Penny1966

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You might lose the weight quickly and this may trigger questions.... I had the surgery last November. I am down from 210 and am now at 148. I had diabetes, but that is no more. It is a life changer, the surgery. LIFE CHANGER. The medications are a thing of the past. It is wonderful. It isn’t easy, it is not easy at all. It is hard, and you will need a support system. Sharing this with the right people (not everyone, but the right people) will be the best thing for you. I will not forget the week before the surgery, the surgeon asked me if i will be back for the surgery. I couldn’t believe he was asking me this. I had gone through so much to get the approval, the classes, talked with psych, spoke with my husband, my children, my support group, studies everything. He said 40% of the people don’t come back. They decide against it last minute.
It is a life long game changer. But, it will change your life.
I wish you the best in your choice. Share this news with those who will be supportive, will cheer you on, bring you broth, and hold your hand when you can’t sleep because you are exhausted and cranky and can’t fall asleep (you will have those nights in the beginning). And then you will start to really live, and see how wonderful your life will be.

I had a revision on 4.20 and initially I was going to have a sleeve revision - I changed my mind to bypass and glad I did! I had severe GERD and a hernia and I have never felt better...am also losing the excess weight I gained back.

You can always try freezing some Protein Shakes partially and eating with a spoon.
I’ve also blended one with ice so make it thicker to eat with a spoon.
Hang in there. For me it got easier the longer I did was on it.

My surgeon explained it to me that the issue is that if the liver is still too fatty after the pre-op diet it's just impossible to lift up the liver to do the bypass. My bloods b4 the pre-op diet showed that my liver was very fatty and so I had to do the pre-op diet for 18 days beforehand rather than 14. The nutritionist's diet sheet included carbs, so I didn't go into ketosis as some people do.
So, I'll be honest, I was hungry most of the time, but I did what all the other posters here did and drank plenty & filled up on veggies. I managed to stick to it simply because it was so time limited. I knew it was only for 18 days and the surgeon had told me of one patient who he'd opened up but whose liver was still too fatty to move, so he'd had to sew him back up again without doing it and I was determined not to let that happen if I could help it.
Just focus on the fact that it's only for a very short period of time. The hunger is good - you're losing weight and visceral fat. You can do it!

Right before my revision surgery, I questioned why I had to adhere so strictly to the preop diet (especially since I was at my goal weight)
I was told that not only does the pre-op diet reduce the fat in the abdominal cavity making it easier to navigate during surgery, but it also reduces any fat remaining inside the liver. They took preventative measure for better surgical outcomes.
The liver is one of the organs that must be lifted in order to reach the digestive track. If it has too much fat, it is not pliable and becomes prone to injuries like tears, scaring and even breaking.
My surgeon asked me to imagine a marbled steak as opposed to a leaner steak. The fat filled areas of the steak will tear easier that the purely muscular areas.

After that conversation I (begrudgingly) complied with the pre-op diet.

Here’s the thing: the pre-op diet also serves as mental prep for after surgery. While your stomach is healing, you have to adhere to your surgeon’s instructions perfectly. Weeks or months of liquid/pureed/soft foods.

I think there is a real advantage going into the surgery already in ketosis. It took me a good 3 or 4 day to get there but I made sure I did not add in any carbs during the pre surgery liquid diet. I had headaches the first three day of the liquid diet but I'm relieved that I won't be going through carb withdrawal right after surgery.

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Keep your eye on the prize !! This was the hardest part for me, but I knew when I got through the 2 weeks that help was on the way.

For what it’s worth, my doctor said he could tell that I did really well on the pre op diet (guess my liver was really small) and I didn’t have any pain post op. I like to think it was cause the liver was shrunk down and out of the way he had a lot more room to move around in there and I didn’t get bruised inside from them trying to retract things to make room?? Perhaps if you think of it that way it will help you stick to it.

