there in my brain sometimes! You would be such a fun gal to hang out with! You really have a gift of conveying your thoughts so completely. This weight loss surgery has been quite a ride for us all. Some it has been a bit smoother...others, a little more bumpy...but a "ride" all the same. I remember the pre-op classes that told us that if we didn't like ourselves/weren't happy before wls..that we wouldn't be happy afterwards either. I can see how that is true now in many ways. I AM happy...but kinda confused about where I stand in life now. I totally love the comment that you made about the "puzzle of Life" I can totally relate. We just have a really different focus in life now. Who would of thought that a gal like us would be counting proteins and trying to plan our days around getting that exercise in??? Jamie, I hope you can find the balance between the wife/mother and the "wild child". who says you can't be GOOD at both?? Congrads on the weight loss! HugsGinger

Hi, I am pre-op and have surgery next Tuesday. I am on a protein only preop diet this week and Monday it goes to just clear liquids. I love this board because I have people here that can understand what I have gone through and what is ahead. I don't have anyone else I know that weighs anywhere near what I do - 444.5 - started 453 I just turned 30 in June and have weighed over 300lbs for over 17 years. I have no idea what it is like to live a "normal" life in a normal body. I have been visiting everyone I care about this week ...just in case the surgery goes wrong...but I feel very safe with my surgeon and I feel very educated. I am so thankful to have everyone here! Shellie