Re: Another new kid on the block

[Guest guest]

Hello ,

When I read your message I see that you have had a

lot of the same thoughts I had 4 years ago when I

started this process. It took me this long to get

approved and I see that as a bless now. I am 36yrs.

old so I was 32 at the time I first started my quest

for wls. Then I was still very active and quite

healths except for endometriosis which I had dealt

with for 15yrs. I was still doing flips on the

trampoline with my girls and basketball with my

husband and friends weekly. I was 5'7'' & 265#'s then.

Well over the last 4 years I have gained wt. up to

308 and shrunk to 5' 6'' and yes this is accurate. The

pain I have in my back is so bad that sometimes I

can't even take care of my own personal hygiene. I

become short of breath with one flight of stairs, the

pain in my feet ans legs gets so bad I cry. I guess

what I am saying is that if you have struggled with

your weight if at all possible get it done before you

get to where I am. I depend on medications to be able

to even get out of bed and this is no way to live so

if you can get approved for surgery now while your

still health maybe you can alleviate ever having to go

thru what many others have gone through. I think it

is always best to follow your heart you know your gut

instinct and everything will work out the way it is

intended. I hope this helps you and my prayers are

with you for speedy recover nov. 6th.

BE HAPPY

B

wt. 308 BMI 49

Pre-op Dr.Ren Nov. 13, 2001

--- mushnyc@... wrote:

> Hi Everyone. Yes, another new kid on the block has

> been flushed out

> of the depths of cyberspace. I wanted to say hello,

> introduce myself,

> and see if any of you out there can help assuage

> some of my concerns

> and/or at least relate to how I'm feeling.

>

> Like many of you did/are, I've been researching WLS

> for about a year

> or so, casually for the most part. That is until a

> couple of months

> ago when I read a book on the topic by M.Boasten

> that made me look at

> the whole thing differently. I, up until then, had

> the stigma of

> stomach stapling of years ago stuck in my head and

> couldn't help but

> think it was such a drastic step; too much so for

> me. But then I

> realized that the procedures have changed so much

> since then and are

> considerably safer. The author also made me accept

> that sometimes we

> are this overweight for reasons beyond our control

> (metabolism,

> genetics, a " short circuiting " between our brains

> telling the cells

> in our intestines to absorb far more than is

> necessary etc.). Most

> likely, it's a combination of factors.

>

> As for me personally, it's a mystery how I am this

> weight. I have

> never been a big eater (honest to God), don't binge

> eat or even eat

> junk food much, and have always, up until pretty

> recently, been very

> active (even played competitive tennis through

> college), yet somehow,

> slowly but surely, and no thanks to dieting, have

> gotten bigger. It

> not only amazes me, but pisses me off, to be honest

> (FYI, I'm 35,

> 5'8 " , ~size 26/28). It just perplexes me. But I've

> come to a point

> where I'm just tired of putting my life on " hold "

> because of the

> extra weight. I'm a firm believer that the weight is

> only as much of

> an obstacle as we allow it to be, but that's to a

> certain extent.

> I've always been a self-confident and self-assured

> woman, but I just

> don't feel like this is the real me. I've never

> thought or acted like

> a fat person, and while that may be a good thing

> sometimes, at others

> it's as if I'm in a bit of denial. As much as I like

> to think that

> society doesn't look at me differently because of

> the extra weight,

> we all know that's not the case. Sigh.

>

> Anyhow, I've slowly but surely come to the

> conclusion that WLS is for

> me. Thankfully, I was thorough in my research, and

> learned of the DS

> and feel it would be best for me. I am lucky enough

> to have no weight-

> related issues at the moment, but don't want that to

> change as I get

> older. Yet I also can't help wondering if I'm trying

> to fix something

> that's not broken, you know? And while that

> terrifies me, I'd like to

> think that fear is healthy (I understand that

> surgery is a very

> serious step).

>

> I think reading Hawkins post yesterday and his

> concerns (and

> lovely poem), as well as reading about the woman who

> died recently,

> really made me think some more. I'm sure I want this

> surgery, but

> can't help but second-guess what I'm hoping to do.

> I'm young and

> healthy and know that I can be committed to doing

> what I have to post-

> op (protein first, vitamins etc.), but understably

> have my concerns.

>

> I met with Dr. Ren in August and have a surgery date

> of Nov. 6th. I

> still have to have the dreaded endoscopy, have my

> psych. evaluation

> submitted, and am meeting with the nutritionist next

> week. So, the

> ball is rolling. Well, that's as long as Oxford

> doesn't give me a

> hard time after my prelim. tests are completed and

> the application is

> submitted (I think Dr. Ren's office waits close to

> the actual surgery

> date to do this).

>

> So, that's where I am right now. I believe that God

> brought me to

> this place for a reason and if the surgery is meant

> to happen, it

> will. This has been a horrible year for me (my 31

> year old brother

> passed away of cancer in Feb. and I got laid off

> from my job as a

> headhunter in May), so I'm looking at the surgery as

> turning that all

> around. My birthday is in November too and I'd like

> to think I'm

> giving myself a present; the me that I'm supposed to

> be.

