Patience

Sooooo.....I'm sure I'm not the only one who is suffering with lack of patience...I just sent my referral out and I'm going crazy ....lol......I'm like a 6 year old.....
So what did you all do to ease the wait times? 
I'm just crazy excited to change my life. I've got books i'm reading and a journal i'm writing in.......but lets here some ideas :)

Cheers!

I personally tried to put it outta my mind and I focused on school and work. I did some hobbies and I blogged about my experience.

journalling, blogging, writing, learning about teh process, hanging around the OH forum like a fiend. lol

I've found it very important to use the time to make the necessary changes to my relationship with food and exercise.

I journal focusing on my self-talk as per cognitive behaviour therapy techniques, I food journal to track my fat and calories, and I have added in as much activity as I can.  Currently I swim one hour a day seven days a week.  Excercise, in my opinion, is the key to keeping the weight off permanently, in combination with following the diet rules of the surgery.  I'm also trying to get into the best shape I can pre-surgery to ensure a quicker recovery.

It takes a great deal of time and effort to get into the appopriate head space to really make use of the tool of surgery and change bad habits that have taken a lifetime to create.  There are many times during the wait that I've wished it was shorter but deep down I know that even six months ago I wouldn't be as successful as I will be when my time comes.

Use this waiting time to do your research - that is the best thing you can do to ensure that you will be successful once you've had your surgery. If your doctor has just sent in your referral, you are probably facing quite a long wait as this is not a fast process. Just go about your regular routine as much as possible - if you think about this all the time, you'll drive yourself crazy with the wait times.

Read as much as you can on here & on other websites and learn about the lifestyle changes you'll need to make after surgery. You can start making changes right now so that by the time surgery comes, you will find it a smooth transition.  Patience will be the real key to getting through this adventure. Good luck to you!

Deb

I totally hear you, I just had my referral sent in and it's at TWH now. But I figure if we had patience (patients) we would be the doctors. lol

Where will you be going?

I am on here like a fiend like Monica was, lol But I'm trying to find a place in my head to continue with my life and not hold my breath, it won't make things move faster. I am also making the changes that I will need to have for afterward. If you are a smoker try to stop smoking now because they will make you stop it at least 6 months before they will do surgery. I'm so happy I don't have that vice.

Hang in there, we are in the same boat as many others on here are. So happy to have this place to get support and hear people going thru the same process.

Take care.

For me, the trip started the moment I decided I was going to have the surgery (which was a few months after referral). I started reading, both the understand your surgery stuff and the h0ow to get your head in the game stuff. I started to challenge my portion sizes. I started to make myself put down the fork between bites. I started challenging my ideas around exercise and what I could do and couldn't do. I found a therapist and started a fruitful relationship that would take me through surgery and equip me for the best success. I started mindfulness meditation, and doing inquiries with my body when having emotional eating.

Before the surgery I'd taken off sixty pounds.

Best!

Waiting... and waiting some more.. totally sucks.  What I had the most trouble with was the "unknown" - when was the appointment? When do I see the suggeon again?  What's my (approximate) date please?  I felt like I was in limbo, not able to plan ahead, which drove me a little nutty. lol

I think that is mor my problem too! I have not knowing. If I had all my dates scheduled or at least one at a time, i wouldn't care how long it was because there would be always something to look forward too...
I know it won't be so bad once the apts start going, it's wondering when they are going to contact me for my orientation.

Yes, same here.  I'm a planner by nature, like to have life organized.  The "not knowing" (both for home and work purposes) was seriously making me nuts.  I felt like I couldn't plan anything or make any comittments.  Very unsettling!  Hang in there!