Question

What?  You mean Gary won't be repulsed by the hanging skin??  If he loves me the way I am, he'll still want me with the hanging skin, I'm sure.

What??? You mean there is no skin fairy???  Burst my bubble...

You really make me laugh.  I'm almost looking forward to slapping myself in the face with my bat wings.  That's got to be a first to wish for.  I, Like you, am looking forward to keeping up with my grandchild.

comb my hair and slap my face........ oh my gosh.. i am laughing soooo hard... you guys are hilarious!

Hi Jan!!

Two more days!!  I'll be thinking of ya!

Great question.....the one thing that sticks out in my mind when I read your question is I wish I would have know how hard it would be to eat again for the first few months after surgery.  I figured I would get through the liquid & pureed stages after surgery and then I could start eating somewhat normal again, just much smaller portions.  Boy, I was wrong.  I didn't enjoy eating until about a couple of weeks to a month ago. Everything felt like it was stuck or that I needed to throw it back up just to feel better.  I never knew what would cause that either.  Sometimes, I would eat tuna fish and be fine, the next time I'd take a bite and I'd get that 'feeling' and I just knew I had to get to a bathroom.  Once I threw it up I felt good...and like eating someting again.  It is a big learning curve once you have the surgery to learn to eat slowly, take small bites and chew, chew, chew.  I was so used to just shovelling in my food and swallowing, I think that was the cause of my wanting to throw the food back up because I was eating too fast.  

Now, I think I've mastered the eat slow and take small bites and I can eat pretty comfortably without feeling like I want to throw up.  It's especially frustrating at first when you are out in public and re-learning to eat slowly b/c if you mess up, you need to be near a bathroom.  I remember early out (like 2 months) I went to a nice restraunt in Ann Arbor and had a greek salad and boy I felt that feeling come on as soon as I took a couple of bites.  And then walking back to the car I just knew I was going to throw up right there as I was walking down the street....embarassing!

I have to agree with Brenda's post.....although I am still probably considered a newbie, I have this fear of not reaching my goal or still being overweight when my body decides to stop losing.  I know if I stopped losing right now, I still would be SO THANKFUL for the 87 lbs I have lost, but in my mind, I'm thinking I better lose a lot more than this for going through having my guts rearranged....too early to tell for me yet, but I think sometimes people who get this surgery have expectations of getting super thin because the surgery is going to make us that way.   I have a feeling I will be one of those people that stuggles with my weight my entire life because I have lost over 100 lbs four different times, only to gain it back each time.   I'm looking forward to about 18 months down the road when I'm hopefully MAINTAINING my weight loss.

Nan  

I'll have to learn to eat slower.  I'm always the last one finished with my meal, but I know I still eat faster than I should.

I'm meeting my poker buddies for dinner tonight.  I can't eat so I'm bringing my protein.  I'll just tell the waitress I'm prepping for surgery and have to drink this special stuff and get a glass of ice.  I'll ask if they have chicken soup and if I could just get the broth.  That way I'll still be a paying customer.  I need to learn to make the right choices when eating out.

Right now I'm craving a nice greek salad, but will not eat anything....

I'll be thinking of all of my OH friends on Thursday.  You've all been such a help to me.  I look forward to being on the other side...

Jan

Good point, Nan!  I forgot about the throwing up.  I wish I knew back then that it was normal.

I used to carry a tote bag with me and some brown lunch bags so I could lean in to it and pretend I was looking for something while I was throwing up!

Brenda, I started carrying brown paper bags too once you had told me that a while ago when I posted about my episode in Ann Arbor.  I never leave home without a brown lunch bag....just in case :-)  

oh my lord brenda- you are hilarious!!  i actually went out to dinner tonight with my family.. practically galloped to the potty and proceeded to "toss" my entire 5 bite meal back up.. then on the way home.. i about died.. i needed to "toss" again.. i had nothing.. and i mean nothing in my car....so here I am.. squeeling into some plumbing supply warehouse parking lot.. flinging open my door.. and I proceed to throw up the rest of my meal.. so, I'm finally done... stand back up.. look up and there is a couple about 10 feet away from me, they are looking at a camper that is for sale in the parking lot... I am mortified, but how do i handle it?  I bust out laughing.. get in my car and squeel back on the road... I am officially getting some bags and putting them in my car so i too can look like I am looking for something in a bag while i yak.....  my stomach officially hurts right now from laughing so hard.........

For me, I wish I would have know hard it would be emotionally.   Losing the physical weight seemed easy compared to the emotional weight that it brought.   Your entire life has to change.   Relationships with everything and everybody has to change.   Examples....Relationships with food has to change to eating to live and not living to eat.   Our relationships with friends and families usually revolve around food.   Going to parties, socializing with friends, dating the husband.   It seems that the people that knew me before surgery were always waiting for it to fail, and the people who did not know me when I was fat do not understand why I will not eat their food.  I am very strict with my regimen and that, like religion, is often difficult to defend with those who think,  "why cant you just have a little bit?"  With than being said,  I would not change a thing, I just continue to learn and accept.   It is more than 5 years for me, I have done many marathons, a triathlon, and love being fit and thin, and feeling good about myself means more than what people think when I bring my own food with me, when I do not go out to lunch with co-workers.    This acceptance did not come easy, it truly has taken all of the last 5 years.   So you will get thinner fast, but when you get discouraged emotionally, give it time, I have found that to be harder than losing the weight.    If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.  

Thanks so much for your reply.  I wasn't real concerned about the emotional thing, but the more I read the more concerned, and aware, I become.  I will try not to change my personality too much and keep my friends in tact.  5 years is a long time and I'm really glad you've been able to be successful.  I hope I'll be right there along with you.
Jan

Good luck tomorrow, Jani.

Think positive.  Let us know how you come out.