bits-and-bobs

i am very excited and a little nervous at the same time...... my insurance won't pay and says it is an exclusion........i was able to secure financing....now it's time to start the process......i have the forms to mail in for the first of 2 packets they send out.....then they schedule a meeting....i'm pretty confident i will qualify for lap band surgery......i'm 46 years old @ 5' 7" and have weighed 241 lbs give or take a few for the last 20 years.......my bmi is a 37.7 and i have medical problems associated with my weight and diet.......my primary care physician is all for this and knows the surgeon i chose and highly reccomends her......good news.........my mom is totally against it and has sent me some scathing e-mails.........glad she doesn't make desicions for me anymore....that's my job.......friends are very supportive......even the sweet lady i met at the nail place this morning...lol...the funny thing to me is i don't recognise myself when i look in the mirror or at a photo......i am always suprised at how obese i am......i recognise the weight when i can't do something physical or when my asthma acts up........it's always a shocker to see myself like this.......

i'm looking for people to chat with about this.......i've read a lot of postings and am learning so much about the surgery and diet. so many great food choice suggestions and the protien requirements........

does anyone worry about feeling more vulnerable and less protected as a thin person........maybe it's just me......i am very isolated because of my weight and am used to people looking past me..........will they look at me differently when i lose weight?.....will they try to engage me in conversations?....will men find me attractive and ask me out on dates.......6 years since my divorce and i haven't even tried to date.....to busy being independent and too afraid to be rejected......

so many questions.......hope someone chats back....bits-and-bobs