Scared $hitless

[smsgrl2009 30]

Well, I will give you my update..I had surgery on May 3 so I am 9 days post op. My incisions have almost completely healed up..but my abdomen is still pretty sore when I lean to my right side especially. I still have some gas issues when i drink too big of a gulp mainly. I have less energy than before. I can take a shower and get ready to go but feel more like laying down than going out afterwards. I am struggling to get all the required Protein and Fluid in..I am getting about 50-60 oz of fluid in..including 16oz of Protein Shakes. I have had 2 crying episodes over not being able to eat but today is Mother's day and I had to watch my family chow down on my favorite pizza while i was sipping on a Protein Shake that I am absolutely sick of. I have pureed some progresso chicken pot pie Soup and its good but I can only take about 2 tablespoons of that before I am miserably full. Now...I have lost nearly 10lbs since surgery and 22lbs since starting the pre-op diet..this is what I am using to combat the mental issues I am dealing with about the food. I have lost half an inch in my waist but no major changes..My husband swears my face has thinned out a bit so I guess that is good. I am losing at about a pound a day. I am sure this will taper after I get off this liquid diet. Realistically, if you are afraid of pain..don't be..you will have some but its controlled by meds...but you have to be mentally prepared to handle the social eating situations..thats the hardest thing for me now. So good luck..

[mamamareli 144]

I was scared and I was sleeved on may 8th and...I feel awesome now! Sure, there is a little post op pain but the meds are good and it doesn't last long. I stopped taking narcotic pain meds after I got he because they were making the gas pain worse. As soon as I stopped those, I had hardly any gas pains at all. Walk a lot--it helps! Drink your fluids, and try to do some normal stuff it will make you feel, well, normal!

Best of all I am not having any head hunger or real hunger! I can smell the good food my hubby is cooking, think "yum, that smells good" without craving a bite! I feel so much freedom from the control cravings had over me. Who knows what the future holds, but today I am sooo happy I did this! And I was definitely scared pre-op. Now, I'm just grateful!

[NJGurl19 50]

I am to be sleeved on Tuesday and so, so, scared to the point that I'm making a list of things just in case i die.

[Chris P Bacon 46]

It's 100% normal to feel nervous or scared. I'm 6'5 and inside I was quivering like a toddler. I wrote the whole "something must have gone terribly wrong letter" and as soon as I got home from the hospital I realized how stupid and silly it was. Listen to your doctor, follow orders and of course listen to your body and you will all do fine. Good luck everyone!!

[Vixynne 695]

Awww, but I don't think it's stupid or silly--if it helped you to feel calmer to know that "The Letter" was written, that's great! As long as doing it didn't feed your fears or make you even more nervous. In that case, yeah, better to skip it, because it's not productive or helpful.

I'm actually considering writing one too, just in case--and when all is said and done and I don't need it, I'll happily shred that puppy and get to sipping my Water and Protein shakes!

[kalicat 8]

I have a serious phobia of medical things that I would say borders on PTSD. For realz. I've never, ever had a good experience with doctors and that has only worsened as I've gotten older. In Dec. 2011 I had a hysterectomy and it was a very difficult surgery with some complications that made for a very unpleasant inpatient hospital experience. I was sleeved on May 6th and I can tell you I was terrified right until the Versed was injected into my IV line and I was being wheeled into the OR.

I have a fantastic medical team that I can honestly say I am completely confident in letting them touch me. And that's a huge thing for me to say.

Trust the choice you've made, trust the Dr you've chosen. Ask as many ridiculous questions as you need to satisfy your anxiety. I know I did and I don't regret it one bit. My Dr was made aware on the first appointment that I was a high anxiety patient with a severe case of White Coat Syndrome, he has never once made me feel ashamed about this, nor has he dismissed my fears as frivolous. I cannot begin to say how grateful I am that I chose him.