Great Info for Pre-Ops!

Dear Friends, I copied the following message from the main message board and the author Cath (great person BTW) copied it off the Texas Board ... I agree that it is GREAT information that may help and was not sure if everyone went to the main boards. I hope it help to ease you! Hugs, Tammy I am copying this from the Texas Message board as the author is gone *fishin'*. It is SUCH a good post that I wanted EVERYONE to see it!!! It is mainly directed @ pre-ops but there is good info for post-ops in it as well! Hugz n Blessings, Cath Author: Cheryl Nethery, Nov 18th I know that folks who are fast approaching their surgery dates and people who are just now in the stage of research are nervous. You're nervous about the pain, about things that you read, and nervous about what you're thinking about / planning on doing to your body. I imagine that other posties will have some other things to add to this - and I hope they do. This is a serious surgery and yes, there are complications that can arise. As is such with all surgeries. Yes, there is a percentage of people who pass away as a result of having WLS done. But the percentage of people dying from complications of morbid obesity is much higher. Will there be pain involved after surgery? Well, yes. There is pain. Depending on your level of pain tolerance you'll have to decide if it's unbearable or bearable. For me, it was completely bearable. I had 2 pain shots in the hospital and that was it. Never another pain shot or pain pill. Then there are folks who have a really bad time recovering from this surgery. Considering what they do to your abdomen and your digestive tract, there WILL be pain and you WILL be sore for several weeks. For me, it was mostly muscle discomfort and some discomfort from the gas. I've read it a zillion times - the gas pain is extremely painful - just be prepared. Just remember that no matter how bad you feel, get up and walk, walk, walk and that will help get rid of the muscle soreness as well as the gas from the surgery. In my mind, I was expecting the worst pain I had ever felt in my life - from my knee surgery and from extreme back pain - and the pain that this surgery brought on didn't compare -- FOR ME. It's not like that for everyone. Research: please do your research. Posting questions and asking for answers is a great way to get answers, but the library on OH.com has such GREAT information, please utilize that as well. As for other information out there, read it, analyze it and double check it. There are some stringently anti-WLS websites out there. When you do a search for WLS you will come across some of those websites. People who've had the surgery and have failed at it, or have horror stories to tell. That's when you need a reality check and consider the numbers. How many people fail this surgery? What is the success rate? Is this REALLY for you? Can YOU comply to the lifestyle change that this surgery forces on you? Tool: It's only a tool. After several months, your body gets used to your caloric intake and you can eat more because your pouch gets bigger. You CAN out-eat this surgery. It would be easy to do: drinking with meals, eating junk food because it goes through easy, not exercising, etc. Remember that it's just a vehicle to help you lose weight and give you some extra control - but it can't control your mind - and the mind is a hard thing to overcome. Excercise and vitamins: Start exercising NOW and start taking supplements NOW because it will help you down the road because you're already used to a regiment of exercising and taking vitamins. It will become a natural part of your life. Try it - YOU MIGHT LIKE IT! Mentally: Boy, this surgery really does a number on your head. Be ready for head hunger, a change in your personality, a change in how you see yourself, and a change in how others see you and respond to you. It's not uncommon to mourn the loss of food - be ready for it. It's like your best friend has left and you don't know where to turn anymore. See Bruce's earlier post about his website and the relationship section. It addresses some VERY important aspects of extreme weight loss and will really help you down the road when you think "No one told me about this!!!!" Okay, that's all for now - I've gotta get going and get ready to fly. Y'all have a beautiful week and I hope that some of this helped to ease your mind. Just remember to keep it all in perspective and to do your research. Talking to post-ops is a great way to help get you through it. God bless you all wherever you are in your journeys. Cheryl

Wow Tammy, Great post - thanks for sharing it here! ((hugs)) Cj

Thanks for sharing the Cath's testimonial Tammy. It will help to know ahead some of the possible side effects and feelings we could experience. I have had kids, and a hernia operation, both were tough but I survived. I had a root canal that I wanted to die after. Each day it got better and better. Each day you get stronger & stronger. I personally never forgot the pain. But I'm sure the WLS won't equal either of those. I don't like to take anything for pain, unless I really have to. Elissa