If you could give newbies just ONE piece of advice

What do you think about me adding this info that the post-ops provided to DS Facts? I love it and it's great advice for pre-ops.

This is "the one thing"--->There are MANY things that wls will not fix.

These are examples:
if you are insane, you will still be insane, maybe more so, since your meds may not absorb;
if you are an alcoholic, you should not have any wls surgery until you fix that;
if you are in an abusive relationship, wls will not fix that;
if nobody ever liked you, they still probably won't just because you had wls;
etc...AND...

if you were ALWAYS fat and never did well with the opposite sex, take it easy...pubescent behavior is not attractive on a 40-year-old; and,
just because you can squeeze into it does not mean it's a good idea...even if your friends say you look good.

Sometimes I feel like you don't love me. :(

Okay, okay...I'll just come right out and say it...you could have waited a bit for the thong.

There.  Deal with it.

My best advice:

Every day is going to be different, so you need to learn how to roll with the punches and make adjustments as necessary.  Food tolerances change, the taste of food changes, our bodies change...it's nothing to freak out about.  Just do what you've got to do to get through the changes until everything evens out for you!

People already covered most of the things I would have said. The one I have not seen anyone hit on is mobility around the home.

I could not reach myself in those places after surgery. My range of motion was just too restricted. I needed help. A lot of it.

I couldn't get up off the couch by myself. I needed help. A lot of it.

Going up and down stairs was possible, but it was slow. I didn't need help, but it sucked.

One thing I did shortly after surgery, and I wish I had it all along, was get a shower seat. I absolutely loved this thing. Taking showers felt really great after surgery, but it would wear me out to stand in there for too long. Sitting on the seat and letting water fall over me was the highlight of my day back then.

Talk to your family and be very frank about the kind of help you do and don't want.  I.E.  Don't be critical when you see me frying cheese in butter for myself, and then say no thanks to the apple.  It really is healthy for me, and I will lose weight- unlike the other millions of fad diets you've seen me do.  Do help me by being positive.

Talk to your kids and give them age appropriate information.  Spin your surgery in a positive manner and help them see the positives for them (a more healthy/energetic mom who will be able to do more funs stuff with them!).  Sugar coat the dangers/risks- or skip it altogether if they are not curious or concerned.   

My advise is to read the OH endorsed book titled:

From The Inside Out-Resolving Obesity Through The New Science Of Bariatrics

By: Steven Baum, Angela Bickman and Paula Magid.

Have an attitude of gratitude!!!

This journey is a roller-coaster:
... the scale goes up and down,
...friendships and marriages may struggle or flourish,
...eating can be iffy or easy and that can all be in the same day,
...lab values may tank or they can be great, this is why you have to repeat the
...emotions soar and plummet especially as hormones wreak their havoc, depression may rear its ugly head and try to consume you

but your attitude will determine how you live your DS life with grace, perseverance, well informed behavior or angst, whining, destructive behaviors.

They do surgery on your gut not your brain & soul!

Thanks Amanda for the great advice! I am absorbing all of this! :)