Surgery Tomorrow- Soliciting Tips/Prayers

[ayahbesleeved 63]

Hey everyone!

I am getting sleeved tomorrow and I'm as nervous as all get-out. This will be my 6th surgery over all- when I was a kid, I had open heart surgery. Then I had a lap band in 2009. Two skin removal surgeries in 2013. And I had a lap band removal in 2014. Now, I'm getting the sleeve. I have this nervous feeling that my body wont be able to handle anesthesia for a sixth time. I know there are a lot of people who have had more surgeries than me, but my anxiety has to manifest somehow, I guess.

I'm also excited, though. Here's a little bit about my back story: I was 385 lbs at 21 years old when I had the lap band in 2009. Lost 170 lbs and ended up being around 212 lbs at my lowest, after skin removal. I was a size 10/12, down from a tight size 28.

In 2014, I had weird abdominal pain and swelling they couldn't figure out (turned out to be a kidney infection) so as part of the testing, they did a CT on me. When they did the CT, they found that the lap band had moved from its position. Explained the year and a half of upper abdominal pain I was ignoring and my weight gain. I had gained about 30 lbs by then.

They removed the saline from my lap band and I instantly gained 10 lbs. So when I met with my surgeon, he gave me three options: (1) fix the band, (2) remove the band, (3) convert to a sleeve. He was pushing for the last option, but I was sick and incredibly gun shy about having another surgery. I was not ready to have them do anything else to my body. And my husband and I also wanted to start trying to have a baby, and I would have been postponed by at least a year. So I told him to just take out the band. I knew how to work out and eat right and I had worked my ass off before, so I didn't see why I couldn't do so again.

Probably the worst decision I have ever made. I experienced injury after injury that led to more and more weight gain, compounded by the depression (triggered by a lot of things, not least of which was losing one of my biggest life accomplishments, weight loss). Two years later, I'm 322 lbs (as of today- my highest pre-op weight was 338, pre-liquid diet), I'm on a CPAP, my knees creak all day, I have a bulging disc in my back, I can feel my skin stretching around my plastic surgery incisions (which is another huge worry of mine- the plastic surgery recovery was far worse than the lap band itself, so I really don't want to have to redo it), I'm prediabetic again, my PCOS is back, and my life is basically on hold. My worry that I would postpone trying for a baby for a year became 2 years of weight gain that will lead to at least another year, if not longer, of postponing the baby. That's 3 years, instead of the 1 if I had gotten the sleeve 2 years ago.

But hindsight is 20/20, I guess. And if I wasn't ready for the sleeve, then I wouldn't have done well on it.

So I'm glad that I'm doing it now. And I already feel better after losing 18 lbs on the liquid diet. My clothes fit better, I don't hear myself breathing as loudly as before all day. It's only gonna get better from here. I can't wait to get back to working out 6 days a week. Besides the clothes and the confidence, the thing I miss most is being strong and working out. I was doing an hour of cardio 6 days a week, yoga 5 days a week, and strength training 4 days a week. At 212 lbs., I was fit, pain free, with a flat stomach and probably no more than 30 lbs to lose. I need to get back to that, and continue down to a lower weight.

If you pray, please pray for me tonight. If you don't, send out good vibes into the universe for me. And if you need a prayer, I'm happy to pray for you too.

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[laceemouse 631]

Wow, what a history! Praying for you.

[ayahbesleeved 63]

Wow, what a history! Praying for you.

Thank you @@laceemouse! ❤️

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[vegbeth 79]

Just said a prayer for you.

[laney 172]

Praying for you

[gryffen 176]

Oh lass prayers incoming - PCOS is a pain in ass and don't let anyone say it's not gonna let you have babies. I was told never happen, fell in in early 2014 and needed blood transfusions, got out St paddys day and found out 2 days later I was 6 weeks pregnant.

#kickedpcosass

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[ayahbesleeved 63]

congratulations @@gryffen! And thank you ❤️❤️

Thank you so much @@vegbeth and @@laney

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[adriant 109]

Before an Operation

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

O Lord Jesus Christ our God, Who did patiently endured the scourging and wounding of Your most holy Body, that You might save the souls and bodies of Your people, look graciously, we beseech You, upon the suffering body of this Your servant (Name) and give (him/her) strength to endure patiently whatsoever You shall see fit to lay upon (him/her).

Bless the means employed for the working out of (his/her) cure, granting that (he/she) may so endure (his/her) sufferings in the flesh that the wounding of (his/her) body may be to avail for the correcting and salvation of (his/her) soul.

For Yours it is to show mercy and to save,O Christ our God; and to You do we send up glory, with Your Eternal Father and Your All-Holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit; both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Thoughts & prayers with you

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[blizair09 3,250]

Best wishes for a great day tomorrow!

[Nina1125 11]

Lifted in prayer

[cyndi990 31]

Best of Luck. Sending prayers your way. ☺

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