tcrehm

Waukegan, IL at Vista Hospital 22 Sep

It is great to have a forum with people going through the same thing. My insurance required a 6 month recorded doctor supervised weight loss program and I am glad that it did because it gave me time to think about things more and mentally prepare myself and ensure that I really couldn't do the permanent weight loss without something like this. I also spent that time reading blogs, doing internet searches, going to a support group, imagining how well I could stick to eating right after surgery because I wanted to know what the key to success for this process was and make sure that I felt I could be successful post surgery. The key thing I have discovered is that the surgery is a tool only and not the answer. You cannot expect to eat the same after surgery as you did before in any way shape or form or the sleeve will stretch and your surgery would have been for not. Exercise is also very key to ensure the weight loss continues (another big challenge for me). My physician requires: - meeting with nutritionist - evaluation by a psychiatrist - session with an exercise specialist - quizzes to ensure we are fully informed and understand what we are signing up for. I am very pleased that his program goes to this extent because it makes me feel more prepared for what is going to happen before, during and post surgery. My surgery date is Sep 22, 2015. I start liquid diet on Tuesday but have started supplementing some of my meals with Protein drinks and bars to make sure I could tolerate them. I am using Premier Protein shakes and bars with 30 grams of protein. I bought mine from Sams Club and also purchased broth and Crystal Light to supplement. I am having trouble sleeping this week as it becomes more real that I am having this surgery soon. I'm trying not to think about it to help alleviate my anxiety about it. It helps to read the encouraging posts from post surgery folks so I can look forward to final outcome instead of near term and to communicate with people on the same path at the same time as I am.

My surgery date is Sep 22, 2015. I'm so glad there is a blog to be supported by others going through this same journey for a healthier life.