Hi all,
I'm new to all this. My surgery is in 6 days and I'm a bit nervous! Any supportive ideas for me? I'm open to all suggestions to make this a positive experience! This liquid diet is no joke!!
Walk. Walk. Walk. Sip. Sip. Sip. Get your vitamins, protein. Be gentle to yourself
Know that the first two weeks can be a challenge as your body adapts. After the first two weeks, the world gets much better, pretty fast. Know that there's going to be some adaptation to not being able to eat some of the foods you once did, and that what you do eat is in much smaller quantities. (Then again almost EVERYTHING is diet food when you only eat 1 - 2 oz of it at a time...). Take your time, rest, embrace the suck of the first week of exhaustion, and know that it moves pretty fast. Best wishes!
The first week is the hardest but it will get easier and easier each day. Remember to drink/eat very, very slowly initially. You can get queasy really easily. See if your surgeon will prescribe you a liquid anti nausea. Also, if you have "hunger pangs" the first months it is actually usually stomach acid. It presents different post op. A lot of people need a prescribed antacid so if you get those feelings then talk to your doctor. Breathe, relax, and enjoy the journey. Be prepared for that first stall between weeks 2 and 5 some time. (Three being the most common.) It will freak you out. It freaks everyone out. It is totally NORMAL and most sleevers experience it. Welcome!
First congratulations on making the decision that will ultimately be life changing! I'm 8 weeks post op and loving it! I agree with what my fellow sleevers have suggested. Walk, Walk, Walk and Walk some more, sip, sip, sip, and sip some more (to stay hydrated) like AnnieG stated. Some other advice I will give that wasn't previous stated.
1. Hide your scale.
2. Take measurements (thanks to AnnieG).
3. Don't compare your journey to others.
4. Enjoy the journey.
There are many keys to a successful sleeve surgery. Do the pre op diet, it will make the surgery easier and give you a jump start on the whole process. Follow your doctor and nutritionist advice to the letter. Follow the meal progression from liquid to soft foods to real foods. Don't rush this process. Drink your liquids and walk as much as possible. I am a very competitive person and I took this process as a challenge. Look at each day as another challenge that you can win. As your daily victories add up you will have great success. Remember each step however small is important and ultimately rewarding. Ask questions. Look to the folks on this forum as friends and seek out their advice. We all know exactly how you feel. But the most important thing is "YOU ARE WORTH IT". You chose to do something incredible for yourself. You will be more healthy, look and feel better. Every day you will feel better and better. Best of luck and keep us posted.
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