Don't Be Afraid to Ask Questions

Weight loss surgery is a huge deal; you are changing your life forever! So, don't be afraid to ask questions. Here are a few to get you started:

1. Am I a good candidate for weight loss surgery?
2. Which weight loss surgery would be most effective/ beneficial for me?
3. How long before I can return to school, work, etc.?
4. What will my physical restrictions be (limited lifting, etc.)? And for how long?
5. How soon can I resume taking care of my household duties, children?
6. How long before I can have sex (don't look at me like that; it's a legitimate question)? 
7. What kind of pain medication will I be going home with?
8. What supplements do you recommend I take and how much of each one? 
9. How often will you be checking my blood vitamin levels for deficiencies? Can I be tested more often if I wish? Will I be receiving a copy of the results?
10. How small will my pouch be? 
11. What kind of exercise do you recommend and when can I start?
12. Should I adjust my medications after surgery?Will surgery impact the absorption rate or effectiveness of them?
13. Is it possible for my pouch to stretch back out? If so, how can I prevent it?
14. How do I prevent or combat diarrhea, vomiting or gas?
15. What do you think is a realistic goal weight for me to achieve and maintain?
16. How much weight loss per week/month is normal or average? 
17. I know plateaus are inevitable, how can I decrease them?
18. How long can I expect weight loss to continue after surgery? Will it ever again become very difficult or impossible to lose weight?
19. How hard will I have to work to maintain my weight loss in 2-3 years?

Limited Mobility Exercises

I cannot fathom the idea of being an overweight person at a gym. Not only do I live with agoraphobia and explicit self-consciousness , but the mere thought of sitting near someone else's bodily fluids makes me queasy. And I am a 15 year veteran of the medical field! Additionally, the equipment is poorly designed for the larger variety of people and like most people, if something is uncomfortable, I have little difficulty talking myself out of it. So, I had to come up with some fitness routines that do not require any special equipment and can be comfortably done. Since getting on and off the floor is an ordeal in and of itself, I'd rather stand or sit during my workout. So here is what I've come up with.

Wall Push-ups - Find a large and empty wall and stand about 3 feet in front of it, hands outstretched, facing the wall. Lean your body towards the wall with your hands touching the wall. Push your body back, with your hands until you are once again in a standing position. Keep repeating the same two positions, keeping an even rhythm up and back, for as many times as you can without feeling any pain in your muscles or back.

Chair Crunches - Sit on your chair as you normally would. Brace your hands on either side of the chair and gently lift yourself slightly up from the chair. Keep your knees bent at a 90 degree angle, and lift your thighs up off of the chair and hold them in that position for five seconds. Slowly release and lower them back to the chair. Do this exercise 10 times for two repetitions.

Seated Leg Lifts - Sit in your chair, extend one leg out straight in front of you and hold for two seconds. Then raise it up as high as you can, and hold it again for two seconds. Repeat with each leg 15 times.

Chair Arm Lifts -  Sit in your chair with your legs crossed and your feet on the seat. Then place your hands on the armrests, suck in your gut and raise yourself a few inches above the seat, using your belly muscles and hands. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds. Repeat five times.

Sitting Spinal Stretch - This enhances both flexibility and muscle strength. Sit tall in your chair, and stretch your arms toward the ceiling. Put your left hand on the desk, grab the back of the chair with your right hand and twist to the right. Hold for 10 seconds. Release and raise your arms toward the ceiling again. Then repeat the twist going the other way. Hold for 10 seconds.

If you are also having problems with traditional workouts, try some of these exercises. Remember, no matter how slow you go, you're still doing laps around everyone who's just sitting on the couch. ;)

How I Survived the 1st Week

Get Up: Though it will be uncomfortable at first, move as much as you can. Do slow, mini laps around your coffee table; do yoga on the couch; or just get up and stretch. You know what they say, “a body at rest tends to stay at rest, while a body in motion tends to stay in motion.” I also found that a bit of walking helped with the gas bubbles. J

Mood Swings: Prepare yourself and the family. No, there really isn’t a reason why you’re crying, does there need to be? You’ve just gone through a major, life altering surgery. It’s understandable that your hormones might be a little out of whack.  Don’t worry, this too shall pass. You’ll be your normal, happy self again shortly.

Small Sips: It became immediately evident that the smaller sips I took, the easier it was to get my fluids.

Burps Are Our Friends: With such a tiny pouch and the constant need to force liquids, there will be air swallowed. Air is agony. No matter how lady-like you want to be or how well-mannered you were raised, embrace the burp.

This Was Not A Mistake: This decision was made, for valid reasons, while you were in your right mind. This has been a long process and coming to this decision did not happen on a whim. Even if you temporarily wonder if you made a huge mistake, just hang in there. You’ll remember why you chose this path and things will get better. I promise.

Head Hunger: It sucks, but it’s still there. You’re starving! You want cookies, candy, chips, pizza, you name it! But as soon as you sip some protein, you’re stuffed and you know you can’t have any of that stuff anyway. You’re not going crazy; it’s all a part of your big divorce with food. This love-hate relationship is why you’re here. Go ahead and mourn it. Just remind yourself that there’s a reason you did this.

In another week or so, you’ll be feeling much better. Weight will start falling off, even if it feels like it’s moving at a snail’s pace, when you add it up you’ll be surprised. And after years of NOT seeing any results, despite your best weight loss efforts, when you start seeing progress; it’s a beautiful thing. 

My Pre Weight Loss Surgery Checklist

I’m a planner, I can’t help it. I just feel more in control when things are clearly spelled out for me. April 16th is fast approaching and my thoughts are so scattered. So, for my own sanity, I had to draw up a list of things to do prior to my surgery.  Feel free to borrow this list if you like. I’m happy to help. J

My Checklist

□      Pack phone with favorite music

□      Deep clean house so it doesn't completely fall apart while I'm down

□      Secure sitters or relative caregivers for children

□      Buy post-op supplies (sugar-free popsicles, jell-o, drink mixes, protein powders, broth, bouillon, soups, etc.)

□      Locate living will and healthcare surrogate documents and discussed with family

□      Put in for medical leave/short-term disability at work

□      Start journal or video diary

□      Take measurements

□      Take 'before' photos

□      Record specific long-term and short-term goals

□      Pack hospital bag