To all of you having surgery...
To all of you who have your surgery dates for December.....WAY TO GOOOO!! You'll be healthier and feeling better in no time! I had surgery in August of 2007 (16 months ago) and I'd do it again in LESS than a heartbeat!
I will keep you all in my prayers for speedy recovery periods and healthful living from here forward!
A year from now you'll all be amazed at what a difference a year makes!
I know I'm not from the December month of surgery, but I wanted to come in and encourage you all! I know you'll do great!
If any of you are feeling scared, nervous, apprehensive--it's normal--don't sweat it. When you start to worry, ask yourself what reasons you're having the surgery for-----
"What if I die?"......well ok, that is a slight possibility......here's what I told myself to answer that question.."well, if I DON'T have the surgery I'm likely to die anyway--only in a longer, more painful way--so what do I have to lose?" The answer to THAT question is...."a ton of weight is what i have to lose!"
"What if I fail and gain weight back?" ---my answer to me was--"what other diet has ever worked? what if you don't have the surgery, gain MORE weight and always wonder "what if?"
"What if I can't eat or don't enjoy eating after surgery?" ---my answer-- "You'll eat, and you'll eat healthier and feel better and look better--what's not to enjoy about THAT?"
"What if my marriage suffers?" --my answer-- then it wasn't a good marriage to begin with.
All of these questions and many more ran through my head over and over and I answered them all to the best of my ability and put them to rest. The morning of my surgery (August 2nd, 2007) I was a cheerful, more-than-ready, smiley, happy woman! I'd answered all my own questions, let myself live through the nervousness and then I RELAXED into it. I've never looked back with a single regret.
And believe me, you'll have times when you wonder what in the world you did to your body, and you'll curse the surgery, but not for long and not often. It's one step at a time, one meal at a time, one one one. But it's soooooo worth all the challenges.
I hope I've helped put some minds at ease a bit.
God bless you all! and I'm praying for you and thinking about you!
Brenda
I will keep you all in my prayers for speedy recovery periods and healthful living from here forward!
A year from now you'll all be amazed at what a difference a year makes!
I know I'm not from the December month of surgery, but I wanted to come in and encourage you all! I know you'll do great!
If any of you are feeling scared, nervous, apprehensive--it's normal--don't sweat it. When you start to worry, ask yourself what reasons you're having the surgery for-----
"What if I die?"......well ok, that is a slight possibility......here's what I told myself to answer that question.."well, if I DON'T have the surgery I'm likely to die anyway--only in a longer, more painful way--so what do I have to lose?" The answer to THAT question is...."a ton of weight is what i have to lose!"
"What if I fail and gain weight back?" ---my answer to me was--"what other diet has ever worked? what if you don't have the surgery, gain MORE weight and always wonder "what if?"
"What if I can't eat or don't enjoy eating after surgery?" ---my answer-- "You'll eat, and you'll eat healthier and feel better and look better--what's not to enjoy about THAT?"
"What if my marriage suffers?" --my answer-- then it wasn't a good marriage to begin with.
All of these questions and many more ran through my head over and over and I answered them all to the best of my ability and put them to rest. The morning of my surgery (August 2nd, 2007) I was a cheerful, more-than-ready, smiley, happy woman! I'd answered all my own questions, let myself live through the nervousness and then I RELAXED into it. I've never looked back with a single regret.
And believe me, you'll have times when you wonder what in the world you did to your body, and you'll curse the surgery, but not for long and not often. It's one step at a time, one meal at a time, one one one. But it's soooooo worth all the challenges.
I hope I've helped put some minds at ease a bit.
God bless you all! and I'm praying for you and thinking about you!
Brenda
LOL. A stereotype indeed, but nonetheless, it comes from knowing Wyoming is cowboy/girl country! To answer your question, no I don't horseback ride.....I've had a couple baaaaad incidents on horses and I gave it up years ago. Two weeks before my tenth birthday I was riding with my cousin on her horse and the fool (the horse, not my cousin hehehe) bucked me off and I broke my ankle. There went my 10th birthday party! We were going to go rollerskating and swimming......instead I had to sit and watch all my friends fight over who got to walk on my crutches! LOL. A few years later at Girl Scout camp--against my better judgement--I was forced on to another horse--one who had "never bucked anyone off and was the most gentle horse EVER"--and guess what? He bucked me off and I vowed never to get back on another one again or I might end up dead (or the horse might!!).
