AnnainOK

Precisely the reason I'm having my RNYGP.

Curiousity here. I have had reconstruction after bilateral mastectomies, with a lat flap on one side--that means fat was added to pad things.

After my surgery, will I lose this fat padding like everywhere else, or does it behave differently?

@@Pinkgirl1234 I had bilateral mastectomies with partial reconstruction 6 weeks after the hysterectomy in 2013, and I finished the reconstruction in January of this year. Thankfully, I no longer have to take anything for that!

My surgery is October 26th.

I had a complete hysterectomy in 2013, and three years of tamoxifen before that. I thought I was done with all my hormone issues, but with the beginning of my pre-op liquid diet, I'm starting to feel as though I'm experiencing a hormonal response. So I'm thinking, the body stores estrogen in fat. I'm losing fat now, with more to come. Could there still be enough residual estrogen in my system to cause me trouble? It's not going to stop me, but forewarned is fore-armed, and my husband and son will want to know if they should be prepared to duck and cover.

I'm glad that you've made your decision based upon the counsel of your PCP as well.

I was pressured the opposite way, to have a sleeve rather than the RNY, so I switched surgeons, and talked with the new one at length about what my goals were. I'm right there with you regarding the metabolic issues, I'm also a diabetic, hoping for remission.

It's not an easy choice, but it's done, and now you can work on the future.

@@aranushka My surgery is the 26th. I understand what you mean about owing it to your kids. I'm 55 and have a 12-year-old. I lost 70 pounds the old-fashioned way when he was 2, but haven't been able to continue nor keep it all off, so I'm having RNYGP.

I'm not thinking about it more than I must. I start my pre-op diet tomorrow.

Good luck to you!

I'm feeling a lot better after all these. I've got it made.

We talked about ankle weights, but my son gave me such a disapproving look (they were his) that I just gained the weight so he wouldn't think his mom was cheating! Now he has to do without snack foods in the house while I lose it!

When my husband had his RNYGB, he was advised to drink nothing but Protein Shakes two weeks before surgery, and Clear liquids two days before.

When I did the nutrition consult for a gastric sleeve, I was told "Follow South Beach" minus the carbs.

Now, my surgeon for my RNYGB said "Vegetarian diet, with Protein Shakes."

I understand liver shrinking--I just don't get all the different ways folks are doing it.

Is this something that is actually standardized, or is a matter of personal preference on the part of the surgeon?

I'm having mine on October 26th!

I had a laproscopic hysterectomy that was a walk in the park compared to my four c-sections, and I never thought any of those were that bad.

My husband had laproscopic RNYGB and swore like a sailor the entire trip home from the hospital three days later. He thinks I'll be ready to kill someone by the time we drive the three hours home, even though I have never had that problem through a lot of other stuff.

I have a feeling he was just a total newbie to the world of cut and paste.

I didn't, as I knew in advance that the approval package would include that first weight. If your doctor advised you to gain a few more pounds, chances are he will submit your paperwork with the higher weight.

My son asked me if I thought it was "cheating" to do this. My reply? Nope. I can easily gain a few pounds over the holidays, during periods of stress, whatever. It's just chance that dictates what I'm going to weigh in at a particular point. Heaven knows I've gained and lost the same fifty pounds over what I am right now a dozen times in the last twenty years!

I had to gain weight to qualify as well. It was harder than I expected.

Thank you for replying!

Sometimes I feel silly for looking for support--my problems seem small compared to many of you. I've been open with my friends about having the surgery, and most of them say "But you don't NEED it! I don't think you're that big!" Well, at my 5'6" large frame, I can carry a lot of weight, and I've done it, as I said, all my life. While I don't have sleep apnea, or high cholesterol/triglycerides, I do have the Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis...and my lower back is an assortment of ruptured disks and the site of my arthritis.

I'm only on Metformin. My A1C is currently within normal limits. I want to keep it there, but I know it would only get tougher with age. I kept thinking I could keep my weight down on my own, but when I went to the back doctor after losing 60 pounds, and he said "You need to lose thirty pounds--and a hundred wouldn't hurt", I knew I couldn't do it by diet alone. I exercise daily, but the hours I would have to spend to begin to get there...sheesh! I got down to 200 once about six years ago, and it took three to four hours a day in the gym. I don't have that kind of time...and it wears on your body to do that as well.

My son is my heart. He stayed by my side through all the other surgery. He's not thrilled that I'm going through more, but I keep reminding him that this one is for us--for our chance to be together for a lot of years to come. I'm also attempting to inspire him in his Quest to learn to swim (he has some fear of Water, but needs to learn to continue ranking up as a Boy Scout).

We have a goal, to hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail in 2017, then the Pacific Crest. I can hike five miles or so at a time now, but it takes its toll. I keep telling myself all these things, over and over again.

I can use all the friends I can get!

What I haven't mentioned is that I'm also 55 years old. I had my son at 43--and I'm determined not to have his support be limited by having an older mom...so I suck it up (but sometimes I go have a good cry in the bathroom.)

I'm Anna, married, and the mother of three grown daughters, and one twelve-year-old son. I'm also the grandmother of two. I've been trying to qualify for my surgery for five years, and I finally have a date! October 26th.

When I started out, I needed six months of medically supervised diet. I did that, only to have our insurance change before my surgery could be scheduled. Then the new insurance said my BMI was not high enough without two or more co-morbidities, and I only had one. Then I developed breast cancer and uterine issues. Resolving all that took another two and a half years. I developed the second and third co-morbidites, and managed to stay at the required BMI long enough to qualify. My main purpose for choosing RYGB is to resolve my Type 2 diabetes. The weight loss is a good thing, and will help my arthritis and high blood pressure, but if I can even just achieve a 10-15 year remission, I'll be thrilled.

My husband has been through this, and I was with him every step of the way. His results were great at first, then he had some weight gain. That makes me nervous--I don't want to go through this only to regain weight, but he assures me I have more resolve than he. (I'm not so sure of that.)

I'll be honest. The surgery itself doesn't scare me (not after everything I've been through), it's the post-op life. I wonder what that will all be like, how well I'll negotiate it, what the changes will be like. I've always been overweight. The goal they have me at was my weight in junior high school. I don't even remember what it looked like. I'm afraid of dumping, Constipation, etc.

My family and friends expect me to be tough--just like I've been in the past--but well, let's just say we'll see how tough I really am. I feel like a marshmallow on the inside.

Am I the only one who is thinking about all the things I'll never eat again? And how silly that is? I'm supposed to be thinking about all the advantages I'll have. Anyway, I'm looking forward to talking with folks who are going through this as well.

Anna