You Are My Sunshine

My surgery date is scheduled for October 5th for gastric bypass. My anxiety is through the roof!😳😳

Personally I wasn’t worried too much about the surgery in terms of anything going wrong. I was most worried about the surgery not working for me. In other words I wouldn’t lose anything at all or I would lose some but gain it all back.

Oct 5th for me. On my third day of liquid and its not too bad. Hard to believe I'm just 5 days from surgery. I'm excited and nervous.

October 11th for me. Started my two-week liquid diet on Tuesday. I'm so excited . . . but also nervous.

I have been doing a low carb diet except for today. I went out to dinner with some coworkers and had some sushi so the rice was bad.

I have shakes but they only have 15 grams Protein but the others are soooo gross I can't finish them. I have been doing Atkins shakes for Breakfast on the way to work and then egg muffins (eggs with spinach, mushrooms, onions, bellpeppers baked in cupcake tins) at work and then one shake with my lunch which is just a low carb tortilla with turkey meat (93/7) with some taco seasonings. For dinner more turkey. I'm just eating the same things day after day to make sure I don't mess up. It's easy to make and the prep time is short. I'm not hungry anymore. It seems like a lot of food but the calories are pretty low for each.

We are almost there!!!! We got this!!! Our hard work is paying off!

There might be a recipe area on this site, I'm not sure. That may help.

Scared but excited.

I am also going back and forth on my decision. It’s a permanent surgery. But then each time I lose weight, I gain it back plus more. Been 10 years that my weight started going up due to a very stressful divorce, menopause and then losing my mom and the pandemic, so …. My surgeon said that weight gain is typically only 10%… that is reassuring. I keep picturing myself thinner again (just going for healthy weight - not ideal weight) and healthier and more energetic that seems to help me focus on the positive of the surgery.

A bypass is usually revised to a sleeve if the bypass fails: weight gain, unmanageable Vitamin malabsorption issues, excessive dumping complications,... Much like a sleeve can be revised to bypass because of weight gain, GERD, etc,
As others have said, any weight loss surgery can fail if you don't make permanent changes to how, what & why you eat. Post surgical benefits like loss of appetite & your restriction don’t last. They should help you to kick start your weight loss & give you time to assess your eating & establish new eating habits. Sounds like you relied on the side effects of your bypass to influence what you ate. I’d expect your bypass would have failed sooner if you didn’t experience dumping (50-60% don’t with bypass).
You mentioned your tummy has stretched. It does because it is a muscle & stretches & contracts. Can’t believe any doctor would say it can’t. Consistently eating larger portions will cause it to stretch more & contract less. But is your tummy as large as it was before you had either surgery or about the size of someone who never had a weight issue?
The success you have with either surgery is dependent upon you, with consideration of any complications you may have of course.
We all have our reasons for choosing the surgery we did & the effort we put in to make changes are reflected in the success we have or didn’t have. Excluding the life changes that can sometimes sabotage our intentions. I chose sleeve because of the lower risk of malabsorption & dumping. I lost all my weight & more.
I don’t eat like friends & family who carry weight. I don’t eat exactly like friends & family who never carried weight either. I have to work a little harder & listen more carefully to my body (what it needs, how it reacts, etc.) because it’s easier for me to gain weight.
I’m sorry you are unhappy with your revision.

4 more days and I am starting to freak out! Just the normal stuff: why am I doing this? Maybe I should try one more time on my own…. I have never been so apprehensive about a surgery before. But I am prepared and I know it will be fine. The discomfort is short lived. This liquid diet is not helping my mood either 😂

Not every doctor requires a preop diet. mine also doesnt. You can check just to be sure though, I did as well. They just told me to stay away from fatty foods the week before and no carbonated beverages. I also notice you are a lower BMI like myself, and its pretty common for lower BMIs. Generally you dont have the same issues with fatty liver as someone higher and thus no need to do the liver shrinking diet.- this is how it was explained to me.

Hey there! I came to wish everyone in Oct good luck but saw your post and thought I could help answer your question! I’m nearly 3 weeks post-op and feeling *almost* back to normal but I can shed some light on the first couple of weeks.

