I haven't had surgery yet i am a little nervous!
Hey everyone my name is Alexandra and i am 21 years old ! I live in Staten island NY and i have 3 beautiful children(yes i know i am young). I have alot of support from friends and family but no one has has this experience before. I am just looking for more of a support from people who is on their journey of losing weight! Thank you and i hope to hear from you soon
xoxox
Alexandra
Congrats on your new journey Alexandra! Ahhhh to be 21 again...lol. I wish I had this done in my early years! I am 43 and just waiting for my approval and a surgery date.
You are lucky to have this done at a young age. So how far long are you in this journey? Good Luck to you and welcome to OH!! I find this site to be very informative and the people here are awsome!!
Debi
Hey ,
Thank you ! So far its all going good! Well its been a hassel because i have 3 children and its hard to work myself around doc apts. Other then that i am very excited. I am just looking for more support from others who are going and have gone for the surgery! How has it been for you so far?
Alexandra
xoxox
Hi,
I really think in my oppinion you are much to young to endure this procedure. This wls is supposed to be used is a last resort. It sounds to me like having three kids is what made you be obese. You probally had them close together without leaving time to loose weight in between each before you got pregnant again and the weight is just compunded on as a result from child birth. Were you over a bmi of 40 before your pregenancies? I don't even think the insurance would even pay for it, they like to see numerous programs tried and also look for obesity in excess of 5 or more years. well what ever you decide I wish you good luck. I am using wls as a last resort.
Sheila
Well honestly in my opinion your WRONG( i am not trying to be nasty)! I have been over weight all of my life ! This is my last resort! I have tried everything from pills over the counter to working out spending thousands on gyms, pillsand programs L.A. weight loss to weigh****chers. The doctor even gave me pills ,i know what i have been through...I am not using this as an excuse to look good. i am a young mother and i wannabe able to live to see my grandchildren at this rate i am not. I want to energetic n live my life. And actually i did lose weight between pregnancies and even during,but gained it all back. My oldest is 3 and my twins just turned 1. I also did get approved! I did everything i was supposed to do...i took all the test saw all my doctors...n every doctor was very supportive of me making the descision of the wls since i have been trying very hard to lose weight.
Alexandra
alexandra, Hi
I am so sorry if I came a cross cold. Now that I here a little bit more about your situation I can understand why you chose to go with wls. I can feel your pain and know what your going through. I'm so gald you got your approval that is great. Did You get a date yet? I really do wish you the best of luck. I hope you can forgive me for jumping to conclusions about your sittuation.
Sheila
Alexandra:
Hello! Welcome to the OH NY FAMILY! I have to say what a strong and brave warrior you are making this decision to take control and change the course of your life. Here we will try to share experiences learning not to judge or blame or shame. Forgiveness of self/others when we do project our issues/opinions onto others as we are all human and learning. Starting with self acceptnce and honesty with a genuine sense of hope and faith can assist us on this journey. 
PLEASE tell us what the fear is about? that is a great place to start working on the emotional side now! What a gift to yourself. 
The facts show those who are Morbidly Obese (BMI over 40) no matter if it is for a second or a lifetime the only proven method of sustained wt loss is surgery at this time. Diets medically supervised or FAD, Cognitive-behavioral therapy, medications OTC or prescription, fail, less than 1% will lose 10% and keep it off! Surgery is the only effective means to lose a significant amount and at 5 yrs keep it off. Maybe this will chang but for now it is all we have, imperfections and risks and all. BUT THANKFULLY we have it and many choices among it! 
:c:
Weight and obesity biases run deep even within those still MO! 
We have been so conditioned to feel the shame of being obese, to feel shamed because we cannot do it on our own when what the heck does that mean???, WLS is still ON OUR OWN! It is StiLL WITH OUR BODIES MINDS AND SPIRITS a decision we make on our own for ourselves! No one else can make us use the tool we choose, it is up to us to be self responsible and accountable CONSISTENTLY for LIFE! WLS is a little very little push in a positive direction for many, the first step in a million mile journey!!! You are breaking free of that shame by making this choice that is challenging but showing YOU ARE WORTHY of it! What an awesome gift! 
PS I recently sent this to a lady who had preop jitters....
email me anythime! [email protected]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello!
To assist in finding inner peace with your decision to have WLS consider YOUR CHOICE reflects the responsible, powerful masterful spirit that you are and you're ready to start creating miracles in your life. Taking some time to meditate, journal, pray, use positive affirmations http://www.dailyinspiringquotes.com/ or http://www.nawls.com/public/department27.cfm or here http://www.unityonline.org/pray_prayersaffirmations.htm etc on your decision. Writing all the reasons why this is your choice, what your expectations and goals are (*consider those beyond wt loss itself), what you are fearful of.
