Question:
whats the one thing you know now that you wish you would have known before sugery??
— jbwise (posted on December 4, 2006)
December 4, 2006
For me it was the emotional roller coaster that I went through the first
six months, that was tuff!!
Jules
— Jules O.
December 4, 2006
I had surgery on the 13th of Nov. and the one thing I didn't think about
was how hard it would be to get all of my water in everyday. Good luck on
the surgery, it was a breeze and now I feel great.
Tanya
— Tanya1992
December 4, 2006
I LOVE THIS QUESTION and i'm curious to know how people answer too. i'm
starting my process for my GBS now and i often wonder the same thing you
have asked. hope we get lots of informative answers. holly
— RNlvnCARSON
December 4, 2006
Hi Jenny! Your journey is just beginning. There are so many things that
were different than I imagined they would be, despite my extensive research
prior to RNY. I first thought I could handle all the restrictions. The
month directly after surgery, I felt certain I would never eat again, or
drink a normal amount of water. I could only take in a tablespoon of
liquid at a time. I felt deprived, like I made the biggest mistake of my
life. Now, 14 months later, I am able to say I made the BEST decision of
my life by having surgery. I feel reborn, alive, and blessed. I have lost
227 pounds. I can move, walk, participate in life! I enjoy healthy amounts
of good food, something I never thought was possible. It was a SLOW process
. I questioned my decision many times in the beginning. I tried MANY
protein powders, supplements and tricks. It was a learning process. baby
steps all the way. I relied on all the people I met through this website to
help guide me with their expertise. I guess the one thing I wish I knew
most is that food is not the enemy, that it can be utilized in a good way.
I journal my food every day, something I will continue to do for the rest
of my life to keep myself accountable. I am invested in me, something I
have never felt before. I wish you luck and hope you will drop me a line if
you ever need a shoulder....Best of luck, Pam
— pjwilsen
December 4, 2006
I wish I would have known what a positive difference this surgery was going
to make, I would have had it done years sooner and enjoyed life alot
sooner. Dont get me wrong there are obstacles you must overcome, but it is
so worth it!!! Best wishes!!! April
— April
December 4, 2006
I am only 25 days out but I wish I would have known that I would have a bad
reaction to anesthesia which caused body aches for the first two days after
surgery....I should have consulted with the anesthesiologist prior to
surgery since this had happened to me before but I never thought it would
again. Otherwise, I am doing very well and no other concerns or questions
yet.
— Sheri A.
December 4, 2006
I had been told the first month was HELL, and was glad that I had been told
that as it was. After the first month, and all the adjustments? I'm doing
great! The one thing that I wish I would have known before surgery was how
much this really was going to change my life, and how good I feel. I'm
almost 6 month out, and have lost 84 lbs from surgery so far.
I also wish someone would have told me to start working on making the
eating habit changes within at least a month before the surgery so that it
isn't as hard to try to make them post op when you feel crappy. Learn
before hand to sip your water and not gulp, learn to chew chew chew, and
start really wrapping your brain around what you are going to be doing.
Sorry that was two things, but I hope they help.
— oceanrayne
December 4, 2006
Great question, Jenny... (yes, it is me again...) Anyway, the one thing
that I wish I would have known, is how good I was going to feel
immediately, so I could have done this sooner. Also, wish I would have
known that just because your insurance says that they won't pay for diet,
wt loss stuff, etc., that I could have petitioned the insurance company and
have had them approve it due to all the comorbidities that I had. The
other thing is the same as the last person said, is sipping the water and
eating s-l-o-w-l-y. I have found out the hard way, if you eat like you did
preop, you will vomit. And, you will probably be told this later on, but
only add one new food at a time, so if you have a bad reaction to it
(N/V/D, etc) then you know what caused it. I am finding that I am slightly
lactose intolerant now (wasn't before), but I can eat very small amts of
cheese and can drink the lactaid milk without difficulty... keep in
touch... Kari... and good luck Friday
— Kari_K
December 4, 2006
learning how to eat all over again would be soo hard and how you have to
have patience to accept all of the changes that come with this surgery.
the las eight monts have been hard as hell but worth it because i feel 150%
better
— SoulSista
December 4, 2006
— [Deactivated Member]
December 4, 2006
I wish I had known that I could eat like a normal person this far
out.....(over 2 years). This is the time where you have to be very careful
or the gains happen!