Catwoman is 100% correct. Once you get a few days in it will get easier. Sounds weird but it will. Drink broth. It’s warm and filling when you’re hungry. To be successful you need to commit to this. We have all had to do this so I’m speaking from experience. You can do this too!
One last piece of advice. Don’t put yourself in the same room as people eating things you will want. When my kids and husband would come home and eat I’d simple go into my bedroom w my liquid of choice and stay in there until they were done. I did that so I wouldn’t smell, see or make myself ravenous w the food being around. You can do this. Set yourself up to succeed. Don’t put yourself in situations of temptation.
YOU CAN DO THIS!! Keep us updated. I wish you success.

it's a challenge -- but most of us are required to do it. You just have to white knuckle it. I never cheated. It was hard, but I powered through it, as I suspect the majority do. Yes - some people have reported here that they cheated once or twice - but I didn't want to go down that rabbit hole. I don't know how much better it is if you have a couple of "cheats", since you have to be on the diet for 14 days, so you're still going to have many days where you're going to have to deal with the diet and the hunger. That is, unless you "cheat" every day (or most days), which defeats the purpose and can cause your surgery to be canceled.
I never thought I'd be able to do it, but I did it. It gets a lot easier by day 3 or 4, when your body gets into ketosis. And that's another issue - I'm not sure your body is going to go into ketosis if you cheat. So you'll be dealing with hunger the whole two weeks.
there's nothing you can really do to prepare except to stock up on things you're going to need. In my case, it was sugar free Jello, sugar free popsicles, chicken broth, Tomato juice/V8, and lots of clear no-cal (or ultra-low-cal) beverages, like Crystal Light.
the thing I kept in mind is that if I could do this, I could definitely handle any of the post-op diet requirements.

Insurance: If weightloss surgery is excluded from your plan, save yourself the headache and just change to a plan that that includes the weightloss surgery that you want.
Also some of the research/follow up maybe be on the patient. The paperwork, approvals, scheduling etc are all performed my people and sometimes mistakes can happen.
My surgery coordinator forgot to fax one page of necessary information and insurance couldn’t move forward with approval until they had it. The coordinator didn’t even know there was a page missing (could have stuck to another page)
The only reason I knew and was able to have it fixed was because I checked in on my approval with my insurance company myself.

I discovered that I actually wasn’t happy sitting alone in my bedroom eating a family sized bag of candy and chips every Saturday night. Crazy.

Seriously though, I am impressed at my own ability to follow through and persevere. The whole process isn’t easy, from insurance to surgery to recovery and then weight loss. But it’s nice to feel accomplished and have reached a goal that I set.

Freedom. Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy with all the dietary restrictions. For the first time in my life, it's easy to stop eating and drinking. Prior to surgery, a weekend like this would have involved massive amounts of food (as in yesterday we had: lobster mac and cheese, smoked pork, hot dogs, hamburgers, all the sides, beer, and more liquor than you could possibly imagine). Spending the day with famiy and friends would have previously involved me eating all day and a VERY high liklihood of lots of alcohol. Instead, I tasted a little bit of the things that looked/sounded good (one or two bites), had a small cocktail and was very satisfied without feeling deprived.
The forced restrictions keep me under control and still allow me to enjoy life without the stress and "shame" of overeating/drinking. Having this surgery has given me the tool that I needed to take control of my life instead of food controlling my life.

Sorry I've been Mia but it's crazy last Thursday I finally got approved as well. I have to go in for pre admissions this Thursday I'm over the moon

If you like shrimp....even a little....you need to try this, cause these are SO FREAKING GOOD!
You get some raw shrimp, clean it, just the meat. BLOT IT WELL....squeeze, even, to REMOVE MOISTURE.
Half of it, you cut up into chunks.
Half of it, you either mince with a knife or put through a food processor.
You mix both halves together with an egg white and a little corn starch.
Refrigerate for a half an hour, and then form the mixture into patties on waxed paper.
Then, you have two options...
You can either bread it with eggwash and panko, or you can leave it plain. Or, you can split the difference and just sprinkle a little panko on it and not fully bread it.
Season it well....I love Old Bay for this.
Then you fry it. A couple of minutes on each side. You can air fry it, too! Spritz with oil and off you go.
You eat this thing with some lettuce, wassabi, and some tartar sauce.
You can put it in a wrap, or a whole grain bun, or just plain....but make sure you have lettuce, wassabi and tartar sauce.
TONS of protien, low calories, and incredibly tasty.
My husband...who isn't a huge shrimp fan...will eat these like hamburgers and loves them.
Also, you can put the raw patties in the freezer and get them out as needed:)

