Hi everyone,
I am new to this journey! I am hoping to get surgery for this upcoming year, I weigh about 315 I was thinking about sleeve gastrectomy but i am changing my mind and interested in doing gastric bypass. I just need some help with navigating the surgery and how to prepare myself best as someone with PCOS also. I need help relationship with food and how to prepare myself for what's to come. I would love some advice on how to take control.
I'm going to leave PCOS out of my response, because that's a huge issue you should ask your bariatric team about. My sense, however, is that it's really unrelated and is just part of a tapestry of fear you're suffering, like we all do.
I had my surgery way back in the day. They made a 7" vertical incision from my navel to my sternum. I was in bed for two weeks post-op. I could barely stand eating but I relied on the pain meds they gave me and mostly ate creamy stuff like Malt-O-Meal and mushroom soup made with Magic Milk. I'd advise you to search for the milk recipe within the group. You get double protein and it tastes pretty good, but even better, it turns smoothies into atomic bombs of nutrition.
You should have a post-op diet given to you by your medical team. You can also look online for pages and sites that list post-op diets, but it's best to follow your team's instructions. Also, this group is for support, not medical advice, so if you have a concern that's medical, ask your team. If you need emotional advice or want to read about reactions and responses, this group is a great resource.
I will offer you the information from my profile page:
Resources by dianeseattle
But go to the FDA site and you'll find every food, including fast food, broken down into its nutritional components. And the American Bariatrics site itself is a GREAT resource. Since you have some time to prepare, start a journal, and in that journal write down anything you think or discover about this surgery. Don't worry about any other medical condition you have, but do ask your bariatric team or surgeon or nutritionist those kinds of questions. Also, stay away from negative people. When I started losing tons of weight, my siblings all got so bitchy, I just had to stay clear of them and focus more on my boundaries.
Bariatric surgery has come a long way since it began, and as I've said a million times, going to the dentist often feels much worse than the surgery.
Do research using medical and federal food sites, study nutrition wherever you can find info, and just relax. Practice deep breathing and meditation. Start taking short walks. Get into yoga or study isometric or any kind of stretching (
ISOMETRIC) . One of the easiest ones I've used is simply to flatten your body against a wall with arms and legs spread out, flipping over to get back and front. Also, use the wall to do pushups. As you go up, breathe in, as you go down, breathe out. make sure both inhale and exhale are DEEP.
Just start focusing on your body physically. Some people do a kind of yoga where they start at the scalp, tighten and loosen, then move down the head, repeat, to the neck, repeat, shoulders, etc. etc. This may sound like nothing but do it one time and you'll be amazed.
In general, try to move more and eat less. Especially cut out anything you feel is addictive like sugar or caffeine. You don't have to cut these out, but many people believe this really helps them in their journey. This is major surgery but it doesn't have to cause you major worry and nervousness. Thousands of people who've passed through this group have had it, succeeded, and like me, changed their life without ever going back to obese.
Love yourself more, as you love others in your life. You all deserve the same amount of love. And praise yourself, as you praise others. You deserve so many compliments just for thinking of having this surgery.
