Tashabella

"Never trust a fart." OMG -- you aren't lying. I had surgery Monday and today is the first day I pooped. And then I pooped. (Thought it was a fart, but didn't take the chance on it.) You can't tell the difference!!!! They just slide out!!!! LOL. OMG!!!

Steve, I think since you are so passionate about this that you would make a great coach (kind of like a life coach, but a bariatric surgery coach). You probably could do a lot of good out there -- people could seek you out and they could get total support. A lot of people need that. I am sincere in saying this. I am wondering, however, have you actually had the surgery? Your profile says "undecided." Maybe we could encourage you if you have not.

I have not denied the surgery nor have I said I did at any point. You might want to go back and look at my posts before you attack me, Steve. What I said about denial is the absolute truth. Before I could get help with my weight problem, I had to admit it was a problem that I needed help with and then ask for help. I've been fighting this for 30 years on my own and had not been winning the battle. In any arena where people are trying to be free of something that is weighing them down (alcohol, drugs, FOOD), they have to WANT help. I would not have been ready until I was ready to do it. People have been telling me about surgery forever. I had to get to this place on my own. I would be glad to be helpful to others, but I will never urge someone else to do this. People have to come to it on their own. I wouldn't want someone to regret doing it because they thought that what I told them about it was the gospel according to sleeve surgery. If something went wrong during their surgery, I would never forgive myself.

robga -- that is AMAZING!

An alcoholic or drug addict who has not admitted they have a problem is in "denial." An obese person who surrendered to the fact that they needed help and got help in the form of surgery is not in denial. This (surgery) is as real as life gets.

I wouldn't lie. I have no reason to lie about it. I hope I can help other people. I thought we were talking about who we told "before" surgery.

I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone here for being kind and offering people support who are doing this. You have been a big help so far and I will probably need you again. (I had surgery Monday.) I also would like to comment that it takes a tough human being to do this. This isn't for sissies. Whenever we face any issues with surgery and in life, we need to remember that we are strong and tough. That should give us the strength we need to pull through in any situation.

I think that's a good analogy. It is like having a full-time job! Thank you!

I forgot to mention that everyone I work with is a RN except for me (I do admin work). In my case, they all want to give medical opinions as well. Some of them give great advice and some of them I might not trust as much for medical information -- just like you don't trust every doctor just because they are a doctor. This factor also plays in to who and how much I tell at work. My sister also works in the medical field and our whole family has to be careful what we say to her because if she thinks something isn't right with your health, she'll freak out and call your doctor or rush you off to the ER. So many little things factor into our decisions of who to tell our business. We're all so different. When I was in my 20s, I wouldn't have told anyone. I was very private and shy and I would have been very uncomfortable doing that. Now that I'm almost 50, I have diarrhea mouth and say what I think. We all need to be sensitive to each other's wishes. No one is wrong here.

I am in Anne Arundel County. I just had it done Monday (four days ago). This is my second day at home and it's going well. Don't worry. You'll do great! It would be great to offer each other support (and anyone else in our state/area).

Bree, you are hilarious. I enjoyed that laugh. I'm a few days out and it doesn't hurt to laugh anymore. That was great!

They had me taking pills the second day at the hospital. I was afraid to take them and they said to go ahead and it would be fine. It was fine. Don't worry. Ask your doctor.

Thank you, Bella. I am still getting used to the idea. There is lots to look forward to. It's exciting, but it's still a little scary.

Regarding the person I don't want asking me questions constantly and watching my food, it is not about accountability. Another person at work recently lost a lot of weight on her own and this person has hounded her and hounded her constantly and she has said that it is very irritating. I don't have time for that at my job. We are not friends and I wouldn't discuss the details of my life with her on any given day anyway. I don't want to give her any reason to spend any more time with me than I get paid to spend with her. I'm happy to do the work she gives me and I do it with a smile, but I am not interested in having any other kind of relationship with her.

There are people I told at work and just a handful that I didn't. The reasons I didn't is one person is really nosy and pushy when it comes to weight loss and I don't want her following me around all of the time watching what I eat and asking me a hundred questions. The other two are supervisors who have been jerks to me. I would tell them if I broke my arm because I don't like them and don't want them involved in my personal life. If you know certain people are not supportive or will be nosy and pushy, then you know whether or not you are better off not inviting them into your business by telling them. The same people, I don't ask them their business either. I honor their choice to tell me what they want and they should honor mine. I'm not ashamed and I don't think bariatric surgery is anything to be ashamed of. I have an all new respect for it.

That's interesting, Quince. Then you've got to be wondering what happened in there if they are denying the seventh one. Maybe they started to and then decided they didn't need to.

I am sipping my little heart out. LOL. I am hoping for an uneventful trip down this highway too!!! Thank you!

Interesting. My doctor was pleased in the time that it took him to do it. We broke some kind of record. It only took him 50 minutes and he said it was because I did such a good job of shrinking my liver. I'm glad I'm not the only one who had seven incisions. There could be many reasons for that. I was just a little surprised. I am sipping and sipping and sipping. It actually tastes really good, but I'm afraid to take bigger sips so I don't over-do it. I'm moving along on the liquids. Glad to be home!!!! ("There's no place like home!")

Got mine today and having surgery Monday. I'm glad they can deal with this. I was planning to let them know. They made me stop my birth control pills because of the risk of clotting and I only take them because I don't stop bleeding without them. Now I'm bleeding, of course. I was afraid that would happen! Oh well. What can you do?

I would like to say again that I appreciate everyone's honesty. Throughout this process, I've been thinking how nice it will be not to have to worry/think about food anymore. Not to wonder, "What are we having for dinner? What do I want?" Not to want things. Not to want Chinese food or cake because I saw someone at work have some. Not to have thoughts of food consume my time and mind. When I was given the post-op diets, it was a relief to know I was having liquid meals for a while. I have been counting calories and planning meals for so long that I was looking forward to structured nutrition that I didn't have to think about. I must be more ready for this than I thought ( I'm getting sleeved Monday). I cannot remember what it was like (so many years ago) to not think about food. Like when you were a kid and you ate dinner because you were hungry and then stopped when you were full. You never thought about it. What has food done for me? Nothing. It has made me sick and unhealthy. It will be nice for food to be just food again.

This is a little concerning to me because I am having surgery Monday -- and this is one of my biggest concerns. I do appreciate your honesty though.

Good luck and best of all to you. I go in a week.

Thank you all so much for your support and sharing that you have now or have had the same feelings as me. I will pray about it. It makes me feel better to hear people say they would do it again. I've never really had any major surgery so it does freak me out. I am really glad that I have your support!!! I guess a few of us will be going on this journey together starting on the 10th or near then. We will have to stay in touch and check in. THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!

I am literally afraid of this surgery. It's not the food or the lack of it that is related to the surgery -- my mind has a hard time accepting having part of my stomach cut off. I know it would improve my health and I can avoid a lot of health issues, but this is difficult. If you are sick or dying, you would certainly let someone do surgery on you. This feels different because it's something I'm doing to myself willingly. I worry about long term problems. (What if there are complications in 15 years?) Did anyone else go through this? Does anyone have any helpful comments or words of encouragement? MANY THANKS!