Thank you to all of you who took the time to talk about your personal experiences. I for one appreciate it. Thanks for the advice. I am having surgery on Sept 20th!! I think my biggest fear at this time is failing at this too. I am so afrain after all the diets I have been through that I will fail at this one too. I want to succeed this time. I will really try and follow all of the rules and take all of your advic e. I know this is the last resort and I have nowhere else to go after this surgery. Congrats to all of you on your successes in losing the weight.

Ya'll we had a poster with a great idea to share with you all this years Sept surgery page with a little of our journey from sept 2005. I am jacqueline and had surgery Sept 16 in Frankfurt Germany. I weighted 274lbs then and weigh a wonderful 158 now!! I am thrilled to death with the surgery. One thing I would like to have known : Hum? This is a difficult question to answer. I think I knew a lot. Oh, maybe the plastic surgery issue. I am thrilled to admit that I will need surgery to deal with loose skin. OK not thrilled, but ya know? I lost a lot of weight!! I am so thankful for the wonderful support of my 2005 Sept surgery board. Have made awesome connections and hope you all keep up with your board. They knew what I needed almost before I did!! Great support as they knew what I was going through. I better tell them that, huh? I think they would like it. One thing I might change: Well, live overseas working for the US govt so I think I would have been more open with my family in the States about the surgery. My parents still don't know what I did. And people I work with around Germany don't know either. So I would change that I think. Words of Wisdom: Remember it is a tool. Treat it kindly, exercise, water and protein and a little love and it melts the pounds off. Ok a lot of exercise!! Truly...patience helps too. Best wishes to all. Jacqueline

well, last year this time, I was seeing my surgeon for the first time and I was so ready to have this surgery done! I was so disgusted with myself and everything all over hurt and was tired all the time! I had my surgery on September 13, 2005...and in retrospect, it is one of the very best days of my life! Right up there with wedding and children and grandchildren being born! I've lost 125 lbs in just under 11 months and I feel fabulous! Everything is so much easier to do and be when you are thinner! I still have about 12 lbs to go. I had a lot of nausea right after surgery, but that was the only negative...almost no pain from my lap RNY. I had the surgery on a Tuesday and worked half a day on Friday that same week...half days for the next week and then back to full time. I felt and feel fabulous nearly 100% of the time! My best advice to all of you is to exercise, exercise, exercise...even if it's 'just' walking. Get yourself an iPod or MP3 player or something like that and load in some walking CDs and get going...even if it's just 10 min right now, start it NOW and don't stop. That has helped me keep the weight loss going and I'm over 50, where it's a little harder to lose that weight. I also am able now (as of January, 3 months after surgery) to do Jazzercise for an hour a day, 3 days a week. Be sure to get in your surgeon's requirement of protein each day (I still make sure to get at least 80 grams of protein), and water (I still try to get at least 100 oz of water/day). This means that I start the day with a protein drink that's at least 40 grams of protein. I weigh myself every single morning. I can take it if the weight stays the same, or even in a few instances, goes UP from the previous day. I can handle that...and I'd rather know what it is..get yourself one of those digital scales where it gives you an exact weight in lbs and tenths of lbs. I still use Weightbydate.com, which is downloaded on my Palm. Others use fitday.com. Either way, it's the best way to know what you're consuming in calories and protein and water, as well as how many calories you're expending in exercise. It also will help project how long til you reach your goal weight. Feel free to email me with any questions and good luck on your journey...it is SO WORTH it!!! I love being in size 12's and 14's and having pants in a size PXL fall off my hips!! Pam 9-13-05 5'2" 282/157/145

Shelly, sorry you are getting all these.. I think it best just to link to your post... OK.... Here's some encouragement from Another Sept 2005.....to Sept 2006 Start: 358 lbs Now : 224 lbs Goal: 185 lbs?? Surgery: 9/14/05 I'm 5'6" Something I wish I would've known before surgery...... To be honest I researched so much HERE on OH, that I pretty much had it covered, between the Sept 2005 board, the Main Board & TX board, I KNEW what I was getting into... you can also attribute the fact that it took 3 YEARS to make up my mind.. The BEST thing I could have done, is just have doen it SOONER!!!!!! Do your research and "JUST DO IT" If I was starting out my surgery this year now, instead of last, I would excersize more, it's so much easier said than done........................ ADVISE: 1. Get involved with other WLS'er's........... It helps keep you on TRACK!!! a. Here on web b. Hospital or Dr support group 2. Take pictures & measurements BEFORE surgery, and then every month after!!! (You will be amazed what this does for you!!! It's normal for WLS people to look in the mirror and STILL see the FAT person looking back, if you have the pictures, it can bring you back to REALITY!!) 3. After surgery like many has said... it's no picnic.... but IT GET'S EASIER!!!!! I just can't re-iterate this ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 4. If at all possible DO NOT TEST YOUR LIMITS ON SUGAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did this early, and know that I do not dump.... I think I might have lost more by now, if I DIDN'T knw that I can eat this or that........ 5. Crystal Light(or generic @ WalMart), can be your BEST friend if you have a tough time with getting your water down. They have a lot of flavors. My favorites are: Peach Tea, Raspberry & Fruit Punch(this one tastes like Hawaiian Punch without the SUGAR!!!) 6. The only DUMB questions is the ones you NEVER ask. There's usually ALWAYS someone on the board who is willing to listen or tell you what they have learned... Feel free to wonder over to other boards like Sept 2005!!!!!! 7. Organize all your different size clothes BEFORE surgery, and keep trying them on after surgery... If you are bigger over 26/28 size it does take some time to lose a size , but once you do, it goes fast. I kow SO many people who get excited and start buying clothes, when they notice they NEVER wore the clothes, cause they were too BIG, by the time they tried them on.... I reccommend when you get to the next size... look for a bargain on the next size down, and buy 1. You then can keep trying that one on, until it fits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good Luck & God Bless to all you Sept 2006 SURGERIES!!! We on the Sept 2005 are CHEERING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tanya L

Donna, You are Amazing!!! No Joke, Today deep down inside I was feeling a little scared and thought "Am I doing the right thing for me or should I give "DIE-ting" another try?" then I read your post and thought "I'm just a little nerveous, must be normal..." As I read your post I thought a lot about food as freind and truely it's never been a freind...just an addiction that anestitizes (sp?) me...food to give life will be my motto. Thanks for sharing and consistantly being open with it all... Elisa