What you wished you had known before being sleeved?!?!?

[butterflypinup 136]

Hi,

I feel like my surgery day is speeding up fast!!!! VROOOOM! I was curious as to how some might answer this question be it brand new sleevers and old sleevers. What had you wished you had you known before surgery? This isnt just for negative stuff but also the positive. I am so ready for this journey but I want to be prepared in every way possible.

Im also curious about social media. How much did you share? I started a private group and invited what I like to call my support team. 40 people I thought would like to be kept posted on progress and cheer me on. Im also going to do a video diary and invite those 40 people to share in it if they would like. I know that people can be negative and positive but how much should one share about this whole journey on social media (like outside my 40 people)?

After starting this journey four years ago and jumping on and off this ride I am ready. Sometimes as time gets closer I feel like screaming YAY ME!

[Terribj 208]

For me:

How hard the full liquid diet is for the first 3 weeks. It seems everywhere I look there is food - it isn't the smell or the cravings, but the chewing. I really miss chewing food..IT gets easier as the days go by.

How tired I get. I'm a week post op and I still am very tired. I'm working on getting my Protein in, but according to my doctor - fluids the first week are more important than protein.

How sore I get wearing a bra. There are 2 incisions - one is the big one - where my bra sits just wrong. Yesterday was the first day I could wear one all day.

As far as social media - my husband posted to some friends that I had surgery, but I'm not posting anything. I guess I'd rather not make an announcement of it....but that is me.

Good Luck to you - i have to say it has been a little harder than I thought, however after 9 days I've lost 17 pounds. And that is just the beginning

[Zoey716 98]

@@butterflypinup - thank you for asking this question. I am 17 days until surgery and am wondering what people have to say! Best of luck to you!

[butterflypinup 136]

@Terribj Congrats! That 19 lbs must feel amazing! I had a feeling that the liquid would be hard. I am finding that I dont chew too much and Im having a hard time getting all my chews in so maybe that phase wont be too too hard for me:) Im hoping to squeeze into a sports bra so no wires. Maybe that will help out. Congrats again on your journey

@@Zoey716 YAY! You are almost there. I just love this site. I feel like I have all the support and family I need from here. Might be a little clickish but Im just sitting over here in my corner with my fellow sleevers, LOL actually not even just the sleevers but my fellow wls peeps

[vdub_tx 92]

Not to be negative, but I wish I had known how really, truly bad the nausea was going to be the first couple of days post-surgery. It seemed like every report I read here on BP was all "no pain, just gas...I'm great!" so I was unprepared for my own experience which was....difficult. Worse, that made me feel like something was wrong with me, until I found out LOTS of people feel this way. So while I pray that you are a person who recovers quickly and relatively painlessly, if you don't...just know that it is normal as well and that is get sooooo much better.

I also wish I had known to try different temperatures of liquids for the first week or so. I had a hard time getting fluids down and was very close to being hospitalized for dehydration when someone told me to try hot tea. Once I figured out that warm liquids were easier, I started feeling significantly better very quickly. I couldn't tolerate anything cold (or even room temp) at all but some people do...experiment to figure out what your new baby tummy likes.

On the positive side, even though it's the reason we had surgery....I wish I had known how quickly my body shape would change! If you are like me and have multiple sizes in your closet, I would organize your clothes now. I wish I had done so because I'm constantly digging through stuff to figure out what fits. I've dropped about a size and a half so some things fit from one size and one the next and it would be easier if it was all neatly sorted out in my closet!

Good luck on your surgery...you're going to do GREAT!

[wendyt 108]

I found this thread to be a wealth of information! :

4 things I wish I would've known pre-op:

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/289288-4-things-i-wish-i-wouldve-known-pre-op/

Edited March 28, 2014 by wendyt

[RJ'S/beginning 5,357]

I wish I would have had a better idea of the emotion struggles through out this journey. I tell you it has been one H*ll of a ride so far. You can read about it, listen to it. but experience it is a whole different kettle of fish......

One example is that every other time I dieted. When I lost a lot of weight I would panic and get scared that if I got too small I would attract unwanted attention. The exact opposite happened. I enjoy every pound that leaves my body and can't wait for the next NSV. I have no idea why the change but that is part of dealing with your thinking. Your brain and mind set....

A journey..No kidding!!!!!!!!!!

[pinky4652 38]

this has helped me a ton thanks for posting it and thanks for the people who commented surgery is next week

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I felt very educated - my surgical practice was excellent about that and I spent alot of time reading on here too so I guess I don't have any surgery related "wish I had known"

My wish I had known was how much I was missing out on life being morbidly obese. I was pretty active for a 300# person, had friends and what I thought was a pretty good social life. I had NO IDEA there is a whole world out there of people who don't have to worry about if their butt will fit in a chair, if a store will carry a clothing size that fits, or if they can do a particular activity "even at that size" - it is like a parrallel universe where fit and normal size people get to live..haha.

