First Posting and some questions....... :)

Hi everyone.. This is my first post on the site.. I have been reading and reading and READING all of the information that this wonderful site offers about WLS for the last week or so.. I have been thinking of having WLS for quite sometime.. For some reason I have always felt as if WLS would be a cop out for me.. I am tall 5'10 and have always been very athletic. I was a 3 sport athlete in school and graduated weighing 245 lbs. I have read a lot of the journals and stories about other WLS patients and haven't really found one that I personally relate too.. I was always the tallest and heaviest in school but I was never really teased.. I had very loving family and a wonderful group of loving and supportive friends. I settled for being the "bigger" girl because I figured it was just in my genes.. My great grandmother was 6'4 350lbs for god's sake!! I just thanked god that I was tall and "well proportioned". But now I am 30 soon to be 31. My outlook on life has changed. My first diet wasn't until 3 years ago and it was Weigh****chers. I dropped 23 lbs in 8 weeks. Then I went off and gained the weight back.. About a year later I tried Atkins.. Lost about 30 lbs but as soon as I went off the weight came back and then some.. I am now 308lbs.. Ever since I hit the 300lb mark I have really started to think strongle of having this surgery. My main reasons are because of my family history. Heart disease and diabetes are HUGE in my family.. I am scared that I am going to have to give myself shots of insulin one day.. Mu sugar is fine now but I am so scared of the future. I also want to have children one day and I don't want to be 308 lbs and pregnant. I have one major question in regards to WLS. I have a lot of muscle tone in my body. What are everyone's experiences with sagging skin? I am wondering if the skin sags more if one has children pre-wls.. Is there any rhyme or reason for it? I have a friend (a guy) that lost 200 lbs in one year and he has no excess skin. He hardly even exercised. I would love to hear everyone's take on this..... Thanks So Much and I look forward to talking to everyone in the future!! Oh.. FYI.. I have an initial consultation date on Oct 31st! I know.. long wait.... God Bless! Emily

Emily, first off don't think of the surgery as a cop out, sometimes it's the only way. Second you have to do what you feel is right for you. I too have a wonderful support group and it really made my decision easier when I chose this route. I'm only 2 months out, I've lost 50lbs to date and feel wonderful! I was always heavy so it has been extremly satisfing hearing the wonderful compliments from people but the best part is not getting winded when I walk a flight of stairs and being able to fit in the tub comfortably. It's the little things that excite me. Take your time, do your research and read this site as much as you can, these are wonderful people who have been exactly where you are now. It's a lot of information at first but suddenly it all fits into place and you'll know if this is right for you. Take care and best of luck in the desicion you decide to make for you and only you. Lisa Maempel

Emily, Hi I am tall 5'11" and I was a 3 sport athlete as well. I graduated at 202lbs I was always taller and bigger than my friends and because of sports very popular and not teased for weight issues. As the years went by I'd gain 10 lbs and then 20 until I reached a wopping 398 lbs. I was very active but because of my weight I developed diabetes and couldn't get pregnant. My husband and I tried for 3 years and my weight just continued to go up. I have been on diets since I was 5 because no matter my height I still weighed greater than my ideal body weight. The surgery was not a cop out for me it was a last resort and I'd go through it all over again. I lost 60 lbs before surgery and in less than 3 months I am down another 75 lbs. I didn't feel this good when I was in high school. I exercise every day and each day I have more energy then the day before. At 35 I actually feel like I am 25. This was the best decision and gift that I could give myself. Good Luck with your journey. And for the areas that I still had good muscle tone they are just leaner and more toned then before surgery. Denise