Question:
How can I learn more about the lifestyle changes after surgery? Psycologist delay me

The psycologist put my evaluation hold until I learn alittle more about the lifestyle changes after surgery.I need to no what I can eat What I cannot eat .Things that are low carbs. And things that are high in protein.Exercise and frequant Doctors visits Is what i told him.Now If I missed anything please tell me. I am more than halfway through this and I am getting discouraged.    — Tasha J. (posted on June 5, 2004)

June 5, 2004
Hi Tasha. I feel like all that is a catch 22. You can't go see a surgeon until you get thru all this, but the surgeon is the best person to talk to about the changes. Do you know if there is a support group in your area? I think that would be a good place to get more info on how surgery will impact your life. Yes, you have to have a mind change, not just body. It will impact you in ways you can't even imagine. You will have days when you don't know why you had it done. Depression is a normal process at some point. If you are a big eater, you'll probably go thru a grief period of realizing you are losing your best friend, food. I'm sure like all of us, food is a comfort to you and it will be gone. As far as the food choices (high protein/low carb), this should all be explained by the nutritionist if he/she deals with WLS patients. Anyway, I've rambled on. Again, I recommend you attend a support group meeting. Lots of luck, keep us posted.
   — lharbison

June 5, 2004
If you want to know about the lifestyle changes after surgery, read one of the many good books out there on weight-loss surgery. <p> The one I recommend above all others is Barbara Thompson's book - "Weight Loss Surgery: Finding the Thin Person Hiding Inside You". You can find this book through Amazon.com and also through Barb's website (http://www.wlscenter.com). It may also be sold through the Obesityhelp.com store (I can't remember right now)...JR
   — John Rushton

June 5, 2004
one of the best things to do is to read as many profiles as you can. there is alot more to wls than what to eat and seeing the doctor. relationships change, your attitude toward yourself changes, mourning food, learning that wls doesn't make everything better, know what a REAL plateau is and how to prepare for it, learning how to enjoy group get togethers without food being the main event, know that this is for the rest of your life, knowing you could regain your weight and how to avoid it, friends and family memebers who seemed 100% supportive might not be the father out you get, dealing with jealousy, having money for supplements, vitamins and doctors visits for the rest of your life. don't get me wrong. wls is the best thing i ever did for myself, but there are ALOT of issues that i would have never thought of pre-op. reading profiles really helps you to prepare. you will see that alot of issues are very common in most of the post. i wish you all the best.
   — franbvan

June 5, 2004
Tasha- I'd like to invite you to the support group meetings we have at Norwalk Hospital (in Norwalk, CT). On the first Wednesday of every month we have a general informational and support meeting for people considering the surgery or planning on having it; we always have over 20 post-ops who attend to share their experiences. Also, on the third Monday of every month there is a great meeting hosted by a gastric bypass patient (who was a former psychiatric nurse) to discuss the many issues that confront longer-term post-ops. All of the meeting start at 6 p.m. and the public is invited. That might be a good way to meet some post-ops who, even though they are in a different program than you, will have comparable experiences to what you can probably expect.
   — SteveColarossi

June 6, 2004
I would suggest also learning from the yahoo group OSSG-Protein, there are some excellent books available through the store on this site: The Barbara Thompson book is superb, also A Complete Guide to Obesity Surgery by Bryan G. Woodward. I have both of Teri Kai Holtzclaw books dealing with the emotional side of things and while costly, they are excellent. The titles are: Become You, This is NOT Brain Surgery ... But there IS a magic Pill! You will also find a variety of links available from the bottom of the first page of my journal on my personal web site (link is in my profile here) to all sorts of WLS information. I keep collecting links and information and am getting pages up to help people find things from one spot. I am six months post-op and if you would like to email me privately please do so and I can try to answer your specific questions so that you can go back more prepared. The psychologist is wise to want to make sure that you have a realistic concept of what you can and cannot do post-surgery. This surgery requires a whole new mind set and I feel it is best to get through the grieving and po'd stage pre-surgery. I know when I went into surgery I had done my anger bit and was completely prepared to flip the switch to my new life. Anyway, do contact me if you would like to talk more. Sandra
   — Arizona_Sun

June 6, 2004
Dear Tasha, (What a beautiful name, by the way!!) I would suggest you go to a Barnes and Noble or other book store, or get on the internet, and purchase 2 books. #1: "Passing for Thin", by Frances Kufel, and Susan Maria Leach's book on her WLS journey. You can find Susan Maria's book at bariactriceating.com. I would suggest the first book for its in-depth examination of the mental and emotional issues surrounding extreme weight loss. The author did not have surgery, but she lost a large amount of weight over a relatively short period of time. Hers is the best profile of psycho-social issues that I have seen. Susan Maria's book is great for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the recipes for a variety of post surgery foods. Susan Maria had a relatively easy post-op period(from my point of view, anyway)so it's probably not a good idea to compare yourself directly to her early progress, but it is still a great book to encourage anyone who is post WLS. Also, the other suggestions are great, and I would certainly second them, as well!! Good Luck, and Hang in !! Nanajean in NH
   — Jean A.