New Member - Page 2 - ThinnerTimes

bridgetgirl · 06-12-2004, 11:18 AM

Well said Dale! Right on the money with it girl. You know I looked into the surgery for 5 years, asking questions, checking out different surgeons and doing my best to become knowledgeable of this type of procedure. My only regret is that I didnt do it 5 years sooner! I cant remember the last time I felt this fantastic.
It appears that surgery prospects get scared because they hear the bad stuff, the what could happen stuff... the benefits far outweigh the risks! Trust me I researched it for 5 freaking long years! If you are apprenhensive and have a concern, ask a post op. Alot of stuff you hear can often be exaggerated or just plain gossip.Best wishes! We are here for ya!

HapBird · 06-12-2004, 04:44 PM

I appreciate your quick and thorough reply. I am daily becoming more comfortable with the idea of having this surgery - I guess it took a stern lecture from my doctor (stern, but kind) to push me "over the edge" to agree to pursue the whole thing. One thing occurs to me - unlike other diet/drug regimens for weight loss, this step requires an unbelievable amount of commitment, and involves irreversible changes to the anatomy as a starting point, so perhaps all that will reinforce the need (finally) for permanent behavioral and lifestyle changes, which so far I've managed to avoid.

I think I'll make one quick change right now - spend some time every day at the computer browsing/reading/posting on this and other similar forums - the time I used to spend food binging on return home from work.

As for my name - I'm keeping that card to my chest for now, as I don't want friends/co-workers to discover I'm on this path until my surgery, should I be approved for it, is scheduled. 20 years or so ago, I chickened out on another elective surgery because of negative input from a lot of people prior to going in for it (adult removal of tonsils, an unpleasant procedure, apparently, although now it seems pretty minor compared to bariatric surgery! - fortunately my tonsils behaved themselves ever since and I still have them!)

[BTW, "HapBird" is an abbreviation of an anagram of my name...]

melanie hirschorn · 06-12-2004, 06:20 PM

my surgery was april 2003. it's the best thing i did. i knew there were risks, but i was a walking time bomb so i figured i had nothing to loose with the risks that were associated. i had hypertension, sleep apnea, borderline diabetic, pulmonary problems, i'm sure i'm missing some, everything went away. I now exercise 7 days a week and feel great. in fact, i just got back from the beach and had a great time being in a normal body. before surgery you never would had caught me at the beach.
good luck on your decision.
melanie

HapBird · 06-22-2004, 08:02 PM

Hi -

Well, here we go. On June 10, I made the decision to initiate the process of getting the surgery, and today, 12 days later, I've got my initial consultation appointment. July 20 - four weeks from now.

Wish me luck!

-"Hapbird" (Phil in Spring Valley.)

Blueyz · 06-22-2004, 08:11 PM

Good luck hapbird...I mean Phil. Glad you got the consult. That was the toughest part so far for me. Hope all goes well.

bridgetgirl · 06-23-2004, 08:23 AM

Way to go Phil! Congratulations! Anything you need... we are here for you buddy! Welcome.

Your friend,

HapBird · 06-23-2004, 08:50 PM

Yup, I got QUESTIONS. And CONCERNS. I'm sure you know all about that! Right now, I'm riding the high of feeling good about making up my mind to present myself for the surgery, and am starting to make lists of stuff I should start doing way ahead of time so that I'm better prepared once it's done (provided I get that far!)

Like learning to avoid carbonated diet sodas (yum) in favor of water, iced herb tea, etc. And learning the timing cycles of how much water to drink and how far in advance/after eating. I figure if I start these fairly easy things now and incorporate them into my daily routine it'll be that much easier later. The last thing I want to do is come home from the hospital feeling all sore and out of sorts, and then try to figure out what's next!

I guess lots of my questions will get their answers as I go forward with the initial consult, and on to other steps. But if any of you have any particular helpful hints or ideas, remembering back to where you were at this point, I'd appreciate it.

What pearls of wisdom do you have for riding out the low points, which I'm sure will occur pretty often throughout the process and afterwards...?

And I think my biggest fear is not really about the surgery itself, but the fear of turning this into yet another failed plan by not losing or at least learning to control the compulsions to eat improperly. Fifty plus years of bad habits ain't gonna go away in six months!!!

Thanks for listening...

Phil/Hapbird

Blueyz · 06-23-2004, 09:43 PM

Patience was my biggest thing. I had to take one day at a time and talk to people. If it wasn't for all of you, I think I would've driven my family crazy.

I found that being persistant with my insurance company was a must. I also had continuous contact with the referral cooridinator of my primary care doctor. That helped me a lot. She helped me schedule my labs and stay on top of things. I always called to make sure my labs were where they were supposed to be..
I am so thankful to those who have helped me out along the way.
I hope all goes well with you and feel free to ask questions.

Karen Wright · 06-24-2004, 07:33 AM

Phil,

I cut out soda 4-6 weeks before my surgery. Also, I added walking at least 3 days a week too. I tried to make better eating choices...sometimes I failed miserably but some days, I did good. All of those things helped me lose 10 pounds before my surgery and, I truely believe, helped my recovery time after surgery. Anything you can do now WILL help after surgery...trust me! It is so worth it.

In regards to the old habits not going away, that is SO true. My head still gets the best of me sometimes but everyday it has gotten better. I mourned the loss of food and I still do sometimes. They do surgery on our insides...not our heads! Talking about my feelings, asking others what they did, and praying has helped my "head trips" a lot. Also, I may look into seeing a counselor to help work through certain issues. Every little bit helps. Good luck!

bridgetgirl · 06-24-2004, 10:30 AM

Giving up on our old eating habits is jsut like giving up any other self destructing habit... we have to take it one day at a time and reach out to those who can help. There's no beforehand advice I can offer, as you read post after post we face things as they come and learn from our mistakes. We take precaution hearing from other people's experiences. But ultimately, we are all like snowflakes here, every single one is different.

You can do this Phil, one day at a time. We are here for you buddy.