You will be very, very tired when you get home. I don’t recall nausea (I know for sure I didn’t vomit) but the gas is for real. Walking helps. Take it slow and do laps in your house. I didn’t experience too much pain (I had no narcotics) just 1000mg Tylenol, Gabapentin & Celebrex…weird combo but it worked. I needed it for the whole week mainly for the laparoscopic incisions and the largest one has some really deep internal sutures that are painful. Stay hydrated - tiny, tiny sips of Water. You can figure out Protein later but you will 100 legit not be hungry - it’s weird.

Forget it if you are a side sleeper…invest in a back support pillow because you will need it. I’ve also seen that a lot of people lounge/sleep in a recliner…if I had it to do over again I would likely have invested in one. Roll out of bed holding a pillow to your tummy and letting gravity assist. Do not lift heavy things or reach for things overhead (I would prepare your home now anticipating no lifting/reaching). But, you will definitely be able to manage! All of these things get better and better each day - 3 weeks out seems to be the magic time when everything gets a lot easier.
Sorry for the long post but I’m hoping this will be helpful!! Good luck!

I was on Clear liquids with only 2 Protein shakes per day for 7 days pre-op.
The good news is that I lost 17 pounds during that one week. The bad news is that I was very difficult to live with and I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown by surgery day. I started the infamous "Is Sucking on a chicken Nugget Cheating?" thread. Boy, did that stir things up on the boards...
I had a fill on Wednesday and the doctor said, "Protein Shakes for a week, can you do it?" I will do it but I won't like it one bit. I have suffered to protect this band - like many people on these boards but the rewards have been great. I've gone from a size 22 to a 14. I feel good about me and people are giving me compliments.
You can do it. You are not weak for thinking about (or even actually) cheating. You are human. We are works in progress - BE KIND TO YOURSELF!!!
Good luck on your journey. :biggrin1:

I'm October 11th too!

Scared but excited.

I'm scheduled for October 11. I switched surgeons now and hoping this is going to be it. Trying to work on not talking myself out of it or overthinking too terribly much.

I am 3 1/2 months out from my sleeve and for the first time in my life, I started having HORRIBLE gerd symptoms 2 days ago. I'm uncomfortable during the day, but at night is when I'm in agony. I'm on 40mg of Omeprazole for 6 months because of the surgery, so I'm shocked this is happening. I made a post titled "Is this GERD?" because I literally have never felt anything like this before and it's freaking me out. I'm scared that if GERD is starting 3 1/2 months out from surgery, I'm going to have to be miserable for years before I can be approved for a revision. And I thought bypass was kind of the gold standard for eliminating GERD, and now I'm nervous having read a few threads on here about people getting the bypass and developing GERD after, or getting it because of GERD and it not going away.

You really won’t ever be able to take NSAIDs again even with a sleeve. Certainly not in full doses or regularly or prescription strength. They are far too harsh because they are more concentrated in your tiny tummy.
After about a year, my surgeon told me I could have an over the counter anti inflammatory on rare occasions but never for consecutive days. I’ve taken four capsules in 2 years. One after my gall surgery & another after thumb surgery. When my back went out I took one in the AM & one in the PM. That’s it. I also take a PPI every day which probably helps when I do take a NSAID.
I had reflux for years but managed it 99% of the time with dietary choices. Very rarely took medication. Likely why my surgeon still decided to give me a sleeve. I still have reflux now but it manifests differently & is only pretty mild. Yes, I take a PPI every day which keeps most of it under control. I sometimes get burning in my throat late at night but it’s not bad (it doesn’t keep me awake) & is usually because I ate Protein too close to going to bed.
Personally, I’d ask my surgeon for some stats around long term success of gerd not reoccurring in sleeve patients after hernia repair/fundoplication, and stats of gerd developing in all post sleeve patients. Then make your final decision of which surgery yiu want to have.

Hi! I am a nurse, in the hospital I work I did care for surgical Sleeve and RNY patients. I would say the most common description of the pain I have been told is “gas pain” which is alleviated by walking and with pain medicine. Of all the surgical patients I’ve cared for I’ve found Bariatric patients to be the most motivated to move after surgery and the pain is uncomfortable but not intolerable (I’ve not had a bariatric patient in tears from their pain if that helps you feel less anxious!).
I used to be one of those people who saw bariatric surgery as “the easy way” until I cared for bariatric patients. Then I learned it is so much more than a surgery and it leads to life changes that improve quality of life.

