Can't Wait for the NEW Me! - Dominican Republic

I've been lurking reading hundreds of reviews wish, hoping, dreaming that some day I would be lucky enough to get this done.

I have always felt that I was on the heavier side of the scale, even going back to my elementary days in school. I was always the plumper one in class. At the time I even wore the same size as my sister (who was in High school) So I knew in the back of my mind I was NOT the same size as girls my age!

Forward to my HS days.... While I did not consider myself FAT, I knew I was thick. Part of my problem was the more exercise and sports I did the more muscle I would add on, the THICKER I would get. :(

In my 20ies I had 2 emergency surgeries due to Ovarian Cysts. On my first surgery (they didn't know what could be the problem) I was hemorrhaging so they cut me from my belly button all the was down. They found I was bleeding from a ruptured cyst. Second surgery happened 11 months later almost the same circumstance except it was on my other side. Second surgery was a c-sec type of incision.

On to my 30ies... Add two more Ovarian surgeries, One Hysterectomy and another expository of my abdomen (found a Demroid Cyst wrapped up with my colon) abdominal problems finally under control but left me with one ugly cut up belly, a deformed belly button and weakened abs muscles.
Before I exited my 30ies... let me add LOWER BACK pain! I have had several procedure to try and address the lower back.. everything from cortisone shots to radio frequency procedure to kill the nerves to a partial laminectomy (YES add in a lower back surgery for that too!) Doctors want to do fusion but I don't trust them! I have way TOO MANY levels of degenerative disks. I forgot to mention the inability to exercise made me balloon up to 245lbs!!!! Severely depressed all the time, low self esteem, I didn't want to be around ANYONE!

My 40ies came knocking at my door and nothing was getting any better! I had to start doing things that would make me feel better about myself! I just couldn't love myself the way I was... BROKEN!

I decided to have ANOTHER SERGURY… here I am post 2 1/2 yrs since my Gastric Sleeve surgery and I have been able to maintain my current weight of 160 BUT I have all this skin and my messed up stomach! I lost 80+lbs. Weight loss has helped a little with the back pain but did not take away the disk degeneration issue which is the primary cause of my lower back pain. This is another whole story in itself. I feel I lost a lot of years between my 20-40.

So here I am today...
My deposit is Paid.
My surgery date is Aug 13th.
Leslie has reserved my stay for the recovery house.
I already have my passport.
Airline tickets are paid.
Its still early but I am STARTING TO PACK!
Maybe I will get up the nerve to post picture when the date gets closer....(?)

It all sounds good but I am afraid that something will happen between now and Aug 13th.
Afraid that I will not be able to have my surgery for whatever the reason(?)


This was weighing very heavy on my mind. I had thought about just not posting anything!
Then I thought about it again....
So many RS women that posted helped me in one way or another and without YOUR post I WOULD STILL BE LOST!!!

So I want to Thank everyone that has taken a moment to post your experiences! God bless each and everyone of you!



Can't wait for the NEW me!

I decided to post some pre-surge pictures...
I think anything Dra Almonte does will be an improvement!!!!

I'm such a MESS!

I decided to jump on the scale this morning and its an up day, meaning I'm up to 165lbs!
I tend to fluctuate from 161-165 on any given day. today is a high day :(

I was talking to my husband last night telling him that I need to get back into my routine. This past week has been out of the ordinary for me! "I'll start on MONDAY!" LOL
That's what I said last night but after seeing the scale I better get started TODAY!

So like a good girl.. I had a healthy veggie omelet for breakfast followed by a piece of whole wheat toast w/almond butter about an hour later.

for Lunch... Quinoa spinach salad with 1/2 med tomato, 3oz boneless skinless chicken breast (from last nights left overs) and some steamed broccoli. I drizzled 1tsp of balsamic vinegar as dressing.

I'd like to know what other people are doing to prepare for their surgeries besides taking the supplements and packing. For those that are wanting to lose some weight before surgery what are you doing to prepare?