NurseInNeed
I'm 56, obese and very unhappy. I left an abusive marriage in '94, tried to make it work for 23 yrs. I looked into wt loss surgery Spring of '07 but cancelled my first appt 3x....fear, anxiety, you name it kept me from keeping my appts. Then Spring of '08 I did alot of research on wls. I found this site and asked alot of questions and started a big folder on info, recipes, etc. My first appt was April 1 and I went. The surgeon told me alot of facts that scared me but I was determined so I proceeded. I have bcbs insurance which required 6 months of nutritionist visits, psych eval. The surgeon said I didn't need to lose any wt before surgery but not to gain One Pound so I adopted the post-op food plan...in larger portions. I lost 40# between April and December. I'm the type of person that cannot change quickly so I eased myself into it and it payed off with wt loss. One of the few choices in my life that was good.
I wasn't scheduled for surgery till 12/10/08 and once I got scheduled the time flew by. I didn't tell many people about this...I wasn't ready. I've been ashamed of myself for soooo long that I just couldn't tell but a few.
Had my surgery on the 10th, my sis came to be with me later that day...(a snow storm kept her away till then). The first 2 days in the hospital were pretty rough for me...nausea that kept me from walking and drinking. They tried many meds on me and finally on the 3rd day I felt better. I went thru the "what did I do to myself" talk. In fact last wk I began to have a panic attack in the movie theater thinking that I would never be able to eat how I used to again...I talked myself out of it before it got too bad. It will be 3 wks tomorrow and I return to work this Sat. I still feel somewhat weak when out too long shopping or whatever. I wish I had another wk to be home. I've been on pureed food since discharge from the hospital and will see my "team" next wk for post-op followup. At that point I should be progressed in my diet. My sis stayed with me for the first nite home then she had to leave cuz of another snow storm coming. I've been following my doc's orders to the letter. I have one little piece of steri strip left on my abdomen otherwise it looks like I'm healing fine. I've lost about 15# the first 2 wks, and only weigh myself once a week. I journal each day to keep track of my intake and exercise. I still need to start an exercise program..will join a gym soon. I can feel my clothes getting looser which is a great feeling. My son is home for Christmas and says I look much thinner than this Spring and last Christmas...he has been very supportive which I appreciate alot. I told my daughters about my surgery once I was discharged...didn't want to argue with them beforehand. I'm very glad I had the surgery. I'm still working on getting my new lifestyle into my day...I'm determined so it'll work.
