hi, I am new

Hi there. My name is Michelle, I am new to the board. I just got my surgery date! I am with Dr Toder, and am scheduled for may 20th. I am excited and nervous all at once. I have been through quite a process of learning and thinking the past year. I am very glad that it is an extensive process, I really needed to commit myself to it in order to know its really what I want. I DO.
I am kinda squeamish about posting my weight yet, and am amazed at all of you who are so open and helpful, and very grateful too. The before and after pics are better than a bag of potato chips! :)
I will check back in soon, and fidure out how to post a pic etc. By the way, I have 3 kids. Im doing this for me, but i REALLY want to ride the rides at the fair this August with my youngest, too. Looking forward to getting to know you all.

Welcome aboard Michelle.  I also had Dr. Toder...she is awesome.  I am a year out and at Dr. goal.  I still want to get a little lower.  I feel great and one of my best wow moments was taking my two children to Story Land and Santa's Village.  I was able to go on all the rides!!!!  Good luck in your journey and I hope you find this board helpful.

Welcome  Michelle!!!  It wont be long now.  You are in great hands.  Dr  Toder is the best.

The most important thing is to do this for yourself.   Following the rules  can be tuff but they are there for a purpose.

The first time i got on a plane and the seatbelt went around me i was  so happy.

Take care

Patty

Welcome Michelle.  Hang on to your hat this is one amazing journey.  I am 8 months out from surgery and the results are stunning to me.  Good luck with your surgery and if you have any questions, I am sure someone here can help.

Welcome Michelle!  This is one wild ride, but it's mostly an enjoyable one.  I've heard wonderful things about Dr. Toder, so I'm sure everything will go fabulously for you.  Feel free to ask any questions, no matter how trivial they may seem.  We're all pretty open about the good and bad (and embarrassing).  Have a great weekend!

Welcome to OH and to our Family here!!! Get ready for your new life and the ride of your life !!! 


also feel free to ask us anything as we are all open books here and will help how ever we can !!!

Welcome Michelle. Your surgery will be here before you know it.

Our program is wonderful and gives you that great notebook which will become your WLS "Bible" through your journey. Dana, the dietician, is used to getting e-mails from me with questions. She is quick to e-mail back with answers and suggestions.
Dr Toder is wonderful. She did mine and Sam's (DH) WLS surgery, and my intestinal blockage surgery..

The weight is a number- nothing to be judged by. It is what it is, and will soon be history. At 1 1/2 years post surgery I don't have a problem telling people how much I have lost. I know that the "in person" folks are doing the math and figuring out what I must have weighed pre-op.
Here I am open. It helped so much to know there were people who had been where I was and that RNY worked for them.

Come, join in, ask questions.

 Welcome to OH, Michelle!  Dr. Toder is my surgeon and she is amazing!  She's really strict and expects you to follow the program, but that's good.  I spent years trying to do my own thing when it came to weight and failed miserably.  If you follow the "program" you'll do well and you'll be amazed.

I am six months out right now and am down almost 90 lbs since my orientation meeting.  My starting weight was 262 and today I weigh 173.  I've gone from a size 24/26 to a size 12/14 and I'm still losing.  

I am shocked at the things I can do that I've never done before.  I'm excited for the fair this summer.   I have 2 boys, ages 3 and 6 and I can't wait to go on the rides with them.  I think we may even go to funtown/splashtown this summer.  We went last year and I was too embarassed to try any of the rides or water slides with them.  Watch out for me this summer!

thank you all for the warm welcomes. I feel like in so many ways my life is about to change, and in some of those ways it is absolutely exhilarating. I was shopping for my littlest at Kohls the other day and had to go to customer service, walked by the womens section that has been unavailable to me for SO many years. I saw a striped (STRIPES!!) sweater on a mannequin, and I wanted to splurge and buy it. It was a teeny little sweater, but it was so cute, so cool looking, and it had stripes. And I realized..."I could possibly buy one in a 14 or so and be in it by the August." Im in a 26/28 now. And that is real, and that is possible, and that blows my mind.

To even imagine I could shop for me in a normal store and not Fashion Bug is awesome. And then I think "thank you God for Fashion Bug", they have been here for me when no one else was. LOL. I think I think too much? :) 

i am trying really hard to do all I am supposed to do. Every day is a battle, counting calories, weighing myself, wondering what Im doing wrong. and sometimes flat out screwing up. I have lost some on my own. Oh geez....I was 315 when I started this journey and am 293 now. So there, I told it. Big secret. I need to start letting go of this shame, I guess. I am doing something about it, right? I'll get there ladies, and I sure appreciate that you will be along for the ride.

Welcom Michelle!

This is an awesome group of people.  You will get lots of support, encouragement, and I hear wonderful things about Dr. Toder. 

Kelly