IncredibleShrinkingMan

Day 1 post-op was the only truly miserable day...I was nauseous from the CPA, couldn't drink Water despite having the driest throat ever, and mistreating all visitors. I was sleeping all day unless someone came knocking.
Day 2 post-op was a different world. I still had a very sore abdomen, especially at the drainage site, and I prayed to the heavens not to let me sneeze. I was released from the hospital, got home at 4 pm, fell asleep on my bed with the TV on and didn't wake up until the next morning. However, my mood was markedly improved, even riding home in the car.
Day 3 post-op I went for my normal walk and starting thinking about going back to work. That is also the day I started having that dreaded hunger return, but now at 11 days out, that seems to have taken it's final bow and is leaving me alone for now.
I know there are many different variations on this story, but things happened quickly and without incident for me.

You all need to ditch these f*ckers immediately. Love is not the be all end all...support and complementation are. OP and the rest of you, this is obviously worse than the more typical situation we read about here, in which the partner butters you up and says there's nothing wrong with you and doesn't want you to stop being able to eat pizza and burgers with him/her. This is far more toxic. No person on earth is worth being with if the cost is a diminished sense of self. And that is true whether you are having bariatric surgery or not.

Try to super-hydrate before a meal if you can, especially if your meal is soon after a workout. That greatly lessens my urge to try to wash down any food with Water during the meal. The next time I want Water tends to be right around the 30 minutes after my last bite, which is fabulous.



I, too, miss the clicking and clacking of fresh crispy ice cubes up against a frosty glass during a meal. But if you've got some time, try to satisfy that right when you sit down, and if the restaurant is busy enough, you might have around 30 minutes before you see any food in front of you anyhow.

Take those multivitamins...religiously. That is the most powerful defense against both minor stuff (hair loss, broken nails) as well as against serious threats to our immune system, etc...We do not become immune to any non-weight related illness, but following the directions keeps us on par.

You all need to ditch these f*ckers immediately. Love is not the be all end all...support and complementation are. OP and the rest of you, this is obviously worse than the more typical situation we read about here, in which the partner butters you up and says there's nothing wrong with you and doesn't want you to stop being able to eat pizza and burgers with him/her. This is far more toxic. No person on earth is worth being with if the cost is a diminished sense of self. And that is true whether you are having bariatric surgery or not.

I had my surgery date moved from July 30 to August 6 by the surgeon's manager and I got angry even over that one week. That is a week I'll never have back to enjoy my life at the other end.
Now, more to the point. My dad was in the same hospital as where I had my surgery being treated for a very serious respiratory condition, and is waiting to become stable enough to have stomach surgery. I was able to help him out with needs in his room while I was still a patient in the hospital and not really tolerating Water that well. I am currently doing everything for him despite working three hours away from home, and driving isn't an issue for me, despite the fact that, like you, I do feel very sluggish. I think when something is as important as your safety on the road, you are better able to concentrate despite diminished energy reserves. If you really didn't have the wherewithal to drive safely, chances are you'd be facing hospitalization for lack of nourishment. Unless you feel your abdominal pain exacerbated, just go ahead and do it, and continue to follow all other rules that do not detract from your ability to take care of your daughter.
I think most of the physical limitations are resolved by 72 hours following surgery, and after that, it is mostly psychological. However, listen to your body, and still build up your activity gradually, and don't try to find ways to do things that don't feel quite right the first time. They will come in time.

Awesomeness. Just ducked under 250 lbs for the first time in this decade of life. 48 to go to onederland, but I can't imagine what kind of psychological bonuses that will pay. Also came down one obesity category with the passing of the 2-5-0! I went to the gym this morning and the best part was weighing myself with the bottom bar one notch lower (albeit starting over at the top with the smaller upper one). Congrats y'all.

It's virtually impossible not to feel that way. Bariatric surgery is not just a major procedure...it is an epic transformation, and the end of life as we have previously known it. But once you are on the other side, it is an amazing feeling, even with the various sources of early discomfort present.
My best advice would be to start living your life as though you have already had it. That will give you an advancement on the euphoria that comes with completing the surgery, and you can start to realize early benefits of the surgery that come before even having the procedure. If you do all of that, then the only thing different once you finally reach the other side will be the smaller stomach. We need to stop viewing everything associated with this procedure as a restriction or a taboo. It is better to look at both the endeavor at large and all its individual parts as elements of freedom and opportunity that we earned. And yes, we earned it by making this decision. We didn't necessitate it with our obesity, as we are among fewer than 1% of obese people that ever decide to have it in the first place. Congratulations and good luck!

