i made my first milestone goal! i had surgery on 5/19/03 (open gastric) and as of last week, i am down 105 pounds. i started at 355 and last monday i was 245. i was wearing 28/30's and thanksgiving i wore a size 16 pant with an XL shirtand it fit totally comfortable!!!! i am 5'9, so 245 spreads nicely and i couldn't be happier. my doctor wants to see me at 180 by May 2004, and then he said he will discuss my TT and hernia repair. i feel this is completly reasonable, 65 more pounds to go till goal, in 6 months is totally do-able!! then about 15 pounds of tummy skin, arm skin, thigh skin... geesh, maybe even 30 pounds of extra skin removed!! yeah i need some put back in my boobs.... maybe i could save on the implants and use my excess.... lol i hope you all are doing great, & feeling better. stick to your proteins, proteins, proteins!!! such a hard thing this time of year- and exercise, ughhh..... but ya gotta stick to it ****ep telling myself).

Hello, Does anyone out there have Medicaid? How has your experience been? I have been un-officially approved and told to find my surgeon, This must be done after you have met Medicaid's criteria and before you are officially approved. My consult is Dec 2nd, this week and I just am on pens and needles. I want this precedure done as much as my doctors do. I guess I am a walking time-bomb waiting for the next attack. The excess weight my body and organs are slowlly falling victim to is, just as much if not more, significantly putting my life at risk everyday I continue to remain so overweight. I am not able to lose any substantial amount of weight quick enough to reduce the stress on my body. My doctors all agree that the surgery is less of a dangerous risk than the surgery. I hope that someone out there will reach out to me by answering this message. Thank you. Hope you had a peaceful, enlightening Thanksgiving.

Hi, my surgery was 5/13/03 and I am very discouraged at this point. I have only had a loss of 55 pounds. The last 2 months it has slowed to hardly anything. I get 80-100 oz. of water, stick to high protein, walk 5-7 days a week, light weight training 3 days a week. I am so despaired at all this. Noreen

CONGRATS!!! I am also 6 months and -92lbs since my DS surgery on May 21st . This surgery has truly been a blessing. It is amazing how shocked people are when they see you . I work in a dental office and patients are coming in for their 6 month check-up and walk by me then when they realize it is me the freak, I love the change . ENJOY THE REST OF THE RIDE !!!!!!!

Marsenna I too am at 93 since my surgery. I too hope to reach 100 before the end of the year. Keep it up.