Looking for an angel...

I'm looking for someone that has had the surgery and I can ask all of my silly questions to.  Someone that can walk me through the stages of surgery and be there when I need to talk.  If you are interested please let me know. 

Howdy,  I had surgery on the 29th of May so I am just a month into it, but you can email me anytime. I can tell you that I spend a lot of time reading past messages. It is so comforting to find out that I am normal. I have days were I loose a lot and days I loose nothing. I thought it was weird until I read other talking about it. It is so normal. Pretty much everything that you will fear or question has been discussed at one time or another. It is a great source of information. Good luck and talk to you soon.

Hello, Thank you for responding to me.  I'm so excited to have the surgery and see my body change.  I have a lot of support around me but nobody who has been through the surgery.  So of course I have a ton of questions about what you went through and any thing else you can tell me that you wisy you would have done if you had the knowledge that you know now.    Where did you have your surgery done at?

I had my surgery at Virginia Mason in Seattle. I had surgery the 29th, got released to go home on the 30th and was back to work the 4th. My doctor was excellent and I haven't had much pain.  I hated the liquid diet but that only lasted for me about 2 1/2 weeks so it was barable. I am eating real food now (still drinking the protein shakes daily) and from reading the different forums I found out why I am having a hard time with solids. With a Roux N Y surgery you do not get back all of the feeling in your stomach for 6-8 weeks, so I still cannot tell when I am full. If I overeat it all come up. I have the djgestive tract of a 4 month old. I burp, I get the hiccups and if there is any food on the wrong side of the burp, it comes up. So I am learning to measure food out and eat what I know if the right amount rather than what feels right. All in All I feel really good.  I have lost 29 pounds in 4 weeks. I am really happy I had the surgery. The key is really listening to your nutritionist. they are priceless in this equation. Mine has been a Godsend.  Good luck to you. When do you expect to have the surgery?

I'm having the surgery on the 17th of July.  I think that I"m going to try and start the liquid diet early or atleast start to wean myself off food on the 1st.  The ultrasound found out that I have a very fatty liver.  (Which I knew)  So I want to get as much weight off as I can so myn liver will shrink before surgery.  I don't want to have an open procedure.  I have been on the atkins diet for almost 2 weeks now and I'm doing pretty good.  I lost 6 lbs is 4 days and have not weighed myself in a week but feel thinner.  I find myself getting really hungry at night.  So bad that I feel like throwing up.  I'm so use to eating whatever I want,  I find myself not eating because I can't have sugar, bread, pasta, potatoes, all the good stuff that I love to eat!  I live a very busy lifestyle and we are always on the go.  It's so easy to go through a drive thru and grab something for dinner.  I have to totally retrain myself on what I can and can not eat and that is not easy.   Any suggestions?  Anything you wish you knew before you went in for surgery that you know now?

There is a support group that meets at St. Joes hospital on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month @ 6:45-8:15 pm.  There are patients from Shrikanth, Oh and others.  It's a great place to come and learn info before and after surgery.  It's also great to help keep you on track afterwards.  Come on down! Stacey

Thank you Stacey,  I will keep that in mind and try to come out to a meeting before I go in for surgery.  I'm starting to get a little nervous.  I have so much to do before surgery that I feel like I"m running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  I'm focusing a lot on just getting the procedures done and my job that I really don't feel like I know everything that I should before I go in for surgery.  Any last words you can tell me that you wish you knew before you had surgery?

While I didn't have the RNY, I'm a long-term post op (coming up on 5 years) and I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding WLS. webgirlie at gmail - Marybeth

That would be wonderful Marybeth.  I have learned so much but feel like it was all cramed down my throut at once.  So my head is a little foggy right now.  Is there any thing you wish you would have done differently or wish you would have known before going into the surgery.