Question:
if you could give 3 pieces of advice...what would you say?
— Kimberley D. (posted on August 14, 2002)
August 14, 2002
1. remain calm, collective and positive.
2. DO EXACTLY what your dr tells you regardless of what others tell you.
Follow the plan!
3. You can never be fully prepared for this, but you can always do as much
as posible to prepare your self. At the very least be prepared to be
unprepared. Hope this makes sense. If you have any questions, email me.
Good Luck. my thoughts and Prayers are with you.
— Deanna Wise
August 14, 2002
Firstr TRY not to fear surgery but embrace it... Yep I KNOW thats tough but
I wasted nearly a year being scared out of my mind unnecessarily. It was
the best decision I ever made. Loosing the weight was FUN!<P>
Try to get lots of exercise in pre op, it helps to make post op a LOT
easier<P>
Take a post op to dinner, and ATTEND support group meetings! They make
going thru this so much easier!
— bob-haller
August 14, 2002
I'm gonna give you 2 sets of 3.
1. bring lip gloss or something like that
2. sip & breathe
3. walk & cough
**********
Long term thinking, to what I atrribute my success:
1. protein supps
2. no milk, no sugar
3. regular office visits & labs
— vitalady
August 14, 2002
1) Start your exercise program now.<p>2) Follow your doc's pre-op and
post-op protocol to the letter.<p>3) Establish a relationship with at
least 1 support group.<4) Stay off the scale at home!
— phoebe
August 14, 2002
hiya...3 pieces only? lol
1. breath thru the fear pre op...you made this decision based on the
medical need, your life will be so different and BETTER after surgery
2. support, support, support!! studies show a need for at least 3 years
post op of support..join a support group and get involved. become a
facilitator or at least attend meetings regularly and vow to stay involved
post op, the "newbies" need the "old timers"
3. exercise..walk, walk walk!!! move that body!!!
ok gotta add one more:
protein, protein, protein!!
kate
— jkb
August 14, 2002
Here are my three pieces of advice:
1) Do what the doctor tells you do do.
2) Attend as many support groups as possible.
3) Learn all you can about WLS.
— Lawrence R.
August 14, 2002
My three would be (1.) Ask as many questions of your healthcare team as is
necessary so YOU will understand what is going on. (2.) Accept plateaus as
a fact of life, and don't give up during one. (3.) eat a well-balanced
diet including carbs for energy and milk for strong bones. From a medical
standpoint, a weight-loss diet which totally omits a food is questionable.
— Tina B.
August 14, 2002
These are all good, and I want to add one important one: ENJOY every
moment of this journey! If you stress about every little pound and bite,
then you miss out on the excitement of it all! Celebrate when you see the
scale go down, and EXPECT the loss to slow or even plateau, that way when
it happens, you won't get all freaked out about it!!
— Cheri M.
August 14, 2002
Congratulations on picking Dr. Felix! He is by far the best in his field
and you won't regret it. My advice: 1. Follow Dr.'s orders to the T
including all post op care. They are very thorough in making sure you are
aware of all that is expected of you. 2. Walk walk walk 3. Drink as much
water as you can. The sooner you get rid of the IV the better. Good luck
and enjoy the journey. That last advice was free!
— Sue A.
August 14, 2002
1. Take your measurements weekly. This way even if the scale isn't
budging, you'll know the inches are going away.
2. Take before pictures and then take pictures at least every 2 weeks to
chart your look. A picture is worth a thousand words.
3. Only weigh yourself once a week and do it at the same time - on a
Saturday morning when you first get up after going to the bathroom.
— Patty H.
August 15, 2002
1) Realize this is major surgery. You body will have gone thru the wringer
so be kind to yourself for the first couple of months after
surgery.<p>2) Protein first and foremost, replace white carbs with
"whole foods" like whole grain breads/pastas, veggies, and fruit,
and drink your water.<p>3) Set realistic goals. The scale does not
always tell the whole story especially if you've been MO for a long time.
It is much better to set goals based on health, clothing size, or percent
body fat than to focus on the scale.<p>Good luck and happy losing!
— ctyst
August 15, 2002
Congratulations on making this lifesaving decision, I pray it will be a
decision that you are very happy with. I am!
My first bit of advice is to try to prepare yourself mentally and
emotionally as much as possible (I know you can't really until you've been
there) but this was the hardest for me. You are going to be just like a
baby again, having to learn to re-eat and your whole life will have to be
readjusted. You will take roller coaster rides you never dreamed about
(emotionally) and believe me this is HARD to get used too. I am 9 months
post op and some days it is still hard for me. Talk one on one with someone
you know that has had this surgery (Everyone is affected differently and no
one is the same but at least you will be prepared) and ask them all the
IMPORTANT things you need to know and tell them to fill you in on
everything you may need to know that your surgeon can't tell you (has never
endured this so he only knows what patients tell him). I can't stress how
important it is to try to prepare yourself in this way. I researched for
over 2 yeras to have this surgery and thought I knew everything, little did
I know:)
2. Prepare to be sickly, it may not happen but for alot of us it does
unfortunately. After every meal I get that nausea feeling and usually have
to lie down. I have constant diarreha that I take 2 medications to control.
And I have to take potassium daily or else I end up in the ER on IV fluids
(no matter how much I drink). Like I said this may not pertain to you at
all but it is a possibility.
3. Water water water....it is the answer to most of our post op problems.
If you have any questions or need any support before or after surgery feel
free to e-mail me anytime.
I am sorry if these are not the kind of things you wanted but I think they
are very important in the Post op era, and we usually don't hear about the
"Maybe's". GOOD LUCK!
— Lynda T.
August 15, 2002
1 - Maximize your the first six months after surgery. The weight will
never come off as fast again. Maximize it by eating as best as you can and
exercising.<br />
2 - Find a low calorie, low sugar treat that you can have when you have
that head hunger. Try smart ones english toffee ice cream bars (100cal) or
healthy escapes (60-80 cal). There are times when I thought I just HAD TO
HAVE something sweet. I was glad I took the time to find something.
3 - Keep up on the medical side of it. Keep your doctor's appointments,
support group meetings, etc.
— [Deactivated Member]
August 15, 2002
1) Learn as much as you can about the WLS through discussions, research,
asking questions and speaking with others (like you are doing)
2) Be sure that you are emotionally ready for the surgery and lifestyle
that follows
3) Be gentle with yourself and get the support that you need (and deserve)
to have during the process.
and my personal number 4 - Put yourself in God's hands.
Best wishes,
— Ann B.
August 15, 2002
I'm about 6 weeks out from surgery (lap RNY). Everyone has given such good
advice already, that I feel like I'm be repeating a lot of what has been
said, but my three would be: 1) Make time to relax. I used meditation to
help control my pre-surgery jitters. The day of the surgery I was very
calm and ready. 2) Line up support. Friends, family, and people who have
gone through the surgery already. And finally, 3) Follow doctor's orders.
As many have already pointed out, the first several months are when you
have the opportunity to lose the most weight - you don't want to sabotage
yourself! :o) Best wishes on your journey!
— Sally S.
August 15, 2002
What has worked for me? 1) Avoid simple carbs - always. 2) Exercise,
exercise, exercise. 3) Enjoy what life has to offer - surgery or no
surgery.
— PaulaM
Click Here to Return