My only advice is go, right now, and give your scale to a good friend or put it somewhere you won't see it for the next six months. Don't even keep it in your house. Only weigh when you see your Dr. for follow-ups.

A word of warning, just about everybody wonders what they did to themselves sometime in the first few weeks after surgery.. there will be pain and/or discomfort. I had to sleep sitting up for the longest time. I couldn't stand up straight because of my JP Drain (you may or may not have one, each surgeon is different).. but then one day, it was like somebody flicked on a light switch. The drain came out, I could stand up straight again, I could lay flat to sleep.. and most of my pain disappeared. Then I had pain amnesia.. and as bad as I felt before then, it's like I forgot.. because I felt so much better.

So listen to your body -- don't be afraid to call your on-call doctor if you have a pain you're concerned about.. but trust me when I say that it WILL get better... and once it does.. it will KEEP getting better!!

Oh yeah.. and watch out for hormonal swings Fat cells store more than nutrients.. also all the hormones we use daily, too.. so you might be a little bit of a whack-job for a while.. lol

Stef

My drain was in for 10 days post-op.. it was removed at my first follow-up visit (and man was THAT a weird sensation!).. It was strange having something foreign that went from the inside of me to the outside of me.. kinda gross too.. but I was on short term disability for 6wks to have my surgery and recover so nobody really had to see me with it..

If your doctor offers/recommends support group meetings, take advantage of them. It's so great to have that, especially for the first few weeks/months post-op. There will be SO many questions and often it's good to have the input from people who have had your same surgeon.

I also tell people to keep a journal -- talk about whatever is going on in your head or whatever is bothering you .. it will help you work through head-hunger and identify reasons why you are drawn to eat when you really need something else.

And don't worry about getting scared.. because you will.. and it's okay. We all did (and sometimes still do).. this choice is life altering. You're basically re-piping yourself.. it's a lot to consider but in the long run, I don't think you'll regret it.

Stef

The best suggestion I can give is 12 hours after your surgery, remember to walk around, and keep walking around every few hours. They pump your stomach cavity full of air to see and move around, and the only way to get rid of that gas is to move around so your body gets rid of it. If not - it can be very painful.

Another suggestion - if you get a fever your first night home like I did, do not take children's liquid tylonol as they suggest. Going through dumping my first night home was a horrible experience.

Don't get discouraged if you plateau at times with weight loss. It happens, but it'll start coming off again. It takes time. I suggest hiding your scale, and only weighing yourself once a week at most.

Remember to drink all your protein shakes in the first few weeks, and when you can eat solid food finally - you won't want another shake for a year, LOL.