Do you ever feel "normal" again?

i have my First appt/ 3 hour info session next week. After the surgery do you ever return to feeling like your normal self again? I am afraid of never quite feeling like myself again. By that I mean will there always be constant physical reminders such as pain, reflux, having to sleep differently, constipation, etc. Any detailed insight would be appreciated. I'm kind of scared.

I was also scared and nervous to go through this process, the first time 9 years ago I turned it down. Tried to do it on my own by going to the gym hired personal trainer and nutritionist but only got so far couldn't for the life of me lose anymore my family dr once again talked to me about having the surgery. Honestly it's not as bad what we think it's like.. Do you ever feel ur normal self I feel. Ether then my normal self. I am so much more happier now, more active doing things I would have never done before. I had complications had to have emergency surgery now I am doing great. Even when I was having my complications I felt better then before surgery.. I do have severe constipation but I will still take this over before surgery.. I recommend finding support group which helped me a lot.

Hello!

What a wonderful question. I had surgery back in 2011. Before that I had all kinds of joint pain, my knees hurt, my hips, it hurt going up and down the stairs because I was easily winded. My overall health was poor. This was my "normal" so I'm happy never to feel "normal" again.

Seriously though I know what you mean. Over time once you start eating regularly again with family, by this I mean when you sit down and eat what most people do, for example, if you go to a bar with friends and you have deep fried chicken wings with perhaps a beer or two and maybe a kids portion of apple pie and ice cream. Yes you will feel normal again. The choices you'll begin to make will be (hopefully) all things in moderation, something we all should have done before but for in most cases didn't. The WLS teaches us to not only make our potions smaller because we cant physically eat a lot but teaches us how to maximise our caloric intake because we need to because of how our bodies absorb nutrients.

in time once you master how to eat with an egg size stomach, once you figure out what you can and cannot eat. Once things settle down in time life definitely will get back to normal. You world will no longer be "weight loss surgery" 24/7

Its an amazing journey and one heck of a wild ride though. I look forward to reading all of your success stories along the way.

all the best with your WLS!

Ann

Thank you for the reply and well wishes. I'm truly terrified of altering my body though

Absolutely will feel normal. 5 1/2 yr post op. Traded some health issues with others i.e. iron anemia. but will take that over high bp, apnea and high cholesterol. Energy level over the roof. Able to do so much more. Lots of hard work but no regrets and would do itall again.

At 10 years out, I will never be completely normal again. There will always be constipation, diarrhea, dumping, reactive hypoglycemia, low iron, anemia, bone loss, vitamins, reflux, and eating issues.

This is like taking a car, wrecking it, then getting it fixed. It will run and get you where you are going but it will never be completely normal again.

Thank you for your responses. Do you recommend it or not? I'm confused ????

It is a big step and one that can make your life much better than being obese. You also have to be realistic and understand the possible things that you may have to live with after surgery.

Everyone will feel differently. I don't suffer from any of the things that you mentioned and I am as normal as I have ever been. I've had post op issues but they are not long lasting ones. Most of the time I forget I ever had surgery and I will be 12 years out later this fall.

Lapband is different from surgery that actually alters your body's organs.