Question:
I am having second thoughts
I know having second thoughts and being scared are normal pre-op feelings but I am only 1 week and 2 days away from my surgery date and I still struggle with the question "is this surgery for me". I am so afraid I will be the one with all the complications (ulcers,leakage,hernias..ect..ect) Biggest thing that has me thinking this is I have been on the liquid diet now for a week and have only lost 4 pounds. Makes me think that if I only lose 4 pounds with taking in only 600 calories aday then what is to make me think I will lose more after surgery? Has anyone else not lost much with the liquid diet before surgery? But lost more after having it? Help Please!!! — mother2mykids (posted on November 23, 2008)
November 22, 2008
I have lost 16 lbs during the 2 week liquid diet. I have hernia's everytime
I get cut open. Most large people do have hernia's.Good Luck with your
surgery.
— [Deactivated Member]
November 22, 2008
What surgery are you having?
Wow, I know for myself I have never had second thoughts. I wanted this
surgery more then life its self I wanted to live. RYN July 16,08. I can say
for myself that I would do this again in a second. A few things happened
during my surgery that made it a bit longer in the hospital Dr. related but
the pain which was about 2 weeks bad, a handful of being sick trying to
break old eating habits. I would do it again. 94 pounds gone. You can read
my blog. I have had my ups and downs. Everyone gets scared everyone has
second thoughts. ITS OK
And the weightloss now is fine keep up the great work it is hard but as
soon as the surgery is over you will no longer have those hungry feelings
it is a different feeling (RYN) keep doing what u r doing this is going to
help your liver during surgery. You are in my prayers Tammi
— Tammi Sandoval
November 23, 2008
Only use the liquids your surgeon suggested. Don't think sodas are a liquid
you should rely on, as you aren't supposed to have them after surgery.
You'll be eating some small amounts of solid foods within 2 weeks after
surgery. Also, don't worry about wt loss progress after surgery. You'll
have malabsorptive and food intake restrictions and those are why the RNy
works well. People often resort to this or other forums to voice concerns,
instead of seeking help from their doctor. There are plenty of
"positive" results from RNY posted here also. DAVE
— Dave Chambers
November 23, 2008
I am having surgery on the 15th and although I am not having 2nd thoughts
about it, i am having a hard time with the liquid diet. I am allowed 2
protien shakes a day and 1 reasonable meal. So far in 2 weeks I have only
lost 7 pounds and that worries me. Especially since I must have at least
13 more pounds off by the 10th or my dr. wont do the surgery. Hope you
hang in there and I am sure everything will work out.
— jemma28
November 23, 2008
I felt the same way but I had surgery on 10-10-08 and even when I was in
the waiting room ready to go into surgery I was terrified but the weght
loss is normal for you your body has to have at least enough calories to
not have it in the starvation mode otherwise you body thinks it is staving
and will try to store everything into fat. You are suppose to only lose 2-3
LBS a week for healthy weigh loss just take it as a bonus if you loose
more. You didn't get to the weight you are now overnight and it won't come
off overnight it takes time give yourself a break. Think positive all good
things about your future. You will go through ups and downs in your
emotional journey don't get discouraged lean on positve people for support
you will do great.
— dammfamily
November 23, 2008
Well, I had to do the 6 months supervised diet with the nut/dietician and
gained 1/2 pound in all so i know what your going thru, but i did lose 13
pounds on the liquid diet 2 weeks prior to surgery, never a doubt in my
mind that this wasnt right for me, I wanted this so bad. I had surgery July
22 and its been work, but have lost 67 pounds, went from a 24/26 to a 16
and i love my new life style, my hubby tells me everyday that i just look
awesome. I am now down to the weight I was at when we met. I thank God
everyday for such a wonderful oppertunity he has given so many to have such
a healthy life style. So if you have over a 100 pounds to lose, and you
have the surgery, I am sure you won't regret it. I will be praying for you.
Good Luck!!
— [Deactivated Member]
November 23, 2008
I had RNY 8/28. I only lost 5 lbs during the 2 week pre-op diet. I have
now lost 59. I was also nervous about side effects, but I would not change
a thing.
— phyllismmay
November 23, 2008
If you think your are scared now ... wait till the night before and the
morning of. I was SO scared. Thought I was going to cry on the way to the
hospital. THIS IS NORMAL. Stay strong. I had surgery March 12, 2008 and
have lost 136 lbs to date. Best thing I ever did for MYSELF!!! Wish I had
done it years ago!!! I wasted so much ... TO MUCH of my life being FAT!
No more ... I am on my way to a much healthier person. The surgery was a
tool and I am glad I did it. Good luck! Tammy from TX
— Tammy Cardwell
November 23, 2008
Amanda, take slow,deep breaths and think back to when you started this
process. I am 2 weeks PO tomorrow. The 2 week liquid diet I lost a whopping
10 lbs. Since surgery I have a total weight loss of 28 lbs. Thats 28 lbs in
1 month. I know you are scared, anxious and probably a little bit hungry.
