I admire you all...

brenmatt65
on 11/21/08 1:07 pm - Powell, WY
I would just like to tell you all--I ADMIRE YOU ALL SO MUCH!  I know where you're going because I've been there...and rest assured...it's ALL worth it!  Take a look at my profile and before and now pictures....and just know...you're all gonna be there soon!

With that, I'd like to encourage you all to take before pictures, and take progress pictures...it will amaze you!  And just wait til you have people tell you how wonderful you look! And even better than that--just think how great you're going to feel!  You'll have so much energy you won't know what to do with it all! 

One of my "WOW" moments was when one of my best friends hadn't seen me for several months post-op and she walked right past me in Walmart....she didn't recognize me! LOL!  And when a towel fit all the way around me with room to spare!  And when you drop sizes (go shopping weeeeeeee!!!) faster than you can keep up with!  All these moments are yours to enjoy very very soon!  I can hardly wait to read your wow moments!

God bless you all!

Brenda
B. Cessna
on 11/22/08 9:14 am - Gettysburg, PA
I started with before pics today. I am planning to start a scrapbook. Thanks for the encouraging words!

   


*Confidence is feeling satisfied with who and what we are*




        

brenmatt65
on 11/22/08 10:35 am - Powell, WY

You're welcome, Brenda!  By the way, nice name you have :) 

I'm sooooo in favor of support, pre-op and post-op.  I go to a support group once a month and it makes SUCH a difference! 

One thing I did want to share with everyone is my feelings on the "last meal" before the pre-op liquid diet.....

Try not to be sad as you eat what you feel will be your last "normal" meal ever.  Here is what I've learned...
It's not the "last meal" at all.  We are saying goodbye to our old ways, habits and lifestyle and hello to the better, healthier and happier one.  Yes, it is the last meal you'll eat as you know "normal" to be now.  But as you get farther out from surgery you'll find yourselves eating and enjoying it.  It will be smaller portions, of course, and better, healthier choices.  But pretty soon you'll find yourself forgetting how you used to eat.  Your "new normal" takes the place of your "old normal" and you truly can't remember what it was like to eat a heaping plate of unhealthy food.  At least that's how it's been for me.  I don't even notice what my husband and sons put on their plates.  I'm concentrating on what goes on my own plate so much that I don't pay attention to theirs.  Strange huh?

I hope all my post-op, sixteen-month-out words of wisdom are encouraging to all of you just staring this journey.

Remember, our journey has NO final destination.  It's a journey for life and health and it's LIFELONG.  The rewards are also lifelong right along with the journey.

God bless you all!

Brenda

Molly S.
on 11/23/08 12:49 pm - Richmond, VA
I'm facing my "last" meal this Thursday, starting on the pre-opt liver shrinking diet Friday.  I will try to not be negative about it.  Did you have RNY or LapBand?  I am so afraid I won't lose enough weight doing lapband.  i want to lose 100 pounds.  I'll never wear a 4 but I'd still like to look good.  You look WONDERFUL.  Congrats on all the hard work.  Your family must be so proud of you. 

Take care,
Molly
brenmatt65
on 11/24/08 12:09 pm - Powell, WY

Hi Molly!
I had the RNY gastric bypass.  I chose not to do the lapband for several reasons.  I didn't want a foreign object like that in my body forever, I didn't want to have to deal with fills of the band, and most of all I wanted to have absorption and restrictive aid both.  Lapband has worked well for many people, but it just wasn't for me.  A small part of it was the more rapid weight loss with the RNY also.  Like I said, there were many reasons I chose the RNY over the lapband.  Also, the facility I had my surgery at doesn't do lapband so I'd have had to travel much farther than the 97 miles I traveled so that played into it a little too.

Thank you for the compliments!  I feel 100 times better than I look!  It feels good to feel good again and to be able to do all the many things I didn't used to be able to do.  I'm gonna be a grandma next month and I want to be able to play with my grandson and do all the things a grandma is supposed to do with her grandkids :-).  Before, I never would have been able to at all.

I wish you many blessings and an uneventful surgery with speedy recovery!  I also pray for you all the success you hope for! 

God bless!

Brenda

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