Finally have started the journey

Thanks very much for the replies! And I love Lexi your comparison to Miranda from SITC... It's a favourite of mine and yes, I have many characteristics similar to this character... Even the red hair! Just not the skinny body and the exciting sex life!! :-)

This forum is a great source of info & positive support. It certainly helps with all the preparation leading up to the big day!

Welcome Joeylfg!! :)

I hope your visit with the surgeon goes well. I think having a support network will make the journey a bit easier!

And you know, I instantly thought of sex in the city when you said single woman in her 40s with female friends :) I am so immature!!! haha But you sound like Miranda....very logical, informed, knows what you want

Let us know how it all goes

I hope it all works out for you :)
Glad to hear you have the support behind you! It makes a big difference but even so you are the one who knows best what you want.

Hello to fellow GSS members

Well, I have started the journey towards being a healthier version of me - its funny because every time I look at those BUPA Health Insurance 'find the healthier you' adverts I can so relate to them!

Over the last three months I have undertaken some pretty significant research into best ways to get my BMI under 40 (currently I am nudging 44) -from non-surgical to surgical options. I am a nurse and a University academic so was really lucky to have at my fingertips the latest evidence based medical research studies... and have decided to take the next step towards gastric sleeve surgery as a positive option to achieve a healthier and happier me. So I have booked my appointment with the surgeon for mid February and will wait to see what his recommendations are - but I know I want the surgery and in my mind I am ready for it.

Its been interesting for as a single woman in her early 40's, I mostly have female friends to discuss this with. I have told about four of them - and all have been 100% positive. I suppose because most have known me for a long time and being obese all my life (and morbidly obese for the last two decades) they know what a battle each day for me is from a weight perspective. The most difficult thing was to tell my mum and dad - for being in their mid 70's I thought they would be really against it. But to my surprise they are also 100% behind me.  It was also visiting the GP who I have known for a long time - I ended up providing her with more info from the research about GS than she actually knew about!

I have decided to ask a good friend to be with me on this journey and not be alone  - I read that a lot of Gastric Sleevers have significant others and its really a battle even with such support, so my friend (who is a nurse) has agreed to be with me the whole way, and it helps that her husband is an intensive care specialist! I don't know if I could do this alone -I just feel as if I need a sounding board to run things by and she knows me well enough to be open and honest. So she is coming to my appointment and everything... it sounds like a bit much but for me psychologically I know that if I go forward with the surgery there is no reversal, so I need to be 100% informed about all risks as well as the benefits.... and sometimes a different perspective helps with the informed consent process. 

Anyway, that's enough for now. I will continue to review the forum over the next few months and see how things go!

Cheers, Joeylfg