PowerUp

I feel extremely lucky. It's nice to know the swagger my surgeon had in his abilities matched reality. I hope things go similarly well for you guys with surgery coming up.

Gas almost gone. Still a little pain in one shoulder. I really have to focus to slow down and not to gulp. Water goals are good. I can also down a Protein shake a day. Along with my gatric sleeve procedure, my surgeon also reduced the hiatal hernia I have.

I'm recovering OK. It's been a week since surgery. Pain is a lot less! I've lost another 10 lbs. too. So all and all things are moving in the right direction. I would say the few days I spent in the hospital kind of sucked but I've experienced worse. It was just a matter of getting through those few days.

I survived my surgery. Some pain in torso and shoulders. Combo of incisions plus gas.

Good insights Josh, thanks. My surgery is in about 5 hours. I'll let you all know how it goes.

June 5th is only a couple days away. This getting real. I'm surprised how well I've been able to stick to the pre op diet, because I didn't think I could do it. Generally though during the pre op I've had low energy but I've had a few bursts of high energy too.

I'm having my surgery on the 5th. Nervous and excited as well. On a 2 week pre-op diet and I've dropped 10 lbs in the first week and am hoping to drop more.

June 5th surgery. 4th day of PRE-Op diet. I've had my ups and downs adjusting and I do miss certain foods. I may have more ups and downs, but I'm staying true to the plan. For me the first day was easy, but the second was bad. I had these awful hunger rumblings on and off. What I noticed though, is that I could wait it out and the discomfort would go away. I actually noticed that this discomfort didn't seem to match if I had food in my stomach or not. It was like this general feeling that was coming in waves. But once I knew I could get through it, everything seemed a little easier. What can feed(pun intended) that discomfort is when I fixated on foods that I miss. In order to not feed into that discomfort, I found that I needed to distract myself. So now I have a few tricks that I use - really for me it's a matter of switching my focus onto some other task other than food. Also my support system helps. This forum helps. Reminding myself why I'm doing this helps.

Mine is scheduled for June 5th. Ready to rock!

Thank you Lorainsatx. This site and everyone on it has been great. Good luck on your upcoming procedure! My surgery date is set for June 5th. I'm on the pre-op diet now. It's not easy, but I know I can make it work. Marcumkari, that's rough that you got bullied. I'm sure many of us have - truly a terrible thing. It's good to read that you made the choice to do something for yourself and you aren't letting it get the best of you. Good luck!

Hi. New guy here. This topic made sense for me to introduce myself because I definitely did have a 'final straw'. I've been trying to loose weight off and on for a long time now. However, I do remember a moment when I decided that surgery was my best option and that enough was enough. Funny thing is, it seems insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but it packed a punch for me that I could no longer ignore. It was 2 years ago at NYCC(NY Comicon) 2012. I'm an artist in the process of making a career for myself and my wife and I attended NYCC so that I could meet some of the professionals there. I also hoped to show some of my art and get a critique. So before getting to artist's alley, there are many obstacles one has to navigate. There's the walk from the parking garage, the long lines, the endless crowds and the confusing and Godzilla-sized convention center itself. Intimidating, but not so bad for those lighter on their feet. Then there's me. I plod through there like Steve Martin trying to get out of a prison cell in the Three Amigos: all weighted feet and arms outstretched, grasping for my destination. I was exhausted. I couldn't make it the length of a hallway without needing to stop. By the time I got to artist's alley, I was out of breath, dripping with sweat and my back felt like someone took a chainsaw to it. Embarrassed and feeling like I was going to faint, I walked past everyone whom I idolized since I was a kid and collapsed in a corner. I didn't talk to anyone and I didn't show any of my art. I just sat there on the ground with my back propped up against the wall. I just sat there with my heart racing and every inch of my body in pain. I sat there and saw my hopes and dreams slipping away. The next thing I knew my wife was besides me. She had gone ahead when we entered the convention center to another exhibit and the plan was to meet in artist's alley when she was done. I didn't see her approach - I guess some time must have passed because I didn't expect her till later. I only remember staring into space, not being able to think of much, and then she was there. That's when the punch connected. You see, I was knocked down physically by the exhaustion I felt and even emotionally by the embarrassment of the experience, but the actual knock out punch was the realization I made that what being this unhealthy really meant. It meant that if my health failed, I might not be around to make my hopes and dreams a reality. More importantly, (I realized as my wife helped me to my feet), wass that I might not be around for her, and the family we hope to create. My nephew might not have his uncle; my sister, and brother and parents and friends and all the rest of 'em might not have me in their life any longer... ...and I was not about to let that happen! So we left there and I decided that I needed to have surgery. We researched the options together, and in 2013 I started on the process that has lead to now - about 5 hours away from getting my actual surgery date. It's been a long process but I'm as dedicated to this path now as I was when the 'final straw' happened to me. Thanks guys for taking the time to read this!