2ndTimeFreedom

This is where you have to practice some real commitment to your long term goals. Develop some mantras that are really meaningful to you and they will help pull you through temptations. There will be temptations for the rest of your life! My three little sayings that help me keep my resolve are:
I'M NEVER GOING BACK! (I am determined to do whatever it takes to keep from being obese again! If that means walking every day or resisting pizza, I will do it.)
I WILL HAVE THIS AGAIN - JUST NOT NOW. (You will get pizza again - just not now. I had my first piece last week, and honestly, it didn't taste as good as I remembered! I've made 2 full Mexican meals for family events, and made 4 birthday cakes during this time, and this little saying got me through them all.) Delayed gratification is a really important skill to develop.)
IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT. (That taste of ice cream or bite of dessert is just not worth it. It will create more cravings, lead to further temptations and slips, and will just mess up my head for my lifelong goal of health. It will jack up my insulin level which leads to more fat storage instead of fat burning. The taste lasts 10 seconds tops, but the results can be lifetime. Our health IS worth it - more than that silly bite.)
Hope this helps. Having determined resolve is one of the chief markers of WLS success, according to some research. We have got to get honest and recognize the games we have been playing with food. It is hard, no doubt about it. If your coping skill for stress was eating, then you have to find new coping skills. The little sayings are one of mine. Exercise is the other. Whatever works for you, but you have to develop strategies that will get you through the temptations for the rest of your life. Preop is the best place to start practicing. I also found it very helpful to use the preop time to get rid of caffeine, soda and sugar. It's MUCH easier to get through the withdrawal prior to surgery. Surgery is hard enough by itself.

Their, they're, there...

I dislike spelling or grammar rants as they serve absolutely no purpose but to attempt to shame people who for whatever reason mispell words. I hope they don't discourage people from posting when they are in desperate need of support.

I am sooooo glad I told no one except my husband, 2 adult kids, my brother and a nurse I needed to change work days with, and she was sworn to confidentiality. I didn't even tell my own parents. I needed a small group that I knew would be supportive and not judgmental - people who have seen my struggle over the years and would stand beside me in this surgery.
What I am really getting tired of is people continually coming up to me and asking what I did to lose the weight. Why is MY weight loss their business????? I tell them that I have made some major lifestyle changes in diet and exercise, which is perfectly true. If they ask for specifics, I tell them, "No wheat, no sugar, no caffeine, no soda (diet or regular), no juice, no alcohol, no processed food, no artificial colors/sweetners/flavors, intermittant fasting, and a lot more exercise." Their eyes glaze over either with the sugar or the alcohol. NOT A SINGLE PERSON HAS ASKED ANY FURTHER - THEY WALK OFF. EVERYONE WANTS A MAGIC PILL. If there was an obese person who was sincerely looking for answers and was willing to start making serious lifestyle changes, I might consider offering WLS as a suggestion to investigate. But I have not seen that person yet. It makes me realize that we here are a very small group of brave, courageous individuals who truly are willing to put it all down, make the sacrifices, and do the hard work for lifelong changes and health. We are few, I believe, when considering the general population.

Wow that’s amazing!

Had my gastric bypass on July 1st and came home today. Non eventful... thank goodness. Trying to swallow 1/4 cup of pureed turkey. Tastes great but getting full at the 2 tablespoon, 1 ounce point. Otherwise a bit tender around my 6 laproscopy sites, no dranining, Water and Protein Shake going down well. Have others had their surgery yet?

Hi guys!! Like Alex, recovery of RNY was very manageable. I still haven’t passed any gas, so belly is still pretty distended. But pain is under control and I was able to tolerate Bari 3 diet today, sooooo I just left the hospital!! Yay!

So happy you had your egd completed. I also think it is amazing that your pouch did not stretch!! That is great news. Without stretching did the surgeon suggest any next steps (outside the monitoring the acid)?

I think you are doing amazing!!! Also, way to go on the breastfeeding! I also continued breastfeeding my children for the same amount of time. That is so AMAZING!!!
Sending continued prayers for a speedy healing recovery. Thank you so much for posting this update!

Also doing great, nicely IV medicated for pain, nausea and gas. Ate 2 cups of ice chips to earn a popsicle, lol. Delighted with the care I'm receiving. Still bloated from surgery, but I did pack my biggest clothes for this probability.

