getting nervous! Need to vent! Surgery 8/17/11

[emmas mom 4]

Hi everyone! I am getting really nervous! I am scared that I am gonna regret it! I am scared that I am gonna have complications! I am scared I am gonna miss food! I am scared because my surgeon only did like 4 sleeves! I had to get this off my chest! I have come so far in this proccess! I am proud of myself so far and I am excited about the surgery! I just pray everything goes smooth. I have a 20 month old little girl at home and I want to be a healthy mom, but, i am scared about the surgery! Does anyone else have/had these fears and anxiety!

My family wanted me to get the band, but, that wasnt for me! I know I want the sleeve and after my anxiety, I know I will do awesome!!!

I have a 2 questions!

1. how can you gain weight after the surgery if your portions are so small? I mean, eating regulary, but, smaller portions! does the amount of daily calories change after the surgery?

2. does anyone know anyone or themselves that has had the sleeve surgery for a couple of years? How is their bodies holding up without most of their stomaches? Any long term complications or annoyances?

Thanks for letting me get this out there!

on medifast for 6 weeks, lost 23 lbs!

[kellydee 0]

Hi!! My name is Kelly...from Texas...and my date is the same...8/17/11!! I am nervous, too! I have some of the same questions. Even though I am an RN...I have not dealt with weight loss surgeries before! Where do you live? Have you started your pre-op diet? I start mine tomorrow!! Good Luck!!

Kelly

[emmas mom 4]

Hi!! My name is Kelly...from Texas...and my date is the same...8/17/11!! I am nervous, too! I have some of the same questions. Even though I am an RN...I have not dealt with weight loss surgeries before! Where do you live? Have you started your pre-op diet? I start mine tomorrow!! Good Luck!!

Kelly

Hi Kelly! I am from upstate NY! Near Albany! I start my pre op diet on Sunday! Medifast for 2 days, then Clear liquids till surgery!

I cant believe its less than a week away! I am so nervous! I want to eat everything in site! LOL!!! How is your pre op diet going?? Good luck with your surgery! What time is it at? I have to report to the hospital at 6 am and surgery is at 9 am!!!

[NikiS 31]

Hi, Emmas mom. Your anxiety/concerns are quite natural especially since this venture is new, big and life changing and also because your surgeon doesn't have that much experience doing this particular procedure. I would say just make sure it's what you really want. Also, share your concerns with your surgeon, I'm sure he/she can offer some advice. Like you, I'm sure you'll do exceptionally well!!!

I've heard of people gaining weight after having had the surgery and at first I couldn't understand how. My doctor told me that at some point I'd be able to eat just about anything but that I should be mindful because the stomach is a muscle that can stretch and if that happens it's possible to gain weight -- but that won't be our case. We'll both do phenomenally!!!

I don't know anyone that has had the sleeve that long but I'm sure there is someone on this site that has and they'll be able to offer some advice.

Good luck to you, and keep us posted,

Niki

[TijuanaPlication 87]

Tiffykins is a couple of years out, so check out some of her posts. She's doing great now, although she did have a leak early on as she was a band to sleeve revision and that carries more risk.

Why are you going to a surgeon that has so little experience?

[emmas mom 4]

Tiffykins is a couple of years out, so check out some of her posts. She's doing great now, although she did have a leak early on as she was a band to sleeve revision and that carries more risk.

Why are you going to a surgeon that has so little experience?

yes! i definately will check out tiffykins site! thank you for telling me about her! there are 2 hospitals in my area that did the bariatric orientation. i was going to go to albany med., but, they wanted to charge cash for orientation and the other hospital, ellis hosp., did it for free! so i went to orientation with the lapbband in mind. the surgeon who did orientation didnt push the sleeve, just the band and bypass, but, i went home with curiosity about the sleeve and researched it. at this point, my proccess was started! i then met with a different surgeon that is the one i was assigned to and i asked her about the sleeve and she seemed excited about it and drew diagrams and got me excited about it! she said she was bored of doing bands cause of the slow results. Even though she seems confident and goes to meeting on sleeves and talks to other surgeons who do many of them, i have faith in her, but, i still feel anxiety too. but, alot are my own what ifs that get me nervous. like knowing my surgery is so close, i want to eat everything in site! i really do want this but i am my own worse enemy! its frustrating!

[TijuanaPlication 87]

Tiffykins isn't a site, she's the most prolific poster on this one.

BTW I'd seriously consider going with a more experienced surgeon.

[thinoneday 445]

Hi everyone! I am getting really nervous! I am scared that I am gonna regret it! I am scared that I am gonna have complications! I am scared I am gonna miss food! I am scared because my surgeon only did like 4 sleeves! I had to get this off my chest! I have come so far in this proccess! I am proud of myself so far and I am excited about the surgery! I just pray everything goes smooth. I have a 20 month old little girl at home and I want to be a healthy mom, but, i am scared about the surgery! Does anyone else have/had these fears and anxiety!

My family wanted me to get the band, but, that wasnt for me! I know I want the sleeve and after my anxiety, I know I will do awesome!!!

I have a 2 questions!

1. how can you gain weight after the surgery if your portions are so small? I mean, eating regulary, but, smaller portions! does the amount of daily calories change after the surgery?

