Bariatric surgery thread 3

[HotSteppa]

Relocating to shiny new thread for all those going through or considering weightless surgery in all its forms.

I thought I was going to die from the anaesthetic I don’t know why. I have never had a general anaesthetic before so convinced myself I wouldn’t wake up. I read somewhere that the anaesthetic is the most safest part of an operation though so that eased my mind.

When I came to I did a voice note to my sister back in the UK (I travelled alone) and the first thing I said was ‘hi sister I’m alive I’m not dead’

I travelled alone to and from Manchester airport and actually drove home from the airport myself (my car broke down too!)
The flight was easy in all fairness I just watched whatever I’d downloaded on Netflix. Because I had hardly drank anything or ate anything I didn’t have to get up to go to the toilet. I didn’t have flight stockings on either bc my surgeon took them off me to pose for a
Photo with him and the team before I left and I forgot to put them back on. So I was then paranoid I’d get DVT but I was fine.

I travelled very light as I was alone I wanted to make sure I could manage my backpack alone so I only had under seat backpack in case I couldn’t lift a cabin case either into the overhead lockers or onto the Check-in belt or off the carousel. I took a faljraven backpack with the barest minimum.

The worst thing I guess was waiting in a massive queue as at Antalya airport you had to queue at bag drop to get a paper boarding card as they didn’t accept electronic ones. Not sure if that was a one off or whether it is always like that. I say worst thing but it was bearable I just hate queuing. I didn’t feel weak or faint or anything. It was quite fun spotting other potential WLS people or hair transplants or new teeth.

My weight loss I feel compared to some has been slow. I’ve lost about 26lb since surgery in January. However I’ve yo yo dieted a lot over the past 20 years and truly believe I’ve screwed my body/ metabolism up so I am grateful that it is coming off slowly but surely and trying to just trust the process. I would not have lost 25lb on SW low carb or WW in ten weeks or so. I’m trying desperately not to compare myself to others who have lost a lot more in a shorter time frame.

I have gone from an 18 to a 14 and I feel slimmer than what the scales say somehow! My BMI was about 40 when I started it’s now about 34.

@MrsZlatan Aww thanks so much for giving me such detail about your experience my nerves are so bad I really do want to and need to do this but I am such a worrier and overthink everything. My sister has said she will come with me which I'm so grateful for but I'm still scared.
26lb is amazing and you really are only a short time out of surgery! Oh my goodness please tell me I won't need to get a pic with my surgeon 😂 I do not do photos ever! I have no family pics that I am in and at Christmas one year one of my sisters made a family photo of the whole family and had to photoshop me into it lol xx

Haha they won’t force you they will ask first. I even did a video review for them hoping that no one I know in the UK ever sees it. No one knows I have had WLS except my sister.

You should take some photos now even if you keep them hidden somewhere in a secret folder on ur phone. So you can look back with pride in a years time when you look like a different person.

When I stayed at the hotel at mcr airport (I live an hour away and don’t like getting up at 4am for a 8am flight lol) I did a video of myself talking into camera about what I was doing where I was going and why. I got tearful and embarrassed. I stood up in my underwear and did a 360• round video and wondered where I would be what I’d be doing in exactly a years time. Maybe in same hotel for a flight out for plastic surgery! I also wrote a letter to my kids which also made me cry - in case anything happened to me. Why I was doing it etc. I then renamed it and have hidden it in my iCloud.

Hiding from photos is something I always do and I always hate how it makes me feel. I’ve avoided nights out where certain friends are
always wanting to take pics and I feel sad for that side of me

Here is the projected weight loss depending on what weight you start at. Remember they say that WLS in a year should see you losing about 60% of your total excess weight. Hope that makes sense.

@MrsZlatan Wow Looking at that I'd be absolutely thrilled if I could get my projected weight for 6 months by the 18 months!

Aww I have tears even thinking about the messages for your children 🤧 this day 2 weeks is my surgery!!

I must try and take a full length pic of myself for comparisons xx

Hi. I’m creeping in to join you if that’s ok. I am seriously considering a gastric sleeve. Just need to organise the logistics - time off work and stuff. Don’t think I can fit it in before September.

Hi @WitchesWalk welcome.

Please ask if you have any questions that might help you making your decision

Hi @WitchesWalk 👋

@MagentaRocks how are you doing this week?

