Pre-Op Jitters & Second Guessing

[orionburn 1,024]

I'm going to say sorry from the get go that this has probably been posted a thousand times before by others. I know I am not a beautiful or unique snowflake I suppose it's just a matter of needing a place to vent my final thoughts/concerns going into this.

My surgery is next Wednesday, January 25th. I've been on this road since May 2016 so it's not as if I haven't had time to ponder these things, but after meeting with my surgeon yesterday to do the final consent forms I'm mildly freaking out a bit. I've been lurking for some time and I share in many of the struggles that others have. It's not that I'm a fast food maniac and I really don't have a sweet tooth. My main issue since I was young has always been volume. So while I don't eat terrible it's just that I always could eat a lot of whatever it was, thus even healthy meals aren't so great when you're going back for another plate.

I am having a seriously hard time wrapping my head around how small of portions I'm going to be eating in the weeks following my surgery. Knowing that I also have a hard time understanding how people can gain weight back after having a sleeve. While I can see it happening if you're drinking sugary drinks, milk shakes, or whatever, I guess I can't fathom how you can gain weight when you're essentially eating a cup of food at a time. Is it because of eating nonstop through the day? And if you're so full after a cup of food how the heck do you get more down even an hour later?

This probably sounds silly, but one of the main things I'm going to miss is doing beer festivals. Both my wife and I are big craft beer people, but in truth I only drink a beer maybe once a month outside of the festivals. I know there are adjustments that I can eventually make to still go (like wine - just taste but don't actually drink it). I'll deal with that later. It's a social side of things that I worry about and will miss, but I felt that way when I gave up smoking years ago. I used to think there was no way life could possibly go on if I couldn't smoke doing X, Y, and Z. Obviously it has 5 years on now and while it's something I do still miss from time to time I certainly don't obsess over it.

Actually registering and posting today has already helped deal with some of the fears. I'm sure I will be second guessing all of this all the way up until next week. This wasn't something I rushed to do and I do want to do it, but I know it's natural to get cold feet.

Thanks for listening to the FNG

[JamieLogical 8,707]

Why can't you go to beer festivals post-sleeve? I am able to drink beer... not MUCH of it for sure... but I do so fairly regularly. Obviously not something you will be doing in the first year or so post-op, but something you may be able to eventually do again.

As for how people are able to gain weight down the road... there are a lot of ways to get around your restriction. As you mentioned, drinking your calories is an obvious one (thus don't overdo it on the beer!). There's also eating and drinking at the same time. By drinking as you eat, you "Water down" your food, making it pass through your stomach more quickly. There's grazing, which is just nibbling on food all day long to where you never actually get "full". There are "slider foods". Those are foods that pass through your stomach more quickly. Usually they are things that would dissolve in Water, like popcorn, potato chips, cheez-its, cheetos, etc. Sliders also include things with a high liquid content like Soup, ice cream, sauces, etc.

When I was something like 18 months post-op, I did a little experiment to see how many calories I could force in in a day and I got up over 3000! So it can definitely be done!

As for any pre-op jitters you are experiencing, just remember that you made this decision after a lot of research and self-evaluation. You made it when you were in a logical and rational frame of mind. Don't let the emotions of last-minute anxiety deter you.

[bossportsgal 136]

I was were you are now. I am one week out and mad I waited. It's not has hard has it sounds. Do it. ! You won't regret it!

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[Freeb 25]

Take it easy loosing the weight is awesome....food is not all that....your social life can go on and you will look great .....dont over think it....im 6 yrs out...134lbs drink beer every week exercise every day and 4 to 5 feedings per day hate to say its a meal cause its only 3 or 4 bites of whatever i cook cause i do like to cook for my significant other just smelling food is satisfying to me and a pictures of me at 238lbs...so good luck

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[orionburn 1,024]

Thanks all for the words of encouragement. I know it doesn't mean life comes to a screeching halt afterwards. It's a good thing I've become a beer snob because I enjoy making a drink last, so I know eventually I'll be able to periodically enjoy a good ol' Hefeweizen in due course

@@JamieLogical - the "slider" food helps explain that a bit more. For the past few months I've heard so many stories of people having surgery and gaining the weight back and I had a hard time understanding how, but that makes more sense. Deep down that's probably a fear in everybody, especially since I have been so back and forth all my life.

This is something I'm set on doing. For the past three years I've debated it but the weight has got to come off. The arthritis in my back causes terrible sciatica, so this is my last hope before being forced into back surgery, and even then the doc said the weight has to come off before they would even consider it. I managed to get myself up to nearly 400 lbs in my 20s, became a gym rat and got down to 265, then the weight came back after I quit smoking and the arthritis killed my working out. My doc said that he's always more concerned with the people that don't have any fears going into this so I suppose he'd be happy with me getting the jitters...lol.

[MrsPenguin 103]

It's so normal to be nervous. Just take each step as it comes. You're going to do great!