What did you expect surgery to do for you?

I often see pre ops saying things like they think they want to have RNY instead of lap band because they eat too many sweets and they need surgery to make them stop eating the wrong foods.  They seem to assume that if they have RNY, they will dump and get so sick the first time they eat one bite of sugar that they will never attempt to eat it again.  Of course, it doesn't work that way for most people.  Only about 30% of us dump and most of us that do can still eat sugar in limited amounts.  The bottom line is that surgery does not force you to make good food choices.

What were you expecting RNY to do for you?  And has it done that?

I was expecting it to make me get full on small amounts of food, which it does.  I was also expecting it to make me sick if I ate too much sugar, which it does since I do dump.  However, I had not considered the fact that I would still be able to eat small amounts of sugar, like one cookie, at a time and could end up eating a lot of cookies over the course of one day if I ate them one at a time.  So it mostly does what I expected it to do, but it's not as easy as I thought it would be.

My expectations are much like yours were.

I expected surgery to:

- allow me to feel full on much smaller portions

- allow me to get deathly ill if I ate too much

- allow me to make the changes in my eating habits necessary for healthy living

- allow me to begin to change my relationship with food and it's relationship with me

- drop a great deal of weight if I followed the program...

Thus far, the first two (2) expectations are being/have been met.

I'm in the process of meeting the next two (2) myself...

The last one has not yet been met...then again, I'm only in my 3rd week post-op and I'm told that the serious weight loss has yet to occur so I'm focusing less on that and more on the others...

I expected it to help me eat smaller portions

I hoped to dump - but only on sugar and not fruit - so far i have no idea if i dump, but fruit doesn't seem to be a problem.

I hoped it would allow me a 'detox' period so I could work on healthier eating choices and lifestyle.

 I think I had mostly realistic expectations. I expected loose skin, though was pleasantly surprised that the result wasn't as bad as I'd expected. I didn't expect the loss of my boobs  but seriously - I expected to eat less, and that I have. I expected to have my health problems to be resolved - labs are awesome, BP is great, and totally off cholesterol meds but the apnea didn't entirely go away, so I had to struggle with accepting that. And I didn't prepare myself much for what maintentence really means.... but we learn best to swim when we're in the water, right?

I expected it to sever my old relationship with food. Beyond that I didn't think about what would happen. Only thing I have to say about my expectation is be careful what you wish for...you might just get it.

Yes, the surgery did exactly what I hoped it would do. That process has at times left me euphoric, delirious, damn-near-suicidal, depressed, proud and ashamed. Sometimes all at the same time.

But I look at it this way. As long as I feel, I know I am here, right?

I haven't had it yet so maybe y'all can tell me if I am on the right track.
I lost 80 lbs on my own people were like why are you doing the surgery....I said I put 50 back on.

I am having this surgery to give me the feeling of feeling full. I just don't know what it is. My surgeon said that could be a problem! He said you need to listen to your body after surgery and learn what full feels like. I figure I will be in pain and feel like throwing up and I don't want to do that so I will follow his directions to a T. The amount of oz. he says to take in I will do it. No more no less unless I feel sick from taking it in.

I expect to have horrendous thighs as mine are huge I expect to pray to win the lottery to have the excess skin taken off. I expect my arms to get weird looking because damn it I will be diesel I was on my way when I was losing the weight I want to be a muscular diva. LOL My stomach I have given in I will need a tummy tuck and I will do that when I get my tubes tied.

In all honesty I really feel that this is going to help me get comfortable in my own skin in the sense that my reality will catch up with my head. I see myself as skinny amazing right. In the gym the trainer had a skinny guy doing 10mph on the treadmill after we were talking about BL and how they did it. The trainer saw me upping the speed and said WHOA Michelle no don't try that you are going to go flying across the floor. In my head I could do 10mph. Just tell my same above mentioned thunder thighs that too! I love going to the gym I have so many fitness goals that just couldn't be reached at my weight. I need this tool to help me adjust the food end and I got the activity end covered. My pre surgery time has been amazing learning the proper things to eat. I am eating as if I had the surgery and the weight is coming off. Slowly but surely it is coming off.

I pray that I don't get tube socks for boobies but if I do I do. I pray I live and don't have any complications and that I get to be on the losers bench here with you all and be able to post and not say well I haven't had surgery yet but....

You all are inspirations to me I can't wait to be a loser like you all!

I expected it to allow me to lose enough weight to begin to move again so that I could lose the remainder of my excess weight.

I expected it to slap me upside the head if I ate too much, but was warned that it might not do so if I ate sugars or fried foods (and it doesn't).

I expected it to give me a chance to change my life.

It has met my expectations and allowed me to do those things. It has not made me someone else or changed my life all by itself - but it has allowed me to do so and given me that second chance.

 I had the surgery on April 3, 2012 and I am able to eat anything with no problem.  I now know what its like to feel full.  But I still do not eat right.   Greasy foods make me sick but thats it.  I really have to get it together as far as what to eat. 

 I am one of the pre-ops and new here. I am wanting surgery to show me when I am full so I know when to stop. I don't eat alot of sugar now but I am hoping that I do dump to show me that is something that I do not want to eat or it is something that I may  want to be able to eat in moderation depending upon what it was that made me dump. I am expecting to learn a whole new way of eating healthier and being accountable for what goes into my mouth and the portion sizes. I am also expecting surgery to also teach me new tools and outlooks on life since I will have a whole new support system. 

Tawnya

 My expectations were completely unreasonable and based on the experience of the few people I knew that had rny. I have since learned better and kicked myself for believing such foolishness. Yes, I took a 6mth class but it left out a lot of information that I discovered AFTER surgery. Since the class met every week and gave us so much paperwork I considered it to be complete. I know I should have done more research on my own but I thought this was my last resort and was really afraid to overload myself with information that would scare me out surgery.

I expected to lose weight and the speed of light
I expected to only be able to eat tiny amounts of food
I expected to have dumping and that would force me to stay clear of sweets
I expected food intolerances
I expected not to have to exercise