aroundthetown

I'm a compulsive binge eater. I was in treatment for my ED for 6 months prior to my surgery and it was the BEST DECISION of my life! I'm sorry you met with a quack. That sucks. My dr. is in the Boston area, and she is fantastic. She was very supportive, but also EXCEPTIONALLY expensive. Which is why I'm not able to see her right now. Anyways, she recommended this book "when food is love". You should check it out. It was really emotionally difficult for me to read, but very helpful. Good luck!

I was also banded on June 20th *waves hi to Kitty!!* I had my first BM on Wed. It was super uncomfortable and really "pebbely" sorry to be gross. I was prescribed liquid colace and it tastes NASTY. I only take it because 1) it works, and 2) you actually should call your dr and ask how long it should be before you have a BM or pass gas from below. This is important, because anesthesia can actually put your GI to sleep and your doctor should know if it hasn't "woken up again". I also know that narcotic pain meds can cause constipation. I would call my doctor's office and ask to speak to one of the nurses. They can probably help decipher if your experiencing something normal, or if you have an actual problem. Just my 2cents!

The scariest thing anyone has ever told me is a side affect of not eating enough protein: A lack of protein can and does cause HAIR LOSS. Oh my! I'm motivated to drink my stupid pre-op protein shakes just due to this. Not to mention that I'm trying to shrink my liver for surgery etc. etc. I LIKE MY HAIR. lol Good luck and keep up the good work.

Hey Kitty! You and I are going to be banded on the same day!!!! What is your pre-op diet like, if you are on one? I'm on 1,000 calories / day which have to consist of 3 "meal replacements" (ie: protein shakes or protein bar) and one "real meal" of lean protein and vegetables. I'm getting pretty sick of it! BUT I'm sticking to it. How are you doing? I'm getting nervous!

In December I went to my Bariatric Surgery clinic the first time for 6 appointments which included meetings with nurses, ultrasounds of my liver and other internal bits, oodles of blood tests, and a meeting with a therapist. After meeting with the therapist, and disclosing that I am a compulsive binge eater, I was rejected from the program. They told me that I would need to find a binge eating specialist and be "binge free" for six months. I was devastated. Completely and utterly despondent about not being able to move forward with the surgery right away. I felt like a fool for disclosing my eating disorder and was so pissed at myself for not lying to the therapist. I wonder who gets to almost 300#'s and isn't a compulsive eater? So after wallowing in self pity I manned up and contacted a therapist who specializes in Binge Eating Disorder. I've been seeing her weekly since Dec, and for the past 8 weeks going to an additional 2 hour a week support group. To say that this was a wonderful experience would be an incomplet description of what I've felt going through this process. The therapist I've found "gets it". She is amazing and has truly been helpful in my treatment. Even just admitting to myself that I had an eating disorder was something I could never have contemplated before I met with her. And the thought of "recovery"? Not even in my vocabulary. Now I see the real reasons for why I binge eat- dealing with feelings of depression, anxiety, and having grown up in a home without 'food stability' (ie: long term neglect and poverty) had lead me to form an extremely unhealthy relationship with food. I've gotten so much out of the support group too! This is not OA, but a supervised group therapy session conducted by my therapist. I've made so many connections with others, and have found relief and solace that I'm not the only one struggling with BE. So, last week I went back to the Bariatric Surgery clinic, and had to repeat the whole process of testing. But this time I was 30#'s lighter, and could honestly answer the questions from the therapist. I've been approved to meet with the surgeon on June 2nd and this process is actually moving forward! I'm so relieved, and so happy that I've got some good skills under the old belt now to help prevent me from bingeing after I'm banded. Just thought I'd share a little bit of my journey thus far with you all. I know many of us are told to do a 6 month diet prior to surgery, (which I was not required to do) but I was wondering if anyone else was required to see a binge eating specialist? What was your experience like?

Thank you both for your responses! Vicky when you were on your pre op diet did you loose any weight? I'm wondering if I should try a few days of all liquid now, just to see what shakes I like and such, prior to making the full 2 week pre op- 2 week post op full liquid diet. Would you mind telling me what you generally eat? You've both lost such an amazing amount of weight in such a short time! You are so inspiring.