Questions Questions Questions

Hi Everyone!!! First let me say that I was able to chat with a few of you online tonight and I absolutley LOVED it!!! I love this board, I love the support, honesty and caring that goes into every post. I also want to say with the beginning of the March Month looming....Good Luck to all of us in our new and healthier lives. I think about each and everyone of you on a daily basis even though I may not post all of the time. I will be looking for each of your posts as you return home from the hospital. (selfishly to see how you are all doing because I am not until the 29th!) I love you all. Ok, mushiness aside...I do have real questions. I hear a lot of you talking about being on a liquid diet before surgery. My doc. does not require this. I was just wondering what your docs. say is the benefit or if there is a reason. Just concerned that I am not doing something that I should be doing ya know. A couple of weeks I posted about how scared I was. i honestly thought that would subside as the time went by but it has gotten so much worse. How did you guys choose to say goodbye to your family members "just in case." I try to talk to my husband about it but he just bursts into tears. I feel bad. Thanks as always. Good wishes to all! Sam

I hate to think about things like that...I am very optimistic and have faith in the good doctors who do this for a living...just "another day at the office" for them...I think the same things when I am flying....it is still mind boggling to me how a heavy airplane carrying hundreds of people just soars through the air....instead of being scared I look at the faces of the flight attendants...they are almost bored with the routine of it all. But, yes, it is major surgery and anything could happen. I have a will in my desk at work and told a few co-workers and my daughters where it is just in case....not that I have much of anything, but at least I feel like I have my affairs in order. Just remember the small percentage of deaths relating to the surgery versus how many deaths are obesity illness related! I don't know about any of you, but I have a goal to live to be 100 and this is gonna help! Sally Ofischal "elder spokeslady"

Thank you so much for you words of advice...I think that sometimes I just need to get some support and acknowledment for these feelings I have. My family doesn't want to or can't talk to me about it. Martha said on a different post that it doesn't matter what we are doing when it is our time it is our time. I KNOW that it is not my time yet. I have a gorgeous 22month old daughter, a wonderful husband and a life to live that I have lived in 26 years. Thank you again. Sam

Hi Sam, I do not have to do a liquid diet. The day before surgery I can eat normally till about 5 PM then I have to start bowel prep I think every surgeon is different, some of us have to do it and some don't. Just like the bowel prep, some have to do it and some don't. I'm one of the unfortunate ones that has to do it... As for your "just in case" question, I was so sure that I was going to write letters to my husband and kids "just in case" but now I'm not sure. When I thought about writing them before all I did was cry. It was very hard thinking about the things I was going to say. I know that if I sit down to write them I'm going to turn into a total wreck and start to have some doubts and I just don't want that to happen. I feel as if I'm certain that I'm going to be OK. If I decide to not write these letters I will be sure to have a special talk with my children. Not a "mommy might die" talk, But a "know that mommy loves you so much" talk. Either way, I need to make sure my kids know how much I love them and so does my husband... OK, enough, cause now I'm getting those icky butterfly feelings and I don't want them! Kelley

I know what you mean about the butterflies...feel more like hornets to me sometimes. I get so terrified when I think about something going wrong and then I think beyond that to 6 months from now and just want to scream for excitment! I think it is an even balance. oh, the dreaded letters. I haven't figured it out yet either. I start thinking about what I would say to my daughter and burst into tears. No amount of writing could describe my love for her anyway. I will be interested to find out what kind of prep I have to do before my surgery. I don't think it is anything but stop eating by midnight. Thanks for the post Sam

Hi Sam! My doctor doesn't require me to do much. He just told me to eat light a few days before surgery. I asked him why and he said because he doesn't want the colon full. He said they have to move it around alot (if you're having lap) that it makes it difficult if it's too full. Makes a lot of sense, I suppose. I'm full of sh** enough, that he doesn't want me to be TOO full of it! LOL Get it? Ok, I'm bad! Really, that is the reason he told me. Good luck!

Too funny!!!!! I know what you mean, my husband says the same thing aobut me all the time! Thanks Sam

Hi Sam, It was nice to meet you in chat last night too!!! I won't find out about a liquid diet exactly until I see Dr S. this week, but for the present, I am on a pre op food plan that will be similar to the way I will eat on the other side. High protein, greens and good carbs .. oh . and lest I forget low fat!!! I have heard some dastardly thing about Fleet Phosphasoda as prep prior the day (or two days) prior to surgery. I think that is the part I am NOT looking forward to. Been there done that .. wasn't looking forward to it again quite so soon. I still have 3 weeks, so I haven't hit the panic or really scared mode yet. I don't have children but I do have my sisters and I am sure that I will talk to them that last weekend and I am just as sure that it will be an emotional time for me. I am sort of like Sally, I don't want to focus on the things that could happen, I have faith in my doctor and his care of me. Sam, just remember ... all the Marchers are in this together and you can be sure that in this forum you will receive unconditional love and support. Hugs, Mo doin' the 22 days and a wakeup happy Mo dance

Hi Maureen, we share the same date, I am just trying to keep busy and I find if i keep a journal of things I need to do, things I have done already and so on,shopping for the items I will need after the wls, it is making the days seem to fly right by! how are you feeling about the wls? we have only a few weeks left to a healthier life.... God Bless all the Marchers!!!!!

I hear that Fleet Phosphasoda is nasty! I am not sure what I have to do for preop. I won't find out until the 15th, I don't remember him every saying anything about it though. I am a total worry freak, get it from my mom, I am trying to at least keep the scales balanced with positive vibes too! Thanks Sam