2 days to go and quietly freaking out

[Tiffykins 673]

You're going to do absolutely wonderful Mary. Last minute jitters, and a little anxiety is to be expected. You know my motto, "nothing is better than a IV valium cocktail right before they wheel me back".

Cheers to you, and best wishes on a smooth and uneventful surgery and recovery.

[Happy Destiny 0]

You all will do so well! I was sleeved on May 18th and have had very little issues with my sleeve. I stopped losing on week 3 which freaked me out but today almost the end of week 4 I've lost 4 lbs. and have read more on how to change eating habits to "work my sleeve" I'm feeling really well! Good luck and keep us posted! Sheryl

[andrea1124 0]

Dear June 22 Divas:

Good luck to each one of you. I'm so very new at this process but have decided that the sleeve gastrectomy is the surgery I want to have done. Like others, I've lost and gained so many times that I need to either just live the way I am or do something prermanently. I look forward to checking back here and following you and cheering you on when you are post-op! Take a deep breath, relax as best you can and wishes for a speedy recovery! I'm waiting for the day you can tell me the same thing!

Andrea

[FabBy50 0]

Mary

Good luck tomorrow!! You will do great, I have faith in you! Yes it is normal to get all wishy washy right before surgery, so you are no different than any of the rest of us. Please keep us posted when you can!

[disp4so 3]

Mary Judy and Monica

Good luck tomorrow !!!!! I am there right along with you

Sherri

[MINI-Me 196]

Good luck tomorrow ladies. Sounds like you guys are all on the right track ... decision made, feel great, freak out, normalize (a bit) go to surgery & start a whole new life.

I also freaked out a bit beforehand. But, day of surgery, a whole calm came over me. My surgeon was wonderful and just instilled a sense of confidence in me. Can't wait to hear from you once surgery is done. Congratulations!

[Papillon 7]

Sending healing energy to everyone who is having surgery tomorrow. I wish you all the best on the first step to a healthier you!!

[stcyt 15]

You guys are gonna do great.

I was so scared before surgery... I remember my last thought before going under was "this is my last chance to back out".

I'm sooooo glad I did this.

Post as soon as your able and let us all know what a great job of sipping and walking your doing.

Stacey

[deletedsally 8]

I thought you might like to hear my experience with the sleeve surgery. I am 54 years old. I have dieted my entire life and reached my goal weight many times, only to regain the weight each time--plus more. I weighed a humiliating 283 lbs at my preop appointment on 3/15/2010.

Prior to my surgery, my feet hurt so bad that I had extreme difficulty standing and walking. I had sleep apnea (couldn't sleep with the CPAP mask) and worried about having a stroke or heart attack every night. Palpitations were waking me up during the night. I had high blood pressure that was creeping higher even though I was taking medication. The blood pressure medication was causing me to feel depressed, confused, and lethargic. In short, I had a horrible quality of life, and my inability to walk was causing me to stay home and live like a disabled person most of the time.

I had surgery on 3/30/10. The first week after surgery I felt generally tired, queasy, and wasn't interested in swallowing/eating much of anything. After several weeks of gradual improvement in my ability to eat and swallow, I started feeling pretty good. Now, I am feeling wonderful!

I am off all prescription medications...my blood pressure is normal...I'm walking easily...sleeping comfortably with no palpitations or noticeable problems...mental clarity and mood have improved dramatically. My grandchildren (2 & 4) came to stay with me for 7 days last week if that gives you any idea of how much better I am feeling. I was actually JOGGING around the mall with my grandson! I walked for 4 hours straight around Busch Gardens the next day. (Last summer I couldn't even walk around the house without limping.)

food wise, I eat very small portions, get full pretty quickly, and have very little hunger. There isn't any food that I haven't been able to eat. I've never had any foods get "stuck" and I haven't had any vomiting since my surgery (I did take some anti-nausea meds for a while after surgery) I've lost 48 pounds, and love being able to eat small portions and feel satisfied for hours.

I worry that my experience is too good to be true. I'm afraid that my stomach will stretch too much over time or that my body will begin producing additional ghrelin and that I will feel hungry again and begin to regain weight. There isn't any way to totally guarantee that those things could not happen. I can just tell you that right now I feel so blessed to have been able to have this surgery. I'm not having any problems, and I only hope that I continue to have the same success that I have been having!

I hope my story helps you to relax and anticipate the best!

[ouroborous 519]

I think that pre-op jitters are very normal, especially considering that this surgery is irreversible.

However, I take comfort in facts and statistics: the data on this procedure, as new as it is, shows that it is an extremely safe and extremely effective to lose weight. And it's "durable" weight loss -- which is medical jargon for "the weight comes off and stays off." That's the magic -- that's why we get ourselves "mutilated" and remove 3/4 of our stomachs instead of just doing diet and exercise; diet and exercise can and do lead to weight loss, but almost nobody -- literally 5% -- can keep the weight off. And each cycle of loss and regain is very hard on your body. And all this time of diet and exercise and deprivation and shame and discomfort is precious days and years of your life that you'll never get back.

As to being on medicine for life -- aside from possibly an acid blocker, you'll be on far, far fewer medications post-sleeve than you would be as an obese person. Trust me. And most of the "medications" we take are Vitamins. Who do you know who doesn't pop a Multivitamin? So how come when we have to take Vitamins it's shameful? These are some of the questions I've had to ask myself.

With the sleeve, yes, you do something irreversible. But that's half of the appeal. You can never go back to eating enormous portions. You can never go back to wolfing your food down. And if you listen to your doctor, and follow some simple directions, the weight will never come back.

That's why we do this. To me, when I looked at it like this, it was crazier to not get the surgery than to get it.

Edit: I should add one more thing. Almost every single person I've talked to who's had the lap sleeve done has said that it was the best decision they'd ever made, and that they would do it again in a heartbeat. Now, that's not scientific, but to me it was pretty impressive. I can't think of many other elective surgeries with a customer satisfaction rate that high...

Edited June 21, 2010 by ouroborous

[deletedsally 8]

Amen O...and with respect to all the diet/lose/regain-go-rounds...what do we call it when we keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting that we will get different results???

[educationrulz 18]

Thanks everyone. You are reminding those of us with last minute nerves of all the reasons we chose this surgery in the first place. I have the feeling that I will be much better tomorrow morning. But if not, I definitely plan to ask for some IV cocktail! :001_wub:

[breezy 8]

I'm thinking of you today! Visualizing a uncomplicated surgery, quick recovery, and LOTS of support from all of us here. Congratulations on your life changing decision!

[Papillon 7]

let us know how you are doing when you are able to.. : )

[BonnieJuneE 5]

Hope all is going well for you today! Congrats and hope to hear an update from you soon.