Joy Ciccketti Augevich

@,
Thanks for this list! It is always so helpful to new upcoming WLS patients to find out what others wish they had known so they can prepare for their own surgeries.
You have some great observations here! I think one of the hardest things to deal with is the fact that sometimes food is not the problem – so you need to think about what role food plays in your life, and what your other problems are, so you can be sure that WLS
It’s also a good warning about food and pleasure. Sometimes after WLS, the pleasure of eating just disappears. You’re no longer interested in food, and it’s not an easy thing to handle. One of the greatest pleasures of your life is just gone, even though it was also one of the greatest problems in your life, and really does leave a hole. I think it’s worth thinking about before WLS: how will you fill the gaps that are left when you take away food?
Thanks for bringing up the “people” factor. You may think people watch you closely when you’re overweight before WLS, but that’s nothing compared to the microscope you’ll be under after WLS! For some reason, way too many people think that you getting WLS gives them the right to comment on all of your actions and your weight loss, and to tell you what they think you should do, even if they have never ever even found out the first thing about WLS and the WLS diet.
Even if people are courteous enough to keep their comments to themselves, you’re right – you’ll still be aware that they’re watching every bite you take and scrutinizing you for any signs of weight lost or regained.
Thank you for all of these great points. I don’t think you are negative at all! I think your experience is very typical, and being prepared for these things can help future WLS be successful.

I am really glad you had a great experience. But yours is the experience I had been led to believe that I would have, and when it was nothing like that, I have to admit that it hit me pretty hard. I am definitely doing much better now, but I felt really mislead because I wasn't warned of other difficult circumstances that might arise as a result of the surgery. I certainly don't think that my experience is the "gold standard", but I really don't want pre-ops to assume that everything is going to be ideal. I wish everyone could have a recovery without difficulties, but it's just not going to work that way for some. Thanks for your comment; it's inspiring! I hope the rest of your journey is great, too!

I met with a nurse today (having surgery next week!). She said "average" for the first month is 5-10 lbs....BUT then she said most people she sees far exceed that the first month. So...it is JUST averages. Don't get discouraged.

I wish people would stop acting like self rightous keepers of the internet forum and realize that people do have the right to ask questions. Regardless of how many times they've been asked. If you don't want to weigh in, then move along. The forum wasn't set up for only what you deem to be important discussion in this moment of time. So there's a search function. Well holy hell. That would mean that nobody should ever ask any question ever, anywhere. Because I'm sure all the questions you've ever asked have been answered somewhere on google. Right?!?! Only makes sense...

so now i dont have boogies in just my nose anymore! lol j/k

@@anna0322
hey kiddo
remember, remember this
allll sleevers (et al) react differently to weight loss
how long it will take to loose
you will find people loose weight quicker than you
others loose weight slower than you throughout the day, weeks, months ahead
most people will have a few stalls throughout their loosing process
some people don't loose weight after surgery (Water retention, some stay the same weight, i've even heard some people might gain a few lbs
you've lost 10 lbs in 8 days
that' terrific
Really
get some kleenex
dry your pretty eyes
i didn't go to bed on december 11, 2011 - and wake up the next morning 105 lbs lighter
over the years i gained lots of weight - my highest weight - DOS was 235 lbs i'm only 5'3
some people loose that much weight quicker - others take longer
some people think they will wake up post up in a few days 100 lbs will be gone
doesn't work that way
took me many years to gain that weight
it took me almost a year to loose the weight with the "assistance" of the sleeve
some people will loose that weight quicker, others longer
"God Grant Me Patience but hurry up about it"
you'll have ups and downs over the next few months
Deal With It!!!
Get over it!!!
keep doing what you are doing
continue to follow ALL the rules
you are doing great!!!
kathy

I weighed myself this morning. I'm 8 days post op and I hadn't weighed myself. I weighed 238 the day I had surgery and this morning I weighed 228!! I was in shock and in tears.

You really aren't going to feel a "full" sensation on liquids. Once you start solids, you will feel it after the first couple bites. Like @@bewell said, learn to read the full signal before you take that one bite too many. Measuring also helps with that.
At first, at least to me, I felt it way up high...like almost into my esophagus. Like a tightness. At 11 months out, the full feeling is more normal now.

