Finally hit home and freaking out...

Hi, so today is day 1 of my Opti.  I have prepared myself for this for months... it is 22 days till my surgery... 

so today it hit me... this is it... its happening.... and to be honest im totally freaking out... i know in my heart i need to do this....but i have to be honest im scared ****less of having the surgery and what it will be like after. Can anyone please assure me and tell me what you felt after waking up and for the following weeks after? I really just need soom advice to calm my nerves...

 

thanks 

Hi, The one thing you have to remember is everyone is different.........When I woke from my surgery I was very sleepy for about 12 hrs. Did not start drinking or walking until approx. 10 pm (surgery was at 8 am). The gas pain was painful but not unmanageable with meds. Since being home I have not had any problems with foods...I am now on soft solids.......the first week I was sore but never needed any meds for it. 

Now remember this is my experience yours may not be the same but I hope it is. I do not regret this decision at all! Best thing I have done for ME ever!

I don't think there are too many people that didn't have the same reaction as what you are having. It is completely normal to be worried and scared. This is a life changing thing you are doing but you need to focus on why you are doing it.

You are going to wake up from surgery feeling like utter crap. You will feel sick, exhausted and in pain and wondering why the heck you ever did this. You may feel like this for a couple of days, you may puke and gag and feel like you will never be normal again. This passes. Every day you'll feel a little better. You'll develop an entirely new relationship with food, you'll start exercising again and you'll feel like a new person. You'll see the numbers on the scale slowly dropping, inches melting away and you'll say that this was the best thing you ever did for yourself and wondering why you were ever nervous.

The first few times I woke up, I had no pain if I can remember correctly as I was still on iv painkillers and I was thrilled that it was done and I was on the losers bench!  I was walking with a bit of pain pretty quickly.  If you have ever had abdominal surgery, its an easy one.  Every day, it just got better and better and I started seeing and feeling the weight off and seeing myself going off of meds for high bp and high cholesterol very quickly.  I'm over three years out and still wake up happy with a much healthier and slimmer body.

you will wake up with a little dietician on one shoulder and a little surgeon on the other. At times you would gladly have them killed but after the surgery you can not.  They will be with you for quite a while.  They will fade with time, as you begin to be able to eat everything again.  Then your real work begins, with a svelte new body you can exercise to keep it off and you have the tools to keep it out of your mouth altogether!   Being a tad nervous is normal.  Relax, enjoy the ride!  

I had an rny on Sept. 4th. I was determined to go over that hill. 

I had no complications to speak of. The staff at Guelph hospital were very kind and I enjoyed my stay and being pampered a bit. The drugs helped and I made no qualms about asking for more painkillers when necessary. It was a positive experience overall. 

I loved IV Gravol.

You do think about the surgery more as it gets closer.  

You should think about if you are prepared to change your LIFESTYLE when it comes to food because it is a long term change.

I personally was so sick of food as a crutch.

I worried about complications but I didn`t smoke, and had been improving my exercise prior to going in, and I had faith in my surgeon.  I also was prepared to walk after surgery and be active (very important).

In the end though, you have to make the decision.  There are no right answers.  It is only what is right for you.

I had a terrible time fora month afterward. I have OCD and panic disorder and they prepared me at the hospital that you can have dark and unstable thoughts as your body is readjusting. hey we're right. I woke up Ina huge panic thinking I had made the worst mistake ever. journalling everyday really helped me to see that the periods of panic were decreasing each day. by 8 weeks I was back to normal.

I am 7 months post -op. I just ran the 5k Resolution Run, Imhave lost 105lbs and still going. I feel better than I have since in my teens (25+ years ago) and am so glad I had the surgery.

It is normal to worry -after all it is surgery and it is a big and irreversible decision. Make sure you are well supported in the first few weeks. journAl to keep track of changes and you will do just fine.

Tracey who loves her RNY!

I asked for a pill for anxiety to be given to me when I first got admitted to the hospital. They gave me 2.0 mg (??) of Ativan. That helped a lot with anxiety, and I think i was pretty clear headed when they wheeled me in. 

My surgery is on the 28 th and I am with you sister!  Worried I will feel like ass and never get the right quantities of food or vitamins ever again. So I suggest going to bed early every night of optifast....that's what I'm planning to do! Lol