Hi! Brief Introduction

Hi Guys,

After about a decade of deciding, I have finally taken the plunge and scheduled myself for a VSG.  My current weight is 323, and I believe my highest.  Because its so high, my household scale actually can't tell me what my weight is so I haven't been able to weigh myself very much in the last few years! (embarassing!!)

I guess what has actually gotten me to this point is I have realized all the things that I am just physcially unable to do.  I can't horseback ride, zip-line, bungee jump, sky dive, ride roller coasters, sky walk, etc. etc. etc.  Who wants to live their life that way!?!?  I have always considered myself active and adventurous and have watched door after door of possibilities close to me as my weight went up and up and up.

I do have H.S., and am not quite sure if the pain and discomfort has kept me from being active so I'm fat, or if I have pain and H.S. because I'm fat.  Or if both conditions are relying on each other to keep me in a destructive cycle.  Either way, I'm over it, and ready to start living my life without restriction again.

I am married to a wonderful man who I have been with for almost 12 years now (!!).  He is extremely kind and supportive, but frightened.  He is afraid something will go wrong during surgery and I'll die.  Granted, I think he would feel that way if I were even having my tonsils out.  I of course feel like I am slowing dying now (at least not living a full life) without the surgery.  Since he doesn't have, and has never had, and probably never will have a weight problem, and he is perfectly happy with me exactly how I am, it has been a little difficult to explain to him why I feel like I have to have this surgery.  I don't consider it any different than any other surgery a person would need to have.  I've been thinking about it for 10 years, researching and contemplating, and while I am still young enough that hopefully my skin has some elasticity and I have been fortunate enough to not develop any serious co-morbidities, I think now is the time. 

Since I am self-pay I was originally researching surgery in Mexico.  I know a lot of people have done it, and logically I don't think that it is any more dangerous than the amount of time I've spent driving in rush hour traffic in broward/miami, I am just too frightened.  My fear is completely emotional and not at all based in logic or reason.  But I would be lying to myself if I thought I could have surgery in a foreign country without my husband and my anxiety would be fine.  The good news is I have a found what I think is a really good doctor in Boca who is doing the whole package for $10,500, which I think is a great price!

Anywho, ramble ramble ramble.

I've been reading this forum for a long tim, and I am really excited to actually be a member now.  Thank you guys for being so candid about your journeys and I feel like I already know so many of you, but I am looking forward to making some new friends.

-Holly

Congrats to you Holly for making the life changing decision.  Because believe me it is life changing in the most amazing way!  And I have only been sleeved since 1/6/14.  As for Mexico, I had my Lapband surgery there in 2007.  The hospital was beautiful and I had no issues.  But sorry to say the band was the worse thing I could have done for me.  Not for all, but certainly for me.  And I wish I would have used my 11K for a new car!  LOL

So good luck to you and keep us posted on your journey!  I would love to hear how it all goes!

TTYL

Michelle

Thanks for your kind response!  I shied away from lap-band because I was a little nervous about having something foreign in my body.  How was your Mexico experience? How was your sleeving? How are you feeling so soon afterwards?

-Holly

I was treated great in Mexico.  I was honestly a little scared when my bilingual husband was not with me!  LOL. In retrospect I wish I would have been sleeved in the beggining.  It is a tool I can actually figure out.  I get it.  It make sense. Recovery was well, recovery.  Some minor pain and a little discomfort the first week.  But back to my desk job on week 2!  I will be honest in saying my emotions are still a little weird.  I figure its all hormone driven....but they are all over the place!

Welcome! Glad you're here. The sleeve is the best thing I've ever done for myself.  My husband was scared at first too, but now when he looks at old pictures of me he says that he never knew I was really that big. He is loving the new, smaller me most of the time. Sometimes he says my bones are poking him:) 

Thanks for the warm welcome!  I think my husband is tiny bit nervous about me getting "too skinny" but I think I have assured him that if push comes to shove, I don't think gaining some weight back would be much of a challenge! :)

Congratulations on making such a big decision.  My husband was pretty hesitant about this at first, but he ended up getting on board with me and has been one of my biggest supporters - even now that I am home from my surgery on Tuesday and he has so much extra to do to pick up the slack from my lack of ability to do things like I normally would.  Hope all goes well for you and that you find the right place to get it done.

Thanks for the reply Paula, it's great to meet you!  It's awesome that your husband has been so supportive of you during this time.  How limited do you feel you are physically at this point? Do you need a lot of care?

Welcome and congrats on making the decision that will forever change your life.  That is great that you have a partner that is so supportive of the person you are today.  It is difficult for those to understand what we are feeling if they have never been in our skin.  I'm fortunate to have a partner who understands the reasons I made the decision to have VSG.  I have been miserable in this body my entire life.  In less than two months I am now at a weight that can allow me to go horseback riding.  This surgery is amazing.  I am lucky to have had no problems.  That's not to say that this journey is easy by any means.  I still struggle with head hunger and the craving for carbs, but I am never really hungry.  I could go days without eating, but I don't. It is so important to follow your plan and develop good habits.  One thing that has helped me is making sure I plan ahead.  By doing so, I am never stuck in a position of not knowing what to eat or not having the proper foods with me.  Good luck on your journey!

Thank you for the well wishes!  How amazing that in just two months you are horseback riding! That is definitely one of the first things I want to do! I also want to go ziplining, and bungee jumping, and ride some roller coasters I haven't been able to fit on in a few years and sky diving too! 

I am a little afraid of head hunger, I'm hoping that staying busy helps with that.  I also need to try to find some new ways to reward myself that are NOT food based.  I actually caught myself gathering a "good girl snack" to motivate me to finish writing a research paper for school.  It took me about 10 seconds to go, "Woah! That's twisted and needs to stop!"