Mattymatt

Nice! You get to report at a "human" time. I have to be at the hospital tomorrow at 0545. I don't think they'll cancel for a small cold without a fever.

Good for you for getting back up on the horse!

I am not ashamed to admit that I am a member of the 90% of people who were unsuccessful with long term weight management through diet and exercise alone. Yes, that's the statistic. To the people that would tell me that I took the easy way out I say I took the smart way. I am giving myself the best possible chances at long term weight management. The research shows that 65% of people with a BMI >= 35 that use surgery as a tool have long term success at weight management. Another way of looking at this is over 2/3rds of the people that undergo surgery have success. I would argue that surgery is harder than traditional diet and exercise. We have both mental and physical challenges to overcome with bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery essentially forces a lifestyle change upon us. Ironically, I had a much easier time with medically-supervised diet and exercise. I just failed in maintenance.

Your feelings are very understandable. Let's look at the bright side of things because imagine if this had not been caught and you had undergone surgery with serious complications or even death. I am pulling for you but I truly believe things will work out in your favor.

This is something that I will do as well but so that I can see my own progress. Unlike past times when I would berate myself for being obese to begin with, it's just to get my mind out of the "fat guy" mentality.

I was wholly unprepared for the psychological aspects of the journey to bariatric surgery so I sit down to write this in the hopes that you might not make the same mistake that I did in taking this so lightly. When I first started out, I thought this would be similar to the journeys of the other weight loss attempts in my life so I totally discounted the psychology. In fact, I did not even want to think about matters related to the mind. It was the pre-op diet that forced me to take a very long and deep-seated look at the exact cause of my obesity; food is love, relief from clinical depression, and medicine. The realization hit me a week and a half into this pre-op diet that I am no longer going to be able to use the medicine that worked so well. I am a survivor of almost twenty years of verbal and psychological abuse from peers, teachers, parents, and co-workers. Food was what was simultaneous keeping me from suicide and basically killing me. If ever more morbid a paradox existed, I am at a loss for thinking of any. Even the times when I was thin, I always knew if things went downhill, food was merely walking distance away. I have had a range of emotions from anger and hatred towards those whom abused me, to hope and forgiveness. I write this a day and a half before my surgery as I go through a treasure trove of old digital photos of me in different stages of my life. I also went through and organized all of my music. It was something that necessarily had to be done because it's an important part of closure that I never did. I looked at the albums of photos with the two women whom ever had the courage to love me at one point in time or another. I kept them because I was grasping at straws to keep from going over a cliff. I hoped that one day one of them might be a part of my life again. However both are married now, and hindsight being 20/20, they would not be ideal mates for me nor I for them. I looked back on those photos with a mixture of pride, happiness, and sadness. Purging the photos gave me the closure that I needed. Love was possible twice, it will be possible again. I want to stop the cycle of self-loathing. I am not going into the operating room out of self-disgust, I am going out of self-compassion.

It's good that you're calling your surgeon on Monday. If I recall correctly, it is not unheard of (although rare) for latent problems to pop up well after surgery. Just take care and try not to worry.

@The Dora Milaje Is this a habit that one will need to keep for the rest of their lives?

Yeah, LOL ... they don't call it a "meat market" for nothing. It's funny but I actually believe that it really does work. But seriously, meeting people whilst grocery shopping clearly doesn't work for me and that is probably because I am obese. I may smile at someone who I think is attractive but very rarely is the smile returned, much less even acknowledged; I am invisible. In fact, I hate grocery shopping because it is a constant, nagging reminder of the fact that I am fat.

Another March person! Anyhow, I think you should probably take as much time off as you need and not concern yourself with what other people do. Recovery from surgery is a very individual thing and you don't want to rush it because you've heard that other people go back to work quickly so you think you might be able to do that as well. Going back to work prematurely is a mistake you do not want to make.

I am on March 12th too! We're just two days away. Anyhow, to answer your questions ... number 1 is yes and 3 is yes. As for number 2, this is very much dependent on the individual person. I wish I could remember why they want food and drink spaced out.

This is very normal to feel and you're certainly not alone, not in any way. For me the feelings are/were really intense. If you're struggling, the best thing you can do is look hour to hour or minute to minute. If you look too far into the future, it will just make it feel unending.

Here's something that might be worthwhile: https://thecoconutmama.com/fried-chicken-fingers-grain-free/

Good! It doesn't matter what the surgeon thinks of you personally. The only thing that matters is your health and his responsibility to it. It sounds like that he takes the responsibility very seriously. In this day and age few doctors (let alone surgeons) would give out a cell number. I must say I am impressed.

If the surgeon gave you his cell, he really cares! So, make the call. It's better than getting worse over the weekend and ending up back in the hospital. He may even advise you to go to the ER out of an abundance of caution. Make the call ... please

Have you put in a call to your surgeon?

Yeah, I googled a bit and I'm of the opinion that it is hogwash. Just another fad that came and went. So many fad diets out there ... geesh.

Why are you trying to take Apple Cider Vinegar shots?

Maintenance may actually be the hardest part of the whole journey. This is where I have struggled so mightily in the past. I would lose a lot of weight and then be unable to keep it off. I think I need a reason to keep the weight off beyond my health. At present I am unable to think of a reason to keep the weight off beyond the abstract notions of health and happiness. Maybe once I see what doors are open to me once I am not overweight anymore, I'll have a better idea.

This highlights the entire problem with healthcare in America. Healthcare and capitalism don't mix - they never did and they never will.

The band is more dangerous with higher complication rates than the gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. Most lap band patients also end up doing a revision surgery to bypass or sleeve. The success rate is not as good and fewer surgeons are performing this operation.

Your fear is understandable because this is a life changing procedure that you are having done. With any change, there is some good and some bad. Overall, though, I believe that you will find the balance of the change to be good. You've come this far and it hasn't been easy to get here - Just Do It. I am only 4 days away now from mine and I am fully committed to getting it done.

Ah so that is what the foamies are called!

@FatGuy5000 I am also in Pennsylvania. Are you in the Philly area?

There is a bright spark to this because your problem is a good one to have! Your position is a good one to be in because you're physically active and this is absolutely necessary for long term success. I wish I could say this would be my "problems." So, try taking your surgeon's suggestion and see how it goes. Report back because I'd like to be in your same shoes, lifting heavy and maybe doing some spin classes and, heaven fore fend, maybe actually run.