bakawaka

I have surgery in two weeks and, yes, I am nervous about the pain, adjusting to the new lifestyle, etc. But I will get through it. Good luck on your surgery!

Today I also signed my paperwork. I went through my pre-op testing (chest x-ray, EKG, Barium x-ray of stomach and blood work). I am self-pay and also spent an extra $1800 purchasing a 90-day insurance policy to cover extra hospital stays in case of complications. Given that the hospital costs $3,000 per night, the $1800 seems like a decent deal. I'm up to around $20,000 with all of the expenses, though the quoted cost is around $18,000. I have no regrets. I can say that Barium is one of foulest things I have ever put into my mouth, though I got through the pre-op stomach exam. I do not look forward to the leak test simply because of the foul taste of Barium. My pre-op liquid diet starts in one week. 11/09 is the surgery date.

i guess we really need to find diverse sources of Protein - not relying on a single protein every day. Maybe whey one day, beef the next, poultry on another, tofu on yet another, etc. That sounds like the safest course to me.

I got contrary information from my nutritionist. My nutritionist claims that tofu is a complete protein. I'll have to research it. I grew up allergic to dairy products and grew up on soy milk. So I have relied on soy protein for most of my life. I'm not dead yet.

Thank you so much for this post. I am nervous about my upcoming surgery and appreciate reading these real-life accounts.

I am scheduled for Nov 9 and also nervous about the procedure (fear of pain) and the new lifestyle ( will I have head hunger and will I be able to manage it?). I also am nervous, being male, about the catheter being painful (some say it is and others say "no big deal"). But I am going to push myself through this fear and nervousness. Other people's stories on this forum have been very helpful to me in working through anxiety. Post-op I will try to share my experience. I do not know how soon after surgery I will have the energy to do it. But I will take my laptop and phone with me. Hopefully the hospital will have WiFi. I remember siting in a dental chair for dental surgery for which 31 numbing shots were needed. Before the procedure started I felt a moment of panic but I worked through it. And by focusing on being calm, the pain of each injection was greatly reduced. I plan to use that same technique (sort of a meditative state of deliberately relaxing my body) as I am wheeled into surgery. I wish I could describe accurately how it works. But it really does help. As always, I wish everyone on this forum a successful weight loss journey.

I am still pre-op. So I cannot speak with authority on this. I anticipate mourning food post-op. I also anticipate being much healthier and getting over that mourning. I think that it will be key to turn to pleasures other than food. Here are some suggestions for post-op for myself to replace/change the former relationship with food: (1) increase the amount of sex you are getting - orgasms improve mood; (2) become more social; socialize more with friends; (3) sign up a for a class - learn a new skill; (4) start exercising (start slow and gentle); (5) acquire a new hobby (arts, crafts, sewing, reading); (6) start an anti-depressant (I have been taking them since the 80's); (7) start traveling around the world and fill your mind with new ideas; (8) listen to audio books; and/or (9) become a volunteer at a social services agency. In other words, replace/change the relationship with food. This is what I am focusing on. I hope that these ideas are helpful (they might not be but they are offered in the spirit of helping) and I wish everyone on this forum a successful weight loss journey.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts! You have convinced me NOT to travel 4 days post-op. I will tell my office "sorry."

My surgeon states that I am allowed to fly 10 days after surgery. Do you think it would be okay to fly on a 10-hour business trip 4 days after surgery?

I find that codeine makes me nauseated.

My physician stated that a few (only a minority) of his patients have regretted the surgery despite excellent health effects. Those who have regretted it make the statement that food is one of the pleasures of life and that post surgery they no longer are able to eat what they want. Nonetheless, their blood work shows excellent health. I'm still pre-op. I anticipate going through moments of regret post-op. I think it's inherently human to have regrets after any major decision. But I'm still determined to go through with this surgery. I hope to have the strength to work through those moments of regret. I have fears about the possible regrets. As always, I wish everyone in this forum a successful journey.

I find myself a bit afraid of the possible post-op complications. I'm nervous about my upcoming surgery. But I am still going to go through with the surgery - and I will overcome my fears by acknowledging them. I've watched relatives suffer from obesity. I'm watching my elderly mother struggle with a very difficult old age due to a lifetime of obesity. When I see what she is suffering through, I am able to work through the fear. I will probably be fearful until the anesthesia enters my body and I might wake up in recovery fearing pain. But reading forum posts about others' experiences will help get me through those fears. I wish everyone in this forum success.

