Surgery on Thursday -- a little nervous.

So, I'm getting a little case of the nerves.  No raging panic attacks, no sleepless tossing and turning, no obsessive dwelling.  I'm trying to keep busy.  Our blizzard today helped, had to get out and plow for a couple of hours.   But, I have to confess, sitting here alone at night, after all of the day's distractions are over, I'm getting a little nervous.  Thoughts which are probably profoundly irration keep running through my mind -- am I doing the right thing, how much is this really going to hurt (I've never had any major surgery before, just minor things like my wisdom teeth and an in-office repair of a torn retina), will this all be worthwhile, will I be one of the people who can actually lose and then keep the weight off, or will I be just as fat in a few years as I am now, are there some dread side effects not yet known that will ruin my health down the road, am I really going to never have ice cream, a pepsi, or reese's peanut butter cups ever again in my life? I have to be at the hospital in about 80 hours.  Talk me through this, guys. Dan

Dan,

Yes you should be nervous. That is normal. Yes you are doing the right thing. If nothing worked before this very well can be the thing that will turn your life around. How much is this going to hurt? I never took a pain pill when I left the hospital. I could have gone back to work in two weeks, but I waited for 3 weeks just to be sure. I also had never been in the hospital nor had a major surgery. It will be fine. Yes it's possible that you could lose weight and then regain it. The difference is that you will have a tool that will be a reminder to eat the right things. I looked at this as a "do over" I regained my mobility and have made the most of it. I have walked almost 2000 miles in the last 17 months. I walk every day rain, snow or shine. I have to, it keeps me honest and on track. I don't have any dreaded side effects, it only gets better and better. Are you every going to have ice cream again, maybe (makes me sick), pepsi, (not me, too much carbonation). I don't miss it, I used to drink a lot of it, reese's peanut butter cup (yeah I've had one or two of them), but once an oreo made me sick. It all just depends and it's different for everyone. Pray that you will have dumping syndrome. It keeps you honest. I wish I did.

You will do fine, you have to let us know how you are doing and then help others who are walking the same path. It will be your gift back to the then "newbies".

It will be fine, Look at the Sunday weigh-in's we are all real people. We have been where you are. You too can have the same results. It isn't without work, but it is so worth it.


Life is great Rick

Hey Dan, sounds like you are having some of the same thoughts I had. Every time it started with me I would remind my self that I had tried and failed at keeping it off my on my own. I had done the research and this had not been a snap decision. When I did this it would help me to remember why I had made the decision to do this in the first place. I think what your feeling is pretty normal.  pan head

Dan, Sounds like the Normal self-questioning That most everyone goes through prior to surgery. The pain? Different for everyone. *post above... The Reese’s cups? I think kpdurran (Chad our Boxer) posted about still enjoying them just a few days back. The Pepsi and the ice cream? Never? "Never" is one of those words like "Always." Good in theory, but doesn't hold up well against reality. I no longer have quite the taste for them, But, I will say- "Everything tastes better while wearing a Medium size Shirt!" Set your sights on where you want to be 5 to 10 years from now And do everything to make that happen. WLS is a Long term solution, which requires long-term commitment. Some find it helpful to make a checklist, like- 50 things I want to be able to do, That I can't do at my present weight. And then check them off over the first year or two. Do review WHY you are doing this... and make the commitment to your purposes. May you have a Super successful surgery and a record breaking recovery! Best Wishes- Dx

First Good Luck with your surgery. In less than six months your life will change forever. For the better! I'm nearly 8 months out, just a baby compared to some here. I occasionally eat what you'ved asked about but mostly sugar free. A spoonful of Ice Cream instead of a Quart. If I had liked alcohol like Ice Cream I'd have been an Alcoholic so it's been a change.In April I wore 4X shirts today Large. 59 in the waist then today loose 38s' Health is wonderful! Again Good Luck

Heya Dan.   Nervous is normal.  Nervous is HUMAN!   If you weren't nervous and didn't have reservations about this then you probably shouldn't do it.   Hell I experienced absolute, debilitating fear the day of surgery right before they took me back.  I'd never had any surgeries before and I just knew that I was gonna die on the operating table.  Well I made it through and have had a little bit of success with it.  :)

About the foods you'll be able to eat after surgery...   You won't be able to eat the sugary stuff for about a year post-op but you may be able to depending on how your body handles sugars.  A lot of the guys on here will tell you to avoid sugar at all cost.   If you want to do that then by all means I commend you for making the commitment!   I just refuse to deny myself a food that I enjoy so if I can tolerate it I'll eat it...  IN MODERATION!   The difference between pre-op and post-op is that I can't eat a BAG of Reeses Peanut Butter cups or a half-gallon of ice cream.  I eat a few pieces here and there and am satisfied.   MODERATION is the KEY and in the case of my surgery (RNY) the pouch regulates that for me.   Surgery does the moderation part.   The moving around more part is up to me and I do pretty well with that. 

