Smoking and Eating bad hysterectomy and lots of questions

[slsmith7704 3]

LOL. Bless your heart. You are gonna be CRAZY post surgery and I am gonna guess, suffer a world of hurt as you "attempt" to detox after surgery in addition to having to deal with the pain of surgery. But hey, you do you!
Just please do yourself a favor? Don't try to eat pizza or a couple of Reese's eggs 4 days out from surgery ok?
(My apologies to everyone including the OP, for this super snarky response! Cuz dear God, I followed the fuc*in' straight and narrow path these 6 months with few deviations well beforehand, and am like a church mouse now the surgery has come and gone--and even though I'm doing well, it has NOT been without its challenges. These kinds of posts make me jelly and crazy cuz the OP will probably skate through and pick up smoking 2 days after surgery without any kind of payback or ill-effects...) *le sigh. I'll put myself in time out. Sorry folks!*

I do completely understand your frustrations but we have not all walked in the others shoes. I smoked forever and tried and tried to quit for many years. Then one day I threw them out and was done. All the times I tried to quit and failed made me feel even worse. It is what it is and I can now say I used to smoke.

As for following the diet it is a lot harder for some than others. I am a week out from surgery and I have followed the diet and cried a lot of days. Today I ate a piece of chocolate. Again it is what it is. If I could just put food down and walk away I wouldn’t need this surgery, but I can’t so I am.

On the other hand doctors and the industry set “Best Practice” guidelines for their patients to follow. They do it because these are the best to follow. They know through extensive research that smoking slows the healing process and when you are talking about having a ton of stitches (staples) in your stomach they advise you to stop because it is what’s best.

As for “cheating” on the pre-op diet. The purpose is to shrink your liver so the doctor has better access to your stomach. They want your colon cleaned out because they don’t want you getting constipated, it is already a possibility. There is also a risk of aspiration, vomiting while asleep and inhaling it into your lungs. This could cause pneumonia.

The president-op is hard. I am still a big girl with a big girl stomach and my big stomach wants to be full.

Good luck

[FluffyChix 17,410]

34 minutes ago, slsmith7704 said:

I do completely understand your frustrations but we have not all walked in the others shoes. I smoked forever and tried and tried to quit for many years. Then one day I threw them out and was done. All the times I tried to quit and failed made me feel even worse. It is what it is and I can now say I used to smoke.

As for following the diet it is a lot harder for some than others. I am a week out from surgery and I have followed the diet and cried a lot of days. Today I ate a piece of chocolate. Again it is what it is. If I could just put food down and walk away I wouldn’t need this surgery, but I can’t so I am.

On the other hand doctors and the industry set “Best Practice” guidelines for their patients to follow. They do it because these are the best to follow. They know through extensive research that smoking slows the healing process and when you are talking about having a ton of stitches (staples) in your stomach they advise you to stop because it is what’s best.

As for “cheating” on the pre-op diet. The purpose is to shrink your liver so the doctor has better access to your stomach. They want your colon cleaned out because they don’t want you getting constipated, it is already a possibility. There is also a risk of aspiration, vomiting while asleep and inhaling it into your lungs. This could cause pneumonia.

The president-op is hard. I am still a big girl with a big girl stomach and my big stomach wants to be full.

Good luck

There are all kinds of misrepresentations of reality in the OPs 1st post and a similar arrogance in your post as you vet-splain me. Luckily, I don't have to educate her, nor care for her or support her irresponsible actions. I get to "do" me instead. There are not enough hours or energy in my day to worry one second about this person of whom I know nothing other than her arrogant position in a new support forum.

I wish you the best too.

And btb, my mother quit smoking 30 years before her death from lung cancer...it was a brutal lingering heartbreaking death.

See ya'll round the funny papers. I've expended my last bit of energy I will commit to this asinine thread.

Edited February 28, 2018 by FluffyChix

[Presurg1 11]

1 hour ago, FluffyChix said:

There are all kinds of misrepresentations of reality in the OPs 1st post and a similar arrogance in your post as you vet-splain me. Luckily, I don't have to educate her, nor care for her or support her irresponsible actions. I get to "do" me instead. There are not enough hours or energy in my day to worry one second about this person of whom I know nothing other than her arrogant position in a new support forum.

I wish you the best too.

