395Ron

@@edie091371 6 October is my surgery date.

Spent yesterday pulling all my clothes that are too small from my shed (3 tubs). The I pulled all the too small stuff that I crammed into the top of my closet and the bottom. Finally from all my other hiding places. I put them in tubs according to size. I didn't have enough tubs so I used some white trash bags and wrote in permanent marker on the outside what size they are. Then I put them back in my shed with the larger ones on top and the smallest stuff at the bottom. This way as I (wow I have to think of a word that is the opposite of outgrow and I am not used to thinking that way) shrink into smaller sizes I just grab a new tub.

@ so glad your hubby is supportive. It definitely helps! @@guyfrom315 Welcome to the group. Your date is coming up fast.

It is definitely an awesome movie! We are all going to be awesome starring in our own movie. Yes sometimes it is going to be scary but we will be amazed as our bodies change, as we conquer new NSV's. We've all bought a ticket and we are standing on the platform ready to board. I like this thought. By thinking of it this way for the first time I am starting to feel some excitement. Maybe I did shed some of that stress yesterday after all.

@@edie091371 I am having Gastric Bypass More from yesterday's pre-op: After hearing people talk about how confusing it is to figure out which Vitamins to buy and having enough stress already, I decided to purchase the vitamins from the docs office. If I want to find cheaper ones I can now take my time. They were pleased with my current weight loss and we discussed what my initial weight loss goal would be. My first weight loss goal will be losing 100 pounds. I already knew this but I wanted to further clarify if that should start after surgery or before. We decided on before. As I believe I have discussed before, I don't want the goal to be too hard or too easy so I let the NUT help me set this goal. After I lose the 100 pounds we will decide on the next goal. I thought that if everything was still on track after this visit I would calm down some but I actually think I am even more nervous and worried now that everything is still on. This doesn't seem right to me but that is how I feel. Welcome to ALL the new folks. We are just about ready to start boarding the train. What was the name of that movie where the kids board the train during Christmas that takes them to the North Pole to see Santa? I feel like that is what we are doing. Once we start moving, we will be looking out the trains window, with our mouths open, as we experience the many wonders on this fantasy trip of a life time. I know I for one having been dreaming about taking this kind of journey to the land of the healthier version of me! I just didn't really think it would ever happen. ALL ABOARD!!!!

@ I can certainly understand thinking WTH my doctor hasn't said anything about a 7 day stay yet he went to the insurance company and requested that long a stay. What is going on that I don't know about? Just finished my pre-op yesterday. Everything is running smoothly so far. I had 2 pages of questions for the doc and 2 more for the NUT. After hearing people talk about how confusing it is to figure out which Vitamins to buy and having enough stress already, I decided to purchase the vitamins from the docs office. If I want to find cheaper ones I can now take my time. They were pleased with my current weight loss and we discussed what my initial weight loss goal would be. My first weight loss goal will be losing 100 pounds. I thought that if everything was still on track after this visit I would calm down some but I actually think I am even more nervous and worried now that everything is still on. I know I am weird but that is how I feel.

@ that sounds like the insurance is looking out for you and approving it now in case you need it. That is a very good insurance that is thinking that far ahead.

@@drmeow wow that would not be cool. I had my pre-op today. Everything is on track. I ask questions like (Warning: These answers are MY doctors and yours may say something completely different): During the surgery is there anyway to ENSURE dumping (I need that negative feedback)? My doctor said around 80% will and 20% will not get dumping. However, with my BMI he will go lower down the intestines to make the attachment. How will sleep apnea affect my time in recovery? Will it affect the surgery? He said not the surgery but could affect the recovery if either you do not have your CPAP machine or you are undiagnosed with sleep apnea and then have episodes in the recovery room. Some people say their legs or other parts hurt after surgery. Where will I hurt and why? This information will help me prepare myself. He said your legs are strapped down AND the table is rotated to a more upright position. So you may have some pain in the thigh area. Other than that, the abdomen area, you might have some in your shoulders/back from gas. Is there a limit to how much you should walk in the hospital after surgery. He said no. What do I take for headaches before and after surgery? He said Tylenol crushed. You can also get liquid in the pediatric or diabetic section but some actually have dumping from the liquid because they add sugar. What fat content makes you dump? This varies and you have to experiment to find out for you. I hope this helps. 13 days and counting to blast off. I am about to explore a totally different frontier.

