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Approved - but Should I Go through with it?



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Wwboy, I can so relate to your feelings in your first initial post. My surgery is on Monday. I have made myself a wreck reading and overthinking every possible issue/complication that might happen! Can you share with me what made you finally decide you were doing the right thing?

My concerns go from the worst possible outcome (dying on the table) to just flat out loving food so much I'm afraid I will miss not being able to eat the things I love. Feeling so conflicted

Edited by time2live4me

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Wwboy, I can so relate to your feelings in your first initial post. My surgery is on Monday. I have made myself a wreck reading and overthinking every possible issue/complication that might happen! Can you share with me what made you finally decide you were doing the right thing?

My concerns go from the worst possible outcome (dying on the table) to just flat out loving food so much I'm afraid I will miss not being able to eat the things I love. Feeling so conflicted

You know, a big piece of the puzzle for me was listening to the responses of people on this thread...one person remarked: "it's risk vs. reward". That really stuck with me. The more I thought about it and prayed about it, the more I came to accept that NOT getting surgery was not a zero-risk proposition...which I think is our tendency as people. Staying put had its own risks. And as I weighed my options, it became clear that the risk of surgery (while precipitous) was actually smaller than the risk of not getting surgery -- and of course the potential rewards of surgery completely dwarf the "reward" (if you could call it that) of continuing my old path.

Another thing I thought about was all the conversations I had with trusted friends and mentors before I even got to this place in the process. About 8 months ago is when I started thinking about getting surgery. I didn't entertain the thought until I had long conversations with my most important allies in life. Each and every one of them concluded that they thought it was right for me. While I don't just automatically do what other people think I should, I'm not dumb enough to imagine that I can't benefit from the advice of those I trust. It didn't make sense to question all of their advice and support just before it was 'go time' because I got cold feet.

I wrote another related thread to this one...an update after my first surgery (I ended up having 2...read the post to see the details (http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/356802-updated-approved-but-should-i-go-through-with-it-a-second-time/).

What I can say now, is that I'm 4 weeks post-op today. And so far very happy with my decision. The negative side-effects are present. But I can deal with them. I've lost almost 60lbs overall since last April and I'm down 22 or so since surgery. I weigh less than I did as a senior in high school, my clothes are falling off, and I feel so much more physically active and 'able'... It's glorious. I'm off of my BP meds, metformin, etc. And I'm sure I'll get to quit using my CPAP within the next year. One month out, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

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Heading to the other link now

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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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