Question:
I have four months to wait - what should I do while I wait?
Trying to lose weight is not an option - I'm only at 41 BMI, and i don't want to jeopardize my chances. However, i'm just wondering if there are things you would've done differently, preparations you would have made, etc, now that you've had your surgery and you're on the other side and "wiser." — sweetmana (posted on February 16, 2003)
February 16, 2003
OK, this is a *long* post, but so worth it! Another AMOS member, Teena
Adler, posted a great message last month with ideas for pre-ops who want to
know what to do while awaiting surgery. I thought it was so great, I saved
it. So here it is, again (now it'll be in the library too, as it should
be!). Thanks, Teena!<P>01/31 01:24 PM EST<P>THE OPINIONS BELOW
ARE SOLEY MINE AND SOLELY OPINIONS. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT HELPED ME
WHILE I WAS WAITING. I JUST THOUGHT THEY WOULD HELP YOU AS WELL. TAKE
CARE.<P>I will be 8 months out 2-6-03. I have lost -114 pounds and
now weigh 191. I started out at 305 pounds. I wore size 28 (tight). I was
miserable. All of that has changed.<P>I just wanted to write and let
you all know that I know how frustrating it can be to be waiting to hear
something after going to the WLS seminar. You are ready for your new life
to start and when you want it you want it now. I KNOW I HAVE BEEN THERE. No
amount of wanting or desiring something is going to make it happen any
faster. SORRY.<P>I thought I would share with you something's you can
be doing now to make your life easier
post op. Granted I know all of the things I will suggest will be difficult
in the beginning, but it will help you out so much more than you know after
surgery.<P>1. Start some kind of work out routine. Even if you can
barely walk. Get some kind of movement in your daily routine. 10-20-30
minutes whatever you can do to move your body and try to get physical.
Your work out habits now will be an asset to you later on down the road.
The more you move the more you lose. Sounds dumb, but ohh so true. I am a
witness to that one. Ask me later!!!<P>2. Start researching and
tasting different types of protein supplements. There are so many to choose
from. The search for the perfect one for you will be such a hard decision.
While after surgery your taste will change, but if you start now you can at
least have an idea of what you can tolerate later and what is best for you
money wise.<P>3. Try to start learning more about healthy foods.
Learning about carbs and sugars and what is healthy and what is not is
hard, but can be done. Better to do it now while you are waiting than to
have the surgery and at the last minute have to learn about it and make the
wrong choices and have your hips, thighs, stomach, and butt pay for it
later.<P>4. Start going through your closet and organizing your
clothes according to size. All those old clothes that got to small for you
get them out and organize them according to size. You will be fitting in
them soon.<P>5. Keep asking questions. You can never ask enough
questions. This is your life and you arein control of it. NO ONE BUT YOU.
The more questions you ask the better informed you
are of things that may happen later on down the road. There are no stupid
or wrong questions. You ask what you want to know. You can not make an
informed decision on
something without knowing the good the bad and the ugly so ask
away.<P>6. Learn to ask for support. It is the hardest thing in the
world, but it the most important thing in the world. We are proud people.
It is our nature. When we are having problems or feeling down it is so much
easier to keep these things to ourselves. I urge you to break the
cycle and learn to share your emotions and concerns with others. This is a
very long process. You will have many good days, but the bad days will also
come as well and when
they come you will need family and friends right there to help you through
it. Never be afraid or ashamed to share your emotions or ask for help. We
are here to help and not harm.<P>7. Drink more water. lol. Yeah
right. I am pre op and my surgery is not even scheduled yet. I will be
drinking cokes 'til the cows come home.. lol.. Ok. You have a point. I do
recommend that you attempt to drink more water now, because we will have to
drink tons of it later and get rid of the cokes. Water is essential to your
health and your organs functioning properly and all that good stuff. Not
only that, but after surgery not drinking
enough water, could cause you go get kidney stones and dehydrated and end
up in the hospital. How do you like them apples? I didn't think you would
want that. Make it a habit now so that it is a habit later.<P>8.
Start taking vitamins now. It is not required, but it makes it a lot easier
to get use to doing it on an everyday basis. I started taking vitamins on a
daily basis two months before surgery so that when I was ready for surgery
vitamin taking would be habit for me. Just try it and see if I am
right.<P>9. Start keeping a journal. You will be feeling so many
mixed emotions during this whole process. It is good to write them down.
When you have the surgery and lose the weight and have issues come up in
your life that get you down you can always go back and look and see how far
you have come. You can look at how much work you have put into gaining your
life back. Having WLS and losing the weight is a great accomplishment. You
should have something to make memories of your accomplishments.<P>10.