I do admire the beauty of horses and also those that can ride with confidence.
Thanks for your reply!
Brenda
Thank you so much for thinking of us. My RNY is 12/9/08 in New York. I'm worried about the first six weeks of eating post-surgery than I am about the surgery itself. How do you change a lifetime of "healthy" portions, etc.? All for a little pouch than can rebel and make me ill if I disobey it? I hope I'm strong enough for that. My encouragement comes from people like you who have gone through this before me and have come out on the other side not regretting it. Thanks again. - Lisa
Hi Lisa! I know so well the fear and nervousness you are feeling and the questions you have about post-op eating. Let me see if I can put your mind at ease a bit more--
The first three weeks were a piece of cake for me for the most part. I did get VERY sick of jello, broth and all clear liquids that first five days. The next phase--full liquids--was a bit easier and truly I felt GREAT by week two. I was sleeping on my tummy by the fourth night after surgery! I had no problems with creamed soups, cottage cheese, yogurt, and pudding (all sugar free, of course). Moving on to pureed foods--that wasn't so easy. I have always been one that tested my kids' baby food on my lip and then wiped it off. I just had a rough time with pureed stuff so I suffered through it best I could. But it was only a week--not too bad. The next phase--soft foods-- wasn't bad at all. Eating soft foods was one of the easier phases. You won't have any problems with that phase.
Then incorporating "regular" foods back into your diet is a challenge, but one that you'll do fine with. Just remember all that your program teaches you and you'll do great! I have every confidence in all of you awesome, brave people!
One thing to remember about the first six or so weeks is that in the long-term scheme of things, six weeks is really no time at all. When my nurse educator put it to me like that, I had no problem getting through those first few weeks. When you think about how fast time goes by, six weeks is a piece of cake---ohhhhhh bad choice of words---eh hem....six weeks is not bad at all. (I guess a little pre-surgery humor is allowed, eh? hehehe)
A lifetime of "healthy" portions is one of the things that got us to where we needed surgery and from where I'm at in this journey right now, "healthy" portions holds such a different meaning. Believe me when I tell you that once you've had the surgery and you find that "new normal" you'll be amazed at how your portion sizes become very normal to you very quickly. Another great thing that many people have after surgery is NO feelings of hunger. I'm almost 16 months out from surgery and I've never felt hunger yet. It took me a little while to figure out that I just wasn't probably going to feel hungry ever again. What a concept!
You're little pouch will become your best friend, and at times your worst enemy. If I might be so bold as to offer a little advice--USE your pouch as much as possible to aid in your success! You're each likely to suffer the "dumping syndrome" and I won't sugar coat it--it AIN'T fun. But during your experimental stage of reintroducing foods back into your diet you will probably dump at some point. It's part of what lets you know what your body will tolerate and what it won't. Here's the advantage of dumping though--my surgeon (Love you Dr. Hatch!) told me that most people that are still dumping and not feeling hunger at a year out are the ones that are most successful at keeping the weight off permanently. With that said, I HOPE YOU ALL DUMP FOREVER AND DON'T FEEL HUNGER EVER AGAIN. Sounds mean, but I mean it with the biggest hopes that you're all a HUGE success in your journies!
Lisa, if you're strong enough to go through all the research, pre-surgery program, fear and nervousness, surgery and after program--you're strong enough to conquer most anything! Truly? I believe, having been there and done that, you've all come through the roughest of it already--and that's making the decision to alter your body for health!
I hope each of you, on your surgery day, are like I was. I'd let myself feel ALL the fear and nervousness, dealt with it, answered all my questions with logic, and went into that day (August 2nd, 2007) with nothing but confidence and happiness. I was telling jokes, laughing with my family, and making the nurses and my surgeon laugh as they wheeled me into surgery!
I've never regretted my decision and if I had it to do over again, I'd definitely do it again!
I did have some complications between weeks 3-10. My esophagus closed off (sort of like a stricture, but not at the normal place one has those usually) and I could not get food to go down. It was a little like trying to stuff or pour something down a plugged sink. I ended up having to have my esophagus (right between my boobs LOL) dilated--twice--about three weeks apart. that procedure was simple, took about a half hour and was a HUGE relief afterward. Since the second dilation I've not had a single problem. If any of you have trouble getting food to go down post-op when you're at that phase--don't hesitate to call your doctor and let him/her know what's happening. It's an easy problem to fix and is a painless procedure. Most people don't have it happen--I was the oddball LOL. Imagine that!
