GrannyMaggie

Hi all, thank you for your patience and great advice as I navigate all this. My family has been great, just celebrated my 60th birthday with a final “food funeral” of my favorite dinner and pie. I’ve been getting a lot of “Why now?” questions, sure wish I had done this earlier but had a job I didn’t think I could juggle with the aftercare. I thought maybe it’d be interesting to share what moment tipped you over into making the decision to do this. Mine: Medical issues + multiple embarrassments through the years, but the final straw was a few months ago. I bought us concert tickets for a musician my husband loves but is seldom within driving distance. Beautiful day, beautiful venue… but the seats. Started the first half of the concert immensely aware the man sitting on my opposite side was bear-hugging himself to keep from touching my overflow. He didn’t come back (or rejected different seating) the second half. Utterly mortifying.

Way to go! Same here, Oct 16th. Yogurt this morning, an egg w/some chicken broth a bit ago. SO good after the liquid diet and staying down. One more step forward.

Congratulations!

I also had surgery on the 16th. The hospital 2 days were uneventful, first few days at home were a relative breeze, some abdominal pain aside- didn’t take any pain meds. I ran into a problem Friday night, blood pressure and heart rate bouncing around, mild fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit) off and on. Kinda scary, not dehydrated (drinking pretty well) but on bp meds. Feeling better today but waiting to hear back from cardiologist. It’s a bit of a roller coaster ride for sure.

I am so happy for you! The fact your brother has already had it should be a huge plus, both knowing what to expect and knowing you’ll have a support system. Wishing you the very best!

Just had my bypass Monday- looking fwd to never having moments like these again.

How exciting! Scary! Exciting! Lol Congratulations and the very best wishes. I’m joining the Losers Bench Monday!! New week, new beginning!

I wish you the very same! I think the mental aspect of that last day before/first days of the preop diet can be pretty hard from a grief standpoint- kinda like you’re formally admitting it’s the end of a way of life, even if you know it’s something you have to do. And the diet itself is just dreary but WHAT a prize at the end!! Stay strong and keep focused on that. If there’s any time to be both kinder and more focused on YOU, it’s now!

Hi there! I was the same, but it calms down. My surgery is Monday, will be glad to have it over and start adjusting to my new life. Wishing you the very best!!

Hi there. I had the exact same reaction when I started my pre surgery diet. I mean, the diet itself is ugg boring but the MENTAL reckoning- WOW! Wasn’t prepared for that. It took a lot to get to where we are, and it’s going to be hard work getting to where we want to go, but what a prize we’re hoping to find on the other side- US, who we want to be, what we want to be able to accomplish. I’m half way through my pre-op (2 weeks), surgery next Monday. It got better a few days in, something everyone assured me would happen. Dig deep and best wishes!!

Just got to day 6 but those first few days were rough! Making the mental transition to realizing you will never eat the same again- may not be able to ever handle some of our favorite foods, not to mention with the holidays coming up, foo is advertised EVERYWHERE!! It got better by day 5, pretty clear sailing now. Very best wishes!!

Congratulations! Oct 16 (bypass). Excited, nervous, excited, nervous. Can barely believe it’s HERE. Best wishes and see ya in the normal size clothing section!!

Same here (Oct 16)!! Also bypass. Midway through the pre-op diet, kinda an emotional rollercoaster ride the first few days but doing well now. Best wishes to you (and all) on a successful start to a new life!

Babyspoons, did the hiatal hernia repair add to surgery time or complicate recovery? I too have a 10% hernia, still waiting for a follow up endoscopy before talking with the surgeon again.

I’m testing different products, was thinking it’d be much less expensive making my own drinks from powder instead of buying premixed but have way too much foam! I’m using Isopure, whatever I blend up in a Bullet type blender winds up easily a quarter more fuller in the cup than before it was blended. Trying not to swallow so much air, any hints?

Are there any powders that don’t foam up like this?

Hi there. I’ve been watching a few videos on the 2 week pre-diet and was wondering… I am on the lower end of qualifying BMI, only qualifying with my insurance company because of other health complications. Can the weight loss of the pre surgery diet present a problem or is the insurance process already sealed before the diet begins? I yo yo between a BMI of 37 and 42, have been more diet conscious since starting with the nutritionist and am dropping a few pounds a week. With a minimum of 2 more months to go before the pre op diet, I’m worried I’ll be pushing the margin (though know I’ll never see a healthy weight without this surgery)

Thank you. I do understand the reasons and how necessary the pre-diet is. Not doing it is not a question, I do understand the need to get the liver as small as possible. My concern was I’ve been doing the pre-diet in sort of a “Light” version, trying to figure out ahead of time (with my nutritionist’s encouragement) the flavors I like and the mechanics (like what blender works best, powder vs premix, etc etc). I want to know what I like, get the shopping out of the way and be ready to roll when the time comes. I was surprised to see the scale dropping, thought to myself Wow, I can lose weight just drinking one protein shake a day? Might want to rethink this whole thing- and then I started taking my glucose readings. What I’m worried about is it’ll be 2 more months minimum before the surgery, mandated by insurance prerequisites, and my diabetes has taken a turn for the worse. Up to this point, it’s been borderline but OF COURSE now my numbers have started spiking and I’ve started losing weight. My insurance has a BMI of 40, or of 35 with health issues. I’ve bounced around between 37 and 42 over the past few years, have the health issues (diabetes, heart, high blood pressure). I’m seeing the endocrinologist this week to probably be started on medication and I hope that gets things under control quickly. My worry is the weight I’m losing has been unexpected. I know from family members that weight loss was one of the first signs of diabetes. They regained the weight eventually, but it was rather dramatic, and muscle, not fat so there wasn’t even a silver lining there. So. That’s my worry- if this weight I’ve lost (and will possibly keep losing for a little while until medication and diet modification stops this) added to the weight loss from the 2 week liquid diet could slam the brakes on the bypass surgery at the last minute.