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KirstyBrii

KirstyBrii

Member
Hi Everyone, my name is Kirsty, 28 years young. I got approved for the gastric sleeve surgery which will be on the 9th of March.. so in a few months I will be experiencing something Ive never even heard of up until last year. Im 52 and currently weigh 307lbs. I never thought in my life that I would weigh that much.... Its hurting me very badly. My sleep apnea has worsened. Im scared of this surgery. Im also scared of losing my hair. Im scared [/FONT]of the pre op liquid diet.... Im just scared... I really dont even have enough information or what to expect.. My final doctor visit is on 2-22-21 and im sure my doctor will give me the information that I need.
 
Welcome Kirsty! It's understandable to be overwhelmed by all of it. Try to take it one step at time. Read up on the success stories, view before and after photos and ask as many questions here as you would like. You are not alone in this. Concentrate on all the pros of the surgery. Your body will feel so much better, ache far less, your mobility will improve, energy level (once recuperated from surgery) will improve, sleep apnea will get better and you will be adding years to your young life. Do not worry about hair loss. I'm not saying it won't happen but hair will grow back. You'll get through the liquid diet, it's only temporary. We've got your back and will help you along the way!
 
Welcome! All the nerves and apprehension are totally normal. I had gastric bypass this past October, started my process in January. I had a million questions, but I had a great team to guide me through everything. One tip I’ll give you is start making small changes now, so after surgery you won’t feel overwhelmed. I made a new goal monthly to try and achieve. Things like not drinking with meals, using smaller plates, and actively paying attention to how I was eating-smaller bites and more thorough chewing. Things like that. It really helped after because they were things I was already doing.
 
Thank you so much for the encouraging words... I feel like I have no one to talk to about this. My family and friends are very supportive, but they have no idea about any of this as well. I get overwhelmed all of the time. I`ve got two young children.. they have confusion on all of this as well. I just tell them that mom is going to be more outgoing soon, and I wont be as tired when they want to play. Do you know of any special vitamins I should be taking ?
 
Kirsty, have they done bariatric lab work on you yet? For me, I met with my team afterwards and they told me what vitamins to take depending upon the lab results. This way they can catch any deficiencies before surgery. If they haven't discussed this and you already had your labs done, you probably should call and check with them as to what you should take. Also for me there was a short time frame just before surgery where I was to hold off vitamins and also for a brief time after.
 
I had to take bariatric vitamins and calcium a week prior and then not again until a month post op, but that might be different for sleeve patients. My kids are 10, 10, and 12, so they understood what I was doing after a lot of explaining. They also watched the animated surgery video to see what it was going to be like. I’ve only had distant family have any type of bariatric surgery done, so my immediate family didn’t know what to expect outside of what I told them.
 
Hello and welcome. This process can certainly be overwhelming and I would suggest doing some online research. You can watch an animated surgery, like 3mom said or you can watch the real thing on YouTube. The pain wasn't bad for me at all, I was on narcotic pain meds for less than 24 hours and only regular strength Tylenol after that. Your nutritionist will tell you what you can eat for the first 6-8 weeks, as well as what vitamins to take and when to start taking them. I take a bariatric chewable 4 times a day; no muss no fuss. The hair loss is scary, Pre surgery, I decided that it was temporary and worth it. THIS IS 100% TRUE, even though it doesn't always feel like it while it's happening. I wish I'd have done this at your age instead of waiting until 50. It is going to make a huge improvement in your health now and later and your quality of life.
 
Thanks everyone for the tips and advice, and to be honest Ive only had one visit with the bariactric doctor. All he did was tell me what procedure he wanted to do, and told me he would call if my insurance approved the surgery.. thats all I got out of that visit. Mt last visit with him before surgery is 2-22-21 and Ill try to ask him everything I could think of....!! Im hoping my kids will understand one day.. theyre 5.. and 7... I appreciate everyone being so kind and helpful.. it means a lot. i kind of wish this page had a chatroom of some sort... but I will try to figure this site out, lol!!
 
KirstyBrii said:
Hi Everyone, my name is Kirsty, 28 years young. I got approved for the gastric sleeve surgery which will be on the 9th of March.. so in a few months I will be experiencing something Ive never even heard of up until last year. Im 52 and currently weigh 307lbs. I never thought in my life that I would weigh that much.... Its hurting me very badly. My sleep apnea has worsened. Im scared of this surgery. Im also scared of losing my hair. Im scared [/FONT]of the pre op liquid diet.... Im just scared... I really dont even have enough information or what to expect.. My final doctor visit is on 2-22-21 and im sure my doctor will give me the information that I need.
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Welcome KirstyBrii! I am new too! I just joined this past week! My surgery appears to be in May. I am worried and scared too but everyone on this site has been very supportive and informative! Don't be afraid to ask any questions! They KNOW the answers! Blessings!
 
KirstyBrii said:
Hi Everyone, my name is Kirsty, 28 years young. I got approved for the gastric sleeve surgery which will be on the 9th of March.. so in a few months I will be experiencing something Ive never even heard of up until last year. Im 52 and currently weigh 307lbs. I never thought in my life that I would weigh that much.... Its hurting me very badly. My sleep apnea has worsened. Im scared of this surgery. Im also scared of losing my hair. Im scared [/FONT]of the pre op liquid diet.... Im just scared... I really dont even have enough information or what to expect.. My final doctor visit is on 2-22-21 and im sure my doctor will give me the information that I need.
Click to expand...
Hi! Welcome to our group! I totally get your being scared! Been there myself and you wouldn't be human if you didn't have some fear! That being said: #1 remember that you are doing this to improve your overall quality of life #2 remember that your end goal isn't a certain weight number but being healthy and able to do the things you want to do! #3 remember that you alone are in control of your weight and the decisions regarding your weight! The main thing is one thing at a time. Start watching your salt and sugar intake and try to cut back on it. Try to limit carbs as well. It will be a challenge for awhile after your surgery with doing liquid diet for a period of time (to be determined by your surgeon) then pureed then soft food then solid foods. But you need to keep in mind that your surgeon is going to help you as much as they can so you succeed! Don't be afraid to speak up and ask many questions. I found that writing down questions as I thought of them and taking them to my doc appointments helped me to not forget what I wanted to ask. As for your worry about your sleep apnea it should get better after loosing the weight and as for the hair loss if your able to tolerate the amount of protein that your surgeon recommends you shouldn't have hair loss for to long but I will say that I do not know your personal medical history so these are the types of questions that you need to ask your surgeon who will be better at telling you what to expect. All the best to you! Prayers!
 
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