• American Bariatrics is a free online Bariatric Support Group. Register for your free account and get access to all of our great features!

Surgery date 12/1/2014

CindyS

CindyS

Member
Hi Everyone,

I've been browsing threads for the last several days and am very impressed with the information, support and encouragement I've seen. I'm scheduled to have a sleeve gastrectomy on Dec 1st, and gosh - I hope I'm ready!!

After much research and appointments with surgeons, dieticians, a therapist or two, as well as conversations with others who have had bariatric surgery, I started making changes a few months ago in preparation for this. Some of these changes include giving up caffeine and carbonated beverages, and "test driving" different protein drinks.

Any other suggestions for my last week and a half before surgery? I should mention, my surgeon has me on a liquid diet up until surgery to make sure I hit or exceed the 10% of body weight he wants me to lose (I'm definitely on track to achieve this).

Thanks!
 
CindyS said:
Hi Everyone,

I've been browsing threads for the last several days and am very impressed with the information, support and encouragement I've seen. I'm scheduled to have a sleeve gastrectomy on Dec 1st, and gosh - I hope I'm ready!!

After much research and appointments with surgeons, dieticians, a therapist or two, as well as conversations with others who have had bariatric surgery, I started making changes a few months ago in preparation for this. Some of these changes include giving up caffeine and carbonated beverages, and "test driving" different protein drinks.

Any other suggestions for my last week and a half before surgery? I should mention, my surgeon has me on a liquid diet up until surgery to make sure I hit or exceed the 10% of body weight he wants me to lose (I'm definitely on track to achieve this).

Thanks!
Click to expand...


Hi Cindy! WELCOME to the Forum!!!

Congratulations on your decision for a healthier lifestyle. Life is so much better when we feel good and lose our extra weight.

Bariatric surgery saved my life and although I still have more weight to lose I feel wonderful and my health has improved greatly!

Good luck with your surgery and keep us updated! :)


Cheyenne :cool:
 
Hi Cheyenne,

My surgery was postponed a few days to Friday the 5th. My surgeon specializes in liver transplants as well as bariatric surgery, and some lucky person is getting a second chance at health. For that person I offer prayers and good thoughts - and I can be patient a few more days.

I think I am as ready as I can be. Last weekend I made and froze chicken stock, and I'm doing the same with the leftover turkey from yesterday. I only had a couple bites of a few yummy dishes, then back to the liquid diet.

A few people I've talked to say that one of the biggest challenges to all of this is the mental aspect. Going into surgery, I can see where the mental preparation is critical. What do you think from the "other side" of the surgery date?

Thanks for checking in and for the encouragement! :)

Cindy
 
CindyS said:
Hi Cheyenne,

My surgery was postponed a few days to Friday the 5th. My surgeon specializes in liver transplants as well as bariatric surgery, and some lucky person is getting a second chance at health. For that person I offer prayers and good thoughts - and I can be patient a few more days.

I think I am as ready as I can be. Last weekend I made and froze chicken stock, and I'm doing the same with the leftover turkey from yesterday. I only had a couple bites of a few yummy dishes, then back to the liquid diet.

A few people I've talked to say that one of the biggest challenges to all of this is the mental aspect. Going into surgery, I can see where the mental preparation is critical. What do you think from the "other side" of the surgery date?

Thanks for checking in and for the encouragement! :)

Cindy
Click to expand...


Hi Cindy!

Well the 5th is right around the corner.. it will be here before you blink your eyes. :)

