jdc121975

I'm about 9 days away from surgery and I keep craving food like mad the closer it gets. I've fought off the cravings now for a few weeks, have felt like I've been starving myself for weeks, feel like I've done a great job barely ever sneaking a bad carb. BUT..... I feel like if it's this bad now, how bad is it going to be after surgery when it's all done? Is this normal at the stage I'm at? Is it normal to feel like I'm starving? I don't want to feel so hungry anymore. Please someone tell me it's going to feel different post op then it does now.

@@onestep I was thinking that same thing actually. 3 days in a controlled environment where I can get used to the amounts and feel safe that if there is an issue, it will be addressed. So many of you touched my heart just now, and with tears filling my eyes I click each virtual key on my iPad thinking how blessed we all are in this day and age when we can get a second chance to be the people we know inside we should be, can be, and want to be. I'm not really sure what stage in the emotional roller coast I am at, kinda feels like the stages of grief to be honest with a twist and turn here and there. Interesting story though, going to run off topic a bit, I ordered a stationary bike. Well it came in yesterday - Proform for $299 nothing special just something I wanted so I can exercise after surgery even if I can get outside due to weather. Wisconsin isn't Texas or Florida or even California - we get cold, freezing cold. And when it's not cold it's humid and when it's not humid it's well raining. We do get a good sunny day here and there but who's counting. Well here I am assembling this bike and come to find some issues with it, missing washer, etc. nothing I couldn't muscle thru if I had to. But I email the company to let them know. Guess what happened. I get an email and then a call and spoke to a very nice guy and I explained to him I just wanted to make sure I had this set up before my surgery. In a 30 minute conversation he came to the conclusion he couldn't fix the current bike since the biggest issue was a bent part where the seat post went. He also let me know the best bike for me now with back issues and being over their 250 limit for the bike I had would be a different bike. Well the final SAME DAY solution is they are sending me bike that retails for $1299 at no additional cost, I can keep the one I have since they don't take them back if damaged they just say use for parts or junk (so gonna have a friend grind post down, AND he said since it won't arrive until after my surgery he's notated I can call and they will send someone to assemble the new one for me! NOW THATS CUSTOMER SERVICE! So I may be the most open person I know, talking to a complete stranger and talking about kids and surgery etc.....but people seem to listen. I wish everyone here the best - I'm less than a week away now, and things are "sane" for the moment.

Omg Karen. Ty so much for that response, it was probably one of the most detailed and honest rundowns I've heard to date. I did have my final "before surgery" meet with the surgeon yesterday. He relaxed my mind a bit as he told me with my pre op weight loss of 40 pounds and a week to go he won't be using a urinary cath, also that the drainage thing he removes prior to leaving hospital unless it's a rare situation. First time ever I got a report of my lean muscle, BMI, and fat percentages and was shown with my lean muscle being 161 pounds of my current body that my weight possibility is about 190 - 200 as long as I don't allow that muscle to drop - keep moving and Protein coming in. I realized after leaving the surgeons office that there were questions that may not have been so important to me because I forgot to ask them when I had his ear. When will I be able to ride a Rollercoaster was just never on my mind when I was there, because in the end as this date gets closer that's just so far at the bottom of the list of need to know that I will think to ask after surgery maybe. They took me off insulin as of yesterday as well, only on lisinopril for kidneys and metformin for diabetes currently and internist told me there's a solid chance I can expect both those gone post op as well!!!!!! I'll take that in exchange for some pain and Vitamins. I'm still scared, I'm dying one way or the other on that table on the 28th at 12:30 PM. THIS man will cease to be here when I wake up in recovery, a NEW life will have been awarded to me. It feels strange to think about it this way, even scarier to some that I've told this to, but how else can one describe 39 years of food being the primary focus and eating bing the thing I was the best at doing and going thru this surgery to have food become the least important thing and eating becoming the thing I'll be the worst at. My kids are 8 and 5 and although they've gained some bad eating choices from their dad, they haven't gained weight like some kids - blessed as i feel to have thinner children I feel more blessed to have the opportunity to make an example going forward on what are the better choices food and exercise wise for them. And when I drop to 200 pounds I'm gonna grab them each up at one time and walk down the block, just to remember what it felt like to walk around with an extra 80-100 pounds (I'll have to borrow the neighbors kid to remember what an extra 150 pounds felt like) Focus and drive and just stubborn enough to make sure this happens the right way.

Medicare B covers 80% surgery, if you have Medicaid that covers the rest. As far as skin afterwards rest easy because if u get rashes, boils, etc. Medicare DOES cover the skin issue with a doctor documenting the sanitation and health problems caused by it. Keep with it and also may want to check other places, I know the place I'm getting mine done doesn't have a waiting list just a set amount of things one needs to do before they schedule. Others have less some have more but first I've heard of 5 years.

I saw potatoes and cereal and I was kinda shocked. I'm still pre op and surgery in 8 days but the biggest thing I keep hearing is PROTEIN first. And ZERO potatoes. Now I'm from the Midwest so meat and potatoes has been my basic "diet" for years and years - it's how I got to 350 plus pounds to be quite honest. There is no way any of us can lose substantial weight eating a diet to starchy carbs and low protein. As harsh is this may be to hear, why did you get the surgery if you didn't like meat? I'm not being sarcastic but if I wasn't going to give up candy I certainly wouldn't let anyone surgically cut me up when the deal was give it up. Toss the cereal and potatoes, replace them with almonds and sunflower seeds, cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, tuna salad, tilapia, shrimp, crab (real not fake), turkey, chicken, beef, yogurt (Greek), etc but ZERO potatoes and cereal. We are all given a "tool" with this surgery and although this tool can tip the scale into our favor and give us better odds of being smaller and healthier - we ultimately need to take responsibility and stop the insanity "always do what you've always done and you will always get what you've always gotten" Best of luck, I know you can get on track - that's why we are here. I feel fortunate that the facility I will be having my surgery seems to have an awesome approach to pre op and post op support, not to mention I was just told both surgeons are in every surgery they do. I felt safer somehow when I was told that. No potatoes.