Take before and after photos. I know I know YOU HATE HAVING YOUR PICTURE
TAKEN. JUST DO IT. It will help you so much when you are losing. You will
have something to motivate you. You can also see how far you have come
while you are losing. I recommend you do front, side, and back view so you
can get the full effect. After surgery I also recommend you do the same
thing once a month. It is not required, but so helpful to keep you
motivated.<P>11.Think about how you want to handle letting people at
work know what type of surgery you are having. Some people do not care that
people at work will know that they are having
WLS, but some do. Some people want to keep this a secret and not have
anyone in their business. While it is your choice. You have all the time in
the world to figure out how you will approach the subject. Start planning
now.<P> 12. The good stuff. Lol. If you are an obsessive-compulsive
over eater now, you will be after surgery as well; unless you get a hold of
why you eat the way you do and seek treatment. You must find some type of
group OA or a therapist to work through food issues now and after surgery.
Those feelings will not disappear overnight. You must deal with them now.
While the surgery is a tool and you can only eat small amounts of foods; it
is possible
to stretch your pouch. It is possible to drink liquids high in sugar and
sabotage all of your hard work. Deal with the mental aspect of overeating
now so that the adjustment will not be a big one later. There is nothing
wrong with going to counseling or a twelve-step group or
some kind of support group. DO NOT LET PRIDE GET IN YOUR WAY OF SECURING
YOUR SUCCESS.<P>13. Breathe. Yes, I said breathe. Calm down, relax
and breath. You will someday soon
(ok..maybe later) get that magic phone call telling you that you were
approved. You will see stars and moons and all that jazz, but you are not
done yet. The staff has a lot more that they have to do before that consult
date is scheduled. Hold tight. Relax and wait for them to call you.
Everything has a process. While we may not agree with it. They have
processes for a reason. Just breathe, relax, and enjoy the ride. The day
will come where you get that second phone call when they say "COME ON
DOWN" for that consult date. That is the moment you will know that
your time has come.<P>I wish you all the best in life and love.
Surgery is a great tool, but you have to work it. If you
ever need support please do not be afraid to ask for it. You are well on
your way to a new you. Life is what you make it and it is all up to you.
Congratulations. I LOVE YOU ALL.<P>-- Teena Adler
— Suzy C.
February 16, 2003
Hi-well I am not post-op yet. I will having surgery in April. While I am
waiting for surgery I am doing a few things. My main goal is stop the large
consumption of caffeine. I love and I mean absolutely love Diet Mountain
Dew. I was drinking around 10 cans a day. I now have 2 cans and then I will
drink the caffeine diet dew. I am also going to practice sipping water,
eating with a baby spoon and chewing my food very well. I can not afford to
lose weight either-BMI is 40.5, so...I will probably try to start walking a
bit too. GOOD LUCK!!
— Jan S.
February 16, 2003
Hi there. I am a pre-op too, but I don't think you should wait to start
trying to lose. I am assuming you already have your approval from
insurance and if that is the case there shouldn't be anything holding you
back. They aren't going to deny you once you have been approved and it's
in writting. I was told, and it makes sense, that you should go on a high
protein, low carb diet, like the Aitkens Diet, atleast 1 month before
surgery to help shrink any fat from your liver. It makes surgery easier.
You didn't say if you were having lap or open? The other is exercise,
because it will be so important to have active muscles after surgery they
reccomend exercising prior to surgery, this helps with recovery and the
likelyhood of getting back to an exercise routine after surgery. When you
are building muscle your body will turn to the fat to burn instead of the
muscles and remember your heart is a muscle and you don't want your body to
eat at that first for energy. Besides, if nothing else, that will be just
that much less you have to lose once you are on the other side. Good Luck
:)
— Regina S.
February 16, 2003
I'm 6 mo. post and my politically INcorrect suggestion is to eat Reese's
Peanut Butter Cups and drink Diet Coke, you may even consider throwing in a
birthday cake with thick icing.
— jen41766
February 16, 2003
get in shape, start to excerise it will help with weight lost. It will
also help to you recover faster from surgery.
— barbara A.
February 16, 2003
Check with your surgeon about losing weight. I thought it was an insurance
deal because others on here said so, but my doctor will not operate on
anyone who does not qualify, insurance or no insurance and that included
the day of surgery. Please check with your dr. before deciding to lose
weight.
— susanje
February 16, 2003
Stop eating sugar, and stop caffeine. Those are the two things I would do
differently. :)
— Diana L.
February 16, 2003
Start increasing your protein intake and even start drinking a protein
shake. Protein among other things helps your body heal ! Stop drinking
soda as soon as you can, the sooner the better. Start walking. Even if it
only to the end of your driveway and back. Every couple days try and do a
few steps more.
— Sharon H.
February 16, 2003
Start walking! Even moderate exercize will aide your recovery. Stop soda's
and caffeine, the caffeine withdrawal headache is a killer-
Attend support groups, as a pre op, make connections with other pre ops,
or make friends with posties for support.
— ~~Stacie~~
February 16, 2003
Original poster, here! Thanks for all the great information and tips! I
know i really need to work on drinking more water, taking a daily vitamin
(how many times have i started and stopped doing THAT in the past!), and
starting to use this treadmill that beckons to me with dusty and lonely LED
eyes...