I had my surgery 7/1, so I guess I'm late responding- you guys are so on the ball! I've been pretty out of it. Still pretty weird to be on the other side of it.
On Monday morning, I nursed my baby for the last time (not really baby, he just turned 2, so it was about time ) then dropped my sons off with friends. Was really nervous going to to the hospital. Once we started the check-in process, the nurse gave me a great cocktail of stuff that included an anti-anxiety pill; my husband got to join me a few minutes later and was like "wow, I can tell you're feeling better!!" . So that was really great.
Surgery was at noon, and went well. The doctor found and repaired a pretty substantial hiatal hernia, so that's good to have that fixed. I guess I'm REALLY sensitive to anesthesia, because I was pretty out of it for the first 18 hours. Like, not staying awake for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. My husband sat with me for the first 6 hours, and though I was aware he was there, pretty much couldn't have a conversation because I would just say something and then go back to sleep. They made me get up to go pee in the evening, and the moving/sitting up was a very sharp internal pain, but other than that, wasn't feeling any gas pain or anything as long as I was lying still. Took my first walk in the hall at 4am (which was later than they would have liked, but I was just so out of it still), and then would walk every couple hours. They also weighed me then, and I was 3 lbs up, but they said that's totally expected because of all the fluids they pump in.
I was surprised at how little I needed to sip to not feel it "slosh" in my stomach. People have talked about an ounce or whatever, but I felt like I had to take an ounce in like 3 sips! Jello was good right away too. They took me off the IV pain meds and started me on oral yesterday about 10, several hours before discharge. I miss the good stuff. 😢 Yesterday when I got home was AWFUL. That's when I started to have the gas pains. Or maybe I just wasn't aware of them earlier because of the higher dose pain meds and anesthesia wearing off. For me I don't feel them in my chest or shoulder, but it just feels like my entire abdomen wants to explode from the inside. The hydrocodone they prescribed is a pill, so I have to crush that and mix it with liquid, which is horrendous. My first 2 doses I actually couldn't keep down, which was terrifying to have my stomach spasm as I spat it back up. But today I just took one *tiny* sip, then waited 5 minutes, another sip, waited, then finished it, and I kept it down.
I also was really concerned about getting enough hydration and Protein, because yesterday I only had MAYBE 8 grams of protein from protein Water and 10 ounces of Fluid (they did have me on an IV until I went home though). Today I've been having a Pure Protein Shake, which has 35 grams of protein in it, and I've already gotten half of it down, so I'm not as concerned about it.
Anyway, sorry for the long post- I wanted to share my experience, and also saw some questions about pain and such immediately following surgery, so just thought I'd include it all. Good luck to everyone!

You are in a deprived nutritional state, and recovering from major surgery, so be kind to yourself. Forgive your altered state.
What would you tell your best friend? You would say, it's done - how can I help? Your thoughts can out and out lie to you.
Would you shame someone that needed knee replacement - by saying 'well if you hadn't gotten so fat you ruined your joints, you wouldn't need an 'artificial knee' ? Woukd you shame someone for needing a c-section instead of 'natural' childbirth? NO. You would say - this is an opportunity for you to be mobile again and enjoy your life, live fully. And your body wasn't going to cooperate with childbirth, you have a healthy baby to love.
This surgery is a tool for you to improve your life. Your original reasons for wanting it are buried behind some undeserved guilt and fear. Stay strong, it will improve.

Felt exactly the same way about another surgery, my tubal ligation. I wished for more children , I had been an only child, oh it sounds in theory a wonderful situation, but I can assure you it is not. I had difficulty delivering my Son the Tomkitten , my OB threatened if I attempted a 4th childnirth, it would be a Poro section. This means a Caesarean and immediate hysterectomy, I was scared into consent for a tubal ligation. My doctor claimed he spoke to my Late husband, who refused a vasectomy, so it would be up to me if I wanted to retain my uterus or risk dying attempting another childbirth. So feeling " backed to the wall" I signed consent papers. But was it truly my choice? No it was NOT and I found out much later that my Late Husband had

never been asked. It was all my Doctor's idea, and I really felt robbed of my fertility. Took time and consoling and a therapy period to finally come to terms with this loss Why didn't we extend our family by adoption? Never was all that financially stable and I felt it was my fault for being so compliant, once again , to a man, doctor or not. I had and probably Will always have a poor emotional self-image. I felt I was being punished for having 3 children and deserved no better. It has taken years and years, but I don't weep about it as much as I once did.

Talk your way through it. Be very specific and honest with yourself. Keep asking yourself why.... why are you feeling regret? When you have an answer again ask why you think that. Keep repeating this until you have gotten to the root cause. This forum has been great for me to express my thoughts through the process. I was prepared to be an emotional wreck post surgery particularly while still in liquid/mush/softs, I prepared for the worst but hoped for the best. So far its been a breeze. When you have dropped 50lbs you WILL feel better about yourself.

Good morning!
See y'all on the other side!

Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Feeling a little better this morning!

I have seen many posts by other weight loss surgery patience that have the exact same issue with getting someone to take them home. You guys are definitely not alone with this issue. The idea of a home health agency was great! That was good thinking.
I had my egd this morning and my dr found a hiatal hernia. I am wearing a monitor for the next 48 hours to measure acid in my esophagus. The dr placed a tiny probe in my esophagus when he was in there.
He raves about how well my surgery was done by my original surgeon. He also said that I have not stretched my sleeve which amazes me.

Thank you o much for posting this!!! So like you, I also want and will need the follow-up support that comes after surgery. My office does offer this (for a fee), but it is an investment that I am going to make for myself. I think it is under $300.
As far as the endoscopy - I was in the same boat as I had just moved to the city I am in. What I did was find a nursing/home health agency who does supportive services/transportation etc. I explained that I was having a procedure and needed a ride home after. I had to pay for two hours of the nurses time ($60) for her to drive me home. We were together for less than 30 minutes but it was the only way I could get my procedure completed. I took a uber to the location and she picked me up and signed me out. I arranged for the home health aid to be there when I finished and also let the doctor office staff know the dilemma I was in so they understood that I had a medical professional to be there for me once I was done. She was there on time (a beautiful person) who drove me home and even called to check on me after I was comfortable at home. Anyway - that is how I dealt with that similar problem.

I will say for me it is not as easy as I thought it would be. I am just doing my best to stay away from the smells of food Which Protein Shakes are you using?

I am so sorry

You have so got this!!!

Congratulations!!!! Super excited for you. This is great news.

They used a robot which I guess has better outcomes for pain and people go home quicker usually

Gotta say pain isn’t as bad as I thought it would be! 👍🏼