Friends

As for being on this site for only a few days, I'm having a hard time connecting with people/ adding friends. Finding support of this surgery out side of this site is becoming increasingly difficult at age 22. I'm getting a lot of the skepticism about me being so young that simple exercise and diet should make me healthy. I have been doing some research online about complications, but I want honest people answers. 

 

If you could please respond with any small hiccup or speed bump you have ran into post op. I'm one week from surgery and my nerves of steel are starting to shake. I want to make sure that as excited as I am about this new chapter, I won't be afraid when a paper cut happens. 

 

Thank you! 

Sarahjane 

Thank goodness you're getting a DS! I responded to your post on the Main board, and the whole time I was thinking "This chick needs a DS---her life will be SO much more 'normal' with a DS than with the other surgeries!"

In many ways, finding DS-specific support is hard in 'real life'---so very few people have it. But there's a very good on-line DS community here and on FB, and truly, in a couple of years no one will know you've had WLS unless you choose to tell them. You'll be living a wonderfully normal life, much like any 24-year-old woman who's taking care of herself. (*grin*)

I would give anything if I cold go back in time and get my DS when I was your age, instead of waiting until I was 45. You will have so many opportunities that I missed out on, and you won't suffer from the damage years and years of morbid obesity does to your body. (Even after losing 170+ pounds, housework isn't easy for me---because my knees, hips, ankles, and feet have suffered irreparable harm from carrying all that weight around for so long.)

It's good to see you here!

Thank you so much. Sorry I haven't responded or seen your response on the other post. I have been on here less than a week and figuring out the navigation on this site is slowly coming to me. I will have to figure out how to see it. Thank you for taking the time to respond. 

 

 

Sarahjane 

Quite honestly, I haven no "friends" on this site and I've been here over two years. I believe you are talking about "friends" you add to your profile. It's a feature that I've never used.

I frequent this board and another DS board, where everyone is friends/friendly/acquaintances.....I never really gave it a label. We are all here with a common goal. You should also spend hours reading past threads and then feel free to post whatever comments or concerns you might have.

There are people here who have closer relationships than I, and I don't know if they have ever met in real life or not, since we're spread all over the world.

If you are looking for a closer relationship with a WLS person, you can check out the numerous facebook groups (I can't help you with that) or the main board on this site, or just post away and get to know the people here.

Hey! :) I'm in Grand Rapids, MI as well. 29 now, but was 28 when I had surgery in July. You are making such an amazing decision to have surgery at 22. I went to a seminar when I was your age and said oh I'll do it on my own. All I did on my own was gain more weight in those years. Don't let people get in your head and change your mind. I wanted kids by now but we were unable to have kids because of my weight we assume. If I wouldn't have waited when I got to this age ready for a family my weight would have been old news.

Having the DS is going to change your life for the better. You have to take lots of vitamins and be really good at getting in fluids and protein, but your chances of getting to your weight goals are so much better. I've lost 127 pounds since July! Even two weeks after surgery I never thought I'd be where I am now already. It still felt like a dream.

I assume you are having Dr. Kemmeter? He was amazing and did a wonderful job on my DS. I had my surgery at Saint Mary's and I also work there, but from a patient prospective the staff was amazing and made the hospital stay awesome. I update my blog at least once a month. Feel free to read it and see how things have gone for me so far. Also feel free to message me. We can get together anytime if you want to talk. There is a fantastic group of DS patients in Grand Rapids to talk to.

I wish I had done this when I was 22! I would have avoided 18 more years of struggling with my obesity!

I'm only six months post-op, but I haven't had any complications from the surgery. Early out, I felt like crap, but that was because I was a little dehydrated. Nothing major. 

You have to commit to taking a lot of vitamins for the rest of your life. Are you up for that? Have you researched all you need to know about protein, vitamins, lab work, etc.? You need to be your own health advocate. You can't always rely on your surgeon's or your PCP's advice. 

As far as making friends here on OH, I have a small group of people who I would consider "friends". I have met one in IRL, but the rest I only know through here and now on FB. Once you start posting more, you can get to know other people better and vice versa. 

I have several friends from Michigan I picked up over the years here. Most of us bounce around in various groups and social media sites now.  But those Michiganders are special gals to me. They are all Kemmeter patients, I think.  Anyway, I was on a business trip to Lansing and they gathered there for me from all over the state. We had a wonderful dinner and then went to another place for cheese cake and foo foo coffee.  Loved it and them. :)  

Try to hang in there, I remember feeling all alone too. It was 2 weeks before surgery and I didn't know anybody. I posted an introduction here and asked if I could join in. They welcomed me and offered to find an angel for me to get me through surgery. They found someone local and we met for dinner 2 days before my surgery date. She came to my room the night of my surgery after learning my husband couldn't find me and no one came to tell him I was in recovery or anything. We're still friends and meet for dinner and support group several times a year. Sounds like you may have someone here who's already close by and with your surgeon too. Hang on to her and ask her to be your angel. She'll post back here once your out of surgery and let us know you're doing well.

Keep posting and asking questions.

--gina 

 

Welcome! I was alternately petrified and thrilled going in to surgery. It is perfectly normal, just consider all the things that convinced you to have the surgery in the first place.

I had no medical problems post op. I would recommend taking full advantage of the pain meds while you are in the hospital. I was easily fatigued the first couple of weeks home but was able to stop my pain meds pretty quickly. It still felt like i had done a zillion situps so I had to be careful about bending / stretching. 

Even when you don't have problems it is still major surgery and you will find yourself wondering what the hell you got into at least once or twice post-op but hang in there it gets better.

Work hard to keep up with your liquids when you get home. Dehydration is the first avoidable thing that can cause you trouble.

Ask questions and read what other people ask. It is the best way to get a sense of what kind of people are on the board here or anywhere. Some you will get to like, others maybe not so much. Just like any other group of people.

Pete

Ooops, I forgot my speed bump. I came out of the surgery lactose intolerant. It took me a while to figure that out which led to a lot of gas before I cut out regular milk. Luckily yogurt and cheese don't bother me like regular milk. I now use lactaid when I want milk.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. If I start having issues with milk afterwards I will try switching over to lactaid to see if it helps. Any little bit of advice or knowing of road bumps, puts a little bit more knowledge in preparation for post op. 

Best decision I ever made and I am only 3 months out! I have no "friends" on here....  But hope that I can learn from others and maybe even inspire someone to select the DS and move forward on a healthy journey. I have had many friends in real life not understand why I can not just get the weight off..... those people will never "get it" so I do not bother trying to convince them.....

I have had zero issues or problems and lost 61 pounds in 3 months. Life is about to change for you.... embrace it