mrsto

Yeah - I totally get the extreme stress and nerves! I had to take a Xanax the other night, just to neutralize myself

OMG - I'm having my band with plication on Monday, and I'm starting to freak a bit. I'm preparing myself for all of the gas issues that I keep hearing, but I'm concerned about nausea. I'll get through it; been through worse. But I'm starting to freak out about the port. Seems so many have issue with it. Geez....am I doing the right thing???? I just wish it was Monday already. I would love to take a pill so I can sleep through the entire weekend. I'm tired of thinking about this, and as excited as I am, I'm nervous about such a life change. But then again......the change is the whole point of this, right? Okay - I need to lay off the caffeine - LOL!

Aside from nervous and anxious, do you feel okay? If you are getting the flu.....something along those lines, you should tell your doctor. They will hold off on the surgery, but it's to protect YOU. If the fever is from nerves, a couple of Tylenol might help. I would call your doctor and let him/her know what's going on.

I'm so sorry you're feeling so nauseous. I know how horrible that is, but I'm sure it's temporary (from what I read from others on the site). The nausea is what scares me most about my upcoming surgery. It's my absolute WORST, and I would rather have pain than that. I picked up the prescriptions my doctor ordered; liquid Vicodin, Zofran (for nausea) and Pepcid-20mg/twice a day for 1 month. I know everyone is different, and I pray that the nausea slips by me. With the added plication, I'm not sure it will. But it will be what it will be, and then I'll be on my journey to a healthier me. Saxy - I hope your day improves as the hours pass. Hopefully this is a one day thing, and it will be up hill from here.

Congrats! I'm right behind ya!

Me too.... I have to be at the hospital at 9am on Monday; surgery at 11am. I have periods of complete calm, with anxious spurts of panic. I just want to be on the other side already. The best of luck to you!

Ditto!

This sounds great......I'm going to try it!

Bravo! You look and sound fantastic! Many of us go through the "honeymoon" phase with our initial weight loss. Like being on top of the world! I think it's important for us to never lose sight of the fact that we can weaken, and easily return to old habits. In the beginning it's exciting, and life feels SO good. Then life happens, and there are upheavals that can knock us off our foundation. As long as we know that we're never cured, we can remain well prepared for whatever each day brings. Doesn't mean that we'll always be perfect, but we'll (G-d willing) be able to get back on track & stay on our path. I'm thrilled to hear that you are off of insulin. Though I'm not diabetic (I'm pre-diabetic), I can only imagine how great it is to get rid of the ball & chain. Wonderful!!!

Good luck.... It sounds like it shouldn't be an issue.

All the statistics do show that there is less success with the band. My doctor told me that out of all his band patients, 30% will do great, 30% will fail completely, and the 40% in the middle will lose about 1/2 of their weight. He said that I would do well with the bypass, which I scheduled. Then 10 days prior I freaked out and cancelled it. The whole malabsorption thing is way beyond worrisome, and I felt that it was too extreme being that I'm looking to lose only 75-80 pounds. The potential risk factors with the staples leaking on the sleeve, made that not an option, either. Aside from the health risk, being self employed, I would lose my entire client base if I were in the hospital for weeks. ALL that being said, the band, even with it's own inherent issues, is the best choice for me. I'm pretty sure that I will add the plication, as I understand that it reduces many issues with the band. An added risk factor, but still the least invasive of all choices. As mentioned by many in this thread, weight can be gained back with ALL of these procedures. At least with the band, if you're going to allow that to happen, you haven't now lost 3/4 of your stomach, or rerouted your G-d given plumbing so you don't absorb nutrients as we're naturally supposed to do. With the band, it's 100% reversible, and that gives me peace of mind moving forward with it. To avoid all the issues with the other WLSs, if I have to replace the band after 7 years, so be it. It's a small price to pay, given what the other surgeries take away. We can be successful in whatever procedure we choose, if we keep our heads straight, and continue to move in the right direction.

Based on what your insurance policy states, it sounds like you fall into the criteria for surgery. Your doctor's office should have already called for approval, before they started doing all the pre-stuff. They should be able to advise you on this. My doctor's office called my insurance company BEFORE they setup all my appointments.

I can't imagine that having a piece of chicken or a potato instead of a shake would ruin the whole thing. Unless you're talking about fried chicken and french fries - LOL. Your doctor can best advise, but if I were a betting woman, I'd say that you are fine. I have to admit, I haven't been stellar on my pre-op diet. I was told to eat 1200 calories per day; high Protein, low fat, and all carbs to be whole grain. The last two days (which will be this Sat/Sun) I'm to be on full liquids only. I've really pushed the envelope with this, and though I've been pretty good, I have gone over 1200 on some days. When my doctor told me that he's not too concerned about the pre-op diet with me (because I'm on the lower end for WLS), I think it gave me the feeling that I don't have to be perfect. I'm not eating crap, just a bit more than the 1200 calorie allotment. Now that I'm back from a business trip, I'll probably try & stick to full liquids for the next 4 days, instead of the last 2 days. But I have lost a few pounds; can feel it in my jeans.