Hang in there @@Jenaenae84! We all grieve in our own way. I don't have any suggestions but I will share what I am doing about that for after surgery. I have been in that place so many times!! I will be progressing along fine and then BLAM I am eating too much. Or all of the sudden the scale isn't moving and I panic "What am I doing wrong? How am I F-ing this up? When I get to that place I don't have a clue how to get out and most of the time I can't even think I am so busy beating myself up. I don't know if this is going to help me or not but I have got to try something. So, on the first page in my spiral notebook, I have written down the following: Basics 1. Eat only at table 2. Chew at least 30 times 3. Count to 60 between bites 4. 30/30 rule 5. Water 6. Protein 7. Exercise 8. Am I following my nutritionist's orders 9. Am I logging my food After surgery I will adjust this list accordingly. My hope is that when I get to that space, and I will get there sometime, I can refer back to this list. Ask myself am I doing all these? If I am then steady as she goes and the weight will come off. I hate nothing more than when the wheels come off the bus. Right now @@Jenaenae84 you are practicing "maintenance mode" until your surgery. That is tough. Give your self some leeway. I know that is easy for me to say but it is a thought. When some people get to maintenance they say ok I am 183 and they told me not to go below that. I will give myself hmmm let's say 10 pounds. Then they will experiment. When they get above the 183-193 zone they ask how many calories am I currently eating? Let's lower that or increase the exercise or both and see what it takes to start losing again. Then they fine tune this. Dub on here has talked about his own experiments with that.

@@sweettooth2015 are you having surgery at Fair Oaks 13 days after I do? Mine is on the 6th. Is yours the 19th?

@@sweettooth2015 yes it is at Fair Oaks hospital in Fairfax VA. I will arrive at the hospital by 12:45 and my surgery will be at 2:45. This Wednesday is my pre-op appointment with the surgeon. I may have more information then. Right now I am feeling nervous, anxious, and scared.

In that case I will be your tester to ensure the facilities are up to standards. Yeah I work best when I write out my concerns. Then once I have them written down it's funny because another will pop up and I will add it to the list.

Wow @@edie091371 you did better I would. After I finished with her I would have contacted my doctor, the hospital and everyone and given them some feedback! We certainly don't need anything like that.

@@kimvox66 I hear you. I dreaded no make that it scared the bejesus out of me just thinking about starting the pre-op diet. But it has not been that bad. Maybe because I was so scared I prepared myself for it? Also I stopped a lot of stuff way before that day except for my gum. My chewing gum was my last security blanket.

@@Laughingmyassoff2015 YAHOO!! another stress off the table Welcome to the group@@Mildred Cox and @@sweettooth2015 Anyone else having weird thoughts? I am on the pre-op diet so I am not eating (normal food anyway). My wife has gone to bed and I walk by the kitchen and think "hmm if I were still eating I would go in there and make me a whole bunch of food and best of all she wouldn't know anything about it." I was sitting there planning a binge even though I wasn't eating. It makes me very scared to think like that. This surgery may be a tool but I have got so much work ahead of me! First part of stress test done last Friday, Echocardiogram complete yesterday, and second part scheduled for tomorrow. I believe after that I will only have my abdomen sonogram left which is scheduled for 22 September. I need to gather all my clothes that are too small for me now and organize them in sizes so it will be easier as I shrink to the new me but I don't think I will have time for that.

@ thanks so much for asking. I have been posting in the pre-op area on the October post there. I have been so busy as I am sure most of us are juggling work, juggling appointments, getting paperwork sent to my surgeons office, and getting my house straight that I don't have much time. I am stressed trying to keep track of it all even though I write it down. This is the first time I have been stressed and got through it without food! Wow. I lost 15 pounds the first week of this pre-op diet. I think a LOT of that was Water weight. I think it will be more towards 6 pounds this week but will see Sunday. I can't say I am hungry although I don't know what the rumblings are in my stomach sometimes. That doesn't stop me from thinking "hmm if I were still eating right now I would go in the kitchen and fix me a whole bunch of food. Especially because my wife is in bed and she wouldn't know." I mean I am planning a binge in my head even though I can't eat. Weird. How are you doing @? How is everyone handle the upcoming surgery?

