Shocked by the diagnosis of an enlarged left ventricle and at the recommendation of my cardiologist, I began exploring bariatric surgery. There are many providers for this surgery in my area and I simply didn’t know where to start. So I did what I do best: read lots of books and explored lots of websites and blogs. Through all of this information gathering, I vacillated between feeling completely overwhelmed by the thought of it all to totally determined to make it happen. I eventually landed at Bariatric Specialists of North Carolina (http://www.surgerync.com/).
The March 7, 2018 decision I made to get healthy finally began to take shape at my appointment with my surgeon on May 17, 2017. The two months in-between these appointments were filled with lots of anxiety as I came to terms with my diagnosis and evaluated my options around permanent weight loss. I questioned the likelihood of actually reaching the kind of weight loss that I needed to achieve in order to reduce the pressure on my heart. It seemed so unlikely since I’d tried and failed so many times. This really saddened me.
At this first appointment, my surgeon and I talked about the many times that I have lost and regained my weight and the effects that cycle has had on my physical and emotional well-being. My surgeon outlined the many ways that his practice would support me in the journey. He reviewed the different options with me and together we determined that the Gastric Sleeve was the best procedure for me. He answered my questions and offered assurances that with the surgical intervention and his help I would achieve my goals.
This launched me into the bariatric world. I had so many appointments that I barely had time to catch my breath. Maybe that’s intentional! They’ve probably learned that if there is too much time between the decision for surgery and the actual surgery, people will change their minds. That’s probably true for me. There were appointments with my medical doctor and cardiologist for clearance. There were lab tests and an EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy). There was an appointment with a psychologist, two appointments with a nutritionist, and a pre-surgery appointment with my surgeon. Once all of this prework was completed the mounds of paperwork had to be sent to my health insurance company so that the surgery would be approved.
After my presurgery nutrition seminar, I really began to panic and doubt my decision and my ability to stick with the restrictions. The nutritionist reviewed everything that we could and couldn’t eat in the three weeks before surgery and in the months postsurgery. Listening to her instructions about the days and weeks immediately following surgery really made me anxious. There were so many details to keep up with! One of the most helpful things was a success story shared by someone who’d had the same surgery I was going to have just a year before. She talked honestly about her successes and her struggles. She provided lots of good tips about what to stock in the pantry and fridge which would help in the process of reintroducing food.
Sitting around a big conference room with 8 other pre-surgery patients, I began to feel like I was not alone in the journey. We asked our questions, shared our doubts and encouraged each other in the journey. I left that seminar feeling pretty good. But then had a panic attack on the way home as I processed everything that I’d heard and tried to remember all of the details. That night, I shared my biggest question with my husband Bob: will I actually be able to give up everything that I was used to having, all of my go-to comfort food? He suggested that I pick one thing that I think would be the hardest to give up and just do it. This seemed to be a reasonable test of my willpower. So the next day I gave up sweet tea! It actually turned out to be simpler than I thought it would be which really surprised me and everyone around me.
Another thing I did to reduce my anxiety was to meet one-on-one with the nutritionist. This was extremely helpful because I could ask my questions without fear of judgment. She tailored our conversation to my needs and helped me do some planning for the three weeks prior to surgery and the four weeks postsurgery. I left this appointment feeling more confident about my decision and my ability to be compliant.
With insurance approval in hand, my surgery was scheduled for August 3, 2017. I was thrilled and nervous all at the same time. The three weeks before surgery were really hard due to all of the dietary restrictions. During the first two weeks, I had to follow the liver reduction diet which consisted of two protein shakes, two high protein bars, and one lean and green meal plus 64 oz. of water a day. During the week just prior to surgery I was only allowed 5 protein shakes and the 64 oz. of water each day.
At this point, my biggest fear was that I would do all of this and then my surgeon would decide that my liver wasn’t reduced enough or that some other complication would make surgery impossible.
I am so thankful for Bob and my family and friends who supported me in this journey. Their listening ear and words of encouragement were so helpful. I suspect that my endless talking about the upcoming surgery got really annoying over time! Thanks for your care and love.
In part 3 of this series, I’ll reflect on surgery day and the days that followed.