16 more days! Nervous, excited, and a few troubles. Needing advice!

[TexanGRITS]

Hey y'all! I haven't posted in a while because I've been INCREDIBLY busy!

Anyway, I'm officially done with my pre-op appointments! My surgery is scheduled for the 21 of this month, and my nerves are finally trying to get to me. I've never had surgery before, and the fact that everyone keeps telling me that I'm going to feel like I've been hit by a bus is scaring the living crap out of me! How did you guys feel after surgery from day one to day 7? And did anyone else get their sleeve by Dr. Wade Barker with Barker Bariatrics?


Second, I'm starting my pre-op diet on the 14th. I know it's clear liquids, and lots of it! I'm dreading this because I am a foodie. I've always been a comfort eater, so any advice on what to keep in my system would REALLY be appreciated.

Third, this one is going to hit home a little bit. I'm a 19 years old, getting a sleeve. Not the average 19 year old can say that. I see myself now, and I realize that I AM doing this for myself. But, I'm also scared of even more of the teasing that I'm going to get by telling people I got this sleeve. I've already had someone tell me that I'll be "cheating" and "taking the easy way out". It hurts to hear this, even though I know they're just trying to bring me down. Has anyone else had a problem with this...?


Sorry for the sloppy post, I just needed to get this off of my mind and search for some advice at it's best source....you guys!

Any feedback will be GREATLY appreciated from this young, nervous wreck!

[abcmom03]

Dr. Barker did my surgery! The nurses were all fantastic and very caring. Trust me when I say this....It is by NO MEANS the easy way out! It's rough and it sucks....but it is all worth it!!! I will be 6 weeks post op on this Wednesday!

[TexanGRITS]

That's AWESOME! Congrats!!! How have your results been? Did they start with walking the first day?

I know it's definitely not, I just wish people that haven't had a weight problem could walk a day in my shoes and find out what its like.

[abcmom03]

I walked sometime during the night the first night. I didn't get out of surgery and back to my room until about 4:30 that afternoon. I didn't want to walk but thank goodness my mom was there with me and MADE me get up. I was tired, sleepy and just wanted to stay in bed. But the more you walk the better you feel....you know that story! I had to stay 2 nights due to the distance of my drive home. I was dismissed on Friday afternoon.

I go to the dr this Friday and I think that I am down 40lbs. Not sure how close my home scale is to their scale at the office.

Several of my nurses had the surgery so they know what we are going through post op. They are great people.

Best of luck!!!! You are going to do great! Let the haters keep hatin :-)

[TexanGRITS]

Ohhhh boy, that'll be a challenge for me then! But, I'm still looking forward to this! I live 6 hours away from Dallas, so I will be staying there 2 nights as well!

And WOW! That's incredible! Congrats!

Thank you so much on the feedback and the advice!

[abcmom03]

If you don't mind me asking, where do you live???

[ximmia]

We're surgery buddies, so I'll be thinking good thoughts for you as they knock me out and start the next stage of my evolution. Good luck!

[TexanGRITS]

I live in Seminole, Texas! A little town about an hour from Lubbock! What about you?

[TexanGRITS]

Oh, we are! I'll keep you in my thoughts as well! Maybe we can track our progress together, that'd be awesome! Good luck to you as well!

[abcmom03]

I'm in Amarillo! I was hoping you were here and we could help each other through this journey! But heck...we can anyway!
Good luck to both of you ladies!

[Little Verbena]

First off I see you are a GRITS (Girl Raised In The South) On top of that, you are a Texan. You can handle this. There is nothing that anyone can throw at you that you can't handle. You have done all the work you need to do and you have made the decisions. Now you have to just let go and trust the professionals you have around you. Stressing about it will not help out. Instead try to focus your nervous energy in positive ways... planning for the eating program (don't over stock though), ensuring your errands are all run, making sure you have a good solid support structure, etc.
I have no advise for the pre-op eating... I am a foodie myself and I have no idea how I am going to handle that.
As for anyone that tells you that you are cheating or taking the easy way out... they have no idea what they are talking about. This is not easy, this is going to be hard work and these changes will have to be in place for the rest of your life. There is nothing easy about it. You may want to seriously consider why you hang around people that are not supporting you.

[TexanGRITS]

It's not too far off! About two hours! And heck yes we can! That'd be awesome! Thank you so much!

[TexanGRITS]

I'm glad someone knows what a GRITS is, haha. And yes, and VERY proud Texan! And thank you so much for your advice. I've been doing my best to try and focus on the positives, looking into before and after pictures, and my boyfriend who is built and is skinny I might add, is extremely supportive of my decision to have this procedure done. What have you done to try and stay positive and relaxed with this? I do trust the professionals, a lot. The center I went through are incredibly supportive and attentive to all of your needs and questions. I never thought I'd be able to say that I'd feel at home in a doctors office, but there, I do! As for some people not being so supportive, it was someone in my family that has NEVER had a problem with their weight, and knows that her words hurt. I've tried my best to not associate with her, and I will continue to do so. She can just take a look at my results and shut her big ol' mouth!

[Town976]

I was up walking the day of surgery. You will probably have a morphine pump that will keep you out of pain. I don't remember any to speak of. I know that some were not as lucky. I came home the evening after my surgery. I only took the pain meds one time. I did have to take meds for spasms and nausea the day after I came home. Since then I have been fine. I slept in a recliner the first night home. You will feel a lot of pulling from the inside, but that fades every day. In the first days, concentrate on getting in your liquids to keep you from getting dehydrated.

Good luck, you will do great!

[NTV TXN]

Hello fellow Texan! You are going to love your new life. You need to know though, this, it is NOT a quick fix. The doctor is going to do his job, then you have a life time commitment, the rest is on you and you alone. Start now making lifestyle changes you can live with forever. Make them as natural to you as breathing. You can start a few things now that help, because a lot of what we do is in psychological!! Start eating on a smaller plate. Bread 'n Butter or salad. It will be a while, but a year or eighteen months from now, your plate will be pretty full if you use a smaller one. A large plate will look empty forever. I am three years out and I still eat on a small plate, and i have an itty, bitty, Martha Stewart bowl that I eat out of too when I need a bowl to eat out of. Here at the house, I use a seafood fork half the time as well!!

The REAL lifestyle changes that will help determine long term success for ME, I've listed below! I've been doing everything listed for over three years. I started after my first visit with my doctor, two months prior to surgery. This is my life, like I said, as natural to me as breathing! I reached goal in six months, I've been maintaining for over 2.5 years now.

* I weigh each and every morning unless we are traveling
* I log my food on line (my fitness pal) I MUST keep track of my calories, I cannot risk "guessing" I also keep track of protein
* I attend support groups. I currently attend FOUR different ones here in the NE Plano area I am a support group junkie, I love them. I don't think someone HAS to attend this many, but there are several of us that 'make the rounds' we like it!
* I weigh and/or measure my food when I am eating at home. One of these days I'm going to be 'brave' enough to sneak my little food scale into the restaurants with me!

My doctor says I'm a model patient and he doesn't think I'm crazy!! I know I do what many do not do.....the weighing my food, myself, the support groups.....but Dr. Davidson told me at my 3 yr check up a couple of months ago, and I quote: "The patients who seem to be most successful tend to be anal retentive" I HATE that term, but I'll take it! If you are in the area and need a support group, I have FOUR I can recommend!! You'd be welcome at any of them!! I'm going to one Thursday night, I'll meet you there if you want to come.

My one regret - that this surgery wasn't around and available to ME when I was YOUR age! Good luck, you will not believe how different your life is a year from now!