While I still am unable to recommend to others whether to tell or not about surgery, I want to share a story. I just told a colleague about my upcoming surgery. Her initial reaction was "isn't there another way?" But the week after, she asked me for more information about the procedure to determine whether it might help her husband. So informing others can spread a benefit (but not an obligation to do so). It is a very personal decision whether to inform others. I must say that each person I've informed about the surgery has had an initial negative response. I'm getting better at have a conversation to respond to such comments. My own decision is to inform my family and colleagues.

Some surgery centers for weight loss surgery actually offer financing. While I am unable to say whether these are the best option, they are an option beyond tapping a 401k or taking out a home equity line of credit. I also am self pay and looking at the amount as an investment. I am choosing the surgery under the assumption that that will avoid/reduce future medical care costs by having the surgery. That was my economic calculation. I wish you great success with your surgery!

i do know a few people who have a CPAP machine. All of them say that after using it even the first night, they had the best sleep ever. They viewed it as a positive.

I find that I cannot keep high-carb snacks and high-fat stuff at home - otherwise I will always find a reason to munch on it.

My nutritionist recommended never drinking alcohol again. But this is not realistic. Moderation is key.

I am still pre-op. I anticipate having to take something like Prilosec the rest of my life. My experience with excess stomach acid is the following: excess stomach acid caused sinus infections, caused my ears to stop up (and reduced my ability to hear), affected my voice and overall quality of life. Stomach acid can be a very big problem. It is important to treat it.

I have gone ahead and told selected people at work whom I know to be very gossipy people. They will do the work for me of informing others at work. One of the reasons that I have decided to tell people at work about the surgery is that when I have lost weight in the past, some people thought I had a terminal illness! Well, obesity is a terminal illness. So I'd rather have some influence on the inevitable gossip. Of course, the decision to tell at work is very personal. This is the choice I made. Some people I tell express concern. I try to inform them about the science behind the surgery. There are many obese and morbidly obese people in my office. So maybe my talking about the surgery can inspire others. I do certainly understand why some want to keep the information very private.

I'm nervous about surgery. I am definitely going to have it. Like you pre-op, I have never had major surgery (other than wisdom teeth). I did undergo 31 shots of anesthetic in my mouth for dental surgery. But I still find going under general anesthesia scarier than the 31 shots for dental surgery. It helps to read about other people's experiences. I appreciate your sharing your experience.

Thanks so much for your summary. I am pre-op. I read every summary written by anyone about their surgery experience to help prepare myself for my own surgery.

One of my neighbors has the RNY procedure and experienced a diabetes cure within hours after surgery (or maybe I should say "remission" - I'm not a doctor). My primary care physician also stated that my hypertension, hyperlipidemia (I think that means "high cholesterol") would be "cured" right after surgery due to the calorie restriction and the pre-op liquid diet. I'm curious: have others who have had the VSG who suffered from diabetes, high cholesterol and/or hypertension been "cured" right after surgery (or experienced the diabetes going into remission)? I'm fascinated by this idea. My PCP states that several of his patients who have had the VSG are able to stop hypertension medication the day after surgery.

Many years ago I lived in a country other than the US where I had to walk everywhere. I hated walking in the snow and the rain but I was in excellent physical shape. After moving back to the US (driving everywhere), I gained 40 pounds in a year. I think that it helps to have physical movement an inherent part of daily life. So I do take the stairs rather than the elevator. I do park farther away and walk. It does make a difference. But I still find it challenging to push myself to go to the gym!

Many posts by individuals post-surgery about how they became active (in terms of exercise) after formerly living a sedentary life are inspiring. I have always been sedentary (and I'm pre-op). When I exercise, I enjoy it a lot. But I find that I have to truly push myself. It's always a struggle. I easily can find excuses not to go to the gym. So I'm curious about the following: for those of you who did become active, did surgery suddenly change you? Did losing weight itself actually change your motivation? Or, even after losing weight, is it still a struggle (for the formerly sedentary)? The reason that I ask is that I have read that the surgery can reduce/eliminate the hunger hormone as well as decrease the amount of time to reach satiety. I also wonder whether the surgery has some sort of effect on brain chemistry to help turn the sedentary into exercisers. All thoughts are appreciated!

I have not yet bought my protein powder. But I will be soon.