As I did at your stage of the process. I had to take a step back and look
at what my life would be with the surgery and without it. I spent time
crying, reading OH and making the list of good and bad. No one can tell
you if this surgery is for you or not. But you know in your heart. All you
have to do is follow it.
— lori L.
November 23, 2008
I understand your feelings of if this is surgery is for you. Have you
asked yourself all the reasons you are doing this surgery? Is it only
weight loss or are there other factors that are in your life that can
benefit from this surgery. I'm 10 days post-op. Someone asked me if I
could endorse it. I said right now this surgery has to be something you
want to do and are going to adhere to. This isn't just an overnight fix
for weight loss. This is a major surgery. I suppose that depends on what
surgery your having too. I didn't see which one you posted. I had the VSG
recently. I'm struggling getting back on my feet and getting back to
active. I've never been much in exercise but weight loss was not the main
bullet point in the benefits list of having this surgery. Mine were that I
could possibly have children, that I would get off my depression
medications, my health would improve, my mood would improve, I would no
longer deal with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) and have normal cycles
again, Being a size 8 would be a bonus. So you have to ask yourself if
this is what you want and are you wanting it for the right reasons.
Because once you are there, there is no going back. I think I woke up
saying no for the first day. Don't get me wrong I'm not in remorse zone by
any means. But there are those risks and they are real. Before the
surgery, I lost with the liquid diet. My surgery date was being pushed out
cause I was getting scared. By the time the surgery came around. I had
taken off 20lbs but 6lbs back on before the surgery happened.
As for losing weight after the surgery, you will see how it starts to
happen. I dropped the weight that I had added on. I'm at 200.8lbs right
now. I can see those 100s coming soon. I'm not even exercising. I'm just
recovering. Yes I should be walking much more but I'm having a difficult
recovery period because of withdrawals of some psych meds I wasn't able to
tolerate after the surgery so in a sense cold turkey not smart for psych
meds. I hope this will help you. Just put it to paper what you benefits
of this surgery it will provide you, depending on which surgery you are
having. Then put the cons down and then realistically take a self
inventory if this is what is going to be right for you. This is a personal
decision and a hard one. Feel free to email me if you have more thoughts
or have questions of me. We are all here for one another. Sincerely,
Corina Castillo
— Corina C
November 23, 2008
I understand your concerns. In 3 weeks on the liquid diet I only lost 11
lbs if that. They didn't officially weigh me prior to surgery and after
surgery, I weighed what I did before the liquid diet but I was so bloated.
5 weeks post-op RNY and I have lost 45 lbs. I worried about complications
because if it was going to happen it usually happens to me. Thanks to God
and my surgeon, so far it has been relatively smooth. Good luck.
— tonitoot
November 23, 2008
Take a deep breath and think about the reasons you're doing this, whether
it's for better health, to be more active for your family, etc. Make a list
of pros and cons, pray over it. When was the last time you lost so much in
a week? I didn't lose much my first week on liquids, but caught up the next
week. I'm 5 weeks post-RNY and since surgery it's been even better. As far
as complications go, there's no reason to worry unless it actually happens,
and odds are that it won't. When my surgery date closed in I looked back at
all the horrible tests and things leading up to it and pretty much decided,
"If I can survive all that, I can do this thing. I've made up my mind
and I'm doing it." Think positive and you'll be fine!
— snickersblk
November 23, 2008
I would be more concerned if you weren't having any concerns about your
upcoming surgery. It is major surgery and is not a quick fix or an easy
answer to weight loss. I had been considering surgery for over 2 years
before actually planning it. My major concerns were leakage, infection,
and death. I have 2 young children and want to be around to see them have
their own families. I have hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2
diabetes, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. In addition, I need a total hip
replacement. This severely limited my mobility and ability to exercise, as
well as my ability to enjoy a variety of activities with my children. All
these factors, in combination, led to my decision to have a gastric bypass.
The most important thing to consider is your choice of surgeon and choice
of hospital. Are you going to a center for excellence? How many WLS's has
your surgeon performed? What is his/her complication rate?
I was only required to follow a 10 day pre-op diet consisting of 2 meals of
slim fast and one regular meal of high protein and low carbs. I only lost
5 pounds during that period. I had my surgery on 9/12/08 and have since
lost 40 pounds. I know that many people have lost more in that period of
time, but I'm happy with my progress and it is certainly more than I've
ever lost before in 10 and 1/2 weeks. Everyone is different. I've not had
any complications. The surgery went very well. I returned to work after 2
weeks; my major complaint was being easily tired initially but now I'm
doing fine.
