SehorseGal

Thank you ALL for your input on this subject. This was one of my questions for Group tomorrow, "How did the doctor determine that Gastric Bypass is a better surgery for me than the Sleeve?" Your answers were illuminating and I no longer have to ask that question. I have severe GERD so Bypass Surgery is definitely the surgery I need but "Dumping Syndrome" scares the crap out of me! I have had a similar thing occur when I take my medicines and haven't eaten anything. 20 minutes after my first meal the stomach empties too quickly into the small intestine and all the symptoms associated with "Dumping Syndrome" happen to me. It's VERY unpleasant, but not something I could ever see going to the hospital for, as apparently, some patients have with Dumping Syndrome. It's survivable. The thought of NEVER being able to eat ANYTHING with sugar is intimidating to me. Can I do that? If I can't do it now when I crave something sweet, how can I be sure that I can do it after Bypass surgery? I am committed to this surgery and I have LOADS of incentive to do everything within my power to make it successful, but with 4 months to go to surgery I am apprehensive about that.

I too am new to this Gastric Bypass journey. Throughout Thanksgiving I watched the quantity of what I ate, but it included the usual holiday carbs: potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, all the things I will never eat again after Bypass surgery next March or April. Thinking about WHAT I ate and how much I enjoyed it, scared the crap out of me. I found myself having mini-panic attacks about my decision and whether or not I will be disciplined about WHAT I eat and WHY I eat. I KNOW that I am making the RIGHT decision, but I'm really scared. I read some of the forum threads of people who are on the same path and it helped especially learning about the pre-surgery diet. I ordered some protein shakes and I am going to start to transition to the post-surgery liquid diet that will be necessary. If I can master it now not only will I lose weight but I hope it will make it easier after surgery. Threads about cravings and appetites returning with a vengeance after surgery REALLY CONCERNED me. I thought that having the majority of the stomach bypassed and the Ghrelin hormone removed from the hunger equation would end those issues COMPLETELY and eternally?? Now it seems like that's not the case? This surgery gives obese patients, like me, a new lease on life...it's a life changing metamorphosis. I need to come to terms with how important this is for me (healthwise) and find a level of discipline regarding food that I have only ever tapped into two times in my 60 years of life. How do you tap into your own confidence in your ability to make a lifelong commitment? And, do people who have GPS put the weight back on 24 months out or longer?