questions that you wish you had asked before surgery

Hi everyone!  I'm kinda new here. I've been reading this board for a few months now gathering pieces of information about surgery and whatnot.  I finally scheduled a consultation and it is for tomorrow.  I have already been to an informational seminar and a support group meeting at my hospital too.  Thanks to all of your wonderful advice and posts I have a great list of questions to ask for myself.  I'm still pretty nervous about the whole thing though.  I'm just curious if there are any questions that any of you wish that you had asked before having the surgery that I might be able to add to my list too.  I know it's gonna be a long journey ahead and I want to get a head start on it.

I asked questions and then asked more! My surgeon liked that I was asking questions, they ranged from excercise to the hospital stay and more.  I also took everything I was given and put it into a three ring binder. Even though I am 7 weeks out, I still have the binder with me daily. It has my food journal/supplement journal.

If you have a specific question, just ask the board. I am sure someone has the answer.

Teri-Lynn
POI

I do not see in your post what kind of wls you are inquiring to have but know that is you choose RNY you can never never take NSAIDS (anti-inflammatories) again for life for risk of ulcers developing in your pouch.....that I never knew until after surgery....

also now I know post-op that there are more than two choices other than RNY Gastric Bypass and lap-band.....there is VSG (sleeve) and DS (duodenal switch) and I have learned here on OH post-op that the DS is suppose to have a better weight loss than others but you stand to be more malabsorbtive when it comes to supplements.

also some docs do some wls over the others and you have to consider how compliant you will be post-op.....I am a rare dumper, I have never had complications thus far thank GOD and I can eat pretty much what I like.......cravings do come back, so does your appetite and the weight can come back to if you don't follow the rules.   just some food for thought.

I don't know about questions, just wish I had been paying a little closer attention to the warnings to better prepare myself.  I have had multiple surgeries throughout my life with no complications.  This one landed me in ICU, leaving me moaning "Why did I do this to myself?".  Don't get me wrong, I should have done it years ago, and would do it in a heartbeat again even knowing things could be miserable as heck at first. 

That being said, everyone that I knew that had bypass asked that same question afterwards.  They didn't tell me that beforehand.  But I got all my misery out of the way right out of the gate, and have had zero problems eating, drinking or otherwise (actually wish I had a few more problems eating !)

You will see alot of people fresh out of surgery and going in with problems/complaints...but they are usually only temporary and fade away fast, so don't let that discourage you.

Good Luck!

 That I should have bought stock in Gas X.  

I am going to a weight loss surgery center that is part of the hospital that I want to have the procedure done in.  They require you to attend 3 "seminars" before you can have the surgery.  They only perform the RNY and VSG.  They did go over the lap band in my first seminar but only to point out all the negative things associated with it.

I am really interested in the RNY and I feel like I have a really good understanding of it not only from my doctors/surgeons but from all of you as well.  The thing that I am having a hard time with is that there are no definites that I can prepare myself for so I think that asking every possible question is my way of dealing with that.  Everyone is different and everyone experiences different complications/issues and even successes.  I think I am just trying to prepare myself the best that I can.

On the other hand, I am totally flippin' excited about the wonderous possibilities in life after surgery.  I will be 30 this year and it would be amazing to hit that milestone in a healthier state of being.  I'm just hoping that my over-enthusiasm isn't a turn off to the surgeon.  I keep thinking that somehow he's gonna say "DENIED" to me and I will have to leave this all behind.