what was the hardest part of RNY for you?

Did you expect this issue  to be this hard or was this something that took you totally off guard?

examples
 pain, dumping, foaming, tired , dehydration etc?

Thanks Helen

I'd didn't expect the pain to be as bad as it was. I had had several other surgeries so thought I was prepared for that and wasn't. The other things I pretty much knew about from reading posts on here. Like the first time I got the foamies I knew exactly what they were or I would have freaked out I think.

The first month, just getting used to having a tiny little pouch to feed and having to go thru the stages while I healed. I haven't dumped, my pain was never bad, I've had the foamies a couple of times early on, but not lately, my energy level has increased and the only time I was dehydrated was when I had a bladder infection!

 That I would feel like I wa**** by a truck after surgery...I had never had an operation for anything before.  The first month was horrible...the first 3 weren't great...then things got much better.  I didn't realize how helpless I would feel...how hard it would be to even drink water in the first weeks out and how radical a lifestyle change this really would be.

That said, I know that I've had it good.  My surgery went well and I've not a single complication to date...no vomiting, nothing ever getting stuck, no foamies and I can pretty much tolerate any food that I"ve tried...except for milk...I can drink it but I think I have some slight lactose intolerance now.

All my surprises were really about the head trip...in fact, continue to be about the head trip...on so many levels..its a whole new world and adjusting has been good and hard at the same time.

I knew I was having open surgery going in, so I knew what kind of pain to expect and knew to expect to be tired for a good month after surgery.  I only dumped a couple of times during the first year, and never had foamies or got anything stuck or got dehydrated, so no surprises there either.  I was not sure what dumping would feel like, and was a little surprised by how generally horrible it felt, though.

My biggest surprises to me were the psychological aspects... How hard it would be to get my brain to start seeing the thinner "me", how hard it would be to accept that I just don't have a single-digit clothing size body, how much work it would take to keep the bad eating habits from creeping back in. Those things matter far more in the long run than foamies or post-op pain.

Lora

The mental game. Head hunger, cravings, self sabotage. Lately, I've been wanting sour candy. Oh, I won't dare eat a piece of bread, but I'll eat sweetarts?!? It's that type of thinking that drives me nuts!! Yes, I am seeing a therapist.

The hardest part was eating away from home early out.  We went out of state to take son and his friend to a rock concert. Playing it safe I decided to bave just a glass of milk for breakfast.  Figured out I was lactose intolerant.  Had an upset pouch all day.  Ruined my trip to the zoo.

The hardest thing for me was the liquid stage. I couldn't stand all the "cream of crap" (as I called it) anymore. Other than that, I didn't expect the foamies and flipped out the first time it happened. Needless to say I was more carefull after that. I knew what to expect with dumping, and have only had like four or five episodes and not on things I'd expect to dump on.

The hardest part for me is my slowed thinking. I tried to go back to school 8 weeks out and I just cannot comprehend my text books. I am trying to get a head start on the reading for next semester and it is still a no-go. I am feeling completely "dumb." like my brain will not even work properly. I just cannot learn anything new. I am stuck in some kind of slow motion thinking. I am also pretty tired, which did not hit until the second month. I do not have any dumping, pain was not bad at all. Only had foaming once. I got dehydrated once, but that was because I was sick and was sleeping more than I should have been. Happened before my RNY, as well, so that is nothing new. All in all, things are going quite smoothly. 

 I was dehydrated and had to receive fluids for four hours. I couldn't drink regular water without gagging so I had to use fruit or Crystal light. I got food stuck (chicken) and keep throwing up until it finally dislodged while traveling (2 days).
I also had dry heaving so bad it woke me out of my sleep. This was when I asked myself what had I gotten myself into?

Loosing all my boobs and butt! I had been in a "D or DD" since I was 15.
I have no butt and my tailbone hurts bad because I have no cushion anymore and carry a cushion everywhere.

All this said, I am freaking happy as hell with the new me!