Apprehensive

Good morning all of you wonderful posters. I am having my sleeve surgery on Tuesday and I am getting apprehensive about recovery.  I have read that some do really well and that some suffer greatly.  I have had a lot of surgeries.....the old-fashioned gall bladder removal back in 1987, old-fashioned hysterectomy, anterior neck fusion, spiral fracture of leg with surgery, rods and plates, carpal tunnel and a couple of other minor ones that I breezed through, herniated disc and birth to my two wonderful kidlings.  I trust my surgeon as he has done a lot of the sleeves and has been voted the best in our area.  I turn 59 tomorrow and I think I am just nervous about my age being a factor.  Oh, how I wish that I had done this sooner instead of joining Weigh****chers 40 times!!! LOL! I have this irrational fear that I won't ever be able to eat more than broth and protein shakes.  They opened a Cheesecake Factory here and I was thinking how wonderful it would be a year from now to be able to go there and have one bite of my husbands piece and be satisfied.  Is that possible? Am I being silly? I would love to hear some really good recovery stories.....and thanks!

"There is a reason that the windshield is bigger than the rear-view mirror"

Oh, boy, you asked sort of a loaded question. So here's my answer. It depends! And this is why (in my opinion):

1. 1 bite of cheesecake will not physically fill you up at 12 months. Most likely it would take about 1/2 to 1 full slice of cheesecake to do that. Cheesecake is a slider for most people (meaning it won't close your pyloric valve and you won't feel that super full feeling like you will with clean, dense protein, e.g. MEAT). I can still only eat 3 to 4 ounces of dense protein, but I can eat a half dozen cookies. See, for me it's about choices.

2. If you are triggered by sugar (as am I) one bite will only kick your cravings into high gear, so one bite will not be emotionally satisfying.

3. If you are a lucky son of a gun and have no sugar issues and have worked through a great number of your food issues, then yes, a bite of cheesecake might just do it.

I wish you the best of luck with your surgery. Just so you know, my recovery was super easy! I was up and walking within hours of surgery and I never had any trouble with getting liquids in and lost weight steadily down to goal with nary even a stall.

Thank you so much for your reply.  I am so happy that your recovery went so well!  Being an optimist, I think mine will too.  I actually allowed myself to look at clothes in "normal" sizes online yesterday.  There is a whole new world out there!!

I think you are right about the sugar.  It's just nice to know that I can have a bite later on if I want to without getting sick. 

I am getting so excited about this after 44 years of yo-yo dieting!  Thanks again...I love reading your posts.

Hey queen , we all have our worries and fears... I'm going g to be 47 and i was also wondering if I was to old for it... and yes I wish I did it years ago... but ya know what whether I've got 20 30 40 years left..  I know those years will be much much better with then without my sleeve... The past 5 months have proven that !!! With a sleeve I truly do feel that age is just a number!!!  I may be almost 47 but I feel.more like 27 and look it to!!! So go girl and enjoy every second! !! :-)

♡ Kelly

I ate my diet cheesecake all through my weight loss phase. 

1-1/2 cups skim milk

1 package fat-free skim cheese

Blend in the blender until the cheese is completely blended.  Then take the top off the blender, throw in a package of sugar-free vanilla or chocolate instant pudding and blend for about 30 seconds, then pour into bowls.  It is set up and ready to eat in five minutes. 

Yummy thanks white dove.... that sound sooooo easy and delicious! !! :-)

♡ Kelly

Sugar free cheesecake has been a favorite of mine for birthdays for years now (no real desire for it now that I'm post-op but never say never). Because of my personal choices, I only use full fat ingredients, an almond flour and butter crust, and liquid sucralose, and usually make it lemon lime. Even avowed artificial sweetener haters like it. I tweaked a Cook's Illustrated recipe and it's amazing. I have also made the low carb no bake blueberry cheesecake from The Art And Science of Low Carbohydrate Living by Phinney and Volek (a must read IMO). It has gelatin in it and it's really nice.

Good tips. I am also pre op and it seems that I am more worried about missing foods that of the surgery itself, I guess this is why I am where  I am now.

I hear ya. I miss stuff sometimes, but that's part of the process. For things that I really truly love, I try to think about what is special about it. Sometimes I am able to incorporate the flavors into foods that I can eat. When I want pizza, for example, I really want the flavors of tomatoes, cheese, and herbs. I can eat those. Other times I can't, like with bread. 

Sometimes you can be clever and creative. Other times, you have to accept this stuff as part of the lifestyle change.

Hi,

You can do it if you eat smart.

What I do for deserts is: First, only on special occasions. Second, eat your dense protein first and then your veggies.  Then have that bite or two of cheesecake.  The first bite tastes the best, anyway.  And then the restriction kicks in, and keeps me on plan. 

You can do it. 

In terms of recovery stories,  I'm 15 months post op.  I was a heavy weight at 385 pounds.  I lost 220 pounds and brought my BMI from 60.5 to 24.9 (NORMAL!!!)  The weight loss surgery really works.  It changes the way our body works so the weight loss becomes possible.  I did make a commitment and stuck to my plan, but I am also the one who got to 385 pounds while trying really hard to overcome the obesity.  I suspect you will be amazed by the surgery and how much easier it is to overcome the weight.  It really works.  I should mention. I was also older - 64 years old.

I also had a real easy time after the surgery.  little pain, no nausea (thanks to lots of anti-nausea meds) Try not to worry.  You'll do great.

best wishes,

Carol