Best of luck everybody. Wish I was still there. Go Blue.

Do something you enjoy tonight! Don't stay up reading Bariatric Pal. You know everything there is to know about this surgery and you are ready. Begin the rest of your life tonight...not tomorrow. You have already done it, and all there is left to do is turn your tassel. If you need to think about it a little bit, try making a list of everything that is already different since the day you made your decision. You may run out of time! It's a lot! Good luck.

Do something you enjoy tonight! Don't stay up reading Bariatric Pal. You know everything there is to know about this surgery and you are ready. Begin the rest of your life tonight...not tomorrow. You have already done it, and all there is left to do is turn your tassel. If you need to think about it a little bit, try making a list of everything that is already different since the day you made your decision. You may run out of time! It's a lot! Good luck.

It's a very safe procedure...you'll be back with your kids in no time. I experienced only one tough day on which I thought I wouldn't leave the hospital on time, but that was gone in no time. Just start living like you've already had it...it will make it so much easier for you physically to do the early post-op stages and to process it in your head. Start liquids now even if your surgeon didn't say you had to...he obviously wouldn't object. Start moving around so that exercise comes more quickly after surgery. Good luck!

I only told four people plus my boss. I didn't choose them based on what their likely reactions would be (one of them even questioned me). Rather, I chose them because I knew they would not ask me 100s of questions a day about it or offer to take over my life for me or start enlisting a giant group of unwanted support from tons of people. They were people who I could contact if I just needed to talk about it and who would be there right before and right after with the best words. I gather you aren't a fan of attention, so just don't tell people who like making spectacles of things, no matter how benign the intent.

I had my surgery date moved from July 30 to August 6 by the surgeon's manager and I got angry even over that one week. That is a week I'll never have back to enjoy my life at the other end.
Now, more to the point. My dad was in the same hospital as where I had my surgery being treated for a very serious respiratory condition, and is waiting to become stable enough to have stomach surgery. I was able to help him out with needs in his room while I was still a patient in the hospital and not really tolerating Water that well. I am currently doing everything for him despite working three hours away from home, and driving isn't an issue for me, despite the fact that, like you, I do feel very sluggish. I think when something is as important as your safety on the road, you are better able to concentrate despite diminished energy reserves. If you really didn't have the wherewithal to drive safely, chances are you'd be facing hospitalization for lack of nourishment. Unless you feel your abdominal pain exacerbated, just go ahead and do it, and continue to follow all other rules that do not detract from your ability to take care of your daughter.
I think most of the physical limitations are resolved by 72 hours following surgery, and after that, it is mostly psychological. However, listen to your body, and still build up your activity gradually, and don't try to find ways to do things that don't feel quite right the first time. They will come in time.

Wow, that's an average of ~45 lbs per month! Make sure you are nourishing yourself and getting your protein...you still want to make sure you lose the right kind of weight and hold onto as much of the hard-earned muscle as possible.

@@jessicashae33
hi newbie
feeling excited, nervous and other emotions?
all normal reactions
you are going to have major surgery tomorrow
traveling to a different country
"sounds" like you are going alone
you are on the ride of a lifetime (ride, plain - get it )
might be a few bumps in the road (stalls etc)
that's ok
life is "full of it"
ups and downs
have a safe flight
good luck tomorrow
welcoming you to sleeveland
saving a spot next to me on the losers bench
good luck
speedy recovery
kathy

It's virtually impossible not to feel that way. Bariatric surgery is not just a major procedure...it is an epic transformation, and the end of life as we have previously known it. But once you are on the other side, it is an amazing feeling, even with the various sources of early discomfort present.
My best advice would be to start living your life as though you have already had it. That will give you an advancement on the euphoria that comes with completing the surgery, and you can start to realize early benefits of the surgery that come before even having the procedure. If you do all of that, then the only thing different once you finally reach the other side will be the smaller stomach. We need to stop viewing everything associated with this procedure as a restriction or a taboo. It is better to look at both the endeavor at large and all its individual parts as elements of freedom and opportunity that we earned. And yes, we earned it by making this decision. We didn't necessitate it with our obesity, as we are among fewer than 1% of obese people that ever decide to have it in the first place. Congratulations and good luck!

