Four months until surgery

[Tandem]

Hello all,
I've been reading this forum for more than a year. The experiences shared on this bored helped me make the decision to have the surgery.

I've been overweight most of my life although I am currently at my heaviest. Fortunately, the insurance company approved the surgery relatively quickly and without much fuss. I'm leaving overseas - in Central America - and will be back in the US during the summer of 2016 which is when the surgery is scheduled. I did the requisite six months of medically supervised weight loss and I didn't lose any weight. However, now that the surgery has been approved, I'm really going to take my weight loss efforts more seriously and make the lifestyle changes that I know I'll have to make after the surgery. My surgeon's longer term advice is no red meat, no bread and no sweets. At a minimum I will do this over the next few months. I've already committed to exercising. I get up at 4:30 AM and walk between 30-45 minutes five days a week. I've been doing this for a few years now. I know I need to kick it up a notch but knee, foot and back pain make it somewhat difficult. Hopefully weight loss will help with this.

I haven't told too many people about the surgery, but during the psych evaluation, the counselor suggested that I find a buddy and develop a support system. The nutritionist also suggested that I consider joining one of these forums given that I'm living abroad. I haven't even told my mom, although my husband knows and is supportive. (He says, jokingly, that if I have the surgery and don't die that he's going to have it done himself, but right now we can't risk leaving our two kids as orphans. The irony of course is that without the surgery, we're increasing the risk of leaving them as orphans anyway. He has a serious weight issue too and hope that he eventually joins me on this journey).

So that's about it! I'm nervous, excited and scared. I'm concerned about head hunger, hair loss, complications and sugar cravings, but I'm hoping that this will be the beginning of a new start for me!

[Sandra3]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

It took me years to decide I was going to get the surgery, then months to decide where...I'm also an expatriate (French), we live in Asia right now, after years in the States.

I just had my sleeve in Asia on January 20, so not much experience so far, but I don't have sugar cravings at all. Hunger....sometimes it's difficult to know if it's hunger or thirst...but I eat small quantities and sip all day.

My advice would be to find a good protein powder you like (I had to try many!), and find also vitamins. You can start to take biotin for your hair right now, it's supposed to help with hair loss. Since I can't find much items in Asia I have to order most of the things from the US.

My husband was really scared about the sleeve, I can have bad reactions after or during anesthesia. He met the surgeon who was really great and explained how doing something now would prevent from many worth issues (diabetes, HBP, cancer etc) in a near future. I'm glad I did the surgery!

It's normal to be nervous and scared, I was sleepless for days before the surgery. And felt so relieved when it was over.

Of course I was in pain right after surgery (and vomiting for two days and a half) but I know it's worth it. And no more pains on day 3. I didn't lose that much so far because it's the beginning, but all combined with my weight loss pre-op, I see a huge difference in my joints, it's almost painless to walk now.

Good luck and take care,