40 Days Pre-OP Panic

My surgery is in 40 days and I am starting to panic. I am not allowed to gain ANY weight before hand and I am stressing terribly. I am hardly sleeping at all. Not mention all the "What am I doing?" keeping me up at night.

Also, I am worried that the recovery time will be to long. I've got a lot of stuff to do. If the surgery is on a Monday will I be up, around, and ready to run by Friday? I like to act and I was hoping to be on stage by Friday. Am I crazy to think I will be ready for that? So many questions! AAAAAAAAAAAAa

How did you stay calm leading up to surgery?

Everyone's recovery is different. I would not have been up for that so soon afterwards.

Are you taking optifast pre-surgery? If so, you shouldn't have a problem with the 'no gaining' as it usually causes weight loss.

Staying calm, I don't know. My mind raced most nights leading up to my surgery. Try mediation before bed. I also used a sleep noise app to help.

Good luck!

I did everything my doctor told me and I logged here daily. By the time my surgery date came I was ready to take it on and start my new life. The encouragement, support and advice you get on this site is invaluable.

My surgery was on May 2nd so I am a newbie. I think you will need at least a week to recover to begin to feel at least halfway normal. I was very tired. I took 2 weeks off from work. I have a desk job but have to drive a long way to and from. My Husband drove me for a few days then I was able to drive myself. I had no complications. I am 61 years old and had a BMI of 38. Best of luck to you!

Nope, don't panic. Taking control of your health is the best gift you can give to yourself. Does your doctor have you on a liquid diet for 2 weeks before surgery? I lost like 12 lbs in 2 weeks when I did that diet (I had protein shakes, chicken broth, sugar free jello and sugar free popsicles for two weeks - which both helped me drop 12 lbs and shrunk my liver for a safer surgery and also got me in the right head space for the 2 weeks liquid diet after surgery).

I was 36 and 350 lbs when I had surgery with no comorbidities (yet! I am sure they were coming). I had surgery on Friday, was walking a few blocks to the store by Tuesday or Wednesday, and felt fine but a little tired by Friday. I was back to work at my desk job on Monday (10 days later) though I could have gone back by Thursday I bet. Mostly you're tired because you're having so few calories and you are just focused on sipping fluids and trying to get protein from protein shakes. I am not sure I would have been acting by Friday. I probably COULD have but I'm not sure I would have wanted to, ya know?

Everyone's experience varies, but just know that I wake up everyday healthy, happy, no aching knees, no body pain, full of energy - and I wish I had done this 10 years earlier! Good luck!

I was 59 having surgery. I had surgery on Tuesday, was home on Thursday, driving and doing housework on Friday and back at an office job on Monday.

Just got back from the doctor. Lost 9 lbs this month!

They say I only needed to be on a three day liquid pre-op diet, so regular food until then.

Congrats on the weight loss you mentioned in your other response; that must make you feel great, and a lot less stressed.

I was on 3 weeks of Optifast (shakes) prior to surgery so didn't have to stress about losing weight on my own; to be honest, I don't think I could have done it on my own, so kudos to you.

There is NO way I could have done anything 5 days after surgery; I was completely wiped. It took me 2 weeks to do more than walk up and down the hallways.

I wasn't calm before surgery, i was either elated or terrified, lol. I just accepted that as normal, and tried my best to visualise a better life. I pictured myself losing weight, going down in sizes, being able to reduce my asthma meds, going on longer bike rides, walking without pain, etc. I imagined what it would feel like to see the scales go down by 20 Lbs, 50 Lbs, 100 Lbs, etc.

One thing I couldn't imagine, that was a happy surprise, was waking up from surgery and finding out I was no longer hungry at all. My obsessiveness over food was gone...or rather, it had changed. I went from constantly thinking about what I could eat next, to worrying about how I could possibly get all of my protein and water in. I went from being able to eat an entire bag of chips, a tub of dip, a bottle of diet coke, and a chocolate bar to getting full on a medicine cup of protein shake or broth. It was mind blowing.

I can eat much more now, of course, but at almost 6 months out, still can't eat more than about 3/4 cup of food at any meal. I'm completely satisfied with my portions, and my little glass food bowls now look normal to me, whereas before surgery, when I saw the small amounts I'd have to eat, I thought it was completely crazy. Now the big huge plates of food I used to be able to eat, and then go back for seconds, seems completely crazy to me. It's a huge mind shift.

Thanks! I was feeling mental going from thrilled to terrified depending on the day. I am trying to visualize the weight loss, but I have been here before :) I want this to be the last time I lose the weight.

I am super active right now and I guess I just can't imagine serious down time afterward. It would deive me nuts.

My surgery was open but I was up walking that night....so they tell me lol . My recovery was kind of hard as any open surgery is but one of my hernia surgeries was done laproscopically and I was up and running the next day. It so exciting. I know what you mean though, I was 'thinner ' soooo many times but this surgery saved my life and would do it in a heartbeat again