>

> Anyway, sorry for rambling. I thought it was time

> that I be involved

> in these posts as I've enjoyed reading them for some

> time now.

> Continued success to all of you out there post-op;

> you're an

> inspiration to me, and many other pre-opers, I'm

> sure.

> ,

> D. in NYC

>

>

>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

Hi - Reading your post was like looking inside my own life. I

too have never been a binge eater and have always been fairly active

and still my weight went up. I started researching WLS a while ago

and decided that DS was for me. I don't have a surgery date yet, but

I do have an appointment with Dr. Ren on Oct. 31 and am hoping to

have surgery in January. I am 31 years old and also lost my brother

to cancer...in 1994 when he was 27 years old. I am at the same point

in my life...I can't wait to get on with my life and am excited about

my future even though I have moments of fear concerning what I am

about to get myself into.

I just want to welcome you to this site. I'll look forward to

hearing your comments on Dr. Ren.

Take care,

[Guest guest]

Welcome, !

You'll learn a lot here.. so if you have questions, ask!!! Congrats

on finding us, congrats on your tentative surgery date! Keep us

updated as things progress, OK?

Hugs,

Liane

> Hi Everyone. Yes, another new kid on the block has been flushed out

> of the depths of cyberspace. I wanted to say hello, introduce

myself,

> and see if any of you out there can help assuage some of my concerns

> and/or at least relate to how I'm feeling.

>

> Like many of you did/are, I've been researching WLS for about a year

> or so, casually for the most part. That is until a couple of months

> ago when I read a book on the topic by M.Boasten that made me look

at

> the whole thing differently. I, up until then, had the stigma of

> stomach stapling of years ago stuck in my head and couldn't help but

> think it was such a drastic step; too much so for me. But then I

> realized that the procedures have changed so much since then and are

> considerably safer. The author also made me accept that sometimes we

> are this overweight for reasons beyond our control (metabolism,

> genetics, a " short circuiting " between our brains telling the cells

> in our intestines to absorb far more than is necessary etc.). Most

> likely, it's a combination of factors.

>

> As for me personally, it's a mystery how I am this weight. I have

> never been a big eater (honest to God), don't binge eat or even eat

> junk food much, and have always, up until pretty recently, been very

> active (even played competitive tennis through college), yet

somehow,

> slowly but surely, and no thanks to dieting, have gotten bigger. It

> not only amazes me, but pisses me off, to be honest (FYI, I'm 35,

> 5'8 " , ~size 26/28). It just perplexes me. But I've come to a point

> where I'm just tired of putting my life on " hold " because of the

> extra weight. I'm a firm believer that the weight is only as much of

> an obstacle as we allow it to be, but that's to a certain extent.

> I've always been a self-confident and self-assured woman, but I just

> don't feel like this is the real me. I've never thought or acted

like

> a fat person, and while that may be a good thing sometimes, at

others

> it's as if I'm in a bit of denial. As much as I like to think that

> society doesn't look at me differently because of the extra weight,

> we all know that's not the case. Sigh.

>

> Anyhow, I've slowly but surely come to the conclusion that WLS is

for

> me. Thankfully, I was thorough in my research, and learned of the DS

> and feel it would be best for me. I am lucky enough to have no

weight-

> related issues at the moment, but don't want that to change as I get

> older. Yet I also can't help wondering if I'm trying to fix

something

> that's not broken, you know? And while that terrifies me, I'd like

to

> think that fear is healthy (I understand that surgery is a very

> serious step).

>

> I think reading Hawkins post yesterday and his concerns (and

> lovely poem), as well as reading about the woman who died recently,

> really made me think some more. I'm sure I want this surgery, but

> can't help but second-guess what I'm hoping to do. I'm young and

> healthy and know that I can be committed to doing what I have to

post-

> op (protein first, vitamins etc.), but understably have my concerns.

>

> I met with Dr. Ren in August and have a surgery date of Nov. 6th. I

> still have to have the dreaded endoscopy, have my psych. evaluation

> submitted, and am meeting with the nutritionist next week. So, the

> ball is rolling. Well, that's as long as Oxford doesn't give me a

> hard time after my prelim. tests are completed and the application

is

> submitted (I think Dr. Ren's office waits close to the actual

surgery

> date to do this).

>

> So, that's where I am right now. I believe that God brought me to

> this place for a reason and if the surgery is meant to happen, it

> will. This has been a horrible year for me (my 31 year old brother

> passed away of cancer in Feb. and I got laid off from my job as a

> headhunter in May), so I'm looking at the surgery as turning that

all

> around. My birthday is in November too and I'd like to think I'm

> giving myself a present; the me that I'm supposed to be.

>

> Anyway, sorry for rambling. I thought it was time that I be involved

> in these posts as I've enjoyed reading them for some time now.

> Continued success to all of you out there post-op; you're an

> inspiration to me, and many other pre-opers, I'm sure.

> ,

> D. in NYC