Hello- Seeking wisdom of post op people .

...oh yes, I forgot to mention that I don't eat sugar. Of course all of the above is "just me" other people approach their eating that fits their lifestyle and needs. The more that you educate yourself about the process, the better. Good Luck.

Christine, any surgery is scary, but this is one where the benefits far
outweigh the risks for most. Your risk of dying from obesity and the
accompanying co-morbidities may be easily as high as the risk of
death from the surgery...depends on your health presently, but over
time obesity takes its toll.  I think others have answered the "mush"
question for you. I'm 10 months out and I can eat anything...I just choose
not to eat some things that aren't healthy or that don't feel great in
my pouch. I eat salads and meat and eggs and (yes) pizza and
I have had small, small pieces of pie and well.......everything.
I don't dump easily on sugar, but I don't pu**** very far either.
I don't eat pasta, white bread or white potatoes ever by choice.
Pizza is an occasional treat I allow myself and I can eat a
slice (usually only eat half or less of the crust and pick off
the toppings on the rest). That leaves me happy, satisfied
and full.  I'm really happy with my results. My diabetes,
hypertension and hypercholesterolemia are gone. I went
from a handful of prescription drugs to none (other than
thyroid medication for a sluggish thyroid-but then this surgery
won't fix that). In 10 months I've lost 85 pounds and I'm in size 10-12's
and shopping in any clothing store and buying off the rack. I feel like
I'm 30 and can do anything I decide to do and have energy to work hard
for 12-14 hours (and I'm well over 50).  I don't miss any foods at all and I
don't miss being able to eat a truckload of food. My surgery was a breeze,
although I recognize that's not the case for some people. I have a very
high pain tolerance and I'm convinced I don't register pain like some
people, so for me it was little more than an annoyance for a week.
Good luck!

I suggest you head over to the MN board and find out when/where support groups and coffees are happening (usually Saturday mornings).  There are a few in the Twin Cities area and I am sure you will find tons of support and wisdom there, too!  

Christine,

Thanks for your question and the great responses. I am scheduled for my surgery Nov 30th and have the same concerns you have. I was thinking about chickening out but seeing the responses you got I now feel more confident.

 Hi there, 

I was so glad to see your message. I have been very nervous about this surgery. I was also thinking of backing out. I had thoughts racing through my head. What if I can't handle the strict food limitations? What if I die? Truth is ? I'm kind of a nervous sort of person anyway. I tend to worry =)
Your message helped me the most. It made me feel good to know that someone else had doubts.

We will both have the surgery and we will be just fine =)

Thanks so much.

Christine

Thanks so much for everyones response to this, all of you comments have also helped ease my mind as a pre-op.

This has given me great insight on the surgery and how people respond to someone new here. I feel fortunate to have found this group. It will be a great source of inspiration. I knew I shouldn't have used the word "mush". I suspected that I would get a bit of criticism over the poor use of the word. I have read two books. "The skinny on weight loss surgery" and "Bariatric surgery for dummies" both incredible and fulfilling reads. I am going to go through this because I need to.

Thanks again, everyone.

Christine

 I too had concerns about dying. I am on blood thinners for blood clots. I get them easily after surgery. I found out I have a protein s deficiency.  I was scared to have the surgery done, but if i didnt I would have to live this way the rest of my life.  2 days after being home I was off the diabetes meds. I'll have to stay on the blood thinners for life, but I am already so much healthier than I was.  I am almost 7 weeks out.  The dr release me to eat reg food, but I am not going to choose carbs as they are my weakness also.  The only carbs I have come from the beans or oatmeal or protein drinks.   If i feel the need to eat something that my hubby is having i take a bite and chew it up and then spit it out.  I havent done that for a couple weeks now.  The first 3 weeks were hard- I was only allowed protein shakes, but after that it is soo much easier. just dont dwell on the fact that all you can have is shakes. it will soon be over and you can move on.  I did have some pureed foods during that stage as I couldnt take all the sweet shakes.   I am so glad that I had the rny and my husband may be getting it done too. :)

 Thank you for your message. It helps me so much to know that other people share the same fears. I guess we all just need to know we aren't alone. You look great and congrats on your surgery.

Continued success on your journey. 

Christine

Hi Christine,

I know you've gotten a lot of responses , but I thought I'd add my 2 cents worth too. 

There are stages to go through after the surgery. Clear fluids, Fluids, Pureed (or Mushy, which you weren't off base calling them) and then on to solids in stages.

It takes time to learn what you can tolerate, but this seems to get better as time goes on. For example. 3 months out burger went down, and sat in my stomach like concrete chunks. Now I can handle it like I did pre-op. In fact I can't think of anything that I can't have. I do make different choices now, because my relationship with food has changed. I found that refined carbs are like crack cocaine to me, so I most often avoid potatoes, rice, bread, crackers, and etc. I'm happy with my choices, and feel okay with these being life changes.

I started out with a BMI of 62.5, I have a brain condition, and sleep apnea in which my oxygen levels drop to 52. I was so out of breath just walking a short distance, and my knees and feet were killing me. The doctors took all these conditions into consideration, and I was tested and retested to make sure I was going to have the best chance possible during surgery. They gave me shots, I wore special stockings, and had these inflatable tubes wrapped around my legs to reduce the risk of blood clots( I've read several other people on this forum have had this done as well). The anesthesiologist spent a lot of time talking to me to make sure they understood my complete history. I felt really safe in the hands of these professionals, and knew that I had a better chance of living a longer and healthier life than if I chose not to do it.

Am I happy with my choice? YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel great! I can go up 3 flights of stairs several times a day instead of using the elevator. Almost every day someone is taking pictures at work, and I don't hate being in them anymore.  I love to zip around because it's fun to walk now. Clothes are looking good on me, and I can buy them in the regular store. I get a lot of compliments, and who doesn't like being admired?? :)  

It takes some time and patience, so be kind to yourself while you're healing, and you'll get there. Life does get back to normal. Some of the things I had last week were, Cheese Omelet, Bacon, Wendy's Chili, Lasagna, Prime Rib, Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia, Cheese Enchiladas, Watermelon, Cucumbers, Salad, a Greek yogurt recipe from this site that tastes just like cheesecake, peanuts and jerky. As you can see, I'm eating pretty well. Oh and although the portions are small, when you're the WLS person eating them, they're a lot,  because you feel full with less.

On the downside I have had G-A-S....LOTS and LOTS of GAS! So much that I'm waiting for OPEC to ask me to sign a contract. I also have a new enemy called "Constipation". Poet Kelly is wise and wonderful, and introduced me to the miracle if Miralax, so I have the Constipation under control and will start taking GasX soon for the other.

My least favorie thing since WLS... chewing, chewing, chewing, but I can deal with it.

I Wish You Well!
Kat