SunnyinSC

4 hours ago, Shrink&Grow said:

Finally got the call today with my admission time (7.30am isn't too bad!) and got the go-ahead for the finance, transferring the deposit made me feel sick. It's real. It's happening.

Come on June 12th..

So exciting! I should be getting a call tomorrow to confirm admission time. Did my surgery payment with the pre-op appointment. Surgery is less than a week away. It hasn't set in yet for me though. Like, I'm aware surgery is coming up, but it hasn't actually "clicked". I have a feeling I'm gonna be one of the ones that has a good cry on the way to surgery the day of.

23 hours ago, RickM said:

We didn't have any pre-op diet, either, neither me nor my wife, who was around a 65 BMI; they don't require it for any of their procedures, though they do (or did) a colonooscopy bowel prep the night before - overkill for the sleeve that I had but reasonable for the DS that they routinely perform. From what I have seen, most of the legacy DS surgeons don't do any pre-op diet, either which at first seemed strange to me, given the very fiddly work that they do underneath the liver for that job, but then those who go into that end of the business tend to come from the top of the class, so it seems that they have developed the tools and skills to not need the diet. Either that, or they ate totally clueless, but their record seems to refute that, so it seems that you have indeed chosen one of the good ones - congrats.

Ah, I wonder if that may be it. The surgeon I'm going to is also part of the Medical University staff here, and he also does DS. I can't remember the exact number, but I believe he's got 25-30 years experience in the field as well.

Thank you all again for the input. It's help eased some of my anxieties. Thankful I have the forums to turn to during this whole process so that people who are more likely to understand or have experience are always just a few keystrokes away!

Yikes, I am so sorry your experience has not been better. I haven't had surgery yet, but can echo that my nutritionist advised me what others have mentioned, that non-caffeinated liquids count towards my Fluid (water) intake goal for the day. She even mentioned Protein Shakes as an excellent way to meet fluid goals while also meeting Protein goals.

I don't have any real suggestions on upping calorie intake or anything. Maybe Beans or some sort of Pasta? I know long term (when I get to solids) my nutritionist recommends 8 servings protein rich foods, 4 servings produce, 2 servings starches, and 3 servings fats per day. You could add a little more fat in the form of butter or such when you're cooking to get some extra calories in with either protein or veggies too, since your nutritionist was recommending more fat with dairy, maybe getting that fat in with other foods is okay too?

1 hour ago, catwoman7 said:

not all surgeons require one, even if your BMI is over 50 (yours might not if it's under 50 because they probably presume they'll be able to get under your liver if it's under 50 ). Regardless, consider yourself lucky. The pre-op diet can be hell.

I definitely consider myself lucky! Just a bit of anxiety surrounding my rules being so different from the vast majority of what I see online about people's requirements and all. Was hoping to quell it a bit. I considered maybe imposing my own liquid pre-op diet for a couple days leading up to surgery to play it safe, but I know I'll be miserable if I do. When I've cut out sugar in the past to do do Keto, the first few days are just Migraine ridden. I also don't know that 2-3 days would actually be enough to shrink the liver at all.

1 hour ago, HealthyLifeStyle said:

They did not make me do a pre op diet either. I was told not to lose any weight or I wouldn't qualify for the surgery. At the time I weighed 216, at surgery I weighed 205. I had the surgery mainly because I was a bad diabetic. I couldn't lose weight on my own. I also had thyroid issues, and a ton of other medical problems. I had the bypass and my recovery was not easy. I was very sick for the 1st few months. I lost 40 lbs. in the 1st month alone. I couldn't eat anything or even drink Water without being sick. I had to go on a script of nausea Patches that you wear behind your ear. Finally in months 2-3 I could tolerate a small amount of cream of wheat and drink peppermint tea. The months after I had a very hard time eating anything more than a few bites of food. I am still having this problem now. I am 9 months out and down to 130 lbs. and look sickly. I am trying to put some weight back on because I am so skinny. Not trying to scare you, just telling my story. Good Luck

No worries about scaring me Thank you for sharing your experience, and sorry to hear it was so rough! I hope that the nausea and such get better for you, and that you can get to a point where you feel healthy and happy with your weight, and your new eating habits.

