mehowie

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Hello all my fellow VSG'er's - new and old!!

Well, it is my 4 year anniversary!!  Can't believe soo much has happened!!  I finally retired last November, made my first trip to Hawaii, sold my house and bought a townhouse, lost a cat gained a puppy!!  Still single though!!  But that;s ok, I'm starting to like it that way!!

I finally got my breast reduction last Dec and I feel MARVELLOUS!!!!  Because of the inactivity and the holidays I did gain a few pounds HOWEVER, I find it sooo much easier to lose the weight now than ever.  I can't tell you how important excercise is to maintaining the weight loss.  People remember this is NOT a miracle cure. You will ALWAYS have to work hard at maintaining this gift.  When I went under the knife 4 years ago I weighed 260 pounds, today I "hover" between 150 and 157 - I got down to 143 at one point but felt it was too low for me. I feel great and comfortable at 150 so that is my maintanence goal.

For all you newbies and people thinking about getting this procedure - RUN don't walk and give yourself a new lease on life. Dr Joya gave me mine back and I will forever be greatful to him and his staff.

Good luck to all of you and never look back!!!

Well, it's that time again folks!!  Tomorrow will be 3 years since Dr Joya preformed the miracle of VSG on me!!  I am not going to lie and say it has all been easy and wonderful BUT I have managed to stay within my goal weight give or take 5 pounds for 3 years now!!

My life has changed dramatically and even though I am still a single woman I am having the time of my life!!  I am 56 years old and have NEVER felt sexier or more of a woman in all my life!!  I have a wonderful social life and never get tired of the men telling me how sexy and beautiful I am!!  I am travelling and enjoying life again.

Don;t get me wrong. I have gained weight and struggled a bit, so you newbies don;t think it is a "piece of cake" (pun intended) to maintain the weight loss because it is a daily life style now.

My only regret is that I did not do this a long time ago!! Dr Joya and his wonderful staff have given me my life back!!  I love to walk, hike and run!!!  Excercise has become a joy to me not a chore!!  I could never thank him enough for this gift!!

I hope I have helped to inspire some people to make this choice and for all you recent VSG'rs!!  Way to go!!!

I'll be back again next year and good luck to all!!


Marla Howie
Shawnigan Lake, BC  Canada

well, here I am - it's been 2 years now and I am happier and healthier than I have ever been in my life!!  I have maintained my weight "below goal" all this time - I bounce between 143 and 149 - never been above my goal yet!!!  I am active - although single again- and have found a whole new world of friends and peple who really like me!!

Even though my 14 year relationship fell apart I have now found that I am a new woman and have found a new man who thinks I am sexy!!  I recently went to Vegas and spent more money on myself on clothes than I have in 20 years!!  I love Victoria Secret!!!!  I can fit into ANY airplane seat and actually do the seat belt up AND pull it tight!! No seat belt extensions for me anymore!! LOL!!

Really, the only bad thing I can say about the VSG is WHY DIDN'T I DO IT SOONER!!!  I love my new life - I excercise - I even have take up hiking!!  no huffing and puffing - a brand new way of living!!

To all the newbies - hang in there -it's not a miracle cure - you have to work your new tool but YOU WILL LOVE IT!! 

I will update again in another year!!

Good luck to all of you!!   LIFE IS GREAT!!

wow, what can I say - 1 year ago today I put my life in Dr Joya's hands and he handed it back to me in spades!!  I have lost 107 pounds, wear size 10 - 12 depending on the make and LOVE life!!  The journey has not been an easy one all around but the weight loss was easy!!  I no longer battle with food - I eat to live not live to eat anymore.  The hair is getting thicker again and has slowed to normal in the fallout.  I love the fact that I can buy pretty things now and have so much more choice.  Everyone says I look amazing and I love it.  The only sad part is that my partner of 14 years decided to walk out last Sept. I guess he couldnt' take the fact that I was looking better - he is now with a woman who pretty much looks like I did at my heaviest!!  It's OK now though - after 6 months I have discovered that men now find me attractive!! What a concept!!