The best of luck!! Look forward to hearing from you on "the other side"

Tisha - congrats on your surgery yesterday! I'm sure that you're SO glad it's over, and you're now on your way. I look forward to feeling the same after this coming Monday. Yeah!! In response to your post about weird dreams, I had one last night. I suspect I'll have at least one more before my big day. In mine, I asked my surgeon to show me the implant, and he brought out hard plastic container; like three liters big! I said, how on earth are you going to put that inside of me, without me feeling it?! In my dream I kept thinking, well.....hundreds of people have it & they are fine. I was going to cancel the surgery......saw the anesthesiologist walk out of the ER, and I was afraid that I was losing my moment. I kept trying to imagine having this huge hard plastic jug inside, and what it would feel like trying to move, bend, etc. So weird..... Then my husband woke me up to say goodbye before leaving for work. I was SO glad it was just a dream. Talk about oy vey!

Rosie - SO GLAD to hear it!! I'm happy for you.... Next week at this time, I'll also be on the other side. Looking forward..... Please keep up with your posts & let us know how you're doing! Congrats!

No, you haven't hijacked the thread. I love hearing the support your husband gives. He CLEARLY adores you, and is grounded and secure enough in himself not feel threatened, or need to belittle you for your success. In a healthy marriage, that's the way it should be. You are very fortunate; something to be grateful for every single day

I love Big Bear! I live in Ventura County, and sometimes my husband and I take a vacation up there I was wondering if there was anyone on the site from SoCal. All the posts I've seen are from out of state.

When I go to the state specific forums, the postings are pretty old.

I think you're so right about some people getting drunk on the attention. It's like a hunger; a feeding of a part that was starving & had never been filled. When I lost close to 100 pounds several years ago, I dated like CRAZY. I was in my early 40s, but never came into my own until then. After time it got really old, and then I met my wonderful husband; supportive, kind, caring, strong character.....a man who loves "me", in spite of the weight I've gained over the 8 years we've been together. I'm one who can honestly say that my marriage won't end because of WLS. When you find your prince (or princess), the attention of others is only in your peripheral vision.

YES - stay on track and find the life that you deserve! But you have to believe that YOU deserve it. Clearly your husband does have issues, but that is a toxic environment in which to live, and you should not have to bare the brunt of his inadequacies.

Terry - really.....85% of WLS patients divorce?

After many years in and out of therapy, and an in-patient eating disorders program, I pretty much know what my issues are; who, what, when, where, why....all of it. I haven't been in therapy for many years now, but what I do know is that we are never cured of this problem. Understanding the reasons and identifying the triggers is very important, so we can try & find other ways to deal with "whatever", when we are feeling pulled toward food. The problem with food addiction over any other, is that we must eat to survive. We can never put it down & say that we'll never eat again. What we can do, is fill our arsenal with alternative activities, instead of eating. There are times when this is easier than others, and the desire to overeat, or eat for the wrong reasons, never really goes away. We just have to learn different behaviors to deal with it. I had always hoped that one day I would have this epiphany, and my compulsion for food would simply disappear. Therapy is a really good idea to help get in touch with what's really going on emotionally, but it doesn't take away the addiction; just provides better tools to deal with it.

YAY for you, Rosei! I can't wait for my day....right around the corner How long will you be in the hospital?

Lionbird - I feel ya! I'm having surgery on Monday, and I've also been through the tidal wave of feelings. And with the pre-op diet, it's beyond difficult not being able to eat to DEAL with these feelings! Lets face it......food has been our best friend; our confidant....our "go to" source of comfort when we're down, sad/depressed, happy.....all feelings are dealt with by eating. Our love of food goes deeper than just it tasting good. And there will be (already is) a grieving for the loss. When I start to freak out about "what am I going to do when I want to absolutely shove it in with both hands", I think about all of the other things I will be able to do. Number one being....feeling comfortable in my own skin. As much as I know that nothing can possibly taste as good as that will feel, there will still be that empty void that I will have to find another way to fill. My plan for this is to get outside and walk, hike...just about anything physical to get me out of myself. And I will lean on the support groups at my doctor's office, etc. Speaking of pre-op diets... My doctor's isn't quite as stringent as some that I read here. It's two weeks on 1200 calories; very low fat. The last two days are full liquids. Yesterday I had to fly up to see a client (I'm typing from my hotel), which is something I never do. I was already thinking about wine on the plane, going to some great restaurants, bakeries.....everything with this getaway, I was thinking about eating venues. Then I was like....oh sh-t, this isn't going to be any fun, I can't EAT! How sad is that?! Anyway, the plane was delayed, I got lost from the airport to the hotel, and by the time I got to my room it was 8:30pm. Hadn't eaten since 11am, and ordered room service. Ate ALL the chicken, potatoes, and even some bread. I guess I had some restraint, because I didn't eat ALL of the bread. I'll try & redeem myself today. I did pack some ready made Protein drinks, and I'll just have to make sure that I don't get so ravenous that I can't control myself. Lionbird, please let us know how you're doing after your surgery. There are a whole lot of people on this sight who completely understand what you're going through. We didn't wake up one day like this. It's been a life progression, but the great news is that we're all doing something about it. I wish you ALL the best on Thursday.