@thatyouleaveinspace how are you getting on with the LRD not long now for you? Saturday? Xx

@Wereeaglesdare how are you getting on now? Xx

Hi @Twinsandsome doing well thank you. I will be 3 weeks post op tomorrow and I can go onto soft food and have eggs etc which I am really looking forward to. Measured myself today, 5 weeks after the last time and I have lost just over 15 inches in total. It will be 6 weeks tomorrow since I started the pre op diet and I am hoping for almost a 2 stone loss by then. I would love it to be 2 stone but don’t think I will quite get there.

Been a bit unwell the last couple of days. Just a stomach bug I think but I went to work yesterday and had to get my husband to come and get me. I felt sick, dizzy, and was burning up. Even drinking water made me feel sick so I was worried about getting dehydrated. Pretty sure nothing to do with my surgery as dh was sick at the weekend so sure it is nothing sinister and I can drink today without feeling sick. If it had continued I would have contacted the hospital where I had it done. Managing to drink a lot more today and got through half a protein shake.

Going to stick to the puréed food when I am at work for now and then try an omelette or similar in the evening so I am home if it doesn’t go well, but the thought of having food I can chew is great. I will just have to make sure I don’t eat too quickly.

I havent had any bad effects, no dumping or anything. I am being pretty strict about not drinking within half an hour of food. That is hard though as I am used to drinking with food but soon it will be second nature.

How are you? And @MrMrsJones how are you getting on?

@MagentaRocks 15 inches 😮 that is absolutely amazing well done you!! Also loosing even close to 2 stone in 6 weeks I hope I can do that too!!

Aww I hope it was just a viral thing but it is scary and that's a definite bonus of having the surgery over here that you could have just phoned the hospital and asked like I don't know what way that will work for me having it abroad. I can't believe how soon my surgery is it's tomorrow week so I'll be flying this day week. I have to say I am very nervous and scared but I think that's just part of me generally anyways as I am an over thinker/ worrier. I'm so glad you've had no complications from your surgery it's encouraging to hear. I'm going to try and do solely the shakes and porridges from tomorrow onwards on my last week of LRD. I love having this thread to read over because it is very hard in real life when all my friends and sisters etc are very naturally slim. I've not told very many but one of my best friends said the other day when I said aww her food looked lovely, sure your volunteering to do the op like nobody is making you and I felt a bit annoyed because she didn't get it that the op is kind of my last chance to gain my life back. Xxx

Thanks @Twinsandsome. So weigh in day today, I didn’t hit the 2 stone but less than 2lb away from that goal, and I am into the 14st bracket now which has thrilled me.

I am on the soft/crunch stage from today. Had a couple of tiny cracker bites when I got home from work and it was so nice to have something proper savoury, having cheese omelette for evening meal. So looking forward to that too. Just need to remember to chew properly and take my time.

Got a bit of pain today but think I ate my yoghurt at work too quickly, and feeling a bit gassy so having some peppermint tea.

And you are right, people don’t get it if they haven’t been there, I still have wobbles about what I can’t eat but realising it is only for a couple of months and then you can try normal food, but make different choices. If my husband has a chippy tea one night, I can grill a veggie burger and pinch a few of his chips and feel like I am having a takeaway. Still a few weeks off before I can do that though and I will probably want to wait a bit longer anyway but knowing I can still enjoy things like that helps, even if I don’t want to do it.

I messaged my gym coach today and told him I am ready to come back. Just waiting for a reply. I need him there my first time back even though I am just going to sit on the bike for 20 to 30 minutes. I will keep doing that until my 6 week check up when hopefully I will get the green light to do a bit more.

Excited for you that it is only a week away.

Aww @MagentaRocks that is amazing 14 stone would be a dream for me!!

I'm sure just getting that small bit of normality back with crunch feels amazing esp after such a long LRD.

Yes i think that sounds very sensible because the whole point of it is to move away from that diet mentality of I can't eat this I can't eat that so knowing in time yes you can have a few chips.

I'm very nervous the closer it is getting since Tuesday I'm been like this time next week I'll be flying, wed this time next week I'll be in surgery and yesterday and today I've been very tearful thinking where will I be this time next week.

@thatyouleaveinspace all the best for tomorrow keep us updated I'll be thinking about you xx

Hi all lovely to see how you are getting on
My gastric sleeve is tomorrow I'm absolutely shitting it 😂

Awww @thatyouleaveinspace I know I can imagine. Are you already in the hospital? Will anyone be with you? I really hope it all goes well and I'm sure it will. Keep thinking of the positives and if you need your mind taken off post and I'm happy to talk.

