Starting my journey

[queeny]

I am just beginning my journey of bybass. I have my first appointment scheduled for the 30th of January, went to the seminar and have began gathering documentation of past programs etc. I accept the process before surgery is very lengthy. It has taken me 2 years to finally make this choice. I'm excited and scared at the same time..
Does anyone have any suggestions for me as I go through this long process before my actual surgery? So far I am opting for the sleeve.
My family is being very supportive but not my friends.. I'm a mother of 2,a wife, work full-time and go to college full-time.

 

[dancinbr]

I am just beginning my journey of bybass. I have my first appointment scheduled for the 30th of January, went to the seminar and have began gathering documentation of past programs etc. I accept the process before surgery is very lengthy. It has taken me 2 years to finally make this choice. I'm excited and scared at the same time..
Does anyone have any suggestions for me as I go through this long process before my actual surgery? So far I am opting for the sleeve.
My family is being very supportive but not my friends.. I'm a mother of 2,a wife, work full-time and go to college full-time.

Welcome to our forum.

For some folks the journey to surgery is quick. For others it will take time.

I had thought about doing this surgery as far back as the early 2000's. However, the risks were higher and I wasn't ready at all. I seriously considered the surgery in 2009. I attended seminars and went to local support group meetings. However, even then I backed away thinking I could still get my weight down by following WeightWatchers. It is so tough when you are so far from goal weight.

Finally, this past year my weight started to creep up again. No matter what I did I kept gaining weight! Forget about why. This put me over the top. I finally decided to go for surgery around July 2013. I opted for the gastric bypass since I also had type 2 diabetes. Gastric bypass is known to resolve/normalize T2 diabetes immediately for many people. It did for me.

The important part of this pre-surgery journey is to surround yourself with supportive people. It sounds like you need "new" friends. I don't understand how anyone cannot support an effort to become healthy again.

The other thing to note is this is a tool. It is a very good tool. However, you must change your way of life. The tool actually helps you since it really does make some choices for you in the early go. You will learn to eat less. Why? Well, you cannot eat very much at one meal; say 1/3 cup of food to no more than a 1/2 cup of food. The food will be mostly protein. You will have to learn to eat slowly as well. Eat and drink slowly. That 1/3 cup of food should take a half hour to consume in small bites. Chew chew chew until the food dissolves in your mouth. Anything short of this can bring on a lot of discomfort.

In the first couple of weeks post op you will be on a clear liquid diet then a full liquid diet and finally puree and then soft foods. Your surgeon has a program that basically follows this outline. Follow his guidelines.

Attend local support groups pre-op. The surgeon will start you on a liqud diet 2 weeks prior to surgery. You may want to even try to change your current diet and start losing weight before that.

So many things to learn and do. We will be here all the way for you. Please post your stats so we can all work with you.

Best wishes,

Ralph

 

[Karenina]

It sounds like you have a good handle on your decision. Read all you can, and practice eating and drinking like you would post-op.
With such a busy schedule you will have to do a lot of meal planning, and probably bring your food to school and work with you. It's better if you make food decisions beforehand rather than on the fly.
I have an insulated pouch that zips and fits into my purse. When I'm going to be out of the house for 1 or 2 meals I slip my food into the pouch with 2 bottles of water.
I also went to college as an older adult and worked full time. My son was a teenager, so didn't need much looking after. I started college weighing 150 and finished in 6 years weighing 208. Why? Because all I ate was fast food, beer and cookies. The fast food for convenience and the beer and cookies for stress. So I know where your life is right now. Good luck!

 

[fkrebs]

Welcome to the board. You sound like someone who knows what they want and how to get it. As the others suggested, surround yourself with people who will support you, you don't need negative nellies running around, trying to scare or shame you out of surgery. Research and beginning to change your habits is a great way to start and will make post op life easier. I didn't do that, so I've been learning ever since. You'll do great.

Frank

 

[queeny]

thank you to everyone for your valuable tips. I have started slowing down when I eat.. making sure I put my fork down in between each bite. I am also trying to cut each piece into smaller pieces and chewing it longer. I am surprised by the amount of thought this process takes during meals. I know I need to begin making better choices as well. Portions i need alot of help with. I just bought a nice digital scale to help.
I'm hoping by the time I get my surgery some of these habits will become easier.
If anyone has anymore tips please send them my way. I am also wondering what your first reaction after surgery was? Did anyone have regrets in the beginning? what are some side effects that the Drs don't warn you about?
Congrats to you all on you success!!!

 

[fkrebs]

Sounds like you're on the right path. You will regret the surgery at some point in the first couple of weeks, but it goes away as the weight and inches come off. I was fine after surgery until I stepped on the scale at home and saw that I was up 15 pounds from the day of surgery. Very strange indeed, turns out it was the IV's and the gas that added weight and almost everyone gains some weight during their hospital stay. Hope this helps.

Frank

 

[Kim M]

Welcome. Once I decided to go ahead with the surgery ( it took me 10 years to decide) the process was fairly quick. It depends on your insurance and requirements. I only needed to be on liquids the day before the surgery. Surgeons all differ. Most want a liver shrink diet which in most cases is about 2 weeks. Your surgeon might be different. I am sure your friends are frightened for you as they probably only hear the rare horror story. You can educate them and if they are still not supportive make it an off topic subject. when they see how well you do and how healthy you become they will hopefully get it. We get it here. So come here for support. I think I had a slight regret 2 days after surgery. Thinking what have I done to myself. Hormones and emotions. It passed quickly and I have not looked back. Remember this is your path and it will be different than others. We will support you and answer any questions you have. I was very fortunate I did not have any complications. I do have to take Prilosec each day but I knew that going in. Most, but not all sleeve pts. have to take an acid blocker. Don't expect to be perfect, but hold yourself accountable. After surgery, stay hydrated and get your protein in. You won't be able to get the recommended amounts at first, but will work toward this as your goal. I congratulate you on taking control of your health. Please come back and share often as it helps everyone.