From Post Surgery.. I was so ready to lose weight. Even now, almost 17 months after my surgery date, I still get excited thinking of my bariatric surgery and weight loss memories. I feel like I was reborn and look at this world with wonder and amazement. The last 5 years before surgery, I had severe health issues and I had huge weight gains. I have been way overweight most of my life 250-275 lb but I gained another 100 lb over the last few years and life was hard, I guess because I felt so bad I sat around and ate with almost no exercise. I then had pneumonia and a pulmonary embolism and I couldn't even get a deep breath. I knew I had to do something or I wasn't going to be around for long. My cardiologist suggested this surgery and I was more than ready. I consider it the trip of a lifetime. I actually have enjoyed my journey, thanks to a great bariatric surgeon and team who I put my faith in and relaxed and just followed their instructions and the weight started melting away. So many people I have talked to are upset they have to give up their favorite fattening foods and treats but I wasn't told that. After the first 3 months, I was told to eat anything I wanted, no food was off the table and not to deny myself my favorite foods. But the rule was.. Protein, veggies and vitamins and minerals were all important to maintain my health so that must be consumed first and foremost. So that severly limited the amount of other food I could eat. Tiny amounts of food, chewed and chewed and chewed, and eaten VERY slowly. Because my stomach was now about 2 oz. tiny amounts filled me up. Two tablespoons of food made me feel like I just ate Thanksgiving dinner. Very, very full! When I splurge and eat some ice cream, it's a tiny amount just for a taste maybe a spoonful and then I'm satisfied, it wasn't even as good as I remembered. But I think if I was told I could never eat Ice Cream again that it would play on my mind and I would be imagining I was really missing something. Now, sweets taste too sweet to me and it just doesn't taste all that great! As time has progressed I can now eat about 1/2 a cup (4 oz) at a time. I can eat small amounts more often where in the past I use to skip meals and get so hungry that I'd eat too many calories in one large meal ( which was a recipe for disaster.) My only real problem with all this was my gallbladder had to be removed a few months after bariatric surgery because when you lose a lot of weight your gallbladder processes all the fat that leaves your body and sometimes it ruins the gallbladder. The surgeon who took it out left a gallstone in which blocked my liver duct and I was a very sick cookie. All is fine now after 3 months of hell. That was last summer and I'm feeling really great now. My weight loss has slowed but I'm about to up my exercise to get my metabolism in gear again. I'd do this all over again in a New York second! Life is now AWESOME!!!

My advise is just to put your whole self into your surgery. Follow your doctor's instructions and don't stretch out your new size tummy. Time moves swiftly and you'll be down in weight in no time at all!

Good luck on Friday! Keep us posted!!!


Cheyenne :cool:
 
Hi Cindy,

Wow, did Cheyenne give you a wealth of information.

You will find that this changes your life completely.

You regain your health among many other things.

Here is a list of my accomplishments in the past year. I am at goal weight now and very happy.

Accomplishments as a result of my Bariatric Gastric Bypass (11/4/2013)

• Diabetes resolved – off all meds, avg reading 110
• BP normal again – I am still taking bystolic 5mg. Resting pulse is around 60 and BP near or below 120/80. Without the bystolic my resting pulse is still in the 60s. However, my BP goes up to the high 130s/high 80s.
• Sleep Apnea resolved – I am not snoring nor do I believe I am stopping breathing. I will confirm this later this year.
• Legs no longer swollen
• Waist size has shrunk – Wearing size 44 pants
• Feet are smaller – I was able to put a pair of dress shoes on that I haven’t been able to wear.
• I stay under 1200 calories a day. Most days around 1000 calories.
• I have a lot more energy and I can dance, dance and dance!
• I can walk up neighborhood hills aggressively without having to stop; no longer breathless.
• My incontinence due to my prostatectomy has been resolved.
• I am able to sleep in my bed again. I had been sleeping In an upright chair to be comfortable.
• Dramatically reduced backaches; almost completely gone.
• I can bend over and tie my shoes now and I can see my toes.
• I can do dance steps again that I couldn’t do. The belly is gone!
• Now wearing size 42 slacks.
• Starting to sleep on my side again! This has happened in years!
• Intimacy much improved !!! 
• Fit in to a small diner booth !
• I can run up and down stairs several times without becoming breathless
• I squeeze out between two cars that were tightly parked together. A year ago I couldn’t get out of the car; I would be trapped.
• I squeezed into a size 38 pair of pants. (6/1/2014)
• Sleeping on side is comfortable now. (6/1/2014)
• Sleeping flat on my back is doing fine too. No longer need to be propped up. (6/1/2014)
• I have reached my goal of under 200. I weigh 197 (9/9/2014)
• Size 38 Pants fitting comfortably now (9/9/2014)

Ralph
 
I should say also that now I keep a calorie diet intake at around 1700 to 1800 calories. If I have a lot of exercise in any day I can even go over 2000 calories to about 2200 without gaining any weight.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday I truly celebrated and had whatever I wanted and delighted with everyone to share, drink and eat.

I probably was a bit excessive. I gained a few pounds. I went out of range. My desired weight range is 196 to 200. I went all the way up to 201.6.

I am taking it back down again by restricting my calorie intake in the 1500 calorie area or less until I get back into range. In the past two days I have taken a pound off already. A few days from now I will be back in range.

This is critical to me and everyone who succeeds at this new life journey. Keep yourself in a desired weight range and if you creep up over the range, restrict your intake, increase your exercise immediately. Don't let it get away from you.