I was curious if any of my fellow sleevers had been diagnosed with depression prior to or after surgery. Since about August 2021, (was sleeved on 7/27/22) I've been experiencing on and off symptoms of depression. It comes and goes on a daily/weekly basis. One day I'm fine, then the next week I'm just down in the dumps with seemingly no way out, then I'm fine for the next week or two. I've spoke with a psychologist in the previous months and obviously spoke with a psych to do my pre-surgery evaluation. If you are taking any anti-depressants, what are they and what kind of side effects have you had?

I'm scheduled for October 11. I switched surgeons now and hoping this is going to be it. Trying to work on not talking myself out of it or overthinking too terribly much.

I wonder how the OP is doing these days?

You will be fine, I was a mess after my surgery I was convinced I would NEVER eat or drink normally again. How wrong I was. It took me until the 4 month to finally start feeling better, I cried multiple times a day I couldn't go to work I was a mess. I beat myself up for having the surgery it was awful. Keep in mind your hormones are all over the place and you are most likely grieving your old way of eating and drinking and worried about the unknown.. I am here at 11 months out and I can tell you you will feel better, you will feel amazing when you are shopping for new clothes, can walk up a hill without feeling like you are not going to make it, paint your toes nails easily so many things to look forward too. AND you will be able to have that beef stew and a Martini 😆

I am very sad, I can't drink anything without feeling pain. I miss eating a full meal with my family. I don't want to hear I will be better for it, I don't want to hear I'll be happy in the end!!! My Husband and me bond over his cooking (he is an amazing cook) and how great it taste and a Martini or 3 almost every night. He is athletic BTW! All the people I told about this surgery said why are you doing this, you're beautiful, you're not that big! I spent most of my life feeling like an IMPOSTOR in my skin. I feel beautiful some days and some days I felt just unattractive and honestly FAT! I could never say that out loud before.
I am depressed alot but I'm functional and the one thing I could control whether happy or sad was what I wanted to eat! Now I don't even have that anymore. It's been replaced by emptiness, unsatisfactory feeling, pain, and loneliness. God I want that beef stew and white rice it smells amazing and probably tastes 100 times better than that. Instead I have to settle FOR MASSIVE Indegestion and 30 MLs of emptiness! I ABSOLUTELY REGRET THIS SO MUCH!!!
Sent from my SM-G998U using BariatricPal mobile app

I hope you get sorted soon I did regret it the day after but now I would do it all again in a heart beat best thing I've done not seen a dietitian since the end of November but go on the 17th of may so I'll know then what I've lost I did get a glimpse of myself in a mirror and couldn't believe how much I've lost

I was calm up to the point where they were wheeling me down. Once I was in the holding area my mind was racing with crazy thoughts. Then they came to get me for surgery, once I was wheeled into the operating room I said oh wow there sure is alot of machinery in here. The nurses said yes there is. Then I saw the table I was to be on and I said uuhhh is that the table I need to be on they said yes and I said oh boy its pretty narrow and higher in the air. I was told dont worry we will lift you. My reply was Im so sorry you have to lift my fat self up. No worries I was told we'll just lift you with the handles on the lift your laying on. The anesthesiologist was behind me the whole time on the ride down once I apologized for the nurses having to left me, the anesthesiologist must have zapped me with meds in my IV as I have no memory after I made that comment until I woke up in recovery saying I didnt feel well lol

I will be having my op on the 9th of this month a few days away. When I saw my surgeon I mentioned this to him and he called the anesthesiologist leaving a message to give me a pre med. Anxiety bites at me too. Hope everything goes well for you.

I was extremely anxious before surgery, so the anesthesiologist (at my consult) suggested a Xanax the night before. I never had taken it before, so the surgeon's office prescribed a miniscule amount. It helped so much, even the next morning and I was cognitively fine.
Does your physician's office have a PA or someone similar you can talk to and explain this that this is a regular prescription used to control anxiety? Perhaps they can run the trap lines with your surgeon and/or check with anesthesia. Obviously don't take anything without their ok, but it's not good going into surgery with high anxiety, either.