5comorbids

Hello friends, I have started my journey towards bariatric surgery this past June 2014. My surgery will be late Sept. 2014. I have heard and been learning a lot about "support" after surgery. Obviously everyone should be ecstatic for me that I am on my way to getting rid of or at least greatly reducing the severity of that which is slowly killing me at the present time: Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, GERD, sleep Apnea, Out of control/remarkably high cholesterol numbers as well as remarkably low "good cholesterol" numbers, social anxieties, depression, pre-arthritic symptoms, etc... Well... the obviously clear reasons for my choice are apparently not what others would choose to do, to each his own, I have no problem to agree to disagree. Unfortunately I have family (sisters, brothers, mothers and others) who love to express their correct opinions while beating the tar out of my opinions and choices. I do not live the way they live, I do not do things the way they think I should do them. So what...I'm not living on this earth for their approval. Anyway, to avoid discussion or opinions from certain extended family members, I have decided not to tell them about my bariatric surgery. I have told my husband and my children and they are all in and supportive and excited for my choice. At the end of the day, the people who matter most are the ones who accept me, faults and all, and still show me that they love me unconditionally. Several years ago I had a really bad bout with depression. I was bedridden for about 5 months and house bound for another 4. I have a sister who lives 2 miles east of me and another sister who lives 2 miles west of me. Sister of the west I saw once during those 9 months, and she made a phone call to someone at my church to ask them to go to my house and help. Sister of the East I never saw once. Thank goodness for fellow church members who fed my children for several months. Thank goodness my husband endured through it and was a support to my emotions. I truly believe that my healing from bariatric surgery will be as painful as was the depression. I guess I am sharing this to get your opinions on this choice. I have been told by some that I had really reconsider and tell everyone in my family. This is such a life changing decision I'm going to go through. I have had others tell me that if I am already expecting non-supportive attitudes, jealousy, and negative comments, it is better to leave well enough alone and go on with what I know is right for me, my children and my future grandchildren. I have had people say, "What if you die from this and you hadn't told your Mom, sisters, brothers, etc....????" My answer is, "I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and would not have told any of them about that either." What do you think? Long term affects on me? Short term? Thanks!

@@redwings fan I have had 2 upper Gi's and I am afraid of pain and afraid of nausea... had neither one with the upper GI. It was a piece of cake!

I too am hoping for a date in Sept. Nice to go through this with others at the same time!

What you describe is my biggest fear for post-op. I'm already planning that when my doctor tells me this or that will take about 2 weeks, or you can switch to solid foods at this time, etc.... I am automatically going to double the time frame for myself. I always off schedule for everything. After I had my gallbladder removed the surgeon said I would be "back to normal" in about a week. I wasn't... it was two weeks +;- a few days.

I am pre-surgery as well and am wondering if one's blood sugar has to be a certain number before they will operate??? Not on the liquid diet yet... my DOS is at the end of Sept.

Hi @ Bandista, What are the symptoms of a hiatal hernia? I think I may have one and if so will they take care of it during RNY surgery??? Did your's get taken care of during your surgery? I guess it's time to google and write that on my list for my next bariatric appointment. Please share....

I am totally laughing right now because that is my plan of what to tell my mom! Seriously - that is what I am going to tell her... and my 4 year old who can't keep a secret! hahahahahaha! A friend told me to tell her I am having surgery on my esophagus to hopefully help my GERD problem... That is closer to the truth with RNY. So glad I ran into your comment here!

@@VSGAnn2014 I totally get you!

I think having the feeling of "a pill stuck in your throat" may have saved your life! Praying that this is so and praying for you!

One thing I know from friends that have had the sleeve done is that they didn't crave any foods, anymore. 1/2 a cup was just fine for them. (Hard to imagine, right?) At Thanksgiving you will enjoy the company and conversation and not even give it a second thought that you tasted a 1/2 a bite of 4-5 things from the spread! Don't back out! You can do hard things! We all can. "Sexy-Thinthoughts" is just waiting to burst out of you! You go girl!!!

Hang in there betterme008! I totally get it with people talking about "taking the easy way out..." Well, if they were caught in a tiny crevice between a rock mountain and an iceberg [fallen 300 ft. down in there], and their choices to get out alive were to 1] make it to the opening at the top, OR 2] allow themselves to fall another 20 feet [some cuts and bruises along the way] and get out through an opening in the rock that leads out the side of the mountain. There is no way any sane person would choose #1 when there is an "easy way" outta there. This surgery is a matter of life or death for most of us. When facing certain death who wouldn't choose the "easy way out". I'm totally proud of you and myself for choosing bariatric surgery. We are not lazy or stupid...we are courageous and strong!

5 comorbidities - this is my reason!

I'm thinking the same thing - low blood sugar (even if you are not diabetic). But don't try to raise your blood sugar with sugar... there are alternatives...ask your nutritionist or doctor.