Sorry to keep writing but I wanted to be sure you knew my 1/4 to 1/3 cup of food was not until 2 months out or more. And 1/3 cup depends on if it's just meat or cottage cheese. If it's beef I might only eat 15 SMALL bites. I also just started beef at 5 months out.
Also when others started eating solids and regular food I couldn't. I didn't start eating a few soft vegetables until 12 weeks. Salads maybe at 4 months. Everyone is different, so when you read someone is eating meat or whatever, you may or may not be ready for that food
Vomiting is the LAST thing you want to do, so I suggest to be on the safe side, take it slow and listen to your body. Be gentle with yourself, it is a huge change in life and takes time to learn and adjust.
Again, you'll do great and congratulations on a new life!

One more thing.....it turned out for me I need to eat 4-5 small meals a day. That worked best for my body and how I can get enough calories in. I just couldn't eat enough 3 times a day to get the nutrition I needed. I worked with my doc and my NUT and that's how it worked for me.
And today, just ONE hard boiled egg is perfect. That keeps me feeling full for 4 hours. It's amazing. If someone told me ONE hard boiled egg would be enough food for me, I'd have said they were crazy! But it is. So 3 eggs a day isn't enough food so that's why I need to eat more small meals. Small meaning 1/4 to 1/3 cup of food. Sometimes it's just one small yogurt. Or a few nuts and little fruit. Or 3 oz of meat. If I eat out, I eat an appetizer.
It's hard to get used to eating a small amount of food. Especially when my head wants that OLD very FULL feeling.

My experience is, I don't feel full until it's too late! I had a lot of problems with vomiting and it was because I didn't STOP before I was full. The doc said STOP before you feel full and I just kept eating looking for that familiar full feeling.
I had to let that go and now I just know how much I can eat before I am satiated. (The satiated kind of full feeling comes 30-40 minutes AFTER I stop eating.)
Having said all that, I have learned to recognize a very subtle feeling while I'm eating that I've had enough. BUT it isn't like the pre-surgery eating till I had a stuffed feeling. It is much more subtle. A sense of feeling kind of full even when my crazy head is saying eat more. I think it's what normal eaters feel knowing it's enough and in 30 minutes the body will tell them, yep that was enough food.
It took me a long time to get rid of the OLD head habits associated with eating.
The first 3 weeks I just about jumped out of my skin. I was so used to thinking about eating, eating, and then hating myself for overeating I didn't know what to do with my self and my feelings. The emotional part of the weight loss was very hard for me. I did start seeing an experienced therapist early on and it really helped get me through the first 3 months.
So my suggestion to you.......don't make my mistake and when they say you can only eat a few tablespoons, well that's it. The amount I could eat post-op and still if VERY SMALL! Just follow your docs instructions and let your body get used to it. Recognize you may have a lot of HEAD-games going on from the drastic change in eating.
Best to you!

If I was going to be a race car driver, why would even I listen to or take advice from anyone who hasn't driven a race car?
It's the same thing with telling people about WLS. If they haven't had it themselves, then why do I care what they think?
All the nay sayers can kiss my size 8 ass.

Oh yeah, I'm getting a new doctor. It was pretty ridiculous. He's actually my psychiatrist, but my therapist is the one who actually got me to seriously consider WLS because she had it a year ago!
And she said she could answer any questions I had, which was such a relief!

I WILL ADD, SINCE NOONE KNOWS ABOUT MY SURGERY AND I'VE LOST ABOUT 60 LBS, I AM EVEN UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE GENERAL COMMENTS/DISCUSSION/ATTENTION ABOUT MY WEIGHT LOSS - EVEN WITHOUT THEM KNOWING I HAD SURGERY. SO JUST THINK IT OVER AND THINK IT OVER WELL BECAUSE YOU CAN'T UN-TELL ANYONE AND ONCE YOU TELL IT SPREADS LIKE WILDFIRE.

I TOLD NOONE EXCEPT FOR MY FIANCE, AND I AM EVER SO THANKFUL THAT I STUCK TO MY DECISION. I'M A PRIVATE PERSON. YOU MAY NOT BE BUT IF YOU'RE SENSITIVE TO OTHER'S OPINIONS, COMMENTS, THOUGHTS, OR JUST PEOPLE BEING IN YOUR BUSINESS - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND NOT NOT NOT TELLING ANYONE EXCEPT FOR THOSE WHO ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO KNOW. JUST MY OPINION.

I love the responses! My parents have sworn me to secrecy, and one of my siblings doesn't know because he's known for being a blabber mouth.
I've mentioned wanting to have WLS done before to close friends and they almost all discouraged it. You can just work out and diet! Been hearing it for years now. Quite easy for people who have maybe an extra 10 pounds on them/never work out themselves/ haven't lost and gained significant amounts of weight repeatedly to tell you all of that. I even told my psychiatrist and he was ANGRY with me. I was scolded like a child, but I couldn't of cared less. It really is a personal decision.
I don't have an issue with sharing, but I think I'll continue to keep quiet about it. Until and unless I run into someone who is considering WLS themselves and I might be able to offer them insight.

