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Just left pre-op and I'm an emotional mess.



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I left an hour ago. Granted it was a lot of information in a short amount of time but I left feeling nauseated and depressed for some reason. I should be happy as a lark that I am 13 days away but all the do's and don't(s) I think went to my head. I'm second guessing my decision and I suppose it's because I got so overwhelmed with the information. I have done my homework, I have friends who are banded who will answer any question I pose. Did anyone feel just out of sorts? I admit I am not good with change in most situations but I have put myself in this and I know a year from now I will read this and think how silly I was being but today I'm just not there.

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Absolutely. I think a lot of people feel that way. Maybe I was afraid of failing. Idk but I went thru with it and so glad that I did! Best of luck to you.

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I felt the same way. We live about 1 1/2 hours from where I had my surgery so I had several appointments the same day so I didn't have to go back. I was so overwhelmed on the ride home and kept asking my husband to remind me

What they had told me. I kept telling myself that I had done the research and then some, had gone to seminars, talked with many people and I knew deep in my guy I had made the right decision. Then I just jumped in with both feet and now am 9 days post-op. What you are feeling is normal. You will do great! :)

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Yep. You know what? I'm 24 hours post-op and I'm second guessing my decision. I know that once the pain is gone, I'll be happy with this. But, change is scary. This is a HUGE change. It's OK to be scared. Really ... it is.

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Me thinks you're overthinking this. On your 1 year bandaversary you' ll be sooooooo happy you did this ! I couldnt believe the changes ( all good ! ) I went through in just 1 short year ! You can do this !!

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@@DanaKat it is normal to have some "cold feet", your making a change that will affect the rest of your life. If you don't think so, then think again.

You will have all your favorite foods again, but you will look at food differently then you do today. You will use food differently than you do today. It is very much a marriage, and you are getting a little ring around your belly to remind you of that commitment.

Are you ready to say I do? Do you love yourself enough? These were some of the questions I asked myself before my surgery and the answer to them was a resounding YES.

I loved my life, and all the things I could and would be able to do in my new life and I was ready to make that commitment, and let me tell you the truth of it is that just like they say about the first year of marriage, that first year can be tough. You learn every day how to live this new life, with this new WLS partner and some days they are forgiving when you make a mistake and some days they can bop you upside the head for making the wrong choice.

So my friend, are you ready to say I do? If so...then don your white gown on your surgery date and I wish you a long and happy relationship with your new life support tool!!

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@@lisacaron you have a book in you! So eloquently put. @@DanaKat, pre-op is so hard. All those emotions come up to the surface. We have all used food to tamp them down and the thought if. to having that available can be scary. That on top of all the appointments, the paperwork and arrangements and for many people a pre-op diet, oh my goodness. I can tell you that I had never been an overnight patient in a hospital before (and I'm almost 53). It was all SO much easier than I thought it would be. I took a good sense of humor along with me, and a positive attitude. For me the surgery and recovery was better than things like dentistry, which I hate. Or having my back really out or severe menstrual cramps, etc. And it wasn't like I was sick or had an injury -- I was getting the band as a gift to myself. It was a tremendous act of choosing my health, myself, my future condition. And I am so glad I did it. Best wishes to you and we are here -- glad you are, too. This site has been so helpful to me.

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You are all so lovely with your positivity! After I got home from work and settled down yesterday I reread all the info and knew I made the right decision. I guess I just sort of panicked but as said before I'm not real good at dealing with change but I did have wonderful dreams of clothes shopping where none of my clothes had an X or was a double digit on the sizes. Plus I did not buy anything black :)

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Clothing wise, the smartest thing I did was buy 3 outfits , 1 size down from what I started at. ( I bought them just before I was banded ) I made sure I could mix and match as many of those pieces as possible. That way as I started loosing I had a few items to fit into. ( nice to have when your pants start getting baggy ! Woohoo !)

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Clothing wise, the smartest thing I did was buy 3 outfits , 1 size down from what I started at. ( I bought them just before I was banded ) I made sure I could mix and match as many of those pieces as possible. That way as I started loosing I had a few items to fit into. ( nice to have when your pants start getting baggy ! Woohoo !)

Along this same vent (in addition to wanting comfy things to wear post-op), I bought 5 comfy dresses made of t-shirt type material before I started my pre-op diet. By the time I was ready to walk into the hospital for surgery, I had lost enough INCHES that my dresses are now comfortably baggy. I figure that as I loose, I can take in the dresses MUCH easier than i can shorts or jeans :)

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I was so scared the day of...wondering what I was doing...lol...you will be alright :-)

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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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