vincereautmori

I respect your opinion, buy I have to disagree, I think patients are pretty well informed on what to expect of WLS, between insurance requirements and bariatric centers of excellence, they want you to have all the infromation to make this serious committment to alter your body. I think the failure rate comes from the complexities of human lives from stress, genetics, mood, lack of support, failure of the patient to identify their root problem, crazy schedules, focus on ourselves, probably many more I can't think of. That's why WLS isn't 100% effective, nor any other weight loss technique. They are all chained to the same equation of calories in and calories out, how each one helps us is what makes it work for you.

I was sleeved this past Tuesday, I'm 61, and only a few years from retirement and I don't want to be semi invalid when I get there. I've been heavy most of my life, and I carried the weight OK, so I paid no immediate price for it. But, obesity works it's damage slowly and the past couple of years my knees and back have been giving me more problems, this past year I was almost unable to walk from hip pain and was diagnosed with moderate arthritus of the hip. I asked the orthopedic doctor, what do we do? He said, it's too late the damage is done, getting some weight off it will hold off replacement surgery for a while. That's when it really clicked, I'm crushing my joints and I've been damaging my body for years. So this is it, I had to do something drastic, hopefully I'll buy myself some healthy time in the years I have left.

I would ask my surgeon about it, I take it you are female? I couldn't go much the next day and they found my prostate had swollen, they didn't want my kidneys to back up so I had the pleasure of getting a catheter. But they did say they want to see that there is Water in and water out before I left the hospital. So maybe put in a call? You don't need kidney stones or bladder infections while you're trying to heal.

One thing I hated about the shakes was the sweetness, all were too sweet, so I got unflavored protein and flavor it with extracts like vanilla, coconut, rum flavoring. Give it a try, it helped me.

I was sleeved the 19th, same for me, first time going under. So, the anesthesiologist said, are you ready? I said "let's go", the next thing I remember is coming to and thinking, "I've got to get up for surgery today, hey wait a minute who are these people around me, holy cow is it over?" That was it, you'll do fine. Good Luck.

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare. It is because we do not dare that they are difficult. ~ Seneca ~

Kenny Chesney and brisket on the Jumbotron! That's hilarious. I'm on deck for Tuesday the 19th, so I'll join you guys in a few days. But thanks for the smile and good luck to you orlando.

Tuesday the 19th, almost there!

We can't do anything about the past, but we are doing something for our future. Great optimism in that.

I know what you mean, I'm in the same age bracket and I'm losing on the pre-op diet, so maybe wait? But, I've been here before, I've lost count of the times I started a diet with a bang, and 8- 10 months later I'd be back to where I started. So I'm looking at this like I don't have that many years left to play with, so let's fix this problem once and for all so I can enjoy the rest of my life whether it's 5 years, 15 years, 20 years, or more (hopefully). And, don't forget, those co-morbidities don't go away and stay away unless you can keep the weight off. Does that help?

I don't know if it's an obsession, but the surgery definitely consumes my thoughts. A characteristic of a lot of obese freinds and family, is that they tend to be selfless, always thinking of helping others. For me, family, friends and work comes before my needs, not that I don't do things for myself but I tend to put other things above me in priorities. For once I'm making myself the number one priority, I can't help everyone with everything right now, work is not my number one priority, my health and my focus are my priority. Is that an obsession? Am I unusual, or do some of you feel the same?

Wow! That's low, no wonder your starving, you are literally starvng. I'm sure you've done your homework and every surgeon has a little different approach prior to surgery. Good luck to you on your journey to better health.

How many calories are you getting? If they're too low you might want to talk to your doctor. My surgeon's pre-op diet allows us to combine shakes and real food, but real low fat, about 1000 calories a day but I'm actually only reaching about 800. I've become very sensitive to how long those calories last which is about 3-4 hours then I start feeling "strange". Definitely makes me aware of the difference between real hunger and head hunger, my body reacts to the real thing. I don't think I was aware of that before. I actually prepared for the worst, but feeling good.