Myth One: I’m going to FINALLY be a NORMAL weight!
A few people get there, but most don’t.
In general, the success of weight-loss surgery is sometimes defined as achieving a 50 percent or more loss of excess body weight and maintaining that level for at least five years.
So…let’s say you’re a 5’5” woman whose normal weight should be around 150….and you weigh 250 pounds. If you have bariatric surgery and get down to 200 pounds and maintain that for five years…you’re a success.
According to a University of Michigan study of bariatric patients over seven years:
Normal weight (BMI less than 25) was achieved by 2.3–6.8% of patients.
47% of patients achieved a BMI less than 30.
And this of course, means about half of people who do bariatric surgery never make it to a BMI under 30.
And I know this sounds REALLY FATALISTIC…but in all honesty, ANY weight you lose is so good for your health. Even 10% weight reduction is associated with tremendous health benefits. The surgery IS an invaluable tool. I don't mean to diminish that.
I'm just saying... Bariatric patients get sold on this idea that weight loss surgery is salvation, that everyone gets skinny and healthy and that you never have a bad relationship with food again. There is this false idea that everyone is transformed and lives happily ever after, that food will never again be a challenge and that you can't end up right back where you started....which, very realistically, you can. And many people do:(
There is this unspoken idea that you'd have to be a serious screw-up to gain weight after bariatric surgery. Guess who gains weight eventually after surgery? Almost everyone. You still have to pay attention. You still have to log your food and watch the scale and keep track of your triggers and not escape into denial. You still have to work on your mental problems with food. Fixing your stomach doesn't fix your head. The first year, you're all honeymoon dreamy and nothing is a temptation. The second year, the third year, the fifth year....things get a little tougher.
Am I trying to talk folks out of it? Absolutely not. This surgery is an amazing tool. But that's all it is. The whole equation of solving the problem is a lot bigger and more compex.
For what it's worth...my two cents...
Work hard, be consistent, be patient. The best outcomes are achieved by folks who keep at it, who are unphased by losing slowly, who create livable realistic changes in their eating habits that are permanent.
Avoid extremes. Extremes don't last. Extreme low calories, extreme exercise, extreme food choice limits, extreme structure...backfires. Life demands moderation and flexability. Don't punish yourself. Gently modify your life with workable new goals that you can stick with. Make livable changes that endure. And when you screw up (everyone will) pick yourself, dust yourself off, and get back to work. Don't waste energy on guilt or anger at self. Just get back to work. Modify. Adjust. Livable permanent change is your goal.

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had good resources to share with friend and family to get them information on this journey. My husband is one of those eat all the junk and be skinny types and doesn’t fully understand my struggles. Also he is blind and has other health issues so he’s got his own view on things. He is supportive and will help me in whatever way I can but wanted to see if there was a good resource for him to read stuff from a support perspective and not from a patient perspective if that makes sense.

thanks!!!

LOL! 62 is not old. Dude!
I'm 8 years older than you (the OP). And I have A LOT OF YEARS LEFT!
Seriously, my mother died last year at 96 and a half years of age. I expect to live at least another 20 years.
I plan to cause a lotta trouble and have a lotta fun during the next 20 years.
Auntie Mame's famous saying seems more than appropriate for a WLS message board: "Life's a banquet, and most poor fools are starving to death!"

yes you'll wake up. The mortality rate on RNY is 0.3% (it's even lower on sleeve - can't remember the stat on that one, though). So you have a 99.7% chance of pulling through just fine. And you will. These have become very routine and safe surgeries. People have died during tonsillectomies or having their wisdom teeth extracted. But how often does that happen? Hardly ever. And same with WLS. You've been thoroughly checked out physically - or will be by the time you go to surgery. If there were any red flags, they'd have cancelled or delayed the surgery. You will be fine.

