On Tuesday, July 8, I went to my first Support Group meeting. This one was at Good Sam. Kaiser insurance (and doctor) require attendance at support groups prior to having surgery. It was a very welcoming group. Approximately 20 people were there, 5 "pre-ops" and the rest were anywhere from 2 weeks to 10 years post-op. It was very inspiring and educational to hear from the people who have had surgery, the tremendous amount of weight they lost in their first year (typically 80-150lbs for the women), and the regain (which was anywhere from 0-20lbs). People shared their challenges as well as what they're doing successfully, all really good information.
It is helpful to hear from people who have been through it. And I'm so grateful to my friends Annie and Kit for being willing to answer my questions. It seems that the "head stuff" (emotional eating, eating out of boredom, craving for carbs, justifying that one little piece won't hurt)...all that stuff, happens to most patients. As my niece who is a bariatric dietitian says, Weight Loss Surgery is not a cure-all. It's just a tool. It won't keep you from emotional eating. My surgeon explained that all he does is shrink your stomach...nothing changes with the "head stuff" until the patient deals with that.
Some patients rely on "dumping" to keep them from eating high sugar or high fat foods (which honestly is what I'm hoping for), but then again not everyone "dumps". Also different foods agree (or disagree) with different people. Everyone is different so there are no set rules, just guidelines on what to eat, how to eat and beyond that, it's trial and error what each patient can tolerate. At last night's meeting, the members were discussing protein drinks. And most of them commented how some things that were delicious prior to surgery were just disgusting (either in smell or taste) after surgery). No one knows why that changes. It just does in some people.
Also, from all I've read and heard from people, the key "weight loss period" after surgery is the first 12-24 months when the surgery actually inhibits the release of the hormone that makes you hungry. All the post-op patients I've talked to say take advantage of this timeframe to lose the most weight possible, because those hunger hormones come back. And patients who are not careful with their portions do occasionally stretch their stomach pouches.
So that's it. Weight loss surgery is a tool that can help a person eat less and lose weight, but patients that don't commit to a lifestyle of portion-controlled healthy eating and exercise aren't going to have as much success as those that do make the commitment to themselves. My surgeon said that if I didn't try very hard (meaning if I try and "get away" with eating the wrong things or eating too much), I'd probably lose about 50 lbs after surgery, but if I did make the commitment and stick to it, I could lose roughly 100 lbs.
I'm going to another support group tonight. This one's at El Camino Hospital. I learned about it last night at the water aerobics class. Just before class as I was getting in the pool, I got to talking with a woman. She mentioned she'd had surgery 5 weeks ago, but I didn't press for information. Then she mentioned it was gastric bypass surgery. She seemed to want to tell me all about it, and I was eager to listen. We chatted during the entire class, so I got a great workout and lots of good information. It was amazing serendipity that I happened to meet and start up a conversation with a woman who just happened to have had recent bypass surgery.
One thing the woman from water aerobics told me is that during surgery, they fill your insides up with air so it's easier for the surgeon to move around in there. She said that after surgery, there is pain due to the air, and that if you can burp or pass gas, it will help expel some of the air. She was unable to for a couple days. She also said that when she gets full, she feels slight discomfort on her left side, and when she has a bowel movement, she feels discomfort there too rather than in her belly.
So much to learn, but I want to educate myself so I'm as prepared as possible.
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