I will be watching this board to see how you're all doing after your surgeries. God bless!
Brenda
The first three weeks were a piece of cake for me for the most part. I did get VERY sick of jello, broth and all clear liquids that first five days. The next phase--full liquids--was a bit easier and truly I felt GREAT by week two. I was sleeping on my tummy by the fourth night after surgery! I had no problems with creamed soups, cottage cheese, yogurt, and pudding (all sugar free, of course). Moving on to pureed foods--that wasn't so easy. I have always been one that tested my kids' baby food on my lip and then wiped it off. I just had a rough time with pureed stuff so I suffered through it best I could. But it was only a week--not too bad. The next phase--soft foods-- wasn't bad at all. Eating soft foods was one of the easier phases. You won't have any problems with that phase.
Then incorporating "regular" foods back into your diet is a challenge, but one that you'll do fine with. Just remember all that your program teaches you and you'll do great! I have every confidence in all of you awesome, brave people! One thing to remember about the first six or so weeks is that in the long-term scheme of things, six weeks is really no time at all. When my nurse educator put it to me like that, I had no problem getting through those first few weeks. When you think about how fast time goes by, six weeks is a piece of cake---ohhhhhh bad choice of words---eh hem....six weeks is not bad at all. (I guess a little pre-surgery humor is allowed, eh? hehehe)
A lifetime of "healthy" portions is one of the things that got us to where we needed surgery and from where I'm at in this journey right now, "healthy" portions holds such a different meaning. Believe me when I tell you that once you've had the surgery and you find that "new normal" you'll be amazed at how your portion sizes become very normal to you very quickly. Another great thing that many people have after surgery is NO feelings of hunger. I'm almost 16 months out from surgery and I've never felt hunger yet. It took me a little while to figure out that I just wasn't probably going to feel hungry ever again. What a concept!
You're little pouch will become your best friend, and at times your worst enemy. If I might be so bold as to offer a little advice--USE your pouch as much as possible to aid in your success! You're each likely to suffer the "dumping syndrome" and I won't sugar coat it--it AIN'T fun. But during your experimental stage of reintroducing foods back into your diet you will probably dump at some point. It's part of what lets you know what your body will tolerate and what it won't. Here's the advantage of dumping though--my surgeon (Love you Dr. Hatch!) told me that most people that are still dumping and not feeling hunger at a year out are the ones that are most successful at keeping the weight off permanently. With that said, I HOPE YOU ALL DUMP FOREVER AND DON'T FEEL HUNGER EVER AGAIN. Sounds mean, but I mean it with the biggest hopes that you're all a HUGE success in your journies!
Lisa, if you're strong enough to go through all the research, pre-surgery program, fear and nervousness, surgery and after program--you're strong enough to conquer most anything! Truly? I believe, having been there and done that, you've all come through the roughest of it already--and that's making the decision to alter your body for health!
I hope each of you, on your surgery day, are like I was. I'd let myself feel ALL the fear and nervousness, dealt with it, answered all my questions with logic, and went into that day (August 2nd, 2007) with nothing but confidence and happiness. I was telling jokes, laughing with my family, and making the nurses and my surgeon laugh as they wheeled me into surgery!
I've never regretted my decision and if I had it to do over again, I'd definitely do it again!
I did have some complications between weeks 3-10. My esophagus closed off (sort of like a stricture, but not at the normal place one has those usually) and I could not get food to go down. It was a little like trying to stuff or pour something down a plugged sink. I ended up having to have my esophagus (right between my boobs LOL) dilated--twice--about three weeks apart. that procedure was simple, took about a half hour and was a HUGE relief afterward. Since the second dilation I've not had a single problem. If any of you have trouble getting food to go down post-op when you're at that phase--don't hesitate to call your doctor and let him/her know what's happening. It's an easy problem to fix and is a painless procedure. Most people don't have it happen--I was the oddball LOL. Imagine that!
I will be watching this board to see how you're all doing after your surgeries. God bless!
Brenda
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