And btb, my mother quit smoking 30 years before her death from lung cancer...it was a brutal lingering heartbreaking death.

See ya'll round the funny papers. I've expended my last bit of energy I will commit to this asinine thread.

Edited February 28, 2018 by Presurg1

[GreenTealael 24,882]

LOL. Bless your heart. You are gonna be CRAZY post surgery and I am gonna guess, suffer a world of hurt as you "attempt" to detox after surgery in addition to having to deal with the pain of surgery. But hey, you do you!
Just please do yourself a favor? Don't try to eat pizza or a couple of Reese's eggs 4 days out from surgery ok?
(My apologies to everyone including the OP, for this super snarky response! Cuz dear God, I followed the fuc*in' straight and narrow path these 6 months with few deviations well beforehand, and am like a church mouse now the surgery has come and gone--and even though I'm doing well, it has NOT been without its challenges. These kinds of posts make me jelly and crazy cuz the OP will probably skate through and pick up smoking 2 days after surgery without any kind of payback or ill-effects...) *le sigh. I'll put myself in time out. Sorry folks!*

Lol I spit Water everywhere reading this!

[Presurg1 11]

1 hour ago, slsmith7704 said:

I do completely understand your frustrations but we have not all walked in the others shoes. I smoked forever and tried and tried to quit for many years. Then one day I threw them out and was done. All the times I tried to quit and failed made me feel even worse. It is what it is and I can now say I used to smoke.

As for following the diet it is a lot harder for some than others. I am a week out from surgery and I have followed the diet and cried a lot of days. Today I ate a piece of chocolate. Again it is what it is. If I could just put food down and walk away I wouldn’t need this surgery, but I can’t so I am.

On the other hand doctors and the industry set “Best Practice” guidelines for their patients to follow. They do it because these are the best to follow. They know through extensive research that smoking slows the healing process and when you are talking about having a ton of stitches (staples) in your stomach they advise you to stop because it is what’s best.

As for “cheating” on the pre-op diet. The purpose is to shrink your liver so the doctor has better access to your stomach. They want your colon cleaned out because they don’t want you getting constipated, it is already a possibility. There is also a risk of aspiration, vomiting while asleep and inhaling it into your lungs. This could cause pneumonia.

The president-op is hard. I am still a big girl with a big girl stomach and my big stomach wants to be full.

Good luck

Thanks for getting it and for the time you spent trying to tell me the risks in a nonjudgmental way. I do know them, but I was supposed to get this last year then had an emergency hysteretomy so the education part kind of has been a while although I have read and read on different sites about it.

[GreenTealael 24,882]

Hi, My sleeve will be on March 5th. I only stopped smoking on the 18th which will be 2 weeks before surgery by this coming Monday when I get it done.

I have tried to eat right and I do and I don't. I do drink the Protein Shakes (in the last week and Dr has the 2 week pre op diet consisting of two meals Atkins style and one shake on week one and the week before 2-3 shakes and one meal)

I drink more than the recommended Water, but find myself cheating and keep eating those stupid Reese eggs or some other sweet and might skip a shake every other day.

I was going to get the sleeve last year and ended up not getting it because I had to have a total hysterectomy which I had last August and have gained weight (about 15 pounds since). I went through the total hysterectomy EASY. I was up walking within hours and went home the same day. Then I just kinda put the sleeve off debating to have it or not.

My question is - is this harder than a hysterectomy? I healed pretty quickly and although I took 3 weeks off I could have gone back to work within 4 days. I also smoked up until my surgery and my Dr. told me to because he didn't want me coughing a lot after from my body adjusting to quitting smoking and opening up the I think its called a vaginal sleeve. (I ended up anyway getting a horrible cold after and coughed and coughed within 4-5 days after and even still healed well.)

I have been reading a lot on here and this is my first post. I don't know why I am really scared to have this after reading some of these because everyone seems to follow their Dr. instructions and I have not. I smoke and have cheated on my pre-op. Putting it off would only continue my bad habits which I am positive will change after my surgery. I have mentally prepared myself for after the surgery, but NOT followed to the T what they told me to do. I have my pre-op appointment tomorrow and I am scared they will know I haven't follow instructions.