— dcox94
December 4, 2006
I'm 3 months out and while the process hasn't been too bad, one thing that
took me by surprise is how exhausted I am at the end of the day. Everyone
told me that it was at about 3 months after surgery when they started to
feel back to normal, but even then I was surprised by how I could barely
get through a day of work and doing something at night was out of the
question. I would get sick (nausea, just plain exhaustion) if I pushed it
too much and that was hard for me. I have a hard time be patient!
Also, my hormones have been completely out of whack. I cry all the time
(which wasn't exactly abnormal before but now it's crazy!)
These two things I 'knew' about before surgery, but honestly it didn't
really hit me until it was actually happening to me. You can prepare some,
but you never know how you will react in that situation. Just be prepared
to go through some tough times - this isn't an easy process, but so worth
it! I've los t51 pounds and already feel so much better!
— [Deactivated Member]
December 4, 2006
I wish I would have not have believed that after surgery I would be saying
to goodbye to all the foods I love forever! Before surgery, I went to all
my favorite restaurants and ate all my favorite foods. That was totally
not neccesary! I still eat the foods I love and go to my favorite
restaurants - I just eat less! There have been some changes in my
preferences - but I dont miss those foods because I no longer prefer them
(example - hamburgers. They do not sit well so I do not crave them!).
Anyway, I wish I had not been focused on the death of the old me - but
rather on the birth of the new me!! Best of luch and enjoy the ride!!!!!!
— MissKimberly
December 4, 2006
Actually I have 2:
1) for the first 3-6 months you may feel incredibly deprived and act like a
big ol' baby - and will owe your family huge apologies for your behavior
2) Be emotionally prepared for the fact that plastic surgery may be more of
a necessity than a luxury if you lose a substantial amount of weight.
Force yourself to look at before and after pictures (be aware of the
potential for Frankenstein-like scars) and be very well informed. It is
not often covered by insurance.
— blues-singer
December 4, 2006
The head hunger. It only happened to me on a few occassions, but the first
time was really bad. I just wanted to eat for no reason at all, I mean you
are NOT physically hungry at all! It lasted around a week and you just have
to stick it through. Also, the fatigue. I was very tired for the first 2
weeks and then started getting my energy back. Concretly, make sure to buy
plastic spoons! You can buy like 100 for 1.00. It really helps as you eat
with spoons, most of the time, until you can get onto solids. If not,
you'll be running out and washing spoons all of the time.
Good luck to you!!!
--Amy
— amysocko
December 5, 2006
I have 3 answers to this.
1) I wish I would have known I can't gulp water. I can only sip liquids so
quenching thirst is near impossible.
2) You won't feel sensations of "fullness" or "hunger"
for a long while.
3) You have to eat slower than slow or you'll feel a lot of discomfort. It
hurts, too!
4)
— Katie P.
December 5, 2006
I have 3 answers to this.
1) I wish I would have known I can't gulp water. I can only sip liquids so
quenching thirst is near impossible.
2) You won't feel sensations of "fullness" or "hunger"
for a long while.
3) You have to eat slower than slow or you'll feel a lot of discomfort. It
hurts, too!
— Katie P.
December 5, 2006
This is going to sound depressing but I think of it as being realistic. I
wish I would have known before WLS that I was not going to be one of the
ones to make it to goal, but that I would achieve a healthier life. I wish
I could have been told that will be all you're going to get, can you be
happy with only that and still go through this surgery. I honestly went
into this surgery with no doubt in my mind that I was going to end up
weighing under 200 lbs and wearing a size 12 or less. It didn't happen for
many reasons. I lost 120 lbs stopped losing at 247 and then regained about
15 lbs, 5 years later this is still where I am at, granted in much better
health than when I was close to 400. I'll take it. No matter how much I
read before hand, I still had that notion in my head that this was going to
end with me sliding down the scale close to a normal weight. It doesn't
happen for everybody. Why is thinness & size such a measure of success
<sigh!>. It doesn't help much that I know others who have had the
same type of disappointment and we hint about revisions or numerous dieting
attempts, and needs to step up exercise just to see a few lbs go away and
then come back again and again. I'd give anything to find a way to be
content with myself exactly the way I am. I want off the rollercoaster of
emotions this has put me through. Yet I still am grateful I had this
surgery, I just need brain surgery now...lol.
