bigbang52

Everyone is different, of course, but my experience was excellent. I had virtually no gas pain, no incision pain, stomach muscles were fine and no nausea. never took any pain meds. I told my surgeon that I've had worse paper cuts!

I was past my 61st birthday when my surgery was done. I kick myself for waiting. I've still got some more work to do but feeling better than I have in many years. Had health issues because of my weight but much less now and getting better. Good luck!

Excellent article Dr Long. Thank you. I'm 4 years out and while I've lost quite a bit of the weight I wanted to lose I have more to go. And this is where the triggers come into play. It's so easy to slip back into bad habits, to allow those things that led to my obesity to overwhelm my self-control and try to re-establish themselves as ruler of my life. For me it's when I'm bored. I've identified most of the triggers but now comes the real hard part - overcoming them and starting new, healthier habits. Thanks again!

How much you lose is up to you. Typically they say about 60% of excess weight but it can be more or less depending on your ability and desire to exercise and eat right. But the battle isn't with your stomach- it's with your mind. We have an addiction and you have to treat it as such. And getting active will help. I took up swimming because I have bad knees and it's been great.

For a few weeks to a few months eating will be much different than you're used too. Full very fast. EAT SLOWLY. If you overeat I guarantee you will only want to do it once. Follow the plan your doctor gives you and don't deviate. They have a reason they do what they do. You will gradually be able to eat more but never like you used to. I just had my first ice cream in 4 years. 1 scoop filled me up. And no real desire to have more. The quantity you'll be able to eat will vary depending on what you're eating and how fast. But don't push it. I've had to find other things to replace my eating. I can still eat most things just in much smaller quantities. I don't do rice or much Pasta or potatoes as they fill me up very fast and no room for the healthier- and tastier- things.

I felt great after surgery. Told the doctor I've had worse paper cuts. No pain, no gas, no upset stomach. But I'm one of the lucky ones. Expect some problems like gas and just have a heat pad ready - it helps. There can be complications- that's true with any surgery but, again, follow instructions for hygiene and type of food.

Excess skin? Oh yeah! I've lost about 250 pounds and I look like a partially deflated balloon. But I'm working at losing some more to have skin removal. Need a BMI of around 35 before that happens. How long again is a matter of how much and how fast you lose.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! I wish I had done it 10 years before I did. But fear kept me from trying. I heard a quote bt Will Smith. " God puts the best things in life on the other side of fear." How true!

Finally I would recommend a book called Weight Loss Surgery For Dummies. Very informative. Good luck

I'm not in the Dallas area but I'd be happy to answer any questions that you have. It can be a scary process if you don't have someone to help walk you thru it. I was fortunate to have two women where I work that had gone thru the procedure a year earlier and a doctor that was fantastic. If you want to text, email or talk I would be happy to help. It's a life changing journey and a lot of misinformation out there.

Congratulations on the approval and on taking the journey to a better life. My pre-op diet was an 800-900 calorie per day diet that consisted of a mixture of Protein Shakes and prepackaged foods that the doctors office sold. Some was good some was pretty bad but it worked. Lost 23 pounds in that 2 weeks despite a couple of weak moments - a last Panera's Italian sub. Told the doctor and he said he was there to do surgery and not take confession:) First couple of days will be difficult but you can do it. Just keep your eyes on the final goal - a new you.

The biggest regret that I have is that I didn't do it much sooner than I did. The quality of my life is immeasurably better than it was. As you start to feel more normal you will start to see the changes to both your body and your mind. Good luck and happy birthday.

Highly recommend that you get on the web and do some looking. I have bought for as little as $18.50 for a box of 12. Search Protein supplements, body building supplements and bariatric food. Even Wal-Mart, costco and Amazon have some good prices but you have to keep an eye out for sales. Just bought some Protein Shakes that have 40 grams of protein for about $1 each. Good luck.

I would definitely take a look at what you have to offer.

As far as the Water issue, it will get easier as time goes on. Butt for now it's very important you get enough. Just keep working. If you take your Vitamins in the morning, drink a little extra then. The Protein can be harder. Experiment with different foods as I'm sure you noticed your taste has changed. There are many different brands of both Protein Bars and shakes. Some of the shakes have from 40-50 grams of protein in 17oz. And if you look there are some very low in sugars, carbs and fats. See ANN and Metrx. Also check out some Snacks by Kay's Natural. I like the nacho and cinnamon. Have 15gram protein and 125 calories. Part of my preoperative diet. Can be found at costco but would recommend Amazon first to get smaller size to try out. Amazon is a good place to start shopping but Google protein supplements and bodybuilding to find cheaper places. You should see my pantry!

I guess I was lucky. I used the pain meds at the hospital once and that was so I could get some sleep. They keep you up half the night going for walks and taking blood. Told the doctor later that I have had worse paper cuts. Didn't have any campaigns either. Reality was much better than my fears.

My advice is to talk to someone who has had surgery first. I then did as much reading as I could starting with weight loss surgery for dummies. Great book. Next, go to a couple of seminars. The first doctor had the personality of a rock so I did some research on line and found a fantastic doctor. He took the time to answer all my questions and was upfront about the pros and cons of each type of procedure. Look for someone who will support you for at least a year after surgery, longer is better and follow their instructions. They know what they are doing if you've chosen the right one. If you know anyone in the medical profession get their opinion.

I had a problem with gout about six weeks after surgery. My uric acid level was ok but still reared it's ugly head. My Pcp gave me a prescription for Sulindac and the pain cleared up in 24 hours. It's a Nsaid so the bariatric office wasn't too happy but I'd have done anything to get rid of the pain. Haven't had a problem since. Good luck.