So...I'm new here...

[MaureenVA 35]

I'm Maureen. Mom of 3ish...house full of love and chaos. I'm kaiser insured and have about a 6mo process and I'm ticking things off. Already had my sleep study...failed that sucker. I pick up my CPAP in a couple of weeks!

So...what do I need to know? What did you wish you knew at the beginning of your journey? What features/board of this site do you think are the best?

I'm a lump of clay...mold me!

[Weightogo123 34]

Welcome!!

What surgery are you planing on having?

[MaureenVA 35]

I'm torn between gastric bypass and gastric sleeve...which is good because those are my only options. I change my mind every day. Everything I talk to someone who has one or the other, they sway me to their direction. I don't plan to make a decision right away. Closer to the 'time' I think. How did you choose which surgery to have?

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

Welcome. I wish I knew to listen to my psychologist's suggestion when he said to break the habit of tv eating. Turns out it wasn't a suggestion. When I failed to do it he didn't clear me for surgery and I lost three weeks trying for a second chance. In retrospect it worked out because I truly broke that habit. It also taught me that I had to change some behaviors and get serious or WLS wasn't going to work for me.

Six months post op, I am happier and healthier than I've been in decades.

[Weightogo123 34]

I had no chose but to go with the lap band, since I didn't want any of my insides removed. All I can tell you is I'm in love with my band. Good Luck on your journey and may you have continued success.

We are all here for you!!

[Miss Mac 6,261]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I chose the sleeve because I did not want my system rerouted or live with a port the rest of my life.

My favorite aspect of this site is that for the most part, people are kind and non-judgemental. You will find however, that opinions and tact will vary, so take each response for what it's worth.

What I wish I had paid more attention to going in is that stalls are usually aggravating and often as our bodies make adjustments.......way more often than I expected. Just keep in mind that stalls are like lovers - your first one probably will not be your last one !

[James Marusek 5,244]

I recommend that you try and get your daily walking exercise in. It will make the healing process go easier after surgery. Also go cold turkey on carbonated beverages and caffeine now. I had a 6 diet coke-a-day habit prior to surgery. I went cold turkey and lost 20 pounds on that change alone. I suffered through a week of a withdrawal syndrome after I went cold turkey. Bad headaches, etc. Better to get through this now then a few days before surgery.

I had sleep apnea. They wanted to do a sleep study on me and probably hook me up to a CPAP machine. I declined. [since surgery can correct this condition, if I still have this problem after surgery, I said we could pursue this coarse of action.] A couple weeks after surgery my sleep apnea went into remission. I sleep so quietly now that my wife sometimes stands over me to see if I am still breathing.

Attend bariatric surgery support group meetings. They generally occur monthly and are free. There should be one in your area.

Schedule your surgery for the early part of the week. I had mine on Friday. There is a staff change in most hospitals over the weekend. I probably stayed in the hospital an extra day because of waiting for a doctor to sign the release order.

I had a RNY (Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass) surgery. My taste buds changed after surgery. So trying to find Protein shakes and other foods that are agreeable prior to surgery does not work too well. After surgery I completely lost my hunger. It is easy to lose weight when you are not constantly hungry.

[BeagleLover 1,020]

If you eat for emotional reasons, I suggest checking out this book which helped me:

Emotional First Aid Kit

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_19/184-6706169-9702664?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=emotional%20first%20aid%20kit%20for%20bariatric%20surgery&sprefix=Emotional+First+Aid%2Cstripbooks%2C153

Good luck!

[TEXASLADY52 264]

My suggestion is to follow all advice you will receive from the professional field on this journey. You will receive plenty of advice from everyone else but listen to your doctor, nutritionist....etc. This is very important especially after the surgery. Do not buy large tubs of Protein or large quanties of anything else. Your taste will change. Buy sample packages of Protein until you find one that is agreeable to you. Before surgery stock your pantry....clear liquids, Jello, puddings, yogurt...etc. Good Luck and keep us informed on how you are doing.

[Bandista 7,466]

Way to go choosing your healthy future! Putting ourselves first means every one else benefits in the long run. It can be hard to do this, but it really works -- I had to break a long habit of putting other people's needs ahead of my own. Random thoughts: remember to pat yourself on the back for what you're doing. Be gentle with yourself. Have fun! I benefited from therapy to work on my triggers and just have an objective person to talk with throughout the process -- I felt like it was good to have that time each week for a little while. I didn't tell a lot of people about my decision to have WLS and there are a few people I wish I hadn't told -- not because they haven't been supportive but just that I still feel very private about it, but that's just me. I wrote myself a letter prior to surgery and it's in my jewelry box waiting for me to get to a certain weight then I'll open it up. I had a special notebook. It was good to have one place to track all my appointments and names of various people (surgeon, nutritionist, receptionist, nurse, etc.). It can be something to manage all of that. And then I also used it to write up my goals and checklists, etc., my feelings. Sometimes the only time I had to write in this journal was when I was waiting for an appointment. Ditto on not buying big containers of Protein powders, etc. And I also was really glad I upped my exercise before surgery as it gave me something to step into right after. I didn't want to do it, but I did and now it still amazes me that I love exercising (me?). Last thought is that whenever I saw something negative on the forum I skipped right over it. I got so much out of reading people's posts and asking questions, etc. It got to be so I could tell if something was going in a negative direction or a post title might be an indicator -- I didn't want to get any more nervous than I was. And I guess my last thought is that I'm really glad I let myself get totally excited -- and you know what? Almost a year later and I am still so excited. It's an amazing process. Back to patting yourself on the back. You are on your way!

[Mellyb251 30]

I second the advice of getting caffeine out of your system before surgery since withdrawals aren't pretty. Also the not buying the huge tubs of Protein since I bought three and I liked them before surgery, but now they disgust me!

Also be your own advocate - I didn't want to rock the boat when my bariatric coordinator told me that she submitted to insurance and not to call her for two weeks since she was so busy only to find out at the end of that two weeks she had not really submitted. She told me not to call the insurance company directly, but I did and was approved within 10 days after it was really submitted.

[Miss Mac 6,261]

I found out that my insurance co-ordinator at the bariatric clinic was going on a two-week vacation and no one woukd be covering her. So, I called the insurance company myself, and got approved in two days. They sent me a letter (another three days down) and I faxed that to my surgeon's nurse manager. I had a date that same day still a week ahead of the co-ordinator coming back from vacation!

[4me4them 381]

Welcome! I would get an accordion file or big notebook with pockets because you are going to pick up lots of paper during this process...from apt slips, to results, insurance paperwork, nutritional handouts...lots of paper...lol

[lsereno 2,525]

I went through Kaiser Fremont California in May 2011. I hope Kaiser VA is just as good. We got a great binder of info (I called it my Bible), and had lots of hoops to jump through. But jumping through those hoops helped ensure I had an uneventful, successful surgery and recovery. And I was prepared for post-op changes.

I followed all directions in my plan, including changing my eating habits pre-op, learning to take tiny sips all day, practicing eating small bites with a timer (I used a clock with a second hand), giving up coffee, exercising, finding and attending an in-person support group, etc. I really think that those steps were central to my success. It's still a difficult journey, but I felt safe and cared for with Kaiser at my back.

Best wishes on your journey!

Lynda

[Rovobay 920]

whatever surgery you decide on, best of luck to you.... as you surf around this sight you will find help everywhere you go. there are some areas that are pretty much dead, and most people stick to just a few sections. In fact, I have been exploring various areas today for the very first time (I have spent 100's of hours on here!!!).