I read some on here they test for nicotine and I am hoping mine doesn't and I am not going to tell him I smoked up until February 18th. If I postpone it I will end up not doing it and I really want to, but after reading this forum I am scared about my cheating and that I smoked even though I smoked and sailed through the hysterectomy. The anesthesia was like taking a peaceful nap, waking up and being able to pretty much walk right out of the hospital (the only thing that stopped me was the nurse and the fact they had to remove he catheter. Anyway, this is too long...can you give me your thoughts? Have you all done exactly as you were told? My friend confessed she cheated on the pre-op the entire two weeks and she has lost over 100 pounds since hers a little over a year ago.

Follow as close to instructions as you can and be super honest with the doctor when you are not. You don't want to have a complication and send them on a wild goose chase trying to figure out the problem when you know it's because you're doing something off plan.

Don't cheat yourself.

[sideeye 1,440]

Be honest with your surgeon. Of all the people in your life to tell white lies, a surgeon isn't one of them.

[jessariskey 9]

blizair:

What I disagree with is your responses, what you consider "real talk" I consider talking down to me. I understand that you have to have the will to change, but if we all had the will we wouldn't be getting surgery. The actual surgery itself is what enables us able to lose the weight because we don't feel as hungry and although we eat when not hungry now, we have no repercussions. After surgery we can't eat the foods we want to without very painful repercussions.
I am not trying to minimize your weight loss. I am sure you feel fantastic, but the surgery is what caused your success. That little bit of success in your recovery period motivated you to continue. You have worked hard, but it sends up a "red flag" to me that you come across as someone who worked hard and did it, but act as if you did it all when it took surgery to accomplish it. The surgery propelled you into success and if you did it all by hard work then why did you get surgery when you could have done the same thing by "hard work" and not surgery. How is that for real talk??
I have had over 8 friends that have had the surgery with some 4 years ago who are still thin. The surgery was how they succeeded, not by hard work. Many don't even work out.
I guess we have a difference of opinion in what the meaning of hard work is. I think hard work is someone who eats healthy 95% of the time, works out daily and is fit through discipline, not by surgery to correct years of neglecting your health.

From what I get from your post, I’m not sure if having the surgery is in your best interest. The point of a pre op diet is to shrink your liver to make the surgery safer. I get “if we could all follow the rules” we wouldn’t need the surgery argument all the time. The surgery isn’t some magic fix. You can eat bread and pizza and chocolate after surgery. Lots of people who decide the rules don’t apply to them do and they gain it all back. This isn’t easy. It’s harder than hell. It’s more than a small stomach, you can just stretch it back out. I don’t think you have any grasp on how weight loss surgery works, it’s not the surgery itself. The surgery is a tool. It is not and will not be the sole reason for success. You have to make the necessary changes.
I’m sorry you feel people are talking down to you, but there is a difference is hearing what you want to hear and hearing the truth. You just want someone to tell you it’s ok, it’s not ok. You can’t keep making excuses. There is no excuse to lie to your surgeon. Your life depends on it. If you aren’t ready to make the necessary changes, then you aren’t ready for the surgery. It’s not about getting validation from others that your behavior is ok. It’s also not about calling someone out for talking down to you so you can do the same thing.

Sometimes the truth hurts. We don’t have to like it but no one wants to hurt your feelings, they want you to succeed and in order to do so, you need to get your head in the right place.

Best Wishes.

[GreenTealael 24,882]

Please be honest with yourself,
Are you ready to for this surgery?
If not don't force it. Do it when it's right for you.

[dreamingsmall 1,125]

blizair:

What I disagree with is your responses, what you consider "real talk" I consider talking down to me. I understand that you have to have the will to change, but if we all had the will we wouldn't be getting surgery. The actual surgery itself is what enables us able to lose the weight because we don't feel as hungry and although we eat when not hungry now, we have no repercussions. After surgery we can't eat the foods we want to without very painful repercussions.
I am not trying to minimize your weight loss. I am sure you feel fantastic, but the surgery is what caused your success. That little bit of success in your recovery period motivated you to continue. You have worked hard, but it sends up a "red flag" to me that you come across as someone who worked hard and did it, but act as if you did it all when it took surgery to accomplish it. The surgery propelled you into success and if you did it all by hard work then why did you get surgery when you could have done the same thing by "hard work" and not surgery. How is that for real talk??
I have had over 8 friends that have had the surgery with some 4 years ago who are still thin. The surgery was how they succeeded, not by hard work. Many don't even work out.
I guess we have a difference of opinion in what the meaning of hard work is. I think hard work is someone who eats healthy 95% of the time, works out daily and is fit through discipline, not by surgery to correct years of neglecting your health.

