less than a week!

And nervous as could be. My surgery date is next week thursday, i had my final preop weigh in yesterday (down 10 lbs from last week wednesday) and got my vit d labs back which came in normal. So, any thoughts on how to prepare myself for this? Words of wisdom or encouragement? Thanks all!

also, can anyone tell me how to edit the weighloss tracker? I remember setting it up, but cant figure out how to change it.

I think you go to your profile and select edit, then click on the weightloss tracker, it takes you to the site and you have to remember your pass word to be able to edit it.  I had one of these in the begining, and then for some reason one day I turned on the site and it was gone, along witht the name of my surgeon.  So I went to my profile clicked on edit profile, clicked on message board, and thats the one that lets you right something to be shown at the end of each post.  If you use it dont forget to click save at the bottome of the page,  mines in purple and has my stats, and surgeon.  I like it sooooo much better.  Its so much faster and easier to keep your stats accurate.  I hope that helps.  Congratts on your upcomming surgery.  Its natural to be nervous.  Everyone on this site is so helpful and encouraging.  They have been for me and they will be for you....  Please consider this site your DS family, and know that the people here really do care.  I dont know what I would have done without them and this site.....  Your going to do GREAT!

We are excited for you!! Congratulations.  Here are some links to information you may find helpful:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/articles/photographing-your-weigh t-loss-surgery-journey/

http://www.obesityhelp.com/articles/weight-loss-surgery-hosp tial-stay-what-to-pack/

http://www.obesityhelp.com/articles/four-on-the-floor-self-c are-after-weight-loss-surgery/

We can't wait to hear from you post-op!

To change your Health Tracker you enter in your new body weight and just click anywhere on the page. You will see it say updating data in the lower right hand corner.  Also, here are some great tutorials on the Health Tracker.

Health Tracker Tutorials

Getting Started with Health Tracker
Entering and Viewing Body Information
Nutrition Tutorials
    - Using your Nutrition Log
    - My Foods and Creating Custom Food Items
    - Favorite Foods and Browse By Category
    - My Meals and Creating Custom Meals
Activity Tutorials
    - Using your Exercise Log
    - My Exercises and Creating Custom Exercises
    - Setting your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
   - Creating workouts with My Workouts
Band Tracker - Using, enabling and disabling 
Creating and Using Tickers and Widgets
Report Tutorials
    - Macronutrient Report
    - Creating and Exporting Reports

I'm referring to the thing in my signature. I changed my health tracker, but that thing isnt changing.

Contact us at [email protected] and let us know what should be showing and we will research for you.  

The first time I updated my weight under health tracker it took forever for the little ticker thing in my signature and profile to update. See if it changes after a couple hours if not take it off and start it fresh again. I tried all of that and eventually it updated. To get to the ticker go to...

MY ACCOUNT>SETTINGS>MESSAGE BOARD TAB (you can delete the old ticker from there)

to get to a new ticker:

HEALTH TRACKER>TICKER & WIDGETS TAB

As far as preparing yourself for surgery. Try not to stress about it too much... I'm not saying I wasn't freaking out also, but now that I got through everything going into it more confident would have been great.

Don't get too discouraged after surgery. It's funny how hard easy things like drinking are. I never imagined it really would be. I was miserable and regretted it (mostly because of IV troubles) the next day. I did not have much pain at all. The swelling / stiff discomfort was the worst of it for me. I only took two tiny sips of the pain meds I was sent home with and one nausea pill. For whatever reason after my first shower at home all of the steam and the enclosed space got to me and I got really sick. It has taken me until my 4th week to feel sort of normal. If I don't get protein in me right when I wake up I feel kind of sickly.

I hope you have a super easy surgery and get to be one of those people who don't even have trouble drinking.

Congrats on your upcoming surgery!  Unfortunately, the pre op week is nerve-wracking, but take comfort in knowing that it's normal, and we've all been through it, and survived!  Don't even think about feeling like your old self for quite some time...for me it was 3 months.  And I feel even better everyday!  You go through LOTS of different emotions post op.  Let yourself, don't fight it.  It will all pass, and before you know it, you will be down 72 lbs.  It truly is amazing.  That being said, the first month post op is brutal.  I had no idea going into it, and wish I had been warned....I may have been able to handle it better.  I hope you have supportive, loving people you can count on....you will need them.  Don't be afraid to use them! 

I guess my main words of advice would be, it's all temporary...this, too, shall pass.

And I agree with the previous poster...showering is a monumental task!  Just make sure someone is home with you the first couple times.  You'll probably take a nice long nap afterwards!

I keep thinking im making the wrong decision, but i know if i dont do something now, i'll start seeing health problems soon and i dont want that.

It's perfectly normal at this point to be questioning your decision.  I had the same feeling, but the other side of my brain said, what if I'm here, just heavier, a year from now?  For me, that wasn't an option. This is a very personal decision that only you can make.  If you've come this far, you've done your research and need to be comfortable with whatever choice you make.