Looking Forward to Surgery

My surgery is scheduled for the second week of July.  I am very excited, but also going through a lot of emotional swings.  Are there things that the Obesity Help community wish they would have done during this waiting period that you can share with me?

Can't say for myself that there is anything I wish I had done that I didn't but I can say that coming here every single was super helpful in many many ways. So keep coming back ! Good luck with your surgery.

Thanks for your response.  I'll try to be on at least weekly.  

I wish I had lost even more weight prior to surgery.  If you start changing your eating patterns and reduce quantities now, it will make life after surgery a little easier.

Good advice.  I have actually started eating less naturally since I started the journey of securing the money for it.  You've done great!  Keep being an inspiration.

Mine is scheduled July 11.

One minute I'm freaking out, the next I can't wait. I am passing the time by pouring over the posts daily, reading recipes and putting what I've learned into practice in advance like eating slowly and drinking more water. I am self-pay so I didn't have to go through the 6 month program required by insurance companies. I must admit it's leaving me feeling a bit unprepared. 

It's good to know there is someone who will have surgery around the same time as I. Looking forward to reading about your experiences!

That's cool.  I'm self pay too.  My portions have decreased.  I wanted to have a bariatric bucket list, but any time I think about following through, I loose my appetite.  I guess that's a good thing.  I'm nervous about how the people around me will respond, and keeping a consistent exercise routine.  Ironically, I gulp about 1.5 gallons of water a day.  I love that, but have to switch to sips.  

One of the things that I did was come here every day and read, read, read.  I read everything I could on this site, from all the articles under the Resources tabs, to searching topics if I was unsure of something or had a question.  I have just barely begun, as I am only 11 days post surgery, and I know I have a ton to learn, but all the research I did on this site, and reading what the veterans post has made me a lot more comfortable with my decision to have surgery and it has given me more hope that I can actually do this if I work really hard at it.  Good luck to you with your upcoming surgery!  Liz

Thanks.  Wow.  You're off to a fast start.

I tried to lose as much weight as I could before surgery and I am so glad I did.  If you can lose weight before surgery, it makes the surgery safer, and it gives the surgeon a little more room to work in the abdomen.  It also improved my attitude in the early days post op, as I knew I had already lost 50 pounds. 

I also practiced a lot of the techniques like avoiding drinking during meals, taking small bites, eating dense protein first.  This also paid off big time after surgery. 

I'd  strongly recommend trying a low carb diet to see if it helps reduce food cravings for you.  I am very sensitive to carbs, and the cravings are overwhelming if I'm eating too many carbs.  I'd suggest white-knuckling it for a few days, and get your carb intake very low and see if it helps your cravings.  Then you can add carbs and see how many you can eat before the carb monster is awakened!  I think people who start the liquid diet while still eating carbs find it very difficult, so its worth getting the carbs in check before surgery.

best wishes,

Carol