Hi All,

So I am writing this as I am eating cookie dough and 3 weeks until my surgery. So my therapist is concerned about my self-destructiveness- how will manage after the surgery? how will handle my addictive behaviors? how will my feelings that I stuff down with food emerge and what will that look like? I am scared to death...Is their any post-op's that can shed light here?

That is a good question. I am waiting for people to reply.

Wow - this is a loaded question. Suggest to get more responses you post in maybe another forum since usually pre-ops read this thread.

Your demons will not be diminished with surgery. You can sabatoge your sleeve. Are you sure now is the time for you; because a hard look needs to be taken at your question.

So maybe a soltution as to what to lies in asking yourself what do you do that brings a smile to your face besides food? Don't think about it - what was the first thing that was reasonable? Can you repeat this pattern rather than food?

We all battle ourselves - you can win this if you have enough desire to do so. Your success is in your hands alone. If you are confident in yourself - go for the sleeve.

I have the same concern and get the same answer: maybe this isn't the ight time for u or you need therapy. To which I respond *&^%-t! I've been in therapy since I'm a teenager. There are some people who say they were full time into all these emotions prior to surgery but took off and never looked back after.

I'm 66 now. If I don't try this, I may never know if I'm able to have a real life. I'm gonna try. Not trying means giving up now. I want to at least have a peek at a different life. You???

I am going to be sleeved in 1 month. But when I had my lap band I had the same concerns- All I can say is that my "energy"/obsession was guided into another one.. and that was exercise- I became obsessed with it- until I hurt my back and couldnt go at it like before. It wasnt until I hurt my back and couldnt exercise that I realized I needed to internally deal with things and I started to really look inward into what made me do what I had done to myself?? Once I realized I couldnt blame anyone anymore and spoke to many people from my past that had either caused me pain or hurt both mental and emotional- I felt like a huge weight was lifted. I started to realize and actually soak in healthy eating and eating for 1 and usint my band a as a tool etc... I discovered a whole new world of foods, exercise I could do with a bad back etc.. IN the process I developed new relatiohships and have made friends for life with the new me if that makes sense- I am at a much better place personally and know that moving forward things can only get better but the fear of going back still looms... I think we just all need to figure out the trigger and try to deal with it...good luck!

I'm not blaming anyone else for my weight or my self sabotage. What you are saying is you got this therapy and it enabled you to become healthy. So why are you getting a sleeve? If you "got it" and know how to control yourself, what's the sleeve for? Why can't you just use this knowledge to further your own healthy living abilities?

Many people who 'struggle' with our emotions also "get it". But we still are struggling, we realize our weaknesses and it is frightening. I keep thinking "who's going to plant the tree I will hide under when I find that even with the sleeve and wt loss I still can't live a full life with people." I don't want to have the surgery and then find myself telling my shrink "I told ya so! I can't handle it."

So I congratulate you on your newfound ability to recognize and pursue a healthful life style.

Just because I'm scared out of my mind and worried @ how I will deal emotionally doesn't mean I haven't also made similar discoveries. It doesn't mean I haven't been I therapy nor does it mean I haven't met the right therapist.

I gotta admit I find messages of the kind that most people use to respond annoying and sanctimonious.

Someone in one of these forums told me "just because we lost the weight doesn't make saints out of us".

Agreed.

Hi BayArea12 :-)

I think we met at Dr. Jossart's Monday group mtg. in SF last week. I was the girl in the back who had just had surgery 4 days before. I have been in therapy for depression and binge eating for years. I don't have the time to type up a response right now, but I do have a lot to say on the subject, so I am happy to chat if you like. I will be attending Jossarts Novato mtg. this Saturday if you want to catch up after the meeting.

Also, I remember you asking about hairloss in group. costco is selling a hair and Nails supplement that has 5,000 mg of Biotin in it.

Happy VSG!

**all thumbs from my iPhone**