If I knew then what I know now........
This is more for all the folks who have had the surgery...
What is the biggest thing that you know now (about the surgery or about the lifestyle changes), that looking back, you wish you knew before?
I'm getting my referral for the surgery tomorrow (finally) and am learning as much as I can about this.
Like I said, I don't regret it. I have had no complications from RNY. I may have chosen RNY anyway, but I feel like I dismissed the sleeve too quickly. I was more familiar with RNY and the history of the surgery.
Like I said, I don't regret it. I have had no complications from RNY. I may have chosen RNY anyway, but I feel like I dismissed the sleeve too quickly. I was more familiar with RNY and the history of the surgery.
Just wanted to say YAY on reaching your goal!! That is freaking A W E S O M E!!!
HW333--SW 289--GW of 160 5' 11" woman. I only know the way I know & when you ask for input/advice, you'll get the way I've been successful through my surgeon & nutritionist. Please consult your surgeon & nutritionist for how to do it their way. Biggest regret? Not doing this 10 years ago! Every day is better than the day before...and it was a pretty great day!
It has changed for me over the past 6 months (I am 6 months today!!) and for my husband over the past 13 months.
Initially, I think I wish I had understood more about stalls.
At one point, I wish I had better vitamin advice (love my nutritionist and she gets it right 99% of the time, but she is WAY off with the vitamin requirements)
Understanding about the correlation between gall and kidney stones and post-op life was something I would have preferred to know up front, I found out about it here and made SURE I was drinking at least 80oz a day by 6 weeks out without fail and I got a prescription for Actigall (I think I am spelling it right) to help with preventing gallbladder issues. That ends in a few weeks and knock wood, I am gall stone free!
Certain things, I've been able to work out on my own, much to my husbands amazement. I bought two outfits in July for our cruise in Sept. I bought them in a smaller size and he asked what I was going to do if they did not fit, because the return policy at that store would have been past the allowable date and I had mapped out where I thought I'd be and sure enough, wore both (fitted!) outfits without an issue on the cruise. I have now passed them both on because I have shrunk out of them...but was very glad to have them for that trip! I know for many others in support group, that has not been the case. Either they have changed body shape (I have always had an hourglass figure, it just used to be a 36 hour day) :) and others found they had a very different shape when the fat was gone. Some have lost in one part more quickly than another. But for me, I have lost top to bottom evenly...thankful for that, I can tell you!
My husband was surprised how much things changed for him from the waist down. If you have a pad of fat on your pubic bone, you might find you grown significantly there and you'll want to work things out slowly with your partner because it is quite the adjustment. He also had to start buying MUCH smaller underwear pretty quickly as it appears the butt monster came one night and just took his entire hiney away. The man is flat as a pancake back there now! Speaking of which...it is painful to sit for long periods. so having a cushion even in places where the seats are cushioned, like the movie theater, is a must.
That is all I can think of, now...but I do encourage you to keep a journal and go back and see all you've learned over the first year once you do have surgery. It is really great to look back even just my first 6 months and discover all the changes I have made because they don't seem like it now...it is just part of my life. Which tells me I am making changes FOR life.
Best of luck to you!
HW333--SW 289--GW of 160 5' 11" woman. I only know the way I know & when you ask for input/advice, you'll get the way I've been successful through my surgeon & nutritionist. Please consult your surgeon & nutritionist for how to do it their way. Biggest regret? Not doing this 10 years ago! Every day is better than the day before...and it was a pretty great day!
Nothing I wish I knew would of made a difference I would do the surgery again tomorrow and twice on Tuesday if I'm honest. However I wish I knew my joints would ache more days than not, I could of bought a better bed for my poor hips sooner. I wish I would have known how some of my friends would ignore me, I would of cut them out of my life sooner instead of wondering how I could keep a friendship (which obviously was not a friendship). I wish I would have taken more time off after surgery instead of going back to work at 7 days. Otherwise I was well informed by reading posts here and expected everything that came
5' 3" - HW: 244 SW:234 GW:120 LW: 107 CW:110 Made goal 3/16/13!
on 11/11/13 3:52 am
Nothing I wish I knew would of made a difference I would do the surgery again tomorrow and twice on Tuesday if I'm honest. However I wish I knew my joints would ache more days than not, I could of bought a better bed for my poor hips sooner. I wish I would have known how some of my friends would ignore me, I would of cut them out of my life sooner instead of wondering how I could keep a friendship (which obviously was not a friendship). I wish I would have taken more time off after surgery instead of going back to work at 7 days. Otherwise I was well informed by reading posts here and expected everything that came
WOW, Mrs. Litch! Where can I find your story? I want to be just like you! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
I was thinking about this just recently.....
Things to relearn:
About bowel movements.
Nutrition: We are all very anxious about it to begin with but a couple of years out I am finding that I don't think about it as much as I should. I sometimes forget what I need to take. I think about when I get older and that I am going to have to be more disciplined. And frankly it is a pain to have to keep on top of it.
If you are diabetic now, it may come back as bad as it was before. It is easy to forget about it.
The skinny butt pain was bad for several months but it is getting better or else I am used to it. It hurts mainly when I stand up.
The hair loss is probably my greatest gripe. It varies for everyone so you may not have issues.
The pros of the surgery are enormous. MOre energy, I feel so much younger, i'm enjoying a new (actually old) image, and friends are amazed at the change. That is fun! DH's old fraternity brothers are looking! lol Daily life is better and easier to do the routine chores. My cardiologist said that I have added years to my life. Plus I had the benefits of all the medical exams that I probably would not have gotten.
There are additional things that I enjoy but just getting up in the morning is a joy and seeing my old self back in the mirror is worth it. I feel good about the way I look whether I go out with friends or stay in my own home. My family is happy for me.
- That it is possible to be relatively thin but be more sick now that before RNY.
- I was not on any meds before - now I am on a few..
- That I can't use NSAIDs
- That complication happens and there are short term and long term.. I was ok with short term ,. the long term are a bummer
- That losing weight will not fix most of my issue and my even create new ones,.
- I no longer can stuff my face with food - so I need to find new ways to deal with stress, work, people - and alcohol is not an answer.. no are drugs..
Hala. RNY 5/14/2008; Happy At Goal =HAG
"I can eat or do anything I want to - as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences"
"Failure is not falling down, It is not getting up once you fell... So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."
I wish I would have realized how much steak would have given me a problem post-op, because I would have had a really nice prime rib dinner (the works!) before surgery.
HW: 274 | SW: 232 | CW: 137 | Goal: 145 (ticker includes a 42 pound loss pre-op) | Height: 5'4"
M1: -24 (205) | M2: -14 (191) | M3: -11 (180) | M4: -7 (173) | M5: -7 (166) | M6: -8 (158) | M7: -11 (147) | M8: -2 (145) | M9: -3 (142) | M10: -2 (140) | M11: -4 (136) | M12: -2 (134) | M13: -0 (134) | M14: -3 (131) | M15: +4 (135) | M16: +2 (137)