I have a whole new set of friends and I am doing what MARLA wants to do now.

I could never express my gratitude for Dr Joya and his staff. They have literally saved my life..  I am grateful to this forum to giving me the insight an courage to make that call to Dr. Joya and to the wonderful friends I made - Theresa, who I met down there, Gale, who I met on this forum and to my family for encouraging me.


I am now looking forward to this new chapter in my life with gusto and hope!! 

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, TAHNK YOU!!

Well, it's been a long time since I posted here!!  This Friday will be 35 weeks since I have been sleeved!! Wow, what an amazing journey!!  I am now down 87 pounds , 45 inches overall and wear a size 34 jeans!! I haven't been in a 34 for at least 18 years!!  It hasn't all been wine & roses though - I thought the love of my life of 14 years was going to spend the rest of his life with me but at the end of Sept announced he wasn't happy and left -of course it was another woman - funny she is a heavy set woman around the same age as me - I am not sure if my losing weight had anything to do with the dissolution but I am now on my way to a happier healthier me!! I have struggled to find who I am  and to really like ME but at times it has been very lonely.

The best thing in the world that I could have done is have the VSG - I have NO regrets at all - I look forward to showing myself off and enjoying life again -whether it be by myself or with someone - doesn't matter! I am exxercising like crazy and ENJOY it!! I have good friends and family.

I am off to PV for Christmas and have arranged to meet Nathalie and Dr Joya and all the staff for "after" pictures!! Can't wait to thank them all for saving my life!!

to all the newbies - hang in there it gets better every day!!

Only 23 more pounds to reach my goal - I am so excited to finally, for once in my life, lose the all the weight I wanted to!! AND NEVER LOOK BACK!!!

Oh my gosh I can't believe it is already over and I am sleeved!!!  Just got home late last night and cannot say enough about the WONDERFUL care and attention I received from everyone. Starting with Nathalie and then the nurses and doctors in the hospital to all the compassionate people that work at the hotel!!

I did this journey alone and except for a brief period of time before surgery did not regret it at all!!  The hospital care is by far some of the best I have ever received.  the rooms were up to date and modern.

The hotel is one of the nicest I have stayed at in PV!! My room was comfortable and clean, the people who work there understand Dr Joya's patients needs and do everything they can to accomadate them!!  I seem to be one of the lucky ones and have not experienced any of the "down side" of this operation!!!  No "foamies", no nausea, very little pain - more like I received a beating and am bruised!!  I am sipping and doing almost normal things with the exception of lifting anything heavy.

I cannot say enough about all the people on this board and feel lucky to have found it and been able to get the support and information I needed to make this life changing decision.

Thanks to everyone and here's to a new life!!!

I'll keep you posted!!

Well, I am on the countdown to my new life!!  Only 11 more days until I get sleeved.

I am excited and nervous and scared all at the same time!!!  Thank God for the people on this forum. At least I feel I know a little of what to expect from reading all the other posts - I hope to fly through it!!!

The end of this week I will start the dreaded "preop liquid diet" - I have been guilty of "food funerals" this past little while - especially on our vacation in Mexico.  I am so afraid of NEVER being able to eat the foods I love - even though I KNOW that is not true -- maybe just less of them  -- but still I WILL be able to eat them eventually.

I look forward to the small victories, crossing my legs, walking again for miles, and getting into the hack in curlling comfortably!!!  I want to buy pretty clothes in a regular store and not hope that the jeans go on sale at the "big ladies store" so I can afford them!!!

I want to be able to walk all over Disneyland with my granddaughters and not be embarassed.

Well, enough ramblling - onward and upward!!!!!

FEB 16/08

Well, it has finally happened!! I was finally able to get my finances together and sent my deposit to Dr Joya and I have a date!!  I will be arriving in PV April 10th and will be sleeved April 11th - the beginning of my new life!!

I am excited and scared all at once! It has been a long journey of waiting for me but now that I have an actual date I am excited.

I can't wait to walk for miles again and buy a pair of jeans at a regular store and that look nice on me and shirts that cling!!

Here's to the future!!