Repost of something I wrote 3 years ago...good for pre-ops and newly post-ops

Cathy’s DS Pearls of Wisdom

• The early weeks – each day does not define your new life. If you have diarrhea today does not mean you will have it every day for the rest of your life. Don’t let a bad day worry you. It’s just a bad day.

• Every moment without a complication should be a moment of gratitude. If you don’t have anything major, thank your “god of choice”. If you aren’t having nausea, vomiting or pain, live in total gratitude. Perception is everything.

• Don’t be afraid to post TMI tidbits. I couldn’t have felt this good or confident without someone else asking/posting on something very personal. Your experience will help at least one other person.

• You are NOT special. You will not be the first person ever to break the DS. You will lose an average of 85% of your total excess weight. Your stall will end. You will have a buyer’s remorse moment.

• You really don’t want to lose weight every single day forever. Stalls are good things! If you did lose weight everyday then you are one of two things, sick or a MAN! Who would want to be either of these?! J

• Don’t judge other’s experiences. I thought “Oh, come on!” when I read posts. Now I am the one that burps on plain water, doesn’t like certain textures touching my front teeth, have days where I can only tolerate certain temperatures on foods, etc. Weird things happen like that!

• You will not be perfect every day. Even though you might think others are perfect, they aren’t.

• Don’t change your weight loss ticker until you have maintained your new weight for 3 days. As soon as your new weight loss ticker hits a post, you will gain a pound or two…never fails!

• Screw Chapstick. That won’t touch the crusty lips you come out with after surgery. Only Blistex medicated ointment will even begin to help.

• Food is just a “thing” when you can’t eat enough of it to get a drug like effect or make you so stuffed that you can’t focus on the bad parts of your life. This will lead you to realize that it wasn’t really about the food after all. At some point you will need to work on why you became fat in the first place. Again, it wasn’t that you just loved food.

• Even though you believed you understood that WLS was just a tool, we all secretly hope it is the complete answer and that the weight will fall off without much effort. It won’t. You will still need to exhibit some restraint against addictive foods and make yourself exercise.

• When you think you are having a bad post-op day, compare to the pre-op days. Never forget where you came from (pain, embarrassment, limited mobility, fear, sick, ashamed). You will need to remember how bad it was when your skin starts sagging. No matter how bad the skin looks…it still beats being sick and fat.

• Keep your sense of humor….you’ll need it when you stink up a friend’s bathroom!

• Pay it forward!

***Like***

Hi MajorMom!!!

I feel lucky that my pre-op year and post op year were with hundreds of regulars on this board.  I am sad for the current people that they are missing out on all of that sharing and advice.  Thanks for always being here for everyone thru thick and thin.  I'm sure you read this post when I wrote it the first time.  I gained so much from all of your advice and support. 

Cheers,

Cathy

Thank you - I needed to read this.  I double, triple and quadruple like this!!!

Your surgery was on my birthday!!! 

mine too!  lol

Nice to see you Cathy! I don't read or post much anymore--I'm just bored today. I remember this from the first time you sent it. It is well worth reposting every few months for the newbies.

Hi Gail!  I miss you.  I wish I wasn't so far away from SF now.  I live in south San Jose and it would take me all day to get to the meeting.  I work Wednesday's and the traffic would be horrendous.  Can you ever come to the SJ meeting?  I'd love to catch up and see you. 

Awesome Post!!! This really is an incredible journey! :)