No pre-op diet was definitely a new one to me, but I suppose people don't really need help with a whole lot if they don't have to do pre-op dieting. It does provide a bit of comfort that I'm not the only one who doesn't have to do one. My surgeon also does pureed foods on day 2 through the first month, which was uncommon as well. While the surgeon is highly experienced and highly rated for the area, seeing such a drastic difference in both pre-op and post-op treatment was leaving me a little anxious. Rational me knows the hospital isn't gonna tell me to do anything purposefully harmful. It's just hard to ignore all the other info out there and question what I should or shouldn't be doing.

So I had my pre-op appointment and they mentioned that a pre-op diet is not required, but did recommend doing a Protein Shake for dinner the night before instead of solid food. I mentioned I had read online that most surgeons seem to require at minimum a 2 day liquid pre-op diet and the nurse let me know that they reason they aren't requiring one is because my BMI is not 50 or more. I guess they only require it for heavier patients.

I was just wondering if anyone else had a surgeon that didn't require a pre-op diet. If so, what surgery did you get, and how was recovery?

To echo what others have said, they gave me the "Michael Jackson" drug. I don't remember the name, but I do remember them telling me that it was the same one he overdosed on. I don't remember any of the procedure itself. They put a little thing in your mouth that keeps it open for them to slide the tube in. No pain, no sore throat, and getting up from the anesthesia was much easier than surgery to get my gallbladder out in the past (it wore off for me a lot quicker and I wasn't loopy the rest of the day. I did cough up a lot of phlegm/lubricant stuff for the remainder of the day, but that also didn't hurt. Was sort of like the tail end of a cold when you're feeling back to yourself save for a bit of a cough.

Follow up with your surgeon and doctor. One of the reasons I failed my psyche eval is cause I had stopped taking my depression medication and felt like I was doing okay. The psychologist mentioned that after surgery, it's not uncommon for depression to get worse for people who have it, and that where I appeared to be self-medicating with food, she was worried for me. So part of my pre-op was getting back on medications. Based on what she said though, depression worsening after surgery (at least for a time) is pretty common. I don't know the science behind why or anything. You may indeed need medications adjusted though.

I'm officially scheduled for June 8th!

I think who we choose to tell is a personal decision, as with all other medical things. I very much do not talk about depression and anxiety save for online where I am anonymous, or with some close family members I trust. It's not anyone's business and I don't have time for people who may decide I don't tick the right boxes for them to diagnose me, as if they're my doctor/therapist. Same applies here, this is a medical procedure that deals with mental health and I can keep that as private or public as I would like it.

For me, a lot of thought has went into who I picked to share details with. Most everyone knows I am having surgery because they're aware I will be taking time off, but only a few know why. Please keep in mind that for many of us (I'd wager all of us to some extent) we are taking not only the step of surgery, but have some mental aspect of eating we have to address. I would guess a great many of us (myself included) have a lot of difficulty with emotional eating and receiving negative comments from people we hold dear can send us into a dark place. Dark thoughts can be especially hard to deal with when new behaviors and coping mechanisms have not been established. They can quickly lead to bad choices and dangerous situations depending on how far post-surgery someone is, or their pre-existing mental state.

To tell people that they have to shoulder not only their own mental burdens, but also the increased mental load that comes from uninvited comments and negativity, all while they're trying to make very large life changes, is pretty unreasonable. Let people do their own thing, and tell people (or not) on their own time, in their own way.

6 minutes ago, DareMightyThings said:

Great job! Yea definitely its better to make gradual changes than feel like you are doing a super restricted diet with no wiggle room. Its funny some people do self pay and they can get their surgery in less than 3 months- I wonder if they still have to take nutrition classes or take an eval. Seems they would be in shock with not being able to handle the requirements after surgery. And what was the reason for not passing the evaluation if you dont mind me asking?

