Central Illinois with Molina

Hello!! I am so excited to be on this journey!!! I finally decided enough is enough. I have MS and have progressed a lot of the last two years. I have horrible arthritis in my feet and knees and can barely keep up with housework I am so overweight. it takes all I have to work sometimes. my pt person told me that every lb of weight is 4 lbs of pressure on the knees. so a person 100 lbs overweight has 400 lbs of pressure on their knees. I cant change that I have MS, but I can change that I'm overweight. So, I talked to my dr for about three months and then we decided I was ready. I went to the informational meeting, then had my appointment with the weight/exercise group, signed up to start my weekly classes/group and begin Sept 11th!! Then yesterday, got a call for my surgeon consult because insurance has approved!! So now the countdown is on to the appointment 10/1/19. I was told August 9th, I'd have to do six months of classes and my insurance doesn't require because I have co-morbidities (my high blood pressure). I decided that once I went to the nutrition meeting, things had to change more. It was the biggest I was going to be for the rest of my life! That day, I was 365 lbs. I was already doing low carb high protein, however; I needed to quit drinking soda and stay away from sweets. So, I have made a vigil effort to make more conscious effort to make better choices. Now the countdown is on til Oct 1!!!


32 days til my surgery consult!!!

Welcome to the group! It sounds like you have the right mindset. If you do everything that your bariatric team tells you to do, this surgery will change your life in the most positive ways possible. Good Luck to you.

Welcome and congratulations on being approved for your surgery. It's an exciting time for sure, and it sounds like you've thought long and hard and are ready to make a lifestyle change. Yay for you. It really is a change to your relationship with food and exercise. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made for myself.

There are a lot of newbies and wonderful veterans here who are more than willing to offer advice and answer questions you may have.

Best of luck to you and keep us posted!

Congrats on your decision and insurance approval. It is like winning the lottery!! This is a great surgery and so life changing. You will have to change habits, too, but it is so much easier to do once you are sleeved. The biggest thing is post sleeve to make sure you weigh regularly and keep yourself accountable. I always suggest to people to take good before and after pics, measurements, and weight so you can track it every 2 weeks post op. It will help you see the way your body changes even when you hit those stalls. I did this and love to look back at my progression. I am mad I did not take the pics pre op but my first pics were a few days post op. I suggest in a bathing suit or bra and undies so you can really see the difference. And find a place that it is easy to make sure the pics are the same distance away. I did mine in front of my closet door while my photographer stood right in front of the tub so they are always almost exactly the same perspective. It is a wonderful keepsake to your journey. Congrats again and looking forward to cheering you on along your journey.