Newbies & Oldbies - check in here please!

HI Dina!! I am 24 and had my surgery 2/16/04. I am down 187 total 167 since surgery. I am 30 from my goal weight and looking a little into ps. I am married, 3 years in May, to my high school sweetheart and biggest supporter. We dont have any kids, but have two nieces that we adore. I work full time in accounting and go to school. My weight right now is the real weight on my license. I would LOVE to meet up with people in the area (SE, Portland, area) and gab!! Good luck to all!! Sarah

Hi Sarah! Congrats on passing your 1-year anniversary with such great success! I'm looking into PS as well....are you going to attempt insurance approval? I am, but having a hard time finding someone local that does a LBL and takes insurance. The good thing is that I had my 6 month (okay, 1 month late!) with my Dr. yesterday and he said I shouldn't have much problem getting at least extended abdominoplasty covered. Woohoo! And, he said "when you get this off, there won't be much left of you". That was really terrific to think about...I've always been a "substantial" girl...I guess now that I'm almost 44, I would have been called a woman of "substance" at my higher weight. My boyfriend (saying that at 43 is VERY weird!) has called me a "big weinie" for a long time, but he's having to change it to "little weinie". Yes, you'll definitely have to try to make one of the get-togethers! Would love to meet you! Michele

Hi Sarah! You have done such a fantastic job getting the weight off. Look at you melt with only 30 to go! Congrats on your 1 year anniversary by the way - a little belated! Mine is coming up in a week! Dina

So glad to hear from you Dina! I have been having such a bad time coping with the girl scout cookie season! Since we are kind of kissin cousins on our WLS date/weight stuff, I had thought of asking if you are able to dodge the thin mint onslaught. Actually, I am guessing my girl scout consumption is far below "normal people without weight issues", and that is the great difference between this year and last! I am 43 years old and live in Lake Oswego. I have been married for twenty years, and have three kids (girls 11 and 13, boy 15). I am a stay-at-home mom, who just applied for my first job in fifteen years! I feel like a dinasour, but a thin one with some cute clothes. I had lap RNY with Dr. Hong on April 7, 2004. My high at surgery was 330. I am down to 170 (down 160) and fit into three different brands of jeans in size 12 yesterday. My weight loss has slowed to a crawl, but I am determined to get to 150. I would be O.K. if I never lost another pound though. Dr. Hong says I have exceeded the goal of the surgery, and leaves any further loss goals up to me. I feel all kinds of expected feelings at this point (joy, relief, hope, recaptured youth, ect.) but I think the one I feel the most is grattitude. I am so grateful to this surgery for the changes it has made possible. It is no free ride, there are lots of good decisions that have to be made every day, but if does make me feel like my goals are possible. My license says 150 (gotten when I was way in the high 200s). I have a stare that would have dared any foolish DMV employee or highway patrol officer that would have challenged this middle aged, law abiding woman, on my weight number. I bet if one had a hidden scale, and had 50 women at a mall show their driver licenses, not many if any would reflect that number. Patty

What a great post! You have done such an awesome job! Love the "stare down" comment, lol! See you soon! Michele

Wow Patty - a size 12!!! I am just in awe! I can't wait until the day I see that. I have to keep telling myself it will happen....might just take awhile to get there! I too am so grateful for this surgery - it has really done a lot to change my life....from my lifestyle to my outlook and my perception of myself even. I still sometimes feel like a bull in a china shop, but other times I feel downright thin....even when I have to laugh because I'm not! Dina

Hello Everyone!! Mary P checking in! Lurking about...coming off of three back-to-back 16 hours work days...and pretty frazzled presently. I'm 37, married to a prince, and have two cats (Elvis and Janis), two fish (Louie and Lestat) and some dead plants. I live in Hillsboro (suburb of Portland) and am co-owner of a mortgage company. (thanks for the referral Tee!! I think Jodi and I are gonna have coffee on friday...you should join us!) I had open RNY with Dr. Flanagan in Eugene on Jan 28, 2004. My surgery weight was 301 and I don't know how much I weigh right now because I had my husband hide my scale in January. (I started lifting weights on top of my other work outs and my weight began to fluctuate...drove me crazy ) Last time I weighed...I was down 105 pounds....about 45 pounds from goal weight then and not sure how much I weigh now. I started in a size 32 and I'm down to a 14/16. I'm training for 5K run in May. I can walk 5 miles in about 1.5 hours....but I want to run the full 5k in may....not walk any of it. That's my goal anyway. I need to update my photo as it's almost a year old. Ya know whats weird?....even though I'm still chubby...I look at my face in the mirror and feel like I look skeletal....like an alien. Wonder if I'll ever get used to this new face. Anyway.....I'm rockin on! Great idea, Dina!

Hey Mary! I sent you an email about Friday. I'd love to join you guys and look forward to it. Chubby? Not that I noticed. You have a beautiful face and you look great. tee

Mary - so good to hear from you! I am seriously impressed with your 5k run! I can walk but I am NOT a runner! I wish I could get past that but until I have PS, I am afraid I would just injure myself if I started running! ::flap flap flap:: Ewwwwww! Dina

You're face is not skeletal at all! You're a beautiful girl! Inside and out. It is hard to see the new "self" though, I've struggled with it as well. Best of luck to you on your 5K. I'm not a runner, always hated even the thought of it, ugh! I'm thinkin' breakfast again on 3/26 or 4/2....what do you think? Others that couldn't attend last time could hopefully plan for it. Michele