Preparation
I've been required to do a LOT of preparation for this surgery, and I'm not done yet. I've had to go to a sleep doctor, and have a sleep study done to make sure that I don't have sleep apnea. That was TORTURE, let me tell you. It's very hard to sleep when you're covered with wires! My sleep study was a full 24 hour study. During the day, I was required to take a series of half-hour naps. They'd come in and wake me up after only half an hour, and that made me grumpy. Well, after all that, it turns out that I don't have sleep apnea, so I guess that's good to know, but I don't think it was worth what I had to go through to find out!
My surgeon also required me to see a dietician. He was very helpful in explaining what to expect after the surgery. He gave me a lot of information, and recommended certain products that would help me to remain healthy while my body starves to a smaller size. I will be limited to about 700 calories a day, but that will be easy to do at first, because the surgeon shrinks the stomach to only one ounce in size. Think about how small that is!
I also had to go see a psychologist, to make sure I was mentally ready for this surgery. I liked the psychologist that my surgeon recommended; he had obviously evaluated gastric bypass patients before! He knew about my concerns, and pointed out some things that I hadn't thought of. For example, one thing that I am concerned about involves my husband. He met me and fell in love with me at my current weight. Will his feelings for me change when I lose a large amount of weight? I will look very different, and I am afraid that he won't find me as attractive as before.
Other issues that I deal with on a daily basis: fitting into seats. My hips are wide enough that sometimes I don't fit into seats very well. I have been bruised by seats before. I'm nervous every time I fly, because the seatbelts are so tight. On some airlines, the belts don't fit, and I hide my lap under a jacket so that the attendants don't make a big deal about it. On others, I have to struggle to make them fit, and I think that everyone is staring at me while I do it.
Apparently the shock of losing a significant amount of weight can take a large psychological toll on a person. I have been large my whole life, and have dealt with a lot of discrimination as a result. Will I resent being treated more fairly when I'm smaller? I wonder...
Now, tomorrow, I have to go have some labs done. I have to fast, and since I work until 2:30, I am going to be very hungry by the time the labs are done. I also have to have a gallbladder ultrasound, a chest x-ray, and an EKG. Once all those are done, I can relax somewhat. My pre-op appointment is scheduled for Monday, March 27th. That's when I'll discuss specifics with the surgeon about all the little details.
I've purchased a protein product that the dietician recommended called Unjury. It's got a very high protein content per scoop, and I'll be able to mix it with different foods to make sure I'm getting enough protein. If I don't eat enough protein, my body will start digesting my muscles instead of the fat, and we don't want that! Along with the powder, I bought a book called "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies" that has been very helpful. I suspect that I will be carrying that thing around after surgery, until I've fully adjusted.
I'm tired, run down from a long weekend, stressed because it's my finals week and because I'm handling a new account at work that is simply massive. I'm actually looking forward to the surgery for the time off that I'll get! Not only will this be a massive positive step in my life, but it will give me a chance to catch my breath.
I need that right now.
My surgeon also required me to see a dietician. He was very helpful in explaining what to expect after the surgery. He gave me a lot of information, and recommended certain products that would help me to remain healthy while my body starves to a smaller size. I will be limited to about 700 calories a day, but that will be easy to do at first, because the surgeon shrinks the stomach to only one ounce in size. Think about how small that is!
I also had to go see a psychologist, to make sure I was mentally ready for this surgery. I liked the psychologist that my surgeon recommended; he had obviously evaluated gastric bypass patients before! He knew about my concerns, and pointed out some things that I hadn't thought of. For example, one thing that I am concerned about involves my husband. He met me and fell in love with me at my current weight. Will his feelings for me change when I lose a large amount of weight? I will look very different, and I am afraid that he won't find me as attractive as before.
Other issues that I deal with on a daily basis: fitting into seats. My hips are wide enough that sometimes I don't fit into seats very well. I have been bruised by seats before. I'm nervous every time I fly, because the seatbelts are so tight. On some airlines, the belts don't fit, and I hide my lap under a jacket so that the attendants don't make a big deal about it. On others, I have to struggle to make them fit, and I think that everyone is staring at me while I do it.
Apparently the shock of losing a significant amount of weight can take a large psychological toll on a person. I have been large my whole life, and have dealt with a lot of discrimination as a result. Will I resent being treated more fairly when I'm smaller? I wonder...
Now, tomorrow, I have to go have some labs done. I have to fast, and since I work until 2:30, I am going to be very hungry by the time the labs are done. I also have to have a gallbladder ultrasound, a chest x-ray, and an EKG. Once all those are done, I can relax somewhat. My pre-op appointment is scheduled for Monday, March 27th. That's when I'll discuss specifics with the surgeon about all the little details.
I've purchased a protein product that the dietician recommended called Unjury. It's got a very high protein content per scoop, and I'll be able to mix it with different foods to make sure I'm getting enough protein. If I don't eat enough protein, my body will start digesting my muscles instead of the fat, and we don't want that! Along with the powder, I bought a book called "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies" that has been very helpful. I suspect that I will be carrying that thing around after surgery, until I've fully adjusted.
I'm tired, run down from a long weekend, stressed because it's my finals week and because I'm handling a new account at work that is simply massive. I'm actually looking forward to the surgery for the time off that I'll get! Not only will this be a massive positive step in my life, but it will give me a chance to catch my breath.
I need that right now.
posted by DameKitten at 1:26 PM
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