[BOOTS]

OK MY INLAWS MADE A COMMENT ABOUT THIS SURGERY. MY BROTHER IN LAW WHO IS A DOC THINKS THIS IS TO MUCH OF A DRASTIC STEP TO TAKE( wow he is a big shot now that he has finally stuck to a diet and has lost a lot of weight). AND THEY ALL SAID TO MY DH WHY CANT SHE JUST GO ON A DIET.
WELL DUHHH!!!!! THIS IS WHY I DIDNT WANT TO SAY ANYTHING TO ANYONE TILL I WAS READY. BUT MY BIG MOUTH DH SAID SOMTHING. WHICH NOW HE IS SORRY HE DID, NOT REALIZING I WASNT READY.

IF I COULD GO ON A DIET I WOULD AND THEN IT MADE ME THINK WHY CANT I DIET AND STICK TO IT LIKE I USED TO YEARS AGO? I USED TO BE ABLE TO GO ON A DIET AND STICK TO IT WITH SUCCESS. BUT IN RECENT YEARS ITS OUT OF CONTROL!

AND IT ALSO MADE ME THINK:

WHAT HAS GOTTEN ME TO THIS POINT. WHY DID I OVER EAT TO GET TO THIS POINT OF GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY. WHEN DID I LOSE CONTROL AND WHY?

I KNOW ITS REALLY IMPORTANT TO REALLY FIND YOURSELF AND TRY TO DISCOVER WHY WE OVER EAT. BUT TO BE HONEST THE ONLY THING I CAN COME UP WITH IS I LIKE FOOD, BOREDOM, AND THE FEELING OF BEING FULL. SHOULD THERE BE SOME TYPE OF PHSYCOLOGICAL REASON? LIKE SOME TYPE OF TRAMA IN MY LIFE, ETC.

HAVE YOU GUYS DISCOVERED THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS? AND HOW DID YOU DISCOVER THE ANSWER?

[Kenyar]

I feel your pain. When i was researching i told friends only because i knew exactly how my ffamily would respond. and i got the occasional "why cant you just diet??"" and my response was "HELLO?? IF I COULD JUST DIET DONT YOUTHINK I WOULD??" people who dont suffer from this simply do not understand.

I have already begun to realize that I am going to need counselling as a part of this. I turly believe that we are addicts and that all addicts have a reason for being so, be it food, alcohol, drugs; we are all addicts and turn to what we are addicted to for a reason. Doesnt have to be traumatic. But there is a definite reason. You need to know what it is in order to move past it.

Now, we can have this surgery and get healthy and lose all the weight in the world, but it doesnt end there. If we dont look into the reasons why we lack control, why we eat until STUFFED, why we rely on food the way we do; and make the aproproate corrections, or modify our behaviors, we'll end up gaining it right back. Now, I am not a dr by any means, but this is what i believe.

I think this is a life changing experience on so many levels. this surgery has affects so many areas of a persons life that i think everyone who goes thru this should go to counselling in some shape or form. Some of us, myself included, need to learn how to feel and manage feeligs again because we have been stuffing them with food most of our lifetimes....Just my honest opinion.

[BOOTS]

And A Very Good Opinion At That, ThankS Kenya!!!

And I Agree With What You Said About Therapy, We Need To Conquer The Reasons Of Why We Are Addicted To Food In Order To Move Forward. Bravo

This Is Somthing I Will Have To Do Once Im Feeling Better From The Surgery. This Is Somthing I Want To Seek Help Into Right Away! BECAUSE EVERYONE LOVES FOOD BUT SOME PEOPLE CAN CONTROL THEIR LOVE FOR FOOD AND PEOPLE LIKE US CANT

[fr1endly2]

keep in mind boots...those first days home from surgery its very normal to greive the loss of food. IT happens to many...
food to some has become a best friend and when lost from the surgery
it takes some adjusting and greiving.

AT about 10 months out i did take some health management councling sessions with a therpaist who was a gastric bypass patient...feeling she really knows being a patient herself......if you want her name and number let me know!
hugs
lisa

[BOOTS]

Yes Lisa That Is One Thing Im Sooooo Afraid Of When I Get Home From The Hosp. And Weeks After. How Will I Deal With This? How Will I Feel?

Now How Does The Therapist Help You? How Is She Different From A Regular Therapist. How Much Did She Charge?

[fr1endly2]

Well she specializes in weight managment help.
UNFORTUNATELY my therapy with her went off
the beaten track in other areas for me and i stopped going.
BUT she i felt truly understands this journey and was the right
person to see.
I started goint to hopefully stay on track.....i should have continued the sessions but money and time got tight and i couldnt goooo.

IF you want her number just let me know i will try to locate it....
hugs

[BreeChick]

Thank you kenyar for saying it! Always before on another site I would get slammed SO hard for stating the postop addiction issue, the withdrawal. The way we'll find something else to replace it with--spending, sex, alcohol, etc. We have to be willing to work on this stuff...non supportive people notwithstanding.

But the biggest issue, and I can't state this enough is that eventually after the 'honeymoon period' ends life steps in again. Bad things happen, marriage fall apart, jobs get lost or whatever and you have to learn to deal with it without the old coping mechanism of food.

I had the surgery in 2002 and at the end of 2004 when my life was going great and I was considered the 'golden girl' I got slammed hard face down in the mud for nearly a year. It's been nearly 3 years now and I've learned a LOT about myself and how I cope with bad things bad BAD things. I feel my feelings, I don't hold them in if possible..when I start doing that holding in thing is when food starts playing with me again.

Therapy is a great thing. I had some major PTSD counseling from a specialist and I don't think for one, I'd still be here if I hadn't. I wouldn't be able to cope or understand anything about myself and my reactions if I hadn't gone through that therapy. It's different from any therapy I'd had in years past. Very different..it's hard to explain but it's much more intense and structured or at least mine was.

I know it's hard to deal with people being negative but you've got to understand they have the right to their opinions. It doesn't mean you have to respond. "you have the right to that opinion" is how you can respond because you know what? that is ALL that it is..--an opinion--.

---{{hugs to ya girl}}

[BOOTS]

PTSD counseling????

OK GUYS SO ARE YOU ALL SAYING YOU ALL NOW KNOW WHY YOU HAVE THIS PROBLEM. IF YOU FEEL LIKE SHARING DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR PROBLEM IS?

[Kenyar]

No im not saying that at all Boots. Im not really sure what links/ linked my eating and weight. I havent begun therapy yet. I kow it all ties to gether in some way but im not quite sure how just yet.

what i am saying is, people need to consider it once they begin this journey. i think everyone should go. I have no clue what my "issue" is other than my childhood and feeling inadequate etc. but i will need to explore that and the effects of that on my weight etc when i start with the shrink. i havent really thought about it until post op. it never occured to me prior to surgery...

[BOOTS]

Thanks For Sharing Kenya. I Guess This Is A Dark Moment Of Our Happy Journey We Should All Face And Then We Will Find The Light.

I Know This Is Truly Something I Better Do With No Excuses(the therapy). Because I Havent Done The Surgery Yet But Im Already So Afraid That I Can Fail. But Then Again I Have No Idea How It Physically Feels After Surgery I Cant Even Imagine How It Feels To Have A Small Pouch Helping You Thru This Problem We All Have With Eating.

but i do remember how i used to be with dieting once i really get on a roll there will be no stopping me. thank god for this surgery to aid us.

Hugss To You All
Xoxoxo