Waiting, Worrying and Pre-OP Stuff

Hello, my name is Charity. I am a 5'5" 335 (BMI approx 52) woman that is currently off work due to depression and bi-polar I. My GB Dr wants me on a 2 day shake and a salad with small serving of lean meat. Due to my insurance wanting 6 months of a nutrition plan followed by my PCP (who wants me to follow South Beach or something) my surgery won't be scheduled til sometime in August. Has anyone followed the liquid diet this long before surgery? That's 3.5 months out. GB doc wants me to lose 30 pounds before surgery.

My depression and Bi-polar (pretty sure this is mainly weight related) require me to take 300 mg bupropion, 40 mg celexa, 300 mg seroquel (soon to be changed to 600 mg of lithium), trazadone and xanax as needed. The seroquel makes me constantly want to eat. Over the past year alone I have gained 60 pounds. So needless to say I am not following the diet and I got reprimanded last time I went to the GB doctor for gaining. I am afraid he is not going to do the surgery and I am stressing big-time over it. I am already stressing out over work, kids, my weight and this sure don't help.

I am also a smoker and that is one of the must that I have to do is quit. I have been a heavy smoker for the last 20 years and even more so the past 2 years. My PCP says I have enough to worry about and that I should wait to quit but the GB doctor will not do the surgery if I am smoking. I do have what they call and e-cig and I am trying to use it more than cigs but all this at once is driving me crazy and making me want to eat more.

Anyone gone through this or have some words of wisdom that will sink into this think skull of mine?

Thanks
Charity

Wow Charity, You have a heavy load to carry. I sure don't have all the answers but I can tell you a fw things that might be helpful. The liquid diet for two meals can be carried out long term. It has plenty of nutrients to keep you healthy. It will also cause significant weight loss which might be enough to keep you motivated once you get past the first few days. YOu also will notice a marked decrease in your appetite after a couple of days if you will follow the diet faithfully. I know your meds can complicate things, try to remind yourself that you are not experiencing real hunger, only a medicine side effect. I promise it will get easier as you get into it.
I am hoping with all of the psychiatric mediction you take that you are seeing a psychiatrist and therapist, lean on them through this time, most are very skilled in dealing with food issues along with all of the other baggage we carry.If you are not and your GP is prescribing all of these meds, I would request an evaluation by a psychiatrist who would specialize in these meds and their side effects.
I wish you all the best, You will be in my prayers.
Cheryl

Thanks for your reply. I am not sure how everyone follows the liquid diet long term. After a few days of it i get nauseous but I will try to push through and try and fight through the "not real hunger". My meds are perscribed by a psychiartrist and I do have a therapist. So far it seems like nothing works or maybe that is just my excuse. All I know is this weight is messing with my mobility and hygiene and I don't like it anymore. I don't want anyone to think that I think poor me. I did this to myself and now I know I have to fight whatever demons I have in order to be at a healthy weight and stay there. Any tips will be really welcomed.

One step at a time.    You can do this.  Just take a deep breath and keep working toward the goal.  The meds are your first thing to get figured out.  As far as the diet, I stayed on Optifast (liquid diet) for 5 months once and 3 months another time, both times losing a good amount of weight (90 and 50).   I could always lose, but then put it back on.  I'm hoping the weight loss surgery will help me to keep it off now.

Charity,
I must ask if you have looked into the DS?  Please, before you have your RNY, make sure you are making a fully informed surgery choice.  Are you aware of the high failure rate for BMI's over 50?  Take about depression and failure!

If your are going to rearrange your guts, make sure you make an effort to fully understand the difference between these two surgeries.  Please, please go to DSfacts.com and read about it.  Okay!  I wish you the best of everything!
Diane


 

I appreciate your concern on the type of surgery I will be having but I have made an informed decision that is best for me. With the DS you are basically able to eat anything that you did before without an effect, just a smaller amount. Hence the reason I have chosen the RNY, this will make me limit some of the foods I know are a problem for me and my problem with motivation. Again, thank you for your thoughts.

It has been my experience and observation that some people get depressed about being fat.  Mental health medications can increase your appetite and result in weight gain.  But being overweight and bipolar don't have anything to do with each other.  Bipolar disorder is a brain chemical imbalance.  Medications may have to be adjusted as BMI changes, but bipolar is not fixed with even massive weight loss.

If the idea of never smoking again is overwhleming, make a cmmitment to quit for 3 months before surgery and x number of months afterwards.  You can do it.   Hopefully, you will feel so well as a non smoker you will decide not to go back.  Good luck and good health to you.  Loris

Thank you Loris for your idea on the smoking thing. Definitely worth a try and I would hope that I wouldn't be stupid enough to go back to them either. Regarding the Bi-polar and weight issue I realize that is more of a chemical imbalance but the depression is what I was referring too. It seems the heavier I get the more depressed I get. I am on meds and they aren't helping so I hope that either the doc can get my meds right or I lose the weight and it helps.  Again, thanks for replying. :)

Girl, you can do anything you put your mind to! Just remember, where ever you go, there you are! Meaning, whatever frame of mind you put yourself in, that's the frame of mind you're going to follow. Yes, you do have many obstacles to overcome but so do we all or we wouldn't be on this forum.  I, myself, am waiting on auth for my surgery.  I don't have to go on a pre-op diet as my MD does not require one (I weigh 374 pounds) but even if I did have to go on a pre-op diet I would do what I had to do.  Just remember, the pre-op diet is not for a lifetime.  Your new life starts when you have your surgery.  That's when the word DIET flies out of your vocabulary and the words HEALTHY HABITS become top priority.  So, just look at that pre-op diet as this - the last time you will ever have to DIET again LOL Yes you will have to change your eating habits post op but girlfriend, the results are going to be so encouraging for you that you won't mind making those changes and keeping them as a part of your life.  What we have to remember is the surgery is a tool - not a CURE.  The surgery is what you make of it.  Only YOU can make your tool fail.  As far as your smoking problem I do understand where you're coming from.  I'm six weeks pre-op and quit smoking just two days ago.  I'm using Nicorette and it's been working so far!  I used it several years ago and quit for three years so I know I can do it.  Just remember - that cigarette is NOT as important as your Healthy Habits are.  You will not die without that cigarette girlfriend! It's only several minutes before you realize your need for that cigarette is over.  Go out and buy some Nicorette.  it will cost you as much as what you pay for cigarettes.  So what's the diff? One thing I do want you to do before you go on Nicorette is ask your psych about using it and being on psych meds.  The psych may want to cover how much Nicorette you can have :) OK???? The problems you are having are not as hard as you think they are ! I swear! I had to do my six months nutritional counseling.  MY PCP and GB MD are not as strict as yours but just remember - the results are worth it!!! And you don't have far to go!!!

Always remember:

Where ever you go ------ there you are!

Woot!  Woot!

Love life girlfriend.  It will love you right back!