So here's a list of stuff that I enjoyed pre and now post-op...

Regular Coke or Pepsi? 
Yep.  In my case I have one of the baby Coke, Sprite or other regular carbonated drinks a few times a week.   I can only handle around 6 ounces but it does the trick.   Pre-op I could drink a 12 pack in a couple of days.   Now a 6 pack of baby Coke lasts me a couple of weeks.   Also, with that said I drink 1 to 1.5 gallons of water a day.  

Resees peanut butter cups, chocolate, Sweet Tarts, Gummy Bears, etc.? 
Yep.   I have a regular pack of Reeses Peanut Butter cups pretty much every afternoon after workout along with a protein shake.      Funny thing is I didn't really care for Reese Peanut Butter cups pre-op.  As for other candy it'**** and miss.   I'll enjoy a few here and there but if I overdo it I get sick.   Dumping sucks but it's also a blessing.   Overdo it and pay for it. 

Ice cream?
Sure, every once in a while I'll have a scoop.   I'll admin that my tastes for ice cream have changed though.  I don't really have a craving or taste for it now like I did pre-op.  During the summer I'll even have a kiddie snowball once a week or so.   

Pizza?
Yep.    Pre-op I could consume a super-large pizza in a sitting.   Now a piece or two once a month does the trick.

Pasta?
Sure.  Not a problem.  I'm half-Italian so I couldn't see myself never eating pasta again.  :)  

Honestly I haven't run accross anything that I ate pre-op that I can't handle now in MODERATION.   Your relationship with food is gonna change.   Make a commitment to yourself post-op to exercise for the rest of your life, eat at least 100g of protein a day, take your vitamins religiously and drink your water and there will be nothing wrong with having a Reeses Peanut Butter cup every now and again!

Good luck with your surgery.  Pop in when you get back home and let us know how it went.

Chad.

Thanks for the good words, guys.   I thinkk I'm actually at a really good place with this thing mentally, compared to how I think a lot of people (especially the residents of the main board) are at this stage of the game.  Just a few anxieties, kinda like Binkley's anxiety closet run amok (for those Bloom County fans out there).  I feel like I'm going to have a lot of success with it over the long run, and I really don't feel like it's a big sacrifice to give up the things which have gotten my in trouble over the years.   As far as the food goes, I'm actually pretty confident that I'll be able to do well, without feeling like I'm "giving up" things.  I really enjoy cooking, always have, and don't see this as a deprivation, but rather as a challenge to create things which will be both healthy and satisfying.  Tne main thing with my diet over the years has NOT been quality, because I do consume a very healthy diet overall, actually, a ton of produce of all kinds, we've been doing only extremely low fat meats, lots of skinless chicken, fish high in omega threes, NO salt at all to the extent that is possible.  No, the main problem with my diet has always been QUANTITY.  I just have to get myself used to the idea that a tablespoon of something tastes just as good as a quart, and is just as satisfying. My main source of aprehension is just the pain -- I can't help but wondering just how much this is going to hurt, and for how long.  I really appreciate all of the great posts about post-op pain, special thanks again to Dx.  Pain is just one of those individual things -- there are posters who say the whole thing was no sweat, and those who have a lot of pain.  I won't know where I fit into that continuum until I'm there, I'm just hoping for the lower end of the pain scale.  I'm going to walk as much as I can to get that gas out, that's for sure. I hope to be posting from the other side of the experience by this time next week. Dan

You're right: pain can be a very individual thing. Most people describe themselves as having been hit by a Mack Truck.  I'd say that it isn't so much _pain_ as a lot of discomfort; not just from what the surgeons did you your guts, and the incisions, but also all the tubes coming out of you of every sort which make getting around difficult.  Plus, getting out of bed uses all those abdominal muscles which support your torso, which happen to be stitched up. LUCKILY, you'll be given a PCA of an appropriate opiate in your IV which has a button you can press when you are feeling uncomfortable, and that really helps with the pain and/or discomfort. I'd much rather go through another RNY cold than suffer through pain like biliary colic, or the gas I experienced (not after RNY) after having my gallbladder out. My own experience is that post-op RNY, there's no severe searing pain that lasts a long, long time.  Most of it in in the aches and twinges category. Hope this helps! /Steve