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New and nervous, but gonna be fine.

Holley-Doeray

Holley-Doeray

Member
Hello all! How y'all doin? I'm Holley (bpi of 45% and old enough to sleep with or without a teddy bear.) I have multiple physical issues that are quickly pushing me towards a wheelchair (as in already have one waiting to be ordered) and today I found out I have to have bariatric surgery in order to have the other five surgeries I need to fix this "house" my soul lives in. This is the first time I have had any nervousness towards procedures (So far this year I have had 3 along with multiple tests, x-rays and physical therapy for everything from knee replacement- which I still need- to Bell's Palsy) and I'm hoping to glean knowledge and gain a sense of calmness reading all the experiences and do's & don'ts from those who have gone before me. (That would be y'all. :) ) I want to thank whoever created this site and everyone who contributed to it. I hope we can become virtual, if not in person, friends and look forward to sharing all your experiences on this journey.
 
Suthy said:
Welcome! You came to the right site. It’s very supportive, and you will fine people at all stages of this journey. Many archived posts that are very informagive.
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I read a few of the threads before deciding to join; am so glad I did. There's soooooooooo much to learn! I am making a list of things I will need to do in all phases to help the process success rate. So far- invest in biotin ( for the expected hair loss) and fiber for any possible "traffic congestion" in the nether 'tunnels"
 
Hi, Holley. Welcome to the group. It kinda sucks that you "have" to have WLS. But, its good you're joining us and getting into the right headspace. Every pound you lose takes 4 lbs of pressure off your knees (per my mothers orthopedic surgeon!)

We all know the reasons to lose weight, so I won't name them all. But do you have any idea how much better you are going to feel?!? No, you don't lol. I l was always overweight and felt okay (youth, how I miss it lol). At 49 every freaking thing hurt and I was taking 8 Aleve to get thru the work day. I had all the issues associated with metabolic syndrome and Diabetes. So, I decided to gift myself WLS for my 50th. Best gift ever!!

Let us know what is making you so nervous and maybe we can help.
 
Basically, I think it's the "what if it doesn't work". I have so many other things waiting for this first step before they can be attended to (right hip, both knees and right ankle replacement plus loose skin removal) it just feels like one wrong step along the way, and it will all blow up in my face. (I know that's where faith comes in and I am working hard on that too) I lost my best friend/soul mate of 30 years to cancer in 2016, so until stumbling (guided?) upon this group I've pretty much been dealing with everything on my own. Upside: I've been learning to advocate for myself with doctors and research the ins and outs of every procedure and complication so that's a plus :) I've also learned (from discussions I've read in other posts) that my hair can fall out. This is a bit unnerving for me as I have only just begun to get it to grow back.
It's definitely going to be a ride; just glad to have other passengers this time.
 
Hi Holley, welcome to the group. Have you decided which procedure you will be having? A lot of us chose the gastric bypass bc of issues with GERD which can be a lifelong battle after the sleeve. Also the bypass tends to have better weight loss numbers. Please note that this is not to be mistaken for medical advice, and the decision of which is best for you is between you and your surgeon. I truly don't get paid for every gastric bypass referral lol!

I had a 10 month wait from 1st paperwork to actual surgery. But I was like a sponge trying to learn & prepare as much as I could. This site has loads of helpful information in the archives, plus the articles below the new posts may help also.

Great to meet you and best of luck with your health challenges.
 
Holley, welcome. Hair loss after any surgery is common. I don't know why, but I read it on a government health site, probably the CDC. Oh, I remember, it has an actual name, which is ____ shock. Your body responds to surgery in many seemingly unrelated ways. I think I posted photos of my hair loss on my profile page. It wasn't that bad but it was right up front in my bangs. So I started buying a lot of pretty scarves to wear as headbands, and I liked the look so much, I still wear them occasionally.

Our group is really amazing and everyone here wants to support you and answer your questions and share their experiences. And back to the federal websites: that's a very good place to read and search for answers. We usually have similar experiences, but not always. I've been here for about 14 years and have only read one negative post about surgery results in all that time.

I also had a knee replacement, and man, that's worse than anything I've ever experienced. I had to keep a phone in my bedroom to call my roommate to help me get out of bed and steady on the floor before I could even limp to the bathroom. Eventually I kept a urine container next to the bed so I didn't have to do that. Knee surgery takes a long time to recover from, but I'm so glad I did it. I was in so much pain all the time. Once my knee healed, I just walked with pure joy. I had been a hiker in the North Cascades mountains before surgery and almost couldn't get down from the mountain on my last hike before surgery. I was scooting along a rocky trail on my butt in the dark in these scary mountains!

Anyway, joint replacement can be the greatest thing in the world if you're living with pain, especially when you're carrying too much weight. I'm in my 70s and still hike these beautiful mountains, as high as 6000 feet elevation.

I had my procedure before laparoscopic RYGB was possible, and before I ever heard about the sleeve, which apparently wasn't accepted back in those days. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't change a thing, except I'd go laparoscopic.
 
Telogen Effluvium

5442
 
Welcome! How is the process going for you? Do you have a date yet? I just had my Bariatric surgery on Tuesday. I initially went to the surgeon for a hiatal hernia and he said I had to go gastric bypass in order for him to fix my hernia as well so I know the feeling of needing to get gastric bypass for other health reasons.
 
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