Best wishes,

Ralph
 
Ralph and Cheyenne,

I love reading about your accomplishments and thank you so much for sharing information. It makes navigating this "new world" a bit easier for the rest of us!

I'm home from surgery. Yay! According to my surgeon, the procedure was on the difficult side due to some health issues I have. However, being the top-of-the-line, highly-rated and respected surgeon he is, he knew where the roadblocks might be and exactly what to do to deal with them. I could not have been in better hands - literally!

After the first day and a half, I have not had much pain at all; although I am very sore and moving around has its challenges. My liquid stage diet was extended a few days, but I expect to start eating something solid such as scrambled eggs or cottage cheese in the next day or so. IsoPure Grape is my new best friend. I haven't resumed the Premier Protein shakes yet, but also plan to do that soon.

The best news is - like Ralph - my blood sugar levels have drastically reduced to between 110-130. I'm hoping that I may not have to resume my diabetes meds when I have my post op appointment in a few weeks.

I will keep posting my progress and hope to acquire a long list of successes - just like you two!! :)
 
CindyS said:
Ralph and Cheyenne,

I love reading about your accomplishments and thank you so much for sharing information. It makes navigating this "new world" a bit easier for the rest of us!

I'm home from surgery. Yay! According to my surgeon, the procedure was on the difficult side due to some health issues I have. However, being the top-of-the-line, highly-rated and respected surgeon he is, he knew where the roadblocks might be and exactly what to do to deal with them. I could not have been in better hands - literally!

After the first day and a half, I have not had much pain at all; although I am very sore and moving around has its challenges. My liquid stage diet was extended a few days, but I expect to start eating something solid such as scrambled eggs or cottage cheese in the next day or so. IsoPure Grape is my new best friend. I haven't resumed the Premier Protein shakes yet, but also plan to do that soon.

The best news is - like Ralph - my blood sugar levels have drastically reduced to between 110-130. I'm hoping that I may not have to resume my diabetes meds when I have my post op appointment in a few weeks.

I will keep posting my progress and hope to acquire a long list of successes - just like you two!! :)
Click to expand...

Cindy - The last bit of diabetic meds that I had was a shot of insulin just before the operation. That was that.

My A1C without meds is in the 5's. Last time 5.9. I think it is heading lower. I am getting lots of sugar readings now under 100. Typically in the morning my FBG is around 110 to 120 and goes down as soon as I have something to eat.

We just had our bariatric holiday party last night. It was wonderful. The nutritionist normally hosts the event for groups multiple times a month. Dr. Brathwaite's entire staff help with the holiday party. Everyone that can brings a prepared dish with the recipe. This created one huge spectacular buffet. We all enjoyed very delicious foods. There were folks that also sang from the group. The DJ formerly 700 pounds was a very fit and happy 240. We danced. The highlight was Dr. Brathwaite singing several songs and we danced as well. Fun for all.

I wished him a Merry Christmas and thanked him for helping to give me a new life. He asked how are my sugars? I told him completely controlled without meds. He smiled and wished me well. What a wonderful man.

Then I asked our nutritionist for a dance. She abided, but told me she doesn't dance; I told her now you do. She did fantastic.

Ralph
 
Congratulations Cindy!
You are off to a great start. I had gastric bypass surgery on 27 October 2014. My medical doctor has taken me off the high blood pressure meds as well as the cholesterol medication. My fasting glucose in the morning is around 97 ml; my blood pressure is 115/75 with a pulse rate of 65. I have not done much traditional exercise because I require a left knee replacement. However, I do move a lot in the house and I take my walks in the mall. I enjoy swimming and water aerobics. Need new suits because they are all too big!! My diet consists of water, eggs, salmon, tofu, crab and any other fish and soft cheese. Of course, can't forget my protein shakes.
I look at myself in the mirror now. Not bad for a girl 61 years young.
Continue to enjoy your journey. Keep up the good work!:eek:
 
Cindy, glad you're doing so well with your blood sugar already. AWESOME!!! :)

Ralph, you are a role model for how bariatric surgery can quickly put diabetes in remission and improve ones health. WAY TO GO, Ralph!!! :eek:

HotBlaque, you look AMAZINGLY for 61yrs. :cool: Keep up the good work on your weight loss!!!

I CONGRATULATE all of us on our WONDERFUL ACCOMPLISHMENTS now and in the future. Wishing us all continued SUCCESS!!!


Cheyenne :cool:
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top