Gastric Bypass Surgery Support Group

Gastric bypass (GBP) is any of a group of similar operative procedures used to treat morbid obesity, a condition which arises from severe accumulation of excess weight in the form of fatty tissue, and the health problems ("co-morbidities") which result. If you are considering gastric bypass or have had it, join the community where we share our experiences and find support.

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becca1960 01/25/2013

So, I keep hearing about the emotions part of this journey. And on some level i get it. I have a food addiction that I am learning to deal with. I realize after surgery I will possibly (probably?) go thru a mourning period. I also know that surgery is a tool, and I must do my part, which is the hardest part, to make it work.

However, I was not born yesterday... I also realize just b/c I can verbalize these things, it does not mean I REALLY get it :) Sometimes, no matter how much we think we understand something, we have to experience to really get it.

With this said, I do want to get as much a jump on this as possible. To at least know what to expect. Each of us are different and deal with it all in our own way, but if those of you who've experienced the after surgery hard stuff could share what that looked and felt like to you, then it might help me when my time comes.

I am doing all I can to prep myself. I am eating well, exercising, paying attention to protein intake, using smaller spoons, even bought some 2 oz containers today to make 'meals' in. Oh, and have ordered several books from amazon... this part I feel in control of. Its the head stuff that I don't know how to prep for!

Thanks!

deleted_user 01/27/2013

Everyone MUST read
" What Newbies Need To Know"
It was just bumped up
Tremendous help!! At 1 1/2 wks I was sure divorce was in my future,
then a angel bumped this up and we read it together. All is calm now, 3 weeks in ;)
I have it printed out, it is so truthful and keeps your head straight
Plz find and read
Been there!!

deleted_user 01/27/2013

That was especially towards Baha ;)

lineka 01/27/2013

I am reading a book called Fat no more. It about the weight loss journey and explains everything from day 1 of surgery.

deleted_user 01/27/2013

Becca, I am just over 13 months out. I hit goal at 9 months and have dropped another 10 lbs since then. The weight loss was the easy part for me. I kept hearing about the "head work" all through my process and always assumed that meant facing food addictions. That was never an issue for me... For me, "head work" was actually body dysmorphia. My mind stopped losing weight at 220 lbs, even though I am 5'7" and 175 lbs. I had started hiding in big clothes again because I just couldn't see what others saw... It took months to get through and I'm still not truly past it. My hubby and 15 year old son forced me to go shopping in the juniors section of a store, where I fit it medium/large clothes or size 10/12. They helped me see the figure I have. It's flawed, sure, but it doesn't belong in size 16 clothes! My hubby also replaced all the mirrors in our home... He ceremoniously announced that the "fat girl" living in the old mirrors was tossed to the trash. Believe or not, those things helped tremendously. I have an amazing support system at home and with quite a few people that I met through DS along the way. You just can't beat that awesome feeling of love!

becca1960 01/27/2013

jenniebean,
Thank you for your insight as well!! Great info all thru this thread! I love it!

RubyRedQueen 01/27/2013

I have to say this because no one else has...there are two different issues here. One is the "head hunger-addiction-coping style" issue, the other is the emotional weirdness that happens to many of us within the first few weeks of surgery. You may cry at the drop of an eyelash or suddenly hate every driver on the road, and Hallmark commercials can be lethal. Physiologically it comes from the residual effects of the anesthesia and the newly-liberated hormones being released from those fat cells we are so rapidly emptying. If you know it is coming that may be of some help but for me it was kind of like being in labor: you might think you know what to expect and that you are preapred for it, but being in the throes of it is an entirely different thing. I remember thinking, "These contractions are like earthquakes, if they don't let up how am I going to have any strength left to get through transition?" And..I was IN transition. Duh! So, although you prepare as best you can, you may not recognize it when it is actually happening to you. It is only in retrospect that some of us go, "Aha! So THAT'S the emotional craziness everyone was talking about!"

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