Question:
Loss of appetite/pre-op

Recently approved & surgery date scheduled. Sudden loss of appetite. I had really wanted to eat a few of my favorite foods pre-op, but now have very little desire to eat. And even when I do it's something small & bland. Anyone else have this happen?    — Sarah H. (posted on July 6, 2003)

July 5, 2003
Sarah...I don't know if you could call it a loss of appetite, but once I got my date scheduled last year, I seemed to have escaped the hold that food had on me. I enjoyed some of my favorite meals prior to my surgery, but I didn't overindulge or as many here do, fall prey to the "last supper syndrome". From doing research, I knew that I would be able to eat a lot of the stuff I did pre-op, just in smaller quantities. I was never really a "sweets" eater, so the loss of that didn't really concern me. I ended up losing 13 pounds between the time of my first consult in 4/02 and my surgery in 7/02. Just make sure that you take in enough nourishment pre-op that you don't get sick. Any weight lost pre-op will be that much closer you will be to your post-op goal...JR (open RNY 07/17/02 -181 lbs. since surgery -194 lbs. overall)
   — John Rushton

July 6, 2003
I had the same exact thing happen to me as my surgery date got closer. I ended up losing a few pounds before my surgery 2 weeks ago. I think that it is a normal reaction to facing this serious surgery. Just try to eat healthy and lots of good luck to you!
   — Holly M.

July 6, 2003
Sarah- I had that same sort of strange feeling when I was notified of my surgery. Part of it for me was wanting on some psychological level to feel that I could control my food demons prior to surgery. In the first few days after surgery, I did find myself wondering what it would have been like to have had that great last supper; but I also found myself in those first few days wondering why had I let my eating get so out of control as to necessitate weight loss surgery (and being thankful that I hadn't succumbed to that last-supper syndrome). However, as my relationship with food changed (it truly becomes utilitarian and not a source of comfort) my not having a last supper becomes a non-issue. You know, it is a confusing time pre-operatively as you try to envision a life without a long-time coping mechanism. But, the surgery works (I've lost 240 pounds in 9 mos. and am about 10 pounds away from my goal weight) and you are on the way to an exciting new chapter in your life. Good luck.
   — SteveColarossi

July 7, 2003
Just an agreement to the previous posts- I never had the multiple "last suppers" I heard my friends having. But I also lost 10 or 15 before more surgery. Happy to not have gained before my date!
   — kultgirl