Your going to have a big awaking. " We can't eat the food without repercussions."

WRONG!!!

Then why are people gaining 100lbs back ? Because we can find a away if we want to.

I'm 7 months post and I could sure as hell eat what I want no repercussions but I choose not to. If this is what's holding you thinking this will be the case after. Then good luck to ya. As yeah some people may not be able to but most of us can do just find sliding in slider foods if we don't change our habit. The poster your talking to is right. And he's 17 month post. But your talking like your trying to educate him ... But what your saying isn't even the case.

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[Creekimp13 5,838]

Dear Presurg:

This surgery will not limit what you eat in any way. Within a couple of months, you can stuff yourself to oblivion and gain weight as fast as you ever did. I'm three months out...and if I wanted to? I could eat 3000+ calories per day easily. Lot of people do this. They start eating crap every couple of hours and manage to gain back every ounce they've lost before they've even gotten to month six. Reeses Peanut Butter cups go down very easily after surgery, so do potato chips and ice cream and french fries and nuts.... and it doesn't take many of these indulgences for them to add up and turn into a disaster.

While you might notice a little nausea after a gut load of sugary things, sleeve patients don't generally dump like bypass patients. It won't be hard for you to overindulge in sweets.

Also, lots of people continue to experience lots of hunger. Ask me:) I know:) I had no nausea, never vomited, and was ready to chew my leg off two weeks after surgery I was so hungry.

If you do not correct your eating habits and apply a metric feck tonne of self discipline, and work....this surgery isn't going to do squat for you.

Some people are looking for a magic cure. If this is you....don't bother.

You're still going to have to diet. And count calories. And write down every single thing you eat every day of your life for months and months. You will still have to pay attention to measuring everything you eat. Looking up calories. You will have to exercise...and then exercise harder to break the stall you've been stuck on for weeks.

The average experience with sleeve....is to lose about 60-70% of your excess weight in 18 months and then gain about 12% back.

If you have 100 pounds to lose, you can expect to lose about 65 in 18 months if you have a typical experience with gastric sleeve...and then gain back about 12 within two years. (and these are people who mostly follow instructions, eat 1000-1200 calories a day and exercise 30 minutes a day)

If you want an exceptional experience...where you get to your goal weight....you'll have to work really really hard to get there. And pay attention to what the people who have actually done it have to say about it.

I'm a little older than Blizair09...and we have different diet philosophies....but he's one of the hardest working posters I've seen on these boards and I admire the hell out of him and have learned a LOT from his experience. You could do a lot worse than to listen to him.

One final word of (unsolicited) advice.... If you smoke again after surgery, you will swallow nicotine. Your saliva will be infused with it and it will wash right down to your stomach. Nicotine impedes healing and is strongly correlated with leaks post surgically. Both in the first few weeks AND in the first few years.

Best wishes on your surgery. Here's hoping the peanut butter eggs haven't deterred your liver from shrinking.....many surgeons will just close you back up if your liver hasn't sufficiently shrunk. To get your liver to shrink you have to stop eating carbs nearly completely. You're defeating the point of the diet...by eating that candy.

[jess9395 5,448]

Mmmmmm@creekimp13 you’re making me hungry!

Reese’s eggs, ice cream and fries for dinner!!!

Oh no better not. I’d like to maintain my loss. Totally could though. I could eat 7000 calories a day (not exaggerating in the SLIGHTEST Because I eat 2400+ calories of healthy stuff most days) if I ate those and they all agree with my sleeve just fine!

[Creekimp13 5,838]

Pay attention to Jess, too...she's the person you're gonna want to talk to about exercise later in your journey when you stall. There are so many folks here who have been there and done it...really done it...gone beyond the average experience and hit their goal...which is all about amazing discipline.

I keep thinking back to what a grouchy butt I was during my liquid diet...and maybe that's part of not being receptive to good advice. Maybe you just want some encouragement...and I think every person here has been there and would understand that.

Just please try to reread all this stuff, later, too. Everyone's on your side...even if it doesn't seem like it....they all want you to succeed:) And they're all giving really really solid advice.

Edited March 3, 2018 by Creekimp13