I just got a nice invite to a private fb group that literally divided up by the month you have surgery! Awesome if anyone is interested and has FB let me know and I'll forward your email address to get you invited (only way to gain access). But great to talk to people on there too that are specifically undergoing this surgery at the same time.

@RNY yup it sure is, at 12:30 I'm scheduled to be asleep while the surgeons work, looks like we will both be waking up on the other side in less than 9 days.

The pre op diet has lowered my need for high doses of insulin so I'm hoping to see un medicated diabeties post op, I'll let you know in 9 days though.

Oh my god I think I worry more about that drainage tube than I do the surgery, the Water consumption, the loss of jelly Beans, or even saying goodbye to the salesperson at the big and tall store for ever.... That tube, and the little grenade thing on the end freak me out more than anything. But I'm officially 9 days away from waking up after surgery with it on my waist like a temporary pager, yup I'm that old. Well luckily I barely recall corded phones and never used a rotary dial... Okay off topic for a brief second there but heck at least that was a second I wasn't thinking about this drain. I'm normally really good at focusing on one thing, but I see so many things fly through my head as this surgery closes in on itself. Wondering if the 64oz of water is a pain to drink after a year or two or does it get easier? I have no issue drinking that much now, but heck I can do that in 10 minutes now, it's the carrying around a bottle all day that I fret doing. I mean there are some circumstances in my day where it would just require a 3rd hand. I imagine myself following the wife through the mall holding all her bags, the kids hand, my empty wallet, and wearing a beer hat with two bottles of water hooked up to it and a straw (oops straws not allowed lol) to keep sipping on that water......please please Goddess Sheba I need a hand. Seriously though, does the "always be sipping" rule extend for life or is it easier to get in the water around quicker down the road? That's my question for today. Well unless someone knows if insurance will sometimes cover a home care nurse after surgery if I need to go home with drainage tube. Congrats to all that have come out on the other side and best wishes to us waiting for our day.

How are you doing recovery wise? And congrats on making it to the other side.

I'm glad to hear that. Trust me, i know first hand it's not the easiest decision to make, but it won't be the hardest one either of us makes over the next few weeks. 9 days away for me, 2 days for you - always do your best and I'll share this since someone told me it today "your going to fail at some point, the key is to realize you don't reverse all your hard work with a single failure but rather the acceptance that a single failure defines future choices."

I ran into this same question the other day and I asked the nurse on duty, her response was "your on a pre op diet. Is beer part of that pre op diet?" Was pretty clear the answer was something I already knew. Seriously, alcohol is a no no for life for many reasons. They say a little wine or liquor on the rocks or its Water after a year but beer is carbonated. So if you can do without it - do it. Btw I sat with 20 professional firefighters in a bar who were all off duty drinking beer and eating wings, I managed on water and had a couple wings. No one minded, I still had a great time. You can pass the beer, I'm sure your surgery and new life beyond matters more.

Glad your safe and it went well.

I realize that there are local organized meetings thru the area bariatrics program but I'd like to connect to some other people that are pre op and in final stretch. I want to know I'm not the only one sitting in this town waiting and wondering and sitting in my own head with all my thoughts good and bad. My wife is wonderful but there's so much she doesn't understand not being in my shoes. So many things she's worried about that I can't even begin to comfort her on because I just don't know how to comfort the woman I love, the mother of my children when she's asks the "what if...." Question. I just don't cannot handle more on my plate (wow weird to say those last few words considering my plate is exactly what caused all this). So anyone in my area, let's talk. Anyone not in my area, let's talk too.

Some nice questions, hope so,ex answers come in for you so I can avoid asking them myself. I'm nearing 10 days away now when the clock strikes midnight here - I'm finding myself sitting with my thoughts more and more as the date approaches. I haven't stocked anything, do have a couple containers of Syntrax nectar Protein mix but I've been enjoying that for weeks now. My big concern is keeping the Jello and Popsicles stocked post op because my 5 and 8 year old will be loving that those items are there too. Also careful with those bars - lots of sugar in them normally (but if ya found a carb free brand let me know - big reason I love Syntrax is ZERO carbs and sugars) Talk anytime, I'm running on anxiety fear and nerves so trying to keep busy.

Give the dietician a call or the surgeon, something may actually be wrong. I've been explained it could be head hunger but you know you and if your confident it's stomach hunger then it's possible it's something more serious. Make a call to the surgeons office. Best of luck.

Wow! I just decided to see what a 4oz portion would be like to eat (so i have an idea of my forever portion of protein) and WOW! It took some serious patience to keep chewing and chewing and chewing something that I could have swallowed immediately as it melts on entry. But I made it 27 minutes. Sadly I'm craving fluids both while eating and after as has been an issue I have t figured out a way around just yet. Any advice on that? I always drink while I eat so above all else the no drinking 1 hour prior/after is going to be rough on me.

The first time I tried to go thru the process the psychological booted me from surgery based on a serious of questions on a multiple choice test. I was shown to be too truthful and question authority too much to be successful with a bariatric surgery. Waited 3 years or so and restarted whole process, this time passed the psychological and the rest and was denied by my initial insurance instead - I fought and changed insurance which took an additional 6 month and now have surgery scheduled for the 28th of this month. My advice, be honest but also no matter what their decision don't give up and feel defeated because your the only one who REALLY knows you. And the psychological testing is repeatable.