Just a reminder that the South Shore WLS support group meeting is next Saturday, September 15, at 3:00 pm at the Pembroke Public Library. Directions are on their website www.pembrokepubliclibrary.org  All are welcomed to join in.  Hope to see everyone there.

Tamara, i think everybody has those feelings in the beginning. remember none of us became overweight because we didn't enjoy food, most of us "loved" to eat.  trust me when i say, you will find a new "normal" to life that you will now love.  i had my open RNY on 02/03/03 at 21 years old and i initially took 6 weeks off of work because my work offered me that amount of time.  well, by the time i hit 4 weeks, i couldn't take it anymore of siting in the house watching my boyfriend and young daughter eat and drink all they could and all i could do was sip,sip,sip...... so i went back to work 2 weeks early.  now i must have been pretty desperate to go back early when i was still getting paid to be home!!! once i went back to work and my days were filled with my normal routine things started falling into place, seriously!

Now, not to mention when my mom brought me home from the hospital from the surgery she went and got McDonalds for her, my boyfriend, and my daughter for lunch.  i could have KILLED her, but looking back now i'm glad she did it because it showed me that i was going to have to overcome challanges with the surgery and life period.  take one day at a time and i promise it will get better. 

Good luck with everything!!!

Frances

        Help - I'm in the same boat!!        I have 214 lbs to loose, and I know that's a lot for the LapBand - but I'm afraid of the risk with the Bypass.  My Mom and Step-Mom are both VERY supportive of the surgery, but are both pushing for the Band, because they want the safer surgery for me.   I've talked to two doctors and they both said that with the lapband, it will be three years ... THREE YEARS, before I hit the goal ... and I think they mean the hospital's goal of loosing 50% of my excess weight.   Well, if I'm going to go though all this for 50% ... I want a much healthier life.  I want less back pain, to run when I get caught in a downpour, to climb stairs with out moving both feet to one stair, then the next, etc!!! One doctor recommended bypass (due to my weight, the speed of loss, and not having to deal with port fills, etc), and the surgeon that I will probably go with recommended Lapband.  His thought was other than my back/joint pain, I don't have other serious health issues yet, so why take the added risk of bypass.    But three years ... I just don't know!!   I don't have a medical degree ... how in the world am I going to decide??      ... Does anyone have a Magic 8 Ball I can borrow??? I was sold on the LapBand, but now I'm leaning toward the Bypass. What are the current mortality numbers for bypass???     1 in 100??    1 in 1000???    My Doctor said the chance for "complecations" with the bypass are 3-5% (and I honestly don't  know if that's high or low, but 5 in 100 sounds a little high to me)!! Thank You!!!   (Not only for your help and support, but for letting me rant a little)!!  

Tamara, I was so there three years ago. I had my surgery on July 20 and I think I was posting ten days later that I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life. But I hadn't. There are a couple of things for you to think about. First, and foremost, you had major surgery with anesthetics and follow-up drugs. These often make us weepy and sad no matter what kind of surgery we have.  You have pegged your emotions perfectly in terms of food. We have a "relationship" with food and, especially at the beginning, we have severed it. Eventually, you will be able to eat real food again and, hopefully, form a healthier relationship with it. Last, if you are planning on taking care of your husband for years to come, WLS may be the solution. Not being able to care for him for a short while is a small sacrifice for the long term benefits. If I could, I would give you a great big hug, pat your back and tell you that it will be all right. I am telling you, I started to turn it around on day 12 - swear to God - hopefully yours will be soon as well. Try to take care of yourself and know that you have done the right thing for your future. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Hugs, Judi (A former Navy wife - still have the husband, not the Navy :-)

FYI: Open RNY 7/18/07

I'm not doing bad as far as being in pain or anything along those lines, but my mind is playing games with me. I realize how much I depended on food before the surgery. I am literally BORED out of my mind now.

I have done nothing but cry and regret since I've gotten home. I'm not hungry, but I want to eat for something to do. I feel so lost without being able to eat what I want when I want. I haven't even been able to bring myself to follow my surgeon's aftercare diet. I have just been taking in whatever will stay in my tummy.

Hopefully when I return back to school, my time won't drag and I won't feel so bored. I feel so ridiculous about crying so much about not being able to eat what i want. I definitely was NOT ready for this surgery! But now that I've went through it, I have no choice but to adjust. My stomach won't allow otherwise! I feel like I should've waited and tried to lose weight when I was ready and tried other things before getting WLS, honestly, I didn't try as hard as I could've. I feel so selfish because I can't take care of my husband right now and that was pretty much my only purpose in life. I just don't know what to do now. I don't know how to get past this step. I feel so stuck like these feelings will never go away and I will always cry, be bored, and feel lost and useless to the world.

At this point, I dont even care if I lose weight, I just want my life back.


How did you overcome this? Any suggestions?