How long after surgery did it take you to walk the same distance that you were walking before? What was that distance? I am currently walking 6 miles at one time 3 times a week. It takes me 2 1/2 hours but I do it. I am wondering how long after surgery it will take me to be able to walk for 6 miles straight again. I just want to reign in my expectations. If I think I should be able to walk that distance again 1 week after surgery and the reality is that it takes most people 6 weeks to get back to the same distance they were completing prior to surgery then I need to change my expectations. I understand everybody's journey will be different.

Welcome @stephens1217. I can say I share many parts of your story. I am once again losing the same weight that I have gone through and lost many times. Only to gain it back. This will be my last time losing those pounds. I am married and have a wife that loves me and is very supportive. When I got up to my highest weight of 403 my sleep apnea got a whole lot worse. I would lay down to go to sleep and before I would even get close to falling asleep my airway would shut down. I was now having sleep apnea episodes before and after I was asleep. Even though I had my CPAP machine on I would wake up in the middle of the night because I had stopped breathing. I would be so scared to go back to sleep because I didn't think I would ever wake up again. I would be up for hours. My left knee, my hips, my leg joints all began to hurt. I could see myself going down hill very quickly. I would get winded just going to the bathroom. I am currently on my 4 week pre-op diet and so far all the fears I had where not as bad in reality. 6 October I will be changed. I will start a new life. I am looking forward to it. I look forward to hearing about your journey as you move forward. Keep us posted! Good luck to us all.

Yesterday I was walking out of work and this lady from the cube next to mine stopped me and said it sounded like I was having surgery. I explained what I was having and she explained that her daughter just had the sleeve surgery in December and had already lost 65 pounds. She started talking to me about how people don't really understand what you are going through. This lady really got it. She understood how I feel. I just wanted to throw out a feel good story. I think I am blessed with the people I work around because although I do hear the occasional "and they gained it all back" most of what I get is very supportive.

Ugh!! (venting) Several months ago I was told I would be the first surgery of the day on 6 October. I have made plans accordingly. Making plans to get a hotel the night before since it was early. Letting my parents know they needed to make plans to get there early because of the time. Today during my nurses interview I was told that time had changed. I called up my doctors office and they told me my surgery would not be until 2:45. "I said 2:45? That is a big change. Why?" They told me "the surgery ahead of you will take longer than expected." Excuse me but there wasn't any surgery scheduled before me. How could a non existent surgery suddenly take longer? Oh by the way WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME!!!! If this is the biggest bump in my road then I can deal with it but just needed to vent (vent over). Thanks I needed that.

Warning...Warning...Warning Dub I have a Fitbit Flex also. This is how it starts. I started out walking 6 houses out and back. Now 3 times a week I do 6 miles. It takes me 2 1/2 hours but I do it. LOL good luck.

I hate it when someone says come see me and doesn't give any explanation of why. My brain goes into overdrive and always in the negative direction. I hope everything goes good for you today. You are doing a great job and have an awesome mindset. You will do well. Keep us posted on how it goes.

Welcome @@irishaggie I am having surgery 6 October in Virginia. I am nervous and have started my pre-op diet already. My thought for you is find the positive and focus on that There are a lot of positives that are an outcome of this surgery. How much are you saving your family? Think about all the money your family might have to spend if you do not get this surgery. Also how much is your time worth to you? Think about that worth and then think about all the extra time and things you will be able to do with your family. Keep us posted on how things are going! There are a lot of great people on these forums.

I have not had surgery yet but I have some of the same reasons as others: Dumping - Yes I ate too much at a meal but I also liked sweets. I wanted a good chance that I would have a negative feedback if I went back to sweets. If I also get it from too much fat well that is just an extra bonus. The extra small new stomach would also help me keep my portion size in check. My researched led me to believe that RNY gave me the chance to lose the most amount of weight. I only went to one seminar but I never ran into what you are talking about. Good luck.

22 days and counting. Been watching commercials and thinking I will never eat that much food again. A typical serving, which I would eat more than one of, I will be taking a doggy bag away from. Strange.