Just a little more information on me: I'm at the stage where I'm awaiting
consult from the surgeon. This surgeon does open RNY's exclusively, so I
don't have a choice between lap and open. Although I shouldn't be so sure
that I'll be approved, I feel pretty certain that I will be. I've aleady
met someone who had her open rny done in September of last year, and she
had the same surgeon, same bmi, same insurance and fewer co-morbidities
than myself (actually, she only had one) and she didn't have any problems
(or delays, for that matter) getting approved.
I feel pretty optimistic about how i'll do post-op. I'm not a soda (or POP,
depending on what part of the country you're from!) drinker and not really
a snacker, either. I do drink coffee, but usually only 1 cup a day. I guess
that will be more of a head-habit thing than an actual caffeine-withdrawal
thing. I do have some bad habits - i don't drink nearly enough water, or
any kind of fluid for that matter (i've been hospitalized twice for
dehydration), and I don't chew my food very thoroughly. Oh yeah, and I also
eat more food than my 5'1" frame needs for its daily fuel
requirements! Couldn't forget about that!
Seriously, though...I really appreciate all the tips and responses, and the
one thing I'm really sorry about is not having ANY clothes from when i was
in high school. During high school i weighed between 130 and 140, and
immediately packed on 40 lbs after i left. When that happened, i threw away
all those smaller clothes because i was so sad and angry with myself.
However, I do have clothes that fit me back in the 170's, so i can't wait
to be able to wear THEM again! Heck, i have at least 3 or 4 business suits
i bought for work last year, and didn't get to wear them ONCE because i
gained 10 lbs upon starting my new job.
Ok, done blabbing! Thanks again for all the tips and posts! I don't know
what i'd do without this website and all the kind and helpful people that
are here going through (or already have been through) wls.
— sweetmana
February 17, 2003
I had a long wait too. After you've packed your bag, bought your protein
supplements, and read everything in sight..... Now just keep busy. I
cleaned my house, did tons of laundry, put up new drapes and wallpaper,
etc. Also, don't forget that you wohn't need much in the hospital. My
hospital list is on my profile. Also, RESEARCH the hospital to see what
specific preps you should make. In particular, make sure you have someone
with you all the time while you're in the hospital post-op.
— Kathy J.
February 17, 2003
ok i know im going to be sooo busted for saying this.. but im telling you
how i feel... honey eat your favorite things.. alot of them too.. sorry
guys.. im just being truthful.. i still wish i had 1 day... heheheheh i
wouldnt change this for the world.. im 10 weeks out and ive lost 86 lbs..
but just 1 more day would suit me fine... :) ~erinn
— Erinn M.
February 17, 2003
Hey! I am 5 days post-op and have a couple of suggestions. THE most
important thing...stop eating jello, broth and sugar-free popsicles. That
way, you might find them interesting and appealing after your surgery.
Also, pace your house and try to figure out how many laps through which
rooms equals 25 yards, 50 yards, 75 yards, etc. My doctor wants me walking
50 yards a day right now and I have no idea how far that is...so I'm
wandering around aimlessly until I'm exhausted. And take a walk through
Neiman's or another upscale store and imagine yourself the way you will be
in another year or so. What would you try on? Would you actually buy
something? I found that I could spend a good amount of time playing
make-believe there. Of course, the sales women looked at me pretty
snootily. "What's that fat lady doing fondling the size 10 Gucci
dress?" Whatever. It was fun and my memories of those pretty (and
SMALL) things are making my current pain (and adversion to broth, etc.)
more bearable.
— Amy W.
February 17, 2003
Sit-ups or "crunches". As many as you can, every day, increasing
them as you find you can do more. Having toned stomach muscles will make
it easier for you to move after surgery, give your doctor better tissue to
suture and reduce the risk of herniation later. Improve your lung capacity
with as much aerobic activity as you can stand. This will help you get rid
of the phlegm and anesthesia lodged in your lungs after surgery and help
prevent post-operative pneumonia. Good Luck!
— merri B.
February 18, 2003
I would kick the coffee, cola any thing cafinated habbit it you have one.
I would quit smoking if you smoke and i would pig out the night before
surgery. I didnt do it and i went from eating at 9pm sunday night until
tuesday morning before anything crossed my dry cracked lips. I had my
surgery on a monday at 4:30pm so i went allllll day with out eating. So i
would definatly eat at like 11pm if allowed. Lets see, i would do the
crunches thing like said before, i was doing crunches before the surgery
and i have felt great since being out of the hospital. Also, walk walk
walk after surgery! The more you walk the better you will feel, you dont
have to walk far, just like 10 steps to and 10 steps back and work your way
up from there.
Good luck!
— rachel W.
February 18, 2003
Begin now changing your relationship and way you think about food. I go to
so many support groups where people truly believed this surgery would do it
all for them. A year out, they've stopped loosing, some never dump, they
eat sweets like they use to, and they are beginning to regain. They are now
joining weight loss plans, to find they can't eat quite the amount the plan
even requires, and they are miserable. The surgery will not do anything for
what's in your head about food and addictions. Start now reading self help
books or get counseling so you can blend that with your upcoming surgery.
Best of Wishes To You..Keep Us Posted!!!
— Karla K.
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