What do you wish you had known as a pre-op?

I am nearing my surgery date (dec. 7th) and read this board quite a lot..but I thought it would be interesting to hear what you wish you had known about this surgery/this lifestyle as a pre-op that you have learned as a post-op?

Fire away!

:)

I wish I had known my first 9 months as a post-op to trust Vitalady's vitamin recommendations. My surgeon has 10+ years of experience performing the DS and doing follow-up but he still doesn't get vitamin malabsorption like Vitalady does. We messed with my labs for the first 9 months and finally I asked if I could try her plan, he said yes, just bring the labs to him. He was so pleased at my 1-year labs, he told me to just do whatever she says. lol

--gina

I wish I had been more aggressive right out of the gate (indeed, even preop) with supplementation. And I wish I hadn't wasted time and money on so called "dry" vitamin A from vitamin stores, the quality of which did not even remotely compare to Vitalady's Tender A.

I wish I would have truly known what it would feel like to be full after two or three bites.  Never in my wildest dreams could I fathom that that was possible.  It took me a really long time to wrap my brain around what an appropriate serving size would be for me, and even now, I still sometimes over-estimate.  I feel like I would have saved myself a lot of food and mental struggles had I had a real idea what it was going to be like.

I also wish I would have started right off with protein supplementation instead of waiting till I was four or five months out.  I had it in my head that I would be able to just eat all of my protein and that would be good enough, but that wasn't the case.  Luckily, with the help of MajorMom, I caught my protein numbers slipping early enough, and got myself on a protein supplementation program that is working out great for me. 

I totally agree with you on this. When you hear the doctor say you will be able to eat normal foods just half the amount you think "no big deal". I also wished that I knew some people lose the hunger feeling due to grelin level being lower. I would have thought it rediculous if someone told me that I would have to "force" myself to eat. Never would I have imagined that. I was so upset that I could not eat and I also could not drink. I was so sick and dehydrated.

Also, I never imagined how hard it would be to get your liquids in. Who would have known it would take me an hour to sip on a glass of water. These are things you just normally do and don't think about it until you can't anymore.

I also would have saved myself mental struggles if I had an idea that this is normal for some people and that in due time I would return to eating again - just not as much and that is fine.

This is true. I had never known the feeling of satiety, so it's not something anyone could have explained. It was a stunning revelation, all the more so for it happening on under half a cup of food!

Wish I'd have known about this forum.  Also how to correctly bake cheese crisps:  Use a "silpat" silicone sheet on a cookie sheet, and round egg rings to huddle the shredded cheese into piles that will turn out as individual crisps.  I make several batches of parmesan crisps this way every week and munch on them at work. 

Wish I'd have realized that my doctor and his office were NOT the place to go for the most accurate and helpful DS information.  This place is.  And Vitalady is where to go for vitamin information, NOT my surgeon's practice. 

Also download your lab chart to track your own levels.  And buy yourself the 4-chamber daily vite containers in a four week set up.  It's so nice to only set up your vites once a month instead of weekly. 

I wish I had a binder for my tummy as soon as I could wear one.

I wish I hadn't had my head up my ass and listened to what people on this board said more closely.

See, because I participated here a good 2 years or more before my surgery, I had no excuse. I KNEW IT ALL. I still ignored part of it.

Not any more. :)

Here are a few of the threads I've bookmarked you might find helpful:


http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/3990461/SITES-TO-BOOKMARK-THREADS-FOR-NEWBIES/#32271330

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/3780514/Hey-new-ops-and-soon-to-be-new-ops-some-info-to-help-you-out/

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/4254268/If-you-could-gi ve-newbies-just-ONE-piece-of-advice/

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ds/4275665/Advice-for-Pre-Ops-w-Links/

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/3990461/SITES-TO-BOOKMA RK-THREADS-FOR-NEWBIES/#32271330