2. does anyone know anyone or themselves that has had the sleeve surgery for a couple of years? How is their bodies holding up without most of their stomaches? Any long term complications or annoyances?

Thanks for letting me get this out there!

on medifast for 6 weeks, lost 23 lbs!

emmasmom, first off congratulations on being nervous (guess what? your normal) now you can soooooooooooo easy gain weight back girl! Very simple by eating the wrong foods, cakes, Cookies, ice cream, creams, etc go down sooo good and taste soooo yummy. . . mashed tators, take out food, tastes sooooo good and can go down soooo well too. . .eating a bit now, waiting a while, eating again, and again, and again. . . can be soooo good. . . yes you sure can gain weight and alot of weight too. . . sounds weird but you sure can. . . i've had the sleeve short of 2 years. . . i never made it to onderland, just to 200lbs. . i did go past my goal weight of 212 as per the doctor. . . but i just can't get under the 200 mark. . . that is ok with me cause at 200lbs my daughter says i look like a starved orphan and i wear 14/16. . . I started off at 350lbs. . . so i'm happy. . . i've had no complications to speak of really, and i feel great. . .you can go check out my gallery if you want to see the progress. . . good luck!

[lillee 0]

I am from upstate NY as well, I am having my surgery on 8/24 at Albany Med, how about you? I was doing very well on my diet until I was given my surgery date now I am terrible, eating like I will never eat food again. Good luck with your surgery!

[MeMeMEEE 206]

When I first met my surgeon in April and asked how many sleeves he had done it was 12. He had been doing them just over a year. However he has done over 650 bariatric surgeries, 2/3 of his practice is this. He is specialized in laproscopic surgery and does NO open surgeries. I asked to meet someone in person who had the sleeve and they set me up with a mentor. She thinks she was 5th or 6th of his sleeves. She is now a year out. I am not sure how many sleeves he has done between April and August but my NUT told me no one is going lapband and all want the sleeve now - problem is a lot of insurances still don't cover it. He was asked in support group this month if he had a favorite surgery to perform and he said bypass. He didn't press me to do one surgery over the other and basically let me choose. I didn't have any co-morbidities and my BMI was high 40's. I think experience isn't just in the particular surgery.

[emmas mom 4]

When I first met my surgeon in April and asked how many sleeves he had done it was 12. He had been doing them just over a year. However he has done over 650 bariatric surgeries, 2/3 of his practice is this. He is specialized in laproscopic surgery and does NO open surgeries. I asked to meet someone in person who had the sleeve and they set me up with a mentor. She thinks she was 5th or 6th of his sleeves. She is now a year out. I am not sure how many sleeves he has done between April and August but my NUT told me no one is going lapband and all want the sleeve now - problem is a lot of insurances still don't cover it. He was asked in support group this month if he had a favorite surgery to perform and he said bypass. He didn't press me to do one surgery over the other and basically let me choose. I didn't have any co-morbidities and my BMI was high 40's. I think experience isn't just in the particular surgery.

Thank You! That helps put me at ease over this!

[emmas mom 4]

I am from upstate NY as well, I am having my surgery on 8/24 at Albany Med, how about you? I was doing very well on my diet until I was given my surgery date now I am terrible, eating like I will never eat food again. Good luck with your surgery!

LOL! I have too!!! After my final weight in with the surgeon for my preop apt., I went to my moms this past week and stopped doiing medifast! Just ate EVERYTHING i wanted! Been eating terrible since the 8th! Today is day 1 of my pre op diet, all liquids! My surgery is wednesday! I was gonna go with albany med but they wanted to charge for the orientation and ellis did it for free! Anywho, my surgeon talks to bariatric sugeons all the time from albany med! she said they do alot there, so, you are in good hands! We should get together and keep in touch through our journey, be each others support! I am from Mechanicville and work in Clifton park! Where abouts are you from? Good luck with your surgery! I cant believe mine is in a few days! *deep breath* yesterday I said to myself 'what the heck are you doing? Why are you doing this? what about the labor day party?' So, I think my fears are taking over a bit!

[kellydee 0]

Hi Kelly! I am from upstate NY! Near Albany! I start my pre op diet on Sunday! Medifast for 2 days, then Clear liquids till surgery!

I cant believe its less than a week away! I am so nervous! I want to eat everything in site! LOL!!! How is your pre op diet going?? Good luck with your surgery! What time is it at? I have to report to the hospital at 6 am and surgery is at 9 am!!!

Hi again! My surgery is at 11:30...have to be there at 9:30! Pre-op diet is just OK! Yesterday I wanted something salty so I drank about 4 oz of pickle juice! Crazy I know...but it satisfied my craving! =) I also cheated once with vegetable Soup...with the veggies! So I hope to do GOOD the rest of the week...or until surgery! Good luck with yours, and we will have to "talk" after surgeries!

Kelly

[lillee 0]

I have heard great things about Ellis so you are definitely in good hands. Deep breath is right one minute I am excited and daydreaming about how I will look and feel next summer. I think about all of the cute clothes I will buy etc. The next minute I too start second guessing my decision and get very anxious. Everyone tells me what we are feeling is norma and it is so worth it when we get on the other side. I would love to keep in touch. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers for Wednesday - you will do great When your up to it, let us know how your feeling.