Sounds like you're getting great support, same date for me and I'm doing the same, final preparations. I think it's great you're dealing with it at a young age, good for you and you won't regret it. Good luck and see you on the other side.

I hear you Troy, I'm going in on the 19th and so far I've lost over 10 lbs., so why go under the knife? But I've been here before, everytime I've tried to lose weight, I've been successful, how about you? It's not about losing the weight, it's about keeping it off, hopefully the sleeve will give us a tool to use to help us through our weaknesses. Best of luck, you will do it this time.

Same here leenie, I'd been researching WLS for about a year and at the same time nursing a bad hip and knees. My orthopedic doctor diagnosed it as moderate to severe arthritis, then I asked what I could do about it, he said, too late the damage is done. That's when it really hit me that my weight was really doing damage to my body, first one hip, how long until the other one, how long before I'm moving around in a scooter or a walker? I was crushing my joints, I'm on meds to control BP, cholesterol, and sugar, pretty obvious where this is going. So, after years of futile attempts to lose and keep it off, I decided to reclaim my health. August 19th for me, already 4 days into pre-op and actually, its not too bad. Good luck, and cheers to a healthier life.

So, my surgery is on Aug. 19, so I start my 2 week pre op diet tomorrow and my wife asks me what I want as my last meal before I make a change for the rest of my life. What do I decide? A big heaping bowl of spaghetti and sausage. It's comfort food, it looks so good in a big pile, it tastes good, it reminds me of family meals together, it's cheap to make. It kind of represents how I've eaten for too many years, big helpings of tried and true, high carb, high fat foods. Tomorrow that changes. What was your last supper?

Same for me, in a year I hope I can enjoy food for it's flavor and quality and not the quantity. Best of luck to you.

Not sad at all! It kind of says food really isn't that important to you, remember that when the going gets tough. I'm into day 2, really not too bad. Good Luck.

To KenJames Man, I wish I had gone with the mac&cheese. Good Luck Ken!

Just a few thoughts. I've never skydived before, I'm too big anyway, just the thought of leaping out of a plane at thousands of feet terrifies me. But the emotional sensation has to be something like what we're experiencing going into surgery. Just like the skydiver, once we take this leap, there's no turning back, so we either do it right or, it's going to be a bad scene. I began this process about a year ago, today my surgery date was confirmed for three weeks from now, and I start the two week pre op diet next week. I know life is going to be different, and I'm prepared for that, but the fear of something going wrong, or finding out a few years from now that this was a bad decision pervade my thoughts. But like the skydiver, if we conquer our fear and land on our feet, then we did it, we did something extraordinary that we thought we could never do. Who knows, if I can conquer my weight challenge, I might even tackle my fear of heights. The sky's the limit (pun intended).

So, you are eating why? Is it emotional? If it is, the surgery isn't going to help, you have to do that part yourself, the surgery will only help control your portion size. You can do it, see yourself a year from now, think of the fun stuff you'll be able to do. But you have to do it for yourself, not an insurance company or rules made by someone else, that's temporary. Do it for you.

What I find is, most of these people who tell you it's just calories in and calories out, never really struggled with their weight. If they gain 5lbs., it's traumatic and that's their struggle with weight. I have a brother in law I'm not telling until the last moment, he's the most narcisistic person I know. Even if I had a body of Adonis, he would still find the need to express his own vanity. In the end, it's my health not his, if my life improves because I finally faced my weaknesses and made a tough decision, then I reap the rewards and a greater wisdom.

I hear you Bobby, I've thought alot about what I'm going to do after a bad day, how I'm going to handle long boring winter days, how different I will feel at family gatherings? The answer keeps coming back the same, I don't know. The emotional eating is the tough part that surgery can't fix, and unfortunately that's our responsibility. I'm hoping the sleeve will handle the appetite and control portions so that I can focus on controlling the head hunger. From what I've read on this site and people I've talked to, things feel pretty natural at around a year post op.

I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way, but why are you going though the surgery? To get into the game? Improve health problems? To feel "normal"? It's notlike we're getting rid of a family heirloom, it's something holding us back from living the way we want to or wish to. Think positive, stay the course, good luck.