I am actually self pay The surgeon I chose to go with still requires a psyche eval and labs and all that. I failed mine initially because I was eating really large portions for lunch sometimes and then skipping dinner (we're talking eating until uncomfortably full). The person evaluating thought I may have binge eating disorder of some sort, or at the very least a disordered relationship with food. And I have to agree with her, my relationship with food is definitely not a healthy one. I'm actually pretty thankful for the little pause and sort of being "forced" to go to therapy pre-surgery instead of just post like I was initially planning.

I'm still in pre-surgery phase, waiting to schedule a surgery date at this point. I've been seeing a bariatric therapist for a few months now after initially failing my psyche eval. I have made some choices to start eating better gradually. This hasn't included calorie counting or anything yet. It's just things like choosing not to eat out as often, using smaller plates, or keeping healthier Snacks on hand that I know will still be friendly after surgery. Through therapy I've also been working on cooking more and making sure the meals have a portion of Protein and a good bit of veggies. We're also focusing on addressing the mental desire to overeat, where that stems from, and alternate coping mechanisms. This has all resulted in sort of gradual change that is focusing on improving behaviors, but not in a way that feels like a "diet", and I have lost some weight while doing so. Not nearly as much as I know I'd drop via calorie counting and all, but what I'm doing now feels more sustainable.

I haven't had surgery yet, but I had the same choice to make so figured I'd share my experience. Keep in mind everyone is different and my choice is just mine. I'm not suggesting that you should make the same decision or anything.

So I have had issues with heartburn and I went into my surgery consult set on Gastric Bypass because of that. However, the surgeon recommended, due to my weight, Sleeve because it's less risk of complications. At my weight, the amount of actual loss would be about the same. My nurse then stepped in on my behalf and got an endoscopy to check out my heartburn issues. This was because I am self pay, and I can't really afford to do a sleeve, only to have to get a revision later, so she wanted to see if we could find a root cause of the heartburn/GERD.

Endoscopy revealed I had a medium sized Type III hiatal hernia. While the hernia could be repaired during surgery, it also meant I had a good chance of needing a revision in the future if I went with Sleeve. Not guaranteed, but still a high probability. Since I'm self-pay and I definitely don't want to find myself in a position where my heartburn/GERD have gotten worse and I can't pay for a revision, we decided it would be best for me to go with Gastric Bypass.

Gastic Bypass is a mal-absorption procedure in addition to just restrictive, so I will have to be extra sure my Vitamins are okay, and it is more at risk of complications during surgery/recovery due to multiple incision sites. That being said, overall risk is still really low, it's just higher when compared to sleeve.

Definitely weigh out the options, talk honestly and openly with your medical team about risks and complications. Hopefully you can come to a decision that works for you Best of luck!

I've got IBS that tends towards Constipation. Miralax daily is what my doctor's have advised to take for it (or prescription versions of it in some cases depending on severity). It's what they recommend precisely because it doesn't cause dependency, and it doesn't work like most traditional laxatives. The alternative, as catwoman mentioned, is chronic constipation, which comes with it's own set of issues. As a side note, my doctor has also advised against too much Fiber in the diet, as that can actually make constipation worse due to it bulking up stool.

So I "failed" my psyche exam. The psychiatrist asked questions about my eating habits, how much I eat in a sitting, how long it had been going on and stuff like that. I was honest in my answers and let her know that while I had been eating better within the past few weeks, that wasn't representative of how I was eating that caused me to gain weight. Those were just some changes I had made after starting the process for surgery. I also had to fill out a questionnaire about binge eating.

