Pre surgery doubts
HI all! This is my first post. I am VSG pre-op right now and I am currently doing the phase 2 portion of the diet which for me is SUPPOSED to happen in the two weeks prior to surgery. But due to cir****tances beyond my control STILL has not been scheduled (THANKS AETNA!) and we are going into week 3 (possibly 4) and I'm about to lose my MIND! This has been a long 6 months! It feels sometimes like if I eat another lettuce leaf or another piece of plain chicken breast I'm going to SCREAM! I try to mix it up a bit with other things I can eat but I'm finding it hard to not want something other than a cucumber to snack on. I want some cheese or a banana or to sit down with my family and have bowl of chili tonight...but I can't...and it's depressing! Really!
So here's the thing, now I am having doubts. Not about the surgery itself, but doubts if I will be able to stick with it after the fact. How do I know I won't screw it up? I feel SO deprived right now sometimes it's depressing. I worry that it will only get worse once I have surgery and I'm even MORE restricted. So now I'm wondering if this surgery will even work for me...I mean I know in the grand scheme of things it's going to work to some extent.
What I'm trying to say is...did anyone go through a "food depression" after surgery. I feel like I'm going to have a lot of anxiety about not being able to eat. Is this common or am I just not ready for this surgery?
I absolutely 100% felt the same way. MAJOR food depression both before and after surgery. I'm 2 weeks and one day post-op, and was just yesterday told I can start soft foods again. Not trying to freak you out, but I spent most of the first 2 weeks post op regretting my decision. Its just so much harder than you realize it will be. No your not hungry, but that doesn't mean you don't WANT to eat. (plus I experienced some other unexpected things post op such as severe pain for a few days and way more digestion noise than I anticipated). Any way, my point is... I'm THRILLED that I did this now. The hardest part is behind me and I can move forward and I'm so happy that I made this decision. The pain is gone. The digestion noises are mostly gone. I've lost 20lbs in the past two weeks (37 this month). It was the best decision I have ever made. I'm feeling way more myself. No, I can't currently eat much at all, but I'm okay with it. In time my stomach will expand a little and I'll be able to eat a little more normally. Just smaller portions. Sometimes its hard when I have a craving for something I want to eat but cant eat.... I just remind myself WHY I did this. How far I've come, how far I'm going to go... and I'm ok.
Pre-op doubts are normal. I'd be worried if you WEREN'T worried!!! :) you've gone this far, think of how far you can go!!!
The last few weeks pre-op and the first few weeks post-op are the toughest part of WLS. But believe me - the surgery works and the effort is well worth it. Once you get to the pureed food stage you'll be thrilled. Check out Eggface's blog for ideas on protein shakes and pureed food.
Food mourning is real my friend! I am a total food snob. I like eating places like True Foods and other places where a bill for two quickly hits $100 so to go to boring old chicken, chicken and more chicken has not been easy. But, I have found ways to make things I like using ground chicken and turkey.
My biggest struggle has been potatoes and sweets. They say you don't get hungry after surgery, yeah maybe most but in my case if I don't eat around 3.5 hours after last meal I'm feeling hypoglycemic and sick. I struggle to hi****er goal (not sure I even have yet) and I m really struggling to not eat a bite of a sweet here and there. All that being said, I've still lost 20 lbs in month one and wouldn't go back for anything. Wish I had the answers for you but I don't. I'm excited to be starting my first day of post op group on Monday and hoping that the mental support my Dr's office provides is a big helper.
For some of us the mental changes we need to make are going to take some time and will not be an easy road. But, it's a road we have to figure out how to get and stay on if we want long term success.