Newbies...Crawl and Walk before you Run

I have seen a lot of posts lately that I find kind of troubling.  It seems like we have a lot of newbies who are doing a few things:

1.  Jumping right into a maintenance mind set before graduating to mushies

2.  Ready to start talking about revisions before the surgical adhesive from their sleeve incision has flaked off

3.  Trying to perfectly understand every little detail before even having a consultation

I truly applaud enthusiasm and would never want to dampen that.  I wholeheartedly believe that education is at the heart of every successful WLS patient - education about our shared disease, education about our bodies, and education about ourselves.  Bravo for going after that aggressively and enthusiastically.

Keep in mind that this is a journey of self discovery as much as anything.  Don't push yourself too hard. You really need to take the time to learn at each step of the game.  In a lot of ways you are like an infant post op.  In the same way that you have to introduce foods to an infant slowly and methodically to make sure they are tolerated and palatable, you have to do the same thing with yourself.

I'll go even further - this same concept applies to all aspects of your aftercare - Diet, Exercise, Mental.  You don't want to leave the hospital and start training for a marathon.  Your body needs time to heal.  So does your mind.

Don't create stress where none needs to be.  Stress is a killer in sooo many ways.  Read the boards, absorb and learn as much as you can but don't put the cart before the horse.  Focus on learning your new body, learning your new lifestyle habits, participating in groups and learning what comes next.  

You will not be perfect coming out of the gate.  No one is or was no matter how successful they are.  The only failure is the failure to learn from your mistakes.

I truly appreciate your post. I am having surgery on the 18th of this month and I am trying to learn as much as possible before hand. Thank you again.

 I always enjoy reading your posts!  I am 3 mos out and let stress get the best of me for the last week with a teenager moving back in and loads of other stuff!  I sat myself down last night and gave myself a good talking to and today I am back on track and dealing with stress in other, healthier ways!  Good luck to all of the even "newer newbies" than me!

Well Said! Thanks for sharing this!!!

I am getting released now. Thank you for your words.

Thank you!  I get overwhelmed sometimes when I start to try to plan the next year and a half.  In fact I just told myself the other day that I need to just focus on the very first stage and figure it out from there on.  It's nice to know what to expect but I've been trying to be too detailed.  I definitely appreciate your advice and wonderful posts!

Nickie

Excellent advice as always, Rob!

Hi Rob,

We were sleeved about the same time and I wholeheartedly agree. It is so important to read, listen, pay attention, but most of all find our own way with our doctor's help. Each week or month that goes by is a little different than the one before and it's also different for each person. Take things slowly, knowing that you are on your particular plan, and good things will happen. This is a great place to come for help or advice, but think things through for yourself in the end.

One day, one step, at a time.

Judy

I've spent the last year reading this forum in the hopes of medicare finally oking the sleeve and yeah they did. I don't believe I've asked any questions because I first used the search box if I had a question and secondly anything else was already being asked here. So I think it pays to read more, ask less, especially the more common questions that drive the vets nuts! I know after 4 years of being banded and being on that forum that there are days a person wants to rip their hair out if they have to answer one more silly question. Yes questions are important but use the past posts to answer most of the more common questions. Happy sleeving!

Thanks, as always, for your helpful insight and wisdom!  I'm only about 2 1/2 months out and still learning and plugging away.  Stress has been a challenge since I've been back at work and I haven't had as much time to check in here or keep reading to keep myself on track.  Fortunately I haven't fallen off the wagon and am still making good progress, but I'm still at the early stages and need to keep this process as one of my top priorities.  I want this to be successful long term and don't want to lose sight of that goal.  Thanks again!