However, it is not an easy road. There's a lot of trial and error in terms
of what and how much to eat. And, it's a life long change. But, I'm
hoping for a long life!! My cholesterol medication has been discontinued
and my diabetes medication has been cut in half. On top of all of that, I
am moving around more easily and, although I still have to have the hip
replacement, I'll be a much better candidate for surgery. Finally, it's
great not fitting into clothes because they are TOO BIG vs. too tight. Am
I glad I had the surgery? Absolutely!! Consider all your reasons for
having WLS. I wish you the very best! - MaryAnn
— gerrifei
November 23, 2008
Amanda...you are right to be a little frightened, but it will definitely be
worth it. I had my RYN 7/24/07 and have lost over 140 pounds and still
losing - after a little stall for about 2 months. I have had to have my
gall bladder out, had a knee injury and hernia surgery, but still would
never change a thing. When I started eating new foods in the weeks and
months that followed surgery, little things like tuna would POP in my
mouth, like there was a party going on. You will respect your food mord
and its flavor as you add it back. I was watching a show where the mom was
running and playing with her kids and was sad to think that I robbed my
children of that aspect, although I was completely involved in their
live's, I could have done more - but I have grandkids now and I can do more
with them - What would I change for that opportunity???? Nothing. You seem
like a determined person, you should do well. I wish you luck and keep
your head high, don't look back, because your future is right around the
corner...Donna
— mcgriff_d
November 23, 2008
It is hard to see how life will be after surgery. I was very worried but
now 4 months after the fact I am so happy I did it. 67 lbs off and I feel
great. I have a ulcer but wit medicine it is well handled. You will find it
a life improving event.
— trible
November 24, 2008
Hi! What you are feeling is normal. I wonder tho, why did you decide to
have this procedure? Have you thought about food and the change you will
have after surgery? It is all to easy to fall back into old habits. I
adopted the attitude " eat to live, not live to eat" early on in
my process and have tried to do right ever since...I am 5 months out. Oh
sure I eat things that are deemed no-no's , but rarely and I know I have to
give them up...but it is a process and you have the 'honeymoon period' to
retrain yourself on eating habits. I am sure you will do fine. Just
remember this is a tool. Make the most of the time right after surgery--by
this I mean the first 6 months...to retrain your thoughts on eating and
that you are fueling your body...not eating for pleasure. The weight will
come off...it may be slow..as in my case..I have lost only...(lol only) 72
lbs. But I am doing curves 4 days a week and walking 3-4 days...and my skin
isn't hanging ...yet..I have 29 lbs to reach the doctors goal for me. I
hope this won't take forever, but I am willing to wait. God Bless and think
of all the new clothes you get to wear!! yay!! Hope this has helped and
not brought you down. I only like to give up beat opinions...Hugs, Kim
— gpcmist
November 24, 2008
Hi I am just 3 weeks out and I must say already it was the best decision I
could make! My advice is follow the diet to the T and rest and do not lift
anything heavy and you will do just great. My recovery was only 2 weeks
and I was back to work and feeling great!
— TawnaW
November 24, 2008
Sorry I also forgot to tell you that I lost 1 lb with the 2 week liquid
diet and 3 weeks out I have lost 30!
— TawnaW
November 24, 2008
Stay on your way and follow the rules strictly your Dr. gave you for the
liquid diet. I am almost a year out and would it do in a minute again. It
was all worth it. Good luck, greetings from Austria, Europe rina_mo
— rina_mo
November 25, 2008
Hi. I only lost about 5 lbs before my RNY on the liquid diet. Since the
RNY, I've lost 73 lbs. I feel so much better. I did end up with ulcers
that haven't gone away, and my endoscopy is tomorrow. BUT I have to admit
that I'd rather deal with ulcers than all of the extra weight. I feel
alive again.
— C P.
November 26, 2008
Relax!!!!
I can understand your feelings.. the week before i had surgery I was a
nervous wreck. The night before surgery I think I actually had a panic
attack. Fast forward three years later.. lost 170 pounds ..&.. have
not a single regret! I'm happy.. HEALTHY... and wearing a six 6... yeah
life is great!
My prayers are with you... you can do this!
— KimY
November 26, 2008
I understand scared. The week before my surgery I gathered my family and
told all of them how much I loved them and had a party just in case I didnt
make it off the table. I knew forsure if something was gonna happen it
would happen there and I would die on the table. I spent the last night
hugging my daughter and writting her a long letter just in case. I am sure
she thought I was nuts. As far as liquid diet my doctor did not do that so
I didnt have to worry about that.
But let me tell you what I had my surgery RNY lost 149# had a wonderful
baby and am now PG again. I am almost 5 yrs out and I am so thankful I had
the surgery I tell every overwieght person I see how much of a difference
it has made in my life. I can run and play with my kids now and I would be
dead if I had not. I have lived to see 5 grandkids born and see my daughter
join the army. Look at my profile and you can see what I have been thru.
Dont worry about the weight it will happen. Feel free to write to me
anytime.
Dana
Life is not measured by how many breaths you take, but by the moments that
take your breath away.
— tig797
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