Does many of your family and friends know your having the surgery? Xx

Good luck @thatyouleaveinspace. Let us know how it goes.

@Twinsandsome the next few days will both drag and fly by. I couldn’t wait the nearer it got.

Did my first gym session today. Just on the bike. I did 5 mins then walked around for a minute then the same again. I did that 6 times. Told my coach about the sleeve. Once my check up is done, if I get the go ahead to do a bit more I will book some sessions in with him so he can make sure I am not doing too much but will give me different things to do as I know it will get boring just going on the bike. Just being at the gym has really lifted my mood.

Hi everyone. I’ve just today read from thread 1 to the end. I’m 15stone and 5ft 5. Totally disgusted at myself and need to do something drastic as I’m starting to struggle just to get up and down stairs. I’m 50 and menopausal and I’ve yo-you dieted most of my life but I’ve put on 4stone since start of lockdown. 😞 I’m a huge binge eater more so now than ever. I cannot go on like this. I had a gastric balloon last summer and it was horrific as I spent 3wks vomiting until my stomach lining bled. Then it burst and I needed emergency procedure to remove it from my bowel. You’d think it would put me off but all it’s done is make me realise I need to do something more sensible and long term. But I don’t even know what I need or whether I’d be a candidate with my history. I’m looking at a sleeve or the newer ESG procedure which is like a non surgical sleeve where they stitch you a sleeve rather than slice you one. I just don’t know. All I know is that both my phyla died mental health is at an all time low.

*sorry that should say physical and mental health. Thankfully, nobody has died yet!

@MagentaRocks you are doing brilliant and so glad you where able to get to the gym that's something I couldn't do in the past as I would have been terrified at even the thought of it but I hope the new me can go to the gym.

Welcome @JaneIsInsane I did exactly the same as you I thought about it for so long and then I found these threads and read them for days and it really helped give me the push. I am due to have my op on Wednesday. Xx

Hi@JaneIsInsane the thread is very informative and lots of suggestions for surgeons are on here, are you travelling or going for UK? I have found that there is a Facebook support group for my hospital in turkey and they are also really useful for information and checking in with each other, I’ve buddied up with someone travelling at the same time and hoping that mutual support will be good!

@Twinsandsome good luck, time to start packing and repacking that bag 😂 hope it all goes well!

Everyone else; you’re all doing so well! Really looking forward to posting my own successes in a few weeks, op on 03/05, I’ve started my LRD today as I figured an extra week can only be a good thing 🤷🏼‍♀️ and I’m getting all fired up and excited to go (mainly because 5 days peace from the kids is unheard of 😂)

@Twinsandsome, thank you. Good luck for your op on Wednesday.
@coldandverytired, thank you. I’ll be staying in the uk mainly as I’m too scared to travel in case anything goes wrong plus I’m a nervous flier so I don’t like the idea of flying alone. But that’s just me. Lots of people seem to have a great experience in Turkey! Good luck with it!

My husband isn’t keen on me having surgery. He reluctantly agreed with the temporary balloon but having seen how ill that made me, he wants me to just eat less junk and walk more! I think it’s because he sees it as a new temporary problem because he’s only seen me above a size 12 these last 2yrs. What he doesn’t appreciate is that I spent the 20yrs before that only maintaining that size 10-12 by constant yo-yo and constant dieting and obsessing about food and bingeing then exercising until I drop to counter that. So 20yrs of dysfunctional eating. What I need is a consultation to determine whether this pattern means a sleeve wouldn’t work for me. But I just long forgot a time when I’m not obsessing over what I eat.

Been away for a while.

I am now starting week 10 today and have lost 2 stone so far, since having surgery.

However at my biggest I was 19 stone 1 lb and I am today 15 stone 4 lbs.

I am so proud of myself.

I need to go to the gym and start weighs to build up my muscles 💪

Well done everyone 👏 👍 😀 your doing fabulous 👌

Hi all I'm home from hospital I had my gastric sleeve Saturday. It's been very very tough I can't lie I'm not feeling physically very well right now
But I'm thinking of the end result
Xx

@thatyouleaveinspace

Hi all I'm home from hospital I had my gastric sleeve Saturday. It's been very very tough I can't lie I'm not feeling physically very well right now But I'm thinking of the end result Xx

Do you mean pain or hungry or tired?

It's takes it out of you, the surgery, the pain relief the sudden lack of eating. Your insides are bruised and you whole self is suffering from fatigue.

Rest losts, drink as much as you can