Wow, thanks for the outpour of amazing advice and positivity! You guys are right, it's no one's business but mine and all of your words really help me feel confident in my choice. Screw the non supporters, I should be proud of the hard work I'm putting into this, no need to worry about judgements. Thanks everyone for the thoughtful posts.

I'm such an open book that I never even considered keeping it to myself. But what was weird is that my parents and husband automatically expected me to keep it a secret. I told one of my friends and she said that I was taking the easy way out but that didn't bother me enough to keep it to myself. If my story can inspire someone else then I would rather take the chance of helping one person rather than keeping it to myself to protect myself from a negative comment or reaction. I've always marched to the beat of my own drum and never really cared what people thought about me. I can't wait until I have my surgery! I've over the moon with excitement!!!!!!!!!!!

I've only told a select few outside of my immediate family. But honestly the ones I didn't choose to tell were based more on things like: knowing they can't keep a secret, or the nature of our relationship is professional not personal, or in one case that they'd had the surgery a long time ago and failed to keep the weight off so I didn't want to rub salt into the wound, or I simply don't want a bunch of peripheral people observing me in silence like an animal in captivity to measure how much I lose, how fast I lose it, and then pass judgment on what I'm eating.
But probably the biggest deciding factor is that I'm a big girl (pun intended) and I did my own extensive research before making the leap, and that's all the opinion I need on the subject.
There's also the fact that I'm a very private person outside these boards, and my life choices are not, and never will be, up for discussion or debate. Period.
Shame never once came into my decision process. I'm proud of what I'm doing. I'm shining in a way I never have before and I'm reveling in the limelight. I feel like I've spent the last 45 years in prison and I'm finally being granted a pardon for a crime I never committed. This is the type of feeling I wish I could bottle and sell because I'd make a fortune! My days of living in the shadows will be officially over on 07/29 and I have no plans to ever look back again!
Why on earth would I allow any naysayers or pompous bags of air in to ruin the high I've been flying on for the last year, while going through the approval process? I made a purposeful decision to only surround myself with people that I knew would support me 100%. And I don't regret it one bit.

I told only my husband and two close friends who live 1,000 miles away -- in different directions.
I knew beforehand, based on things both family members and other close friends said, that they knew nothing about WLS and weren't supportive of it. Just imagine how much time you've sunk into educating yourself about WLS and then consider whether you want to put that much effort into educating every Tom, d**k and Harry you know about WLS.
For the record, I've lost / gained weight many times in my life. This time around, my friends / family think I've just finally "succeeded." I've lost 90 pounds in the last year and am 5 pounds under my weight loss goal. Doing great. Feeling good. Looking good. And not having to field any goofy, snarky comments from anyone either.

I'm only a 33.3 BMI and I'm having a sleeve done today. My husband is supportive and the three friends I've told are also behind me. I can't tell my family because they are all judgmental and weigh a lot more than me. I may look just a little "plump", but at age 53 my blood pressure, sleep apnea and high cholesterol were constant reminders I need to lose weight. I tried many times to lose weight, but it just won't come off since my thyroid was removed. To hell with those who think this may be easy! It's not easy at all.

I am a low BMI'er. My recovery was easy...no complications. My weight loss was fairly quick and steady. I hit goal in 6 months and am now 20lbs below that. Today is my one year sureversary. Some people here say that low bmi'ers loose weight more slowly...and that is somewhat true. You will not loose 20 lbs in one month, but you will reach goal sooner. In the first few months I was loosing apx. 10 lbs per month. Then it slowed to 8 for the majority of the middle months until I hit goal, then 2-4lbs lost per month since then. I am now 20lbs BELOW goal.
Started at a size 16ish. Am now in 0's. It's been a pretty amazing transformation.

So happy to see a lower BMI on here! I was afraid to ask any questions... ???? thx!

Mine wasn't related to an event, or a trigger weight, or anything like that. I was just tired of being fat. And tired of saying, "If I can't do it on my own by this time next year..."
I guess what I'm saying was that it was a slow process, rather than an event.
I think it was more outside events (e.g. getting a recommendation for a surgeon, realizing it could be done, realizing...) Keep in mind this was 2005 when the only WLS you really heard of was RNY and it was far from mainstream knowledge.