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Advice For A Youngin



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Hey everyone! I'm 21 years old from Canada and I have been looking into having RNY gastric bypass surgery in April and I'm currently going through the social worker and nutritionist. Here in Canada we have to go through a few process before the doctor lets us go through the surgery. I have been thinking about the long the effects this surgery will provide (good and bad) my mother supporters me but my dad doesn't want me to do it. I am currently 260 lbs height of 5'6. Any advice? I also have PCOS which makes it very difficult to loose weight and a long family history of diabetes so I'm afraid. Any one have advice about not all family members agreeing with the surgery? I'm also scared to tell my friends because I don't think they would understand

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I'm only 2 months post op but as far as support and understanding, I think you need to just say screw it and do it. No one else has to walk in your shoes or live your life. Do what makes you happy!

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Yep! My husband was against it but finally realized I wasn't going to give up. My mama was another story. It's taken almost 7 months from my surgery to get her to half acknowledge anything. Of course there are risks and there are always gonna be people with opinions. The real opinion that matters however is yours. Research your heart out and decide for yourself if it's right for you. Family and friends have gradually acknowledged it was a wonderful choice. There will always be one or 2 who may not agree but that's ok too. The wonderful part of being an adult is being able to make your own choices. I can only tell you the good choice it was for me but I do encourage you to decide for yourself. Benefits versus risks should be a huge factor. I'm sure when you make up your mind and feel confident with your decision others around you will be supportive.

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I have been very fortunate. My hubby is very supportive and my mom, although worried, knows it is the best for me. They have both seen the medical issues I have suffered and want me to feel better. I've also done tons of research and have been forthcoming with the risks and the changes to expect once I have the surgery.

I haven't told too many folks outside of my family, but the few I have told have been nothing but supportive. I'm not neccessarily keeping it secret, it's just a need to know basis. And I don't think most people need to know. As long as you know what is best for you, your family will follow suit. If not, there is no lack of support on this site.

Good luck.

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When I had the band my husband was so supportive. But I have since lost him to cancer and I had to make the decision to go ahead and have bypass. It wasn't a hard decision because it was my will to live rather than die early. At 71 I feel about 39. So the moral of the story is, the decision has to be yours, live and enjoy life to the fullest, or shorten it by doing nothing.

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I'm very sorry for your loss :( and thank you very much for the advice ! Do you find after the bypass you find yourself more tired because of the malabsorption of calcium/ Vitamins?

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I'm very sorry for your loss :( and thank you very much for the advice ! Do you find after the bypass you find yourself more tired because of the malabsorption of calcium/ Vitamins?

Thank you. Actually, I recovered faster from the bypass than the band. I felt it took longer on the recovery with the band. I am tired, but then I have a dog that will start getting me up early in the mornings like 5 AM, an I am a night owl, still up till about 3 AM (I work nights). So the interrupted sleep doesn't help. So far I am finding more energy than I had before this surgery. I do take four Bariatric fusion complete Vitamin and mineral supplements per day. But if I don't get enough Protein my energy level goes down and I do notice it. I will sleep longer on one of my days off, but then I also work a 10 hour shift the day before and only get, at the most, 5 hours of sleep before I have to go back into work that day. So overall, any tiredness isn't actually caused by the bypass but from my life style. For my age, which is only a number, I feel I'm doing quite well. Time will tell though. Recently had complete set of labs and nothing was said except for my blood sugars (I'm a diabetic) and they had come down but the surgeon would rather see them normal with no insulin. So he only wants me to have Protein, nothing else :unsure: . So to answer your question I would have to say "no" but I only had bypass 2 1/2 months ago, it could happen later. I'm actually more fearful of the lack of Iron from this procedure than anything else. I have read where people have to take Iron supplements either orally, injection, and some even infusion (which is painful and long). But I wouldn't change anything, I had researched this procedure out and not sorry abit that I made this decision.

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Hey everyone! I'm 21 years old from Canada and I have been looking into having RNY gastric bypass surgery in April and I'm currently going through the social worker and nutritionist. Here in Canada we have to go through a few process before the doctor lets us go through the surgery. I have been thinking about the long the effects this surgery will provide (good and bad) my mother supporters me but my dad doesn't want me to do it. I am currently 260 lbs height of 5'6. Any advice? I also have PCOS which makes it very difficult to loose weight and a long family history of diabetes so I'm afraid. Any one have advice about not all family members agreeing with the surgery? I'm also scared to tell my friends because I don't think they would understand

It's such a personal decision. I had surgery for health reasons after trying every diet plan known to man. You really have to ask yourself if you're ready to commit to life long behavioral changes. The surgery is only the beginning.

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Hey everyone! I'm 21 years old from Canada and I have been looking into having RNY gastric bypass surgery in April and I'm currently going through the social worker and nutritionist. Here in Canada we have to go through a few process before the doctor lets us go through the surgery. I have been thinking about the long the effects this surgery will provide (good and bad) my mother supporters me but my dad doesn't want me to do it. I am currently 260 lbs height of 5'6. Any advice? I also have PCOS which makes it very difficult to loose weight and a long family history of diabetes so I'm afraid. Any one have advice about not all family members agreeing with the surgery? I'm also scared to tell my friends because I don't think they would understand

It's such a personal decision. I had surgery for health reasons after trying every diet plan known to man. You really have to ask yourself if you're ready to commit to life long behavioral changes. The surgery is only the beginning.

What kind of behavioural changes?

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    • LeighaTR

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    • 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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