NEW AND SO EXCITED :)

 OKAY GUYS!
MY NAME IS BRITTANY, IM 21 5'6 238. IVE BEEN THIN MOST OF MY LIFE UNTIL I APPROACHED MY 17TH BIRTHDAY, 5 YEARS LATER AND 100LBS... I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HYPERTENSION 1/11 AND I HAD BEEN CONCIDERING WLS FOR MONTHS BEFORE THAT. MY MOTHER HAD WLS AND NOW IM PLANNING ON USING THE SAME SURGEON AND HAVING VSG.. MY PCP IS FULLY SUPPORTIVE AND I JUST DID A COMPLETE PANEL OF BLOOD WORK LAST WEEK AND IM MEETING WITH DR.KIM (SURGEON) ON THE 12TH.. THOUGH EVERYTHING IS GOING SMOOTHLY THE HARDEST THING FOR ME IS DEALING WITH SUPPORT IM KIND OF NERVOUS TO BE OPEN ABOUT WLS WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY BUT SO FAR THEY HAVE BEEN SUPORTIVE.. ITS ONE DAY AT A TIME RIGHT?? ANYWAYS SO IF ANYONE HAS ANY ADVICE LET ME KNOW IM OPEN EARS :)

 as you start your journey, just know that when you start telling people, you're probably going to have a lot of people try to discourage you. i was shocked by how many people were trying to convince me to NOT have wls when i first started talking about it but you can't let it upset you. this is your decision and no one else's so don't let anyone try to sway your decision. if you want it, you deserve it and most people that have something negative to say have no idea what you're going through. it's amazing that you've made this decision, though, and i wish you luck with your surgeon! it's pretty exciting no matter how early in the process it is

 awe thanks hun, yes i dont think my father or my sister are going to be supportive. but i know that the further i get into this process the more comfortable i will be with being open about it to others, ive never been ashamed of who i was or what ive done but, i guess this is more of a personal thing. 

 i've lost count of how many people tried to tell me i could do this on my own and i didn't need the surgery but the fact remains, no one knows what it's like because no one is going through what you're going through. luckily, even the people that continue to play devil's advocate are still supporting me and i am really thankful my family and closest friends are being so supportive. i just now wish i hadn't told so many people because too often, people are trying to tell me how to live my life and i just really don't want to hear it so take that into consideration. then again, i was so excited i just couldn't keep it to myself

i think one of the biggest factors in doing this and not trying "one more time" to diet was being diagnosed with hypertension i was a complete shock i didnt think it was that bad and im only 21 so im thinking about what else could be going wrong... i havent gotten the rest of my blood work back yet... so what was your moment when u realized you were going to do this?

 i realized it my senior year in high school. i had been considering it because my best friend at the time was looking into it during our junior year and then i went on a trip with one of my counselors to california for a seminar and she admitted to me that she'd had it done when she was 23. we had a heart to heart and talked about it in depth the entire weekend and i knew i wanted to do it. i've done so many diets and honestly, i just can't do them because i'm always hungry and i can't deal with the hunger. it's been three years since i made the decision to do this and it's finally becoming a reality so i'm really, really excited. there's nothing in the world i want more than this

 THATS AWESOME! I really wish i had someone close to me that i could relate to who had surgery young like i am planning too but thats also why i love this specific forum. and i always feel like im hungry as well but i try to fight it, i just got done watching man vs. food yeahh... big mistake lol

sadly, she's not in my life anymore since i graduated but knowing she had it young made it real for me and it helped me make the decision. haha i feel you so hard. i'm on a liquid/shake pre-op diet and i am STARVING but i'm dealing

 i feel the same way, and it sounds like we're at the same way in our process. i'm meeting with a potential surgeon the 14th :) i have been waiting to do this for years and i'm sick of everyone telling me the risks. i know the risks, but i also know if i don't do this my health will continue to spiral downhill and i will never live the quality of life that i want. my mind is set. i think we just have to push through the distractions of people whos opinions really don't matter in our decision.

I just feel like people are going to be like YOU DIDNT TRY ENOUGH, or my personal fav, YOUR LAZY... its like ya know screw you this is my life my choice my body, ive been to skinny and now to my more fatter self i know how it is to be on both sides of the fence and trust me there i have tryed im just really thankful for this website and other members like yall, i dont feel so alone anymore with this knowing im not the only 20 somthing who wants to LIVE there prime years :)