My eating habits pre-surgery decision, and when not on a diet, included a Protein Shake for breakfast, and then eating a lunch that was so large it was physically uncomfortable, and not really eating anymore for the rest of the day as a result. We're talking a Giant Jersey Mike sub order with two bags of Doritos (from the store, not like family sized chip bags), all in one sitting. I also had little to no control with sweets in the house. If they were present, I'd eat them. Due to my eating habits, she thought I may have a disordered relationship with food and just wanted to give me some additional time to address that before surgery. She also wanted me to get back on depression medications, as she was afraid I was coping with food and that I'd spiral horribly if that was taken away.

This means I've been following up with a different psychiatrist for the past few weeks to talk through things and work on behaviors, and will hopefully be getting approved for surgery within the next month (everything looks good right now). The psychologist now doesn't seem to want me perfect, but to show I'm willing to make changes and be in a good enough place to give me a running start and set myself up for success.

I'd highly recommend being honest about what you eat. Even if you get delayed, the additional therapy will help set you up for success long term.

Congrats! That's awesome!

Having a mini celebration for myself. My surgery got postponed back in March because I failed my psych eval. I've been dutifully following up with a psychologist and working on my behaviors. Today during our session she mentioned wanting to have a session with my husband and myself (scheduled in two weeks) and then she wanted to do one more with just me before giving a letter of recommendation so I can schedule my surgery. Still probably around a month out from being able to schedule surgery, but glad everything is paying off. The behaviors I've been practicing while going through therapy will also help long term. Hopefully no major hiccups between now and then!

My surgeon's office recommends Bariatric Fusion chewables. I started taking one per day while I'm in pre-op phase, but post op it's 4 per day to get the required Vitamins. Multiple pills, but at least it's just one Vitamin bottle on the shelf.

I have heartburn/GERD. Initially my surgeon recommended the sleeve, but we ended up getting an endoscopy since I'm self pay and we wanted to be sure that was the right choice. The endoscopy showed I have a hiatal hernia. While it could be fixed, according to the surgeon's office, there was a higher chance I'd have to get a revision to RNY later down the line. So, since it's quite a bit of money, I am going ahead with RNY.

I can't speak for everyone. I failed my psych evaluation and am having to do 3 months of therapy then check in on my eating habits/behaviors again. The psychologist that evaluated me did tell me she appreciated my honesty, and mentioned that a lot of people try and "pull the wool over her eyes". Based on that, I would wager that the honesty is what was uncommon, and not necessarily the unhealthy relationship with food. I'd think anyone that qualifies for the surgery due to weight would have some sort of unhealthy relationship with food.

So happy you brought it up in counseling and that the reaction was well! Communication is so important in healthy relationships. Everyone is different and we all have different things that eat away at us if not addressed, it does not mean it's an overreaction just cause it wouldn't get on someone else's nerves. Likewise, I don't believe partners should dismiss their partner's feelings just because it's not something that would upset them. It's fantastic that you were able to bring this up and see that he didn't have a bad reaction, and I hope that gives you some confidence to do the same if something similar happens again.

It will largely depend on your labs and personal Vitamin needs, but the office I'm going with recommends Bariatric Fusion. Post-surgery as a Multi-Vitamin you're suppose to take 4 per day (they're chewable). My office has found this has covered the vitamin needs for most their patients (there are always exceptions). I have not gotten surgery yet, but the Vitamins themselves don't have directions for morning/versus nighttime use, just to take 4 a day for sleeve/bypass patients. Could be worth looking into if you're looking for a singular vitamin to take.

I think that in a relationship with good communication, you should be able to voice that a statement or response bothered you without the other person in the relationship immediately going on the defensive and taking offense/turning it into an argument. Based on what you've stated in a few posts, it sounds like you and your husband may benefit from counseling. Women and men both have feelings, and you deserve to be in a relationship where you each can feel heard and understood without fear of retribution. Disagreements are expected, but it's really important to be able to talk through them. Perhaps he did mean it as a joke, but if the joke hurt you, then it's good for him to know so he doesn't continue to do it unintentionally in the future (which will absolutely build resentment).

Congratulations!

You look amazing. Congrats! I don't have any daughters, but fitting into my sister's clothes would be amazing. You gave me an idea for a non-scale victory