InfiniteButterfly

Good luck I think I almost cried when I finally got my surgery date (it's Thursday). Even then, it still didn't seem real until I started the liquid diet and the rounds of required pre-tests. Now everything's cleared and I'm so ready

Good luck! Thursday's my day, and I can't wait

I not only told my family, but also my FB friends and the people I volunteer with at the zoo. I found four friends that have had the surgery in the past, and nothing but well-wishes from everyone. I think my bf is the only one who had any negatives about the surgery (not the fact that I'm doing it, he supports that. He's very doctor-phobic though and he's terrified of hospitals, so he's a little negative because of that, but he's working hard to control it around me) I think I got very lucky...the one friend I worried about receiving negative comments from (she's lost quite a substantial amount of weight via diet and exercise alone) said that she used to be against the surgery until a close friend had it and did so wonderfully. She saw the positive difference it made up close and personal, and said that she can definitely see the positive side of it now.

Good luck on sticking the course I'm nearing the end of my liquid diet (my surgery is 5/15), and I would almost rather not eat than face another shake. I'm allowed yogurt, cottage cheese and sugar-free pudding/jello, and that helps. And broth. I never liked broth before, but when everything else is so sweet, broth can be a life-saver. That said, it's really not that hard if you keep the end goal in mind. I honestly dreaded the thought of 2 weeks of liquids, but it hasn't been nearly as bad as I expected. I cleaned all my food weaknesses out of the house before starting (that was a big one), and I try to stay out of the kitchen when hubby is cooking food for the kids at night. Oddly enough, I'm not craving chocolate or any of the things I would normally snack on. I crave meat and oddly enough, Ramen noodles (which I haven't eaten in years). Best of luck

I bounced a bit. I lost 15 lbs, then gained some back when I was having a particularly difficult time with my son (he was in and out of the hospital, and it was a very stressful time and I wasn't able to follow the nutrition guidelines as well as I should have). The doctor more or less shrugged it off, saying everyone stumbles and it was more important to get back on the horse and keep going. Now I'm on the pre-surgery liquid diet and losing more than I expected...hopefully that makes him happy (he wanted me to drop at least 10 lbs from my last appointment to my surgery date, and I accomplished that, so I'm happy)

I've done my best to prepare my partners, and they've both been very supportive, They have stopped bringing food into the house that I can't have (which was a huge issue for a long time, but once I started the surgery prep, they really stepped up to the plate) Other than that, I haven't really done a whole lot to prepare them other than talk over their concerns and misgivings. They are both so active and involved in outdoor activities (cycling, etc) that my losing weight will enable me to keep up with them, and hopefully bring us closer together. They are mostly looking at all of the things we would like to do and can't because I feel held back because of my weight, and how much more we'll be able to do once I start losing and get more into the fitness groove. (the take-out/eating out is the one thing they both understand has to stop...that was a bonding method for us before. Have a stressful week? Order Chinese. Or pizza.) But they've been part of the process from the beginning, asking a lot of questions and attending the sessions with the nutritionist. They're as prepared as they can be without actually going through the surgery themselves. Hopefully it's enough.

I found some little hors d'oeuvre forks that are just the right size Now if only I could find matching spoons.

My only negatives have come from my bf...and not so much because he's against the surgery itself (he's got a severe phobia against hospitals and doctors), but he's been incredibly supportive as well. At least he's willing to talk out his fears, and he's actually looking forward to us being able to do more outdoors activities together. I was surprised at how many people I know that I didn't realize had similar surgeries (I'm getting the sleeve, but I've encountered several friends who had by-pass or lapband surgeries) It's becoming a lot more acceptable, especially if you have other factors that hinder losing weight.

I'm on day 8 of pre-op, and honestly, with as sweet as the shakes are, I couldn't tolerate any more sweet. Plus, with the liquid diet, I can also have sugar-free lowfat yogurt, which also tends to be very sweet. Try satisfying your sweet tooth out of the choices you're allowed to have. (I crave meat...the rest of the family had chili yesterday, and the browning hamburger before it was put together was nearly my downfall. But I got through it

Good luck to all the May 6 sleevers! (my surgery is scheduled for May 15...I'm day 5 of the pre-op diet and I can't wait )