Surgery tomorrow morning. Very excited but nervous. Any friendly advice?
Okay, here is the best last minute advice that I got:
When the hospital attendants wheel you from recovery to your hospital room, if there is a couch, rocking chair, or glider in your room, make them put you there instead of in your bed. Being upright and moving is what you'll need to do to feel better and get rid of the surgical gas. Plus, if you get into the bed, it's hard to get out! You want to be upright and walking as soon as you can. Your hospital bed is not your friend unless you absolutely must sleep. Even then, make sure the bed is propped up into as much of a sitting position as you can tolerate.
I am sure you will do great. Good luck!
Just remember that the pain and nausea will pass! I was not prepared for how nauseous I was and how much dry heaving I would do, so when it happened I felt like I was dying. It goes away just as quickly as it comes on. Believe me, its worth it in the end! :) Sleep if you need to, walk when you can, take small sips of water. You will feel like you will never again be able to drink like a normal person, but that too gets better. By the time you get home and lose your first 10 or 20 pounds, any negative side effects you have from surgery will be out of your mind forever. Plus you may be one of the lucky ones who has no bad side effects, fingers crossed!! Good luck :) Post when you feel up to it
Age: 34 / Height 5' 8" / Starting weight July 2015: 446.0 lbs / Surgery Date & Weight: 1/19/16 - 320.4 / Lost pre-op: 125.6lbs / Goal Weight: 180 lbs
on 3/23/16 9:49 pm
Congratulations! My advice would be to try to relax and settle in for a long, exciting, amazing journey. The nursing staff is usually super and helping you deal with pain and nausea, so try not to stress about that. In my case, they gave me a few sips of liquid pain meds every few hours, so take it even if you're not in pain because if you don't, you'll feel the pain worse (stay ahead of the pain). That all passes after a couple of days. Walk-walk-walk, sip-sip-sip!
Good luck!!!
Make sure you have a dam good therapist set up for post op, because after all your posts about cheating on the pre-op you are going to need all the help you can get.
The surgeon only does surgery on your stomach not your head. If you go off plan early on you can kill yourself just know this. I'm not trying to be mean. I want you to understand the seriousness of WLS and the lifestyle change that is needed. Head hunger is very real and temptations are all over the place.
Good luck today I hope your surgeon doesn't cancel the surgery.
Good luck. My advice is to ask your surgeon for a referral to a therapist who specializes in eating disorders and schedule an appointment ASAP. I fear that you have some unrealistic expectations on what WLS will accomplish. Unless you address your disordered eating and inability to control bingeing during your preop diet, it will be challenging just as much after surgery. As LadyGodiva said, they operate on your stomach, not your head.
I want you to be successful and use the honeymoon period after surgery to your best advantage. Commit to changes and avoid rewarding yourself with food. It is not your friend.
"Oderint Dum Metuant" Discover the joys of the Five Day Meat Test!
Height: 5'-7" HW: 449 SW: 392 GW: 179 CW: 220