More negative forum posts lately??

 
Hey girl.....

You should print out your post here and tape it to the refrigerator !!!

You are so far ahead of me when I started !!!!!

"Knowledge is Power"

If you haven't already...start going to school on the VSGMG site and get mentally ahead there also.....

With all due respect to God and all..... but this is a two part deal.... The more you do.... the less God has to do !!!!!

Don't let anything or anybody get in your way !!!!

After going from 338lbs. to 148lbs. I can tell you that my surgeon and this process has given me my life back and I wish the same for you!!!

frisco

IKR! Constant reminder of what I WILL do! And thanks! That makes me feel like I'm gonna be just fine. I have been reading up on VSG DAILY since I decided to switch from the (cue the horror music) LAP-BAND..... LOL It's the mental preparation that I'm working on. Head hunger and stalls... I'm just hoping and praying that I'll be able to keep on track and work my tool like you did! And yes, God will do His part as long as I do my part!

Thanks again!

Amanda

Hi Sunkissedsgrho,

I'm just a few months post-op myself and I had a lot of the same fears and questions as you did. Please don't let everything you read here scare you. While all people opting for a VSG do experience some of these little challenges to one degree or another, not everyone's experience is the same. The one key thing I learned is that once I just relaxed and gave myself over to the process completely, most if not all of my fears went away. After all the pre-op stuff, the surgery, and the post-op followup was over I was so relieved & proud of what I had accomplished! All I can think about now is how much this has helped me to get my life & my health back on track.

Please try not to worry yourself too much. You will be just fine, you will be glad you did this, and you will wish you had done it sooner. And don't forget, if you need us, we are all here to help....Mr-Mom

Hi Mr. Mom! I'll be honest, some of the post did kinda shake me up a bit, but NOT enough to make me change my mind. Challenges are gonna come, I'm sure (praying that they don't!! ) and I'm hoping to move past them. I'm looking forward to 4 months post op and hoping to be down a significant amount of weight! I'm so ready to get my life going in a different direction, one that's not so dependent on food! Hiking, running, swimming, skating, shopping!! Yeah, this will be worth the trouble!!

Thanks so much for the encouragement!

Amanda

Hmmm, can't say I have noticed there being more negative posts if by negative you mean the more difficult parts of the vsg journey. But I am like you - i want to know all about something whether good or bad and if i don't see all sides, something is missing. So be glad that you have really educated yourself and when you have some unpleasant moments, you will know they are normal, know what others have said to do about it, accept that its part of the journey, and get on with it. Surprises are what sometimes frightens us so keep reading up and you won't have any. You will be a well versed sleever which is the first step to being a successful one. Good luck with your journey.  Diane

Yeah, when I said negative, I was talking about the negative experiences that people have been posting. But I'm glad to read them. Now, I feel better prepared for the surgery. I know I won't know the full extent until after I've had my surgery, but at least I feel somewhat prepared! Thanks for the encourgement! Please keep it coming!

Amanda

 It appears as though you have been doing some reading about the process and that's a good thing.  Don't let the negative stuff sway you.  Most of it is temporary anyway.  There are fixes or preventative ways to take care of most of it anyway.  I found it easier to take the liquid diet one day at a time.  What I mean is that I didn't say to myself that I've got 10 days of liquid diet...I just got up each day and said today is a liquid day.  It seemed to go by faster for me. :)  Pills help the acid.  Walking helps the gas go away.  Water & benefiber daily help the constipation.  

The first couple of weeks are the hardest.  It's not easy to get all the protein and water in.  Each day is a little better.  At one month out, I was feeling great.  I've been a slow loser on the scale, but dropped sizes like crazy.  I have come to a point that the number on the scale doesn't freak me out.  How can I complain if I only lost 45, but am down from 18-20 plus to 10-12???  I'm off my meds (yay!) and feeling so much better.  I have more self confidence and am a happier person than I was a few months ago.

You'll do fine!  Good luck!  

I believe I'll have a shirt printed that says THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS!  LOL One day at a time... Yes, sounds like a plan to me. Any tips and preventatives will be honored! Sip and walk, sip and walk, SIP AND WALK... those worlds have been preached to me, and I will follow them!

I really hope that I'm not a slow loser. Having so much to lose, I would love to get down the FIRST 100lbs in the first couple of months, and I know it's possible because I've seen people on here who have done it. BUT, if NOT, losing inches will be ok, too! LOL Slow loser or not, you've done a GREAT job of using your tool! Shoot, I'd LOVE to be in a size 18-20 right now! LOL Imagine how I'll be when I get to a 10-12! Those thoughts alone make me almost tear up.... I am super excited!

Thanks for the encouragement! Keep up the good work!

Comments from a retired teacher: 
You are doing exactly  the right thing by investigating early all the questions/answers/issues associated with WLS.  The more you know the less apprehension you will have and the better prepared you will be. Are you able to participate in a pre-surgery support group that includes post-surgery pa;tients?  I did, and that was a wonderful way to get candid, first-hand knowledge from those who had been there. 

Are you willing to share your experience with those around you?  I found that sharing with everyone who loves me was a major key to making this thing work.  I have a virtually army of supporters - family, friends, neighbors, and every time they see me, they tell me how proud they are of what I'm doing.  I tell them thanks, but it is a shared accomplishment; yes, I have to do the work, but they regularly find ways to be supportive.  I simply can't imagine "hidding" any part of this journey from those you care about me.  I left any "shame" I had about my obesity and my surgery in OR with most of my stomach.

Lastly, and please don't take this the wrong way, putting things in God's hands may be helpful spiritually, but You are the one who must do the work.  Pray for sunshine, but even on rainy days you have to get the exercise in - I do not take any days off, ever.  Some people on this and other forums muse about not losing fast enough - we are all different, but one thing is certain - the harder one is willing to work, the faster the weight comes off.  As someone said, "everyone wants to get to heaven, but no one wants to die." 

Your pre-op investigations will serve you well as you embark on this journey.  Good Luck.
Pop-Pop

Thanks for the encouragement! There are no support groups in my area, but I do find solace on the forum. I've befriended so many people, and I appreciate the honest and candid responses I've read so far. I haven't told many people about my intentions. I'm not ashamed, but I'm just not ready. PLUS, people always have their opinions... I went to a GNC and told the guy what I wanted to do, and his whole talk was that I could do it WITHOUT surgery. I really wanted to tell him that I didn't come into the store for his expertise! Just sell me some darn shakes! And he stood there looking like Adonis on a good day! Probably NEVER had to worry about weight issues... And Lord know I can't be responsible for my actions is a skinny, fit person tries to talk me out of this. So, NO, I haven't told many people, but those I DID tell have my back completely! Mom, Dad, and Sister all have my back and that's my only concern!
And I totally agree. For Him to do His part, I gotta be willing to do mine. And as long as he gives me the strength to do it, I will push forth!