— SARose61
December 5, 2006
I am over 5 years out. My biggest worry, I would die on the table:( Just
knowing in advance I would survive..... geez I was CERTAIN I would die,
having nearly died after minor knee surgery. .......... That life would be
SO MUCH BETTER! Sure theres still bills, hassles, but just being able to
get around better is so awesome. ...... Incidently I made a promise to GOD
pre op that I would give something back if I survived and did OK, which is
why I am the voilunteer board host or mod....... OH YEAH LOOSING THE WEIGHT
WAS FUN!
— bob-haller
December 5, 2006
Hi Jenny- I have one thing that I knew about before surgery but wished I
gave it more thought. I wish I had considered how hard it would be in the
beginning to give up eating & drinking at the same time. I'm used to it
now but for the first 2 months I was really thirsty when eating. If I had
known how much it was going to bother me I would have practiced before
surgery.
— AmyinMA
December 5, 2006
I wish I had known that all the worry was not necessary (esp if I were
willing to put in some hard work and common sense), and that eventually my
life would not revolve around what I DID or DID NOT put into my
stomach/pouch. Make a total lifestyle change from the beginning--water,
daily exercise, daily vitamin supplements, moderate eating, low fat,
low/sugar-free eating, low carbs, protein, protein, and more protein, a
healthy attitude; then systematically and continuously pursue this
lifestyle change; eventually you will be happy with where your weight
is--even when you are 3+ years out from surgery. The surgery is all about
learning to manage your weight and ultimately to enjoy a healthier, happier
life. Don't beat yourself up, just work your plan!! God bless you and
happy living.
— MariaHBW
December 6, 2006
Like another poster said, I wish I would of known everyone does not make it
to goal. I started at 389 and got down to 263. All I wanted was to get to
220. It never happened. Now I have gained back up to 310. I am four
years out. I also wish I would of known about talking to a nutritionist
and someome to help me with the food issues. I came out thinking I could
eat anything I wanted and still lose weight. That was pretty accurate at
first but the farther out you are you must make good healthy, low-fat
choices. I never changed my eating habits and it has killed me. If I had
to do it all over again I would but I would know that this really is a tool
and you have to take responsiblity to make it work to your best interest.
— twin94
December 10, 2006
Not sure if I'm so exceptionally unique but I don't see anyone post about
the one most uncomfortable thing - BAD SMELL of gas and feces. I didn't
know it would be like this and I find myself trying to find the farthest
stall in the public restrooms, trying to hold myself until I get home from
work, etc. The smell is disgusting to me and that is the one thing I
regret. Neither do the doctors, or at least in my case, talk to you about
this. But I guess you can't have all things great. Everything comes with
a sacrifice that isn't always so pleasant.
— poodie
December 10, 2006
...Though of one other thing that I wish I had known (and this probably
should've been a no-brainer, I guess) was that I could eat more than a
handful. The thought of not being able to eat large amounts again for the
rest of your life is not all together true. You CAN eat larger amounts
than a few ounces. You can also eat frequently and not feel overly full or
feel that you need to dump. I went in thinking that my pouch wouldn't
stretch out more than a certain amount and that no matter how much I tried,
my pouch would make me throw-up anything that went beyond its
"small" portion limits. Well guess what, the body is a wonderful
machine. And it will compensate where necessary. For this reason, the
pouch can and will stretch. So thinking that your body will
"stop" you if you go too far is not always the case. You WILL
still need to exercise self-control and portion control... the very thing
that was my battle before the surgery. My lesson is that no matter what
you do, everything will take continuous effort for continual success. I
started at 290 and ended up at 227. I'm 2.25 years post op. Wish I
would've gone further but it's my on fault because I pushed my limits. I
wish you much success because many have been successful because of better
surgical pouch creations and definitely alot of determination.
— poodie
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