deletedsally

What helped me most with the pre-surgery anxiety was to talk to myself like this: "Did you research this surgery carefully? Yes. What is the quality of your life before/without this surgery? Lousy. Is there any procedure or weightloss method that you have discovered that is more likely to give you permanent weight loss with fewer risks? No. Do you think this is the healthiest and wisest choice you can make for yourself? Yes. OK...then refuse to worry about the risks anymore. There are always risks in life. Driving to the grocery store is taking a risk. You are gambling--but you are gambling with everything on your side. The deck is heavily stacked in your favor--and what you stand to win is your life.

Sorry you aren't feeling well. I wonder if your blood pressure could be dropping too low?

I think I understand what you are going through. Tomorrow it will be 2 weeks since I had my surgery. I was excited about the possibility of having a better quality of life--but I was terrified that something would go wrong and that I would seriously regret having the surgery. I'm not far enough out from surgery to tell you "I love my sleeve." I'm still on a full liquid diet and can't eat much of anything--but I'm on track for where I need to be in the healing process, and I'm trusting that my ability to tolerate normal foods will come with time and that my stomach capacity will increase over time as well. For now, I'm not especially hungry and I've lost 24 pounds in 3 weeks. (9 before the surgery and 15 in the last 2 weeks. I'm already off my blood pressure medication and I was able to walk 1/2 mile with my family tonight. Just to be able to walk around a lake with my grandchildren peddling their bicycles was wonderful! (Before the surgery, I had so much pain in my feet and shortness of breath that I could barely walk to my own mail box.) I believe that I made a choice to live a better life and to live a longer life, and so far I have no regrets. I have lost weight and regained it so many times...I think one thing that can help us leave that lousy dieting past behind is that we are having the part of the stomach that produces those self-sabotaging hunger hormones removed. Along with having smaller stomachs, I believe that will help us win this battle!

I just read your story. I had my surgery on 3/30/10 and had a very similar experience. I kept telling the nurse my chest hurt and I felt like I couldn't breathe. She kept telling me that my O2 level was fine. I remember telling them that I felt like I was having a heart attack and that there was crushing pressure on my chest and pain in my left shoulder. That started a flurry of activity--anyway after they did an EKG to make sure it wasn't my heart, they told me it was the gas pressure from the abdomen being inflated and gave me enough pain medication that I was in recovery for about 6 hours. After that, it was all pretty manageable. Hope you are doing well now!

I didn't know that there was one! Thanks for letting me know. I'll see if I can figure out how to do it. I still haven't gotten ticker on my signature. Kathy

Had my post op appointment today. It was great to get those staples removed and get rid of the drain...and I have no leak! YEH!!! I'm down a total of 20 pounds and I've already been able to discontinue my blood pressure medication. Not only that, my feet aren't hurting nearly as much when I walk...I'm thinking the rest of this ride is going to be a blast. :scared0:

That's wonderful! I can hardly wait until I can post that I've got 50 pounds behind me! You'll be buying a new wardrobe before you know it.

Congratualations on more weight loss! I'm at the end of my first week and I have been feeling concerned because I haven't seen the scale budge for the entire week. I keep reminding myself that I came home from the hospital 10 pound lighter and that obviously wasn't all fat loss over a 2 day period, and that my body fluids are still stabilizing--but the truth is that we all like to watch the scale go DOWN. Sounds like you are doing great--keep up the good work!

As I understand it, until recently, it has been hard to get good quality Stevia (not bitter) in US because of the demand in Japan and other countries--but the quality of our Stevia has improved over the last couple years. Try several different brands and don't use too much and you may find that you like it better than you used to.

Thanks for your comments. You have helped me to have more confidence walking through this!

Congratulations! I can't count the times I've given all my big girl clothes away and bought small sizes...but I believe this surgery can help each of us make it the last time that happens, and the first time we really do get to have a normal wardrobe that lasts!

I just had my surgery a couple days ago, but I knew in advance that I wouldn't be able to drink Crystal Light or other typical sugar-free beverages typically sold in stores because aspartame/nutrasweet and sucralose/splenda both make me sick. If I get tired of plain water, I take an old-fashioned packet of koolaid (no sugar) and add it to a half gallon of water and sweeten with Stevia to taste. It helps to change it up without adding any calories or carbs.

Some hair loss may be unavoidable, but my doctor told me that it will be worse if you don't get your protein requirements met. My hair is already thin, and I've decided that I might just treat myself to a really cute wig if I lose too much! It's better than being so fat I can walk.:thumbup:

Whoohoo! Surgery was Tuesday. I believe the worst is over and I'm running forward to put the fat past behind me. Truthfully, the gas pain right after surgery felt like my chest was being crushed--I couldn't take a deep breath--and I thought I was having a heart attack. Once they did an EKG and determined that my heart was OK, I just let them load me up with pain meds until it passed. By the next morning the gas was easing up and I came home that afternoon. I haven't needed ANY pain medication since I got home. I actually went grocery shopping on Friday. I still can't swallow anything but tiny sips without feeling pressure in my chest, but today has been much easier in terms of my ability to get stuff down. The first couple days I took anti-nausea meds pretty regularly at the first hint nausea to avoid any vomiting that could tear my staple line...but I haven't needed that today either. Being able to read all your comments and stories before going into surgery really helped to prepare me mentally and give me confidence that I was making a good choice. Thanks to each of you for your support!

Tomorrow is my surgery day. I'm feeling pretty anxious after reading a lot of posts from people struggling with nausea months after the surgery. That is discouraging because I want a good quality of life. I think the sleeve is the right thing for me to do--but it seems like a taking a huge risk and it's one of the hardest decisions I've ever made, because I know I can't undo it once it's done. I'm scared that something will go wrong and that I will have trouble eating enough healthy foods to get the nutrition I need.

My surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday. There is no question...I am scared of the unknown future that will follow surgery... but I am more scared of the known consequences of no surgery: Another diet, and eventual weight regain. I have dieted most of my life. I have a "lifetime key" at Weight Watchers. I worked as a counselor at Diet Center. I have easily lost and regained more than 500 pounds during my lifetime. I was a ballet dancer in college, weighing in at my lowest adult weight of 119 pounds--and yet here I am, barely able to waddle at 283 pounds. How's that for visible evidence of all my dieting successes? My life has been consumed by trying to control my weight. Now the key word is Morbid. Morbid Obesity. Morbid because this problem with my weight has in many ways been a hidden death sentence. Technically, I am alive, but even though I am 54 years old, I might at well be 84. It hurts to walk, it hurts to stand, it hurts to sit, it hurts to sleep. I have sleep apnea and high blood pressure. No energy to do much of anything. Morbid? Yep...it's the life of the living dead. I'm hoping that this surgery is going to take me out of the "dead zone" and offer me the opportunity to enjoy life again.