I feel like a kid again - wish I had known all of this and maybe I would have found a way to change my life years earlier.... not sure, but that is really the only thing i could think of that I wish I had really known years before.

[MGR1852 292]

I wish I had realized how quickly I would go through clothes sizes. I've been overweight my entire adult life & worn the same size for years. Therefore, I have A LOT of clothes. Now, I'm dropping sizes about every three to four weeks so it's been very difficult to keep up. I'm having to buy a few things here and there just to make it through the work week. I know, great problem to have!! I just wish I would have started sooner so I would be a little more prepared.

[Angi~2014 52]

thank you for posting this... I am still in my pre-op phase (surgery should be in July, if everything continues to go according to schedule).

I find this site extremely helpful with the amount of supportive members.. I love reading about the journeys and milestones that are taking place along the way and I look forward to the day where I have my own milestones. I must admit that sometimes my thinking can get in the way, especially when I have battled so long in not only my weight but my health too.... sometimes the fearful thought of "what if this doesn't work' tries to creep in. I know and completely understand that this is not a quick fix, that it is a tool and I do embrace that, but I guess trying so many times to have success and failing at it, kind of scares me. (hope I am making sense)....

Anyway, Congratulations to all who are in this journey, showing that all steps forward lead to change and growth toward success..

Sincerely, Angi

[butterflypinup 136]

I think that we all have felt that way. "What if this doesnt work?" "This is my last chance" "There is no do over" This will work as far as we let it. If we fall back into those old habits and dont take care of the initial reason why we became this way it wont work. My issue is I find comfort in food. Its a constant. Its something that is always appropriate. I eat at my desk, in my car, even while getting ready for work in the morning. The problem is food is everywhere all the time. Someone dies we eat. Someone breaks our hearts we eat ice cream. Someones birthday we eat. Someones wedding we eat. Its the norm to eat when happy and celebrating and when emotionally down. We just have to be ready for this. I for one am ready to tote my meals around with me everywhere and have a list of healthy alternatives to eating when having these feelings. Food and I have already started to part ways. Im finding that Im not really craving the usual stuff anymore which is GREAT! I think that if we get our head in the game WE are bound to succeed!

I think that staying connected is a key too! Sure the surgery help us to lose it but we have to be the ones to keep it off. Im here to be supported and support. I plan on coming here for a long time to come. I know there will be bumps but the prize of a long healthy life is worth it all! This is a life long battle and remember that we did not get obese over night so we cant expect to lose it all that way. It took me four years to finally make up my mind and schedule surgery. This is going to be a great beginning to the rest of our healthier lifes.

If you(anyone reading this) ever want to chat please feel free to message me! Remember we are not in this alone!

[moonlitestarbrite 902]

i wish i had really understood how hard it would be to not drink with meals, eat slow, chew well, get in 60 grams of Protein and 64 ounces of Water. and how damn easy it is to become dehydrated. i had complications from my surgery (from a bout of pancreatitis from my gall bladder surgery that we didnt know about. which left me with a belly full of scar tissue that needed to be cleaned up). so i really struggled with getting anything in and keeping anything down for more than 3 weeks. so i wish i had known to be more serious about what i needed to practice before hand. now that i am 8 months PO most things are habit, but the first few months were really hard. the learning curve is steep. it was a shock. i wish i had been better prepared mentally and emotionally. but i am not sure if that is possible.

[septappt 74]

Drinking 64oz if Water. Did it prior to surgery just fine. After, I struggle with that a lot. Also I wish I would of know and heard about jealousy from friends that are currently over weight and are so negative about everything! I agreed that I would text my 2 best friends every Monday the amount of weight I've lost for the week. The one extremely supportive the other not so much. I would text -2 she would text back +5. It gets old after awhile, I realize that she's struggling with her weight, I get that, been there done that. But for once could you not make it about you and maybe give someone else a little credit......phew that's all. Lol

[bellaaa_vita 28]

I wish I had known that 14 days of Clear Liquids would send me into an emotional roller coaster..the best thing I can suggest is keep yourself occupied and walk as much as you can..I am day 8 post surgery and I've been couped up in my house...I am on clear liquids till Monday and I have to say it's very depressing..atleast with my case...I'm a very social person..when im around or out with people and my boyfriend, we bullshit and eat..so with cutting those two things out cold turkey, it's been really hard on me..thank god my family, friends, and boyfriend have been supportive