I am 1 week out from surgery and I have been crying all the time. I'm going through a lot of personal stress right now and the added stress of not being able to eat and recuperating from surgery is weighing on me. Anyone else experiencing post surgery anxiety and depression? If so how did you handle it ?

I think almost EVERYONE experiences post-op depression, so you are not alone there! Coming to terms with the reality of the impact WLS is going to have on your relationship with food for the rest of your life is pretty tough to deal with. Plus the restricted diet gets old fast. It feels like a full-time job keeping track of your Water, Protein, and walking. Trying to schedule everything so you aren't eating and drinking at the same time, but you are still eating and drinking a lot. Going through such a rough time and not being able to turn to food for comfort the way you probably have during every other rough time before It's tough. But it get's so much better. I promise you it does. You will adapt to your new relationship with food. You will move onto more substantial food stages where you'll start to be able to eat enough to not feel tired and run down all the time. You'll find foods you can eat and enjoy.

It all just takes time. Patience is definitely the chief virtue for anyone going through their WLS journey. You will need a LOT of it in the coming months.

I'm 2 weeks pre-surgery and I'm freaking out. Not really about the procedure or the pain of recovery but about it's permanence. I'm trying to think of this entire journey as my 'tattoo'. I don't have any real tattoos, but I imagine it's kind of the same - you have to be really sure that it's a good decision, you have to love the end result, it's painful at first but eventually, it becomes a part of who you are. You don't even think about it anymore until someone comments on it.

Again, take things one day at a time, one hour at a time, one moment at a time. Build your successes on a few amazing moments strung together. Do not get dehydrated - that will be your worst enemy and make that your #1 priority. Once you concur Water, allow yourself to be proud. We're all going to need to learn that this process is about moment-to-moment successes...

Hang in there. You're recovering from major surgery and your hormones are out of whack.

Time and Wellbutrin. My 1 1/2 year appointment is coming up Thursday, and I am going to ask the doctor if I can drop the Wellbutrin. I think I have made my adjustments and am ready to see how I do without it, but it took this long.

When I met my surgeon for the first time after the surgery, I told him that I had regretted the lap band 100 times since the surgery. He told me that it was very normal. The changes are big for us, people who love to eat but it will be great, it really will be.

I feel so much better now that I can eat regular food, it makes all the difference in my opinion

Don't worry, when your stomach heals- you realize you can medicate your body with food once again, but hopefully you have developed better habits where you won't want to anymore...

Depression is real and I would never minimize it. But know that just a few short months from now, your life will improve so dramatically from losing weight that you may wonder why you waited so long to do WLS. Try to get outside each day for some fresh air and exercise. It gets better!!