PRE OP'S PLEASE READ, I'M STILL SMO!!!.................

Morning!!!! Sorry about the title, didn't know what to call this post. I just have something to say that I think will be very helpful for all of the pre-op's. If you have read my profile before, you may realize I waited 5 years for my surgery. I wanted this surgery soo bad I could taste it. I researched everything. I thought I knew everything I needed to know. The one thing that I have never seen posted or read about it being discussed is the feelings you have after surgery about your size. I am 4 months post op. And I am still big. At last weigh in for my 3 month anniversery I have lost 87 pounds. I have not weighed in for my 4 month anniversary yet. (some know why) I guess what I'm trying to say is.... Please don't feel that when you wake up from surgery, you will be "thin". This is a long process for us SMO's. I may have lost 100 pounds, but I still need to lose 130 more pounds, where as my May 2005 peers are all at goal, under 200, ect. Damn I'm not even under 300 YET.!!!!! This is a very emotional journey and I have yet to read where this is discussed. I think there needs to be more topics and open discussions on this subject. Anyone have any comments?????? Carmella 4 months out and still SMO!!!!!

((((((((((CARMELLA)))))))), You know I do (have a comment that is). I was just thinking about this the other day. 2 years ago I lost 40 pounds. i went from 310 to 270. I felt soooooooooooooooooooooooo thin. I know at 270 I would still be SMO......but i just remember how I felt after that 40 pounds. I can only imagine how it will feel to be 75 or 80 pounds lighter. GIRL! dont beat yourself up or compare your own journey to anyone elses.I know we will all tend to do this. I am truly going to try to take one day at a time. if I can make the right food choices today.........thats good........i wont have to worry about tommorrow. I am sort of scared about the absence of the comfort of food. Do you know what I mean? I know me and I hope I dont fill it with something else like alcohol or drugs. Dunkin'Donuts will ALWAYS be my drug of choice!! Thanks for the thought-provoking post. Take care! willby

Hi Willby!!!! I'm really not beating myself up (today), I just want everyone to realize that this is a long journey for some of us. I mourned food for awhile. I posted in my profile about it. I don't mourn it anymore, but I do mourn Pepsi almost everyday. That has been the hardest for me. I drink no pop, have no sugar and eat no bread. I guess something deep inside me just thought that *poof* I'm gonna wake up thin. NOT!!!! It's gonna take awhile. Like you said, I take one day at a time. I struggle every day with my protien, trying to drink anything, because fluids are very hard for me to get in. Say goodbye NOW to Dunkin' Donuts. They are dangerous. Get away from them and run run run. I will tell you that I don't "crave" sweets, so I think you will do just fine getting through that phase!!!! I just thought it was a good topic for discussion................ Luff Ya!~~~ Carmella

Hi Carmella(makes me feel like getting a carmel apple) I have a friend that truly thought that after WLS... a person walks out of the hospital skinny!! Who knows how many peeps out there have the same ignorant view of things. I really hope that when...or if I get this surgery, I won'****ch the scale and beat myself up emotional if it doesn't move. After my son had his wls Feb 2004. We made a trip to the mall to weigh because we didn't have a scale that went up that high. Ironically the scale was in front of "Hi-health". I hated seeing my son so discouraged...when he knew that he was eating so much healthier. I had to turn on the "you are doing so well" speech. I really don't know how much he has lost at this point, but it is over 200 lbs. In my son's head though...he is still the fat kid that was too big to do anything fun and was teased because of his weight. I hear that guys lose the weight faster than the girls do..Us girls just wanta hang on to that FAT right?? hang in there cutie! Hugs, Virginia

Hey Carmella!!! Hope you are doing better now. I know how you feel. It is surely not as simple as people make it out to be. I am always gonna be addicted to food and its the hardest thing ever. I am pre op and see already what a climb it is. It is like I told the phyc dr. when I went for my clearance. He asked me what will this operation do for me..I told him this operation will always be a tool not the salution. So some of us will lose quicker than others. But cant pay much attention to that can we. We are all different just like some wear different size clothes than others at the same weight. Hugs Margaret

