Surgiversary POLL Come on in!!

we have the same surgery date!

Change in numbers... Starting weight, surgery weight, current weight, goal weight, starting sizes, current sizes, loss in inches? Starting 379, surgery 351 (total so far 143), current 236, goal 190, starting sizes 4x-5x, current sizes - XL/1x, inches - not sure - year checkup in a few weeks - had lost over 60 inches at 6 months. Your biggest WOW moment? There have been plenty - probably getting up and down off the floor and fitting in an airplane seat! Goals you haven't reached yet, BUT WILL!?!?!?!? Under 200!!!! Things that you can do now that you couldn't a year ago? Fit in an airplane, walk for miles, get up and down off the floor, enjoy getting in, down and up and out of bathtub! Reward when you reach your goal weight? Longevity of life! Do you have any regrets since your surgery? Absolutely NONE. What has been the easiest and hardest thing since surgery? Everything has been relatively easy and nothing particularly hard...been a wonderful journey! Any complications you've had? NONE Medical issues that have resolved since surgery? before was pre-diabetic, hypertension and high cholesterol - now all gone. Bad habit you've reverted back to since surgery? too often snacking probably Any thing you wish you would have done differently during your post-op journey? exercise more How has your weight loss affected your relationships with friends, family, spouse or significant other? nothing significantly - all my friends, family, and spouse all still love me for who I am - I am blessed to have such supportive people in my life. Favorite post op recipe (please share with us) Mama-of-3's apple crisp! Everyone should have the recipe - it has been posted so many times! If you could only recommend 3 things, products, foods, etc. That you have found since starting your "Journey," What would they be? As STYLZ says, in the beginning I couldn't have lived without the beans and cheese from Taco Bell! I loved the Unjury protein powder mixed with Simply Smart milk - frozen for a few hours and it tastes like a slushee/ice cream. So in summary - Taco Bell beans, Unjury protein powder and Simply Smart milk....maybe NSA fudgesicles...YUM! If you could pass along advice "been there, done that" to pre-ops, what advice would it be? Read all you can - ask all questions you can - enjoy the journey! STYLZ - you should put a link to this post in the March 2007 dates so those folks just getting started can see where we have been and where we are going!

Good Idea Barbara I just posted the link on the 2007 board and the main board for any post-op marchers to join in

Starting weight 237 Current weight 120 Dr's goal weight for me was 130, mine was 140 Starting size 22 tight current size 4/6 sometimes a 2 Biggest WOW - actually losing 100lbs Things I can do??? I can do most anything now Goal rewards-bought myself a 2005 Chevy Impala LS, silver w/leather interior fully loaded Only regret was not having the surgery sooner Easiest thing since surgery.....hmmmm not sure hardest thing since surgery - leaving my husband No complications Med. Issues resolved-back pain pretty much gone Not sure I've reverted back to any bad habits HOw surgery effected relationships-husband didnt want anything to do with me after surgery

a new car, sounds like a great reward!! congrats on making your goal!!

Change in numbers... Starting weight (289), surgery weight(274), current weight (189), goal weight (135), starting sizes (24/26), current sizes (12/14), loss in inches (unknown)? Your biggest WOW moment? Just being told daily how great I look. Having a cashier not believe I was the same person from my Driver's License! Goals you haven't reached yet, BUT WILL!?!?!?!? Want to be at least a size 9/10 Things that you can do now that you couldn't a year ago? Just moving. I move with a spring - take the stairs/hills instead of finding a way to avoid them. Riding the big roller coasters because the bars can fit down now. Reward when you reach your goal weight? A HUGE wardrobe. Tummy Tuck, Arm Surgery - maybe thigh surgery. Do you have any regrets since your surgery? None - only that I wish I'd done it years ago. I have had NO complications. What has been the easiest and hardest thing since surgery? Getting into the smaller clothes but having problems fitting into them because of the skin on my stomach and arms. Any complications you've had? Other than a SLIGHTLY low iron at the beginning - none. Medical issues that have resolved since surgery? Borderline Diabetes, hypertension, and High Blood pressure Bad habit you've reverted back to since surgery? I never had a problem with eating sugar and fats and I eat too much of them. Any thing you wish you would have done differently during your post-op journey? Never tried sugar to find out I could eat it without problems. How has your weight loss affected your relationships with friends, family, spouse or significant other? Not really affected by anyone I know. Surprised to find I can't get dates now that I'm slimmer - I didn't have as much problem when I was heavier! I really expected to have many more dates now. If you could only recommend 3 things, products, foods, etc. That you have found since starting your "Journey," What would they be? --Vitamin World Multi-Vitamin with iron. They are TINY and easy to swallow. --GNC's Isopure Clear protein drinks in the bottle. 40 grams per bottle - no powder, no mixing - ready to go - not a bad taste. Just a little expensive. --Bariatric Advantage Chewable Calcium Citrate If you could pass along advice "been there, done that" to pre-ops, what advice would it be? Don't give up. Don't take no for an answer. DON'T DELAY! You can always back out before the surgery if you change your mind - but if you keep waiting to make the decision - you may have to wait a year while you get through all the steps and then you'll be angry you didn't start a year earlier!

too funny about the registry! I keep thinking about that happening to me when I go because I look nothing like my picture!