You will lose weight as long as you stick to the plan. It's when people stray and let bad habits creep back in that they run into trouble - either quit losing weight or start gaining it back. Just stay committed and you'll do fine.

yes - if you lose 100 lbs, which looks like your goal, you will most likely have loose skin. I had a ton of it (I've since had it removed). But it was easy to hide in clothes - no one knew it was there but me (I've attached a picture of me BEFORE I had plastic surgery. Betcha can't see any loose skin. And no, it didn't look great - but it looked better than when I weighed almost 400 lbs! I think almost all of us who are a ways out would take the loose skin any day of the week over being morbidly obese again. ANY DAY!! In the grand scheme of things, the loose skin is actually pretty minor. In retrospect, I wonder why I wasted even one brain cell worrying about it.

Major issues aren't very common. And most (maybe all?) are fixable.

Most of us have little to no pain with these surgeries. A minority of people do have some pain, but not excruciating. They'll send you home with pain meds (I didn't even open mine, to be honest - I felt fine) - so if you're one of the unfortunate ones who has pain, just take the pain meds to keep on top of it. It'll last at most a few days.

And here I am, at the time having lost 235 lbs (I've since gained back 20), and BEFORE I had my loose skin removed...

Hi! My surgery also involved a hernia repair and went fine. Took no pain meds after 1 day hospital stay. went back to work in 3 days. little to no pain but very tired for quite a while. I am 4 months out now and have lost 104 pounds. I too wish I would have done it sooner. There will be some adjustments(drink slow, eat slow etc.) but it gets better quickly. Definitely worth it. Will change your life. 😃

1. You will wake up, believe It! own it! In fact, you may even ask did you have surgery yet because it will feel like you just your eyes!
2. You absolutely will lose weight, believe it! own it!
* subtle disclaimer: Do not be surprised if you leave the hospital heavier than when you entered. This is not a failure of anything, it’s just your body retaining the fluids that were given to you. It’s an artificial inflation of your weight so IMHO don’t even bother thinking about it.
3. Loose skin be damned! Even it with it you’ll be smoking hot with a new slimmer silhouette plus renewed confidence (you can fix loose skin later if you even have any)
4. You are likely to have low possibility or no possibility of complications at all (if you look at statistics that are published) And if you have any complications great or small, please immediately contact your doctors ! don’t wait or ask the Internet.
5. Work with your team to make sure you have a pain management schedule put together before you even go into surgery. It’s possible to wake up feeling no pain.
These fears are all completely normal, I had the same ones plus a few more,
You can do it! Good Luck ❤️

It’s so normal to have these fears! I was close to having WLS about 10 years ago, but cancelled due to fear. I’m now about a year and a half out, and only regret not doing it sooner. My recovery was a breeze. I took 3 weeks off work, but could have gone back after two. Pain was minimal, more fatigue than anything else. I carefully followed my team’s plan and have lost at a steady rate. I started at 286 and am now at my doctor’s goal of 155. Loose skin was definitely a thing, and I had plastic surgery to take care of that two weeks ago. Even if I hadn’t been able to have PS, I would take the loose skin over the 131 extra pounds any day! The process isn’t easy, but so very worth it. I can walk, run, hike, bike, and dance with my husband. I can walk in to any store and buy clothes that I love rather than trying to find something that fits me. I’m so glad I conquered my fear to do this, it is worth it in every way.

Girl you got this. those are all normal fears. Let me tell you the pain is not all that bad. I wish i was going through it again. I had my surgery 8 years ago and i am trying to get a REVISiON. Just got authorization for appointment. Now i am hoping they approve my REVISION. You will be fine.

Hi Suzy, I agree with what others have said. Also, I noticed you said you hardly eat anything. Make sure you know from your nutritionist how many calories and Protein you should consume daily. Not enough can slow or stall weight loss.