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Struggling with deciding what to do..

TraceyK

TraceyK

Member
I'm hoping someone can help me. I am in Hanover, PA don't know many people here aside from my bf and grown step kids but I am really struggling on deciding about having the surgery. I am tired of being this weight not being able to move hardly at all. I have a lot of medical issues including bulging discs and needing a knee replacement which they wont do bc my BMI is too high. I also have gastroparesis which means my only option is full gastric I cant do the sleeve which is what I was leaning towards until that diagnosis. But I am scared to have the surgery, I am afraid of the pain as I don't do pain well, I'm afraid of it failing bc I am as my mother calls me the worlds pickiest eater, I'm afraid its the wrong decision, But then again what if its the right decision, I just don't know what to do. Can anyone tell me what it was that made you decide to have the surgery, and are you glad you did it, or do you regret it. Also how bad really is the pain?

Thanks,
Tracey K.
 
HI, Tracey. Welcome to the group. I had the gastric bypass on June 22nd of 2020. Best decision I ever made. I had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatty liver, planters fasciitis, and arthritis in hips, knees and hands. My aunt lost first her foot, and then her leg to diabetes and I felt like I was looking into my own future. It was bleak.

The surgery was not as painful (for me, and I'm also a baby) as I expected and was 100% worth it. And I am no longer on any type of medication for diabetes or any other of my issues. I do still have arthritis but it's gotten SO much better. If I ended up in the movie Groundhogs Day and had to choose again, I would choose the surgery again and again, a million times, forever. I feel freaking AMAZING!

You CAN do this. There are a million foods out there. You don't have to eat yogurt and cottage cheese. You DO need to make sure you get enough protein and enough water. If you like meat or beans or dairy or protein shakes you can probably manage. Also, it's nice to try new foods. I was very picky when I was younger, now I eat just about everything. Broccoli is surprisingly delicious, for looking suspiciously like a tree lol

Even if you choose not to have the surgery, please lose enough weight to get your knees done. My mother is currently in a nursing home, unable to walk because she waited to get her knees done until she was too heavy and too far gone for the surgeon to agree to it. We're waiting for a new surgeon, but .. it's dicey. I'm scared and I would hope anyone would do whatever is necessary to keep walking. I wish you the best of luck.
 
Hi Missyinacage,
Thank you soooo much. I really appreciate everything you said. and I have to tell you, I love your Ticker!! I have 3 turtles (2 babies about 6 months old and 1thats 6 1/2 yrs old) But really your post was very encouraging. I have already done a few of the requirements they want me to fill some papers out meet with the nutritionist and then the dr. I've just been leery, but I did do two of the requirements already, so I guess I will be filling out the paperwork tomorrow. I guess I just haven't had much support. My Bff she is supportive no matter what I decide she had the lap band done in 2010. but other than her mostly just keep to myself. Its a pleasure to meet you. :)

Tracey
 
I had gastric bypass on July 12th. I agree it was the best decision I've made (other than getting married!)

I had very little pain that was taken care of with a few days of Lortabs & tylenol. I was up & walking a few hours after being in recovery.

I tolerated Premier Protein caramel shakes & Fairlife chocolate protein shakes (both 30 gms of protein, 1 gm sugar, very satisfying).

You will find lots of support & encouragement here. The archives contain lots of helpful advice.

Btw the Snyders Outlet rocks! I used to get those big plastic bags of broken thin pretzel sticks for about $5 back in the day.

Good luck in whatever you decide.
 
Welcome Tracey,

I have the gastric bypass 4 months again. I would do this again and again. I didn't have much pain. Even if you have pain it will not last that long.

Think of how good you will feel after you can get some of the weight off.

I was told and has been true for me my tastes have changed. I would not eat beans of any kind before but I will eat some refried beans now. Still not a fan of black bean. But I will still give them a try. All I can say is after surgery be willing to try foods you did not like before.

Good luck and wish the best for you.
 
Welcome to the group! I had the bypass in October last year. I was actually surprised at the lack of pain I experienced. Everyone is different, so there’s that but I’d say for me it was more discomfort for a few days as long as I kept up with my Tylenol. I can’t take most pain meds, so I got ultram which isn’t very strong. I had a uterine ablation done a few months ago and that was by far more painful that surgery recovery for me.
As far as being a picky eater, I may have been called that a few times (more than a few lol) by my mom, dad, sisters, husband ;) but I think if you know what you can eat before going into the surgery, the better, besides the fact that it’ll be weeks before you can get back to eating “normal”. What types of foods don’t you like? What are your go to easy foods? I’m sure you can be successful if you put your mind to it and believe that you can do it!
 
TraceyK said:
Thank you everyone! :) I turned my paperwork in today at my Dr's office so I guess its a start of the process. I'm still scared but you all have helped settle some of my fears down. Thank you so much.

Tracey
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Hey Tracey, I'm so glad you've taken this big 1st step in your journey to good health. You may experience joy, despair, excitement, fear, doubt, and great courage, sometimes all at once.

Please remember that any time you make great changes, you will have some doubts, but your health will almost certainly improve so much. Good luck & take care.
 
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