In the beginning...

Hello and welcome!
My first post is a little off date as I want to briefly share the process so far to this point.

October/November 2013:
I was going to the gym 3-4 times a week for zumba, body pump, pilates and cardio. As much as I wanted the exercise to be enough to shed my many extra kilos I knew it wouldn't be enough.  I privately began revisiting my research for weight loss surgery, something I often did.

Something about this time was different. I was the biggest I had ever been, completely exhausted and totally depressed. Knowing my weight was stopping us from having another baby, and from many other wifely and motherly everyday tasks that became harder and harder to perform.

I decided that if I really wanted to change my life, I was going to have to change my life!

So the extensive research continued and I was soon determined that the sleeve gastrectomy was the procedure I needed to help me achieve my goals. Anyone who knows me knows when I'm determined about something there's no stopping me!

Along with my research on everything about the sleeve and the results people achieved, I joined Facebook groups for weight loss surgeries, read blogs and watched video diaries on YouTube and began asking questions. Most of my questions were answered well, but there wasn't much information relating to Australian surgeons, clinics, hospitals, insurance or products.  So I continued my search for a reputable surgeon and program on my own.

I found OClinic through the long searches and phone calls and am extremely happy with my choice for Dr Craig Taylor to be my surgeon.

There was a bit of a process to get to now.... first appointment (which I waited 6 weeks for) was in early December.  I met with a clinic doctor to review my details. I am 154cm tall and at that appointment weighed 132kg. This put my BMI at 56. Healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. Which put my overall excess weight to 72-87 kg.  Wow!

We discussed realistic goals and as a rule the clinic sets 60% excess weight loss as a success.  If I lost 45 kg (which would put me at 87kg) then success!  If I chose to lose more than that, even better. I made my overall goal to get to 70kg which I will revisit when I am close.

I was excited but overwhelmed. What a lot of weight!   One step at a time.
I had blood work done, a cardiologist check my heart, GP appointments, applied to have some of my super released early to pay for the surgery, calls to my health insurance to ensure all was covered, the long anxious wait for approval from Centrelink, claim to my super fund for the money to be released, calls to OClinic to try and get a surgery date booked (which only happens after total fee is paid).  It took almost 8 weeks from first appointment to do all medical tests and being able to pay and I GOT MY DATE!  Was a happy happy moment.  Now that date is 7 weeks away!  So excited so much to prepare!

I have appointments coming up with surgeon, psychologist and dietician and can not wait!

So that's a pretty quick overview of process up to now, 9 February 2014.  Any questions regarding the process more specifically just ask. I will be more thorough in future posts.

Thanks for your interest,  support or concern. Thanks for joining me on my journey!

=)