Those that have goals that are health focused and functionally focused do the best (vs. those that are scale or weight/number focused). I am such a firm believer in not allowing the scale (or hunkametal that it is) to rule or dictate ones life/thoughts/feelings any longer, I agree we want to lose wt but gaining our health and ability to function in life are far more important than any number the scale can read; otherwise if it never reads the number we think, others say, a chart suggests we fail and that is simply not true!!!
As I have said before in other forums: Most of our lives we have set RIGID, UNREALISTIC WEIGHT LOSS GOALS for ourselves that are BOTH UNATTAINABLE and CHRONICALLY DISAPPOINTING and lead to DEVASTATION & the slippery slope of self-sabotage...Review the UNDERLYING lifestyle change such as exercise, food choices, self-awareness/monitoring, avoidance of emotional eating, adherence to living self responsibly in a CONSISTENT way that is the foundation to our long-term success. For me I keep telling myself daily that***THE GOAL SHOULD NEVER BE A NUMBER***
Consider that happiness and success will NEVER EVER come from an external source (person, object, number on the scale). It can and will ONLY come from internal self-discovery and love. Listening to my BODY/Mind/Spirit/Heart now and though your journey can be most helpful. Many times we are so busy or do not find the 'me' time needed to really connect internally w/ ourselves. Anxiety is just fear in disguise, ask yourself what are you fearful of? The changes you will go through physically/emotionally/relationship wise, pain, dying, complications, loss of food, fear of failure? Write about them, get them out of your head, feel them....
The goals you write today and reasons may help now as well as down the road when a complication or stressor or plateau happens, it can re-center you within your self, helping you refocus on the big picture and choice you made, well aware of a few bumps in the road. Deciding to have surgery, being as well informed and educated as possible, having supports (in person groups, online, friends and family) to talk to; to normalize and validate ourselves and journey is a key as well.
ONLY you know if this is the right thing at the right time for you, anxiety/fear is common and normal, consider embracing the feelings, they are only that feelings they have a beginning/middle/end and serve us well if we listen vs avoid/repress/stuff them. See this opportunity as one where you can grow. I was motivated but scared as well of dying...a hard decision but one I do not regret making....
I recommend you try to fill your mind with as much optimism and positive thinking
as possible! Basically, become more conscious of what you are thinking and feeling, and start preparing yourself to think of food and your life in a different way. This is a courageous step for you to take, and it's not just about weight changing -- it's about
life changing. This is why so many of us are challenged by the enormity of the decision.
http://www.livingafterwls.com/Library.html this site has many good articles for preop/postop! Check it out periodically many good topics!!!
Maybe use positive thinking such as:
"I AM COMMITTED TO FACE AND RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF LIVING" (i.e. no longer be morbidly obese)
"MY SUCCESS DEPENDS UPON MY CHOICES AND MY BEHAVIOR IN THE PRESENT" (i.e. having the surgery, committing to a healthy lifestyle)
"ALTHOUGH I MAY NOT HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OVER WHAT HAPPENS IN MY LIFE, I CAN ALWAYS CONTROL MYSELF AND HOW I RESPOND TO WHAT HAPPENS" (i.e. complications but how I manage them if they happen is up to me).
THIS EMPOWERS YOU NO MATTER WHAT LIFE BRINGS!!!
YES THIS IS NOT THE EASY WAY OUT! It takes extraordinary courage to make the decision and live w/ the choices we make to consciously limit food choices for the rest of our lives (and potentially limit social opportunities built around meals) among all the other potential complications it can bring short or long-term....
There will be plenty of opportunities to grow/change in life as it can be one stressor/problem after another but deciding to keep on keeping on will always help! Hugs!
I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers! You are a warrior and worthy of this opportunity to change your life...Be well.
Take Care,
Jamie
100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY
320(preop)/163 (lowest)/174 (current) 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery)
Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/
"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"
Hello! Welcome to the OH NY FAMILY! I have to say what a strong and brave warrior you are making this decision to take control and change the course of your life. Here we will try to share experiences learning not to judge or blame or shame. Forgiveness of self/others when we do project our issues/opinions onto others as we are all human and learning. Starting with self acceptnce and honesty with a genuine sense of hope and faith can assist us on this journey.
PLEASE tell us what the fear is about? that is a great place to start working on the emotional side now! What a gift to yourself.
The facts show those who are Morbidly Obese (BMI over 40) no matter if it is for a second or a lifetime the only proven method of sustained wt loss is surgery at this time. Diets medically supervised or FAD, Cognitive-behavioral therapy, medications OTC or prescription, fail, less than 1% will lose 10% and keep it off! Surgery is the only effective means to lose a significant amount and at 5 yrs keep it off. Maybe this will chang but for now it is all we have, imperfections and risks and all. BUT THANKFULLY we have it and many choices among it! :c:
Weight and obesity biases run deep even within those still MO! We have been so conditioned to feel the shame of being obese, to feel shamed because we cannot do it on our own when what the heck does that mean???, WLS is still ON OUR OWN! It is StiLL WITH OUR BODIES MINDS AND SPIRITS a decision we make on our own for ourselves! No one else can make us use the tool we choose, it is up to us to be self responsible and accountable CONSISTENTLY for LIFE! WLS is a little very little push in a positive direction for many, the first step in a million mile journey!!! You are breaking free of that shame by making this choice that is challenging but showing YOU ARE WORTHY of it! What an awesome gift!
