pre op vent......clothing.

Soooo.....need to vent a little....maybe needing some positive energy from you post opers...I need another pair of scrub pants bad! But I refuse to go and buy them. My brain is telling me not because I have a little over a month to go until surgery and I feel that Imay have gone up a size also (things are feeling a bit snug). My heart says to go and get them because what if this weight doesn't come off? I'm a bandster and lost 12 lbs....need some encouragement during my very patient wait until 1/24/13 :/

That is a conundrum. You will most definitely lose more than 12 pounds pounds with your DS. My metabolism was totally busted and the DS came through like a champ.  : )  

--gina

 

One of my favorite parts of post-op life was giving clothes away that no longer fit me.  I felt that some overweight woman out there was so grateful to have my larger clothes since I knew how hard they were to come by...and expensive.  You can always buy a pair now and give them away when they are too big.  I'm all about spending a bit of money to be comfortable at work.  It's not like it's a huge expense.  It will be the last pair of large scrubs you will buy. 

I remember getting my goal weight from my surgeon and thinking "Yeah, right!" while nodding at him.  I thought that I would still end up about 50 lbs heavier than what he said.  I didn't.  Until it happens to you and you see it on the scale, you might never believe it.  You will still panic during stalls, you will think that you are special and will be the only one not to lose weight with the DS.  Enjoy the journey and not just the destination.  This surgery is so much more than losing weight.  It's a journey thru the mind, your past, your future, your relationships, you fears and joys. 

My surgery date is scheduled for January 16th. (The duodenal switch) Of course, I have many concerns. But as you said, I am going to really focus on this "journey of my mind." Why have I used food as my comfort, my nemesis? What is it in my past that triggers me to eat or sabotage my healthy eating plans? Without food, what will fill that emptiness or void? I have plenty to explore as I lose the weight and I am excited about peeling away the many layers of the me that now exist. Who is under there? What is she like? Learning and discovering a person I have long put on hold will emerge. Yes, you are right. We must enjoy the journey, not just the destination.

Thanks so much for your post. You've helped me more than you know.

Lisa

Can you find some at the thrift store?

I was pushing my jean size the last TWO months prior to surgery (we will be switch sisters...I also had mine on the 24th of Jan). I refused to buy more....I did try to find some at Goodwill but wasn't lucky enough to find any at the time.

As long as you follow the rules of fluids, protein, and fat first, you will lose it...maybe a bit slower than a virgin DS'er but it will come off.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Liz

Thank you Buffalo and Major. Your words are wise and mean so much to me right now.

I am a bandster turned DSer. I also was worried that the DS wouldn't work just like the band didn't work. I'm not sure how much I lost on the band...I went up and down a little. But I do know that I was almost the exact same weight when I got it put in in February 2009 as I was when it was removed in February 2012.

If you are really uncomfortable at work, go get a new pair of pants. But don't get them because you are worried that the weight won't come off. At first after the DS I was afraid to give away my fat clothes because in the past when I have given away big clothes I would eventually have to go buy more, but not this time. This is the real deal. I know it not only because the weight has come off so rapidly and this surgery is so awesome, but also because for the first time I am losing weight without feeling so hungry all the time and waiting for the diet to be over so I can finally eat again (which is why I always gained the weight back). This is truly a lifestyle change, and although it requires effort, I have not found it requires suffering. I eat when I am hungry, focus on protein and I have started getting active. This is a million times better than that lousy band.

Good luck on your surgery!

I am one week out from band removal to DS today and already I am noticing the angles of my jaw line instead of just soft roundness there. Just one week! That was nothing like the first week out from the band. So rest assured, you WILL see a noticeable change.

A few weeks ago I bought a beautiful burgundy vest at FULL PRICE. I really wanted it -- perfect colour for me and I felt less fat wearing it. I wore it to a special work Christmas event yesterday and felt beautiful. I almost didn't buy it because how could I justify the money when surgery was less than a month away. Seriously -- get a new pair of scrubs. You are important enough to feel more at ease and comfortable NOW, instead of waiting. Plus you never know who will benefit from your clothes when you can no longer wear them. It is so exciting at a thrift store to find something that is in good shape and actually FITS as a plus sized lady.

These are awesome replies;) I will go and buy a new pair of scrubs when I get off tomorrow.

I hate the idea of spending needlessly, too.  Check the thrift stores and Walmart.  I've seen scrub clothes there and very cheap.