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OCT. 1, 2013 - The First Day of the Rest of My Life



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I am going to add some info, and I will probably add more later.

I am 36 years old, morbidly obese, and a type II diabetic. At my heaviest, I weighed around 380 lbs. More recently, I have been hovering around 300 lbs, but my diabetes has been virtually uncontrollable.

So, I decided in late August 2013 to attempt to qualify to have gastric bypass surgery. Long story short, and in what seems to be a miracle giving some other peoples experiences with doctors, insurance, etc, I was approved to have surgery on Oct. 1st.

I am writing this post as one of the first things I am doing since returning home today from the hospital.

My surgery went extremely well and I am fairly mobile with only a moderate level of discomfort/pain.

During my first day at the hospital (the day of surgery), I took two separate walks around the hospital, (one about a third of a mile, one about two thirds of a mile). During my second day, I took a one mile walk, and a one and a half mile walk). Everything I have read on the internet and gotten from my doctor has made it clear the best thing I can do to get this process to work is to walk as soon and as much as is possible, and that is what I have been doing.

I am so stoked for this process and I am going to do everything I can to make this work. I owe a lot of credit to this board, which I have been reading (but not posting in) for the past month or so as I researched what this would be like.

I look forward to using this forum to document my journey.

post-39117-13813813272745_thumb.jpg

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Welcome!! I see you have staples. They taped and glued me and i had one cut also around my belly button. I have lost about 130 lbs since my high weight so it can and does work. What kind of diet so they have you on?

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Welcome!! I see you have staples. They taped and glued me and i had one cut also around my belly button. I have lost about 130 lbs since my high weight so it can and does work. What kind of diet so they have you on?

Right now, just liquids. Broths, sugar free Jello, Protein shakes, crystal light, and ice pops. The staples come out next week, plus they look cool in the mean time.

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How long on that diet?

A week. Then I can add in yogurt.

A week later I can add in pureed vegtables.

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Congrats! Your incisions look great! Your gonna love the changes your body will make!!! ;)

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Welcome!

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I don't mind the staples, they look OK and aren't particularly uncomfortable. The hardest thing so far is eating or drinking anything. Ice pops are the most managable but even one of those is almost uncomfortable filling. My first experi,ent with a Protein Shake was a disaster as it was just too much ( even though it tasted fine). I need Protein and I need to stay hydrated and I can tell that is going to be quite a challenge.

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Thank you so much for posting your journey. I am going soon and love to see what other people are experiencing and feeling. I noticed you live in Fayetteville, OMG, I am in Lumberton. I wish you and me all the best.

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Lumberton and Fayetteville? OMG I'm from Monkey Junction!!! Sure do miss it. But sadly had to move to NY for work.

Glad to hear you are in such good spirits so soon after your surgery. Can't wait to hear more about your journey.

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I know I won't have to complain about this too long, but I hate sleeping on my back. I am a belly sleeper and obviously that is not working right now.

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I know I won't have to complain about this too long' date=' but I hate sleeping on my back. I am a belly sleeper and obviously that is not working right now.[/quote']

I'm dreading the back sleeping too. I'm a belly sleeper or sleep on my left side. I won't be able to do my left side because of the drain and g tube. I think I'll be in my recliner a few nights after surgery.

Hang in there! Hopefully u will be back on your belly before too long!

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Good luck on your journey and keep up with the walking.... its benefits you in MANY ways :)

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Took a nap in a chair today, much better than the sleep I got in bed last night. Drinking crystal light seems to be easier today, so that is positive. I think I MIGHT get in 64 ozs today. Got down my Multivitamins too. Still concerned I won't get in enough Protein, but my doc said for the first week concentrate on the liquid more than the protein.

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I was back to sleeping on my tummy at about 1 1/2 weeks. As for Protein shakes...drink them slowly. It probably took me an hour per share at the beginning. The only fine I have been sick in almost 5 months I can attribute to drinking a shake too fast. Good luck! You will quickly find what works best for you!

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      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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