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Dealing with emotions



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I've just submitted to insurance and up until now I've been rather excited for surgery. Im prepared and ready for my November surgery date but I'm starting to get really emotional about this whole process. I feel like im putting down an animal and I want to make the last few weeks with it the best possible before I say goodbye forever. I'm not 2nd guessing my decision, in just feeling like I'm losing a part of my identity. Any thoughts or tips on coping with this whole process?

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Hey @@jesstea2, what you are feeling is completely normal, at least that's what I believe. You are experiencing a healthy mix of emotions, you are excited to start a new chapter in your life but sad about what's being left behind. I can only speak of my experience while preparing for surgery (VSG) and I can tell you that I felt what you are feeling. It was like a misplaced nostalgia of some sort, a feeling of loss that I couldn't really put my finger on. With any change come feelings of loss and they are healthy and completely normal. Don't fight it, maybe it's your own way of saying goodbye to a way of living that is now going to be different, but let me tell you, it is a good kind of different!

You will not "lose" part of your identity, you will only re-shape it.

Good luck to you on your journey.

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I've just submitted to insurance and up until now I've been rather excited for surgery. Im prepared and ready for my November surgery date but I'm starting to get really emotional about this whole process. I feel like im putting down an animal and I want to make the last few weeks with it the best possible before I say goodbye forever. I'm not 2nd guessing my decision, in just feeling like I'm losing a part of my identity. Any thoughts or tips on coping with this whole process?

I also was recently submitted to my insurance. I share some of the same feelings. I can only tell you that I am concentrating on the new me. I have been eating as close as possible to how I will eat months after I have been through surgery. Once or twice a week I indulge in foods/restaurants that I either will not eat again (my choice) or I think will be a real long time before I eat them again.

That being said, I expect that I will still be same me after surgery, recovery, and learning how to cope with the new nutritional and healthy lifestyle I have chosen for me. Same ol' me, just much thinner.

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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.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • 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
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    • KimBaxleyWilson

      Three months and four days ago... I was in Costa Rica having a life changing surgery! Yesterday we had a followup visit with Dr. Esmeral via video chat and this morning my middle number changed.  I'm down 47lbs and two pants sizes. I can wear a Large tshirt for the first time in like... 14 years! Woot!! Everything is going great. I have zero regrets. I went down to the riverwalk with a friend and walked 2 miles on Monday without even getting fatigued. And no more snoring or chugging pickle juice for crazy leg cramps! I need to go to the gym more... I'm making new shirts next week so that will motivate me. LOL But I'm also just not as TIRED all the time! I have a LONG way to go...but seeing the progress on the scales and in the mirror is a huge motivator!! Thank you all for cheering me on and supporting me!!
      · 0 replies
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    • bellaamey

      https://alluniqueguide.com/java-burn-coffee-reviews/
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