PS I recently sent this to a lady who had preop jitters....
email me anythime! [email protected]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello!
To assist in finding inner peace with your decision to have WLS consider YOUR CHOICE reflects the responsible, powerful masterful spirit that you are and you're ready to start creating miracles in your life. Taking some time to meditate, journal, pray, use positive affirmations http://www.dailyinspiringquotes.com/ or http://www.nawls.com/public/department27.cfm or here http://www.unityonline.org/pray_prayersaffirmations.htm etc on your decision. Writing all the reasons why this is your choice, what your expectations and goals are (*consider those beyond wt loss itself), what you are fearful of.
Those that have goals that are health focused and functionally focused do the best (vs. those that are scale or weight/number focused). I am such a firm believer in not allowing the scale (or hunkametal that it is) to rule or dictate ones life/thoughts/feelings any longer, I agree we want to lose wt but gaining our health and ability to function in life are far more important than any number the scale can read; otherwise if it never reads the number we think, others say, a chart suggests we fail and that is simply not true!!!
As I have said before in other forums: Most of our lives we have set RIGID, UNREALISTIC WEIGHT LOSS GOALS for ourselves that are BOTH UNATTAINABLE and CHRONICALLY DISAPPOINTING and lead to DEVASTATION & the slippery slope of self-sabotage...Review the UNDERLYING lifestyle change such as exercise, food choices, self-awareness/monitoring, avoidance of emotional eating, adherence to living self responsibly in a CONSISTENT way that is the foundation to our long-term success. For me I keep telling myself daily that***THE GOAL SHOULD NEVER BE A NUMBER***
Consider that happiness and success will NEVER EVER come from an external source (person, object, number on the scale). It can and will ONLY come from internal self-discovery and love. Listening to my BODY/Mind/Spirit/Heart now and though your journey can be most helpful. Many times we are so busy or do not find the 'me' time needed to really connect internally w/ ourselves. Anxiety is just fear in disguise, ask yourself what are you fearful of? The changes you will go through physically/emotionally/relationship wise, pain, dying, complications, loss of food, fear of failure? Write about them, get them out of your head, feel them....
The goals you write today and reasons may help now as well as down the road when a complication or stressor or plateau happens, it can re-center you within your self, helping you refocus on the big picture and choice you made, well aware of a few bumps in the road. Deciding to have surgery, being as well informed and educated as possible, having supports (in person groups, online, friends and family) to talk to; to normalize and validate ourselves and journey is a key as well.
ONLY you know if this is the right thing at the right time for you, anxiety/fear is common and normal, consider embracing the feelings, they are only that feelings they have a beginning/middle/end and serve us well if we listen vs avoid/repress/stuff them. See this opportunity as one where you can grow. I was motivated but scared as well of dying...a hard decision but one I do not regret making....
I recommend you try to fill your mind with as much optimism and positive thinking
as possible! Basically, become more conscious of what you are thinking and feeling, and start preparing yourself to think of food and your life in a different way. This is a courageous step for you to take, and it's not just about weight changing -- it's about
life changing. This is why so many of us are challenged by the enormity of the decision.
http://www.livingafterwls.com/Library.html this site has many good articles for preop/postop! Check it out periodically many good topics!!!
Maybe use positive thinking such as:
"I AM COMMITTED TO FACE AND RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF LIVING" (i.e. no longer be morbidly obese)
"MY SUCCESS DEPENDS UPON MY CHOICES AND MY BEHAVIOR IN THE PRESENT" (i.e. having the surgery, committing to a healthy lifestyle)
"ALTHOUGH I MAY NOT HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OVER WHAT HAPPENS IN MY LIFE, I CAN ALWAYS CONTROL MYSELF AND HOW I RESPOND TO WHAT HAPPENS" (i.e. complications but how I manage them if they happen is up to me).
THIS EMPOWERS YOU NO MATTER WHAT LIFE BRINGS!!!
YES THIS IS NOT THE EASY WAY OUT! It takes extraordinary courage to make the decision and live w/ the choices we make to consciously limit food choices for the rest of our lives (and potentially limit social opportunities built around meals) among all the other potential complications it can bring short or long-term....
There will be plenty of opportunities to grow/change in life as it can be one stressor/problem after another but deciding to keep on keeping on will always help! Hugs!
I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers! You are a warrior and worthy of this opportunity to change your life...Be well.
Take Care,
Jamie
100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY
320(preop)/163 (lowest)/174 (current) 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery)
Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/
"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!" Most Active
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