What I wish I'd known before surgery...

Thanks to this site, I was pretty well informed of what I would face after surgery. I was never informed of the less savory aspects of the surgery such as the bowel prep, jp drains, and catheter until right before surgery. It really didn't make a difference to me. I decided on WLS because it was that or die a slow and agonizing death from my diabetes, which was nearly impossible to control. We all have our reasons for doing this, and the more you keep yours clear in your mind, the easier it will be. Also, be optimistic. The odds are in your favor.

Who me?

I never tried to lose weight before having WLS. I mean I’d say I was dieting to appease so-and-so and such-and-such but never really intending to do anything about it.

 

So essentially WLS was my first serious attempt at losing weight. How it is that I got approved when so many others who HAVE tried everything don’t is an injustice that bothers me regularly. I think that’s part of why I am so passionate about staying connected to our community and paying it forward. I don’t know that I necessarily deserved the chance that I got but, by gosh, I’m gonna use it for all it’s worth!

It does become exhausting some days.  The one thing I wish I'd known or really realized is that taking vitamins can become HARD and OVERWHELMING somedays.  I do well for periods of time then totally get off track.  I feel like I'm swallowing vitamins constantly (labs dictate what I take) and I struggle constantly with my iron intake.

I still would have WLS again tomorrow if needed to have my health back and not hurt every morning trying to get out of bed has made the struggles worth it overall.

My kinda thread! I am home sick today and thought I'd take a sec to drop by the ol' watering hole.

Wish I had known:

1) The struggle is daily and lifelong. The calculator in my head never turns off and for life I am a slave to numbers and choices, and that's a real loss of freedom.

2) Just how much the presence of free eating gave me solace and comfort than I would never really learn to replace

3) I really didn''t have to go so low cal for so long. I think I ate 650 for a year and that's just stupid

4) I would have to spend $30k of money I don't have just to be passably functional with all the skin

5) How sad I could be passing a Cinnabon.

6) That I would need my gall bladder out, an emergency bowel resection, a hernia, medications for life to be able to poop, spend $100 a month on supplements, need infusions to get iron (15 hour long trips to a chemo lab in a month) and that hormonally I would completely lose interest in sex, and develop massive growths in my uterus that require surgical removal as a result of the massive hormone dump the cells released.

7) That I would lose the ability to vomit (believe it or not it comes in handy)

8) That I would lose my belly button

9) That I would become so ascerbic and confused and anxious

10) That I would lose my self identity-- from a strong pretty fat woman to some weird looking soccer mom I don't recognize.

11) That weight loss makes you smaller but the rest is an individual deal. If you liked you fat, you might not like thin living.

12) That the resulting edema means that if I work out, I gain weight, so the scale punishes me for taking care of myself

13) That I would oddly develop pica from the iron loss, and narcolepsy despite drinking 80 oz of coffee a day.

There's a start! ;)

 I am always glad when you stop by.
Deb T.

I'm glad I stopped and read all of these posts, because I too have struggles daily with whether or not it was the best thing for me.
I was like a cow at an auction before the surgery, didn't research anything.  For my 6 mo I did what the office people told me I had to do on a monthly basis, such as attend this meeting, attend that group and through the hoops I went.
Had surgery, stayed in MT for a month after to make sure all was OK then came home to AZ and went about doin it all on my own.  Too far from any support groups or therapy groups or therapist.  An hour however you look at it.  Too tired to function above what had to be done - dogs let out - etc.
I have lost alot of weight and continue to lose but...I am in pain all the time.  Before I could eat my pain away kinda, now it is monthly trips to doc for pain refills.
Scared about what I will do when the year or year and half are up.  How will I eat then.
Fight the sweetness demons constantly.  Before I loved chips and salsa.  Now I can't seem to get enought sweets even tho I do my level best not to give in.
I'm rambling I know, but all these hit home so much I felt I had to say something.
Then there's the depression which never goes away, never has.
Won't be having cosmetic surgery as I can't pay for it and ins won't, so I will be a saggy baggy elephant of some size for all time.
I'm 59 yo so should I have even bothered?
ah well.
I didn't even know what a protein shake was until I read Niks site.  Wish I'd known about that in May.
I drank the protein shaken up in a water bottle for the first 4 months and couldn't figure out how come I was hungry all the time.  duh
I'm quitting.
Sorry for the length.
ann

 What I knew happened.
I would lose enough weight to get on the kidney transplant list.
The phone would ring and I would get a kidney.
I would save my life.
I will raise my son.
Done.
Deb T.

best post ever. glad you are doing well!

 Thanks Judi. I just went on the shortest walk ever but it felt glorious. I'm getting better everday.
Deb T.

This is an interesting, and eye opening article. It's going to be a constant battle to keep weight off. Losing weight is not a natural state for your body to be in. It goes back to the ancient neanderthals, where losing weight was an emergency situation, and your body fought its hardest to keep weight on. Extra weight was seen as a good thing back then, and the body is slow to change those ideas apparently.

JUST prior to surgery, i had the following words tattoed on the inside of my right forearm, where i see it every day. "to be continued..."

what those words mean is that i will never stop this process of becoming the best me i'll ever be. There is no specific destination. There will not be "a" day when i say "aha..here i am, its all done". It will be continued. Every day, i will fight the monster that had control over my body for such a long time.