Shih Tzu Mom, I couldn't agree with you more about there needing to be more discussion and information about the topic of realistic weight loss expectations of the SMO. I call the thought process magic thinking. We hear that WLS is just a tool for us to accomplish what we had not been able to accomplish before, but do we really allow ourselves to understand what that means. WLS is not a magic pill or wand that will instantly transform us overnight. We still have to do the work and when you have more than 250 lbs to lose (as is my case) you have to expect that it will take some time. Even though I am preop I do know how you feel, because last year I lost near 80 lbs with Atkins. I stayed the course for 9 months, never cheating once and worked out religiously. It was disheartening for me to see myself after all the hard word still really overweight. I knew that I looked better but a complete stranger still saw me as just plan fat. The good news for us is that with WLS if we work our tool and make our healthy food choices a permanant lifestyle change than we can count on each pound lost being one never to be regained again and I take comfort in knowing that. If you email me I will forward you the link to a really cool website. It is a very well documented journey of an OH member who started out SMO and lost all weight in about 16-18 months(225 lbs total). She is also PS post op and has tons of before and after pictures with and without clothing. She held nothing back and for this I am grateful because it gives a realistic idea of what to expect with the body transformation process. Reading her journey might make you feel better, because she looks absolutely fabulous and she documents how she felt very much the same way you do now at 3 - 4 months out. I am so glad for this site because I am inspired and encouraged every day by the experiences of so many different people and after all isn't that what this site was created for in the first place. Good luck and Best Wishes..... I know that you will get there just be patient....God is finished working on you yet. Hugs, Kim

KIM WILL YOU SEND ME THAT LINK TOO THANK YOU

((((((((((Carmella)))))))))) I so get what you are saying. There does need to be more for us SMO's, as we will be on 'the journey' much longer than most. I used to go to the main board and my state board. Not any more. I never go to the main board any more, and only peek in at my state board. People there can't relate to me. I would cringe reading posts saying, 'I'm out 3 months and 50% to goal' or '9 months and I'm at goal!' or even worse, '10 pounds from goal and they WON'T budge!' Yikes! They are thrilled to be under 200. I will be ecstatic to be under 300! I am sooooooo thrilled to be here. Any WOW moment I may have after WLS won't even register with them. One person on my state board comes across as the WLS guru. Consult, approved, and scheduled, all in less than one month (I am 9 months and counting, thank you!), same center I go to too. Admitted she ONLY has 108 pounds to lose! Are you kidding me?!?!?!? Nuff said. Loves ya! Huggs, Ruth

Hey Carmella: I think you posted a good topic. I started at 534 and am down a whopping 208 ( as of last month) B U T I am still 326. I am still in the 300's at 14 months out. Some of the little folks on other boards don't even weigh this pre op. I feel my loss has exceeded my expectations. I can do so much more now than pre op. If I never lost another ounce I would be just as happy! However, I remember after surgery, still in the 500's. I think I posted on my profile that I feel like I just graduated from a hard time in college and the job offers were slow coming in. But it will show. I lost 98 pounds by my 3 month check up and thought nothing had happened until i put my b4 and after pics together. There was a difference! We of super size will take a bit longer to SEE the changes. Chins up! It will happen and you will be the last to notice it. I still laugh at getting a neck. Then, OMG, I felt a collar bone!!!!! EEkk! A bone! Then my boobs sunk ....and I saw a thinner wrist( in this order cause my boobs are by my wrists now). And now, egads, I see 2 collar bones with out trying. And when I lay on my side, there is a bone by my hips!!!!! I have a knee bone. too. Warning... you will get a sore tushie. I heard about this, but now I understand. If I sit for longer than 30 seconds, my butt hurts. There are bones back there too! Strengthen them there gluts. I sit on a sore tush all the time now. Where did my cushion go?????? Lubbins all.. ~Tina

I relate!! I have lost over 20 lbs, and can't tell anything has happened!!! People tell me my face has thinned,but it so soon I don't want to tae a pic yet. I want to wait at least 1 month out. ConGRATS on the weight loss!! God Bless! Tanya 349/358/329/185