OH Wow, a poll that I get to take! I copied the questions to make it easier I think. Your biggest WOW moment? The first time my cell phone slipped in between my legs with my knees together tight! Goals you haven't reached yet, BUT WILL!?!?!?!? To help many others at OH with a successful journey Things that you can do now that you couldn't a year ago? I think it has shifted for me. I can do everything I could do a year ago...it's just that there are things I WILL do now... or try. Reward when you reach your goal weight? My reward was realizing that hitting and reaching goal was what I needed to be whole again. I just wanted to be normal. It is the most important thing I do every day. Do you have any regrets since your surgery? Nope What has been the easiest and hardest thing since surgery? Losing the weight was the easiest. The hardest thing since surgery is trying to do all the things I want to do. Any complications you've had? so minor they aren't worth mentioning Medical issues that have resolved since surgery? Sleep apnea, high blood pressure to perfect blood pressure and great blood work, less pain Bad habit you've reverted back to since surgery? No reverting. I have some new habits but nothing tragic...I just like shopping a lot now. Any thing you wish you would have done differently during your post-op journey? Perfect question. As a matter of fact I would do nothing differently. Although it was a long time ago and aftercare has progressed since then, I'm happy it happened just like it did. Everything I have done in my life before now has lead to this moment. I'm just where I'd like to be. How has your weight loss affected your relationships with friends, family, spouse or significant other? It was the one thing in my life that was non-negotiable. I was doing it and it wasn't up for discussion. Since I spent most of my life pleasing others, this was not like me. I have been fortunate with my relationships but it's hard to disapprove when I didn't allow anyone to disapprove. Favorite post op recipe (please share with us) I honestly don't have one. I actually try to keep the focus and the ritual off of food. I am finding that taking part in just about anything else is a better way to spend my time. If you could only recommend 3 things, products, foods, etc. That you have found since starting your "Journey," What would they be? Ostrim (a meat snack) and Met RX protein shakes are my favorite. I don't think there's anything else that's special for me to share. If you could pass along advice "been there, done that" to pre-ops, what advice would it be? If you are the type that really wants it, find your perfect weight, get there and stay there....above all else. I can then handle the other issues in my life if I have that under control. Other than that I would suggest you get on the board and find the people that you most wish to duplicate. Take advantage of being on OH and get so you can give later. big hugs, Y

I just read your entire profile. you are a true inspiration!!! Congratulations to you for keeping the weight off and wanting to educate people about obesity, you sound so positive!! I like your mentality about not focusing on food. I think being only 1 year post op we still think about food and continue to fight head hunger. We also think about foods to make sure we're getting in enough protein, but years later, changing your focus to something other than food sounds like the best way to be!! keep us posted on the learning channel episode! Do you do public speaking on obesity or have spoke at any of the OH conventions? thanks for giving us a long term post-op outlook!

Wow, that's really humbling. Really.... You remind me of myself. I read a lot of stuff on OH when I started because I didn't want to miss a thing. I went back to read the very beginning of my profile. In 2000 I heard about WLS one morning on TV and less than 2 weeks after that I had my consultation, found OH and posted. It is difficult to revisit the feelings I had when I wrote that stuff. I should probably go back and make "footnotes" that go into more detail on my profile because I was just a newbie baby poster and didn't really understand how much I should have said. WLS is my passion. I want to give what I got back. I could give back for the rest of my life and never pay for this miracle. I could write pages and pages about how I feel about our whole food ritual. Here's a try at the short story: Putting gas in your car is necessary because it must have fuel. All we do is fill up and leave. You don't think of it again until you need more gas. Imagine going to fill up and just as you pay for it the lights come on. All of a sudden the music starts, male dancers and whatever you wish to insert here. Make it sexy... If it's sexy we want it. Why are we making our food sexy??? I never thought I would say this but after a while of making the food boring I have learned to look at other things. OH WOW, there's a lot of stuff out there. Do you want to spend the rest of your life focusing on the enemy? Put it in it's proper place...where it can't hurt you. Yes I would do speaking. So far I have only been at a lot of OH seminars and done the speaking face to face, one at a time. Ramon (in my video) is my "bestest" person that I mentored. He's lost 270 pounds. He makes me keep on keeping on. He has spoken at two OH Texas events. I have a great deal of info that I'm trying to put in some sharable form....coming soon. I'm here for you to ask me whatever you wish. If you ask how I did it, I'll tell you and I don't get wishy washy on exactly what's necessary to get out of this prison. It is all that you wi**** to be and I believe it's so easy and basic. I think some programs are making it more difficult to succeed than not...they are doing the best they can but this is a relatively new field and I don't think many people really know how to direct us. I will go on all night if I allow myself. I want to add that I was absolutely sure that I would fail. I had failed at everything else and I was sure there was a way that I could mess this up too. At the same time I gave it every bit of respect I had because I was finally getting the keys to the kingdom and I didn't want to drop them. Please let me know if I can help. hugs, Y