butterfyeffect

My doc said two weeks of just Protein shakes and Clear Liquids prior to surgery. They said the point of this is to shrink your liver by decreasing glycogen stores, so yes, I'd say it's not a bad idea to follow the original doctor's plan. The smaller your liver is, the less time your surgery will take, and the less chance of complications while you are on the table.

Wow! Amazing progress!

I am in the medical field, so I can tell you that no surgeon, no doctor, no other medical practitioner will ever over-promise anything. If he tells you that you can get to 165 and you don't, he doesn't want to be blamed for it. But that in no way should discourage you. You decide how successful you are, not your surgeon!

I'm in the same boat with not wanting to tell my dad, and with not being what people would look at as morbidly obese, although I did hit the 40 BMI at my first appt. with my surgeon. But I look at pictures of myself 10 years ago, and I've gained 50 pounds in those 10 years... so why wait another 10 years, until I really am pushing 300 pounds to have the surgery?? I've only told a select few people, that's how I'm dealing with it. If anyone asks me after surgery how I'm losing weight, I will tell the partial truth, that I have finally perfected portion control! If it's someone who I know has struggled similarly with their weight, I may tell them the whole truth, but it will be on a "need to know" basis.

My doc told me to plan on 2 and a half days. So day of surgery, plus two overnights, then discharged the third morning.

Having been overweight all my life, becoming obese just sort of crept up on me, so it took multiple little things happening over the course of several years in order for me to finally come to the decision that it's time to make a permanent change. -My older sister being diagnosed as diabetic, and me realizing I'm not that far behind her. -My mom having gastric bypass surgery four years ago, and now weighing almost 80 pounds less than me (!) -Having the work clothes I bought 6 months ago getting too tight already. -Not wanting to have my picture taken anymore -Having trouble getting the seatbelt buckled on planes. -Going for a hike that used to be fun, only to huff and puff the whole way through it. -Shopping at a favorite store and realizing the only clothes I can hope to fit in are the largest size they carry. -Trying diet after diet, only to end up defeated a few months later, then gaining it all back, plus a few pounds. There have been hundreds of little moments like this over the course of the past two hears. I am planning my surgery for less than three months from now. I wish it could be tomorrow!

I am self-pay. My surgeon's office said I can schedule it whenever I want, but I'm about to start a 13-week work contract. My tentative plan is to finish that on May 4th, have the surgery the next week, and tell them I can't start another contract until June. So I will be an early-summer sleever!

This is something I have thinking about quite a bit lately, as I plan to get the sleeve in May. So far only my (very supportive) husband, and my mother (who had RNY 4 yrs ago) know. As far as telling others, I think I will decide on a case by case basis. As someone else pointed out, those who have not been overweight all of their lives cannot understand what it is like to try diet after diet, to exercise and count points, calories, carbs over and over again, only to fail, and usually end up a few pounds heavier in the process. So I think that if people ask how I'm losing so much weight (assuming I do LOL) I will simply reply portion control, and exercise. If someone who I know has had a similar struggle with their weight asks me, I may divulge the information, but for friends who have always eaten what they want with no consequences, I think it's none of their business. Another thing I am struggling with is what to tell my job(s). I am an ER nurse, and my surgeon told me no lifting more than 10 pounds for at least a month post-op. Now, generally I don't lift an awful lot at work but my job description says I need to be able to lift 50 pounds... do I tell them I had surgery, and need light duty? Or do I just take the month off for personal reasons?