my surgery date

My surgeon's office called me with a date and I remember posting it online, October 27, 2008. Now I celebrate 2 birthdays, my real one and this one, which gave me a new life. Not many people get a second chance at life, but I did. It wasn't the surgery that saved my life. I saved my own life by making a good decision for myself. This is not for everyone and I spent almost 10 years thinking it over. A person must have extreme discipline to be successful with either tpye of WLS surgery. I knew I did not want lap-band, since typically patients lose weight slower. I did not like the idea of having a band inside me. However, this has become more popular than gastric bypass. Probably because bypass is invasive and carries more risk. It is considered major surgery. It was a risk I was willing to take. Luckily I did not have time to think much about the actual surgery or be nervous. When I received the date, it was about a week away. I knew from the nutrtionist that I needed to prepare ahead of time for my liquid diet. I would not be able to eat solid foods, since my stomach needed to heal. I would not be able to drive for a few weeks and I took a 3-week medical leave from work. I also knew I would have some pain. I headed to the hospital early that morning. They said to arrive at 6am and I was not taken into the operating room until 11am. What a long wait! I had never met my surgeon until right before the operation. The operation lasted about 45 minutes and went well. I awoke in the recovery room in agonizing pain. When I got back to my room, the nurse got me out of bed. It is extremely important for patients to walk after this surgery. There was no waiting until I felt better. The pain was so bad I was bent over, using a teddy bear the hospital had given me as a pillow. I wondered what I had done to myself. But somehow I knew it would be ok. My journey was just beginning.