Wow, a place for men!! Perfect Timing

This is awesome that the men have a place to hang, said Hi on another board (won't name) and everyone started trying to validate my feelings.... Scared the hell out of me!

OK Men, I thought I had tons of time to come to terms with WLS. I've been contemplating this since Sep, and started the process/Appts in Nov, Package went to insurance on the 18th of Jan, Approved on the 19th...(What the hell, Thought it took months???)  Dr Office calls and tells me I'm locked in to be cut on the 8th of Feb!!! 

Now Im second guessing the hell out of myself, "is this what I want?", "Im only 315, Cant I just start Running?"

Im pretty healthy, got bad apnea, refuse to wear the mask, hate it,  thats about it, BP is good, cholesterol is probably high, no diabetes, healthy heart, retired 5 years ago from mil special ops and was the picture of health....  Spent 20 years eating drinking anything I wanted, also spent 4 hours in the gym a day working it off.... Damn civilian world wants me to work for a living...  Still like eating everything in site tho

Sigh...  I just want to lead a normal life, I want to go to a restraunt and have a small meal and feel full, want to have a small sandwich and feel full....  Not feel hungry all the time, not go thru my meal and finish my wifes off.

Did you guys have any last minute WTF moments??? Buyers Remorse??? 

Thanks for listening guys.
Brian

Welcome to the board, and remember, what you are feeling is so valid, and it's ok to cr... uh, just kidding, of course.

No remorse here prior to the surgery, but I sure had it the first two weeks after. I was a mess - pain, vomiting, bad mood, the works. No complications, but I was so big they had to use a liver retractor to get it out of the way of the surgical field (even laproscopic), and so I had more pain than average. Until 6 months, I would not have recommended the surgery to anyone, and I only recommend it now to those of us who have tried everything, and just can't get it off. I was much bigger than you (445 at peak, 385 at surgery, 270 now), though, and there was little hope I could just lose 235# by eating and exercising right.

You're having an expensive surgery that the insurance company approved quickly, so you must have some sort of situation where even THEY think it's a good thing for you to do this. Just know that it really does change so much. Food that is ok today might make you throw up tomorrow. You have to take quite a few pills (I do a multi-, D, and B12) for the rest of your life. You physically can't binge any more, no matter how good those chicken wings or pizzas look/smell/taste. Alcohol will knock you for a loop with just a taste (one bourbon and coke at 3 mos had me off balance and exhausted).

But, you're 315, and probably in your late 40s or early 50s, and that is just not a great combination for health. As a retired SpecOps guy, you probably hate that you aren't able to run as fast, jump as high, or do anything for as long as you were able to a few years ago (my father's a retired JSOC O-6, so I know the type). Losing the weight, while not as easy as critics maintain, will give a lot of that back to you.

So, the way to answer your question is to ask whether better health and phsyical condition is worth the changed way of eating, and initial hassle of the surgery? Also, are you willing to do your part during your weight loss period, and once the surgery has stopped doing the work (~18 mos is what I keep hearing) - exercise, eat right, and maintain the way we all should? If the answer to either of these is "no", then you might want to really examine why you want to go through with it. If it's yes, then get it done, and come back here to tell us how it's going.

Ahhh, you poor thing...butterfly kisses to you.  Sending you some flowers to brighten your day...

Just kidding.  No really this is a great site.  You get a lot of support, but in a good way.  More butt kicking when you need it, without the nuturing you may get on other boards.  You'll get nuturing here, but it's more of a guy thing...(more "that's tough man"...rather than "you poor thing"...see above.)  And the advice is more like your cool uncle would give you (not the crazy one who yells at the TV all the time)...Unless you're that uncle who yells at the TV all the time!!
Buyer's remorse...Yes, the first few day..."What have I got myself into"!!  But after that things settle down and the weight starts dropping big time.  You're back taking up sports and activities you've put on the shelf for years.  Your energy level comes back after a few months snf life is good.  Men lose the weight much faster than the women (we have a bigger muscle structure, so it comes off faster).  Ask away on the questions, we'll try and help when we can.  Brian A.  PS  I think we have several Brians on here now...I may end my lines as Cabin.  I've always liked the little cabin up in the woods for relaxation.

Hi Brian

 Three simple rules here:

1.  No females allowed to post unless they are OH staffers, a female asking something for her significant other or she is posting about surgery results.
2.  No WOW's or Onederland.  We call them FART's (Fantastic, Awesome, Remarkable, Terrific) Breaking the 200 pound mark it is Century City.
3.  No more than three emoticons per post or that sparkly crap!

That being out of the way if you're having second thoughts it is better to "measure twice and cut once".  If you believe you can beat back the obesity with diet and exercise by all means do that versus having to alter your gizzard!  Contrary to what people think going through weight loss surgery and the lifestyle adjustments that have to be made for it to work IS NOT THE EASY WAY OUT!  <-----me when I hear that ****!

Hey man! You didn't send me the rules when I joined the men's board?

I know nothing about the the limits on smileys

I feel left out

But I love you all

Hugs

Herkie werkie

P.S. I use a penguin on my weight loss ticker because that's my college team mascot. Does that count toward my icon limit?

You have related the penguin to sports, so, while I'm new here and can't really speak for the group, I say it should be fully authorized.

Hi Brian - No BS - The surgery was the best thing to ever happen to me.  I used to be a jock in high school.  My coaches ragged on me to put on weight.  I ate everything and never gained weight.  I was in great shape through college.  In my 30's, I fell down a bunch of stairs and hurt my back.  I got depressed during the rehab and got fatter and fatter.  I got up to 402 pounds.  I couldn't walk without a cane, and I had to get spinal injections to just function.  I had the surgery and less than 1 year I lost over 160 pounds.  Four years later, still off.  I'm in great shape now.  My wife sent me to a professional cage fighter training camp for my 50th b-day.  I wasn't the best guy there, but I wasn't the worst either.  I was the oldest by 15 years.  After the surgery, you won't be able to eat a small sandwich.  You will never be able to eat a steak or a roast again (beef doesn't digest easily).  You are going to have to eat boring crap and take lots of vitamins.  This is a long way of telling you, just do it.  Don't whine, just do it.  It is not an easy route to take, but if you work the plan, the results are worth it.  Good Luck!

Just wanted to reply to your post concerning beef.  I can eat beef all the time now.  Most people post op can.  A small percent can't...It never sits well.  I don't eat pork much...it never has sat well since surgery.  I can have a couple small pieces, but that's it.  Also it may be a month or two before you should try beef.  Other meats that I have heard that are hard to digest: pork (ham, bacon), lamb, deer, wild meat of all kinds. 

Wow - My doc flat out told me to never eat a steak or roast again.  She said you might be able to eat very lean hamburger at some point.  I haven't tried steak or roast since.  One weird thing I haven't been able to eat.... eggs.  They make me puke almost instantly.  Tap water is another.  I just can't do it.  Weird.  Everybody reacts a little different.  :-)

I can eat steak.. filet mignon.. But just less of it in one sitting. And I chew very well.