Try to super-hydrate before a meal if you can, especially if your meal is soon after a workout. That greatly lessens my urge to try to wash down any food with Water during the meal. The next time I want Water tends to be right around the 30 minutes after my last bite, which is fabulous.



I, too, miss the clicking and clacking of fresh crispy ice cubes up against a frosty glass during a meal. But if you've got some time, try to satisfy that right when you sit down, and if the restaurant is busy enough, you might have around 30 minutes before you see any food in front of you anyhow.

A whole lot of (invariably thin) people say those things out of a sense of self-promotion. "Look at me, I can do it with diet and exercise, so can you." Some are not totally malevolent, but a lot of them derive a lot of self-worth by being thin in an environment where so many of us are obese. The advice is the same across the board...don't listen, don't respond, don't start a fight. I even retired my old go-to line of "if you were in my shoes you wouldn't be able to do it either." A number of thin friends felt punctured at that statement and it was in no way my intention to inflict emotional hurt. They have no reason to understand the realities of weight loss and regain and why surgery makes things different, and they have no reason to spend the time learning about it, and they are not bad people for being misinformed. Only when somebody gets aggressive and starts to tell you about his/her diet, workout, spiritual cleanse, etc... should you put your foot down and say that person has overstepped and their advice is incorrect.

Happy (belated) Birthday, and welcome to the new decade. It is a painful awakening, but the first year of my 30s has taught me so much about life, and having surgery and losing weight are just by-products of a new person that has emerged from the depression and self-loathing that the end of my 20s brought. I had surgery the day after my 31st birthday, and it was and still is the best birthday present ever. I didn't even care that I couldn't having the usual cake and pizza. It felt so much better being free to dream and start again, and I hadn't even gotten on the table for surgery yet.
Good luck, pushpin. Remember there is so much that can and will get better in your mind and in your life before you even lose a single pound. We are the real surgeons here!

I had been slowly losing weight (mid 310s to mid 280s although vacillating quite a bit) over the last 2 1/2 years before my decision, and was really ready to pull the trigger at any point in there, but the last straw was a blood sugar reading that was inching towards pre-DM2. I had no history and it was like Russian roulette for the past several years with no concerning readings and a very good lipid profile, but I felt I had gotten very lucky for a while and did not want to squander that good fortune by continuing to be reckless. I had just turned 30, and suddenly for all the usual reasons I no longer felt invincible.

I had been slowly losing weight (mid 310s to mid 280s although vacillating quite a bit) over the last 2 1/2 years before my decision, and was really ready to pull the trigger at any point in there, but the last straw was a blood sugar reading that was inching towards pre-DM2. I had no history and it was like Russian roulette for the past several years with no concerning readings and a very good lipid profile, but I felt I had gotten very lucky for a while and did not want to squander that good fortune by continuing to be reckless. I had just turned 30, and suddenly for all the usual reasons I no longer felt invincible.

I had been slowly losing weight (mid 310s to mid 280s although vacillating quite a bit) over the last 2 1/2 years before my decision, and was really ready to pull the trigger at any point in there, but the last straw was a blood sugar reading that was inching towards pre-DM2. I had no history and it was like Russian roulette for the past several years with no concerning readings and a very good lipid profile, but I felt I had gotten very lucky for a while and did not want to squander that good fortune by continuing to be reckless. I had just turned 30, and suddenly for all the usual reasons I no longer felt invincible.

I had been slowly losing weight (mid 310s to mid 280s although vacillating quite a bit) over the last 2 1/2 years before my decision, and was really ready to pull the trigger at any point in there, but the last straw was a blood sugar reading that was inching towards pre-DM2. I had no history and it was like Russian roulette for the past several years with no concerning readings and a very good lipid profile, but I felt I had gotten very lucky for a while and did not want to squander that good fortune by continuing to be reckless. I had just turned 30, and suddenly for all the usual reasons I no longer felt invincible.

Are you drinking caffeine or carbonated beverages of any kind? Those two things will absolutely pilfer your body of its Water (I assume you are not drinking alcohol). I think you're actually more likely to get dehydrated when you don't take in carbs than when you do. It seems like you are doing everything right. Be sure you rehydrate after exercise...it is as important as protein! I am struggling with that as we speak.
Everything says that the hair loss happens right about at your stage, and comes quickly back. Your story backs up all the normal predictions and it is very transient.
BTW, I don't know what I wouldn't do for a TC Cherry Pie right about now. I went up to Cherry Festival this summer and made it my last big food event before pre-op. Love the mitten...